: The Great Melee (Part 2)

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2024-10-02

Zhu Xuanji frowned deeply. "There are three golden core puppet automatons in the Molten Immortal Palace: the Demon General, the Dao Master, and the Buddhist Healer."

The Dao Master had always remained within the palace.

The Demon General was damaged, abandoned outside, and eventually found, repaired, surrendered, and returned to the Molten Immortal Palace by Zhu Xuanji.

Only the whereabouts of the Buddhist Healer were unknown...

Now, Zhu Xuanji had found a clue related to the Buddhist Healer.

"It's already been obtained by someone else!"

"Who could it be?"

The mystery deepened.

Zhu Xuanji had originally thought he could continue finding clues about the automatic scythe from the fourth golden furnace; it would be even better if he could discover its weakness.

But there were none.

The situation was tense, leaving him no time for careful consideration.

Zhu Xuanji could only commit this clue to memory and press forward with all his might.

The Turning Mechanism Pavilion shook once more.

A buzzing sound of electric current filled the air.

The second minor turn had already occurred; this change was—the Major Turn!

Minor turns increased the distance between the scholars participating in the Palace Examination, while the Major Turn did the opposite, increasing the likelihood of clashes between them.

"Zhu Xuanji!!" the Meng family's golden core body cultivator shouted. "Where do you think you're running?"

Zheng Danlian revealed a twisted smile. "Why do you keep avoiding battle?"

Zhu Xuanji snorted coldly.

It wasn't that he feared battle, but he had seen through the City Lord's Mansion's scheme—on one hand, they wanted to use Zheng Danlian and the Meng family's golden core body cultivator to delay Zhu Xuanji; on the other hand, they wanted to leave more steps for Meng Chong, increasing the latter's chances of breaking out of the Turning Mechanism Pavilion.

After all, during each turn, everyone only had a set number of thirty-six steps.

Zhu Xuanji retreated, continuing his previous tactic.

The pursuing Meng and Zheng duo closely chased him, greatly slowing Zhu Xuanji's progress.

"Fine. Dealing with you two first might be for the best." Zhu Xuanji turned around, his face expressionless, and actively confronted Meng and Zheng.

Zheng Danlian laughed arrogantly. "Wouldn't it have been better to do this earlier, Lord Zhu?"

He brandished his scythe and slashed fiercely.

Simultaneously, the Meng family's golden core body cultivator attacked from the left, his fist tearing through the air with immense force and terrifying power.

Boom!

After a violent collision, Zheng Danlian and the Meng family's golden core body cultivator spat blood wildly and were sent flying.

Both quickly adjusted their postures and landed on the ground.

They saw Zhu Xuanji shrouded in golden mountain light, upon which a forest of golden branches and jade leaves swayed gracefully, tinkling softly.

"Three Divine Abilities?!"

"Golden Mountain Stance, Jade Pillar Body... This is outrageous! Aren't you a Divine Constable?"

Zheng Danlian and the Meng family's golden core body cultivator exclaimed in succession.

Zhu Xuanji, expressionless, clenched his fists and launched his attack.

Boom, boom, boom...

The golden core-level clashes caused the secret pavilion serving as the battlefield to tremble incessantly, the amplitude growing larger and larger, becoming frantic.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit was directing Meng Chong.

After the Major Turn, it excitedly discovered that Meng Chong's position was not far from the exit.

"The door on the left."

"The door straight ahead."

"The door above!"

Under the Longyuan Fire Spirit's direction, Meng Chong finally arrived at a secret pavilion.

Apart from the door Meng Chong had entered through, there was only one other door.

A massive door.

The door leaf was composed of numerous wooden blocks, pieced together and constrained within the door frame.

Each wooden block had characters inscribed on it.

The Longyuan Fire Spirit continued transmitting: "Use the characters on these wooden blocks to piece together a correct copy of the 'Five Qi Rhythm Art' to open this door and leave the Turning Mechanism Pavilion!"

Meng Chong was overjoyed, rubbing his hands together eagerly as he rushed to the large door.

The next moment, the Longyuan Fire Spirit transmitted again: "Be careful! An enemy has arrived."

Meng Chong sensed it immediately, whipping his head around to see the small door he came through being pushed open and then shut.

"Who's there?"

"Someone hiding their head and concealing their tail!"

Meng Chong cast a spell, instantly covering the area by the door.

Normally, Ning Zhuo could evade the spell's attack, but Meng Chong coordinated his spellcasting with the immortal talent 'Galloping Sudden Thunder'.

Thus, his casting speed increased dramatically, overwhelming Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo chuckled lightly, endured the spell, and revealed his true form.

"Ning Zhuo?" Meng Chong was surprised; he had thought it would be Sun Lingtong.

"You came back here because you're unwilling to accept it, right? But if I were you, I'd do the same!" Meng Chong nodded.

Then, his eyes turned fierce: "However, if you think you can stop me, you're purely dreaming."

"Stay put quietly; this isn't the second-round Palace Examination arena anymore."

Saying this, he clenched his fist and shook it at Ning Zhuo. Electricity coiled around his fist, a sign of the activated immortal talent 'Galloping Sudden Thunder'.

Ning Zhuo smiled and stepped forward, saying only one phrase: "Let's fight."

Meng Chong threw his head back and laughed: "Ha! Then I'll finish you within ten breaths!"

In a flash of lightning, he instantly closed the distance to Ning Zhuo.

However, before his fist could connect with Ning Zhuo's face, patches of frost formed on his body's surface. Especially the front of his fist, which was coated in a layer of ice.

Automaton—Weather Sphere · Ice Crystal Snow!

"Interesting." Meng Chong temporarily retreated.

Art of Bathing in Fire!

He bathed in flames, dispelling the ice and frost, his body becoming hot and agile again.

Immortal Talent—Galloping Sudden Thunder.

He charged forward; he was repelled and sent flying back.

A massive automaton ape appeared beside Ning Zhuo.

Crafted from golden core-level materials!

Ning Zhuo gently patted the automaton ape beside him: "I've named it the Heavy Blood Ape. I invite Brother Meng to evaluate it."

Meng Chong scrutinized Ning Zhuo again, his expression now different from before.

"You are a worthy opponent. Haha, let's fight!" Meng Chong charged forward once more.

Inner Circle of the Molten Immortal Palace.

Zheng Shuang gouge ran desperately, spitting blood, frantically sending messages to contact Ning Jiufan: "Clan Leader Ning, Brother Ning! Return the Moon Hook to me! I'll agree to any condition you set!"

Ning Jiufan snorted coldly: "Despicable villain, launching a sneak attack, what face do you have to speak to me? I won't return it!"

The refusal plunged Zheng Shuang gouge into deep despair.

With only a single hook, he was no match for the two golden core cultivators from the Taiqing Palace.

He was already in a desperate situation!

"Even if I die, I won't let you off easily!" In his despair, Zheng Shuang gouge actively rushed towards Ning Jiufan.

Ning Jiufan laughed angrily and decisively cast an attack spell aimed squarely at Zheng Shuang gouge.

Zheng Shuang gouge's body stiffened from the freezing cold, exposing a major weakness.

The Taiqing Palace golden core cultivators, skilled and coordinated, caught up to Zheng Shuang gouge from behind and delivered a fatal blow.

Zheng Shuang gouge screamed and died on the spot!

This was the first golden core-level cultivator to fall in battle since the great melee began.

He was only the first, certainly not the last.

Subsequently, golden core cultivators either died or fled one after another.

The intensity of the combat was simply too great, the battlefield too chaotic.

Beings who once ruled as ancestors in ordinary times found their lives as cheap as grass in the melee.

The scarlet flame beast tide continued its advance.

The golden core cultivators were locked in fierce internal strife. The three families and the City Lord's Mansion had抽调 (transferred) large numbers of low-ranking elites into the Turning Mechanism Pavilion, leaving the inner circle defenses severely depleted. Unable to withstand the beast tide's impact, the lines collapsed one after another.

The three nascent soul-level scarlet flame demon beasts were still being restrained by Meng Kui.

But in the next breath, the Taiqing Palace's Five-Tailed Fire Fox reappeared, launching five streaks of flying flame.

The flying flames were swift as shooting stars. Three were blocked by Meng Kui's magical power giant hand, but two still landed within the inner circle of the Immortal Palace.

One streak of flying flame hit the medical hall, coincidentally near Ning Jiufan.

The flying flame exploded violently, instantly spreading raging flames everywhere.

Ning Jiufan, caught in the nascent soul-level sea of fire, frantically tried to save himself. But his ice spells melted away, utterly unable to resist.

"My life is over!" As Ning Jiufan lamented in despair, suddenly a female ape scooped him up and swiftly carried him out of the fiery deathtrap.

Seeing the nascent soul-level Fire-Melting Demon Ape that had saved him, Ning Jiufan's expression became extremely complex!

The other streak of flying flame struck the main hall, its impact borne by the Turning Mechanism Pavilion surrounding the hall.

Boom!

Amid the explosion, flames scorched the area, burning away large sections of the purple-green electric currents, leaving blank spaces.

Numerous Turning Mechanism Pavilions were caught in the sea of fire, causing countless casualties among the cultivators inside.

The related restrictions were consequently severely weakened again.

"We can enter now!" A golden core cultivator discovered this and immediately plunged into the Turning Mechanism Pavilion.

His success immediately sparked a wave of imitators.

Shu Zhongjun, the golden core true inheritor of the Violet Heaven Pavilion, Luo Shang, Yang Chanyu, numerous Meng family golden core cultivators, and several shadowy demonic cultivators all charged into the secret pavilions.

The arrival of several golden core reinforcements saved the Meng family's golden core body cultivator and Zheng Danlian.

Zhu Xuanji, empowered by his three divine abilities, maintained a firm upper hand throughout this confrontation.

The automatic scythe was indeed sharp, making Zhu Xuanji wary of taking multiple direct hits. But Zheng Danlian was too weak, his martial skills far inferior to Zhu Xuanji's. Despite holding a sharp weapon, he could hardly utilize it effectively.

The Meng family's golden core body cultivator was in even worse shape, with multiple bone fractures and cracks all over his body, his face bruised and swollen, already on the brink of death!

"Zhu Xuanji, cease your arrogance!"

"Attack together, no need for restraint."

Several golden core cultivators unleashed spells and magical treasures, converging into a torrential downpour of offensive fury.

Zhu Xuanji fully activated his three divine abilities. The golden mountain's mysterious light surged, the golden branches and jade leaves chimed urgently, and his jade pillar body stood firm and unyielding.

While enduring the enemies' frenzied bombardment, he also mobilized his innate talent.

Innate Talent—Golden Eye.

Spell—Weapons of War.

Innate Talent Spellcasting—Resolute Golden Weapons!

Streams of golden weapons surged against the tide, cutting through obstacles, sharp and unstoppable. They accurately struck their respective targets. Golden core cultivators fell from their mounts one after another, severely wounded.

The onslaught surrounding Zhu Xuanji was significantly reduced as a result.

"Hehehe, all of you, die!!" Zheng Danlian's eyes turned blood-red. Suddenly, he threw the automatic scythe in his hand.

The scythe rapidly transformed mid-air into an automatic giant snake, sneaking an attack on the Meng family's golden core cultivators.

It directly opened its maw and swallowed one golden core cultivator whole!

Then, it launched fatal attacks on other golden core cultivators.

The Meng family's golden core cultivators hadn't expected Zheng Danlian to madly attack his own allies. By the time they reacted, a second victim had already had his leg bitten off and swallowed by the automatic giant snake.

Shocked and enraged, the Meng family golden core cultivators frantically bombarded the automatic giant snake.

But this Night Rain Demonic Weapon stubbornly withstood the terrifying attacks and devoured the second victim!

It immediately pounced on a third golden core cultivator.

The Meng family golden core cultivators scattered in disarray.

Zheng Danlian revealed a bloodthirsty smile and immediately pursued them with the automatic giant snake.

His gaze was full of madness, sending a chill down even Zhu Xuanji's spine.

(End of )