: Ning Zhuo vs. Hua Guzi

Ning Zhuo continued, "The reason I am not accepting these Enlightenment Charts is that they did not come from a friend's assistance."

"They are an apology gift, and they have indeed been helpful to me!"

"But given my disposition, I look down upon such things."

"Heh heh heh, with my talent, background, and brilliance, given time, what difficulty would there be in obtaining any Enlightenment Chart under heaven?"

"I fully understand that your senior brothers were protecting their junior sister and misunderstood me."

"However, understanding does not mean forgiveness."

"I will respond to this matter in my own way!"

Upon hearing Ning Zhuo's words, Xiao Ju grew anxious and tried to persuade him, hoping to resolve the conflict peacefully.

Ning Zhuo smiled, retrieving several pieces of evidence from his storage belt.

"These are all pieces of evidence I've recently gathered, proving that Miss Lin's senior brothers instigated and secretly spread rumors."

"Miss Xiao Ju, please take these to Fellow Practitioner Linghu. If Miss Lin is aware, please show them to her as well."

Xiao Ju's face turned pale. So, Ning Zhuo had already uncovered the truth.

"After all, he comes from a prominent family and has been trained since childhood. In this regard, Ning Zhuo and the young lady are so alike!"

Xiao Ju, being merely a maid, had no authority to make decisions. In the end, escorted personally by Ning Zhuo, she left Xiao Zheng Peak, carrying the Enlightenment Charts she failed to lend out and the newly acquired evidence of wrongdoing.

"How interesting, truly interesting." Ning Zhuo paced inside his cave dwelling, the more he pondered, the more intrigued he became.

From the Ten Thousand Miles Wandering Dragon coiled around his waist, Sun Lingtong transmitted a message: "Little Zhuo, I went through great effort to collect that evidence. Why did you just hand it over like that? Without even a hint of extortion?"

"Moreover, why didn’t you accept those Fire and Metal Element Enlightenment Charts? They were practically delivered to our doorstep!"

"You might not want to study them, but I do!"

Ning Zhuo shook his head slightly but did not answer directly. Instead, he asked, "Big Brother, what do you think of Linghu Jiu?"

Sun Lingtong replied without hesitation, "According to the intelligence, he is the head disciple of the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect. He possesses great talent, remarkable brilliance, and is extremely fond of alcohol. He holds high prestige within the sect! However, he is unrestrained and often makes mistakes, frequently being imprisoned in the Ten Thousand Demons Cave by Lin Bufan."

Ning Zhuo: "Then, Big Brother, have you looked into what kind of mistakes Linghu Jiu often makes that lead to Lin Bufan punishing him?"

Sun Lingtong thought for a moment: "Tch, they're all trivial matters. But given his status as the head disciple, he's supposed to set an example. So, it's reasonable for Lin Bufan to punish him."

Ning Zhuo hummed in agreement: "Linghu Jiu is often imprisoned or punished, yet his prestige within the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect remains consistently highest."

"Whenever Lin Shanshan encounters difficulties, including this time, her first instinct is to seek help from Head Senior Brother Linghu Jiu."

"I believe it's not just Lin Shanshan; even others like Lao De view Linghu Jiu the same way."

"Based on the intelligence analysis, I originally thought Linghu Jiu was a dissolute wanderer. But now, it seems he's not that simple!"

"Think about it, we just obtained the evidence, and he acts like this."

"If he knew we had the evidence, it shows he has a firm grasp of the situation outside the cave."

"If he didn't know and just learned from Xiao Ju, yet deduced everything and made compensatory moves, it indicates his understanding and control of people's minds and sect affairs are also exceptional."

Having said that, Ning Zhuo finally answered Sun Lingtong's earlier question: "Whether I accept the Enlightenment Charts or not, the power of the evidence we hold has already hit rock bottom. This card is almost useless now. If we don't play it now, we might not be able to use it later."

"By playing it now, we might still get some use out of it in the future!"

After hearing the explanation, Sun Lingtong understood: "I see! You and that Linghu Jiu had a confrontation through this matter!"

"Exactly." Ning Zhuo nodded. "What a pity. If we were still at the back mountain of Da Zheng Peak, I could have used ignorance as an excuse to 'accidentally' enter the Ten Thousand Demons Cave and meet Linghu Jiu first."

"It's a shame that back then, our target was Lin Shanshan, and we didn't want to complicate things."

"Now, under these circumstances, I already know the situation. If I were to barge into the Ten Thousand Demons Cave again, it would be disrespectful to the entire Ten Thousand Medicine Sect."

"I really want to meet Linghu Jiu once."

Just as Linghu Jiu had long wanted to meet Ning Zhuo, Ning Zhuo now also developed a strong interest in Linghu Jiu.

Sun Lingtong reminded him: "Little Zhuo, you should focus on the present first."

"Without Metal and Fire Element spells, how are you going to deal with Hua Guzi this time?"

Ning Zhuo smiled: "Big Brother, don't worry, I have a plan!"

Ning Zhuo's refusal to accept the apology gift surprised Linghu Jiu.

When Lin Shanshan heard about it, however, she became less worried, which surprised Xiao Ju.

Lin Shanshan explained: "I know Young Master Ning Zhuo's character. Since he declined, he must have his own confidence. I am now looking forward to him defeating Hua Guzi!"

Since this battle was a private duel and not part of the Xiao Zheng Day, many cultivators were looking forward to it.

The battle commenced as scheduled.

Xiao Zheng Peak, Training Ground!

Hua Guzi was petite and delicate, standing only four and a half feet tall. She had short hair, black at the roots fading to white with a hint of purple towards the ends.

Her face was round with a touch of baby fat, and her skin was fair and smooth.

Her eyes shimmered with a purple light, hinting at a certain eeriness. Rumor had it she was a half-human, half-demon hybrid.

Her nose was small and straight, and her lips were pink and tender.

She wore a red and white dress, barefoot, and floated as she moved, rarely touching the ground.

"Ning Zhuo, don't think just because you're good-looking you can act so arrogantly!" Hua Guzi scolded Ning Zhuo as soon as she spoke. "Today, I'll teach you a proper lesson."

Ning Zhuo smiled: "Fellow Practitioner Hua, you are also very good-looking, even more unrestrained and flamboyant than I am. So, according to your own words, shouldn't you be the one receiving the lesson?"

Hua Guzi froze on the spot, motionless.

"Eh?" After a moment, she blinked repeatedly. "You... your words are surprisingly pleasant."

"Heh heh heh, you're so good at哄女孩子, it makes me even more excited!"

"I'm going to tear your mouth apart!!!"

In the next moment, she directly cast a spell.

Tree Realm Descent!

A powerful Wood Element spell was unleashed instantly. Towering trees sprang from the ground, surrounding Ning Zhuo completely.

Immediately after, countless vines and roots, like thousands of snakes and pythons, entangled Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo was about to cast a defensive spell when he suddenly paused.

"It's an illusion!"

"This should be fake!"

Ning Zhuo realized this abruptly and gritted his teeth, choosing not to defend.

Since the duel had an appointed referee, whoever made the first move before the referee announced the start would break the rules and lose.

Sure enough, the vines and roots that wrapped around Ning Zhuo turned into transparent illusions and dissipated.

The next moment, the dense forest of towering trees also vanished before Ning Zhuo's eyes.

His vision cleared.

Hua Guzi still floated in her original spot, unmoved.

"Goo goo goo…" She covered her mouth and laughed, her laughter resembling that of a pigeon, quite peculiar.

The spectators around, seeing Ning Zhuo nervously assume a defensive posture, burst into laughter.

"Illusion, Little Zhuo, you fell for her illusion," Sun Lingtong chuckled merrily from within the Ten Thousand Miles Wandering Dragon.

Without Sun Lingtong's special pupils, Ning Zhuo had been caught off guard immediately.

Seeing Ning Zhuo at a disadvantage, Sun Lingtong felt somewhat gleeful, as if returning to the days when he was teaching Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo wore a serious expression: "Fellow Practitioner Hua's illusion technique is even more troublesome than I imagined. I have learned my lesson!"

Hua Guzi stared into Ning Zhuo's eyes, revealing a sickly, cruel smile: "Don't worry, little gentleman, this little lesson is not enough. Next, I'll let you properly taste the flavor of my flowers."

The battle begins!

Wood Element – Root and Vine Entanglement!

Wood Element – Fragrant Flower Misleading Trail!

Ning Zhuo seized the initiative to attack.

Vines emerged from beneath the floor tiles, like crocodiles lurking underwater, suddenly surfacing to bite.

But they "bit" nothing but air!

Hua Guzi's figure dissipated in its original spot, leaving only a few petals and a faint fragrance behind.

"I can't see her!" Ning Zhuo's reconnaissance failed, leaving him in a passive position.

He quickly deployed his Mechanical Floating Hands, continuously casting various Five Element spells, bombarding everywhere—up, down, left, right, front, and back.

If Hua Guzi approached and was hit by an attack, she would likely be revealed.

Ning Zhuo used offense as defense, appearing aggressive but actually at a disadvantage.

He was well aware of the true situation, so while controlling the Mechanical Floating Hands, he also focused his efforts, multitasking to prepare the Tree Realm Descent spell!

To Ning Zhuo's surprise, while he was preparing the spell, Hua Guzi never appeared.

Wood Element – Tree Realm Descent!

The next moment, the scene Ning Zhuo had witnessed under the illusion reappeared.

Numerous trees sprang from the ground, forming a forest that covered the entire battlefield.

Countless vines and roots swayed and entangled wildly, attempting to "sweep" Hua Guzi out.

But Hua Guzi revealed herself voluntarily.

She floated high above, even higher than the treetops.

As soon as she appeared, countless vines, like swarms of snakes, charged at Hua Guzi with astonishing momentum.

Hua Guzi remained calm in the face of danger, wearing a smug smile: "I've been waiting for this move!"

Wood Element – Fatal Bloom!

In the next moment, numerous flower buds sprouted on the vines and roots.

These buds swelled with the wind within one breath. After the second breath, they bloomed one after another.

The vines and roots, stripped of their magical power, withered instantly.

The flowers then detached from the vines, floating and dancing in the air.

Wood Element – Withering Flower Rain.

Like a rainstorm, it poured down, covering the entire forest.

The tall, ancient trees withered and collapsed one after another.

More and more flower buds sprouted on these large trees, sapping their magical power and vitality, all blooming magnificently.

Hua Guzi laughed triumphantly: "Trying to play Wood Element with me? I'm your ancestor!"

(End of )