After parting with Lin Shanshan, Ning Zhuo returned to his cave mansion on Little Struggle Peak.
He first took out a cushion, sat cross-legged, and commenced his daily routine of cultivating his techniques.
He was currently in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, practicing three techniques simultaneously—meditative reflection, deep breathing, and refining his Blood Qi. Hence, the time he spent on his daily cultivation was almost three times that of others.
Every day, he would undergo special training to improve his martial skills.
He also engaged in various external exchanges, such as inspecting Medicine Field Mountain or negotiating with the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect about major collaborations. For instance, this time he actively challenged the higher-ranking Demon Cultivator Chang Yan.
His time was extremely tight, measured down to the last second, every minute calculated precisely.
Even so, there were many tasks he simply could not complete.
For instance, the time he could squeeze out each day to practice controlling his mechanical techniques was a mere duration of a tea break.
And there was the matter of designing a mechanical body for the Mengye Tiger, which kept being delayed without even a start on the task.
Ning Zhuo wished he could split himself in two to get everything done.
Time was truly scarce!
"Now, I have to add understanding the Understanding Law Map."
After completing his cultivation, Ning Zhuo took out three maps.
"Hopefully, I can gain some insight."
Ning Zhuo first checked the three maps, which were the Old Tree Root Map, the Mountain Night Listening Wave Picture, and the Tree Base Sky Peeping Map.
From Lin Shanshan, he already knew the "solutions" to these maps—what Wood Element Magic each corresponded to.
He chose the first map, which was relatively simpler, and tried to understand it.
Ning Zhuo gazed intently at the map, his expression focused.
Soon, his consciousness was fully immersed in the map, undisturbed by the external world.
He followed each detail of the root system with his eyes, tracing the twists and turns of the roots. His thoughts too, unfolded according to the shape of the roots, closely examining each intersection and entanglement of vines.
Gradually, he encountered a kind of natural rhythm.
Ning Zhuo's breathing became steady and deep, his body leaning slightly forward, as if he were about to enter the world within the painting.
His heart grew ever calmer, sensing the profound meanings contained within the map.
However, as his body and mind were about to resonate with it, a strong sense of hunger suddenly struck, disrupting his state of understanding.
He came to his senses and opened his eyes.
Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had closed. Even though his gaze no longer rested on the painting, his Divine Sense was still deeply permeating the Understanding Law Map.
His stomach rumbled, and a strong sense of fatigue and weakness overcame him.
He realized that what felt like "merely moments" was an illusion; he had been in that state for three full two-hour periods.
Even though he had taken a Fasting Pill, his body couldn't withstand the consumption.
At the same time, in the Divine Sea of his Upper Dantian, his Divine Sense was utterly depleted, and his spirit had weakened to its lowest point.
The state of understanding the map greatly exhausted his brainpower. The consumption of his spirit and Divine Sense was even more terrifying.
"Is this what it's like to comprehend the Understanding Law Map?" Ning Zhuo was both tired and delighted.
This was the first time he had entered such a state, which was quite novel to him.
Beyond that, he felt surprised and satisfied. After all, he had been concerned that he might not be able to comprehend the Wood Element's Understanding Law Map.
It seemed that while he might not be very talented in the Ice Attribute, he possessed a remarkable capability for understanding the Wood Element.
Ning Zhuo shared these insights with Sun Lingtong.
Sun Lingtong said, "To enter into the state of understanding on your first try is quite rare. Little Zhuo, if you continue to develop in the Wood Element, you will have a promising future."
Ning Zhuo responded, "Big Brother, you should try to comprehend it too. After all, we borrowed these maps, and when the time limit is up, we'll have to return them."
Sun Lingtong was also interested and agreed, "You go back into the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon for now, and I'll keep watch for you."
Ning Zhuo then entered inside the Mechanical Dragon.
First, he ate and drank some Spirit Food, then rested briefly to readjust his condition.
Afterward, he went to the Storage Cabin and took out a willow tree.
This willow tree had been dug up with a large clump of earth ensnaring its roots, placed upright on the floor.
Ning Zhuo took out a cushion and promptly sat down beneath the tree.
The mystery of the willow was hidden within, brimming with vitality. Its branches a tender yellow, and its leaves everlasting green, resembling a translucent layer of jade through which light could pass, nearly transparent.
This was the Spirit Hidden Willow!
Seated beneath the tree, the scent of the willow was as refreshing as sandalwood and orchid, penetrating the heart and soul, secluded and serene.
Even before adjusting his state, Ning Zhuo felt his mind refresh, cares dissipate, Divine Sense pulsating, and wisdom surging quietly.
"What a fine tree," Ning Zhuo, filled with anticipation, took out the Old Tree Root Map again and began to study.
In an instant, he felt as though he had entered the world within the painting.
Barefoot, he stood atop the tree vines and roots, feeling their coarseness, their serpentine path, their concealed strength, and vitality.
Sensing Ning Zhuo's attempts at comprehension, the Spirit Hidden Willow moved without wind, its leaves naturally falling and gently fluttering around him, turning into green specks of light that quickly vanished.
Ning Zhuo "found himself" within the Understanding Law Map, and suddenly his body underwent a marvelous transformation. His entire being gradually stretched and rose, transforming into a tree. An abundance of vines grew from his body, slowly yet swiftly spreading in all directions.
These tree roots and vines intertwined with the original roots and vines, blending softness with rigidity, and containing infinite power within their entanglements.
At this moment, within Ning Zhuo's Upper Dantian Divine Sea, the Spirit Light flickered incessantly.
He directed these vines, extending them continuously and drawing them back, as if they were limbs he could command.
The tree before him was his best teacher. He emulated it, learning from it, merging himself with nature. Thus, power burst forth in the entanglements, possessing both the flexibility of vines and the toughness of roots.
He had thoroughly comprehended!
Wood Element Magic—Root Vine Entanglement.
Ning Zhuo abruptly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flickering within.
Looking again at the Old Tree Root Map before him, everything was clear at a glance, and no more mysteries remained.
"Only a little over two hours?"
Ning Zhuo calculated the time; it was pitifully brief. Yet what he had understood far exceeded what he had tried dozens of times before.
"And also, my condition is rather good; I haven't fallen into a low point. At least I'm not hungry, and I still retain thirty percent of my Divine Sense."
Ning Zhuo patted his belly, then looked up at the Spirit Hidden Willow beside him.
"Good tree, what a good tree indeed!" he exclaimed sincerely.
At the same time, he keenly observed that one of the willow branches on the Spirit Hidden Willow had already become bare, with all the willow leaves fallen and the willow twig turned shriveled and yellow, as if it had lost all moisture.
After resting for a short while, Ning Zhuo took out the second picture, the Mountain Night Listening Wave Picture.
On a cliffside, there was a quaint wooden house.
The window of the wooden house, facing the cliff, was open. A cultivator leaned against the window, seemingly practicing breathing techniques, meditating with closed eyes, or perhaps listening intently.
It was deep into the night, and outside the window, the mountains were dark, profound, and vast.
Only a spot of light from inside the room cast a warm corner.
The mountain wind was strong, causing the light to flicker, and the cultivator's clothes to sway. Although the light could not reach very far, near the little wooden house, the shadows of pine trees could be faintly seen swaying in the wind, with the outlines of branches appearing and disappearing.
And beyond that, occupying eighty percent of the picture, was darkness.
Yet the profound darkness was not monotonous, and upon closer inspection, one could see the vague, massive arcs within the darkness, like waves connecting heaven and earth, spanning east and west.
Mountain Night Listening Wave Picture!
What one heard was not the sound of water waves, but the continuous sound of pine waves under the mountain wind.
Below the Spirit Hidden Willow, Ning Zhuo focused his spirit and once again immersed himself into the picture.
He became a guest, leaning against the wooden window, his eyes slightly closed, his ears filled with the unceasing sound of the waves.
At times the wave sound was as surging as the tide, and at other times as gentle as a drizzle. What a surge of vitality to the extreme, what a grand natural force!
About two hours later, Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes, a trace of awe still lingering within.
He had comprehended the Mountain Night Listening Wave Picture.
Without a break, he picked up the third picture.
Tree Base Sky Peeping Map!
The picture was filled with lush branches and leaves, a dense mass of foliage layered upon each other to build a green dome that was nearly impervious to light, almost completely obscuring the whole clear sky.
Lying on the grass looking up, one could barely manage to catch glimpses of blue sky through the gaps in the foliage.
The sky was clear, but only small speckles appeared through the gaps between leaves. Here, the trees, branches, and leaves were the whole world, isolated from the outside, self-sufficient.
Ning Zhuo found himself within the picture, feeling the distance of the outside world, feeling isolated.
The glimpses of blue sky and clear weather contrasted with the secluded world of the forest.
However, he was not a prisoner but the lord of this forest, the king, the master, the deity!
About two hours later, Ning Zhuo slowly opened his eyes, once again showing signs of fatigue.
Among the three pictures, the Tree Base Sky Peeping Map was the most difficult and profound, and he had also comprehended it!
Ning Zhuo had mastered three new Wood Element Magic techniques. As they had come through comprehending the Understanding Law Maps directly with their profound and deep mysteries, he had saved a great deal of time and energy that would have been spent on developing the techniques.
"Just with these three magics alone, if I face Hanzhou again, I will ensure he can't get close!"
Ning Zhuo's combat power surged, and his confidence swelled accordingly, making him even more eager for his upcoming fight with Chang Yan.
"Big brother, big brother, come on, it's your turn."
"Spirit Hidden Willow is really useful. I've comprehended three magics consecutively, which is much easier than pondering on my own."
Ning Zhuo called out to Sun Lingtong, sharing this joy with him.
Sun Lingtong giggled, "Good, let me have a try too!"
Ning Zhuo deployed the Mechanical Dragon and continued his cultivation.
In the following days, he continued with the martial arts special training with Lin Shanshan.
He progressed at lightning speed, achieving a balance in offense and defense, with the attack moves nearing fifty percent of his actions.
While Lin Shanshan admired Ning Zhuo's aptitude, she also inquired about his comprehension of the Understanding Law Maps.
Ning Zhuo told her that he had entered a fine state in comprehending the first Old Tree Root Map but hadn't yet refined the other two.
Upon learning this, joy appeared on Lin Shanshan's face: "In just one day, you've already been able to comprehend. Young Master Ning Zhuo, I indeed wasn't wrong about you."