## Molten Lava Immortal Palace.

*Bang!*

The first door was violently thrust open by Yuan Dasheng.

Zhou Zeshen, Zhou Zhu, and the others immediately spun around, their gazes meeting the newcomer’s across the chamber.

“The Zhou family!” Ning Zhuo muttered, observing the scene through Yuan Dasheng’s eyes, his pupils contracting slightly.

When he realized that not only were the two Zhou family geniuses present in chamber number two, but also three additional Zhou clan cultivators, understanding dawned.

“They must have utilized my previously conceived method, assembling the wooden bodies to withstand the door-opening ambush.”

“Within the Zhou family, besides Zhou Zeshen already being at the peak of the Third Celestial Cycle, there are surprisingly three others who possess such cultivation.”

Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but recall the joint test conducted by the three families.

The results of the Zhou family’s modified cultivation team, aside from Zhou Zhu, showed no other cultivator at the peak of the third cycle, not even one at the late stage!

“The array used for the test back then was provided by the Zhou family!”

“It seems that the Zhou family already had a plan at that time, deliberately concealing the true cultivation levels of many of their cultivators!”

“The Zheng and Ning families were both deceived; at least, I never imagined that the Zhou family already had several cultivators at the late stage of the Third Celestial Cycle.”

Ning Zhuo immediately deduced the truth.

Judging by the speed of celestial constellations, it would have been impossible for ordinary cultivators to advance from the middle stage of the Third Celestial Cycle all the way to the peak in such a short time.

The most probable explanation was that the Zhou family had been concealing their cultivation levels long ago.

“Worthy of being the Zhou family, masters of arrays. Skilled in setting up formations, and even more adept at orchestrating schemes.”

“They led the joint test of the three families, and they had already begun their machinations then.”

“And I happened to stumble upon it this time.”

The Zhou family cultivators tensed upon hearing the sound of the door opening behind them, turning around and bracing themselves.

Zhou Zeshen inwardly lamented. Regardless of whether the newcomers were from the Ning or Zheng families, or even the City Lord’s manor, the Zhou family’s meticulously crafted scheme was about to be exposed on its first attempt.

However, the ‘being’ who entered through the door was someone the Zhou family cultivators had never anticipated.

It was a mechanical ape.

The ape was tall and imposing, its golden bones exposed like a suit of openwork armor.

Its skin was a fiery red, its fur of the same hue, with patches of color distributed across its body. Long, stripe-like black markings, some long, some short, lent it a fearsome aura.

Zhou Zeshen was about to greet the newcomer, already formulating his words.

But he was met with Yuan Dasheng, this… *thing*.

“What is that?!” A Zhou family cultivator exclaimed in shock.

The next moment, without needing Ning Zhuo’s command, the Golden-Blooded Battle Ape, Dasheng, launched its assault upon sensing other beings.

It lifted its leg abruptly, taking a massive step, directly appearing before one of the Zhou family cultivators.

The Zhou family cultivator only felt a gust of wind blast towards his face.

The next moment, the Golden-Blooded Battle Ape’s towering form was like a mountain descending from above, crushing down with immense force.

The Zhou family cultivator raised his arms to defend.

The Golden-Blooded Battle Ape unleashed a fist, the whistling wind heavy like a massive hammer, smashing the Zhou family cultivator from head to toe into a mangled mess.

Such terrifying might caused the Zhou family cultivators to cry out in unison.

Zhou Zeshen’s voice turned shrill, “Do not engage head-on! Scatter and delay for time!”

He was indeed the resourceful strategist who Zhou Zhu usually listened to implicitly. In the brief moment after the attack, he had already devised the correct tactic.

However, though the tactic was sound, the surrounding battlefield environment was far from ideal.

Chamber number two was not nearly as spacious as chamber number one.

It was long and narrow, with very little space on either side.

If the Zhou family cultivators wanted to increase the distance between themselves and Yuan Dasheng, they had to move towards the second door.

But as they moved, the floor tiles would move backwards, taking them back to their original positions.

Yuan Dasheng roared, extending its arms and launching an all-out assault.

Another earth-shattering blast resounded as another Zhou family cultivator’s wooden puppet was pulverized by Yuan Dasheng, offering no resistance.

Only after passing the sixth checkpoint would cultivators possess spiritual-imbued mechanisms. These mechanisms were powerful, often stronger than the trial-takers’ own wooden puppets.

And the Golden-Blooded Battle Ape, Dasheng, exceeded even the highest limits. It was a Primate-stage mechanical creation that Ning Zhuo had managed to obtain by discovering a key point and sacrificing his Immortal-grade physique. It was completely out of scale.

“Just what is this thing?!” Zhou Zeshen shouted.

“I don’t know either!” Zhou Zhu was perplexed. How was this exploration of the Molten Lava Immortal Palace different from any previous ones?

Where did this extraordinarily powerful mechanical ape come from?

“You deliberately trigger the trap to lure the monkey, make it rush into the darkness trap as well.” Zhou Zeshen immediately thought of a second tactic.

These darkness traps were specifically set up by Ning Zhuo.

Before, when he, Ning Xiaohui, Zhou Zhu, and Zheng Jian explored the immortal palace, these darkness traps had played a role, trapping and killing the other three, giving them extremely unpleasant imprisonment experiences.

Zhou Zeshen’s mind was quick. In just a few breaths, he had devised a solution.

By using the advantage of the terrain, perhaps they could temporarily deal with this mechanical ape by sacrificing one Zhou family cultivator.

As long as the trap could restrain the mechanical ape, they would only need to find a way to pass through chamber number two and leave through the door.

But there was no “if”. After the Zhou family cultivator jumped in, the Golden-Blooded Battle Ape halted its momentum, standing at the edge of the mechanical trap, not moving even the slightest distance.

This was a joke! These were all personally set up by Ning Zhuo. He knew all the traps in every position like the back of his hand.

Zhou Zeshen saw Yuan Dasheng turn its head, its eyes gleaming as it looked at him, and a chill ran down his spine.

“Damn it!”

“Zhou Zhu, you go and intercept him!”

“I’ll try my best to break through!”

Zhou Zeshen shouted.

“Alright!” Zhou Zhu began to stride forward, rushing towards Yuan Dasheng.

Although he was tall, he was clearly dwarfed when compared to Yuan Dasheng.

Yuan Dasheng moved fluidly, deftly avoiding Zhou Zhu’s attacks, and then seized upon his opponent’s openings, advancing swiftly.

*Bang, bang.*

Two soft sounds echoed.

Zhou Zhu also collapsed to the ground.

Zhou Zeshen glanced back, seeing that Zhou Zhu had not even lasted three breaths, and the chill in his heart intensified.

He charged forward frantically.

But the speed at which the floor tiles moved back increased, constantly pushing Zhou Zeshen back towards Yuan Dasheng.

“This damned mechanism is also making things difficult for me!”

Zhou Zeshen struggled with all his might, but he only managed to buy himself three breaths’ worth of time.
Finally, Yuan Dasheng tore Zhou Zeshen’s head off, then spread his palm, tilted it at an angle, and tossed Zhou Zeshen’s head onto the ground.

The Zhou family cultivators were wiped out.

Yuan Dasheng dealt with them with great ease, despite there being five of them.

Firstly, they lacked immortal talent, unable to achieve the impact of a Meng Chong.

Secondly, the spells they mastered were pitifully few.

Amidst Yuan Dasheng’s rampage, they mostly used a Qi-based spell for acceleration and turning.

But these petty tricks were simply not enough to be considered a threat in the eyes of Yuan Dasheng, a grandmaster of martial arts.

The final strike was Yuan Dasheng, under Ning Zhuo’s control, proactively leaping into the dark trap, crushing the Zhou family cultivators who were still clinging to life.

Yuan Dasheng, carrying the shattered remains of the enemies’ puppets, leaped out of the trap.

This kind of mechanical trap originated from Ning Zhuo’s own hand; he knew all the ins and outs of the mechanisms.

These mechanical traps posed no obstacle whatsoever.

The Main Hall!

Seeing the Golden Blood War Ape, Dasheng, displaying such divine might, easily resolving the Zhou family cultivator squad, the Dragon-Turtle Fire Spirit clenched its dragon claws in anger, constantly pounding the throne.

Ning Zhuo was too arrogant; this time he had only dispatched a mechanical creation to break through the trials.

There was simply no respect for the Magma Immortal Palace!

The Dragon-Turtle Fire Spirit lacked the authority and could only watch helplessly as Yuan Dasheng swept the battlefield.

Ning Zhuo controlled the mechanical ape, disemboweling each of the Zhou family cultivators, extracting the unused spirit stones from within.

“Not bad at all!”

“If I had ventured through alone, I wouldn’t have reaped this many spirit stones in Room Two.”

“Oh, and there are next year’s spirit rings!”

With the contribution of the Zhou family cultivator team, Yuan Dasheng’s strength had a promising foundation in the initial stage.

Ning Zhuo controlled it, resolutely heading deeper.

At the same time.

The Zheng Family!

“Catch the assassin!”

“Quick! He ran that way!”

“Chase him!”

The Zheng family was in utter chaos, cultivators surging forth like a tide, launching a frenzied pursuit.

“Zheng Jian, young master, are you alright?”

The Zheng family alchemist rushed over to heal him.

Zheng Jian nodded slightly: “At the critical moment, my Heart-Piercing Insight was triggered, allowing me to receive an alert in time, preventing me from walking into the assassin’s ambush site.”

“How did this assassin get in? This is the inner circle of the clan grounds; it’s absurd.” Zheng Jian clenched his fist, gritting his teeth in anger.

The alchemist suddenly let out an eerie smile, the originally deep, middle-aged male voice suddenly turning into a sinister female voice: “What do you think?”

Zheng Jian’s pupils shrank sharply; he instantly retreated.

But it was too late.

In the next instant, the alchemist suddenly inflated, his body exploding into pieces, countless filthy and poisonous Qi sticking to Zheng Jian.

A large part of Zheng Jian’s body was affected, his skin red and swollen, blistering and festering, the speed of which was shocking.

Zheng Jian hurriedly took out emergency pills, pouring down an entire bottle, which only slightly stopped the poison corroding his body.

“I still got hit…”

“They deliberately triggered Heart-Piercing Insight once, making me be on full alert.”

“Without a calm mind, the triggering of Heart-Piercing Insight may be greatly reduced.”

“They came prepared.”

At that moment, his face was extremely pale.

In the City Lord’s Mansion, Meng Chong was surrounded by thunder shadows, beating the assassin black and blue.

He sneered: “You think you can assassinate me?”

The Zhou Family.

Zhou Zeshen and Zhou Zhu simultaneously opened their eyes!

In the next instant, intense pain spread throughout their bodies.

Zhou Zeshen saw that his flesh was crawling with ants.

Countless ants, densely packed, layer upon layer, had already gnawed his lower body down to the bone, his abdomen was also half-eaten, his intestines scattered, many of them reduced to stubs, being devoured by the ant swarm.

Zhou Zeshen’s pupils suddenly shrank to the size of needles, extreme horror taking over.

In the next instant, Five Elements spiritual power burst forth wildly, stirring up a violent storm, sweeping away countless ants.

On the other side, Zhou Zhu was also doing his best to clear away the ants; his situation was slightly better, but below his crotch, besides bones, there was nothing left.

“Someone is plotting against us; there is also an internal mole in the family!”

“Someone, come quickly!”

End of this chapter.