: Still Just a Youth

2024-07-31 Author: Gu Zhenren

Facing Ning Zhanji's sudden test, the others exchanged uneasy glances.

Ning Zhuo ventured a guess, "These spirit plants are all very young and of low value, so harvesting them isn't for the plants themselves. I think it's about maintaining this passageway, deliberately clearing it out. Where there are spirit plants, spirit beasts and demon beasts will be attracted. If our clan intends to use this passage long-term, clearly we need to nip problems in the bud."

"Correct," Ning Zhanji nodded. "The family school's training has been effective for you all."

"Choose one from these spirit plants as a reward for your correct answer."

"As for which one you pick, that depends on your discernment."

Without hesitation, Ning Zhuo reached out directly, took a Fire Crystal Grass, and thanked him, "Thank you, Lord Ning Zhanji! I've done some research on the herbal market. Among these spirit plants, this Fire Crystal Grass has the best quality and will certainly fetch the highest price."

Ning Zhanji nodded, then shook his head. "Picking one with a high market price isn't bad."

"But if I were you, I would choose the Vigor Ginseng."

"Because as members of the Ning family, we cultivate ice-attribute techniques. Spirit plants like Fire Crystal Grass aren't suitable for our constitution. But Vigor Ginseng is; it can gently nourish our bodies."

"You're all still young. Don't just focus on money. Remember, investing in yourself is the best path to success."

"Once you achieve the Foundation Establishment stage, you'll enter a completely different stage of life."

Hearing this, Ning Zhuo adopted a respectful and receptive expression.

Ning Zhanji seized the opportunity to impart more advice: "Outstanding cultivators are those who dare to strive. You must fully assess the balance between risk and reward. If you join the War Hall and are assigned to guard here, you could harvest several spirit plants daily, all under the protection of the temporary camp. This is a rare opportunity."

"Often, refusing risk means refusing opportunity."

Ning Zhuo looked tempted.

This change in expression did not escape Ning Zhanji's notice. He chuckled inwardly, "Still just a youth..."

"Lord, I want to be stationed here!" Ning Yong called out.

Ning Zhanji laughed lightly, "Newcomer, let's get through the special training first."

The Ning cultivator team entered an underground hall.

This was clearly a forward base deliberately built by the Ning family.

Two stationed Ning cultivators were inside.

The stationed cultivators hurriedly came to receive them.

Ning Zhanji ordered a temporary rest. He himself stood in the center of the hall, stirred his magic power, and formed hand seals.

Immediately, intricate array patterns appeared on the cavern ceiling above the hall.

From the center of the patterns, a millstone-sized array disk slowly descended, eventually settling before Ning Zhanji.

Ning Zhanji placed both hands on the array disk, using his spiritual sense to communicate with it, quickly reviewing the recorded information within. Thus, in just a few breaths, he gained a thorough understanding of everything that had happened at this forward camp.

After doing this, he took spirit stones from his money pouch, replacing all the stones in the array disk that had turned completely grey or had dimmed significantly.

After a brief rest, the Ning cultivator team set off again.

Along the subsequent journey, Ning Zhuo passed three more forward camps in total.

Some were used for rest, while others were simply passed by.

As the group ventured deeper underground into the volcano, the threats gradually increased.

Signs of demon beasts became noticeably more frequent.

There were fire-furred mice the size of a palm, stone heads that could float mid-air – Crimson Rock Demons, and Flame-treading Lizards.

"Halt!" Ning Zhanji, who had been leading the way, suddenly raised his hand and stopped in his tracks.

The cultivators quickly came to a standstill, transitioning from movement to stillness with discipline, displaying excellent tactical training.

Ning Zhanji looked down, carefully examining a small groove before him.

He reached out a finger, gently touching the surface of the groove's concave area. The surface was smooth, faintly glowing with a glossy, jade-like sheen.

"It's a Slitherfire Snake, probably over a hundred years old, a Foundation Establishment level demon beast." After this introduction, Ning Zhanji ordered the entire group to be on guard.

Ning Yong, however, was brash and excited: "Finally encountered one? With Lord Ning Zhanji here, why fear a mere little demon beast?"

Ning Chen analyzed: "Besides us few newcomers, we have six Foundation Establishment cultivators here, and the others are all high-level Qi Refining stage cultivators."

"It's just a single Foundation Establishment level demon beast."

Ning Zhuo, meanwhile, was secretly vigilant.

He knew well: demon beasts' physical talents often far surpass those of human cultivators. Moreover, this is the Crimson Flame Demon Molten Cave. If a prolonged battle were to occur, it could easily attract other demon beasts to swarm them.

The Ning cultivator team continued forward.

But this time, their pace slowed noticeably, and the atmosphere within the group changed.

Before long, they spotted the Slitherfire Snake.

The Slitherfire Snake had a slender body, radiating dazzling flame light all over, making the entire snake resemble a long strip of intensely burning fire.

In fact, it was precisely a spirit formed from flame, lacking conventional demon beast flesh and blood.

The Slitherfire Snake had a fierce temperament and moved with extreme speed, slithering through the rocks and often melting a snakelike path onto the stone surfaces.

Earlier, Ning Zhanji had discovered such a snake path and made his judgment based on its width and the degree of burn on the concave surface.

Now, encountering the real thing, they found Ning Zhanji's assessment was completely accurate.

This was indeed a Foundation Establishment level demon beast.

The Ning cultivators began their operation.

First, a cultivator threw out an array disk, temporarily setting up a formation to conceal the group's aura.

Then, a large number of cultivators began channeling spells.

Soon after, numerous water arrows shot towards the Slitherfire Snake.

The Slitherfire Snake was initially hit by a concentrated volley, its flame light dimming significantly before it even reacted.

It charged at the Ning cultivator team with ferocious momentum.

Two strong men rushed out from the Ning cultivators, protected by various spells, and engaged the Slitherfire Snake head-on, pinning it down.

The other cultivators cast spells again, some reinforcing the close-combat fighters, others actively attacking the snake.

Outnumbered, the Slitherfire Snake was soon battered by successive water and ice attribute spells, its body shrinking by a third.

Knowing it was outmatched, the snake tried to flee.

Ning Zhanji moved like lightning, intercepting it. He clapped his hands together, unleashing two palm prints condensed from frost.

The palm prints flew through the air, emanating chilling cold. The Slitherfire Snake, enveloped by the寒气, slowed considerably.

*Thump. Thump.*

Two impacts, almost simultaneous. The frost palm prints directly crushed the Slitherfire Snake.

A beautifully executed ambush!

Ning Yong's eyes shone, growing even more excited. "This is Lord Ning Zhanji!"

His words carried intense admiration and worship.

Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly, wearing an expression similar to Ning Yong's, but inwardly he was puzzled: "In this volcano, where fire attribute spiritual energy is exceptionally dense, using frost spells is inefficient and costly. Why are they all using them?"

After several more battles hunting demon beasts, Ning Zhuo gradually understood.

It turned out Ning Zhanji was intentionally using this for training.

When encountering weaker demon beasts or spirits, they used spells to engage, practicing coordination amongst themselves.

When facing powerful demon beasts, the Ning cultivators employed various magical instruments, with Ning Zhanji taking the lead in attack.

To avoid complications, the Ning cultivators prioritized quick battles, striving to end fights in the shortest time possible.

"There's a Flame-Melt Demon Ape ahead!" Suddenly, the scout in the team shouted a warning.

The entire team halted.

Adult Flame-Melt Demon Apes are extremely troublesome; one ape can match ten Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Clearly, the likelihood of an ape reaching this area being a juvenile was very small.

Even Ning Zhanji frowned.

"Wait, the ape's condition seems off." The scout's eyes were closed, the headband he wore emitting a faint light.

"It seems... dead?!" The scout opened his eyes, somewhat incredulous.

(End of )