Ning Zhuo increased his force.
Whoosh.
One of the diamond-shaped colored gems suddenly shot out and struck the Red Copper wall.
A thin thread connected the colored gem to the ring.
Ning Zhuo tugged at it and found that although the thread was frighteningly thin, it was extremely tough.
He took a few more steps to the wall and carefully examined the colored gem he had fired.
He had originally thought that the gem had shot into the wall like a nail. Yet he discovered that it had actually fused into one with the wall.
The part touching the wall had completely transformed into Red Copper. Only near the thread could one still see a faint blue-violet gleam.
It was as though it had originally been one with the Red Copper wall, with only a small bump protruding from the surface. The bump was linked to the Hanging Ring.
"Marvelous, marvelous!"
"How was this done?"
"Were talismans used? Was a miniature formation carved into it? Or was the colored gem itself made of a different material?"
Ning Zhuo's desire to study it was stirred. He dearly wished he could dismantle it on the spot and study it properly for three days and three nights.
"What a pity. The timing is wrong!"
Ning Zhuo knew that exploration was the most important thing.
Holding the Hanging Ring, he bowed his head and looked over his body, but could not find a suitable place to wear it.
Puppet Ning Zhuo's hands and feet were much thinner than the ring. His upper arms and forearms were equally thick, as were his thighs and calves.
Ning Zhuo would not simply hold the Hanging Ring in his hand.
When clearing Room Two, he needed both hands free. Having one hand occupied would be extremely inconvenient.
Such a small problem could not stump Ning Zhuo.
Very soon, he thought of a solution.
He first pulled off his own head, then slipped the Hanging Ring over his neck, and finally reinstalled his head.
This way, his oversized head locked the Hanging Ring firmly in place.
Once he was done, Ning Zhuo pushed open the door and officially stepped into Room Two.
The door shut behind him with a heavy thud. Ning Zhuo tried pushing it again, but it would not budge at all.
Looking at the familiar corridor-shaped Room Two, Ning Zhuo did not rush forward. Instead, he practiced with the Hanging Ring where he stood for a while.
After practicing to a certain extent, he began trying it out.
Bang, bang, bang...
After several consecutive failures, Ning Zhuo was swept back each time.
His mindset was steady, completely free of the anxiety he had felt the first time.
A moment later.
He sprinted to the middle section.
Two massive logs rammed toward him one after another. Ning Zhuo leaped into the air, with nowhere to evade.
No problem.
I have the Hanging Ring! Ning Zhuo thought.
The wooden ring locked beneath his oversized head suddenly fired out a colored gem. With a ding, it embedded itself in the ceiling.
The thread was exceptionally tough. As Ning Zhuo's weight pulled on it, his neck tilted, and he hung directly in midair without falling, successfully dodging the massive logs.
Another massive log came crashing down from above, driving straight at him.
Ning Zhuo withdrew his spiritual power, and the thread instantly snapped at its base. The wooden ring completely detached from the gem it had fired.
Ning Zhuo dropped down, dodged the massive log, then fired another colored gem, pinning it right onto the log.
When the massive log retracted, it carried him flying along with it.
Like this, Ning Zhuo's head occasionally tilted, and in a hanging posture, he successfully cleared Room Two and arrived before the second door.
"No wonder it's called the Hanging Ring. This name has standards. Concise and to the point, perfectly fitting." Ning Zhuo sighed inwardly as he reached out with both hands and straightened his tilted oversized head.
With the Hanging Ring, the difficulty of passing Room Two had plummeted.
Ning Zhuo's body was now complete. Only his left leg was cracked, and one finger on his right hand was broken.
Compared to the miserable state he had been in during his first exploration, it was the difference between heaven and earth.
"What if I had chosen the Hanging Ring last time?"
Ning Zhuo thought about it, then shook his head slightly. "That would have been worse."
The Hanging Ring intensified spiritual power consumption.
If he had chosen the Hanging Ring during his first exploration, Ning Zhuo would have been unable to move after exhausting his spiritual power.
Ning Zhuo touched the second door.
The reward information went straight into his heart: two spirit stones, the Mechanical Components Glass Flying Knife, and the spell Grasp Fire Technique.
During his previous exploration, Ning Zhuo's soul had been weakened to its lowest point. He had not had time to look closely and had hastily chosen a spell.
Now, he was in excellent condition and could choose at leisure.
"The number of spirit stones has risen to two."
"The Glass Flying Knife is an offensive Mechanical Components."
"Grasp Fire Technique... seems to be part of a set with Embrace Ice Technique."
Ning Zhuo had only thirty percent of his spiritual power left. He had little room to choose, so he directly selected the first reward—two spirit stones.
After glancing back at Room Two, he forcefully pushed open the door and officially entered Room Three.
Information came to him—defeat the Kung Fu Puppet, pass Room Three, and enter the Preparation Room.
"Shouldn't it be Room Four?" Ning Zhuo's heart stirred.
Room Three had a circular layout. The farther one went toward the edges, the dimmer the light became, while the very center was the brightest.
"It's like a circular arena." At a glance, Ning Zhuo spotted a tall, thin wooden puppet standing at the very center of the room.
The puppet was made of yellow wood, its surface covered in streaks of black patterns. Two large characters were written vertically across its chest: Kung Fu!
The puppet sensed him, and its eyes suddenly lit with yellow light. It rubbed its wooden nose with its thumb, then slowly lowered into a half-crouch, taking a half-bow stance with one foot forward and one back. Then, it extended one palm before itself while placing the other hand behind its back, assuming a stance against Ning Zhuo.
The palm held out in front of it moved, signaling Ning Zhuo to attack.
"Interesting." Ning Zhuo smiled. "I learned some fist and foot techniques in the academy too."
He had just obtained two spirit stones and did not lack motivation. Since he also wanted to probe for more information, he immediately stepped forward and began the fight.
In barely a dozen breaths, Puppet Ning Zhuo was about to be beaten to pieces.
"I can't beat it. The gap is far too great!"
Ning Zhuo suddenly wrapped both arms around its waist.
The arena-guarding puppet immediately struggled, repeatedly striking Ning Zhuo's back and oversized head with its elbows and fists.
The pounding sounded like a sudden rainstorm.
Meanwhile, Ning Zhuo frantically poured out spiritual power and unleashed his trump card.
Spell—Embrace Ice Technique!
Crack...
After a string of faint sounds, a layer of ice covered the arena-guarding puppet's surface, and it gradually became unable to move.
"Without the Embrace Ice Technique, it would be impossible to clear this stage." Ning Zhuo tried to damage the Kung Fu Puppet, but a warning message stopped him, leaving him no choice but to desist.
He crouched halfway down and swung his fists, launching a continuous barrage against the puppet's head.
The ice layer shattered under the blows, but the puppet's large yellow eyes remained lit.
Ning Zhuo tried to pry off the eye components, only to receive another message—violent destruction of the arena-guarding puppet was not permitted!
The reward options behind the third door still numbered three.
Ten spirit stones, the Mechanical Components Small Flying Box, and the spell Grafting Wood Technique.
In the battle just now, he had consumed a great deal of spiritual power to activate the Embrace Ice Technique. To be safe, Ning Zhuo chose ten spirit stones.
He pushed open the door and entered the Preparation Room.
The Preparation Room was spacious, far larger than the previous three rooms. At its center stood a Five-Sided Stone Pillar.
One side of the stone pillar bore the words:
Qi Refining Board. First Place: Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo:...
The stone pillar turned with a clack, clack, revealing another side that read:
Assessment Progress Board. First Place: Ning Zhuo.
Beneath it was completely empty. He was the only one on the board.
Ning Zhuo tilted his head. Hm?!
Several breaths later, it was as though Ning Zhuo had been struck by lightning. His body and mind jolted violently as he fully realized the gravity of the situation.
"Damn it!"
"I... I'm going to be exposed?!"