: Defeat and Escape?

Zhu Xuanji strode forward with immense steps, closing the distance to Ning Zhuo in just a few strides.

Ning Zhuo had already begun retreating hastily, but his speed was far inferior to Zhu Xuanji's.

Zhu Xuanji raised his palm and struck down from above.

In that instant, Ning Zhuo felt his breath catch. Zhu Xuanji's attack was ferocious, like a deity descending, his hand covering the sky and earth!

At this critical moment, Ning Zhuo slapped his storage belt.

A massive ape suddenly appeared, blocking Zhu Xuanji's strike with its chest.

This mechanical ape was the Golden Core-level automaton Ning Zhuo had crafted by pooling resources and leveraging opportunities. At the start of the second round of the palace exam, Ning Zhuo had even lent it to Ning Jiufan.

Although the mechanical ape was also suppressed to the Foundation Establishment level, Ning Zhuo had invested heavily in its construction, using extremely sturdy materials—it was undeniably tough and resilient.

Ning Zhuo controlled the mechanical ape to engage Zhu Xuanji in combat.

After a few exchanges, Zhu Xuanji suddenly adopted the Golden Mountain Stance, releasing a stream of golden light that pressed down on the mechanical ape, making it difficult to move.

Zhu Xuanji bypassed the mechanical ape and charged toward its controller, Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo hastily took out a silver-gray token and tossed it into the air.

The token had the character "Cang" on the front and "Han" on the back. It quickly disassembled, expanded, and stretched mid-air, emitting a dazzling silver-gray light.

As the light faded, the mechanical armor, Cang Tie Han Jia, floated quietly in the air.

Ning Zhuo stepped back, and the armor instantly opened, enveloping him.

The Foundation Establishment Pill hidden in his spine, plump and round, activated rapidly.

In an instant, Ning Zhuo possessed Foundation Establishment-level combat power, and his speed surged.

Zhu Xuanji's attack missed its mark.

After failing to land a hit, Zhu Xuanji stood still, his gaze calm. "As expected, you are Chuitiao Ke."

As he spoke, he raised a single palm, aiming it at the retreating Ning Zhuo.

Martial Technique—Splitting the Void!

An invisible palm force erupted suddenly, striking Ning Zhuo in an instant.

Iron Clad Cold!

At the critical moment, Ning Zhuo desperately activated the Cang Tie Han Jia's defensive formation, pushing its power to the maximum.

This triggered a mechanical technique, releasing a chilling aura that hardened like metal.

Even so, he was still sent flying by the overwhelming palm force.

Bang.

Ning Zhuo crashed into the wall, his entire back embedded in it.

The impact left him dizzy, his ears ringing, and on the verge of vomiting blood. The mechanical ring on his finger suddenly tightened, jolting him awake.

Mechanical Technique—Wind and Thunder Movement!

Spirit stones were consumed frantically, converting into vast spiritual energy that flowed into two palm-sized, intricately patterned wind and thunder talismans.

The talismans released wind and thunder forces, intertwining along the internal formations of the Cang Tie Han Jia, merging to form a cyan-green lightning that enveloped the armor.

The next moment, another invisible palm force struck!

Ning Zhuo controlled the Cang Tie Han Jia, darting away like lightning and leaving only a few traces of cyan-green electricity behind.

Bang.

The palm force slammed down, extinguishing the cyan-green electricity and leaving a massive palm print, four feet square, on the wall.

Sun Lingtong urgently transmitted a message: "Ah Zhuo, be careful! Whether it's the Golden Mountain Stance or the Jade Pillar Body, both enhance the cultivator in all aspects."

Ning Zhuo had already realized Zhu Xuanji's prowess!

Although Zhu Xuanji was restricted by the Secret Pavilion's formations, suppressing his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment level, his divine abilities alone allowed him to fight above his level.

Ning Zhuo's earlier ambush had triggered Zhu Xuanji's powerful state of triple divine abilities.

Ru Die Niang needed to exert her full strength to unleash quasi-Golden Core-level attacks. Yet, every one of Zhu Xuanji's strikes surpassed the normal Foundation Establishment level, reaching quasi-Golden Core intensity!

"Surround him together!" Ning Zhuo shouted.

Mechanical Technique—Canglong Soars Through the Sky!

The armor plates on the back, shoulder blades, elbows, and wrists of the Cang Tie Han Jia flipped open, revealing hidden explosive talismans.

In the next moment, the talismans ignited completely, blazing with brilliant white light, propelling Ning Zhuo's movements to their limit.

Ning Zhuo shot through the air like a silver dragon.

He engaged Zhu Xuanji in mid-range combat, circling around him.

Ning Zhuo's attacks landed on Zhu Xuanji, causing the golden mountain's light to tremble and the golden branches and jade leaves on it to rustle incessantly, yet they failed to harm Zhu Xuanji in the slightest.

In contrast, Ning Zhuo constantly dodged, only occasionally blocking.

Zhu Xuanji's attacks were heavy and fierce, quickly causing the Cang Tie Han Jia to crack and fracture in multiple places.

This was already the armor's strongest form, yet it could barely hold on.

The mechanical ring activated repeatedly, allowing Ning Zhuo to evade numerous attacks.

The Nether Envoy, Qi Bai, collected the ghosts, leaned forward, and opened its mouth to release a sound wave.

An organ component in its throat, the Soul-Shaking Throat Drum, produced a drumbeat that could shake souls. However, when it struck Zhu Xuanji, it only made the golden branches and jade leaves on him sway more gracefully.

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo's pupils contracted. He realized that the three divine abilities were intricately linked, granting Zhu Xuanji a defense so formidable it was despair-inducing.

"I must break the connection between the three divine abilities!"

Ning Zhuo saw the key to turning the tide, but he couldn't think of any way to do it.

Sun Lingtong dared not engage in close combat, attacking from a distance with her blade techniques.

The Golden Core mechanical ape and Ning Zhuo coordinated seamlessly but were still forced into retreat by Zhu Xuanji.

Ru Die Niang watched from the side, anxious but unable to intervene for fear of harming her allies.

Yang Chanyu stopped shooting poison arrows. "Our coordination is poor, lacking practice and synergy."

She silently faded from view, having made a decision.

Old Cicada Art!

Autumn Cicada's Final Cry!!

The mournful chirp of an autumn cicada suddenly rang out as Yang Chanyu appeared behind Zhu Xuanji.

She held the Soul-Snatching Light-Concealing Blade, piercing through the golden mountain's light and the jade-like skin. But as she tried to push deeper, the blade was caught by Zhu Xuanji's hand.

Zhu Xuanji looked down at Yang Chanyu. "To make me bleed in this state, Yang Chanyu, you should be proud."

Yang Chanyu's danger senses flared. Without hesitation, she abandoned her blade and retreated!

Zhu Xuanji's left eye blazed with golden light.

Innate Talent—Golden Eye.

Spell—Needle Cushion.

Innate Talent Spell—Golden Pupil Needle Rays.

In an instant, Yang Chanyu was enveloped in a golden halo.

Within the halo, golden light condensed into needles, thousands of them shooting toward her!

They struck Yang Chanyu all over her body!

Yang Chanyu cried out in pain, channeling her magic power to activate her defensive artifacts, struggling to hold on.

But as long as she remained within Zhu Xuanji's line of sight, she would continuously be bombarded by thousands of golden needles.

Yang Chanyu tried to use her invisibility technique.

Zhu Xuanji pointed a finger.

Official Technique—Nation Lock!

Golden chains materialized around Yang Chanyu, binding her tightly.

Zhu Xuanji pointed repeatedly.

Sun Lingtong, the Nether Envoy Qi Bai, and the Golden Core mechanical ape were all struck in succession, restrained on the spot and struggling desperately.

Only Ning Zhuo, relying on his mechanical ring's warning, managed to escape in time.

"We're in the Southern Bean Nation."

"Zhu Xuanji's Official Techniques are overwhelmingly powerful!"

"What should we do?"

Ning Zhuo avoided the Nation Lock but was exposed to Zhu Xuanji's gaze, enveloped in a golden halo.

Countless fine light needles pierced his body incessantly.

Ning Zhuo inwardly cursed, forced to defend with all his might. The Cang Tie Han Jia rapidly deteriorated, its surface covered with密密麻麻 needle holes, growing more and more numerous!

With everyone preoccupied, Zhu Xuanji launched another attack!

Martial Technique—Through the Mountain!

He struck the mechanical ape's chest with his palm. The powerful force penetrated the heavy armor, shattering the intricate ice-sculpted mechanisms inside.

Bang.

With a dull sound, the delicate ice mechanisms were utterly pulverized by the blow.

The Golden Core mechanical ape lost most of its power, its combat effectiveness plummeting to rock bottom, nearly paralyzed on the spot.

Zhu Xuanji then charged toward the Nether Envoy Qi Bai, cleaving it from shoulder to waist with a palm strike like a blade.

He then rushed toward Ru Die Niang.

Ru Die Niang turned pale with fright, screaming!

The butterfly wings on her back flared with power, generating countless refracted light rays that interwove into fragmented shadows.

The crisscrossing shadows rapidly expanded.

Zhu Xuanji charged in but, despite moving in a straight line, found himself veering off course within the shadows, bypassing Ru Die Niang.

"It's actually the Curved Light Weaving Shadow Formation!" Zhu Xuanji was surprised and annoyed.

He temporarily abandoned Ru Die Niang and charged toward Yang Chanyu.

Yang Chanyu, busy defending against the golden needles, couldn't counter Zhu Xuanji's attack. Struck by his leg, she spat blood, severely wounded. This triggered the elimination mechanism, and a glowing ring instantly swallowed her, teleporting her out of the Secret Pavilion.

Zhu Xuanji then turned to Sun Lingtong.

"Boss, run!" Ning Zhuo lunged at the critical moment, shoving Sun Lingtong away.

Sun Lingtong crashed to the ground, looked up, and saw a doorway right before her.

"Go!" Ning Zhuo's voice echoed again.

Sun Lingtong turned her head just in time to see Ning Zhuo struck by Zhu Xuanji's heavy punch. The Cang Tie Han Jia shattered大半, fragments scattering in the wind.

But Ning Zhuo used the force of the punch to fly backward, disappearing into Ru Die Niang's Curved Light Weaving Shadow Formation and out of Zhu Xuanji's sight.

Shielded by the light and shadows, Ning Zhuo was no longer enveloped by the halo, free from the threat of the golden needles.

But the next moment, a golden light pierced through the shadows like a sword, stabbing through Ning Zhuo's abdomen!

Ning Zhuo fled in haste.

The interwoven light and shadows created a strange black-and-white world.

Golden swords shot through intermittently, each one aimed accurately at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo knew very well that this was because Zhu Xuanji had already placed tracking and monitoring measures on him.

In just a dozen breaths, Ning Zhuo was drenched in blood.

"Xiao Zhuo!" Sun Lingtong gritted her teeth but did not join the fight. Instead, she rolled through the doorway, closed it behind her, and immediately rushed toward another entrance.

Seeing this, Zhu Xuanji snorted disdainfully. "Ning Zhuo, you see? This is the loyalty of thieves!"

"Your defeat is certain. There's no need to struggle further. Surrender willingly and leave. Afterwards, reflect carefully, turn yourself in, and seek leniency!"

The black-and-white light and shadows filled the entire Secret Pavilion, overlapping constantly, making Zhu Xuanji's perception of Ning Zhuo increasingly faint.

Receiving no response to his call for surrender, he hesitated about charging into the formation when he suddenly lost all sense of Ning Zhuo.

The next moment, he heard an announcement.

"Ning Jiufan battled Zheng Shuang gou, Meng Chong, and the Meng Family Golden Core cultivator. Ning Jiufan defeated and eliminated. Zheng Shuang gou defeated and eliminated."

Zhu Xuanji's thick eyebrows furrowed deeply.

The next moment, he received a second message.

"Zhu Xuanji battled Entry Standard, Yang Chanyu, and Ning Zhuo. Yang Chanyu defeated and eliminated. Ning Zhuo surrendered and eliminated."

Zhu Xuanji's brows gradually relaxed. After one last glance at the Curved Light Weaving Shadow Formation, he turned and left.

(End of )