Chapter 66: A Critical Mistake

Yuan Er felt as if a massive boulder was pressing down on his heart, making it difficult to breathe.

He surveyed the entire situation, fully aware of the precarious circumstances.

The efficiency with which the mechanical monkeys harvested the fire persimmons was truly astounding, far surpassing that of the monkey pets.

Monkey pets would tire, would worry about self-destruction, would act with caution. Mechanical monkeys, however, never tired; if damaged, they would simply head for emergency repairs and soon return to the task. Most importantly, they showed no fear at all—their efficiency was unmatched.

"We've fallen completely behind. The Millennium Fire Persimmon Grove is our last chance. Uncle Da Sheng, it's up to you now!" Yuan Er said.

Yuan Da Sheng nodded to him, then leapt forward.

He had been conserving his strength all along, waiting for this critical moment to make his move.

Yuan Da Sheng was powerfully built; with a graceful spread of his arms, his palms flashed with faint shadows, but when his hands touched the fire persimmons, they did not trigger any explosions.

The Fire-Integrated Demon Ape plucked fruit from both sides, working with astonishing speed, and in just a few swift movements, all the millennium fire persimmons from a single tree were harvested and placed on the ground.

His incredible display drew the attention of countless cultivators.

"This Fire-Integrated Demon Ape is remarkable!"

"Are you kidding? This is the true power of the Monkey-Head Gang, the pet beast left behind by the old master, Yuan Yi."

"It's breathtaking to watch. Its movements are so forceful, yet none of the fire persimmons detonate. Its martial prowess is so refined that even many grandmasters would be put to shame."

Yuan Da Sheng combined strength and gentleness, perfectly balancing force and restraint. Millennium fire persimmons were far more volatile than those aged a hundred or ten years, yet in his hands, they were handled so deftly and quietly, it was as if they were dormant.

The ape moved nimbly between the trees and the ground, its massive frame exuding both power and agility—a display of strength that drew the gaze of many, all captivated by this living painting of dynamic force.

On the mountainside, Chen Cha, Ning Zhuo, and others watched the scene unfold through an image projected by a formation.

Chen Cha's expression was one of surprise. "No wonder the Monkey-Head Gang has dominated the fire persimmon business for so many years—they truly have the skill!"

"Indeed, it's impressive," Ning Zhuo replied. "But unfortunately, there's only one alpha demon ape."

Chen Cha shook his head. "You can't put it that way. Judging by what we've seen, our mechanical monkeys are of poor quality—it's led to quite a few explosions."

"In the future, the City Lord's Mansion will assign the harvesting of ordinary fire persimmons to the mechanical monkeys, since the monkey pets are too inefficient and make too many mistakes."

"But when it comes to the millennium fire persimmons, this Fire-Integrated Demon Ape must be employed. Its movements are swift and unhurried—absolutely reliable."

Ning Zhuo remained silent, but a faint, cold light flickered in his eyes.

He sneered inwardly. "Reliable?"

"I've been waiting for this very moment."

Yuan Da Sheng—now, it's time for the meticulous trap I've set for you.

This time, you shall die!

As the thought crossed Ning Zhuo's mind, over a dozen mechanical monkeys suddenly broke free from their controllers and charged straight at Yuan Er.

The sudden turn of events left many people shocked.

But Yuan Er reacted instantly.

Ever since the assassination attempt, he had been walking on eggshells, constantly on guard!

Now, at the slightest disturbance, he was as startled as a frightened rabbit, ready to dive underground for safety.

Mechanical monkeys surged in from the sides and rear, but the way ahead was clear.

Panicked, Yuan Er instinctively chose what he believed to be the safest direction.

He dashed straight ahead, aiming to regroup with Yuan Da Sheng.

Yuan Da Sheng also reacted immediately, stopping his harvesting and rushing toward Yuan Er.

They managed to reunite in the heart of the Millennium Fire Persimmon Grove, and the mechanical monkeys could not follow.

It was Fei Si who intervened, activating a formation and utterly destroying the mechanical explosive monkeys.

This was the Millennium Fire Persimmon Grove—the very essence of the entire orchard, of immense value. Fei Si would never allow those mechanical monkeys to wreak havoc here.

"Is this the work of the Shadow Demon cultivator? But why target the Monkey-Head Gang?" Zhu Xuanji, Chi Dun, and others were all perplexed. Without seeing the true culprit, the Shadow Demon cultivator, none of these Golden Core masters made a move or revealed themselves.

Fei Si's face darkened, his eyes flickering with suspicion. He began to doubt that it was the Shadow Demon cultivator at work, suspecting instead that Ning Zhuo was behind the plot.

"If that's the case, this Ning Zhuo is truly audacious—he must be eliminated!"

Though Fei Si had once admired Ning Zhuo, when it came to his own duty and future prospects, if Ning Zhuo had really done this, Fei Si would be the first to take him down.

He immediately ordered all fragments of the destroyed mechanical monkeys to be sent to Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo, along with a message.

Soon, the envoy appeared before Ning Zhuo, his expression and gaze as cold as ice. "Lord Fei Si says: Anyone who ignores the greater good is courting death!"

Chen Cha was dumbfounded.

Ning Zhuo's face grew solemn. "Please inform Lord Fei Si that I would never act so recklessly! Controlling those mechanical monkeys at such a distance requires at least Foundation Establishment cultivation—how could I possibly do it?"

"This must be a test orchestrated by the Shadow Demon cultivator. I ask Lord Fei Si to consider carefully. With so few repair tasks at hand, to prove my innocence, I request permission to withdraw temporarily and return to Fire Persimmon Immortal City."

Only now did Chen Cha understand, and he immediately displayed an indignant expression at being wrongfully accused. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. "We would never, for selfish reasons, sabotage the Monkey-Head Gang in full view of everyone!"

"To control those mechanical monkeys from such a distance, without the aid of suspended threads or spiritual sense, is giving us far too much credit."

The envoy's expression softened slightly. He simply nodded, turned, and left.

Chen Cha was still seething. "What nonsense is this? The control core of these mechanical monkeys is a set of three Roaming Marbles, which only a Foundation Establishment cultivator can operate. That they could even suspect you, Zhuo, is utterly absurd!"

Ning Zhuo gave a wry smile. "You can't really blame Lord Fei Si. The pressure on him is immense. Now, with only the Millennium Fire Persimmon Grove left, and the Shadow Demon cultivator yet to act, trouble is surely near!"

Within the Millennium Fire Persimmon Grove—

Yuan Er was still shaken. "Uncle Da Sheng, the Flying Disc Workshop is truly ruthless. With the whole city watching, they still tried to kill me!"

Yuan Da Sheng's face was also full of anger. He patted Yuan Er on the shoulder, comforting him and urging him to remain calm.

Yuan Er's face still bore the traces of terror, but his voice brimmed with excitement. "Uncle Da Sheng, I think the Flying Disc Workshop made this desperate move only because they saw your astonishing performance and couldn't sit still any longer!"

"Uncle Da Sheng, please persevere and keep harvesting. Secure our victory!"

Yuan Da Sheng nodded, pointed to Yuan Er, and then to the ground.

Yuan Er immediately understood. "Don’t worry, Uncle Da Sheng, I won’t stray far from you."

Yuan Da Sheng turned back to the trees and resumed harvesting.

His movements grew even swifter, and soon his efficiency matched what it had been before.

On the mountainside, the cold light in Ning Zhuo’s eyes had reached its peak.

"Come on, come on," he whispered inwardly.

Suddenly, Yuan Da Sheng's expression changed dramatically!

His fingers clenched—and to everyone’s shock, he crushed a millennium fire persimmon in his grip.

He had made a mistake.

At the very moment when victory was within reach, he had made a fatal error.