Sun Lingtong did not intercept in advance but left the preparation room and headed deeper.
Without Ning Zhuo by his side now, Sun Lingtong was just a ghost with no credentials, unable to receive rewards or open doors.
Therefore, Sun Lingtong waited for Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng to open the door first, and then he squeezed in behind.
Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit ground its teeth in anger upon seeing this!
Meng Chong took the lead, breaking through the second and third barriers, bringing sixteen similar puppets into the preparation room.
In an instant, the speedrun, progress, and Qi Refinement leaderboards were filled with names.
The leaderboard recorded only the top ten, with many more ranking in the teens, unqualified to appear.
Ning Zhuo exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling a bit pleased.
This way, when he entered the preparation room in the future, having his name not appear on the leaderboard would be a perfectly reasonable explanation.
If the leaderboard had been empty before, his name not appearing would have been a glaring flaw!
Using the enemy, Ning Zhuo had resolved this hidden threat.
"Charge, charge, charge!" Meng Chong forged ahead fiercely.
With him leading, the sixteen puppets behind him remained unscathed, lying flat all the way to Room Nine.
"Finally, they're here." Sun Lingtong hid in a corner, cleverly disguised with multiple layers, showcasing the Bukong Sect's expertise in disguise.
Sun Lingtong peered through two small holes to watch the outside world.
Bang, bang, bang...
Meng Chong laughed heartily, engaging in a brawl with Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng.
Having fought his way through, he finally found his challenge target, his fighting spirit soaring, his entire body wrapped in electrical light, delighting in the battle.
As for the other members, they battled numerous Kung Fu Dolls and Magic Puppets, with no formation, the battlefield in chaos.
Sun Lingtong waited for a while, and when the time was right, he chuckled secretly and remotely commanded Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai to act.
Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai lay flat in a makeshift coffin buried under the floor tiles.
Qi Bai did not show himself, casting a spell while lying flat.
Instantly, mournful wails filled the air, and ghostly spirits howled!
Various beast souls emerged from the ground, pouncing on the renovation team.
How did the beast souls come?
This was thanks to a great idea from Ning Zhuo.
After understanding Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai, he thought of the first trial of the Buddhist Sect.
There were many coffins there, sealing assorted corpses, including demon beasts and spirit plants.
Do these have souls?
Most likely, they did!
Because constructing the Spirit Rhythm Mechanism requires as much preservation as possible. The more intact the flesh, soul, mana, essence blood, and divine sense, the better.
So, Ning Zhuo brought Sun Lingtong and Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai to the first trial of the Buddhist Sect.
Using the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, all the souls in those coffins were summoned. Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai took the opportunity to replenish a significant amount of fighting power!
The renovation team, having just defeated all the Kung Fu and Magic Puppets, were watching Meng Chong and Yuan Dasheng's battle. They were exhausted and relaxed.
In the sudden attack, many were slow to react, pounced on by ghosts, their own souls collided with or bitten, causing screams of pain.
The scene descended into chaos.
The temperature dropped sharply, with ghostly spirits rising, flying in the air.
The City Lord's renovation team fell into disarray and fled in all directions.
"An ambush?!" Meng Chong stole a glance, and in the next moment, Yuan Dasheng took the opportunity to counterattack, knocking him into the wall.
"Roar!" Yuan Dasheng roared up to the sky, beating his chest, exuding heroic spirit.
Then, he beckoned provocatively at Meng Chong.
Meng Chong's eyes widened in disbelief that he was being underestimated by a mechanical artifact!
He let out a low roar, charged forward, and engaged Yuan Dasheng again.
After several rounds, Yuan Dasheng suddenly abandoned defense, reaching out to embrace Meng Chong.
Meng Chong's eyes flashed with brilliance, "A flaw!"
Frenzied Rushing Thunder!
He shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Yuan Dasheng's arms crossed, holding nothing.
Almost simultaneously, Meng Chong appeared behind him in a flash.
Meng Chong struck Yuan Dasheng heavily on his back.
Just as he succeeded, a black shadow appeared silently, attacking him.
Meng Chong did not expect this and couldn't dodge in time, getting struck in the back by the shadow.
It was Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai, who had been lying in wait!
With just that hit, Meng Chong lost his mobility, his soul forcibly extracted from the puppet body!
Meng Chong: ?!
The renovation team, chased by the beast souls and fleeing in panic, awakened at this sight.
"Young Master Meng Chong!"
"Quick, save the young master."
"Another special mechanical puppet has appeared!!"
They disregarded their safety, rushing towards Qi Bai.
Qi Bai retreated silently.
Roar!
Yuan Dasheng jumped in front of them, becoming an insurmountable obstacle.
"Ah..." Meng Chong screamed in agony.
His soul, in Qi Bai's hands, was like a balloon punctured, rapidly deflating.
Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Secret!
Though Qi Bai was dead, his Golden Core and Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Secret remained.
In life, he easily extracted Sun Lingtong's soul. This sneak attack was equally successful in extracting Meng Chong's soul.
He operated the Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Secret to devour Meng Chong's soul!
Meng Chong gripped Qi Bai's arms, his legs kicking frantically, instinctively trying to use Immortal Talent Mad Dash Thunder.
But Sun Lingtong had anticipated this and ordered precisely, "Use the Soul Disturbing Throat Drum!"
Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai's throat resonated slightly, producing a drum sound.
The drum sound struck Meng Chong, causing him to feel dizzy, his hands and legs going limp like noodles, ceasing to struggle.
Qi Bai seized the opportunity to fiercely capture his soul.
Meng Chong's soul shrank to the limit, nearing collapse. As his life thread above his head was triggered, a light twitch pulled him out of the Immortal Palace, sending him back to his flesh.
Without Meng Chong, the numerous renovation team members were no longer a concern.
Under the joint efforts of Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng and Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai, they were soon captured, their souls devoured. Before their souls were completely destroyed, their life threads sent them back to their bodies.
"Won!"
"That was too easy."
Sun Lingtong walked out of the corner, clapping his hands, excited.
He jogged to Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai, giving him orders.
Qi Bai then half-knelt, extending his palm to touch Sun Lingtong's puppet body.
In the next moment, pure soul essence was transmitted into Sun Lingtong's soul.
Sun Lingtong tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and shouted in delight.
His soul had been injured, though treated with the Phoenix Soul Blood Fragrance Pill, it was still some distance from complete recovery.
But now, with the soul essence, his injuries healed rapidly, reaching peak condition, and continued to grow past his limits!
"Wonderful, truly wonderful!" Sun Lingtong beamed with joy.
"Stop, stop." He timely halted.
He absorbed half the soul essence, leaving the other half for Ning Zhuo.
"My soul injuries are fully healed."
"The future soul essence will be saved for Little Zhuo. The more his soul power grows, the more Illusion True Lotus Seeds he can receive!"
He called out to Golden Blooded War Ape - Dasheng, "Little Zhuo, come quickly, there's something good to eat!"
Ning Zhuo, through Yuan Dasheng, witnessed the entire process and couldn't help but swallow.
He hadn't absorbed soul essence in a long time.
Han Ming had lost it, and Qi Bai was turned into a mechanical puppet, leading him to reclaim the channel for acquiring soul essence.
"The City Lord's Mansion has vast resources, healing soul injuries for Meng Chong and others is a simple matter."
"This is great!"
Ning Zhuo couldn't help but fantasize about the future.
With Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai, Ning Zhuo suddenly realized, all the cultivators participating in the trial were fodder for his cultivation!
"By the way, when is the united renovation team of the three factions entering the palace together?"
Myriad Ghosts Forest.
Gloomy Valley.
The main sect of the Soul Devouring Sect was located here.
Soul Lamp Tower.
Countless soul lamps burned quietly, most showing green flames, but a few burned with different colors.
Among these thousands of soul lamps, one with a grayish-white flame suddenly extinguished.
The disciple on duty initially thought he was too tired and hallucinating, but after rubbing his eyes and looking again, he stood up in horror.
"Bad, bad news, True Disciple Qi Bai's soul lamp has extinguished!" The disciple ran to the elder, kneeling to report.
"What?!" The elder couldn't sit still, immediately standing up.
"Qi Bai? The Blind Judge Qi Bai's soul lamp?" The elder confirmed again.
The disciple nodded frantically.
The elder's face turned grim as he hurried to the Soul Lamp Tower. Seeing the extinguished soul lamp, he had no more doubts.
"Our sect has lost a True Disciple!" The elder sighed deeply, his face dark with anger, his terrifying killing intent spreading. The disciple beside him felt like he had suddenly entered a bitter winter, his teeth chattering.
The Soul Lamp Tower elder didn't linger, immediately leaving the tower to report to the main hall of the sect.
In the main hall of the sect, the current Soul Devouring Sect Master and several sect elders were discussing important matters.
"Next year is our sect's decennial disciple competition. Today's meeting is to finalize the specific competition details."
"A powerful soul beast, as strong as a Nascent Soul, has appeared in the soul crystal vein of the Ghost Shadow Mountain Range. It greatly hinders our sect's soul crystal mining efforts, and the sect needs to dispatch elders to eliminate it."
"The Ghost Mother White Bone Lotus in the Child Ghost Valley has been accumulating for over twenty years and will bloom in three years. Recently, it has been heard that True Disciples from a major righteous sect are secretly planning to destroy our branch in the Child Ghost Valley and the Ghost Mother White Bone Lotus."
"Lately, the Blood Fiend Sect has been repeatedly causing friction in the midsection of the Wailing Ghost River. According to intelligence, the new elder of the Blood Fiend Sect, Xue Shouren, is behind it, planning something big. This person is a traitor to our sect, well aware of our sect's workings. He has now joined the Blood Fiend Sect and become an elder. If not exterminated, he will be a future major threat."
...
The Soul Devouring Sect was a major demon sect with vast influence, not only dominating a region but also spreading branches, its influence extending into multiple cultivation kingdoms.
The position of Sect Master was not easy, involving countless daily affairs.
"Urgent report!"
"Our sect's True Disciple Qi Bai, his soul lamp has extinguished, confirming his death."
The Sect Master and elders stopped their discussion immediately, all turning to the reporting disciple.
The Sect Master's face darkened, "Can the soul be summoned back?"
The disciple hurriedly replied, "The Soul Summoning Banner was swung seven times, but Qi Bai's soul did not return. The two elders at the Soul Summoning Platform judged that Qi Bai's soul was completely destroyed."
The Sect Master angrily struck the armrest, "Good, good, good. Our sect has lost a True Disciple, who is responsible? Find out the culprit, there will be retribution!"