A heavy weight seemed to press down on Yuan Er’s heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
He surveyed the whole scene, fully aware of the situation.
The harvesting efficiency of the mechanical monkeys was astonishing, far surpassing that of the monkey pets.
The monkey pets would tire, worry about explosions, and proceed with caution.
The mechanical monkeys, however, didn't tire; if they broke, they’d just be sent for urgent repairs and quickly returned to action.
Most importantly, they showed no fear, working with high efficiency.
"We’re completely falling behind. The millennium fire persimmon forest is our last chance. Uncle Yuan, it’s all up to you!" Yuan Er said.
Yuan Dasheng nodded at him, then leapt into action.
Having conserved his energy for this crucial moment, he finally entered the fray.
With his massive frame, Yuan Dasheng spread his arms, his palms moving swiftly and casting faint shadows, yet even as his hands touched the fire persimmons, no explosions were triggered.
The Fire Fusion Demon Ape worked methodically, quickly stripping a fire persimmon tree of all its millennium fire persimmons and placing them neatly on the ground.
His impressive performance drew the attention of countless cultivators.
“This Fire Fusion Demon Ape is incredible!”
“Of course, it's the Monkey Head Gang’s legacy, the pet beast left behind by the old gang leader, Yuan Yi.”
“It’s truly astonishing. Despite its rough actions, it doesn’t trigger any explosions. Its martial skill is so advanced that it would make even many martial masters feel ashamed.”
Yuan Dasheng balanced strength with gentleness, perfectly controlling each move.
Although millennium fire persimmons were more volatile than centennial or decennial ones, in his hands, they were plucked without a hitch, calm and quiet as if they were fake.
The ape bounded up and down, its large and agile frame leaping between the trees and the ground, presenting a captivating display of power and grace that drew many gazes, entranced by this beautiful image of controlled strength.
On the mountainside, Chen Cha, Ning Zhuo, and others watched the scene projected through the formation.
Chen Cha showed a look of surprise. “The Monkey Head Gang has been handling the fire persimmon harvest business for so many years, and it’s clear why—they have real skill!”
“Indeed impressive,” Ning Zhuo acknowledged.
“But unfortunately, they only have this one demon ape.”
Chen Cha shook his head, “That’s not the point. Based on what we’ve seen, our mechanical monkeys aren’t of high quality and have caused many explosions.”
“In the future, the City Lord’s estate will likely use mechanical monkeys for ordinary fire persimmons, as other monkey pets are inefficient and also prone to mistakes.”
“But for millennium fire persimmons, they’ll still need this Fire Fusion Demon Ape. It’s quick, relaxed, and very reliable.”
Ning Zhuo remained silent, a gleam of cold light flickering in his eyes.
He sneered internally, “Reliable?”
“This moment is precisely what I’ve been waiting for.”
“Yuan Dasheng, now it’s time for the trap I’ve laid for you.”
“Now...die!”
As this thought crossed his mind, a dozen mechanical monkeys suddenly broke free from their controllers and charged at Yuan Er.
The unexpected turn of events stunned everyone watching.
Yuan Er, however, reacted quickly.
Ever since surviving the assassination attempt, he had been extremely cautious, living in constant anxiety!
Now, at the slightest disturbance, he was ready to flee like a startled rabbit.
With mechanical monkeys attacking from both sides and behind, Yuan Er saw an open path ahead.
In his panic, he instinctively chose the direction he thought was safest.
He rushed straight forward to reunite with Yuan Dasheng!
Yuan Dasheng reacted instantly, halting his harvesting and quickly moving towards Yuan Er.
The two successfully regrouped in the millennium fire persimmon forest, where the mechanical monkeys could not follow.
It was Fei Si who intervened, activating a formation that instantly destroyed these mechanical fire explosive monkeys.
This was the millennium fire persimmon forest!
The essence of the entire Fire Persimmon Forest, incredibly valuable—Fei Si would certainly not allow the mechanical monkeys to destroy it.
“Is this the work of that Shadow Demon Cultivator? But why target the Monkey Head Gang?”
Zhu Xuanji, Chi Dun, and others were all puzzled.
Without seeing the actual Shadow Demon Cultivator, none of the golden core cultivators revealed themselves.
Fei Si’s face turned dark, his gaze sharp.
He began to suspect that this wasn’t the work of the Shadow Demon Cultivator but rather that Ning Zhuo might be scheming something.
“If that’s truly the case, then Ning Zhuo’s audacity is beyond measure. He deserves to die!”
Although Fei Si had some admiration for Ning Zhuo, this involved his duty and future prospects.
If Ning Zhuo was indeed responsible, Fei Si would be the first to hold him accountable!
Fei Si immediately ordered all fragments of the mechanical monkeys to be sent to Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo and had the messenger deliver a message.
The messenger soon reached Ning Zhuo, his expression cold, “Lord Fei Si said, anyone who disregards the greater good is courting death!”
Chen Cha was taken aback.
Ning Zhuo’s expression grew solemn, “Please inform Lord Fei Si that I would never act so recklessly!"
"To control these mechanical monkeys, one must at least be at the foundation establishment stage—how could I possibly manage it?”
“This must be the Shadow Demon Cultivator’s doing, probing for weaknesses."
"I ask that Lord Fei Si investigate carefully. With so few repair tasks now, I request permission to temporarily withdraw to Fire Persimmon Immortal City to clear my name.”
Only then did Chen Cha fully understand, his face showing a hint of indignation.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, “We would never, for personal gain, attempt to sabotage the Monkey Head Gang under everyone’s watch!”
“To control these mechanical monkeys from such a distance without using life threads or divine sense is far beyond our capability.”
The messenger’s expression softened slightly; he merely nodded and left.
Still fuming, Chen Cha said, “What nonsense! The control cores of these mechanical monkeys require three curved bullets, and only someone at the foundation establishment stage can operate them. For them to suspect you is simply absurd!”
Ning Zhuo smiled wryly, “It’s not entirely Fei Si’s fault. The pressure on him is tremendous."
"With only the millennium fire persimmon forest remaining, and the Shadow Demon Cultivator yet to act, the confrontation could happen any moment.”
Within the millennium fire persimmon forest.
Yuan Er, still shaken, said, “Uncle Dasheng, the Flying Disc Workshop is utterly ruthless, trying to take my life in front of the whole city!”
Yuan Dasheng’s face was also filled with anger.
He patted Yuan Er on the shoulder to comfort him, urging him to stay calm.
Yuan Er, still visibly shaken but sounding encouraged, said, “Uncle Dasheng, I think the Flying Disc Workshop couldn’t stand to see your display of strength, so they made a desperate move.”
“Please, Uncle Dasheng, keep it up and secure our victory!”
Yuan Dasheng nodded, pointing first to Yuan Er, then to the ground.
Yuan Er immediately understood, nodding, “Rest assured, Uncle Dasheng, I won’t stray too far from you.”
Yuan Dasheng turned back, climbing the tree to resume picking persimmons.
His movements quickened, and he soon returned to his previous efficiency.
On the mountainside, the cold light in Ning Zhuo’s eyes intensified to its peak.
“Come on, come on,” he whispered in his heart.
Yuan Dasheng’s face suddenly changed!
His fingers tightened involuntarily, crushing a millennium fire persimmon in his grasp.
He had made a mistake.
At this critical moment of imminent victory, he had erred!