Ning Zhuo realized the situation was dire and could only switch to defense.
Frost Freeze Fist!
Hanzhou's left fist shot forward, carrying a bone-chilling coldness, and with the swiftness of lightning aimed directly at Ning Zhuo's chest.
Ning Zhuo hurriedly crossed his hands to block.
Bang.
A muffled sound followed as Ning Zhuo stumbled backward several large steps.
While his block had stopped Hanzhou's fist, the force of the punch still permeated the defense, infiltrating Ning Zhuo's body.
Bitter Cold Qi!
Hanzhou pressed forward, changing his stance as his left leg rose high, spinning into a kick.
Old Cold Leg!
The kick was fierce, targeting Ning Zhuo's face. Ning Zhuo dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding it, but Hanzhou quickly changed tactics, his right fist striking like lightning at Ning Zhuo's ribs.
Ning Zhuo took the punch, his body momentarily weakening.
If this had been before his special training, he would have definitely been defeated. But after the training, his resolve hardened, he clenched his teeth and managed to maintain his stance through several hits, keeping his form from completely collapsing.
Every punch from Hanzhou was powerful, numbing Ning Zhuo's arms with its force.
Suddenly, Hanzhou ducked and swept his right leg fiercely.
Old Cold Leg!
Ning Zhuo's legs were hit, his stance faltering as he staggered backward.
Hanzhou seized the opportunity, throwing punches in succession, one high and one low - the upper aiming for Ning Zhuo's face, the lower targeting his chest.
Ning Zhuo could only guard the upper attack, the lower punch penetrated, hitting directly into his chest and sending him flying.
He flew backward ten feet, adjusting his position in midair, and when he landed, his feet dragged across the floor tiles.
He bent slightly, adjusting his center of gravity, ultimately preventing a complete fall.
"Good fistwork." He spat out blood, smiled at Hanzhou, and expressed his sincere admiration.
Lin Shanshan saw Ning Zhuo spitting blood and immediately furrowed her brows, her heart lifting in concern.
Sun Lingtong from inside the Mechanical Dragon was also watching the fight. Seeing this, she giggled: "Little Zhuo, you really need to train harder in your fistwork."
Sun Lingtong, a cultivator from the Evil Sect, always trained Ning Zhuo harshly.
To him, spitting some blood was nothing at all!
Hanzhou slowly approached Ning Zhuo, slightly shaking his head in disappointment, "Daoist Fellow Ning, if this is your level, then I am surely the victor today."
"Your close combat skills still need improvement. This weakness is quite evident and will surely be exploited by others in the future."
Ning Zhuo nodded, "Brother Hanzhou speaks truthfully. Fistwork is precisely what I've focused on these last few days during my special training, it was even worse before."
"Thank you, Brother Hanzhou, for letting me test my fistwork."
"Next, I will use some of my true strength, please be careful!"
Hanzhou's eyes brightened, "I am ready, please show me what you can do."
The next moment, Ning Zhuo took out six Mechanical Floating Hands from his storage waist belt.
Once released, they immediately flew up into the air, continuously circling around Hanzhou.
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and began to frantically cast Five Elements Magic.
Flames, metal blades, vines, earth spikes, water waves... A multitude of spells were cast in turn, their violent magical attacks converging like the grand fireworks of a festival.
Gorgeous, lethal!
The spectators were astounded.
"Ning Zhuo has such proficiency in Five Elements Magic! How young is he?"
"Was he practicing magic in his mother's womb?"
"No, this isn't just simple Five Elements Magic. The spells interweave, constantly generating and overcoming each other, merging and splitting, making full use of each round's power. What cultivation technique is he practicing that makes it so easy to transition between elements?"
Even Lin Shanshan, who knew some details about Ning Zhuo, showed a shocked expression.
Only then did she realize that on the first day of special training, Ning Zhuo had held back a lot of his strength when performing spells in front of her.
"Is this him giving his all?" Lin Shanshan's eyes locked onto the young man in white in the arena, his focused and handsome face illuminated by the multicolored magical light, appearing even more enchanting.
For a moment, the image of Ning Zhuo casting spells was deeply etched into Lin Shanshan's heart.
Not just her, the audience too, in their amazement, firmly remembered Ning Zhuo.
"His fistwork may be weak, but his mastery of magic is quite profound!"
"With such strength, cave mansion number 281 is definitely not his limit."
"He deserves a better cave mansion."
"Wait, you seem to have forgotten Hanzhou's Bitter Cold Qi."
"Ning Zhuo is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, while Hanzhou is at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. As long as Hanzhou doesn't fall, as long as he holds on, Ning Zhuo's Mana can't outlast his."
The crowd buzzed with discussions.
There were still many perceptive people.
Although Ning Zhuo used all his might to cast spells, suppressing Hanzhou and forcing him to defend passively in his original position,
such unrestrained offensive maneuvering by Ning Zhuo resulted in an enormous consumption of his own Mana!
He was only at the early stage of cultivation level, in contrast, Hanzhou, at the late stage, had a stronger foundation.
Just as everyone anticipated, with the passage of time, Ning Zhuo's aura quickly waned, and his barrage of Five Elements Magic rapidly diminished.
Being on the receiving end of hits and continually enduring, Hanzhou finally found an opportunity to counterattack.
Whoosh!
A piercing cold Qi burst crazily from within him, greatly diminishing the power of the Five Elements Magic.
He was like a sharp blade flying from an icy plain, stabbing toward Ning Zhuo in the blink of an eye!
"Ah!" Lin Shanshan couldn't help but cry out in shock.
The spectators around her also let out subdued exclamations.
But Lin Bufan, who had been watching all along, felt a slight sinking feeling in his heart seeing Lin Shanshan react this way, a bad premonition forming.
An overwhelming Bitter Cold Qi enveloped the area, with Ning Zhuo as if trapped in icy, snowy terrain, caught in an unending terrifying blizzard.
Ning Zhuo's entire body nearly froze, as he watched "helplessly" Hanzhou's fingers aiming directly at his brow.
If he were hit, his forehead would surely be pierced, leaving him severely injured and on the brink of death!
But at the critical moment, Hanzhou voluntarily changed direction, aiming only at Ning Zhuo's shoulder.
However, his confident full-force strike was deflected by a sudden film of oil-like light shield appearing on Ning Zhuo.
He brushed past Ning Zhuo!
Oil Slick and Smooth Talisman!!
The Spirit Talisman, given by Ning Jiufan to be close to Ning Zhuo's body, was not just for a single usage.
Naturally endowed with Spiritual Nature, the Oil Slick and Smooth Talisman activated on its own when it sensed the cultivator was about to be struck hard, successfully protecting Ning Zhuo.
The crowd went silent for a moment, then erupted once again.
"I'm not sensing this wrong, am I?"
"A Golden Core aura! This is a Golden Core Level Talisman!"
"With such a trump card on Ning Zhuo's body, who cares if he can't punch or kick?"
"If he had such a method, why did he engage in close combat with Hanzhou earlier?"
A portion of the crowd felt rather speechless.
Had Ning Zhuo shown this talisman at the beginning of the fight, it would have been over already.
No one would think that Hanzhou had any chance!
Hanzhou, who came from a beggar background with ragged clothes, relied only on his own cultivation techniques and physical combat. But even if replaced by other cultivators using various Magic Artifacts, it would be extremely difficult to break through a Golden Core Level Defensive Talisman.
Hanzhou was also well aware of his limits, as he surveyed Ning Zhuo thoroughly, ensuring the Oil Slick and Smooth Talisman had considerable durability.
He voluntarily withdrew, directly conceding defeat.
But Ning Zhuo said, "I am ashamed. I used the Protective Talisman from an elder in my family, which was not my intention. Indeed, it was because of your strong ability, Brother Hanzhou, that I could no longer suppress the Spirit Talisman, allowing it to activate on its own."
"How about considering this battle a draw?"
Hanzhou studied Ning Zhuo seriously, feeling the sincerity from the latter, but still shook his head, "A win is a win, a loss is a loss. The talismans and magical artifacts you possess are part of your strength. Winning with such means is perfectly reasonable."
"This battle, I have lost!"
Having said that, Hanzhou bowed and staggered out of the martial arts arena.
"We won!" Lin Shanshan clenched her fists instinctively, her heart leaping.
However, Ning Zhuo sighed, his interest waning as he turned and also left the martial arts arena.
The spectators communicated among themselves, many of them regular cultivators from Little Struggle Peak. They began assessing the combat capabilities of this newcomer, Ning Zhuo.
"As expected of a son from a great family, possessing a Golden Core Level Protective Spirit Talisman, who could threaten him?"
"Perhaps only people like Lai Wuying."
"Ordinary cultivators wouldn't stand a chance against him. His magic is executed extremely skillfully, enough to significantly injure Hanzhou."
Lin Bufan withdrew his gaze, and before leaving, saw Lin Shanshan following Ning Zhuo.
"A Golden Core Level Protective Spirit Talisman... from Fire Persimmon Immortal City's Ning Family?"
Lin Bufan started taking Ning Zhuo seriously.
Although young, his background was significant. Possessing a Golden Core Level Protective Spirit Talisman indicated that he was cared for and being specially nurtured within his family.
Even Lin Bufan took notice of Ning Zhuo, not to mention others.
For a while in Ten Thousand Medicine Valley, news about Ning Zhuo spread far and wide, with everyone aware of a scion from a great family with a profound background, not to be trifled with lightly!