Ning Zhuo continued, "The reason I refuse to accept these Understanding Law Maps is that they did not originate from a friend's assistance."
"They are indeed an apology and have been of some help to me!"
"But as far as my temperament is concerned, I do not hold such things in high regard."
"Ha ha ha, to think of it, with my innate talent, my background, my creativity, given time, how hard could it be to obtain whatever Understanding Law Map I desire in this world?"
"I understand completely that the elder brothers of your esteemed sect are protecting their younger sister and have misunderstood me."
"Right, understanding does not equate to forgiveness."
"I will respond to this matter in my own way!"
Upon hearing Ning Zhuo's words, Xiaoju became anxious and tried to persuade him, hoping to turn hostility into friendship.
Ning Zhuo smiled and produced many pieces of evidence from his Storage Waist Belt.
"These are the findings of my investigation today, evidence that Miss Lin's elder brothers have instigated and secretly spread false rumors."
"Miss Xiaoju, please deliver these to Daoist Fellow Linghu. If Miss Lin is aware, also please allow her to examine them."
Xiaoju paled upon realizing that Ning Zhuo had already investigated the matter.
"He truly is the scion of a family, having been nurtured from young. In this regard, Ning Zhuo and the young miss are alike!"
Xiaoju was merely a servant girl and could not make decisions; ultimately, under Ning Zhuo's personal escort, she left Little Struggle Peak with the Understanding Law Maps that couldn't be borrowed out and the newly found incriminating evidence.
"How interesting, truly interesting." Ning Zhuo paced around his Cave Mansion, the more he thought about it, the more amusing he found the situation.
From his Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon at his waist, Sun Lingtong transmitted his voice: "Little Zhuo, I spent a lot of effort to collect this evidence, and you just gave it away like that? Without even a bit of blackmail or extortion?"
"And those Fire-attribute and Gold Element Understanding Law Maps, why did you not accept them? They were practically delivered into our mouths like a juicy morsel."
"I might not wish to study them, but I certainly do!"
Ning Zhuo shook his head slightly but did not answer, instead, he counter-asked, "Boss, what do you think of Linghu Jiu?"
Sun Lingtong replied without hesitation, "According to the intelligence, this person is the eldest disciple of the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect, blessed with innate talent, exceptional creativity, greatly fond of liquor, and highly reputed within the sect! But he is unruly and prone to error, often getting himself imprisoned in the Myriad Demons Cave by Lin Bufan."
Ning Zhuo asked, "Then boss, have you ever studied what sort of mistakes Linghu Jiu often makes to get punished by Lin Bufan?"
Sun Lingtong thought for a moment, "All minor, trivial matters. But since he's the eldest brother, he must set an example. Therefore, it's logical for Lin Bufan to punish him."
Ning Zhuo hummed in acknowledgment, "Regular imprisonment and punishment notwithstanding, Linghu Jiu's reputation within Ten Thousand Medicine Sect has always remained at the top."
"Lin Shanshan, including this time, instinctively seeks help from Linghu Jiu, the big brother, whenever she encounters difficulties."
"I believe that not only Lin Shanshan but others like Lao De view Linghu Jiu in the same way."
"From my analysis of the intelligence, I initially thought that Linghu Jiu was nothing but an unrestrained playboy. But now, he seems far from simple!"
"Think about it, we just got our hands on the evidence, and he acted like this."
"If he knew that we held incriminating evidence, it would mean he has a thorough understanding of the external situation."
"If he didn't know and only just learned from Xiaoju, yet deduced everything and made compensatory actions, then it shows that his grasp and understanding of human nature and sect affairs are also extremely remarkable."
Having said this, Ning Zhuo began to respond to Sun Lingtong's earlier comment, "Whether I accept these Understanding Law Maps or not, the power of the evidence we held in our hands has already plummeted to rock bottom. This card is virtually half-wasted; if we don't play it now, it'll no longer be in our hands in the future."
"Playing it now, we might still be able to use it again in the future!"
After listening to the explanation, Sun Lingtong had a moment of realization: "I understand! You and that Linghu Jiu, you used this incident to engage in a bout of confrontation!"
"Exactly," Ning Zhuo nodded, "It's a pity. If it had been at the back of Great Struggle Peak, I could have 'accidentally' wandered into the Myriad Demons Cave to meet Linghu Jiu, under the guise of ignorance."
"Unfortunately, at that time, our target was Lin Shanshan, and we didn't consider the possibility of complications."
"Now, in this situation, since I'm aware of what's happening, barging into the Myriad Demons Cave would be disrespectful to the entire Ten Thousand Medicine Sect."
"I really would like to meet Linghu Jiu."
Just as Linghu Jiu was eager to meet Ning Zhuo, Ning Zhuo had now developed a keen interest in Linghu Jiu.
Sun Lingtong reminded him, "Little Zhuo, better to focus on the present."
"Without Gold Element or Fire-attribute Magic, how do you plan to deal with Hua Guzi?"
Ning Zhuo smiled, "Boss, don't worry, I have my own plans!"
Ning Zhuo returned the Understanding Law Maps, rejecting the apology, which greatly surprised Linghu Jiu.
After hearing about it, Lin Shanshan was no longer so worried, which surprised Xiaoju.
Lin Shanshan explained, "I know Young Master Ning Zhuo's character. Since he has declined them, he must be confident in himself. I'm now quite looking forward to his victory over Hua Guzi!"
Because this fight was a privately arranged duel, not on the day of Little Struggle.
Many cultivators were anticipating the battle.
The battle occurred as scheduled.
Martial Arts Arena of Little Struggle Peak!
Hua Guzi had a petite and exquisite figure, standing only four and a half feet tall. Her short hair had jet-black roots, fading to white with a hint of purple at the tips.
Her face was round and baby-faced with fair and delicate skin.
Her eyes glittered with a purple light, a hint of demon in them, and it was said she was the half-demon offspring of human and demon.
Her nose was small and straight, and her lips were pink.
She wore a dress of alternating red and white strips, barefooted, and seemed to float as she moved, rarely touching the ground.
"Ning Zhuo, don't think you can be so arrogant just because you're good-looking!" Hua Guzi chided him as soon as she spoke, "Today, I'll give you a proper lesson."
Ning Zhuo smiled, "Daoist Fellow Hua, you're also quite good-looking, even more capricious than I am. So according to what you just said, it should be you who deserves a lesson, shouldn't it?"
Hua Guzi stood still, taken aback, motionless.
"Eh?" She blinked repeatedly after realizing it. "You, you really have a way with words."
"Hehehe, you're so good at sweet-talking girls, I'm even more excited now!"
"I'm going to rip your mouth apart!!!"
The next moment, she directly cast a spell.
Tree Realm Descent!
This powerful Wood Element Magic was unleashed in an instant. Towering trees sprang from the ground, enveloping Ning Zhuo completely.
Then, countless vines and roots, like myriad snakes, wound towards Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo was about to cast a spell to defend, but suddenly he paused.
"Fake!"
"This must be fake!"
Ning Zhuo suddenly realized this and gritted his teeth, choosing not to defend.
Both parties had agreed to the duel with a referee present.
If the referee hadn't announced the start of the fight, whoever made the first move would be breaking the rules and become the loser.
Indeed, once the tree vines wrapped around Ning Zhuo, they all turned into transparent shadows and dissipated.
The next moment, the dense forest interwoven by the towering trees also disappeared before Ning Zhuo's eyes.
His vision cleared once more.
Hua Guzi still floated in the same place, without moving an inch.
"Gugu..." She covered her mouth and laughed, the sound as odd as a pigeon's cooing.
Meanwhile, the surrounding spectators burst into laughter, seeing Ning Zhuo's defensive posture tighten anxiously.
"Illusion Technique, Little Zhuo, you've fallen for her Illusion Technique!" Sun Lingtong laughed heartily from inside Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon.
Lacking Lingtong's divine eyes, Ning Zhuo was easily tricked.
Seeing Ning Zhuo at a disadvantage, Sun Lingtong rejoiced in others' misfortune, as if returning to the days when he had been Ning Zhuo's instructor.
Ning Zhuo's face showed solemnity: "Daoist Fellow Hua's Illusion Techniques are much more troublesome than I imagined. I have learned my lesson!"
Hua Guzi stared into Ning Zhuo's eyes, revealing a sick and cruel smile: "Rest assured, young man, this little lesson isn't enough. Next, I'll let you truly savor the taste of my flowers."
The battle began!
Wood Element — Root Vine Entanglement!
Wood Element — Fragrant Flower Illusion!
Ning Zhuo took the initiative to attack first.
Vines burst from beneath the floor tiles, like crocodiles lurking underground, suddenly surfacing and snapping their jaws.
But they "bit" into nothing!
Hua Guzi's figure dissolved on the spot, leaving only a few petals and a fragrance behind.
"I can't see her!" Ning Zhuo's search was fruitless, leaving him in a very passive situation.
He quickly released Mechanical Floating Hands, ceaselessly casting various Five Elements Magic, bombing wildly in all directions, up in the sky and down on the ground.
If Hua Guzi got too close and was hit by the attacks, her figure might be revealed.
With offense as his defense, Ning Zhuo seemed strong but was actually at a disadvantage.
He knew the real situation well, so while controlling the Mechanical Floating Hands, he also strenuously multitasked, preparing the Tree Realm Descent Technique!
Contrary to Ning Zhuo's expectations, Hua Guzi did not show up while he was preparing his spell.
Wood Element — Tree Realm Descent!
The next moment, the scene Ning Zhuo had previously seen afflicted by the Illusion Technique reappeared.
A mass of trees erupted from the ground, forming a forest that covered the entire battlefield.
Numerous vines and roots wildly swung and entangled, trying to "sweep" out Hua Guzi.
But Hua Guzi appeared voluntarily.
She floated above, higher than the tree canopy.
As soon as she appeared, countless tree vines, like a swarm of snakes, all surged toward Hua Guzi, the momentum was astonishing.
In the face of danger, Hua Guzi remained composed showing a smug smile: "I've been waiting for you to use this move!"
Wood Element — Life-Stealing Flower!
The next moment, countless flower buds began to grow on the vines and roots.
These buds quickly swelled in the wind. At the second breath, they all blossomed.
The vines and roots had their magic drained and withered in an instant.
The flowers then broke off from the vines and danced in the sky.
Wood Element — Withering Flower Rain.
Like a downpour, the rain of petals covered the entire forest.
The towering ancient trees withered and fell one after another.
More and more buds formed on these trees, then stole away their magic and vitality, blooming all at once.
Hua Guzi laughed triumphantly: "Trying to play Wood Element Magic with me? I am your ancestor in this game!"