Zhu Xuanji frowned deeply, "Within the Lava Fairy Palace, there are three Golden Core Mechanism Puppets, respectively the Demon General, Daoist Master, and the Buddhist Physician."
The Daoist Master always remained within the Immortal Palace.
The Demon General was damaged and abandoned outside, eventually acquired by Zhu Xuanji, repaired, and turned over, returning to the Lava Fairy Palace.
Only the whereabouts of the Buddhist Physician was unknown...
Now, Zhu Xuanji had found clues about the Buddhist Physician.
"It's already in someone else's possession!"
"Who could it be?"
The mystery deepened.
Zhu Xuanji had originally thought that he could continue to find clues about the Mechanical Sickle from the number four Golden Furnace; if he could discover its flaws, that would be even better.
But he found nothing.
The situation was tense and didn't allow him to ponder minutely.
Zhu Xuanji could only memorize this clue and advance with all his might.
The Secret Pavilion of Transition shook once again.
The sound of electricity hummed.
The second transition had already occurred, and this change was—the Great Transition!
Small transitions widened the gap between the cultivators competing in the trial, while large transitions did the opposite, increasing the likelihood of collisions between cultivators.
"Zhu Xuanji!!" The Meng Family's Golden Core Body Cultivator bellowed, "Where do you think you're running off to?"
Zheng Danlian revealed a twisted smile, "Why keep avoiding battle?"
Zhu Xuanji snorted coldly.
He was not afraid of battle but had seen through the schemes of the City Lord's Mansion. On one hand, they wanted to use Zheng Danlian and the Meng Family's Golden Core Body Cultivator to hold Zhu Xuanji back, while on the other, they aimed to give Meng Chong more steps to increase his chances of breaking out of the Secret Pavilion of Transition.
After all, each transition left everyone with only thirty-six steps.
Zhu Xuanji retreated, continuing the battle tactics he had used before.
Behind him, the two pursuers, Meng and Zheng, closely followed, greatly slowing down Zhu Xuanji's speed.
"Well then. It might be good to eliminate the two of you first." Zhu Xuanji turned around, expressionless, and took the initiative to confront Meng and Zheng.
Zheng Danlian laughed indulgently, "Like this, isn't it much better, Lord Zhu?"
He wielded his sickle and slashed viciously.
At the same time, the Meng Family's Golden Core Body Cultivator attacked from the left, his fist piercing through the air, powerful and heavy, carrying a terrifying force.
Boom!
After the intense collision, Zheng Danlian and the Meng Family's Golden Core Body Cultivator spurted blood and were sent flying backward.
The two quickly adjusted their postures and landed on the ground.
They saw that Zhu Xuanji was enveloped in the Golden Mountain Mysterious Light, with a forest of Golden Branches and Jade Leaves on the mountain, swaying charmingly and tinkling.
"Three Divine Skills?!"
"Golden Mountain Stance, Jade Pillar Body... This is outrageous! Aren't you a Divine Hunter?"
Zheng Danlian and the Meng Family's Golden Core Body Cultivator called out in shock one after another.
Zhu Xuanji, expressionless, clenched his fists and initiated his attack.
Boom, boom, boom...
The clash of Golden Core Level combatants caused the pavilion that served as their battlefield to shake continuously, the magnitude increasing bit by bit, practically going wild.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was directing Meng Chong.
After the Great Transition, he excitedly discovered that Meng Chong was not far from the exit.
"The door on the left."
"The door straight ahead."
"The door above your head!"
Under the direction of the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, Meng Chong finally arrived at a Secret Pavilion.
Apart from the door through which Meng Chong had entered, there was only one other door.
A massive door.
The door was covered with numerous wooden blocks, interlocked with each other, all framed within the door.
Each block was inscribed with characters.
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit continued to transmit messages, "Use these characters to piece together a correct 'Five Elements Qi Regulation Art,' and you'll be able to open the great door and leave the Secret Pavilion of Transition!"
Meng Chong was overjoyed, and eagerly ran to the door.
The next moment, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit transmitted another message, "Be careful! The enemy has arrived."
Meng Chong immediately sensed something, turned sharply, and saw the small door he had come through being pushed open and then closed again.
"Who is it?"
"A coward hiding his presence!"
Meng Chong cast a spell, immediately covering the range around the door.
Normally, Ning Zhuo could dodge the spell's attack, but Meng Chong, while casting the spell, also combined it with the Immortal Talent Frenzied Rushing Thunder.
This increased the speed of his spellcasting, catching Ning Zhuo off guard.
Ning Zhuo chuckled lightly, enduring the spell and revealing himself.
"Ning Zhuo?" Meng Chong was surprised; he thought it would be Sun Lingtong.
"You've come back here. You can't accept it, can you? But if I were you, I'd do the same!" Meng Chong nodded.
Then, his eyes revealed a ferocious glint, "However, if you think that you can stop me, you are purely dreaming."
"Stay aside obediently, this is not a stage for the second round of palace trials."
As he spoke, he clenched his fist and raised it towards Ning Zhuo. The fist was twined with electricity, ready to unleash the Immortal Talent Frenzied Rushing Thunder.
Ning Zhuo smiled, stepped forward on his own initiative, and simply said, "Let's fight."
Meng Chong laughed heartily, "Ha! Then I'll finish you off within ten breaths!"
A flash of lightning, and he dashed to Ning Zhuo in an instant.
However, before his fist could hit Ning Zhuo's cheek, frost blossomed across his body's surface, especially the leading edge of his fist, which became sheathed in a layer of ice.
Mechanical—Weather Balloon·Ice Crystal Snow!
"That's interesting." Meng Chong retreated for the moment.
Baptism of Fire Technique!
His body bathed in flame, dispelling the frost, he once again became heated and agile.
Immortal Aptitude—Frenzied Rushing Thunder.
He rushed forward, only to be struck back and sent flying in retreat.
A massive Mechanical Ape appeared beside Ning Zhuo.
Golden Core Level materials!
Ning Zhuo patted the Mechanical Ape at his side and said, "I've named it the Heavy Blood Ape, Brother Meng, I hope you'll appreciate it."
Meng Chong looked at Ning Zhuo once again, his expression different than before.
"You're a worthy opponent, ha ha, come, let's fight!" Meng Chong charged once more.
In the inner circle of the Lava Fairy Palace.
Zheng Shuanggou, spitting blood, ran desperately, frantically sending messages to Ning Jiufan: "Clan Leader Ning, Brother Ning! Return the Moon Hook to me, whatever conditions you ask, I will agree!"
Ning Jiufan snorted coldly, "Despicable villain, you launched a sneak attack; what face do you have to negotiate with me? I won't return it!"
His refusal plunged Zheng Shuanggou deep into despair.
Alone with his hook, he was no match for the two Golden Core Cultivators of the Taiqing Palace.
He was truly in dire straits!
"Even in death, I won't make it easy for you!" In his despair, Zheng Shuanggou rushed towards Ning Jiufan.
Ning Jiufan laughed furiously and decisively cast an Attack Magic spell, accurately enveloping Zheng Shuanggou.
Zheng Shuanggou froze, his body stiffened, revealing a huge flaw.
The skilled and tacitly coordinated Golden Core Cultivators of Taiqing Palace caught up to him from behind and dealt a fatal blow.
Zheng Shuanggou screamed in agony and fell dead on the spot.
He was the first Golden Core Level Cultivator to fall in battle since the great melee began.
He was only the first, certainly not the last.
After him, more Golden Core Cultivators either died or fled.
The intensity of the battle was too great, the chaos of the battlefield too much.
Those who were once revered and looked upon as ancestors were now no more than fodder in the melee.
The Flame Beast Tide pressed on relentlessly.
Amidst the fierce infighting, the three families and the City Lord's Mansion had drawn many lower-ranking elites into the Secret Pavilion of Transition, leaving the inner circle of defenses grossly undermanned and unable to resist the beast tide, collapsing one by one.
Three Nascent Soul Level Flame Demon Beasts were still contained by Meng Kui.
But in the next breath, the Five-Tailed Fire Fox of the Taiqing Palace reappeared, launching five streams of Flying Flames.
The flames, rapid as meteor fire, were blocked by Meng Kui's Mana Power Hand, yet two still reached the inner circle of the Immortal Palace.
One stream of Flying Flames landed on the medical center, with Ning Jiufan nearby.
The explosion of flames spread fiercely, engulfing everything around.
Caught in a Nascent Soul Level sea of fire, Ning Jiufan struggled frantically to save himself. The frost melted in the face of flame, offering no resistance.
"My time is up!" Ning Jiufan lamented as, at that moment, a female ape scooped him up and swiftly carried him out of the fiery deathtrap.
Ning Jiufan's face showed a complicated expression as he saw the Nascent Soul Level Magma Demon Ape that had saved him.
Another stream of Flying Flames struck the main hall, absorbed by the surrounding Secret Pavilion of Transition.
Boom!
With the explosion, the flames scorched, consuming swathes of purple and blue currents, revealing a void.
Many Secret Pavilions were engulfed in flames, countless Cultivators inside either killed or injured.
The related prohibitions were severely weakened as a result.
"We can get inside now!" discovered a Golden Core Cultivator, who immediately dove into the Secret Pavilion.
His success triggered a wave of imitators.
Shuzhong Jun, Purple Dawn Pavilion Golden Core True Inheritor, Luo Shang, Yang Chanyu, many Meng Family Golden Core Cultivators, and several Black Shadow Demon Cultivators all stormed into the pavilion.
Several Golden Core reinforcements saved Meng Family's Golden Core Body Cultivator and Zheng Danlian.
Zhu Xuanji, with three Divine Skills at his disposal, consistently had the upper hand in this duel.
Although the Mechanical Sickle was sharp, Zhu Xuanji dared not endure its blows often, but Zheng Danlian was too weak, his martial arts far inferior to Zhu Xuanji's. Despite having a good weapon, he couldn't make much use of it.
The situation for the Meng Family's Golden Core Body Cultivator was even more tragic, with multiple bone fractures and bruising all over, barely clinging to life.
"Zhu Xuanji, don't get cocky!"
"Act together, no need for hesitation."
Several Golden Cores unleashed Spells and Magic Treasures, converging into a torrential downpour of attacks.
Zhu Xuanji fully activated his three Divine Skills. The Golden Mountain Mysterious Light surged, the Golden Branches and Jade Leaves clanged urgently, and his Jade Pillar Body stood unyieldingly.
He bore the brunt of the barrage from numerous enemies while calling upon his Innate Talent.
Innate Talent—Golden Eyes.
Magic—Gan Ge.
Innate Talent Magic—Sharp Golden Spear!
Golden Spears flowed upstream against the tide, cutting through obstacles with precision. They struck their targets squarely, toppling Golden Core Cultivators, who suffered grievous injuries.
The furious assault on Zhu Xuanji was significantly diminished.
"Hehehe, all of you will die!" Zheng Danlian's eyes were blood red as he suddenly threw his Mechanical Sickle.
Transforming mid-air, the sickle became a Mechanical Giant Snake, launching a sneak attack on a Meng Family Golden Core Cultivator.
It opened its jaws wide and devoured a Golden Core Cultivator whole.
Then, it turned its deadly intentions towards the others.
The Meng Family Golden Core Cultivators didn't expect Zheng Danlian to turn on his own people in a frenzy. By the time they reacted, a second victim's thigh had already been bitten off by the Mechanical Giant Snake.
In shock and anger, the Meng Family Golden Cores bombarded the Mechanical Giant Snake.
But the Night Rain Demon Weapon incredibly withstood the terrifying attacks, swallowing and killing the second victim.
It then lunged for the third Golden Core.
The Meng Family Golden Cores scattered.
Zheng Danlian, with a bloodthirsty smile, promptly followed with the Mechanical Giant Snake.
His gaze was mad, chilling even Zhu Xuanji to the bone.