“What’s amiss?” Ning Zhuo inquired, feigning surprise with a touch of bewilderment, as if detecting a shift in the atmosphere.

Zheng Jian chuckled drily, “Little Brother Ning Zhuo, you seem to be underestimating the situation.”

Zhou Zhu nodded in agreement.

Ning Xiaohui scoffed, “That Lava Immortal Palace was once a temporary abode of the Three Sect Forefathers. It is no trivial matter. The Three Sect Forefathers were mighty cultivators who had reached the Refining Void Realm. The trials they left behind are not easily overcome.”

“Your ambition is commendable, but you are like a frog at the bottom of a well, arrogant and blind to the true scope of things.”

“Don’t speak like that in the future.”

Ning Zhuo let out an “Ah” and hastily agreed, “Oh, oh.”

He had been carefully observing their expressions.

His purpose in speaking thus was to provoke Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu, hoping to subtly extract information about the Zhou and Zheng families’ future plans.

He had not anticipated that his words would dredge up painful memories, dealing a heavy blow to Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu.

Zheng Jian smiled wryly, “The trials left by the Three Sect Forefathers are exceedingly difficult. I am not ashamed to admit, Little Brother Ning Zhuo, that we haven’t even passed the first gate.”

“Ah?” Ning Zhuo widened his eyes, feigning astonishment.

Zheng Jian was the eldest of those present. Furthermore, with his straightforward nature, he chose to candidly reveal his own shortcomings, without attempting to conceal them.

After all, Ning Zhuo would undoubtedly enter the Immortal Palace soon and discover the truth for himself, so there was no need to keep it a secret.

“What is the first gate like that could stymie even Brother Zheng Jian and Brother Zhou Zhu?” Ning Zhuo pressed, unable to resist inquiring.

Ning Xiaohui giggled to herself, thinking, “Zheng Jian’s words are too charitable. In truth, they haven’t even glimpsed the entirety of the first gate.”

She herself had never entered the Immortal Palace, not even once.

Firstly, she had only recently reached the peak of the Third Level. Secondly, she was perpetually protected by talismans, rendering her immune to soul extraction.

The Ning family, having gleaned information from the other two families, determined that Ning Xiaohui’s presence in the palace would be of little use. Thus, they opted to preserve her strength, awaiting the opportune moment.

As a result, Ning Xiaohui had never tasted failure and felt no empathy for Zheng Jian and Zhou Zhu.

Seeing that Ning Zhuo was about to question further, Zhou Zeshen clapped his hands, interrupting him, “Gentlemen, merely eating and drinking is rather dull.”

“My Zhou family has recently recruited a mechanical artificer named Chu Xiyao, who possesses considerable talent.”

“Brother Zheng, Chu Xiyao has accompanied me to this banquet and is currently waiting in the main hall.”

“Why not invite her up to set up a game for our entertainment?”

Zheng Jian cast a deep glance at Zhou Zeshen before nodding, “Since Brother Zhou has such intentions, this elder brother welcomes it wholeheartedly. Quickly invite that talented individual up here.”

A moment later.

Chu Xiyao entered, greeting the assembled guests with a bow.

She was a female cultivator of above-average appearance and captivating aura. Her eyebrows drooped, her expression was mournful, and her waist was especially slender, her frame as delicate as a willow swaying in the breeze, inspiring pity.

Though only at the Foundation Establishment stage, she displayed a humble attitude towards the Qi Refining cultivators present.

The cultivation world revered the strong.

However, this scene was not particularly strange.

On one hand, the difference in power between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining was not vast, and could often be overcome.

On the other hand, this was the orthodox path, not the demonic path of ruthless survival.

A significant portion of Chu Xiyao’s respect was directed towards the talents of Zheng Jian and others.

Possessing spiritual roots was the key to cultivation.

In ancient times, those with spiritual roots were exceedingly rare, thus possessing them alone was worthy of respect.

As time passed and the number of cultivators increased, the pursuit of superior spiritual roots began.

Today, with spiritual energy becoming more abundant, spiritual roots were no longer as significant to cultivators, and innate talent was the quality to be esteemed.

Chu Xiyao possessed only immortal roots, lacking any notable talent. In time, her cultivation would be easily surpassed by Zheng Jian and others.

Therefore, her respect was, at its core, still a form of reverence for the strong.

It was simply that those present would become the strong in the future.

This was akin to sects that obtained seedlings with exceptional cultivation aptitude, immediately accepting them as personal disciples of high-ranking members. Even if they were only at the Qi Refining stage, they would hold the status of an elder and receive preferential treatment from the entire sect.

Ning Xiaohui expressed her curiosity, “I have long heard of Senior Chu’s reputation. My Ning family even attempted to hire you with a generous offer.”

“You declined at the time, citing a dislike for constraints and a preference for freedom.”

“I am quite curious, why did you change your mind and join the Zhou family?”

Chu Xiyao sighed, “Isn’t it all because of Zhu Xuanji?”

It turned out that Chu Xiyao was originally a Foundation Establishment cultivator, skilled in mechanical arts, who met the Immortal Palace’s standards for eligibility to enter and compete for the inheritance.

She had indeed entered the Immortal Palace, suffered injuries, and also gained benefits.

Zhu Xuanji, having failed to intercept the Shadow Demon cultivator at the Fire Persimmon Festival, still had some leads, although incomplete. He suspected that these leads were intentionally left behind by the true culprit as traps.

Zhu Xuanji then obtained all the records from the four major powers in Fire Persimmon City and compiled a list of suspects.

He began verifying each name on the list, starting from the first.

Li Leifeng was the first person he investigated.

Zhao Die followed, who was killed by Zhu Xuanji for resisting.

Chu Xiyao understood that she was certainly on this list as well. However, she did not want to leave Fire Persimmon City and still hoped to have the opportunity to enter the Immortal Palace.

Therefore, after much deliberation, she chose the Zhou family as a temporary refuge.

Why did she do this?

She mainly considered two points.

Firstly, it certainly couldn’t be the City Lord’s Mansion. The City Lord’s Mansion was under the jurisdiction of the Southern Bean Dynasty, making it a subordinate. If Chu Xiyao joined them, there would be even less reason to oppose Zhu Xuanji’s strict investigation.

Secondly, the conditions offered by the three major families were more lenient and far more enticing than those of the City Lord’s Mansion. Even if Zhu Xuanji came to cause trouble for her, the three major families, while unable to resist him directly, could still provide some level of protection. At the very least, they could secretly leak information, allowing Chu Xiyao to escape on her own.

The three major families, deeply rooted in Fire Persimmon City, placed great importance on upholding their family’s reputation.
After careful deliberation, Chu Xiyao chose the Zhou family, the most powerful of the three great clans.

Ning Zhuo’s eyes flickered slightly.

He showed his talent at the small banquet, obtaining the first valuable piece of information tonight.

“Because of Zhu Xuanji’s actions, cultivators have begun to band together?”

“Some cultivators with relatively clean backgrounds will likely choose to rely on the Four Great Powers. But there must also be a portion of demonic cultivators who won’t submit. They’ll either flee far away or band together, and there will hardly be any fools who continue to act alone.”

“Zhu Xuanji is investigating suspicious individuals one by one. I wonder if Mother is on that list?”

Ning Zhuo felt the pressure once again.

Chu Xiyao patted her storage pouch and released a mechanical wooden box.

The box was square, and after landing on the ground, it quickly disassembled and gradually assembled into a rectangular maze chessboard.

Ning Zhuo immediately recognized that the chessboard was modeled after Room Number Two.

Although Zhou Zhu and Zheng Jian both fell at the entrance due to the heavy hammer, they would have glimpsed the appearance and layout of Room Number Two when the door opened.

After dying many times, they could gather some valuable information.

After Chu Xiyao set up the maze chessboard, she took out chess pieces and distributed them to Zheng Jian and the others.

The chess pieces were also small mechanisms, like wheels, with spokes and axles.

“Isn’t this a scaled-down ‘One Round’?” Zheng Jian said after examining the chess piece.

Chu Xiyao nodded: “Yes, this is a ‘One Round.'”

The One Round was a kind of mechanical toy, often loved by child cultivators.

Children would pour their meager mana into a One Round, and then let the wheel run on its own. The children would compare whose wheel rolled the farthest.

The reason it was called “One Round” was because the cultivator who invented it was weak and was basically eliminated in the first round of various competitions held by families, sects, and even the nation.

Chu Xiyao continued: “But the One Round I modified can not only absorb mana but also store a certain amount of divine sense.”

“What we need to do is infuse mana and divine sense, and throw the chess pieces into the maze chessboard, to see whose One Round can go the farthest.”

Zheng Jian was quick to act. As soon as Chu Xiyao finished speaking, he threw a chess piece in.

His One Round moved quickly through the maze chessboard, turning many times in the middle, eventually stopping when it hit an obstacle.

“Interesting.” Zheng Jian’s eyes sparkled, summarizing, “Both mana and divine sense must be abundant, and they must be coordinated with each other, so the calculation of each step must be precise. Otherwise, once a mistake is made, this small error will quickly accumulate, constantly magnifying, affecting and dragging each other down, until defeat.”

Chu Xiyao smiled gently and immediately complimented Zheng Jian’s sharp insight.

After Zheng Jian, Zhou Zeshen, Zhou Zhu, and Ning Xiaohui took turns throwing the chess pieces.

Zhou Zhu went the shortest distance, while Zhou Zeshen, although weaker in cultivation, went the farthest.

Ning Xiaohui’s One Round moved nimbly, with a delicate air, and the distance she travelled was second only to Zhou Zeshen.

“It’s Brother Ning Zhuo’s turn.” Zhou Zeshen laughed.

For a moment, many eyes turned to Ning Zhuo.

Zhou Zeshen called it entertainment, but at its core, it was a test. The cultivation world valued individual elites.

Undoubtedly, after the joint test, it was expected that the internal competition of the three families would depend on those attending this banquet.

The others were familiar with each other, but Ning Zhuo was an unexpected newcomer. Despite the information collected, he was still the most unfamiliar.

Ning Zhuo seemed oblivious to the attention, throwing his chess piece and then following it with his eyes, his face full of nervousness.

The One Round chess piece turned and turned through various obstacles, and its speed was not fast. It did not have Ning Xiaohui’s nimbleness, nor Zhou Zeshen’s precision, but it walked to the forefront, achieving a record no one had ever reached before.

“How can this be?” Zhou Zhu was stunned.

Zheng Jian and Zhou Zeshen both looked at Ning Zhuo.

Even Ning Xiaohui looked surprised and re-examined Ning Zhuo.

Chu Xiyao’s beautiful eyes flashed: “It’s divine sense.”

“This young man from the Ning family has an abundance of divine sense, which is unusual for a Qi Refining cultivator.”

“Therefore, directing the One Round chess piece forward, he can maintain it for a long time.”

“In addition, by consuming mana at the lowest limit, he maximizes the cooperation time between divine sense and mana, achieving the best result.”

Ning Zhuo touched his head: “It seems that’s the case. My divine sense does seem to be a little more abundant than my peers.”

“Could it be… talent!?” In an instant, the same question flashed through everyone’s minds.