Chapter 364: Ning Zhuo vs. Chang Yan
The next day, Lin Shanshan asked again.
Ning Zhuo told her that he had already comprehended the first diagram and was currently studying the second one.
Lin Shanshan was pleasantly surprised and immediately asked Ning Zhuo to demonstrate the technique.
After Ning Zhuo did as requested, Lin Shanshan was astonished, exclaiming, "Young Master Ning, I originally thought it would be lucky if you could comprehend one diagram in the remaining days. I didn’t expect your insight to be so extraordinary. I truly underestimated you."
Ning Zhuo responded humbly, with genuine sincerity.
He knew that his comprehension was not that outstanding; the biggest credit went to the Lingyin Willow.
Speaking of the Lingyin Willow, with its help, Sun Lingtong also quickly comprehended three diagrams, taking an hour less than Ning Zhuo.
Sun Lingtong's talent was indeed exceptional.
Ning Zhuo had felt this long ago.
The blade techniques Sun Lingtong created were each incredibly sharp. One could say his talent was quite remarkable.
On the third day, when Lin Shanshan inquired again, Ning Zhuo informed her that he had fully understood the "Mountain Night Listening to the Waves" diagram.
On the fourth day, Lin Shanshan asked once more, but Ning Zhuo showed a troubled expression, saying he was stuck on the third diagram, "Peering at the Sky from Beneath the Trees," which he felt was extremely challenging.
After Lin Shanshan expressed her amazement, she comforted Ning Zhuo, saying that this diagram contained the strongest spell, naturally making it more difficult to comprehend. She advised Ning Zhuo to maintain a calm heart and not be impatient. With the two techniques he had already mastered, he had enough advantage to deal with Chang Yan.
However, Ning Zhuo shook his head, "It's still not enough!"
"I hope Miss Lin will not take offense, but I have decided to publicly announce that I will not use the 'Slick and Slippery Talisman' in the battle against Chang Yan."
Lin Shanshan was puzzled and remarked that such a move would be like tying his hands and feet.
Ning Zhuo then explained, "Although I have a spiritual talisman for protection, I am always wary and constantly remind myself not to overly rely on such items."
"Once I become dependent on it, it will weaken my ambition and greatly hinder my progress in improving my own strength."
"Rest assured, Miss Lin, I am not a stubborn person."
"This Small Peak Contest is an opportunity to train myself, not to rely on external objects to show off. What meaning is there in flaunting power before these cultivators?"
After hearing these words, Lin Shanshan looked at Ning Zhuo with newfound respect, "With such a character, Young Master Ning is bound for great achievements. Sixteen years old…"
Lin Shanshan sighed. She had seen many boys of this age who were arrogant and boastful, but none were as humble and composed as Ning Zhuo.
"Young Master Ning, your battle with Chang Yan has made me even more eager to watch."
Ning Zhuo smiled, "Victory or defeat in a moment doesn't matter. But if I lose to Chang Yan in the future, I hope Miss Lin will not blame me for failing your expectations in nurturing me."
"What nurturing? Your words flatter me too much," Lin Shanshan responded, showing a hint of guilt.
In her view, Ning Zhuo's rapid progress was mainly due to his intelligence, insight, and effort.
As for Ning Zhuo, he found Lin Shanshan to be an invaluable sparring partner.
Lin Shanshan, being a Nascent Soul descendant, had been cultivated from a young age. Her fundamental skills were solid, with no weaknesses.
Ning Zhuo had indeed learned a lot from his sparring with her.
A few days later.
Ning Zhuo and Chang Yan appeared on the dueling field.
Chang Yan, dressed in yellow, stood six feet tall. His transformation was well-developed, with only his amber snake-like pupils remaining from his original form.
Humans were considered the most spiritual of all beings.
Demonic cultivators generally took on human form. Once they succeeded in transforming, their spiritual power would increase significantly, greatly benefiting their comprehension of techniques and spells.
Therefore, the degree of transformation could also indicate a demonic cultivator’s strength.
Chang Yan's snake pupils reflected Ning Zhuo’s figure, and he spoke, "Young Master Ning, I heard you announced that you won’t use your spiritual talisman in this battle. Is that true?"
Ning Zhuo nodded, then shook his head, "In a life-threatening situation, I will certainly use the talisman to protect my life. However, relying on a Golden Core talisman to spar with you, Daoist Chang Yan, would be an unfair victory. It wouldn’t help me hone my combat skills or strengthen my determination."
"So, in this battle and the ones to come, if I use the 'Slick and Slippery Talisman' for protection, I will consider it as my voluntary surrender."
Upon hearing this, the onlookers erupted in surprise.
Some praised, "I didn’t expect that even though Ning Zhuo comes from a powerful clan, he has such courage!"
Others sneered, "A talisman is also part of one's strength. Deliberately giving it up is like tying your hands. How foolish!"
Lin Shanshan, still mingling within the crowd, sneered when she heard people mock Ning Zhuo, thinking to herself, "How could any of you possibly understand Young Master Ning?"
Chang Yan, having received Ning Zhuo's response, snorted coldly, "Since you’ve made such a decision, don't regret it later when you lose."
Ning Zhuo smiled and gestured, "Please."
The battle began.
Chang Yan stomped his foot and immediately burrowed into the ground.
His true form was an earth snake, and the earth-burrowing technique was a natural survival skill for him, as easy as breathing.
Typically, to counter an earth-burrowing technique, a cultivator would fly into the air.
This way, if Chang Yan used earth-burrowing to launch a sneak attack, he would miss his target.
But Ning Zhuo didn’t do that. Instead, he chanted incantations and formed hand seals, then crouched down, pressing both palms onto the ground.
Wood Element—Root Vines Entwine.
Chang Yan moved swiftly underground, nearly reaching the area beneath Ning Zhuo’s feet.
At that moment, numerous tree roots and vines rapidly grew in the ground, protecting the soil beneath Ning Zhuo’s feet like an impenetrable fortress.
The roots burst through the soil and shot toward Chang Yan.
Chang Yan quickly dodged.
He was extremely fast, smoothly avoiding the attack while secretly activating his earth element technique.
Earthquake!
The ground of the dueling field trembled violently, and an invisible force of shockwaves surged from the epicenter, sweeping toward Ning Zhuo and the tree roots and vines at his feet.
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath, and unleashed his second spell, which had already been prepared.
Wood Element Technique—Pine Waves and Emerald Tides.
This was the spell Ning Zhuo had comprehended from the "Mountain Night Listening to the Waves" diagram.
In an instant, as much as fifty percent of his mana surged out.
One portion of fire element mana generated two portions of earth element mana. Two portions of earth element mana produced four portions of metal element mana. Four portions of metal element mana gave rise to eight portions of water element mana. Eight portions of water element mana naturally became sixteen portions of wood element mana!
Ning Zhuo’s five-element mana was evenly distributed. One portion of fire element mana was equivalent to sixteen portions of wood element mana. One portion of earth element mana could be converted into eight portions of wood element mana. One portion of metal element mana transformed into four portions of wood element mana. One portion of water element mana turned into two portions of wood element mana.
Including the previous wood element mana, there were now thirty-one portions!
The total mana, after being enhanced through the mutual generation of the five elements, had expanded more than sixfold!
As a result, the "Pine Waves and Emerald Tides" spell unleashed vast, continuous waves of green energy, surging in all directions.
The emerald waves clashed with the invisible force of the earthquake, churning the ground of the dueling field into chaos.
The earth trembled, cracks spread everywhere, and large chunks of earth either caved in or were pushed up.
Both sides exchanged spells from a distance.
Ning Zhuo was only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but relying on the superior techniques of the Three Sect Art and the mutual generation of the five elements, he was able to fight Chang Yan, who was in the late stage of Foundation Establishment, to a standstill.
But that wasn’t the end!
Ning Zhuo shouted, clapping his hands together in front of his chest.
Wood Element—Tree World Descent!
Vines burst through the soil, sprouting into trees that grew rapidly into a dense forest.
Thick trees, with countless branches and leaves, formed an impenetrable cage of trees.
Within this enormous tree world, Chang Yan was like an insect trapped inside.
Chang Yan was horrified, feeling the endless wood element mana constantly encroaching upon him.
"He actually knows this move!"
Chang Yan didn’t dare use any more earth element techniques, as doing so within this tree world would only serve to nourish his opponent.
He could only resort to using various magical artifacts, relying on their sharpness to cut through the vines and chop down the trees.
However, no matter how many trees he cut down, just as many would grow back in an instant.
If the dueling field weren’t so limited in size, Ning Zhuo could have expanded the entire tree world even further.
Chang Yan was a demonic cultivator. In the Southern Dou Kingdom, there were no major powers among the demonic cultivators. Chang Yan was merely a rogue cultivator.
As a rogue cultivator, his magical artifacts were nothing special, mostly defective items.
The effect of these artifacts was minimal, and he couldn’t even get close to Ning Zhuo.
Chang Yan's strength lay in his earth element techniques, but Ning Zhuo had already seized the initiative with three rounds of spells, taking control of the battlefield. Chang Yan had no chance to recover.
"How frustrating!"
"If I had used earth element techniques earlier to seize the initiative, I wouldn’t be in such a humiliating situation now!"
After holding out for a while longer, Chang Yan had no choice but to admit defeat.
"I concede," Ning Zhuo leaped down lightly from the tree canopy and respectfully clasped his hands toward Chang Yan.
Chang Yan's mouth twitched slightly. He shook his head, calming his emotions, and coldly congratulated Ning Zhuo before leaving the dueling field.
"Victory!" Lin Shanshan clenched her fist, filled with excitement.
She had long known that Ning Zhuo had mastered these three wood element techniques. But even after witnessing this victory, she still found it somewhat unbelievable.
The first two techniques were one thing, but the key was the third, "Tree World Descent," which was extremely difficult to master, yet Ning Zhuo had managed it in one go.
"Such talent!" Lin Shanshan sighed deeply, "This level of comprehension is already comparable to Senior Brother’s mastery of swordsmanship."
The surrounding cultivators were also filled with admiration.
"I didn’t expect Ning Zhuo to have mastered 'Tree World Descent.'"
"I’ve seen many wood element cultivators, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone actually perform this technique."
"'Tree World Descent' is indeed formidable, but Ning Zhuo’s mana reserves are equally impressive, maintaining it for so long without any signs of weakening."
"In my opinion, his tactical choices were spot on. It was because he seized the initiative that Chang Yan had no chance to turn the tables. Chang Yan was already at a disadvantage against wood element techniques, and after losing the initiative, his defeat was inevitable."
The cultivators analyzed the battle, offering many insightful observations.
Most people believed that this fight would be a prolonged war of attrition.
To their surprise, it ended so quickly under Ning Zhuo’s overwhelming wood element techniques.
"Ning Zhuo may have won Chang Yan's cave, but this is far from over. His strength is definitely capable of challenging the top ten caves."
While the cultivators speculated on Ning Zhuo’s next target, Ning Zhuo had already left the dueling field, walking side by side with Lin Shanshan along a tree-lined path.
"Miss Lin, I would like to ask for your help," Ning Zhuo suddenly said during their conversation, "This might trouble you."
(End of the Chapter)