Lin Shanshan's expression was complex, showing both joy and resentment on her face.
Her thoughts fluctuated, and her eyes shone brightly, "This silly big head, when I first saw him, I felt he was extraordinary. My judgment was indeed correct!"
Seeing his beloved daughter intently watching Ning Zhuo, Lin Bufan's heart was filled with mixed feelings, and he decisively dismissed his previous thoughts, "No, with Shanshan's temperament and tactics, if she were to marry Ning Zhuo, she might be devoured to the point where not even her bones remain."
"Ning Zhuo, this man with a thick face and a dark heart, is definitely not a good match for Shanshan."
"Instead, Jiu'er, who is straightforward and generous, deeply in love with Shanshan, will surely not mistreat her in the future."
Lin Bufan had taken wives, fathered daughters, and recruited numerous disciples for the sake of his own position and cultivation.
But just as he had said to everyone in the living room earlier—people change.
After spending day and night together, along with Lin Bufan investing energy in people like Lin Shanshan and Linghu Jiu, his thoughts as a father and master had gradually changed him.
He hoped more than anything for a stable future for Lin Shanshan.
Water Element—Green Water Surrounding.
Ning Zhuo laughed heartily, having successfully mimicked and mastered a new spell.
Surrounded by jade-like water currents, walking on the water surface, he displayed Water Strike Three Thousand, forcing Linghu Jiu to continuously retreat.
The battlefield environment painstakingly altered by Linghu Jiu became something that Ning Zhuo could utilize.
In terms of geographical advantage, both benefited equally.
Linghu Jiu took a deep breath and immediately came up with a new tactic.
He said with a laugh, "Younger brother, can you imitate the next spell too?"
Wind Technique—Wind Wave Agitation!
Gales swept through, creating vibrating wind waves that clashed wave after wave with Water Strike Three Thousand, crushing the Water Element.
Wind Technique—Wind Ling Lan!
Linghu Jiu charged once again, where he went, the fierce winds were extremely harsh, the proud streams of water grew weak and disintegrated.
Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth, but he couldn't see through it.
Wind, Thunder, Ice, Magnetic, etc., though closely related to the Five Elements, strictly speaking, are not among them.
Wind Technique—One Generation of Elegance.
Eight-Direction Sword Skill—Upper Sword.
Linghu Jiu, holding his sharp sword, dashing and debonair, the glint of his sword like water like wind, was able to blend swordsmanship with spells and launched an attack far surpassing his prior efforts—
Upper Wind Sword!
Even though Ning Zhuo was protected by the Demon-infused Bloodline Technique and Green Water Surrounding, he dared not meet its sharp edge and continuously retreated.
Linghu Jiu seized the momentum to mount an aggressive attack, the fierce wind growing ever stronger with the sound.
Ning Zhuo secretly cursed, realizing his just action was a mistake. Such momentum from Linghu Jiu, once it starts, only gets stronger.
The best strategy was to suppress it at its budding stage, before it could fully develop.
At this moment, relying solely on Ning Zhuo's magical abilities, it was difficult to stop it, unless...
The next moment, Ning Zhuo decisively released Mechanical Artifacts.
Dozens of floating Mechanical Artifacts, with arms and legs, totaling thirty pieces.
Ning Zhuo slightly spread his fingers, they moved frequently, pulling and tugging, sometimes stretching, sometimes curling.
Thirty Mechanical Artifacts, divided into three waves, successively charged at Linghu Jiu.
The Upper Wind Sword slashed onto the Mechanical Artifacts, immediately causing damage, but not severely. Ning Zhuo had used materials of Foundation Establishment Level on them, ensuring they were substantially durable.
Frost Freeze Fist.
Old Cold Leg.
Suffering Body!
Especially the last one, which made the damaged Mechanical Artifacts even more formidable.
Linghu Jiu was forced to switch from attack to defense, his long sword dancing out brilliant sword light, firmly defending from all directions.
All around him, thirty Mechanical Fists and Feet, punching and kicking in turns, cooperated tacitly, forming a continuous onslaught, leaving Linghu Jiu struggling to defend.
Seeing the battle situation overturned once again, the spectators were slightly stirred.
Many of them asked themselves, how did their own skills at the Foundation Establishment Level compare to those of Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu? Where could they find such an endless stream of methods!
Ning Zhuo pressed his attack, resolutely upping the ante.
While controlling the Mechanical Artifacts, he spurred on his spells.
"Underground currents hidden, mysterious roots deep, vines entangle, all things imprisoned. Rise!"
Vines sprang from nowhere, entangling Linghu Jiu. Even if it was only for a few moments, it created enough openings for a flurry of punches and kicks from the Mechanical Artifacts.
"Pine wind howls, emerald waves surge, forest sea churns, overturning the earth. Sweep!"
Green radiant light, like a tide, overthrew Linghu Jiu, sending him tumbling. Mechanical Fists and Feet, shadow-like, constantly battered him.
"Ancient trees vast, tree realm boundless, changing the colors of heaven and earth, Spirit Root descends. Approach!"
Ancient forest trees once more appeared, countless branches and vine roots, along with the Mechanical Fists and Feet, relentlessly pressed Linghu Jiu into a corner.
Linghu Jiu's injuries worsened, apart from being battered to the point of being bruised and swollen, his body also bore many frostbites, his combat strength severely decreased, edging on the brink of defeat!
Lin Bufan and Lin Shanshan's expressions shifted slightly.
Ning Zhuo's combat power was definitely enough to stabilize his position at Little Struggle Peak. Even the highest-ranked Lai Wuying and Zheng Xingchen could not withstand such a tidal wave of attacks.
Ning Jiufan stroked his beard, smiling slightly.
At the critical moment of victory or defeat, Linghu Jiu finally played his trump card with a light whistle!
He brandished his long sword, floating and gentle.
The essence of the sword diffused, ethereal and elusive, faintly present yet absent, like a fleeting life, a dream within reality.
Lonely Sword Scripture—Dreams of the River and Moon.
Life is like a dream, he pours out a toast to the moon on the river... In a flash, Ning Zhuo saw an illusion; Linghu Jiu, in a lone boat, raising his cup to invite the moon's reflection on the river.
By the time Ning Zhuo reacted, he had already fallen into the trap!
Thirty Mechanical Fist and Feet mostly shattered apart, countless vines gasping for breath, unable to burst forth.
With one move, Linghu Jiu broke through the heavy encirclement.
He charged at Ning Zhuo, his long sword targeting Ning Zhuo in mid-charge!
Now, the battlefield resembled deep waters circling ancient trees, with Ning Zhuo cloaked within the canopy.
Seeing Linghu Jiu thrusting towards him, Ning Zhuo, of course, would not just wait in place.
He used the Wood Element Magic, Fragrant Flower Illusion, teleporting away in an instant.
Little did he know, Linghu Jiu had already planned ahead, his posture unchanged, effortlessly executing the second move.
Lonely Sword Scripture—Snow Clearing Lone Boat!
He and his sword became one, like a boat sailing through a snowy sea, each move a turning point. Like a lone boat on the river, fearless of the waves!
Lonely fishing on the cold river, his heart like a lone boat...
Solitary and steadfast.
Ning Zhuo's vision was filled with illusions again, seeing drifting snow, and Linghu Jiu alone in his boat fishing on the river, occasionally sipping cold wine from his gourd.
As he opened his eyes, he saw a sharp sword light enlarging before him.
Linghu Jiu's sword technique ignored teleportation, directly targeting Ning Zhuo!
In an instant, Ning Zhuo's pupils constricted, alarms blaring in his mind, sensing a severe threat.
"Great Victory, protect me!"
He slapped his belt, releasing a Golden Core Level Mechanical Monkey.
Heavy Blood Ape·Great Victory!
Yuan Dasheng, grand and robust like a city gate, directly blocked Linghu Jiu's advance.
Linghu Jiu's sword move struck Yuan Dasheng, creating a shallow sword mark. Yuan Dasheng howled, vibrated his arms, and courageously charged at Linghu Jiu, trying to embrace him.
Wood Element—Void Bamboo Shadow.
Linghu Jiu's illusion was preserved, his true body sidestepped Yuan Dasheng, continuing his charge towards Ning Zhuo.
Lonely Sword Scripture—Endless Snow!
Linghu Jiu's sword launched, the sword light spreading out, turning into drifting white snow, boundless, cold as solitude.
Solitude and the chilling cold, up to the despair of a heart like dead ashes, overwhelmed Ning Zhuo's mind.
Ning Zhuo snorted coldly, cornered, he boldly pulled out the Big Snake Scythe!
This was the Night Rain Demon Weapon!
Zhu Xuanji's expression suddenly changed.
He was deeply impressed by this Mechanical Sickle.
"This is bad! It's Endless Snow!" Lin Shanshan suddenly leapt down, inserting herself into the battlefield.
"Elder brother's move is not yet matured, he can't control it freely, yet this move is extremely powerful, it could endanger Ning Zhuo's life!"
Holding intense worry, Lin Shanshan, in her urgency, didn't think much, landing between Ning Zhuo and Linghu Jiu, trying with all her might to stop him.
"Junior sister!" Linghu Jiu was shocked, quickly changing his move.
"This?!" Seeing Lin Shanshan with her back turned, unguarded, and Ning Zhuo already fully swinging the Big Snake Scythe, he could only forcefully divert its direction.
Boom!
A purple sickle-shaped blade light shot out, striking an empty space in the battlefield, leaving behind a lingering purple scar.
Linghu Jiu's sword light, however, bypassed Lin Shanshan, stopping at Ning Zhuo's throat, turning into a sharp sword.
The three of them froze.
Ning Zhuo stared at the sword tip below his chin, his voice hoarse, "I lost."
But Linghu Jiu turned his attention to the still lingering purple scar, his eyes filled with shock, slowly retracting his sword, "No, I lost."
The Five Elements Divine Master voluntarily appeared, his gaze fixed on the purple scar, moved, "What kind of technique is this?"
As a Dharma Body, possessing Refining Void Level combat power, the purple scar was like tiny raindrops to him, too trivial to be considered. What moved him was the essence contained within the purple scar!
Lin Bufan's expression also became vacant, from the moment Ning Zhuo swung his scythe with all his might, he felt a power that could threaten him.
A mere Foundation Establishment Early Stage, actually posing a threat to Nascent Soul Level!?
That was utterly preposterous!