Chapter 355: Please, Young Lady, Teach Me
Xiao Zheng Peak, Martial Arts Arena.
The disciples of the Myriad Medicine Sect were guarding the entrance of the martial arts arena. They carefully checked identification and only allowed entry after collecting the spirit stones for admission.
Due to the fierce competition environment at Xiao Zheng Peak, the martial arts arena business thrived all year round.
A cultivator approached the disciple, smiling, and asked if there was any availability in the Tian-class arena.
The disciple gave him a faint glance and said, "It's you again? I already told you last time that the Tian-class arena is fully booked until the end of next month."
The cultivator nodded, lowering his voice, "I know, but I've heard that it's possible to cut the line. As long as..."
"Stop!" the disciple immediately interrupted, "What you're talking about may have happened before, but that was under the previous manager. Since I've taken over, there has been no such thing as cutting in line."
"Are you trying to bribe me?"
The disciple shook his head firmly, "That route won’t work!"
"Huh?"
While they were speaking, the disciple's expression suddenly changed.
He jogged up, deeply bowed, and said, "Senior Sister Lin, what brings you here?"
The disciple was somewhat puzzled.
After all, someone like Lin Shanshan would normally use the martial arts arenas on her own mountain.
That was the main base of the Myriad Medicine Sect, and its martial arts arenas and other facilities were far more advanced than here. Lin Shanshan, such an important figure, rarely came here.
Lin Shanshan seemed slightly flustered, but she quickly steadied herself and said, "Give me a martial arts arena. Do you have any available?"
"Of course!" The disciple immediately patted his chest and said, "You're in luck. One of the Tian-class arenas just became available."
Lin Shanshan didn’t suspect anything and nodded.
"Who is this young man? He’s going to spar with Senior Sister Lin?" The disciple glanced at Ning Zhuo, uncertain about his background.
Noticing his gaze, Ning Zhuo nodded slightly, and the disciple smiled in return.
"Senior Sister Lin, this way, please," the disciple led the way.
As they passed the previous cultivator, the cultivator stepped back, making way, and looked on enviously as Ning Zhuo and the others entered the arena.
"With this incident, rumors of my connection with Lin Shanshan will surely spread," Ning Zhuo thought, feeling quite content.
In fact, one of the reasons he had asked Lin Shanshan for help and come to the martial arts arena was precisely for this.
After all, being new here and unfamiliar with the place, it was natural for him to seek a powerful ally. Lin Shanshan was undoubtedly a great choice.
Things went exactly as Ning Zhuo expected.
Everywhere the three of them went, the disciples along the way saluted Lin Shanshan and cast curious glances at Ning Zhuo.
Many other cultivators from outside the sect also witnessed the scene.
"This is the first time I’ve seen Lin Shanshan bringing someone to use this martial arts arena."
"Who’s that young cultivator with her? I’ve never seen him before."
"Judging by his demeanor, he’s not ordinary. He must be a high-ranking disciple from some major sect, with a status similar to Senior Sister Lin's, right?"
These murmurs reached Lin Shanshan’s ears, making her ears burn with embarrassment.
So, when they entered the Tian-class martial arts arena, Lin Shanshan quickly told the disciple, "Alright, you can leave now. I’ll take it from here."
The disciple was slightly surprised. Lin Shanshan’s hurried dismissal gave him the impression that she was eager to be alone with the young cultivator beside her.
The disciple, being older than Lin Shanshan, had never seen her treat a male cultivator this way.
"Could it be..." The disciple thought of a possibility and immediately shook his head, dismissing the frightening idea.
Lin Shanshan was the cherished daughter of the Myriad Medicine Sect’s leader, beloved by everyone in the sect. Many cultivators secretly admired her. While the disciple didn’t have such feelings, he did view her like a younger sibling, hoping for the best for her.
Lin Shanshan activated the array formation of the arena, instantly sealing it off from the outside.
She let out a small breath, her tense nerves relaxing a bit.
"Strange, I’ve often entered the arena to spar with Senior Brother. Why do I feel so nervous and even flustered this time?"
Ning Zhuo didn’t speak. He examined the arena, giving Lin Shanshan some time to compose herself.
After calming down, Lin Shanshan said to Ning Zhuo, "Young Master Ning, why don’t you first display some of your combat techniques, so I can get a sense of your abilities? It’s like diagnosing an illness—only by understanding your situation can I provide the right guidance."
Ning Zhuo nodded and immediately performed several Five Elements spells.
The core of his current combat strength was primarily mechanical creations.
The Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin, the Serpent Scythe, the Heavy Armor Blood Ape, the Floating Ice Jade Hand, and the Weather Orb Ice Crystal Snow—all these were exceptional constructs, powerful enough for Ning Zhuo to stand a chance against a Golden Core cultivator.
Relying on these, Ning Zhuo’s combat strength far exceeded his Foundation Establishment cultivation level, reaching the Golden Core stage.
But at this moment, he certainly wouldn’t reveal his constructs to Lin Shanshan.
For one, he recognized his own shortcomings and saw this as an excellent opportunity to train himself in the highly competitive Xiao Zheng Peak. Crushing other Foundation Establishment cultivators with mechanical creations would do little to hone his skills.
Secondly, he needed a reason to stay around Lin Shanshan. Being too powerful might attract her attention and caution.
By presenting himself as relatively "weak," it was easier for him to proceed with his overall plan.
Ning Zhuo demonstrated a series of spells, most of which were related to the Five Elements.
Lin Shanshan’s eyes lit up as she watched and sincerely praised, "I didn’t expect Young Master Ning to have such profound mastery of spellcraft! This is beyond me. Just based on your strength alone, you stand a fair chance against Han Zhou."
Ning Zhuo’s execution of the Five Elements spells was smooth and flawless.
What surprised Lin Shanshan the most was how naturally Ning Zhuo transitioned between the elements, the flow seamless and incredibly refined.
"Are you really only sixteen?" Lin Shanshan couldn’t help but ask.
Ning Zhuo smiled faintly and confirmed.
Lin Shanshan sighed, "I don’t doubt you, but such spell proficiency at sixteen is extraordinarily rare."
"I’ve only heard of two or three others like this."
"Didn’t expect I’d see one in person today!"
Ning Zhuo’s brief display of power made Lin Shanshan even more curious about him.
She pressed further, "Are you a combat cultivator?"
"Since childhood, how much time have you spent each day practicing these spells, besides accumulating mana?"
Ning Zhuo answered thoughtfully, "I haven’t spent much time practicing these spells. Compared to them, I’m more interested in mechanics."
"Besides casting spells, I can also use mechanical hands to assist me in combat."
"Young Lady Lin, take a look."
As he spoke, Ning Zhuo retrieved six mechanical arms from his storage belt.
These arms hovered in the air, orbiting around Ning Zhuo.
He controlled them to cast various spells related to gold, wood, water, fire, and earth.
In an instant, dazzling spells filled the air, the five elements competing in brilliance, radiating a deadly beauty.
Lin Shanshan couldn’t help but step back, secretly alarmed by the ferocity of Ning Zhuo’s displayed power.
Ning Zhuo stopped after a brief demonstration and retracted the mechanical arms.
He said directly, "Young Lady Lin, I’m more proficient in long-range spellcasting. My biggest concern is being approached by Han Zhou. Once in close combat, I’m too passive, and my chances of losing are much higher than winning."
Lin Shanshan replied, "Then let’s spar a bit."
Ning Zhuo agreed, and they engaged in a bout of close-combat techniques.
This time, Ning Zhuo didn’t hold back and gave his all, but he was completely suppressed by Lin Shanshan throughout the exchange.
"That’s enough," Lin Shanshan said, stepping back to create some distance between them.
Ning Zhuo was panting, his face slightly pale.
Lin Shanshan smiled, "Do you know how to use weapons?"
Ning Zhuo shook his head, "I don’t know any."
Lin Shanshan nodded, "Compared to spellcraft, you’re indeed lacking a bit in close combat, Young Master Ning."
Ning Zhuo smiled wryly, "Young Lady Lin is too polite. I’m well aware of my shortcomings in this area. Please criticize me more so I can improve faster."
Lin Shanshan was five years older than Ning Zhuo. From a young age, she had undergone the strictest training under Lin Bufan. After all, she was his only bloodline descendant.
Lin Bufan had fully nurtured Lin Shanshan. Though she wasn’t as skilled as Ning Zhuo in spellcraft, the gap wasn’t huge. However, in close combat, she surpassed him by a wide margin.
In comparison, Ning Zhuo’s training had been largely self-taught. Even at school, the education he received was general, unlike Lin Shanshan, who had been specially cared for, guided, and trained by a
Nascent Soul-level figure since birth.
As a result, while Ning Zhuo’s fundamentals were solid, they were quite ordinary, especially when compared to a sect prodigy like Lin Shanshan.
Of course, if Ning Zhuo deployed his mechanical creations, ten Lin Shanshans wouldn’t be enough to challenge him.
"Please, Young Lady Lin, teach me martial arts!" Ning Zhuo didn’t hold back, directly making his request.
He had long realized his deficiencies in this area.
But there was no other way. Over the past sixteen years, he hadn’t been wasting time. Every day, he diligently trained. However, the area he focused on was mechanics, not close combat.
During the battle for the Lava Immortal Palace, when Ning Zhuo was confronted by a martial puppet, he had already thought about compensating for this shortcoming. But he simply hadn’t had the time.
"Well..." Lin Shanshan hesitated.
Even though the Buddha Heart Demon Seal continued to influence her, she still felt that this request was too bold.
Men and women shouldn’t be too intimate.
Teaching martial arts required physical guidance for effective results, with many movements being hand-to-hand or even body-to-body. Physical contact was inevitable.
As Lin Shanshan grew older, both her senior brother Linghu Jiu and the sect master Lin Bufan had stopped teaching her directly, instead hiring a female instructor to be her martial arts tutor.
(End of Chapter)