"What's wrong with you all?" Ning Zhuo showed a look of "perceiving that the atmosphere seemed off" and asked with a puzzled expression.
Zheng Jian gave a dry laugh: "Little Brother Ning Zhuo is oversimplifying things."
Zhou Zhu nodded: "That's right."
Ning Xiaohui snorted coldly: "The Magma Fairy Palace is one of the ancient abodes of the Three Ancestral Masters, an extraordinary place. The Three Ancestral Masters were strong in the Cultivating the Void stage, and their tests of legacy are by no means easy."
"Your fighting spirit is commendable, but truly, you are a frog at the bottom of a well, oblivious to the vast sky."
"Don't say things like that from now on."
Ning Zhuo stammered, nodding quickly: "Oh, oh."
He had been observing the subtleties.
The reason for his words was to provoke Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu and thereby probe the subsequent plans of the Zhou and Zheng Families.
Unexpectedly, his reminder brought back painful memories, delivering a heavy blow to Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu.
Zheng Jian smiled bitterly: "The difficulty of the Three Ancestral Masters' tests is too high. Not to make fun of Little Brother Ning Zhuo, but we didn't even pass the first round."
"Ah?" Ning Zhuo widened his eyes with an expression of great surprise.
Among everyone present, Zheng Jian was the oldest. Coupled with his straightforward nature, he chose to openly share his disappointing results without hiding anything.
In fact, Ning Zhuo would definitely be entering the Immortal Palace next, and he would discover the truth. There was no need to keep it from him.
"What exactly is the first round that even Brother Zheng Jian and Brother Zhou Zhu couldn't overcome?" Ning Zhuo couldn't help but ask.
Ning Xiaohui chuckled lightly, thinking, "Zheng Jian was polite with his words. In fact, they didn't even fully understand the first round."
She had never entered the Immortal Palace, not once.
One reason was that she had not been at the peak of the third layer for long, and another reason was that she had always been protected by talismans, avoiding soul extraction.
After learning intelligence from the other two families, the Ning Family determined that even if Ning Xiaohui entered the palace, she wouldn't be able to contribute much. So they decided to keep her in optimal condition, waiting for the right opportunity.
For these reasons, Ning Xiaohui had never tasted failure and had no empathy for Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu.
Just as Ning Zhuo was about to ask more questions, Zhou Zeshen clapped his hands, interrupting him: "Everyone, merely eating and drinking feels somewhat dull and monotonous."
"Recently, the Zhou Family has recruited a Mechanism Cultivator, named Chu Xiyao, who is quite talented."
"Brother Zheng, she accompanied us to the banquet and is currently waiting in the main hall."
"Why not invite her up to arrange some entertainment for us?"
Zheng Jian gave Zhou Zeshen a deep look and nodded: "Since Brother Zhou has such intentions, I naturally welcome it. Quickly, invite that talented person up."
A moment later.
Chu Xiyao entered, greeting everyone present.
She was a female cultivator, with above-average looks and an attractive aura. Her eyebrows drooped, and her expression was sorrowful, especially her very slim waist, making her seem like a delicate willow swaying in the wind, stirring pity.
Though she was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, she displayed a humble demeanor toward the Qi Refining cultivators present.
In the Cultivation World, the strong were revered.
However, given the circumstances, it wasn't strange.
On one hand, the combat power difference between the Foundation Establishment Stage and Qi Refining Stage wasn't particularly vast; various situations could bridge the gap.
On the other hand, this was the Righteous Path, not the cutthroat Demon Path.
A significant part of Chu Xiyao's humility was due to the talent of Zheng Jian and others.
Cultivators possessing Spirit Roots could cultivate.
In ancient times, those with Spirit Roots were very rare, thus just having Spirit Roots was esteemed.
As times changed, the number of cultivators increased, and they began pursuing exceptional Spirit Roots.
Nowadays, with Spiritual Energy becoming denser, Spirit Roots were no longer significant; talent became more valued.
Chu Xiyao might have Immortal Roots but lacked remarkable talent. Given time, her cultivation level would be easily surpassed by Zheng Jian and others.
So, her respect was essentially based on the principle of revering the strong.
The seated individuals would become strong in the future.
This was similar to some sects accepting exceptionally talented cultivation seeds as direct disciples. Even if they were just in the Qi Refinement Realm, they would enjoy the treatment and status of an elder, respected by the entire sect.
Ning Xiaohui asked curiously: "Senior Chu's reputation precedes you. Our Ning Family also offered a significant sum to invite senior."
"At that time, senior declined my family, saying you didn't like constraints and preferred freedom."
"I'm quite curious, why did senior change your mind and choose to join the Zhou Family?"
Chu Xiyao sighed: "Isn't it because of Zhu Xuanji?"
It turned out that Chu Xiyao was at the Foundation Establishment Stage, skilled in Mechanical Techniques, meeting the standards to enter the Immortal Palace and compete for inheritance.
She had indeed entered the Immortal Palace, been injured, and gained benefits.
During the Fire Persimmon Festival, Zhu Xuanji failed to capture the Black Shadow Demon Cultivator, although he retained some clues that he suspected were traps deliberately left by the real culprit.
Zhu Xuanji acquired all records from the four major forces of Fire Persimmon Immortal City and compiled a suspect list.
He started investigating each person on the list, beginning with Li Leifeng.
Next was Zhao Die, who was killed by Zhu Xuanji for resisting.
Chu Xiyao understood that she too was likely on that list. She didn't want to leave Fire Persimmon Immortal City and still hoped to enter the Immortal Palace when the opportunity arose.
After much consideration, she chose the Zhou Family as a temporary refuge.
Why did she make this choice?
She mainly considered two points.
Firstly, it couldn't be the City Lord's Mansion. The City Lord's Mansion was governed by the Southern Bean Dynasty and already in a subordinate position. Joining it would leave Chu Xiyao with no means to resist Zhu Xuanji's rigorous investigation.
Secondly, the three major families offered more lenient terms and were far more attractive than the City Lord's Mansion. Even if Zhu Xuanji came to trouble her, the three major families couldn't resist openly but could provide some protection. At worst, they could discreetly release information to let Chu Xiyao escape on her own.
The three major families were deeply rooted in Fire Persimmon Immortal City and highly valued their family reputations.
After careful consideration, Chu Xiyao chose to ally with the strongest of the three major families, the Zhou Family.
Ning Zhuo's eyes gleamed.
He had made a name for himself, attended a small banquet, and obtained the first valuable piece of information of the night.
"Are cultivators starting to form alliances because of Zhu Xuanji's actions?"
"Some cultivators with clear backgrounds are likely to attach themselves to the four major forces. But some Demon Cultivators, not accepted, would either flee far away or band together. There would be few foolish enough to continue acting alone."
"Zhu Xuanji is inspecting suspicious individuals one by one. I wonder if my mother is on that list?"
Ning Zhuo felt the pressure once again.
Chu Xiyao slapped her storage pouch, releasing a mechanical wooden box.
The wooden box was square and after landing on the ground, it quickly disassembled and gradually formed a rectangular labyrinth board.
Ning Zhuo immediately recognized that the board was modeled after Room No. 2.
Although Zhou Zhu and Zheng Jian had both fallen to the heavy hammer at the door, they had a glimpse of Room No. 2's appearance and layout when the door opened.
After many deaths, they managed to collect some valuable information.
After setting up the labyrinth board, Chu Xiyao distributed game pieces to Zheng Jian and others.
The game pieces were miniature mechanisms resembling wheels, with spokes and an axis.
"Aren't these miniaturized wheels?" Zheng Jian observed a piece carefully and commented.
Chu Xiyao nodded: "Indeed, these are wheels."
A wheel was a type of mechanical toy often popular among young cultivators.
Children would pour a small amount of their meager mana into a wheel, making it move by itself. They would compete to see whose wheel rolled the farthest.
The name "a wheel" came from the fact that its creator, a low-level cultivator, tended to be ousted in the first round of competitions held by their family, sect, or country.
Chu Xiyao continued: "However, I have modified these wheels. They can not only absorb mana, but also store some Divine Sense."
"What we need to do is infuse mana and Divine Sense, then place the pieces into the labyrinth board and see whose wheel travels the farthest."
Zheng Jian was quick to act; as soon as Chu Xiyao finished speaking, he placed a piece in.
In the labyrinth board, his wheel swiftly moved, making several turns before finally hitting an obstacle and stopping.
"Interesting." Zheng Jian's eyes gleamed with excitement, summarizing, "Mana and Divine Sense both need to be abundant and must cooperate seamlessly. Precise calculations for each step are necessary. Any small error in coordination will quickly accumulate, magnify, and eventually lead to failure."
Chu Xiyao softly laughed, complimenting Zheng Jian's keen insight.
After Zheng Jian, Zhou Zeshen, Zhou Zhu, and Ning Xiaohui placed their pieces.
Zhou Zhu's wheel traveled the shortest distance. Despite his weaker cultivation, Zhou Zeshen's wheel covered the longest distance.
Ning Xiaohui's wheel moved gracefully with a touch of elegance, covering a distance second only to Zhou Zeshen.
"Now it's Brother Ning Zhuo's turn." Zhou Zeshen smiled.
Momentarily, all eyes turned to Ning Zhuo.
Zhou Zeshen called it entertainment but in essence, it was a test. The cultivation world always valued individual excellence.
Undoubtedly, after this joint test, the internal competition among the three families would likely focus on those present at this banquet.
The others were quite familiar with each other. Only Ning Zhuo, a rising star, remained the most unfamiliar, even with intelligence gathered about him.
Seemingly unaware of the open and hidden scrutiny from everyone, Ning Zhuo placed his piece after infusing it and watched it closely, his face tense.
The wheel navigated through various obstacles, advancing slowly, lacking Ning Xiaohui's grace and Zhou Zeshen's precision, yet it reached the farthest point, setting an unprecedented record.
"How is this possible?" Zhou Zhu was astonished.
Zheng Jian and Zhou Zeshen looked at Ning Zhuo.
Even Ning Xiaohui was surprised, reassessing Ning Zhuo.
Chu Xiyao's eyes sparkled: "It's his Divine Sense."
"This young master Ning has an exceptionally abundant Divine Sense, uncommon among Qi Refinement cultivators."
"Thus, he can maintain control over the wheel for extended periods."
"Moreover, his mana consumption was minimal, extending the duration of synergy between Divine Sense and mana, achieving the best result."
Ning Zhuo scratched his head: "It seems that might be the case; my Divine Sense appears to be more abundant than my peers."
"Could it be... talent!?" At that moment, everyone present had the same question flash through their minds.