"The first minor turn, the second minor turn..."
Cultivators gradually explored the mechanism of the palace exam, gaining much understanding about the Secret Pavilion of Transition.
Zhu Xuanji moved deftly, bypassing mechanical traps while contemplating, "From the rules of the palace exam, the way to win is to find the correct path, leave this mechanical maze, step into the main hall, and take the throne."
"But in reality, there are many Mechanical Secret Pavilions, and once everyone accumulates thirty-six attempts, the order is shuffled."
"The paths previously taken are completely changed, starting from scratch."
"So..."
"On one hand, I must rush through as quickly as possible. If others pass three Pavilions, and I can pass six, it signifies that my probability of finding the correct path is significantly higher than that of the others."
"On the other hand, I need to eliminate as many other competitors as possible! Ideally, only I would remain. All thirty-six exploration opportunities would be mine alone."
"Hmm?"
At that thought, Zhu Xuanji felt a realization strike him, "This proves that within those thirty-six attempts, there must be a path that allows me to break out of the Secret Pavilion of Transition and enter the main hall!"
Cultivators who could enter the third round of the palace exam were almost all highly astute. Many, like Zhu Xuanji, realized the true nature of this round of the exam—
It seemed like finding the correct path involved a great deal of luck.
But in fact, it required eliminating others to gain more opportunities for exploration to increase the probability of escaping the Secret Pavilion of Transition!
Inside a Secret Pavilion.
A battle had just ended.
Shuzhong Jun, with his hands behind his back, stood at the center of the battlefield. Beside him, several mechanical artifacts lay around; some smashed, others broken, and yet others sealed, unable to move.
Shuzhong Jun, an elite from the Complete Book Pavilion with extensive knowledge and a versatile and intricate array of strategies, was among the top cultivators.
He had won the fight, yet there was no trace of joy on his face.
"The situation is not favorable to me."
"In the previous rankings, I was always second place. This makes me too conspicuous, a major threat in the eyes of others."
Shuzhong Jun always had a clear list of the palace exam rankings in his mind.
"Including myself, there are thirteen cultivators, but not thirteen camps."
"Just four."
"The largest force is led by Zhu Xuanji of the Fire Persimmon Immortal City's Cultivator Family alliance."
"Next are the City Lord's Mansion's Meng Family and the Bukong Sect."
"The last camp consists of me, Song Fuli, and the Purple Dawn Pavilion Golden Core True Inheritor. We are quite scattered."
When other people run into each other, they might not fight and likely will join forces due to their camps.
This meant Shuzhong Jun was likely to face against two or even more enemies.
More troubling was that everyone's cultivation level had been suppressed to the Qi Refining Level, making it difficult for Shuzhong Jun to take on two at once.
Shuzhong Jun quickly cleared the battlefield, dismantling many parts from the mechanical puppets.
He did not possess techniques like the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique and couldn't directly demonize mechanical puppets like Ning Zhuo.
"The second Secret Pavilion I explored previously was a place specifically for assembling mechanisms and had many suitable mechanical tools."
"I'll go back there, use these spoils of war to assemble a mechanical puppet to accompany me."
Shuzhong Jun chose to return the way he came.
Unable to use storage equipment, he still had a temporary storage spell, which he cast. With empty hands, he pushed open the small door.
The next moment, however, he froze in place.
"Zhu Xuanji!" Shuzhong Jun internally exclaimed in shock upon seeing the cultivator in the room.
Zhu Xuanji noticed him immediately as well.
Both were on full alert, the atmosphere suddenly tense.
"Lord Zhu, you are the first fellow Daoist I've encountered since the third round of the palace exam," Shuzhong Jun said with a smile, staying vigilant while trying his best to ease the tension.
What slightly relieved him was that he didn't see any other cultivators.
In this room, it was just him and Zhu Xuanji.
This scenario was not the worst possible.
Zhu Xuanji also smiled at Shuzhong Jun, and after a brief exchange, Shuzhong Jun quickly took his leave.
Zhu Xuanji hesitated for a moment, but ultimately he did not take action, allowing Shuzhong Jun to leave.
Judging from the second round of the palace exam, Shuzhong Jun's abilities were strong, and his methods were numerous, marking him as an all-rounder.
This could be considered a feature of the great power of the Complete Book Pavilion, as they housed numerous classics, making their cultivators generally well-rounded without obvious weaknesses.
"Pity, if I could have encountered my own people, we could have advanced and retreated together."
"Encountering Shuzhong Jun, who was alone, would have been an opportunity to act and eliminate a major threat early on!"
Zhu Xuanji regretted internally. Alone and facing Shuzhong Jun, the outcome of a battle was uncertain, and the prospects unclear.
If he could use his full power at the Golden Core Level, he might have in fact taken action.
No choice; the Secret Pavilion of Transition constrained his power to the Qi Refining Level, making Zhu Xuanji extremely cautious and reluctant to initiate combat easily.
"Still, I must meet up with others as soon as possible." Zhu Xuanji lifted his foot, continuing his exploration.
...
Sun Lingtong furrowed her brow deeply, "The Lava Fairy Palace is indeed powerful, even suppressing my marriage arrangement!"
Before the third round of the palace exam, Sun Lingtong had received intelligence from Ning Zhuo about the content of the palace exam.
She had shared it with Yang Chanyu.
The two planned to use the marriage arrangement on them for sensing each other to meet up as quickly as possible.
However, the actual attempt tasted the flavor of failure.
...
"Ah, where exactly is our young master? I hope he doesn't run into others too early." The Meng Family's Golden Core Cultivator hastened his steps.