Chapter 26: Running and Jumping with Arms

Ning Zhuo was deep in thought.

He had no idea what the hanging ring on the mechanical component was. Nor did he know what a burst of magical energy meant. But he understood spirit stones, and he was keenly aware of his current lack of them.

“I spent a lot of time searching the surroundings earlier. Now, less than forty percent of the spiritual energy remains in the spirit stones within my body.”

“I’ll choose the spirit stone!”

Ning Zhuo made his decision silently. The next moment, a halo appeared before him out of thin air. The circle of light expanded slightly and spat out a spirit stone.

He hurriedly caught the stone. As he did so, the halo quickly vanished.

With the second spirit stone in hand, Ning Zhuo laboriously pushed open the door and entered Room Two.

Bang!

The door shut automatically behind him.

Ning Zhuo turned and tried to open the door, hoping to return to Room One.

The door didn’t budge.

“Well then.” He could only turn back and begin to carefully examine Room Two.

Its layout was quite different from Room One. The space was long and empty, with nothing inside. The floor and walls were lined with perfectly square bricks that gleamed with a brass-like luster.

He immediately spotted the door—directly opposite him.

Once again, information was transmitted: Pass through Room Two and enter Room Three.

Ning Zhuo observed for a while, but upon finding no new clues, he strode straight toward the door.

After only a few steps, he realized he was moving backward.

He quickly looked down and saw the floor tiles slowly sliding away beneath his feet!

He had to quicken his pace, increasing his speed.

But the tiles moved faster as he did.

He was forced to run, picking up speed with every stride.

“If I’d known it would be this kind of challenge, I would’ve chosen better leg components.”

Back in Room One, Ning Zhuo had worried about spiritual energy consumption and needed to save time. Moreover, matching leg lengths had proven difficult, so he’d made do.

Now, his legs were uneven; every step was a lurching stumble, slowing him down.

He pushed himself to his limit, running until he reached the middle section.

Suddenly, from the right wall, a massive wooden beam shot out.

One end was fixed in the wall, the other swung out like a giant’s arm, sweeping across the room.

Ning Zhuo remained vigilant, leaping up just in time to dodge the beam.

But as he landed, another beam sprang out from the left wall.

He’d already begun to jump, but with the tiles moving, he couldn’t get his footing—his leap was too low.

Bang.

A soft thud sounded as the beam struck him, sending him in a long arc through the air before slamming him to the ground.

He slid backwards along the floor, carried by the moving tiles, until he crashed into the first doorway and finally stopped.

The puppet that was Ning Zhuo lay on the ground, dizzy and disoriented, taking several breaths before regaining his senses.

“Such mechanisms exist?”

“The runes on the beams seem to weaken the soul.”

Ning Zhuo felt his soul grow faint.

He looked up and saw the dark runes on the beam gradually fade away. The entire beam slowly retracted into the wall. Then, the tiles on both sides shifted with a rattling sound and returned to their original positions.

“I see!” Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred.

“These sweeping beams are both obstacles and stepping stones.”

“I need to leap onto them as they swing across, then use their momentum to jump forward.”

The puppet’s speed was limited; by the middle section, it couldn’t keep up with the retreating tiles.

Running alone, Ning Zhuo could never reach the second door.

The walls were perfectly smooth, offering no leverage. But the beams, springing forth, provided an unexpected opportunity.

With this new understanding, Ning Zhuo tried again.

He timed his leaps carefully, jumping from beam to beam. By the fifth beam—

Bang.

He was swept away.

“The closer I get to the door, the faster the tiles move. I have to judge their speed accurately to land safely.”

Having learned from his mistakes, Ning Zhuo pressed on.

Bang.

On the eighth beam, the difficulty increased. One beam shot from the ceiling, striking downward and launching him directly.

He crashed against the door, his body falling apart.

He scrambled to reassemble himself, finally reaching out with both hands to pick up his head and place it back onto his neck.

“My head component is too big. It’s square-shaped, turns slowly—should’ve gone with a smaller head.”

“But the legs are the real issue.”

“Still, I remember where these beams appear. With repeated attempts, I should make it through!”

Bang!

This time, he managed only three beams before being knocked back.

Ning Zhuo stared in astonishment at the beam as it slowly retracted into the wall: “Wait, the beams’ positions aren’t fixed? They can change freely?”

The difficulty instantly increased tenfold!

On the throne in the main hall, the Dragon-Turtle Fire Spirit watched the first challenger with secret delight. When it saw the puppet Ning Zhuo standing still, it let out a low, bubbling laugh.

The slow-witted puppet seemed to be acting out a vivid puppet show for it. The Dragon-Turtle Fire Spirit, watching the spectacle, found endless amusement.

Bang, bang, bang...

Ning Zhuo failed again and again.

“My spiritual energy is running low.”

He sighed inwardly and sat cross-legged, opening the small panel on his belly.

Beneath it was a hidden compartment holding a spirit stone.

The stone was now dull, its energy nearly spent.

Ning Zhuo removed it and swiftly replaced it with the second spirit stone.

He closed the panel, patting it gently to ensure it was firmly secured.

“When replacing the spirit stone, I must be fast and make use of the residual energy in the puppet’s body. This might be the moment when the puppet is at its weakest.”

The discarded spirit stone still held a bit of energy.

But Ning Zhuo dared not use it further.

If, during a sprint, the energy ran out entirely and the puppet’s body was left with nothing, he would be completely stranded.

“In puppet form, the consumption isn’t just spiritual energy from the stone.”

“Every time I’m struck, the runes on the beams sap my soul.”

“My soul entered the palace; if it’s weakened too much, even with energy, I’ll be immobilized.”

“And this puppet body is accumulating injuries.”

He examined himself and saw fine cracks appearing on his arms, head, and other components.

“With the beams’ positions so unpredictable, there’s no shortcut—only hard work.”

Focusing his mind, Ning Zhuo gathered himself and charged forward once more.

Bang, bang, bang...

He was knocked back repeatedly, but each attempt brought greater skill in maneuvering the puppet body.

His progress was visible.

When he reached the final stretch, seven or eight beams launched at once. They fired erratically—some swept sideways, some struck straight, some fell from above, some even changed direction mid-flight.

Once again, Ning Zhuo was knocked down. One of his legs was shattered outright. He fell to the floor, the moving tiles carrying him back to the first door.

Both legs had been battered before.

Now, he was left with only one—what to do?

After some thought, Ning Zhuo devised a bold plan.

“Let’s give it a try.”

He detached his arms and affixed them beneath his torso to replace his thighs.

Then, he took the remaining leg and attached it to his right shoulder.

Now, he was a bizarre puppet, his appearance strange and unsettling.

Ning Zhuo didn’t rush to attempt the challenge. Instead, he stayed where he was, practicing until he gradually mastered his new form.

Half an hour later.

With only one arm remaining, Ning Zhuo managed, by sheer luck, to crawl to the second door.

His condition was dire; his soul had been sapped too much by the runes.

“Quick, faster!”

He urged himself on, struggling to reach out and touch the door.

Instantly, information was transmitted.

As before, three choices appeared.

First, a spirit stone.

Second, a mechanical component.

Third, a spell.

Ning Zhuo, at his wits’ end, had no time to consider—he selected the spell.

The next moment, he lost consciousness.