Chapter 368: Renowned Throughout the Valley

If not for Unlike Ning Zhuo's innocent and eager expression, and the clear, guileless look in his black-and-white eyes, Lin Shanshan would have scolded him as a "lecher."

Just as Lin Shanshan was about to refuse, Unlike Ning Zhuo patted his belt and took out the mechanical arms from before.

"Miss Lin, I would like to gift these two mechanical floating hands to you."

"How about you control them and instruct me in martial arts?"

Lin Shanshan let out an "ah," and the misgivings in her heart vanished for the most part. She hesitated, "These mechanical floating hands can be considered your trump card; you would just give them to me like this?"

What kind of trump card was this!

But Unlike Ning Zhuo still acted as if he were hesitant for a moment.

Then, he said sincerely, "Firstly, I trust your character, Miss. Even exposing the details of these mechanical arms in front of you gives me no cause for concern."

"Secondly, I am deeply aware of my flaws in martial arts. Having dealt with Hanzhou this time, I will have to face other figures in the future, and every battle will require me to confront this. It is better to start solving this problem right now!"

Such a firm attitude earned Lin Shanshan even more admiration.

With her concerns gone, Lin Shanshan took the mechanical floating hands. "Since that is the case, let us begin the special training."

The training focused primarily on actual combat, with Lin Shanshan doing her best to mimic Hanzhou's fighting style as she sparred with Unlike Ning Zhuo.

Unlike Ning Zhuo's cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, while Lin Shanshan was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Furthermore, Unlike Ning Zhuo could suppress the power of his spells; the goal was to simulate being cornered by a powerful enemy and learn how to turn the situation around and create distance.

Lin Shanshan's repeated charges left Unlike Ning Zhuo struggling to cope, and he was soon drenched in sweat.

An hour and a half passed quickly.

Seeing Unlike Ning Zhuo's movements becoming distorted and his stamina exhausted, Lin Shanshan stopped voluntarily. "Let's end today's training here."

Unlike Ning Zhuo was extremely fatigued, panting heavily, his clothes already soaked with sweat. "Th-thank you, Miss Lin..."

"Today's martial arts practice has benefited me greatly!"

Lin Shanshan was also slightly sweaty, but a sweep of her magic power made her fresh and dry again.

She said, "Young Master Unlike Ning Zhuo, it is clear that you usually focus on practicing spells. You rarely engage in martial arts practice like today, right?"

Unlike Ning Zhuo nodded. "Miss Lin's discerning eyes are sharp; I have embarrassed myself before you."

Lin Shanshan shook her head, her expression serious. "You may not have noticed your performance before and after this practice. Your rate of improvement is significant, which speaks to your talent."

"You have insight; only by thinking carefully, realizing your shortcomings, and constantly adjusting can you achieve such training results today."

"What you lack most is actual combat experience."

"Therefore, the Small Contention Peak is truly suitable for you, Young Master Unlike Ning Zhuo."

"Even if you lose to Hanzhou this time, please do not take it to heart. As long as you stay at the Small Contention Peak for a few months, you will inevitably undergo a transformation!"

Lin Shanshan not only affirmed Unlike Ning Zhuo's talent and insight but also offered him sound advice, comfort, and guidance.

It didn't matter if he lost; the future was his.

Unlike Ning Zhuo nodded, staring intently at Lin Shanshan. "Without your guidance in every move, Miss Lin, how could I have achieved such results today by working behind closed doors?"

"At what time tomorrow shall we continue here?"

Lin Shanshan was stunned.

She had never thought about continuing to instruct him. In her mind, teaching him this once was enough.

My Buddha Heart Demon Seal!

Under Unlike Ning Zhuo's influence, the words Lin Shanshan was about to use to refuse turned into agreement. "Alright, here tomorrow, at the same time, how about that?"

"Thank you, Miss Lin!" Unlike Ning Zhuo bowed deeply and took out four stalks of Fog-Hidden Orchid. "This is a small token of my appreciation..."

Lin Shanshan laughed. "I have already said that Hanzhou's challenge is my responsibility. Young Master Unlike Ning Zhuo, I am merely acting according to my heart. If I accept your gift, the situation will change for me."

"Can you understand?"

Unlike Ning Zhuo sighed heavily. "I understand. Miss Lin, your noble character is worthy of being the pride of the Myriad Medicine Sect! Such grace is something I have only seen once in my life!"

Lin Shanshan had been praised many times, but this was the first time she had been praised so directly, face-to-face, fiercely, and with such sincerity by Unlike Ning Zhuo.

So much so that when Lin Shanshan walked out of the martial arts arena, her pace was slightly hurried.

"An hour and a half... the two of them stayed in the martial arts arena the whole time..." Many disciples had been watching for a long time.

Seeing Lin Shanshan and Unlike Ning Zhuo come out together, they all used covert glances to size them up.

They saw Unlike Ning Zhuo, drenched in sweat and unsteady on his feet, and also saw Lin Shanshan walking in front with a slightly tense expression.

All kinds of speculations emerged in their hearts.

When Lin Shanshan passed by the disciples, she suddenly paused.

"Oh, right," she instructed. "Reserve one of the Heaven-grade martial arts arenas; I will be using it for the next few days!"

"Understood." The disciple agreed immediately, while his heart was greatly shaken. Judging by Lin Shanshan's meaning, she intended to spend much more time with this young man!

"Who exactly is this young man?" This huge question hovered in the hearts of many.

Therefore, when Unlike Ning Zhuo and Lin Shanshan said their goodbyes and left, he was immediately greeted by many people who tried to probe his background.

Unlike Ning Zhuo did not hide anything; he stated his identity and explained the circumstances: he had been challenged by Hanzhou, and Lin Shanshan, true to being the pride of the Myriad Medicine Sect, was warm-hearted and graceful, and had taken the initiative to help him prepare for the battle.

"Is our Eldest Miss really that warm-hearted?"

"She is indeed helpful, but this is the first time she has helped a stranger to such an extent."

"Why wasn't I challenged by Hanzhou? This kid Unlike Ning Zhuo is truly blessed by misfortune!"

News regarding Unlike Ning Zhuo and Lin Shanshan spread quickly.

When Li Jingqing learned of this news, his face turned deathly pale!

"It's over!"

"It would be easy for Lin Shanshan to find out the truth behind this. Her siding with him like this only shows her attitude toward me."

"I was supposed to build a good relationship with the Myriad Medicine Sect, and suddenly, I've offended the Sect Master's beloved daughter. What kind of situation is this?!"

Li Jingqing felt like slapping himself.

"Counterproductive!"

"It's counterproductive!" He sighed bitterly and suffered from insomnia that night, tossing and turning in bed.

By dawn, he had made up his mind. After washing up, he meticulously groomed himself.

After leaving his cave dwelling, he climbed upward and finally stopped in front of Cave Dwelling No. 281.

He channeled his magic power into the array on the cave entrance wall and then cast his visiting card into the array.

The next moment, the visiting card was transmitted through the array into Unlike Ning Zhuo's hands.

Unlike Ning Zhuo unfolded the letter and took a look. It contained thousands of words, but he only saw the two characters for "apology."

"Interesting."

He put away the visiting card and stood up. First, he notified Sun Lingtong, who was sleeping inside the Myriad Mile Wandering Dragon, to control the mechanical dragon and lurk nearby as a backup to prevent any accidents.

Then, Unlike Ning Zhuo opened the cave's array and calmly invited Li Jingqing into the cave for a detailed talk.

Li Jingqing brought heavy gifts to offer his apologies.

Unlike Ning Zhuo, however, did not accept a single one: "I already learned the truth about your scheme behind my back from Senior Sister Lin Shanshan."

"I understand you, but I also despise you."

"However, since you took the initiative to come and apologize today, your sincerity is quite evident; we can consider this a case of not knowing each other without fighting."

"I will not accept any of these gifts."

"To tell you the truth, being able to fight Hanzhou is my honor, and I am quite looking forward to it."

Li Jingqing pointed his finger at a jade slip among the offerings: "This is the latest intelligence I have collected regarding Hanzhou; it is absolutely authentic."

Unlike Ning Zhuo glanced at the jade slip and then withdrew his gaze: "I believe your apology is genuine. But I will not use such things."

"I want to rely on my own strength to welcome the first battle."

"I will speak to Senior Sister Lin Shanshan about your situation."

Seeing Li Jingqing move to take out more heavy gifts, Unlike Ning Zhuo waved his hand, directly interrupting him: "Don't even think about me speaking well of you! I will only tell the truth."

"You may go now."

Li Jingqing observed his expression and, seeing Unlike Ning Zhuo's grave face, realized he should not be too hasty. He had no choice but to bow and scrape, retrieve all the apology gifts, and leave the cave dwelling.

When he met Lin Shanshan again, Unlike Ning Zhuo told her the truth about Li Jingqing.

"A mere merchant, not worth mentioning," Lin Shanshan shook her head. "I never intended to make things difficult for him."

"However, don't tell him; let him stay anxious for a few days."

Lin Shanshan was very satisfied with how Unlike Ning Zhuo handled this; this was what a good man looked like. If Unlike Ning Zhuo had truly accepted Li Jingqing's apology and canceled the challenge with Hanzhou, Lin Shanshan would have understood, but she would also have looked down on him.

"I will come to watch your battle with Hanzhou," Lin Shanshan said, feeling an even greater fondness for Unlike Ning Zhuo and unable to hold back her words.

Unlike Ning Zhuo's eyes brightened, and he clenched his fists: "Since that is the case, I will definitely not lose!"

Lin Shanshan secretly cheered and was also fired up with fighting spirit: "Young Master Unlike Ning Zhuo, Hanzhou is indeed stronger than you, but you are not without a chance of winning. The special training over the next few days might just be the key to victory or defeat!"

Unlike Ning Zhuo nodded: "I understand, let's begin."

The two of them trained like this for several days, sparking much gossip.

From childhood to adulthood, Lin Shanshan had always been the center of attention in the Myriad Medicine Sect. This meant that information about Unlike Ning Zhuo also became known to countless cultivators. When many male cultivators muttered Unlike Ning Zhuo's name, they all felt their teeth itch.

Some cultivators secretly found Hanzhou, offering to lend him magic treasures or provide intelligence on Unlike Ning Zhuo.

As a result, Hanzhou refused them all.

His words were very direct: "I heard that Li Jingqing wanted to give my intelligence to that Unlike Ning Zhuo as an apology. In the end, he refused it."

"He is so honorable; although I am a beggar, I am also a man. How could I lose my integrity?"

"All of you, leave, leave! Let me have a hearty battle with him fair and square!"

Through Sun Lingtong's efforts, the performances and choices of Unlike Ning Zhuo and Hanzhou spread in the form of rumors.

The battle between Unlike Ning Zhuo and Hanzhou attracted even more attention.

The reputation and public opinion of both men rose accordingly.

Especially Unlike Ning Zhuo; as an outsider, he had become famous in Little Struggle Peak and Yuanyuan Mountain in less than half a month.