Chapter 365: You Are My Ideal
The boulevard was filled with lush greenery.
Lin Shanshan had already withdrawn her disguise, wearing a light yellow dress.
Her steps were as light as a swallow, and her skirt fluttered in the breeze, revealing her cheerful mood.
At this moment, sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
A gentle breeze brushed by, the fragrance of flowers filled the air, the earth smelled fresh, and the leaves rustled as if adding a light rhythm to Lin Shanshan's joyful heart.
"Young Master Ning Zhuo, your victory this time was truly impressive!" She felt genuine happiness for Ning Zhuo.
All along, she had been the eldest daughter of the Master of the Myriad Medicine Sect.
From the moment she was born, this status had brought her excellent treatment, surrounded by the love, indulgence, and tolerance of those around her.
She had never, like Ning Zhuo, fought with others in earnest, wielding real weapons in battle.
Lin Shanshan had also once reached a certain level in cultivation, challenging her fellow disciples here and there in her youth, causing plenty of mischief.
But as she grew older and wiser, she no longer acted that way.
She deeply understood that her status, every move she made, carried significant meaning, easily misinterpreted by outsiders, which could lead to harm to the entire sect.
In this world, it was difficult to have the best of both worlds.
Since she enjoyed the privileges of being the eldest daughter, she had to shoulder the responsibilities that came with it.
The Myriad Medicine Sect, the Myriad Medicine Valley—Lin Shanshan's youth was like a small bird, trapped here.
This place had shaped her, but it also imprisoned her.
She needed to constantly protect the sect’s interests, always mindful of her identity, never overstepping boundaries that might cause trouble or harm to others.
Therefore, when Ning Zhuo won, she felt genuine joy.
She felt immense satisfaction from Ning Zhuo’s actions!
When she first met Ning Zhuo, she had a very good impression of him.
After some initial exchanges, she found it easy to relate to Ning Zhuo, given their similar backgrounds.
Perhaps she herself wasn’t fully aware of her deepest thoughts—she, too, longed to be like Ning Zhuo, young and free, traveling far from home, experiencing life, acting, feeling, and exploring the world.
So, when facing "strong enemies," she felt concern for Ning Zhuo.
So, Ning Zhuo's efforts and intelligence impressed her.
So, when she wholeheartedly helped Ning Zhuo and saw his visible growth, she knew that all her efforts had been worthwhile.
So, when Ning Zhuo defeated a powerful enemy, she felt more joy than if she had won herself.
Because she knew that she had contributed to it.
Because she knew she might never be able to fight boldly like Ning Zhuo, and not receive leniency.
In a way, Ning Zhuo’s appearance and actions fulfilled a deep desire in Lin Shanshan’s heart.
The girl’s bright eyes turned to Ning Zhuo, genuinely considering his situation: "Among all the stationed cultivators, the strongest are Lai Wuying and Zhao Xingchen. They are the first tier."
"The second tier includes people like Chang Yan and Luo Xiao."
"Young Master Ning Zhuo, this time you succeeded in your challenge and defeated Chang Yan. You can now move into one of the top ten cave residences."
"You’re only in the early Foundation Establishment stage. This is quite rare."
Ning Zhuo smiled and shook his head slightly: "I still have a long way to go."
"This time, the victory was mainly due to the correct tactics, adopting a swift offensive strategy and taking advantage of the wood element suppressing the earth element."
"In terms of mana, demon cultivators often have far greater reserves than human cultivators of the same level. My cultivation is weaker than Chang Yan’s."
"After seizing the initiative, the three wood-element spells I cast gradually expanded my advantage, eventually turning it into a victory. Without your help, Miss Lin, in obtaining the three wood-element spell enlightenment diagrams, how could I have won?"
"So, you are the greatest contributor behind the scenes."
At this, Ning Zhuo cupped his hands in gratitude toward Lin Shanshan.
Lin Shanshan chuckled twice and graciously accepted: "Young Master Ning Zhuo, your background is similar to mine. How could I not know that even without my three diagrams, you would have your own trump cards to secure victory?"
"You also missed mentioning one reason for your victory."
"That is your cultivation technique is exceptional. The Five Elements Mana not only can split and merge freely, but it can also generate and counterbalance each other, transforming into a unified type of mana, causing the total amount of mana to multiply several times."
Ning Zhuo smiled: "This Five Elements Qi Regulation Art is, after all, one of the Three Sect Lord’s techniques."
Lin Shanshan’s face showed longing: "The Three Sect Lord, I have heard of him. He is indeed a great master of the Void Refinement stage."
As Ning Zhuo walked side by side with Lin Shanshan, he analyzed calmly: "Although this victory was decisive, it has left some hidden risks."
"If I had won after a hard-fought battle, allowing Chang Yan to fully display his strength, I would have gained wider recognition."
"Now, in this situation, after gaining one of the top ten cave residences, I’m bound to attract covetous eyes and might be challenged by others."
"After all, I had publicly stated before that once I used the Slick Water Talisman, it would mean I had surrendered. This would make others feel it’s an opportunity."
Hearing this, Lin Shanshan was slightly startled and nodded in agreement.
She couldn't help but look again at the young man in white before her, silently praising him in her heart: Ning Zhuo was only sixteen years old, yet he acted so calm and composed!
At such a young age, suddenly achieving victory would usually cause someone to become arrogant.
Unexpectedly, he was even clearer-headed than an outsider like her, always maintaining a sharp insight into the situation.
By age, she was five years older than Ning Zhuo, yet she had been swept away by the victory.
Lin Shanshan felt a bit strange, at this moment, sensing a sense of reliability and steady security from Ning Zhuo, as if she saw a reflection of her own father.
Seeing that the timing was right, Ning Zhuo took the initiative to mention that he had something he needed Lin Shanshan’s help with.
However, at the same time, this matter might cause her some difficulty.
Lin Shanshan had already developed a great deal of goodwill toward Ning Zhuo. Hearing this, her eyes flashed slightly, and she hesitated only briefly: "When it comes to matters related to the sect, I can’t make decisions, but if it’s something else, feel free to ask. I will do everything I can to help!"
Ning Zhuo quickly said: "Miss Lin, please rest assured, I won’t make an unreasonable request."
Seeing that Lin Shanshan was listening attentively, he continued: "I left home to travel and passed by the Hidden Mist Mountain."
Lin Shanshan nodded slightly: "You mentioned this to me before. That Mist Show Orchid you gave me was obtained from Hidden Mist Mountain, wasn’t it?"
Ning Zhuo smiled and continued: "While at Hidden Mist Mountain, I had a unique encounter and gained the recognition of the Mountain God. We got along well. Before parting, the God gifted me a remarkable spiritual plant."
"The Mountain God specifically instructed me to cultivate it privately, to take good care of it, and not to let outsiders know."
"Plant cultivation is one of the hundreds of arts in cultivation, vast and profound. I have very little experience in it, barely any understanding, and am completely inexperienced."
"It’s my first time handling such a thing, and it’s a Golden Core-level spiritual plant. It’s really difficult."
"Now, the spiritual plant shows signs of withering, which truly worries me."
"Hidden Mist Mountain, Mountain God, and even a Golden Core-level spiritual plant?" Lin Shanshan found this very intriguing and felt an even stronger longing for the free and adventurous life Ning Zhuo was living.
She restrained her curiosity: "So, Young Master Ning Zhuo came to the Myriad Medicine Sect seeking guidance on this matter."
Ning Zhuo nodded: "That’s indeed one of my reasons. Your sect cultivates countless herbs, in vast quantities, and your herbal business is flourishing."
"If I can’t find help here, I fear there’s no other way in the entire Southern Dou Kingdom."
Ning Zhuo offered more praise.
Lin Shanshan smiled, saying only that Ning Zhuo was overpraising them.
After some thought, she frowned slightly: "This is indeed a bit difficult."
"Since the Mountain God instructed you to cultivate it privately, there must be a deeper meaning. It seems the only solution is for you, Young Master, to personally endure the hardship and learn some cultivation techniques for spiritual plants."
"The key is that every spiritual plant has a different cultivation method. Even plants of the same type can have regional variations."
"If you recklessly attempt cultivation with unsuitable methods, it could harm the plant instead of helping it survive and grow."
Ning Zhuo sighed deeply: "I have thought about it and
guessed that this might be some kind of test from the Mountain God. Moreover, I made a contract at that time, so I cannot reveal any details about the spiritual plant to others."
"Otherwise, I would have directly sought your guidance, Miss Lin."
The Lingyin Willow needed to be kept hidden.
This extraordinary spiritual plant, which could assist in comprehension, could save cultivators a tremendous amount of time and effort—it was definitely a treasure of inheritance!
For an organization or power, such a Golden Core-level spiritual plant was more valuable than many Nascent Soul-level offensive magic treasures.
When Ning Zhuo first acquired it, he already knew the value of the Lingyin Willow.
Therefore, only the Mountain God of Hidden Mist Mountain, Sun Lingtong, and himself knew about it.
After acquiring it, Ning Zhuo had always kept it secret.
(End of the chapter)