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He Xiaochen knew his old friend's temperament and shook his head in disagreement. "That's you. Ning Ning's just a little girl. With wolves in front and tigers behind, no matter how gifted she is, she can't withstand the combined forces of the Haoran Sect and Niguang Island."

Someone chimed in with a laugh. "I've long heard that Sword Venerable Zhenxiao is the foremost person in the world to unite Sword Heart and swordsmanship. Seeing him today, I can confirm it's true. Before his swordsmanship, which overwhelms all challengers, every scheme is utterly worthless."

Zhen Xiao fell silent for a moment.

Zhen Xiao: "No. It's just that if people scheme too much, I can't understand it."

After a pause, he turned to look at Tian Xianzi behind him. "Junior Brother, what exactly did Ning Ning do just now? Give me a simple explanation."

Almost forgot—this peerless Sword Venerable Zhenxiao didn't seem to be very bright. They said he'd devoted himself to practicing the sword because he'd gotten a goose egg on his schoolwork. From then on, he'd understood one thing:

He wasn't just stupid-looking; he really wasn't clever. For an ugly person, looking closely was an act of cruelty; for a fool, making him sit the imperial exams was tantamount to murder.

Everyone thought Sword Venerable Zhenxiao was cold and heartless, meeting every change with his sword and never saying a word more than necessary.

Only a few close fellow disciples knew the truth: he was simply bad with words, and his mind couldn't keep up. So whenever trouble arose, he just fought. That way, at least he wouldn't come off worse.

"What's wrong with scheming against each other? Little white flowers are so boring. This thorny sort is much more fun to eat."

A white-robed female cultivator smiled behind her hand. The moment she spoke, several men present turned to look at her.

She was stunningly beautiful, like an ethereal immortal from the heavens, untouchable by mortal hands. Her long black hair was casually gathered behind her, with a few strands brushing her flawless, porcelain-white cheek before falling into the hollow of her slender, luminous neck. They swayed gently with her movements now and then, grazing the tender flesh below her throat and inviting endless speculation.

Her star-bright almond eyes and naturally red cherry lips gave her a fresh, refined beauty at first glance. She seemed to glow like a precious jade, as if she didn't belong to this world.

Yet when she curled her lips into a smile, a trace of bewitching allure appeared across her face, turning the immortal into a soul-stealing enchantress.

This person was Qu Feiqing, Island Master of Niguang Island.

Tian Xianzi glanced at her. "What? It seems the Island Master is quite taken with my little disciple?"

"Taken with her? That's putting it mildly."

Qu Feiqing giggled behind her hand. The slightest curve of her eyes brought spring waters to her gaze, their clear ripples glimmering as she looked around. "I've seen Niguang Island trick plenty of people, only to have them turn the tables on us. This is the first time. Ning Ning is truly interesting. If Elder Tianxian is willing, why not send her to the island as a guest for a few days? I'll personally attend to her."

If Qu Feiqing personally attended to her, wouldn't Ning Ning return as a dried-out corpse? No, whether she'd even make it back alive was a very serious question.

Tian Xianzi was so alarmed by her suggestion that he waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no. Ning Ning's still young. I beg the Island Master to show mercy and use your boundless compassion to water some other field."

Qu Feiqing gave a cold snort. A smile that promised she'd get her way still played on her lips, but she changed the subject. "After this, the disciples of Niguang Island and the Haoran Sect will probably be heartbroken for quite a while."

Rong Ci was the most talented disciple she'd encountered in recent years, and it was only natural that he'd grown rather proud.

His schemes had almost never failed, and he was especially adept at playing with people's hearts. He hadn't expected to run into someone who refused to play by the rules this time. Not only had she seen right through his intentions, she'd turned the tables with a trick to sow discord, making Rong Ci the one who got used.

Their conversation in the cave had seemed to put Rong Ci firmly in control. He'd guided the little girl step by step into his tender snare, until guilt and sympathy made her reveal her secrets.

But Ning Ning had turned the tables, taking the initiative. At first glance, she looked like a silly, sweet girl being led around by the nose. In truth, she was the one secretly controlling the whole situation.

Even Rong Ci's scheme had been part of her plan all along.

He'd even deliberately injured himself to get close to Ning Ning. Once that girl learned the truth, she'd be furious.

The elegant female cultivator's smile deepened as she watched the girl in the Mystic Mirror, a rich look of anticipation flickering in her eyes.

Ning Ning had no idea what the elders outside the Mystic Mirror thought. At that moment, her main concern was where the three of them should go next.

Although she'd claimed she was going to fleece them for all they were worth, she wasn't some utterly deranged devil. After going to the cave where the Niguang Island cultivators were stationed, she took only a few medicinal herbs for treating poison.

After He Zhizhou and Xu Ye took the herbs, their crazed, muddleheaded states finally improved quite a bit.

Thinking back on all the plots involving swimming, ascending to immortality, and giving birth, the two towering Sword Cultivators stared at each other in silence, with a thousand tears to shed.

Of course, they couldn't return to the cave they'd used before. After discussing it, the three decided to head for the Ancient Wood Forest Sea atop the mountain and see if they could find any rare spirit plants from ancient times.

"The Ancient Wood Forest Sea. You can tell just from the name that it's got to be an especially mysterious place."

Holding the grilled fish and grilled eel he hadn't finished eating, He Zhizhou spoke in a mysterious voice. "I heard that spirit plants and mineral deposits above Heaven Grade show up there all the time. It's a legendary mobile game with an insanely high drop rate, where one slash gets you 999 gold weapons. It's a paradise for farming gold and scoring flashy gear. You can crush the rich players without spending a cent."

He was acting like the Ancient Wood Forest Sea was some loot-grinding mobile game.

Xu Ye didn't understand what he meant. He just assumed He Zhizhou still hadn't recovered from the mushroom poison. He glanced at the eel in He Zhizhou's hand and frowned. "First poisonous mushrooms, and now this slippery thing. Can't you eat anything normal?"

"What do you know? It's called 'Don't dismiss an eel for being small; stew it whole and savor it all. Eel at its finest, a good omen to the end.' It's got a great meaning! Eating it will bring good luck. Unlike grilled fish—every time I see one, I think of that famous line: 'A strange glint flashed in the fish's eyes.'"

He Zhizhou shook his head and rambled on. "You're one to talk. Didn't you get poisoned by mushrooms too?"

"I-I didn't eat those poisonous mushrooms you cooked!"

Xu Ye's face instantly turned red. "I was poisoned after eating a rabbit that had died from poisonous mushrooms. That doesn't count as eating something weird!"