Chapter 303: Elimination
The First Small Turn, the Second Small Turn...
The cultivators gradually began to grasp the mechanism of the palace trials, gaining more understanding about the Secret Pavilion of Turning Points.
Zhu Xuanji leaped nimbly, navigating through the traps while thinking to himself: "According to the rules of the palace trials, the way to win is to find the correct path, leave this mechanism maze, step into the main hall, and sit on the throne."
"But in reality, there are many Secret Pavilions of Turning Points, and once everyone accumulates thirty-six attempts, the sequence will be reshuffled."
"The paths we cleared before will be completely changed, and everything will start over."
"So..."
"On one hand, I must break through the levels as fast as possible. If others clear three Secret Pavilions, and I can clear six, it means my chances of finding the correct path will be higher than others."
"On the other hand, I need to eliminate as many people as possible! The ideal situation would be for only me to remain. All thirty-six exploration opportunities would be mine alone."
"Hmm?"
At this thought, Zhu Xuanji's heart was stirred, and he deduced a conclusion: "This proves that within thirty-six attempts, there must be a path that will allow me to break out of the Secret Pavilion of Turning Points and enter the main hall!"
Those who reached the third round of the palace trials were almost all quick-witted individuals. Many people, like Zhu Xuanji, realized the true nature of the third round of the trials—
It appeared to be about finding the correct path, with a significant element of luck.
But in reality, one had to eliminate others to secure more opportunities for exploration, making it more likely to escape the Secret Pavilion of Turning Points!
In one of the Secret Pavilions.
A battle had just ended.
The Booklord stood in the center of the battlefield with his hands behind his back. Around him were several mechanical constructs. Some were smashed, others broken, and some were sealed, unable to move.
The Booklord was an elite from the Book Tower, well-versed in scriptures. His wide range of skills made him one of the most versatile cultivators among them.
Although victorious, there was no trace of joy on his face.
"The situation is unfavorable for me."
"In the previous ranking list, I was always in second place. This has drawn too much attention, making others view me as a significant threat."
In the Booklord’s mind, there was always a clear trial list.
"Including me, there are thirteen cultivators, but they don’t form thirteen separate factions."
"There are only four."
"The alliance of the cultivation families from Huoshi Immortal City, led by Zhu Xuanji, is the largest force."
"Then, there's the City Lord's Mansion’s Meng family and Bukong Sect."
"The last faction is me, Song Fuli, and the Golden Core disciple from Zixiao Pavilion. We are rather scattered."
When others encounter each other, they might not necessarily fight and may directly join forces due to faction ties.
This meant that the Booklord might face two or even more enemies at once.
An even more troublesome factor was that everyone’s cultivation had been suppressed to the Qi Refining Stage. This made it difficult for the Booklord to fight two opponents at once.
The Booklord quickly cleaned up the battlefield, dismantling many parts from the mechanical puppets.
He didn’t have a technique like the *Demonic Blood Tendon Technique*, so unlike Ning Zhuo, he couldn't directly demonize the mechanical puppets.
"The second Secret Pavilion I explored was a place specifically for assembling mechanical constructs, and there were many suitable tools there."
"I should head back and use these spoils to assemble a puppet for protection."
The Booklord decided to return the way he came.
He couldn't use storage equipment but had a temporary storage spell. Once cast, his hands were empty as he pushed open a small door.
The next moment, he froze in place.
"Zhu Xuanji!" the Booklord exclaimed inwardly, spotting the cultivator in the room.
Zhu Xuanji also immediately noticed him.
Both were on high alert, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"Lord Zhu, you’re the first fellow Daoist I've encountered since the third round of trials," the Booklord said with a smile. While he remained vigilant of his surroundings, he did his best to ease the tension.
He was slightly relieved that he didn’t see any other cultivators.
In this room, it was just him and Zhu Xuanji.
This situation wasn’t the worst.
Zhu Xuanji smiled back at the Booklord, and after exchanging a few words, the Booklord immediately took his leave.
Zhu Xuanji hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn’t make a move, allowing the Booklord to depart.
Based on the second round of trials, the Booklord was powerful and had a wide array of tactics, a true all-rounder.
This was a characteristic of the powerful Book Tower, as its cultivators had access to a vast number of books, making them versatile with no obvious weaknesses.
"What a pity. If I had encountered one of my own, we could have advanced and retreated together."
"If I could have made a move against the lone Booklord, I could have eliminated this major threat early on!"
Zhu Xuanji regretted it in his heart. Being alone, fighting the Booklord would have been too unpredictable and the outcome uncertain.
If he had been able to exert his full Golden Core strength, he might have taken action.
But the Secret Pavilion of Turning Points had suppressed his power to the Qi Refining level, making Zhu Xuanji very cautious, unwilling to engage in battle lightly.
"I still need to find the others quickly." Zhu Xuanji lifted his foot and continued his exploration.
...
Sun Lingtong frowned: "The Lava Immortal Palace is truly powerful, even suppressing my marriage contract!"
Before the third round of the palace trials, Sun Lingtong had received information from Ning Zhuo, giving him some insight into the content of the trials.
He had shared it with Yang Chanyu.
The two had planned to use the marriage contract between them to sense each other's location and quickly reunite.
But in practice, Sun Lingtong tasted the bitterness of failure.
...
"Where is the Young Lord? I hope he doesn’t encounter others too soon." A Golden Core cultivator from the Meng family hurried along.
...
Zheng Shuanggou was also rushing, eager to meet up with Zheng Jianlian.
Meanwhile, Zheng Jianlian, with bloodshot eyes, tore apart the fiery demon beast blocking his path.
The frustration in his heart was growing, and he muttered under his breath: "Why? Why are my Night Rain Demon Weapons prohibited?"
Unable to touch his mechanical scythe, a strong sense of emptiness gnawed at him.
Zheng Jianlian had no interest in reuniting with anyone.
All he wanted was to hold his mechanical scythe, to be with it every moment.
...
Ning Zhuo remained calm and composed.
"The situation is very favorable for me."
Behind him, his demonized puppets had increased to five.
In addition, there was a floating box hovering in the air, following him closely.
This was another mechanical creation Ning Zhuo had received and was familiar with—Little Flying Box.
Inside this storage mechanism, Ning Zhuo had stashed several mechanical parts he had gathered.
Ning Zhuo didn’t know any storage spells, and in a situation where he couldn’t carry much, the appearance of the Little Flying Box solved his need for storage.
Indeed, the situation was very favorable for him.
One could even say it was the most favorable.
All because there were limited people others could reunite with.
Ning Zhuo could team up with Zhu Xuanji, Ning Jiufan, Yang Chanyu, or Sun Lingtong.
If he expanded his options a bit, Zheng Shuanggou, Zheng Jianlian, and Zhou Nongying were also possible allies.
There were only thirteen cultivators in the third round of trials, and Ning Zhuo had up to seven potential allies.
"In fact, I once met the Booklord, thanks to Fei Si’s recommendation letter."
"I’ve also had dealings with Song Fuli."
"It’s only the Golden Core disciple from Zixiao Pavilion that I’m not too familiar with."
Looking around, Ning Zhuo had good relationships with most of the other cultivators.
And during the second round of trials, Ning Zhuo had already demonstrated his strength. Even though everyone’s cultivation was suppressed to the Qi Refining level, no one would treat him as an easy target!
"However, the Golden Core ancestors of the Zheng and Zhou families still can’t be fully trusted."
Ning Zhuo hadn’t forgotten his previous deductions.
Although they had signed an alliance, such agreements could be countered.
The possibility of forming new alliances was always there, and Ning Zhuo never forgot the potential collaboration between these two families and the City Lord’s Mansion in secret.
The sound of gears echoed again, and the Secret Pavilion slightly trembled.
All the cultivators grew serious and cautious.
This was because this time, it was already the third change. According to the information, this was no longer a third small turn but the first major turn.
Everyone had already understood the small turns.
But what was a major turn?
Meng Chong pushed open a door.
In the next moment, he saw Zhou Nongying.
Zhou Nongying’s pupils shrank slightly, and he nodded expressionlessly: "So, it’s you, Meng Chong. Go ahead. We have an agreement between our two factions, so I won’t trouble you for now. No one has been eliminated yet. The correct strategy is to eliminate outsiders like the Booklord and those from Bukong Sect first."
"If you run into your Meng family’s Golden Core
cultivator, pass along this strategy, will you?"
Meng Chong clenched his fists, sparks of electricity flickering on them: "No."
He flatly refused.
Meng Chong stared at Zhou Nongying, his face full of eager fighting spirit: "We are all at the Qi Refining level, Senior Zhou. This opportunity is too rare, and this junior really wants to test his strength against you."
Zhou Nongying's expression darkened: "You brat, you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit."
Meng Chong’s eyes lit up: "If I remember correctly, Senior Zhou doesn’t have any natural talents, does he?"
Natural Talent—*Wild Sprint Thunderclap*!
In the next moment, Meng Chong shot forward like lightning, launching a fierce attack at Zhou Nongying.
Bold and fearless, brimming with heroic spirit, Meng Chong actively initiated the battle.
This was the first time since the third round of trials began that cultivators had fought.
Before this, even when cultivators encountered each other, like Zhu Xuanji and the Booklord, they had restrained themselves, acting cautiously without recklessly engaging.
But with *Wild Sprint Thunderclap* activated, Meng Chong only grew farther away from Zhou Nongying.
Meng Chong was both shocked and puzzled.
Zhou Nongying, with his hands behind his back, sneered: "Just so you know, after the second turn, I stayed in this Secret Pavilion without leaving."
"I set up a formation here in advance to guard against the risk of the major turn."
"Meng Chong, I let you off once, but you didn’t appreciate it. You deserve to be eliminated."
In the next moment, Zhou Nongying pointed his finger.
The formation roared to life.
Meng Chong was trapped, like a bug in amber, unable to move.
Then, the overwhelming power of the formation descended upon him! If it landed, Meng Chong would undoubtedly be eliminated.
But in the next moment, Meng Chong used his mana to infuse a token he held in his arms.
The token flew out, blocking the power of the formation.
On the token were two large characters—*Immunity*!
The mechanical component, the *Immunity Token*!
With the activation of the *Immunity Token*, Meng Chong’s figure gradually faded away—he had been teleported out.
Zhou Nongying snorted coldly, displeased: "There's even such a mechanism? How come I never encountered it?"
Meng Chong’s body reappeared in his previous Secret Pavilion.
"Damn it, I used up my only *Immunity Token*."
"Zhou Nongying!!"
Unlike other cultivators, Meng Chong, burning with anger, chose the same door again, stepping inside to face Zhou Nongying once more.
Zhou Nongying: "You’re back?!"
He, too, was furious.
To be so underestimated: "Let’s see how many *Immunity Tokens* you have left!"
Meng Chong grinned: "None, that was my only one."
"But I have other things!"
As he spoke, he gagged and coughed, spitting out a large number of mechanical tools from his body.
Zhou Nongying’s expression stiffened. Meng Chong’s supply of mechanical tools was far too abundant.
...
"So the major turn greatly increases the chances of us encountering each other," the Booklord realized.
With a smile on his face, he looked at Song Fuli in front of him: "Brother Song, it’s my good fortune to meet you."
Song Fuli nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, our faction is the weakest. We should avoid fighting and join forces instead."
Most of the cultivators in the trials were not foolish.
What the Booklord thought, Song Fuli also understood.
These two outsiders didn’t fight and immediately chose to unite.
Meanwhile, Meng Chong and Zhou Nongying from Huoshi Immortal City had already begun battling.
...
At the same time, atop Huoshi Mountain, deep within the clouds.
A burly man with a tiger-back and bear-waist strode forward, stopping in front of Meng Kui: "Cousin, it’s been a while, hahaha."
Meng Kui smiled: "Meng Hu, it’s good you’ve come."
Meng Hu, one of the four great Nascent Soul cultivators of the Meng family, had quietly arrived!
...
A cup of tea later.
Lightning filled the Secret Pavilion of Turning Points.
Zhou Nongying looked down in disbelief at the gaping wound in his chest.
Then, he slowly raised his head to look at Meng Chong, who was covered in blood but grinning foolishly in front of him.
"I... lost?!" Zhou Nongying murmured.
"Hahaha!" Meng Chong, with his hands on his hips, ignored the blood gushing from his wound and laughed heartily, filled with immense satisfaction.
The information quickly spread, shocking everyone—
"Meng Chong fought Zhou Nongying, and the latter was eliminated!"
(End of the chapter)