"The one who should admit defeat is you, Sun Lingtong!"
"I'm going to reclaim all the humiliation I've endured over the years at your hands, the threats and temptations, the covert control and deception, in this very battle today!"
Ning Zhuo bellowed, his fighting spirit incredibly fierce.
The next moment, over twenty Flying Hands flew into mid-air and simultaneously cast spells on the Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dashing.
The onslaught of spells was extraordinarily powerful; such an extreme configuration of the Flying Hands brought their attack strength to its limit.
The Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dashing, was overwhelmed by the dazzling surge of spells.
It struggled fiercely, taking down nearly ten Flying Hands, but, in the end, it collapsed, its body riddled with holes, a sight too ghastly to behold.
"No, my Mechanical Battle Ape! You little rat, you're dead meat!!" Sun Lingtong shouted, his eyes spitting fire, glaring fiercely at Ning Zhuo, as if wishing he could devour him.
Long accustomed to the Black Market's milieu and having been groomed by his master from a young age, Sun Lingtong's acting skills were by no means inferior.
Ning Zhuo, fearless, sneered coldly, shouting excitedly, "Sun Lingtong, do you know how long I've been waiting for this day? You think I'm oblivious, but I've secretly investigated and studied your Mechanical Monkeys multiple times!"
The cultivators watching the battle erupted in surprise and cheered loudly at the result!
In this period, Sun Lingtong was deemed invincible, truly too dominant.
Unexpectedly, this time, Ning Zhuo managed to snatch victory by luck.
Indeed, in the eyes of the cultivators, Ning Zhuo had only adopted an extreme strategy for the platform competition. He hadn't crafted a conventional Mechanical Puppet but rather had put all his eggs in one basket, creating over twenty spell-casting Flying Hands.
However, some astute observers took note of Ning Zhuo's "excited" declaration, mentioning his extensive research on the Mechanical Monkeys.
Having done the research, why didn't Ning Zhuo share his valuable information from the start when the Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dashing, first appeared? Could he have not shared it with everyone?
If he had spoken up, perhaps they too could have defeated Sun Lingtong!
This undoubtedly made everyone realize that even though Ning Zhuo had previously confessed and submitted to the law, he had concealed much information.
This information could provide him some convenience.
Like his victory in the platform competition, the information was of help. It was because he had a unique understanding of the Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dashing, that he could determine the upper hand amidst the barrage and clinch victory.
Thus, after the palace examination that day, there were emissaries who came forward to purchase information from Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo rebuffed all of them.
When the second day of the palace examination came, everyone was surprised to find that Sun Lingtong no longer used the Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dashing.
With a dark face, Sun Lingtong always stared at Ning Zhuo, his eyes brimming with spite and fury, looking as though they might overflow at any moment.
As a result, people surmised that in yesteryear's battle, Ning Zhuo had grievously damaged the Mechanical Monkey, rendering it unrepairable, at least for the short term.
Ning Zhuo thus garnered even more admiration, and without the Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dashing, people were less concerned about the little information they had about him.
In the palace examinations that followed, Sun Lingtong stopped using the Golden Blood Battle Ape, Dashing.
His purpose was to achieve defeat and match Ning Zhuo's performance closely. Thus, on the leaderboard, the name "Ning Zhuo" and the "entrance standard" would not show a huge discrepancy.
Should there be a discrepancy, and Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong's performances did not match, the cultivators would naturally guess the truth behind the name that didn't align with the person.
The twentieth question of the test.
There was a Five Elements Spiritual Conversion Disk placed on the desk.
Additionally, there were several other mechanical components.
Whoever could design a suitable plan to utilize these mechanical components efficiently would certainly not fall behind in achievement.
While others were preparing and trying out the functions of the components, Ning Zhuo picked up the Five Elements Spiritual Conversion Disk and used it with extreme familiarity.
This scene did not escape the notice of many cultivators in the spectator seats.
Starting from question twenty-one, the test examined large-scale mechanical artifacts and allowed cultivators to choose an external person to serve as an assistant in refining the mechanical artifacts for the palace examination.
The twenty-second question of the test.
The test provided another mechanical component: the Blood Path Diagram Plate!
Once again, Ning Zhuo started effortlessly, almost using it as soon as he picked it up.
Ning Xiaoren was chosen by him to serve as an assistant.
He ordered Ning Xiaoren to provide Essence Blood, and with this Essence Blood, Ning Zhuo employed the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique to create the Blood Path Diagram Plate.
"Not enough, not enough."
"More! Give me more!"
"I want even more!!"
Under Ning Zhuo's relentless demands, Ning Xiaoren's complexion swiftly turned pale.
With a look of horror, he exclaimed, "A person's essence blood is finite. Ning Zhuo, if you keep this up, I will die!"
Ning Zhuo's eyes held a chilly indifference, "Ning Xiaoren, didn't you want to achieve great things? Haven't you confessed and sworn to atone for your sins? If so, this is your best chance to redeem yourself!"
Ning Xiaoren paled in shock, "Do you want to kill me?!"
"Follow my orders!" Ning Zhuo bellowed.
"No, no!" Ning Xiaoren scrambled backward in panic, but there was no escape on the platform.
Ning Zhuo sneered, "It's not up to you whether you want to die or not."
He fiercely turned his gaze toward another platform, where Ning Jiufan and the Ning Family Clan Leader stood.
"Clan Leader, Ning Xiaoren is your son. Do you think he should sacrifice himself for the family?" Ning Zhuo called out loudly.
Many cultivators turned their heads to look.
This scene was quite interesting.
The Ning Family Clan Leader's face turned ashen with struggle, and after much agony, he finally said, "My son, indeed it's time for you to make a sacrifice for our family! Don't bring shame upon our main lineage!"
Ning Zhuo burst out laughing.
"Father!" Ning Xiaoren cried out in disbelief, filled with terror and bewilderment.
However, contrary to the Ning Family Clan Leader's expectations, Ning Zhuo didn't actually kill Ning Xiaoren but drained him until he was at death's door.
When the imperial trial concluded that day, Ning Zhuo, carrying the unconscious Ning Xiaoren, went to meet Ning Jiufan.
By Ning Jiufan's side, the Ning Family Clan Leader was desperately explaining himself, stuttering and sweating profusely.
Seeing Ning Zhuo approach, the Ning Family Clan Leader could not hold back and furiously scolded, "Ning Zhuo, how dare you deceive me!"
It turned out that through hints from the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Ning Zhuo had long known of Ning Xiaoren's involvement in the kidnapping case.
He had quietly collected enough evidence and was blackmailing the Ning Family Clan Leader.
The Ning Family Clan Leader then realized the enormity of Ning Xiaoren's crimes in colluding with outsiders to harm his own family members, an unforgivable offense!
Hence, in broad daylight, when Ning Zhuo was extracting blood to the point of killing Ning Xiaoren, although his expression showed much hesitation and struggle, he ultimately spoke out, urging Ning Xiaoren to sacrifice his life.
As a result, after the trial ended, he was severely reprimanded by Ning Jiufan, who had been in on the truth of Ning Xiaoren's collusion.
It was then that the Ning Family Clan Leader realized that Ning Jiufan had long been aware of Ning Xiaoren's crimes.
Ning Zhuo bowed deeply, greeting Ning Jiufan, and simply said, "Great Ancestor, the wager was mine to win."
Ning Jiufan glanced at the colorless Ning Family Clan Leader with an utterly indifferent tone, "To sacrifice your own son for your power and position, having a Clan Leader like you is truly a fortune for our Ning Family."
Thud.
The Ning Family Clan Leader fell to the ground, his gaze becoming vacant with fright.
"Our Ning Family is a cultivation family, bound by affection and bloodline. You'd rather hold onto your power and position than help your son escape control and return to the light."
"You have truly disappointed me!"
After berating the Ning Family Clan Leader, Ning Jiufan looked toward Ning Zhuo with a complex expression.
He wanted to persuade, but seeing Ning Zhuo's resolute eyes, he eventually opened his Storage Waist Belt and took out the Bloodline Umbilical Cord, the Ning Family plaque, and the Worship Plaque Position.
"Take it, my collateral Branch Clan Leader."
Ning Zhuo, overjoyed, quickly accepted them, verifying their authenticity on the spot and respectfully bowing to Ning Jiufan, "The trial isn't over yet; I won't establish the branch immediately to avoid family turmoil."
"Great Ancestor, I will still need your protection after the new branch is founded."
Ning Jiufan snorted coldly, "Get out, you troublesome boy; you never give us a moment's peace."
"Lord Zhu is already outside your door; he came specifically to see you."
"You may speak or remain silent about certain matters. Remember, you are now the Branch Clan Leader of our Ning Family."
Ning Zhuo swiftly thanked him and respectfully took his leave.