Success

The moment the fragment was obtained, the Thousand Mechanism Hall within Ning Ye's body gave a low hum and trembled.

This tremor was a manifestation of joy for something lost and now regained.

In that instant, a new hall had manifested out of thin air inside the Thousand Mechanism Hall, settling into a corner outside the main structure.

Ning Ye diverted a portion of his consciousness to enter, only to be stunned by what the fragment had transformed into: "A warehouse? It's actually a warehouse?"

When the Heavenly Mechanism Sect originally created the Thousand Mechanism Hall, they had planned to forge the greatest divine artifact in the heavens and earth. Because of this, it contained countless profound and marvelous functional structures: the Kunlun Mirror to deduce space and time, the Heaven-Hiding Prison to imprison great powers, the Dragon-Severing Platform to execute immortals, the Myriad Manifestations Map to evolve all living things, the Undying Spring to bring the dead back to life, the Demon-Refining Tower to refine demons, the Heart-Cleansing Pool to purify the soul, the Xuanji Ruler to comprehend heavenly secrets, and the Throne of Creation to create all things and grasp the stars and moon—though, of course, some were never completed and remained semi-finished products.

Even so, any one of these functions would have provided Ning Ye with immense help, yet he had encountered none of them, receiving only a warehouse.

This warehouse was not an ordinary object either; it was called the Sumeru House. It contained a vast space, a true example of "containing Sumeru within a mustard seed," holding far more than any ordinary mustard seed bag could ever dream of.

But the problem was, this was useless!

What use did he have for a boundless warehouse?

Well, at least it was complete.

The Thousand Mechanism Hall was named for its "thousand mechanisms," but in reality, it consisted of the ten primary functions mentioned above. There were likely hundreds of fragments in total, meaning that simply collecting one or two might not form a complete function at all.

The Sumeru House before him had rarely maintained its integrity, perhaps due to its unique spatial properties, which did not allow it to be further divided.

Heaven truly does not favor me!

Ning Ye lamented in his heart.

But then, his eyes lit up.

Wait!

A warehouse?

Wouldn't that be perfect for storing stolen treasures?

The Thousand Mechanism Hall's warehouse was a self-contained space and an ancient supreme treasure; even with Fu Dongliu's Tracing Origin Technique, he would never be able to detect it.

In that instant, Ning Ye realized that while this fragment might not be of much use in terms of combat power, it had boundless utility for concealing his own tracks.

This series of realizations occurred in a mere heartbeat. At this moment, the Flame Burst Beads were detonating in succession. The shockwaves had not yet faded, and the room's walls and beams were collapsing, smoke and fire rising everywhere—it was the perfect chaotic opportunity to loot. Ning Ye retreated rapidly, but he retreated toward the alchemy room. Regardless of what he touched, he floated in mid-air, his long sleeves unfurling, sweeping everything his mana touched into his sleeves. The next moment, those items appeared directly inside the warehouse of the Thousand Mechanism Hall.

When he landed on the ground from the air, the warehouse was suddenly filled with countless items. Most were broken stones and shattered wood, but there were also books, classics, magic treasures, pearls, medicinal pills, and talismans. Valuable or not, everything was dumped into the warehouse like trash.

Ning Ye even rolled on the ground, scooping up a pile of everything he touched—whether it was garbage or treasure—before finally stopping.

He saw the restrictions flashing wildly, heard a thunderous roar, and then, with one final, massive explosion, the entire Xuanyu Pavilion collapsed.

"Bastard!"

"Bastard!"

"Bastard!"

Outside the Xuanyu Pavilion, Xuan Mulang was cursing hysterically. Behind him stood Chi Wanning, Xu Yanwen, Yang Ziqiu, and the others.

Ning Ye was covered in blood, though it was merely the explosion reopening his wounds. Since everyone else was more or less injured as well, no one noticed that his wounds appeared particularly severe.

After such a chaotic ordeal, everyone was inevitably disheveled. Even Fairy Niaohua's hairstyle had been blown into disarray, her beautiful face stained with dust. Fortunately, she promptly used a Cleansing Spell to restore her former radiance, not forgetting to glance left and right to see if anyone had noticed her previous dishevelment. Seeing that everyone's attention was on the series of explosions at the Xuanyu Pavilion, no one noticed her, which made Chi Wanning heave a sigh of relief.

Xuan Mulang was practically going insane. He was injured, but not severely; what truly pained him were the many treasures in his inner residence. Some treasures were not meant for combat and could not withstand such destruction. Now, whether they could withstand it or not, they were all buried under the rubble, their fates unknown.

How could he not be furious? How could he not hate?

He was not well-read and his vocabulary was limited, repeating only words like "bastard," "son of a bitch," "turtle's son," "screw your grandmother," and "I'll kill your whole family." However, his rage was like thunder, soaring to the heavens, and his aura was wild and tyrannical to the extreme.

On the contrary, his subordinate Siping appeared quite calm. After inspecting the scene, he looked suspicious: "Strange. Although the power of these traps was not small, they were too scattered. The power could not be concentrated. To use this to deal with Lord Xuan Mulang, it is still a bit weak."

Slap!

A palm print appeared on Siping's face as Xuan Mulang roared: "Do you want me to be killed by him before you're satisfied?"

Siping lowered his head and said nothing.

While Xuan Mulang was blinded by rage, the others remained calm.

Zhong Rihan frowned: "It truly does not look like a murder attempt, but rather like someone holding a grudge against the Xuanyu Pavilion itself. Could this still be a diversion?"

Chi Wanning's expression changed slightly: "Oh no!"

She headed toward her Ningxin Cottage, moving even faster than before.

Seeing her reaction, Ning Ye felt a sense of astonishment.

It was not strange for Chi Wanning to have a misunderstanding, but the level of her nervousness always made him feel a bit strange.

Surprised in his heart, he kept his feet moving, following Xu Yanwen as they ran back to the Ningxin Cottage together.

Chi Wanning rushed directly into the garden to look around, then sighed in relief: "Thankfully, it's not here."

Ning Ye's heart stirred: "Fairy, shouldn't you check inside the house?"

Chi Wanning seemed to wake from a dream: "Oh, right."

She then entered the house to search, confirming that nothing had been lost.

Only then did everyone heave a sigh of relief, yet Ning Ye's gaze continued to scan the garden.

Judging by Chi Wanning's reaction just now, the object of her anxiety was clearly not inside the house, but right here in the garden.

But what could possibly be in the garden?

With the pavilions, ponds, rockeries, and trees scattered throughout the garden, Ning Ye could not discern anything at a glance, so he simply took a few steps, strolling about as if he were merely wandering.

When he reached the rockery, Chi Wanning spoke up: "Junior Brother Ning, is there something you need?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just checking to see if the person who struck from the shadows had set up any traps here as well." Ning Ye had already made up his mind; he flicked his hand, and a few drops of blood landed on the rockery before he walked back.

Chi Wanning said: "Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother, but I am fine. With the incident at Green Wood Hall and everyone injured, it seems this tea party cannot continue."

Her words carried a clear intent to see them out, and everyone, understanding the implication, offered their farewells and departed.