: Leaked Questions

2024-09-17 Author: Gu Zhenren

A female cultivator with a delicate yet pale, ashen complexion hid in the shadows of a narrow alley.

It was Han Ming.

The roars of demonic beasts suddenly echoed from afar.

Han Ming looked up and saw a swarm of Red Rock Demons flying over the Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

Almost immediately, the city guards detected the threat.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

A volley of spells shot into the sky, exploding into colorful displays resembling fireworks.

Numerous Red Rock Demons plummeted from the air.

A minor crisis was swiftly averted.

Han Ming withdrew her gaze, looking straight ahead at the City Lord's Manor across the street.

"I'm already caught in the vortex of this massive conflict," Han Ming sighed deeply, her face full of bitterness.

If she had known it would come to this, she would have chosen to flee far away, leaving Fire Persimmon Immortal City entirely.

She blamed it all on her unwillingness to admit defeat, her refusal to accept failure.

She hadn't participated in the Qi-Bai conflict. Tricked by Ning Zhuo's scheme, she realized she had fallen into a trap but chose not to reveal herself, luckily avoiding disaster.

Perhaps that experience fueled her侥幸心理, leading her to stay hidden in the city until now, only to be captured by Luo Shang and used as a pawn.

"Luo Shang hasn't placed any restrictions on me. Maybe I can just run away?"

The thought had barely formed before Han Ming immediately suppressed it.

Precisely because Luo Shang hadn't placed any restrictions, Han Ming became extremely wary.

She suspected this might be a test from Luo Shang. If she tried to escape, he would surely catch her, and then her treatment would be far worse than it is now.

"Luo Shang is different from Qi Bai."

"Qi Bai rose from humble origins, but Luo Shang has the backing of a sect elder. Luo Shang's own foundation is far stronger than Qi Bai's."

"Not to mention, Luo Shang came here on an important mission for his sect, so he has tremendous support."

"Qi Bai didn't have a single Golden Core-level ghost general, but Luo Shang has many."

"Could there be a Golden Core-level ghost general watching me right now?"

Han Ming had no way of knowing.

As a Foundation Establishment peak demonic cultivator, detecting the presence of a Golden Core-level ghost general with her own abilities was extremely difficult.

Though her methods were lacking, she possessed the survival wisdom of a demonic cultivator.

Based on her reasoning, she knew that if she followed Luo Shang's arrangements, she might still have a chance. But if she tried to escape, her fate would be miserable!

Since the night of the cannon attack, the City Lord's Manor had been brightly lit.

Now, the well-lit manor seemed like a wild beast with its bloody maw wide open, ready to devour someone.

Steeling herself, Han Ming stepped out of the shadows and slowly walked toward the City Lord's Manor.

She hadn't been out for long before the city guards spotted her.

"Who goes there?"

"Halt!"

Han Ming shouted, "I am Han Ming, a wanted criminal of Fire Persimmon Immortal City. I am here to turn myself in and also to report a crime!"

The guards exchanged surprised and doubtful glances, not daring to make a decision themselves. Someone immediately ran back to the manor to report to Fei Si.

"What? Han Ming suddenly appeared and is turning herself in?" Fei Si showed no joy upon hearing the news.

At this critical moment with the city under siege by demonic beasts, he didn't want any complications.

But Han Ming's appearance was beyond his control.

Fei Si, being shrewd, immediately understood that Han Ming's strange actions must be under someone's direction.

"She's a disciple of the Soul Devourer Sect, backed by a super demonic sect. This time, she's probably acting under Luo Shang's orders?"

The more Fei Si thought, the graver his expression became.

"Open the court!" Fei Si decisively decided to personally interrogate her.

At the same time, he urgently sent a flying message and dispatched a messenger to invite Chi Dun for support.

Given the current situation, Fei Si was extremely cautious, fearing that the Soul Devourer Sect might target the City Lord's Manor or him.

After all, they were a major demonic sect.

Soon.

Fei Si arrived in the hall and saw the restrained Han Ming.

Fei Si slapped the惊堂木 and questioned her sternly.

Despite the anxiety and worry in her heart, Han Ming wore a slight smile. Even under the pressure of a Golden Core cultivator, she remained composed and confident.

She slowly recounted everything: how she was ambushed, abused by the垂髫客, and witnessed Yuan Dasheng's corpse, all to Fei Si.

"Guards, take Han Ming to the dungeons!" Fei Si ordered sharply.

Han Ming remained smiling, cooperating fully.

Her attitude made Fei Si's face grow even darker.

Well-versed in officialdom and having seen many schemes, Fei Si immediately realized: this was the Soul Devourer Sect's attempt to stir conflict between Meng Kui and Zhu Xuanji, with malicious intent.

Although he knew it was the enemy's plot, he didn't dare act on his own.

He wrote a letter on the spot and dispatched a messenger to urgently deliver this information to Meng Kui.

With the demon beast潮 ravaging Fire Persimmon Mountain, ordinary flying messages couldn't reach Meng Kui. So, the messenger, skilled with a sword, used a flying sword carrying Fei Si's letter, charging all the way to the mountaintop.

Upon reaching the summit, the messenger saw the scene at the Fire Persimmon Mountain crater and was horrified.

"The Molten Rock Immortal Palace actually has several holes broken through it!"

"The demon beast潮 here is terrifying! The one at the city is nothing in comparison."

Shaken, the messenger paid his respects to Meng Kui.

Meng Kui scanned the letter's contents with his spiritual sense.

"Ning Zhuo..."

"Soul Devourer Sect..."

"And the Empty Gate Sect."

The Meng family's strategist pondered for a few breaths, then reached out his hand.

Spell — Palm Profundity!

A massive hand formed from Nascent Soul-level法力 crashed through, crushing countless demon beasts as it headed toward a breach in the light shield.

Then, a small part of the法力 hand separated, carrying the flying message through the air toward a certain part of the immortal palace.

Previously, Meng Kui couldn't have done this. But with the palace damaged and the restrictions weakened, he now had a small opportunity to exert combat power at the Foundation Establishment level.

The message's target was none other than Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji, who had excelled in the first round of the palace exam, wasn't actively preparing for the second round like others. Instead, he had come to the Gourd Fire Furnace Forest.

A large group of flame beasts, mainly Treading Flame Lizards, were charging toward the area.

The mechanical constructs responsible for interception were rather sparse, with many cultivators watching without joining the fight.

This was Zhu Xuanji's deliberate arrangement.

He wanted to approach the Golden Furnace, but that area was a restricted zone within the Gourd Fire Furnace Forest, and outsiders like Zhu Xuanji had no right to get close.

If the flame beasts charged near the Golden Furnace, Zhu Xuanji would have an opportunity to reach it under the pretext of eliminating the threat, allowing him to investigate past events.

The clues left by Ning Xiaohui after her death, deduced by Meng Kui, pointed to four things: Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong, Zheng Danlian, and the Golden Furnace.

Zhu Xuanji had been preoccupied with these clues.

His extensive experience in handling cases told him that something extremely important was hidden here.

So, even with the second round of the palace exam imminent, he had to take this action.

Molten Rock Immortal Palace, Main Hall.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit paced anxiously.

"Zhu Xuanji, Zhu Xuanji!"

"Why are you so persistent? Why must you oppose me at every turn?"

"Ah, why am I so unlucky to be burdened with you!"

The Longyuan Fire Spirit gnashed its teeth, filled with resentment toward Zhu Xuanji.

Forced into a corner, the Longyuan Fire Spirit had no choice but to pinch its throat and contact Ning Zhuo again.

"Young Master, yo-young master, it's me, the Longyuan Fire Spirit." Its voice sounded very weak.

This wasn't entirely feigned; with the Molten Rock Immortal Palace so damaged, the Fire Spirit was indeed in poor condition.

Receiving the Longyuan Fire Spirit's sudden contact, Ning Zhuo was quite surprised.

He quickly asked about the Fire Spirit's condition.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit suppressed its impatience: "Th-thank you for your concern, young master. I, your humble spirit, won't die just yet."

"That Zhu Xuanji is trying to cause trouble again!"

"Right now, he's planning to use the demon beast潮 to investigate the Golden Furnace in the Gourd Forest!"

"Young master, I believe I mentioned this before: when Yuan Dasheng was turned into a construct, a Golden Furnace was destroyed in the process."

"If Zhu Xuanji finds out about this..."

Ning Zhuo's pupils contracted slightly. He quickly praised the Longyuan Fire Spirit and stated he would immediately stop Zhu Xuanji's actions.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit showed a flicker of excitement, continuing in its weak voice: "Young master, your decisiveness is exceptional. Let's cooperate now and use the Five Elements Artillery Towers to give them a hard blow!"

But Ning Zhuo refused: "That might not be appropriate."

The Longyuan Fire Spirit widened its eyes, growing anxious: "Why not? Young master, we cannot hesitate!"

Ning Zhuo sighed: "My merit points. After the last palace exam settlement, my merits were deducted too much. If I hadn't promptly handed over my Buddha Heart Demon Seal, I would have lost the chance to take the exam!"

The Longyuan Fire Spirit coughed violently twice: "Young master, your brilliance is indeed remarkable! For you to make such a judgment on your own, especially while I am in such poor condition and unable to assist you, is truly exceptional."

"But if Zhu Xuanji discovers something, what use will more merit points be?"

"Young master, please fire the cannons quickly!"

The Longyuan Fire Spirit was frantic.

"Alright!" Ning Zhuo's straightforward agreement delighted the Fire Spirit.

He began using his authority to raise the six-story Five Elements Artillery Tower again, aiming all cannon barrels toward the Golden Furnace in the Gourd Forest.

法力 surged, filling the cannons, their muzzles glowing with light.

"Fire, fire!" the Longyuan Fire Spirit secretly urged excitedly.

Just as they were about to fire, Ning Zhuo suddenly said: "Oh, right. Longyuan Fire Spirit, do you know the specific content of the second round of the palace exam?"

Longyuan Fire Spirit: !!?

In that instant, the Longyuan Fire Spirit desperately wanted to rush to Ning Zhuo and give him a good headbutt!

What time is it for all these questions!

The Longyuan Fire Spirit cried out: "Young master! Please fire first! If we don't shoot now, it'll be too late!"

Ning Zhuo shook his head: "I'm hesitant. Firing this volley will deduct my merit points again. I handed over my Buddha Heart Demon Seal just to participate in the palace exam. So, I must secure the Palace Lord position!"

"Quickly tell me the content of the upcoming exam."

"Otherwise, if I can't become Palace Lord and have lost my Buddha Heart Demon Seal, I might as well turn myself in right now!"

Longyuan Fire Spirit: ...

(End of )