The long spear was sharp, easily piercing through his flesh, from the chest to the back.
Zhang Wangxing felt intense pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, yet he was excited.
He roared, gripping the spear shaft with both hands, pressing forward with his body pierced, still charging towards Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo’s spear technique was inadequate, and he didn’t know how to counterattack. In the next moment, the spear shaft moved Ning Zhuo, counterattacked on its own, violently shaking, and swung around in a circle.
Zhang Wangxing’s wound was fiercely stirred by the spear shaft, instantly expanding several times, blood gushing out, the flesh mangled.
He exerted all his strength, making the bones move away, the flesh like mud pouring and covering the spear shaft, and with the cooperation of his Divine Sense, he exerted full suppression.
Ning Zhuo suddenly felt his connection with the long spear weakening.
Zhang Wangxing’s body suddenly contracted, squeezing out large chunks of flesh, sticky and oozing, flowing toward Ning Zhuo along the spear shaft.
At the same time, the cultivators behind Zhang Wangxing also seized the moment to cooperate, remotely controlling various weapons to attack Ning Zhuo from all directions.
In such circumstances, Ning Zhuo decisively let go, temporarily abandoning the bronze spear.
"Got it!" Seeing this, Zhang Wangxing was ecstatic.
He noticed Ning Zhuo relied on the spear, so by seizing it, he could deprive Ning Zhuo of support, leading to being besieged and defeated.
Therefore, he was willing to pay the price of a severe injury to achieve this tactical goal.
Clang clang clang...
A series of rapid clashes, bronze weapons collided with each other, sparking fiercely.
All kinds of besieging bronze artifacts returned without success.
Ning Zhuo’s body was almost curled up beneath a heavy shield.
Zhang Wangxing glared, broken in defense on the spot, shouting: "You actually have a shield?!"
Shield-type Mysterious Armor is truly rare.
Ning Zhuo actually possessed one!
Relying on the bronze shield, he easily defended against the siege.
The cultivators naturally refused to give up easily, continuing to use various bronze weapons to constantly attack.
But Ning Zhuo held steady, the shield firmly guarding him all around, and even if there were neglected areas, there were bronze swords and knives, gloves filling the gaps in the defense line.
The cultivators launched frenzied attacks, but their greatest achievement was their own bronze weapons chipping and cracking, sparks flying, without any lethality.
"His shield isn’t weak!"
"Damn it, we were so close to success, and then he pulls out a shield."
"This kid is cunning, keeping it hidden at first. If we had known he had a shield, why would we act like this?"
The cultivators exchanged thoughts via Divine Sense Transmission urgently but couldn’t come up with a way to break through.
Thus, relying on the shield, Ning Zhuo withstood the most dangerous initial rounds of siege, successfully stabilizing the situation.
He held onto the shield and even managed to reclaim the bronze spear.
Zhang Wangxing clutched his chest, urgently healing.
He looked pale, although the surface of the wound was quickly closing, the actual injury was severe.
Now, the array in the Xuan Armor Cave prohibited various healing methods, allowing only for the body to self-heal, much like the previous second round.
Zhang Wangxing’s recovery ability was much stronger than others, but the injury just now was too severe, making his subsequent attacks very weak.
"Phew..." The Hao-surnamed cultivator quietly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"Ning Zhuo has defended! Very well, keep it up, strive to defeat this group!"
The Hao-surnamed cultivator’s stance had changed, turning to support Ning Zhuo.
Since foul play had already occurred, he hoped the negative impact would be as small as possible, preferably to the point where the higher-ups wouldn’t care and wouldn’t conduct an investigation afterward.
How could the impact be minimized?
Ning Zhuo’s victory was an important prerequisite.
If the side involved in foul play won, Ning Zhuo would definitely make a fuss. In everyone’s eyes, Ning Zhuo was not someone to be taken lightly. He had refused Ban Jie, escalating his conflict with Ban Ji, showing strong confidence and backing.
Now many people speculated that the force behind Ning Zhuo should be on par with the Ban Family.
Considering this, the Hao-surnamed cultivator sincerely and secretly cheered for Ning Zhuo.
"Damn it, damn it!" Zhang Wangxing became increasingly agitated as the battle progressed.
He was not good at close combat, his best method being the peculiar body trained through Demon Skill, to temporarily suppress the enemy’s Mysterious Armor.
However, the greatest advantage of Ning Zhuo’s Three Superior Sect Techniques was control!
Therefore, Zhang Wangxing’s attempt to forcibly seize Ning Zhuo’s weapon was akin to challenging a top-grade technique with an intermediate cultivation method.
His constant failures were reasonable and expected.
Ban Ji’s eyes glimmered with a fierce light, staring intently at Ning Zhuo in battle.
He cultivated the "Greedy Opportunity Demon Heart Technique," and his inherently greedy nature was further nurtured.
At this moment, his burgeoning greed led to more resentment towards Ning Zhuo: "This damn thing, so lucky!"
Watching the battle for a moment, Ban Ji’s eyes were stimulated to the point of redness: "His swords and knives, already encountered at the beginning. But I’m still facing extraordinary combat power at the final stage."
"His path is like a godly opening hand for me."
"He actually has a shield! That’s a vision of treatment only occasionally seen even when preparing Mysterious Armor in the family!"
"If I had such fortune, I could steadily progress from the start, confidently defeating the sixth bronze weapon, and even potentially the seventh!"
Things he desperately sought were all on Ning Zhuo.
Ban Ji’s eye twitched, and he suddenly transmitted his thoughts to the Rust Disaster Craftsman beside him: "Do you think Ning Zhuo’s appearance displaced the opportunities meant for me?"
The Rust Disaster Craftsman gave Ban Ji a surprised look, seeing his resentment, not quite understanding, as the Rust Disaster Craftsman was unaware of Ning Zhuo being Ban Ji’s Human Tribulation.
However, the Rust Disaster Craftsman noticed Ban Ji’s impulsive intent and quickly advised through transmission: "Ban Ji, be patient. Now is not the time to act!"
This reminder caused a fierce light to flash in Ban Ji’s eyes, making him feel aggrieved, and he replied silently: "Hmph, I know."
From Zhang Wangxing and others’ sudden attack until now, although the battle was intense, they never once indicated that they were acting under the arrangement of the Ban Family to target Ning Zhuo.
This clearly seemed intentional.
The Ban Family was a Righteous Influence, renowned for many years in the Flying Cloud Country. Even if Ban Jie manipulated behind the scenes, facilitating this surprise attack, she could never admit that the eminent Ban Family was targeting an outsider to protect their own talent.
The Righteous Path values reputation above all.
If they admitted, the general public would disdain the Ban Family, thinking that this grand clan is suppressing a young Foundation Establishment talent, showing no grace at all.
On the other hand, it would also be admitting that Ban Ji was inferior to Ning Zhuo. Otherwise, why would the Ban Family go to such lengths to assist Ban Ji?
This is why Ban Jie arranged things this way, and also why Ban Ji couldn’t make a move.
If Ban Ji participated in the attack, it would be an open admission, materializing that the assault on Ning Zhuo was orchestrated by the Ban Family.
"Family..." Ban Ji gritted his teeth, having to forcibly suppress the urge to act.
The Demon Path demands indulgence and freedom; Ban Ji’s consideration for his family forced him to go against his nature, making him very uncomfortable.
At this moment, Ning Zhuo even took the initiative to taunt: "Ban Ji, it turns out you bribed Zhang Wangxing early on. Going through such efforts to set up this trap must have been difficult for you!"
"Come on, what are you waiting for?!"
"Join the siege against me, let everyone see what Ban Family’s justice looks like!"
Ban Ji’s pupils shrank, glaring fiercely at Ning Zhuo, unable to help taking a step forward.
A strong impulse erupted from deep within his heart, driving him to want to disregard everything, join the siege, trample Ning Zhuo underfoot, and then seize all of his Mysterious Armor, greatly boosting his strength, with full confidence to win the first place in this trial!
Ban Family’s Ancestral Hall.
The Supreme Family Elder stationed there suddenly looked up, surprised and suspicious, at the family’s great treasure before him.
The Clan Fate Mechanism Chain rapidly rotated, the sliders clattering, and the chain suddenly tightened.
The Supreme Family Elder observed for a few beats, feeling a slight tremor in his heart: "It’s something at Ban Ji’s side."
He quickly formed a finger technique, urged mana, and fully controlled the Clan Fate Mechanism Chain.
This family treasure spun wildly again, with some sliders even going off track. The Supreme Family Elder was covered in sweat, gasping: "Finally maintained it."
Xuan Armor Cave.
The jade pendant hanging around Ban Ji’s neck suddenly emitted a clear light, calming him down, suppressing the demonic impulse assaulting his mental defenses.