Lin Jinglong smiled, "Naturally. You can rest assured, Brother Gongsun."
Gongsun Yan possesses innate talent and holds an uncommon status among Lin Jinglong’s subordinates; he indeed deserved such special treatment.
The two of them descended together into the Martial Arts Arena.
The vast square, paved with massive grayish-white stone bricks, was as smooth as a mirror, with flowing runes at the edges. An array formed a faint golden protective light screen, separating the inside from the outside.
Gongsun Yan and Su Lingkou stood facing each other, and the atmosphere in the arena quickly became tense.
Gongsun Yan, seeing Su Lingkou’s petite frame and her attire resembling a neighbor’s daughter—an asymmetrical-collared short jacket with a pleated skirt—spoke in a muffled voice, "Miss Su, you’re unlucky to encounter me. I’ll give you a chance; I’ll let you attack first."
Lin Jinglong’s brow inconspicuously knitted for a moment, then smoothed again.
Su Lingkou squinted, feeling belittled, and responded coldly, "You will regret this."
She flicked her wrist, and the Dark Water Knotted Cord and the Purple Fire Knotted Cord darted from her wrist.
The two cords flew through the air, each bringing forth tiny ice crystals and sparks!
Gongsun Yan deeply inhaled, steeling his spirit, and cast a defensive spell, forming a semi-transparent fireball around himself.
Unexpectedly, the two thin cords shot forward, then swiftly evaded the fireball shield.
Su Lingkou executed a finger technique and silently chanted in her heart, "Yin Yang Lock!"
The two thin cords intertwined mid-air, instantly forming a glowing lock in the shape of a continuously rotating Taiji fish!
The Yin fish grasped the Yang eye, and the Yang fish encompassed the Yin pupil. At the moment the glowing lock hit the ground, a humming resonated through the Martial Arts Arena.
A layer of dark ice instantly covered the gray-white stone bricks, the cold rushing up, quickly passing over Gongsun Yan’s feet, forming a thin sheet of ice.
From the cold, Gongsun Yan sensed the implied heat.
Not daring to be careless, he took out a small hammer magic artifact and held it in his hand.
In the next moment, the muscles in his left arm bulged, and he struck the ice surface with the small hammer!
Bang! The hammer fell like a drumbeat! The ice surface shattered beneath the hammer, spewing forth red lava.
Taking advantage of Gongsun Yan being entangled with the lava, Su Lingkou’s gaze remained calm, and she lifted her skirt slightly. The seventy-two pearls adorning it silently shot out like stars encircling Gongsun Yan.
Su Lingkou willed it, producing a Silver Array Plate, holding it in her left hand.
Thin pins were inserted into the array plate, with cords interconnecting the pins.
"Array activate!" she commanded crisply, and the array plate instantly emitted dazzling brilliance.
Gongsun Yan scattered the lava with his hammer and strode to Su Lingkou.
Yet, around him, the pearls shone, forming shadows of cords that obstructed him layer by layer.
Gongsun Yan channeled his spell, enhancing the small hammer, and swept it across once more.
Though the cord shadows broke apart, they burst forth with pin-like brilliance, piercing through Gongsun Yan’s protective fire shield.
The brilliance clashing with Gongsun Yan’s bronze skin issued metallic collision sounds, resembling relentless downpour.
Gongsun Yan persevered through his attacks, expelling two streams of golden-white fire from his nostrils.
The fire streams coiled like flood dragons around his neck, arms, and even the hammer’s handle.
The small hammer seemed to come alive, its might surging!
Once again, Gongsun Yan swung the hammer wildly, continuously destroying the surrounding cord shadows.
Meanwhile, on Su Lingkou’s side, cords burst apart on the array plate, causing pins to shoot out, one even grazing her cheek, leaving a blood mark.
Su Lingkou’s expression grew heavy; without hesitation, she slightly parted her lips, biting her tongue tip, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the array plate.
The array plate hummed!
Eight cord shadows abruptly expanded, entwining Gongsun Yan’s body and limbs. Even the small hammer in his hand was wrapped layer upon layer.
Chaos-Entwining... Lock!
The array plate emitted a creaking sound, with Su Lingkou exerting all her effort to form a lock.
Once the lock took shape, the array would be complete and capable of sealing Gongsun Yan right there.
Gongsun Yan also understood this was a critical moment.
Without hesitation, his heartbeat surged, accelerating, driving out innate talent, reigniting his heart’s flame.
The heart fire blazed, turning him into a living human without injury.
The heart fire fell upon the cord shadows, immediately burning them red-hot, softening, and then severing them one by one!
Su Lingkou also gave her all; for every cord severed, she exerted her utmost to add more.
The two sides fell into a stalemate!
Crack.
A dense crack appeared on the edge of the array plate.
Gongsun Yan was bleeding from all seven orifices, feeling as if crushed by a giant python, about to shatter inside and out.
Outside the ring, Shen Xi and Lin Jinglong exchanged a glance, and the next moment they shouted simultaneously.
"Stop, Daoist Fellow Gongsun!"
"Cousin, cease fire, cease fire!"
There was no deep-seated hatred between Gongsun Yan and Su Lingkou, so upon hearing the shouts, they gradually eased off and ultimately let each other go.
This was merely a sparring session, not a life-and-death duel, nor a grudge match.
Neither Gongsun Yan nor Su Lingkou could compare to Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi, but they were trusted aides of the latter two. Injuring each other seriously would be too great a loss.
If it affected the upcoming Feiyun Conference, it would be even worse.
"Cousin, I didn’t win..." Su Lingkou returned to Shen Xi’s side, looking ashamed.
Shen Xi waved his hand to stop her from apologizing, comforting her, "Daoist Fellow Gongsun Yan is remarkably strong; there’s no need for mutual destruction. I don’t want you to fight so desperately for me."
Su Lingkou’s face flushed slightly.
Lin Jinglong interjected, "Brother Shen, shall we call it a draw this time?"
Shen Xi nodded.
Lin Jinglong said, "Two out of three wins, let’s set the next battle for three days hence. Brother Shen, this time should be enough for you to gather others?"
Shen Xi smiled wryly, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate; I can only say I’ll try my best."
Watching Lin Jinglong and Gongsun Yan leave, Su Lingkou immediately frowned, "Cousin, can Ning Zhuo really do it?"
"His Five Elements mastery is indeed high, but it doesn’t necessarily mean his combat power is strong."
Shen Xi replied, "I trust Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo."
"However, I indeed haven’t seen him in action, crossing hands with anyone."
"Is that so..."
"I will immediately send him a flying message, but at the same time, we should look for other candidates."
Ning Zhuo had yet to notice the flying message.
He was fully engrossed in another matter at this moment.
That was the creation of his Lifebound Magical Artifact!
Previously, he cultivated the Mirror Stand Spirit Communication Technique, successfully conjured the Abnormal Phenomenon Seed Talisman, and acquired the Lifebound Spirit Communication Technique. Consequently, he crafted the Spirit Communication Treasure Mirror.
Now, having achieved the Abnormal Phenomenon Seed Talisman second time, he’s gained the Lifebound Level Five Elements Life and Death Technique, naturally enabling him to create a second Lifebound Magical Artifact.
This is the advantage of cultivating the Three Elixir Fields.
Most cultivators have only one Lifebound Magical Treasure, but Ning Zhuo theoretically can have three.
The three Mechanical Platforms once again provided Ning Zhuo with tremendous assistance.
A Mechanical Fan was freshly crafted!
The fan’s rib boasted twelve structures, derived from the Five Elements, serving as the twelve Spirit Core Shafts of Mechanical Artifacts.
The fan surface was made of cloud flood dragon silk, entirely blank.
The fan pins took a pentagram shape, right at this spot, Ning Zhuo inscribed the talismanic mark of his lifebound techniques.
Ning Zhuo grasped the smooth handle, thumb gently pushing and flicked it along.
After a crisp sound, the twelve fan ribs burst open like startled peacocks, scattering a dazzling display of five-colored fragments.
The fan surface fully unfurled, revealing above it a swirl of five-colored clouds, constantly shifting. Sometimes bursting, sometimes vanishing.
Ning Zhuo lightly swayed the fan, releasing a torrent of the Five Qi.
With another sway of the fan, the torrent quickly dissolved, vanishing in midair within a few breaths.
Underneath the fan, the five elements’ Five Qi were fiercely mastered, flowing solely according to Ning Zhuo’s will.
Ning Zhuo closed his five fingers, naturally closing the Mechanical Fan as well.
"With the aid of this fan, my strength has increased significantly."
"Can I use it to resolve the troubles with the Mengye Tiger?"
Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo immediately retrieved the Mechanical Night Tiger. Its spiritual nature was dulled, remaining motionless. Despite Ning Zhuo’s calls, it was like sinking stone, without the slightest response.
Ning Zhuo unfurled the Mechanical Fan, fanning the Night Tiger several times.
The Night Tiger remained as silent as stone.
Ning Zhuo sighed, then took out the frozen Yuan Dasheng, also trying with the Mechanical Fan.
Failure.
"Hmm?" Ning Zhuo packed away the two mechanisms, and while tidying his emotions, he discovered Shen Xi’s two flying messages.