"It, it, it's that mechanical monkey we encountered during the trial stage?!"
"Why would it appear here?"
"It's being controlled by Sun Lingtong, which means we've been constantly trapped by the traitors of the Bukong Sect?!"
The renovation team members entering the second round of palace exams were so shocked that they were at a loss for words.
Some were so angry they lost their composure, cursing Sun Lingtong out loud.
So insidious!
So cunning!
This is just too despicable!!
Everyone in the renovation team had been abused by the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng. Even its real master Ning Zhuo had put on a show multiple times.
In any case, the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng was the pain point of everyone in the renovation team, a shadow, the object of countless times of teeth-clenching hate.
In order to deal with the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng and the Netherworld Envoy · Qi Bai, all three renovation teams had once gone to great lengths to join forces in a campaign against them.
Without success!
The Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng brought about too much failure, too much humiliation, too much frustration.
Before, everyone thought it was just one of the mechanisms of the trial stage.
This understanding made it psychologically easier to accept.
After all, the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng originated from the higher-ups of the three sects, and it was completely reasonable for everyone to be defeated by a Refining Void Great Power of such status.
But now, as Sun Lingtong openly utilized the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng, everyone suddenly realized—we weren't defeated by a Refining Void Great Power, we were schemed against by the traitors of the Bukong Sect!
And schemed against so many times.
If it weren't for the second round of palace exams, we would have been kept in the dark forever.
At that moment, this frustration, this resentment, was like the boundless waters of the Three Rivers that could not be washed away!
"Traitor Sun is detestable!"
"I curse you people of Bukong Sect to birth sons without anuses in this lifetime!!"
"Not behaving like a human at all, simply not human!"
For a time, Sun Lingtong became the brightest target in the main hall plaza. Countless fiery eyes glued steadfastly onto him.
Endless curses and insults poured down like a torrential downpour.
Initially, Sun Lingtong was somewhat uncomfortable. Later on, he started to enjoy himself.
"If you think about it carefully, this is quite thrilling."
"He he!"
"I just like to see you hate me and yet be unable to do anything about it."
"Ah, to be exact, it's you being taken down by me."
"Hehehe..."
Sun Lingtong stood smugly, shaking his head smugly, with an excited flush on his young face.
After using the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng, he immediately embarked on a terrifying winning streak. Even Zhu Xuanji and others were successively defeated by him.
And the one who was most broken was none other than Meng Chong.
"Wah! You villain, how dare you make such a mockery of us, I'm gonna twist your head off and kick it around like a ball!"
"I'm so furious, so furious!!"
Meng Chong roared repeatedly, yet he helplessly watched as his mechanical puppets, now without their numerical advantage, were cruelly tormented by the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng.
Memories from the past surged back into his mind like slaps in the face, smacking his cheeks with a resounding whack.
Too painful!
This humiliation was excessive for a chosen son of the heavens like him.
Meng Chong was so enraged that his face turned scarlet, his anger rising to his hair roots as he rolled up his sleeves and intended to rush to the central area to personally confront the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Dasheng.
But then he was firmly blocked by an invisible force.
Sun Lingtong didn't forget to rub salt into his wounds.
He stuck out his pinky finger, dusted his ear, and looked disdainfully at Meng Chong: "Little weakling, what are you yelling for? Haven't I already trashed you enough?"
In an instant, the struggling Meng Chong froze.
Then, his eyes filled with bloodshot rage, he seemed about to explode as he roared up to the sky with deafening anger.
"I'll take you down, I'll take you down!!" Meng Chong was so angry he lost all reason.
No matter how the City Lord's Mansion's people tried to persuade him, nothing worked.
Zhu Xuanji, Shuzhong Jun, and others, however, were not blinded by anger.
"Rather than saying I was defeated by Sun Lingtong, it would be more accurate to say it was at the hands of this spiritually natured mechanical monkey."
"This monkey is indeed formidable. Even someone at my level of cultivation can hardly stop it."
"According to the information given in the second round of the palace exams, the mechanical monkey came from the trial stage and was brought out, which is why it can be used in the palace exams."
"If we follow this logic, the Bukong Sect should still have another mechanical puppet that can harness ghosts."
As the discussion reached this point, even these elite Golden Core members fell into silence.
Only one of Sun Lingtong's cards had been revealed, and it already gave him such a tremendous advantage. He had yet another card that he hadn't used.
"It is foreseeable that the first place in the second round of palace exams will once again meet the 'entry standard'."
"Fortunately, in the second round of palace exams, only the last ten are eliminated, so it's not difficult for us to break through to the next round."
"The mechanical monkey came from the trial stage, why haven't the renovation teams from all sides been able to find this reward? Is it deeper within the trial stage?"
People kept guessing.
No one told them that it was an insider who had obscured the paths of both the Buddhist Sect and the Demon Sect.
Using Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng, Sun Lingtong had stolen the spotlight, immediately stopping the decline and making a strong comeback.
The reason Ning Zhuo chose to use Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng instead of Netherworld Envoy Qi Bai was mainly because the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng was already the most exposed, and a little more exposure wouldn't matter.
Although this mechanical puppet had been improved with higher quality materials in the later stages and had been upgraded with numerous Foundation Establishment Level materials,
it was, after all, only at the Foundation Establishment Stage in combat prowess, unfit to match up to people like Zhu Xuanji.
It could only flaunt its power in the arena.
Netherworld Envoy Qi Bai was different!
Even though it was also made from Foundation Establishment Level materials, it contained Qi Bai's Golden Core from his lifetime. If it really exerted its strength, it could fight at the Golden Core Level!
Of course, if it exerted its full power, its mechanical body often couldn't withstand it, after all, it was only made of Foundation Establishment Level materials. That was the Netherworld Envoy Qi Bai's biggest shortcoming since its existence.
In summary, preserving Netherworld Envoy Qi Bai and exposing Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng to secure Sun Lingtong's spot in the next round was a very wise decision.
And Ning Zhuo himself, after everyone's attention was drawn to Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng and Sun Lingtong, "staggered" and "stumbled" in a "bitter struggle," "barely" securing one victory after another.
Apart from Ning Zhuo and others, the least surprised was Zhu Xuanji.
He had previously uncovered the secret—Yuan Dasheng had been transformed into the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng.
And he knew that Yuan Dasheng's corpse had ended up with the Bukong Sect.
Thus, the conclusion that Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng was an item of the Bukong Sect was inferred.
However, Zhu Xuanji had not expected that the Bukong Sect could actually bring out the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng.
Since Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng was only at the Foundation Establishment Level in combat prowess, it did not get Zhu Xuanji's full attention.
Seeing Sun Lingtong kill left and right with the Golden Blood Battle Ape Dasheng, even defeating him, such a result made Zhu Xuanji pay more attention to another matter.
And that was the clue regarding the Golden Furnace!
Among the five Golden Furnaces that had been turned into ruins, there was no need to investigate the first one, as Zhu Xuanji already knew the inside story. The fifth Golden Furnace had just been investigated.
He only had the second, third, and fourth Golden Furnaces left.
Deep down, intuition told him that the answers hidden beneath these three ruins of the Golden Furnaces were incredibly important to him.
However, after his last success, the opportunity Zhu Xuanji had been waiting for never came.
Even though there were instances of Flame Demon Beasts attacking nearby, each time, Ning Zhuo preemptively activated the Five Elements Turret, blasting them before they could truly reach the Gourd Forest.
This prevented Zhu Xuanji and others from using the Flame Demon Beasts to delve into the depths of the Golden Furnace Ruins.
The opportunity arose after the fifth question.
Roar!
With a heaven-shaking roar, a mountain-sized Flame Stepping Lizard emerged from the magma.
Nascent Soul Level!
The second Nascent Soul Level Flame Demon Beast appeared amidst the beast tide.
Its target was set straight for the Lava Fairy Palace.
Meng Kui immediately took action, backed by the Immortal City Great Array, blocking the Nascent Soul Level Flame Stepping Lizard.
After a dozen exchanges, the Runaway Fire Snake, which had previously fled, seemed to sense an opportunity and rushed over as well.
For a moment, Meng Kui single-handedly faced two Nascent Soul Level Demon Beasts!
He unleashed four Mana Power Hands, trying to block from all sides, but he was clearly at a disadvantage.
Boom!
The Flame Stepping Lizard heavily slammed into the Lava Fairy Palace.
The spherical light shield, which had only a few breaches previously, dimmed in an instant.
Boom!
The Flame Stepping Lizard charged again.
The spherical light shield shattered with a loud bang!
Countless Flame Demon Beasts landed from all directions, storming into the confines of the Lava Fairy Palace.
The Five Elements Turret blasted wildly, raining down like heavy rain on the head and neck of the Flame Stepping Lizard. Continuous fierce bombing managed to inflict minor injuries, at last driving it back.
However, before retreating, the Flame Stepping Lizard viciously swung its tail, directly breaking off a corner of the Immortal Palace, causing several buildings along with the land to separate from the main structure.
Immediately, this corner of the Immortal Palace fell into the magma, quickly disappearing without a trace.
Such a severe blow caused the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit to let out a mournful wail in the main hall!
Chaos ensued within the Lava Fairy Palace.
Never before had so many Flame Demon Beasts surged into the Immortal Palace.
Although soon after, the spherical light shield was restored, blocking the following Demon Beasts' landing.
But the Flame Demon Beasts that had already poured in posed a tremendous threat and must be eradicated swiftly!
The Cultivators fought with all their might, battling everywhere.
During the fight, due to a minor accident, it was discovered that the Immortal Palace Restriction had also been damaged, creating a loophole.
Any Qi Refinement Realm or Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, even without prowess in mechanisms, could now enter and exit the Immortal Palace!
Previously, this would have been impossible. Their skill in mechanisms had to meet the requirements.
"The opportunity has come!" Zhu Xuanji's feelings were mixed.
On one hand, the opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived. On the other hand, a corner of the Lava Fairy Palace had collapsed—a significant loss that would be costly to repair!
This forced the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit to contact Ning Zhuo once more, "Young, young master, bomb the Land of the Golden Furnace! Make Zhu Xuanji give up on this once and for all!"