Yuan Er felt as if a huge stone weighed down his heart, making it difficult to breathe.
He observed the overall situation and understood the circumstances very clearly.
The efficiency of the mechanical monkeys in picking fire persimmons was astonishing, far exceeding that of the monkey pets.
Monkey pets got tired, worried about self-explosion, and were cautious. Mechanical monkeys didn't get tired; if damaged, they would be quickly repaired and return to the field. The most crucial point was that they weren't afraid at all, making them highly efficient.
"We're already falling behind. The Thousand-Year Fire Persimmon Forest is our last chance, Uncle Monkey, it's all up to you!" Yuan Er said.
Yuan Dasheng nodded at him and leaped forward.
He had been conserving his strength the whole time, appearing only at the critical last moment.
Yuan Dasheng's physique was robust. He stretched his arms lightly, and his palms swiftly cast faint black shadows; however, when his palms touched the fire persimmons, they didn't trigger any explosions.
The Magma Demon Ape used both hands skillfully, and in a few quick moves, it picked all the thousand-year-old fire persimmons from a fire persimmon tree, dropping them quietly to the ground.
Its amazing display attracted the attention of countless cultivators.
"This Magma Demon Ape is incredible!"
"Are you kidding? This is the foundation of the Monkey Head Gang, a pet beast left by the old gang leader Yuan Yi."
"It looks so terrifying. Its actions are so rough, yet it doesn't trigger any explosions. Its martial skills are so extraordinary that many martial arts masters are ashamed."
Yuan Dasheng was both flexible and firm, controlling his strength effortlessly. Thousand-year-old fire persimmons were more prone to explosions than hundred-year or ten-year fire persimmons, but in his hands, they were as silent as if they were fake.
The ape moved agilely across the trees and the ground, its large and robust figure seeming nimble and swift, drawing many eyes to appreciate this display of powerful aesthetics.
On the mountainside, through the projected images from the array, Chen Cha, Ning Zhuo, and others witnessed this scene.
Chen Cha's face showed a look of surprise: "The Monkey Head Gang has indeed been able to control the fire persimmon picking business for so many years because they have the skills!"
"Indeed, it's very impressive," Ning Zhuo said, "But unfortunately, this great ape leader is just one."
Chen Cha shook his head: "That's not quite right. Judging by its current performance, our mechanical monkeys are of poor quality, causing many explosions."
"From now on, when the City Lord's Mansion needs to pick ordinary fire persimmons, we'll rely on mechanical monkeys. Their efficiency is low, and they make many mistakes as well."
"But for the thousand-year fire persimmons, we must use this Magma Demon Ape. Its movements are too fast, leisurely and unhurried, and very reliable."
Ning Zhuo remained silent, his eyes brewing with a hint of gleam.
He sneered internally: "Reliable?"
"I've been plotting until now, just waiting for this moment."
"Yuan Dasheng, what follows is what I have meticulously prepared for you."
"Die for me!"
As he mused this, dozens of mechanical monkeys suddenly broke free from the cultivators' control and charged at Yuan Er.
The sudden change left many people in shock.
Yuan Er reacted quickly.
Since the assassination attempt, he had been walking on thin ice, constantly on alert!
Now, at the slightest unusual movement, he was like a frightened rabbit, ready to dive into a tunnel.
Mechanical monkeys lunged at him from both sides and behind, leaving Yuan Er's front clear.
In his panic, Yuan Er instinctively chose the direction he believed to be the safest.
He ran forward, aiming to meet up with Yuan Dasheng!
Yuan Dasheng also reacted immediately, stopping his picking and quickly running towards Yuan Er.
The two successfully met in the Thousand-Year Fire Persimmon Forest, and the mechanical monkeys didn't follow in.
It turned out that Fei Si activated the formation and directly destroyed those mechanical explosive flame monkeys.
This was the Thousand-Year Fire Persimmon Forest!
The essence of the entire fire persimmon forest was extremely valuable; naturally, Fei Si wouldn't let these mechanical monkeys ruin it.
"Is it that Black Shadow Demon Cultivator causing trouble? But why target the Monkey Head Gang?" Zhu Xuanji, Chi Dun, and others were puzzled. Without seeing the main culprit, Black Shadow Demon Cultivator, these Golden Core cultivators stayed put, none of them revealing themselves.
Fei Si's face grew sullen. His eyes flickered as he began to suspect that it wasn't the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator causing trouble but that Ning Zhuo was plotting something nefarious.
"If that's the case, this kid Ning Zhuo is truly audacious and deserves to die!"
Although Fei Si had some appreciation for Ning Zhuo, when it came to his duties and future, if Ning Zhuo had indeed done this, Fei Si would be the first not to let him off!
Fei Si immediately ordered that all the mechanical monkey fragments be sent over to Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo and had the messenger bring a message.
The messenger quickly arrived before Ning Zhuo with a cold expression and gaze: "Lord Fei Si said, anyone who disregards the big picture is courting death!"
Chen Cha was stunned.
Ning Zhuo's expression was extremely serious: "Please inform Lord Fei Si that I would never act so thoughtlessly! To control these mechanical monkeys, at least a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation level is required. How could I possibly do that?"
"This must be the work of the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator testing us. Please, Lord Fei Si, see through this clearly. Currently, there are few repair tasks. To prove my innocence, I request permission to temporarily retreat to Fire Persimmon Immortal City."
Chen Cha finally understood, showing a trace of indignant anger at being falsely accused. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger: "We wouldn't resort to such underhanded tricks against Monkey Head Gang under so many watchful eyes just for personal gain!"
"Controlling these mechanical monkeys from such a distance without relying on wires or divine sense? That's giving us way too much credit."
The messenger's expression softened slightly; he nodded and turned to leave.
Chen Cha was still fuming: "What nonsense is this? The control core components of these mechanical monkeys are three Dangle Beads, which can only be controlled by someone in the Foundation Establishment Stage. It's ridiculous to suspect you of this, Little Zhuo!"
Ning Zhuo forced a smile: "You can't blame Lord Fei Si. The pressure on him is immense. With only the Thousand-Year Fire Persimmon Forest left and the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator yet to make a move, it's likely to happen soon!"
In the Thousand-Year Fire Persimmon Forest.
Yuan Er was still in shock: "Uncle Dasheng, the Frisbee Workshop is truly outrageous. Under the eyes of the whole city, they are trying to kill me!"
Yuan Dasheng also wore an expression of fury. He patted Yuan Er's shoulder, comforting him to stay calm.
With a lingering fear on his face, Yuan Er exclaimed with excitement: "Uncle Dasheng, I think the Frisbee Workshop saw your great power and couldn't stand it, so they took a desperate gamble."
"Uncle Dasheng, please keep it up and continue picking the fire persimmons to ensure our victory!"
Yuan Dasheng nodded, pointed at Yuan Er, and then at the ground.
Yuan Er understood immediately and nodded: "Don't worry, Uncle Dasheng, I won't stray too far from you."
Yuan Dasheng turned back, climbed the tree again, and continued picking fire persimmons.
His movements gradually sped up, soon returning to his previous efficiency.
On the mountainside, Ning Zhuo's eyes gleamed intensely.
"Come on, come on," he whispered softly in his heart.
Yuan Dasheng's face suddenly changed dramatically!
His fingers exerted too much force, crushing a thousand-year-old fire persimmon.
He made a mistake.
At the final moment when victory was at hand, he made a mistake!