At the age of three, Ning Zhuo moved a small furnace and crafted a new material on the spot for Sun Lingtong.
Sun Lingtong sneered, "I don't even need a pill furnace; watch closely."
He extended his palm, igniting a flame in the center.
One by one, he threw the medicinal ingredients into the fire, quickly producing a new material.
"How about it?"
After inspecting it, Ning Zhuo clapped his hands repeatedly, "Brother Sun, you're amazing! You can do it without a pill furnace, and it's faster and better than me!"
Sun Lingtong shook his head, "This is nothing at all; you have to stay humble."
Ning Zhuo nodded heavily in agreement.
...
At the age of four, Ning Zhuo held a talisman brush, drawing runes on a talisman paper.
He succeeded on the first try, effortlessly.
Sun Lingtong was slightly astonished, realizing that he must be quicker and produce better runes than Ning Zhuo.
Feigning nonchalance, he yawned on purpose, his eyelids drooping, and casually held the pen. In reality, he was fully focused, completing it in one go!
Ning Zhuo, after comparing, gave a thumbs up and sincerely praised, "Brother Sun, you rock!"
"Compared to you, I'm really nothing. You're truly incredible."
Sun Lingtong sighed, "Geniuses are countless; compared to them, I'm as ordinary as an ant. Little Zhuo, you must stay humble."
Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly, "I know, I'll remember!"
...
At the age of five, Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and began setting up a formation on an empty array plate.
Three hours later, he wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling a bit ashamed, "Brother Sun, I failed."
Sun Lingtong witnessed the entire process and was greatly shocked. Ning Zhuo gave it his all, and although he failed, his ability to set up formations far exceeded the level for his age!
Sun Lingtong maintained a calm exterior, "Not bad at all; now watch me."
He quickly set up the formation, completing it in just one hour.
Ning Zhuo inspected the array plate, thoroughly convinced.
Sun Lingtong wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking, "Formation techniques are not my forte; luckily, I tampered with the array plate last night."
He said to Ning Zhuo, "What I did is nothing special; there are still many areas for improvement."
Ning Zhuo expressed strong agreement, quickly pointing out numerous deficiencies in the array plate.
Finally, he proactively told Sun Lingtong, "Brother Sun, I will keep working hard. Don't worry; I won't become complacent or proud!"
"That's good, that's good." Sun Lingtong nodded, full of relief.
Inwardly, he felt uneasy, "He's just five years old; what will happen next year?"
After this incident, he decided to privately allocate time to intensively study all kinds of cultivation techniques to cope with the increasingly strong Ning Zhuo.
...
The content of the six-year-old competition was beast taming.
Ning Zhuo was full of fighting spirit and confidence, "Brother Sun, my Flame Majestic General is very strong. I personally hatched it at the start of the school year and have been nurturing it since. For this academy's small test, I sealed over half of its strength, and it still easily ranked fifth."
Sun Lingtong nodded, expressionless, "It seems your fighting cock is indeed formidable. Mine is not as good; I've only had it for over a month."
He secretly laughed.
In fact, more than a year ago, he realized he was struggling to suppress Ning Zhuo, so he specifically inquired about the exam topics of past years. He confirmed this year's exam content well in advance.
Therefore, he had been secretly training his fighting cock far longer than Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo released his Flame Majestic General, while Sun Lingtong released his Little Black.
The General launched the first attack, its wings spreading like blades, charging at the opponent with a whistling wind.
Little Black agilely dodged, quickly counterattacking with sharp beak and claws aimed directly at the General's chest.
The two cocks fought fiercely, feathers flying, blood splattering.
Ning Zhuo put in his all, occasionally casting spells to protect the Flame Majestic General.
But in the end, the General's all-out attack was evaded by Little Black. The latter sprang into the air, tearing the General's comb, sealing the victory.
The General fell to the ground, barely breathing.
Little Black's body also swayed, exhausted to its limit.
Ning Zhuo panted, his face flushed red with disappointment, his eyes dull.
His body trembled, and he hurried to the arena, placing his hands on the General, using a healing spell to treat it with all his strength.
The General's injuries soon stabilized, breathing steadily as it fell into a deep sleep.
After a while, Ning Zhuo finally raised his head, his voice low, "Brother Sun, I lost again."
He couldn't hide his look of dejection.
Sun Lingtong's tense mood gradually relaxed.
He had originally thought he had a significant advantage, not expecting this cockfight to be so evenly matched until the very end.
He knew that his victory was not honorable; he had invested much more in Little Black than Ning Zhuo had.
Feeling guilty inwardly, Sun Lingtong sincerely praised, "You performed very well. If you had given it your all, your General would surely have been first in the academy."
Ning Zhuo shook his head, "What does being first in the academy matter? Compared to the entire Persimmon Fire City, I'm nothing. In the entire Southern Bean Country, I don't even rank. Not to mention other cultivation kingdoms. I've always been inferior to Brother Sun; I always lose…"
Sun Lingtong gritted his teeth, trying to comfort, "I was almost defeated just now."
"Really."
"That last move of yours seemed to use Mechanical Techniques, didn't it?"
Ning Zhuo nodded, "Yes, I usually use puppet strings to train the General. Later, referencing some cultivation technique mantras, I designed some commands. By speaking them, I can make the General fly down and attack, while also triggering the talisman deep within its feathers, greatly enhancing its offensive power."
Sun Lingtong was stunned and genuinely admired, "Incredible! You're already using various methods to train your fighting cock."
"You haven't limited yourself to what the academy elders teach."
"You're creating something new, and the practical results are impressive!"
Ning Zhuo still felt low, "Brother Sun, thank you for your praise, but you don't need to comfort me; I understand!"
"I need to work harder; this fight exposed many of my flaws."
"I am really nothing compared to you all; I'm far behind."
"I can only work harder to bridge the gap in talent!"
Sun Lingtong fell silent, wondering if he had gone too far over the years.
...
The competition at the age of seven infuriated Sun Lingtong!
"Little Zhuo, what's going on with you? Over this past year, you've made some progress in your cultivation techniques, but not much."
"What have you been doing?"
"Have you been studying seriously?"
Ning Zhuo lowered his head, admitting his mistake, telling Sun Lingtong that he had been spending time playing marble games with his classmates.
When Sun Lingtong inquired about marble games, he found the game content dull and flavorless, feeling heartsick, "You were addicted to this? It's completely degrading!"
He sternly lectured Ning Zhuo for the duration of an incense stick.
Ning Zhuo, teary-eyed, said, "Brother Sun, I won't do it again. I'll definitely study hard!"
"I know I'm not good enough; I have too many shortcomings."
Sun Lingtong, hearing this, was stunned, wondering if he had suppressed Ning Zhuo's achievements too much, distorting his view and depriving him of a sense of accomplishment and confidence, thereby losing motivation for self-improvement.
"Actually…" Sun Lingtong carefully chose his words, "Little Zhuo, you have already done excellently before. Don't belittle yourself too much."
Ning Zhuo replied, "I know, Brother Sun. You don't need to comfort me! I understand."
Sun Lingtong: "…"
...
In the Ciyou Garden, Li Leifeng was hosting a puppet show.
Sun Lingtong slipped in, stealing the cultivators' personal belongings to fund his daily cultivation.
After the performance, Li Leifeng went to the private box to thank the Zhou Family Elder for his generous donation to the show.
The Zhou Family Elder also wanted to befriend Li Leifeng and asked about his method of educating children during their conversation.
"Under Elder Li's guidance, the orphans in Ciyou Garden are well-behaved, sensible, and diligent."
"Sigh, my son Zhou Zeshen is mischievous and troublesome, hates school, and shows no interest in studying. It's really worrying!"
After asking a few questions and understanding the situation, Li Leifeng smiled, "My advice would be to let him play."
The Zhou Family Elder was puzzled.
Li Leifeng explained, "From what you just described, I understand that your son is being strictly supervised. Apart from his school lessons, he has numerous tutoring sessions at home, leaving him with little time for play."
"It's precisely because he plays so little that even a blade of grass, a pencil, or a cloud in the sky can captivate him, leading him to daydream and get distracted."
"You must know, no matter how smart a child is, they have a childlike heart. Play is their nature and an essential part of their growth, an indispensable part of their development."
"Only by playing continuously will they find joy and happiness. The more they play, the less enticing a blade of grass or a pencil will be for them."
"This is precisely the growth they need."
Hidden nearby, Sun Lingtong listened intently.
From then on, he never stole from Ciyou Garden again.
Sun Lingtong excitedly found Ning Zhuo.
"You're really lucky to have met me." His abrupt words left Ning Zhuo feeling bewildered.
"Come on, I'll take you out to play!"
The seven-year-old Ning Zhuo was incredulous, his eyes shining with delight, "Really, really?"
"Of course!" Sun Lingtong raised his head, grabbing Ning Zhuo's arm, and soared through the air.
In the dark alleyways.
Sun Lingtong "encouraged" Ning Zhuo, "See that unsightly guy? Steal from him the way I just taught you, just for fun!"
Ning Zhuo hesitated, "Isn't it bad to steal from people?"
"What are you afraid of? Trust your Brother Sun; I won't lead you astray." Sun Lingtong patted his chest, urging him enthusiastically, "It's really exciting, especially the first time you steal; it will make you feel thrilled!"
Under his guidance, Ning Zhuo chose a hooligan and stole his money pouch.
The hooligan frantically searched for it, almost stripping himself naked.
Ning Zhuo hid in the dark, laughing heartily.
Before leaving, he even seemed to throw the pouch back at the hooligan's feet.
Sun Lingtong patted Ning Zhuo's shoulder, "How was it? Felt exciting, right?"
"Yes! It was quite fun." Ning Zhuo said.
Sun Lingtong sighed, "Sometimes, when I'm in a bad mood, I wander the streets. If I see someone I dislike, I steal from them."
"Hahaha, every time I steal, I feel much better!"
Ning Zhuo hesitated, "Brother Sun, perhaps we shouldn't do this. The academy teaches us to follow the righteous path and do righteous deeds. Stealing is not a good behavior."
Sun Lingtong rolled his eyes, then slyly smiled, "The academy elders' teachings are correct. What I'm teaching you is essentially the same thing."
Ning Zhuo stared, confused.
Sun Lingtong said, "Don't you understand the principle of punishing evil and promoting good? Punishing these bad people is doing good deeds; it's an act of justice."
"The hooligan you just taught a lesson to usually bullies honest and kind people. All you did was make him scared for a while without causing real harm, which is really letting him off lightly!"
Ning Zhuo squinted his eyes, "Then I'll go back and steal from him again."
Sun Lingtong nodded, "Sure, I'll go with you."
"This time, I'll teach you a new way to steal; try it and see how it feels different from before."