Zhu Zhen, upon hearing Zhu Xuanji's account, suddenly realized and understood the reasons behind Zhu Xuanji's earlier deductions.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit must have been extraordinary to be valued by the Three Superior Sects!
Its soul was refined using the first Golden Furnace.
Its Jiaolong body was created at the expense of the second Golden Furnace.
Now, not even seven hundred and twenty years have passed, yet the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit used its own serpent body as the main material to create a Nascent Soul Level mechanical artifact—a Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon.
Zhu Zhen reasoned, "The Lava Fairy Palace is like a prison to it, it can no longer bear the days of serving as the Palace Spirit, hence it seeks to break out."
"And to escape, it must break its prison, which is to destroy the Lava Fairy Palace itself."
"That's exactly it. The reason why the Lava Fairy Palace continues to decay and open up selection processes to outsiders, with ever-lowering standards."
Zhu Xuanji let out a deep sigh, "The current situation has become quite tricky."
Zhu Zhen did not understand.
Zhu Xuanji continued to communicate telepathically, revealing more secrets.
During his time in the Royal Family's secret vault, he saw not only the scene of the Immortal Palace Burial Mountain.
There were other images as well.
The dying Emperor of the Southern Bean Kingdom left a testament, warning the posterity: after her tireless efforts and countless probes in her later years, she made many new and significant discoveries regarding the Lava Fairy Palace and the Three Superior Sects.
"The Lava Fairy Palace is by no means a casual move made on a whim by the Three Superior Sects."
"His intentions are profound."
Inside the Lava Fairy Palace, there are not only mechanical inheritances and the Three Superior Sect Techniques but also the Divine Power Life Thread!
As the Emperor was on her deathbed, she was still concerned about the affairs of the Southern Bean Kingdom, "If our Zhu Family has no royal order, we must strive to grasp the Divine Power Life Thread."
"The divine power seeds within the Lava Fairy Palace are the key to controlling the Life Thread, and we must fight to obtain them."
She also said, "The supreme authority in the Lava Fairy Palace is divided into three parts."
"One lies in the position of the Immortal Palace Master, another in the Palace Spirit, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, and the last is the Buddha Heart Demon Seal."
"The first two can be contested for, but the Buddha Heart Demon Seal must not be touched."
"This Seal has an immense background, concerning the conflict between the Buddhist and Demon Realms, carrying a huge amount of karma. Ordinary cultivators and forces who accept this Seal will suffer continuous severe depletion of their lifespan, until it's dangerously weakened or even exhausted, bringing about calamities."
"If in the future, the Zhu Family of Southern Bean has no royal order, nor anyone who controls the Life Thread, the nation will inevitably struggle to maintain its internal situation, with limited lifespan and a difficult national destiny."
"In such a situation, we must never be greedy for momentary benefits. Accepting the Buddha Heart Demon Seal will bring domestic turmoil, external threats, and rebirth of internal strife, ultimately leading to the fall of the nation and the demise of the rulers, with the foundational efforts going down the drain."
Zhu Zhen couldn't help but show a worried expression after hearing Zhu Xuanji's narration.
"The Treasure Seal must not be taken. If the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit wishes to escape, then we must seize the position of Immortal Palace Master to control the Lava Fairy Palace."
Zhu Xuanji looked up, gazing at the broken spherical light shield in the sky, "The situation now is even more complex."
"Not only must we strive for the position of Palace Master, but we must also thwart the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's jailbreak plan!"
"We do not fully understand how to manipulate the Lava Fairy Palace. Even if we become the Palace Master, it will be difficult to control the entire Lava Fairy Palace well in a short time."
"Once the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit leaves, the defense of the Lava Fairy Palace, without its presiding spirit, will plummet to rock bottom."
"The blazing flames will rage, and the tide of demon beasts will be fierce. At that time, the tide of beasts will break through unobstructed, quickly overwhelming the entire Immortal Palace!"
"Unless it's someone at the Nascent Soul Level like Meng Kui, perhaps only then could one use their own power to protect the whole Immortal Palace."
"We, at Golden Core Cultivation, should not entertain such delusional hopes."
Zhu Zhen nodded in agreement, his expression grave.
Zhu Xuanji paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, then once his thoughts settled, he instructed Zhu Zhen.
The immediate priority is to search wholeheartedly for the hiding place of the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon. If we can intercept this mechanical artifact in advance, we will be able to directly foil the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit's escape plans.
"This will be difficult," Zhu Zhen communicated telepathically, explaining, "The Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon can become both large and small, and it is undoubtedly highly valued by the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, so it must be hidden very carefully. In the vast Lava Fairy Palace, searching for such a target is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Zhu Xuanji further instructed him to keep a close eye on the Golden Furnace Ruins.
Zhu Xuanji: "The ruins of the third and fourth Golden Furnaces have been blasted beyond recognition, but there are still very small parts that are fused with their surroundings."
"You'll need to find an opportunity to approach again, excavate the surface, and then refine and restore the previous form."
"I always feel that there are important clues buried within these third and fourth Golden Furnaces as well."
Zhu Zhen felt even more challenged and telepathically said, "Brother, the reason we're able to enter the Golden Furnace Ruins this time is due to careful planning. Just when we captured the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator and when Yang Chanyu's conflict presented a golden opportunity."
"Even with the profound strategies of the Bukong Sect, they wouldn't easily give us another chance even if that part of the Golden Furnace Ruins was destroyed."
Zhu Xuanji nodded, acknowledging Zhu Zhen's analysis.
To break the current predicament, there were essentially two paths.
One was to start from objects, that is, the mechanism buildings. In Zhu Xuanji's view, the reason Bukong Sect could limit their approach to the Golden Furnace Ruins was mainly due to the Five Elements Turret and the Command Platform.
If Zhu Xuanji could decipher the means by which Bukong Sect controlled them and make use of Demon Beasts to enter the Golden Furnace Ruins, then there would be no more obstacles.
The other was to start from people, namely Yang Chanyu and Sun Lingtong.
However, these two were extremely slippery and hidden within the Lava Fairy Palace, utterly untraceable.
This time, it was only after Yang Chanyu was pushed out by the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator that she revealed her traces outside the time of the palace examination.
Zhu Zhen transmitted his voice, "Lately, I have been pondering the current situation and it has occurred to me that there might be another person who could serve as our breakthrough point."
Zhu Xuanji cast a side glance, "Oh? Do tell."
Zhu Zhen said, "It's the Youthful Guest!"
"Previously, the Youthful Guest teamed up with Han Ming and Sun Lingtong to attack the Ziyang Courtyard. Afterward, he took the life-threatening risk to battle Golden Core Qi Bai with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, and he even managed to forcibly rescue Sun Lingtong. These clues indicate that his accomplishment in mechanical artifacts is quite remarkable."
"I'm quite suspicious that the Youthful Guest is likely the person controlling the Five Elements Turret and Command Platform."
Zhu Xuanji pursued, "Do you have any basis for this suspicion?"
Zhu Zhen simply said, "If Bukong Sect has such a Mechanism Cultivator, why wouldn't they use him? Unless the battle with Qi Bai left the Youthful Guest severely injured, recuperating all this time; otherwise, he must be hidden in the depths of the Lava Fairy Palace, constantly monitoring the Golden Furnace Ruins, guarding against our approach."
Zhu Xuanji shook his head slightly, "I understand."
Zhu Zhen continued, "The Youthful Guest had appeared early in the Black Market, consistently selling a type of mechanical rope named 'All-Purpose Ascending and Descending Rope.'"
"This rope is quite popular among the cultivators exploring Fire Persimmon Mountain."
"Even now, the market and many cultivators' hands still possess the All-Purpose Ascending and Descending Ropes."
"I think, why not collect these mechanical ropes and hand them over to you, elder brother, for inspection?"
"Under elder brother's Golden Eyes, we should be able to find the important clues about the Youthful Guest, perhaps even his vulnerabilities!"
Zhu Xuanji laughed heartily and couldn't help but pat Zhu Zhen on the shoulder, "Smart kid, you're truly worthy of having experienced the world for many years. Your thinking is meticulous with unique insights, much stronger than before."
Zhu Zhen, who knew Zhu Xuanji quite well, noticed his lack of enthusiasm and couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Elder brother, what are you really thinking? Is there something wrong with the lead I've caught?"
Zhu Xuanji sighed, his expression quite complex, "It's not wrong, it's just that I'm afraid I've already guessed the Youthful Guest's identity."
Zhu Zhen's eyes widened in shock, "If you've guessed it, why not go and capture him..."
Suddenly, it dawned on him.
"If elder brother isn't capturing him, it means he doesn't need to capture him, or perhaps he can't... could it be?!"
Zhu Zhen whirls his head around, instinctively looking towards Ning Jiufan's residence of the Ning Family Ancestor.
Zhu Xuanji remarked with a deep voice, "During the previous palace exams, cultivators were allowed to invite outsiders as helpers. However, at Sun Lingtong's side, a Mechanism Cultivator like the Youthful Guest never appeared. At that time, I found it strange."
With those words, Zhu Xuanji patted Zhu Zhen's shoulder, "Of course, that's only my speculation. If you're interested, you could indeed go and collect All-Purpose Ascending and Descending Ropes. But I think, once Bukong Sect is exposed, the City Lord's Mansion will certainly exhaust all efforts to investigate every clue."
"Although Meng Kui is stationed at the summit, the Acting City Lord Fei Si is also talented. Given his capability, he has probably already collected a batch of All-Purpose Ascending and Descending Ropes. If you want to save some effort, you might as well write to him and directly request a batch of mechanical ropes."
Zhu Zhen opened his mouth, but in the end, he sighed, "I understand."
After a pause, he sincerely praised, "You truly live up to your reputation as my elder brother!"
Zhu Xuanji smiled bitterly and encouraged, "Go on and proceed with the task."
"Based on my limited understanding of the Three Superior Sect Techniques masters, this palace exam probably consists of only three rounds."
"The second round of the palace exam is likely nearing its end now."
"The situation is too tense! With Demon Beasts raging from outside and Bukong Sect causing turmoil within. There are many things we can only prioritize and let go of."
"If the situation were stable, with a large margin for error, we could pursue every matter. But now, we can only unite with allies in the face of the overwhelming circumstances, conserving energy and time, focusing on one main point."
Zhu Zhen felt Zhu Xuanji's helplessness and showed a face full of willingness to learn, "I will keep my brother's teachings close to my heart."
Zhu Zhen was originally a member of the Southern Bean Royal Family and shared deep bonds with Zhu Xuanji.
He now felt all the more fortunate for having chosen this path to rendezvous with Zhu Xuanji and to be able to contribute to this major affair, assisting his elder brother.
With the responsibility given to him, he spared no effort despite the difficulties.
Numerous breaches pierced through the Light Shield of the Lava Fairy Palace, with the outer circle nearly entirely breached and Demon Beasts roaming freely, while the inner circle still maintained its frontlines.
Zhu Zhen began his inspection, first abandoning the outer circle, choosing to search within the inner circle.
He examined many places thoroughly, but not even a shadow of the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon was seen.
Meanwhile, he did write a letter flying it to Fei Si. Only this time, it was not to request the All-Purpose Ascending and Descending Ropes, but to directly inquire about all information related to the Youthful Guest within the City Lord's Mansion.