Chapter 418

Great Struggle Peak, Myriad Monster Cave.

"Hahaha, Brother is here!" Linghu Jiu laughed, walked out of the cave, took Ning Zhuo's arm, and entered the mountain cave.

After the negotiations, the Myriad Medicine Sect, the Ning family, the Zhu family, and the Linlang Reflection Wall concluded a secret alliance, which made the relationship between Linghu Jiu and Ning Zhuo even closer.

Linghu Jiu himself had a lot of good feelings for Ning Zhuo, and now that the alliance relationship was close, the former treated the latter completely as his own person.

Ning Zhuo walked into the cave and found that Lin Shanshan was also there.

"Miss Lin." He hurriedly bowed.

Lin Shanshan also smiled at Ning Zhuo. Although she had many complaints about Ning Zhuo's recent actions, after Linghu Jiu's invitation, she also knew that this was a farewell banquet for Ning Zhuo, so she participated in this wine banquet with complex emotions.

The dishes in the wine banquet were very exquisite, all personally selected by Lin Shanshan.

But Linghu Jiu and Ning Zhuo's minds were not here.

Linghu Jiu brought a jar of wine and showed it to Ning Zhuo with great interest: "This is wine I brewed myself, taking water from the Peach Blossom Pool."

"Peach Blossom Pool?" Ning Zhuo asked and found out that this deep pool was near the Myriad Monster Cave, the deep pool under the waterfall.

Lin Shanshan introduced: "Every year at a fixed time, the peach blossom forest upstream blooms, peach blossoms drift in the wind, follow the water flow and waterfall, and finally flow into the deep pool. Peach blossoms and pool water reflect each other, which is exactly 'Drifting peach blossoms dance with the wind, thousands of reds and purples enter the water. White waterfall flying sound like a zither, flower face jade pool reflects the blue sky.'"

Ning Zhuo smiled at Lin Shanshan: "Today I know that the deep pool where I first met Miss Lin is called Peach Blossom Pool."

This made Lin Shanshan pause, her thoughts seeming to return to the past, the scene where she and Ning Zhuo first met.

Time passes like this, so many days have passed!

Time passes too fast.

In the blink of an eye, they are about to separate.

Suddenly, a feeling of reluctance to part rippled in Lin Shanshan's heart, making her resentment toward Ning Zhuo dissipate instantly.

Linghu Jiu began to pour wine while introducing proudly: "Brother, let me tell you, this wine is called Peach Blossom Three Thousand."

"It is made from peach blossom petals during the spring equinox every year, and the clear spring under the Peach Blossom Pool, plus the wine starter I specially made, brewed using ancient methods, and fermented for at least three years, it can be considered a small success."

Ning Zhuo looked intently and saw that the Peach Blossom Three Thousand wine was crystal clear, slightly pink, like a peach blossom that had just bloomed. When poured into a wine bowl, the wine body was clear, slightly rippling, as if it were that peach blossom deep pool.

He raised his wine bowl, clinked glasses with Linghu Jiu and Lin Shanshan, took a sip, and felt it was unique.

Peach Blossom Three Thousand brought a unique sweetness, as if biting into a fresh peach blossom, with a faint floral fragrance in the sweetness.

Subsequently, the wine body spread on the tip of the tongue, full and mellow, with a hint of cool pool water, making people have an endless aftertaste.

Ning Zhuo shook his head and immediately praised: "Good wine, the wine taste is delicate and long, with both the mellowness of aged wine and the fresh and elegant floral fragrance, and the wine strength is moderate, making me intoxicated without knowing it."

Linghu Jiu laughed: "The wine is just ordinary, but I added something to the wine, so it can be taken out."

A flash of inspiration flashed in Ning Zhuo's mind, and he blurted out: "Could it be ten-thousand-year water essence?"

Linghu Jiu clapped his hands and laughed: "Brother is smart, you get it at once."

Ning Zhuo was speechless.

Previously, he rented their two ten-thousand-year water essences from the Myriad Medicine Sect, and he was still wondering where Linghu Jiu's one went.

Linghu Jiu, as the first disciple and the first candidate for the future sect master, clearly had ten-thousand-year water essence that was extremely useful to the entire Myriad Medicine Sect, but he didn't take it out, which was quite strange.

As a result, he didn't expect that he used it to brew wine!

Lin Shanshan snorted: "Wine, wine, wine, you only know how to drink all day. Do you know that my father is very disappointed in you, Senior Brother, because of this!"

Linghu Jiu touched his nose, laughed dryly, and said: "Shanshan, you don't understand. Why did your father name me Linghu Jiu back then? He had a long-term plan, naturally he knew the important significance of wine to me, so he specially reminded me."

"Haha, the Master didn't force me to hand over the ten-thousand-year water essence, he naturally agreed to my choice. It's useless for you to say anything more."

This made Lin Shanshan roll her eyes.

Ning Zhuo hurriedly raised his wine bowl, clinked glasses with the two, and said a few more interesting things to ease the atmosphere.

The two sides drank for a while, and Ning Zhuo looked at Linghu Jiu and Lin Shanshan with sincere eyes, sighing: "Brother Linghu is like a deep pool, with high character, accepting waterfalls without overflowing, deep and steady, you are my confidant in wine."

"Miss Lin's beauty is like peach blossoms, charming and moving, and she is helpful and kind-hearted. In the past, I acted recklessly, kidnapped Miss Lin, and was always against your father, which is truly shameful."

Lin Shanshan snorted: "Hearing this, you still have some conscience."

Linghu Jiu laughed: "Each serves their own master, fighting for interests is a common thing. Fighting without breaking, fighting in harmony, and falling into the current secret alliance is already the best result. This is our fate, and also the result of our respective efforts."

Ning Zhuo felt even more moved when he heard this.

He knew very well that in the difficult negotiations in the Linlang Reflection Wall earlier, Linghu Jiu, while firmly guarding his own interests, also tried his best to help him, pull in the relationship, and persuade Lin Bufan many times.

On the contrary, Lin Shanshan, the girl who had helped Ning Zhuo a lot in the past, was like a sharp sword when she spoke in the negotiations, constantly stabbing Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo, under the eyes of the sages' Dharma bodies, in front of Zhu Xuanji, Shen Lingshu, and Lin Bufan, did not dare to use the Human Life Hanging Thread supernatural power.

But he understood Lin Shanshan very well.

Fortunately, the result was good.

Now that the negotiations had results, the relationship between the Myriad Medicine Sect and the Ning family was closer than ever, and the relationship between Ning Zhuo and Lin Shanshan and Linghu Jiu had also locked in a very high lower limit.

"Come, drink!" Ning Zhuo raised his wine bowl again.

Linghu Jiu laughed.

Lin Shanshan was silent, raising her wine bowl in response.

The three tasted wine and talked about the future.

Ning Zhuo asked Linghu Jiu about his feelings about killing monsters in the Linlang Reflection Wall.

For the past few days, Linghu Jiu had still been "grounded" in the Myriad Monster Cave, but in fact, his true body often went to the quasi-immortal artifact secretly to engage in life-and-death battles with many monsters.

Linghu Jiu was very interested in talking, saying that it was dangerous, but it was a great tempering for himself, and he could clearly feel his combat power rising step by step. He used to be like a rough stone, but now he was being polished. Under huge external pressure, various spells, sword arts, etc., were severely compressed, producing many insights, eliminating many useless moves, and the combat rhythm became more and more clear.

"It's a pity that Brother has other important tasks and is in a hurry to leave the valley. Otherwise, we would kill monsters side by side, and drink together after the battle, which would be a happy thing in life!"

Ning Zhuo was quite moved by what he said, and when he thought about it, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, sighing: "If there is time in the future, I will definitely practice with Brother. Just thinking about it now makes me feel refreshed!"

Linghu Jiu laughed and drank three big bowls with Ning Zhuo in a row.

Lin Shanshan:...

At this moment, she suddenly felt that she was a bit redundant.

Linghu Jiu's face turned red, spraying wine, holding Ning Zhuo's arm: "Brother, before you leave, be sure to leave your image."

"In the future, when I miss Brother, I will talk to the image, which will also alleviate my longing."

"And I can also take Brother's image to kill enemies and monsters many times. When Brother returns to the valley in the future, maybe the harvest will be so rich that it will make you feel pleasantly surprised, hahaha."

Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly: "I have this idea!"

Lin Shanshan: "However, Senior Brother, it seems you don't have much time left in the valley. I heard my father mention inadvertently that he wants you to lead the team personally to Fire Persimmon Immortal City to investigate the battlefield in advance."

Linghu Jiu's smile converged slightly, he sat down again, looked at the two, nodded and said: "The Master did reveal this idea to me."

Linghu Jiu was always grounded by Lin Bufan, and the real reason was that Lin Bufan wanted to use this to infiltrate the Linlang Reflection Wall. By the way, by punishing Linghu Jiu who protected his fellow disciples, he helped increase the first disciple's reputation and popularity.

Now, Linghu Jiu already knew the truth, and Lin Bufan also deeply realized the importance of the quasi-immortal artifact, which was not something he could plot alone.

In addition, in the alliance, Ning Zhuo had already negotiated conditions with Lin Bufan, successfully inviting Lin Bufan to help out at Fire Persimmon Immortal City!

That's right.

For the next period of time, Lin Bufan would actively prepare for war, helping Ning Jiufan and Yuan Lao exert their strength in the struggle for the ten-thousand-year fire essence.

As for Yuan Lao's injury, it had been taken over by the royal Zhu family, doing their best to cure it as soon as possible.

Linghu Jiu said in a deep voice: "This battle needs to be very cautious. If not handled properly, and Yuan Lao of the Ning family is damaged, then the control of the Ning family and the royal family over Fire Persimmon Immortal City and Molten Immortal Palace will be weakened by more than half."

After the alliance, the Myriad Medicine Sect side also had a real understanding of the pattern of Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

But it couldn't be considered thorough.

Ning Zhuo's preservation of the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was always a secret, even Ning Jiufan didn't know.

Regarding Ning Zhuo's secret possession of the Buddha Heart Demon Seal, Zhu Xuanji also took the initiative to keep this secret, and only a limited number of people, including the Nandou King, knew about it.

"I have decided to go to Fire Persimmon Immortal City," Linghu Jiu said. "Brother, what can you teach me?"

Ning Zhuo smiled, prepared, and handed over a jade slip, which detailed the information about Fire Persimmon Immortal City and Molten Immortal Palace.

Linghu Jiu's spiritual sense probed in, and found that much information was clearer, especially the understanding of Molten Immortal Palace was very deep, and he was overjoyed.

"With this jade slip, I have already succeeded more than half in investigating the battlefield this time. Thank you, Brother!"

Ning Zhuo hurriedly waved his hand and humbled himself many times.

He turned his head, looked at Lin Shanshan, and asked the latter to help take care of the Spirit-Hidden Willow. He would write to her from time to time and beg Lin Shanshan to write back to inform him of the state of the Spirit-Hidden Willow.

Lin Shanshan nodded and agreed.

Ning Zhuo observed her words and expressions, saw that her mood was good, and pushed his luck: "That Flower Guzi specializes in wood-attribute cultivation techniques. I intend to arrange for her to guard this place, on the one hand, representing me to take care of the Spirit-Hidden Willow, and on the other hand, helping my clansmen settle in Small Struggle Peak smoothly."

Lin Shanshan frowned immediately.

"Flower Guzi?" She didn't have much good feelings for this crazy woman.

Ning Zhuo showed a dry smile: "This female cultivator has a strange temperament, extremely... close to me, and wants to rely on me. If I don't find something for her to do, I'm afraid she will look for me all over the world."

"And she has good strength, not only her own combat power, but she is also proficient in cooking."

"Oh, back then I asked her for advice, and that's how I learned that the Deep Thought Dark Brew was fake wine."

Speaking of this, Linghu Jiu immediately spoke up to protect his master: "Brother, you are wrong, Deep Thought Dark Brew is definitely not fake wine."

"It has a unique taste and is good wine, it's just that the wine recipe is not outstanding."

"It can indeed make me communicate with the sages' Dharma bodies in the Linlang Reflection Wall more conveniently. Didn't Brother Ning Zhuo also benefit from it back then?"

Ning Zhuo had no intention of having such a dispute with Linghu Jiu, and immediately raised his wine bowl: "I spoke wrongly, I will punish myself with a cup!"

Lin Shanshan showed a smile and gritted her teeth: "It should indeed be punished."

Linghu Jiu laughed and pointed at Ning Zhuo: "Is this a punishment or a reward?"

Thus, a farewell banquet, the host and guests were happy.