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He Xiaochen understood his old friend's temperament and shook his head in rebuttal, "That's you. Ning Ning is just a young girl. With wolves in front and tigers behind, even with her exceptional talent, she cannot withstand the combined siege of the Haoran Sect and Niguang Island."

Someone chimed in with a laugh, "I have long heard that Sword Venerable Zhenxiao is the number one person in the world to achieve the unity of sword and heart. Seeing it today, it is truly no lie. Before sword skills that suppress all heroes, all schemes are vulnerable."

Zhen Xiao was silent for a moment.

Zhen Xiao: "No. It's just that if the battle of wits is too intense, I can't understand it."

He paused, then turned his head to look at Tian Xianzi behind him: "Junior brother, what exactly did Ning Ning do just now? Explain it to me simply."

He had almost forgotten; the intelligence level of this peerless Sword Venerable Zhenxiao didn't seem very high. It was said that the reason he devoted himself to practicing sword techniques was because he scored a zero on his exams in school, and from then on, he understood one truth:

He didn't just look stupid; he really wasn't very bright. For an ugly person, looking closely is a form of cruelty; but for a stupid person, making them study for a career is a form of murder.

The world thought Sword Venerable Zhenxiao was cold and heartless, using his sword to respond to all changes, and that he would never say an extra word if he didn't have to.

Only a few close fellow disciples knew that, in reality, this man was just clumsy with words and slow-witted, so he simply chose to fight whenever something happened. That way, he would never let himself suffer a loss.

"What's wrong with scheming? A naive little flower is boring; it's much more interesting to eat one with thorns."

A female cultivator dressed in white pursed her lips and chuckled. As soon as she spoke, she drew the side-glances of several men present.

She was stunningly beautiful, like an ethereal immortal from the nine heavens who could not be touched. Her three thousand strands of black hair were casually pinned behind her, with a few wisps brushing against her flawless, white-porcelain cheek and falling into the soft, delicate hollow of her neck. Occasionally, they moved gently with her body, brushing against the tender skin beneath her neck that invited endless reverie.

The female cultivator had almond eyes like stars and cherry lips that were red without the need for makeup. At first glance, she appeared pure and refined, like glowing jade, not of this mortal world.

However, when she curled her lips into a smile, her entire face suddenly exuded a hint of seductiveness, and the fairy transformed into a soul-snatching enchantress.

This person was none other than the Island Master of Niguang Island, Qu Feiqing.

Tian Xianzi glanced at her: "Why? It seems the Island Master is quite fond of my little disciple?"

"More than fond."

Qu Feiqing covered her lips and laughed softly. With just a slight curve of her eyes, spring water seemed to flow into her gaze, her clear eyes rippling with anticipation: "I've seen plenty of people being swindled by Niguang Island, but this is the first time I've seen us being used in return. Ning Ning is truly interesting. If Elder Tianxian is willing, why not send her to the island to stay for a few days? I will serve her personally."

If she were to serve her personally, wouldn't Ning Ning return as a dried corpse? No—even whether she could return alive was a very serious question.

Tian Xianzi was so frightened by her suggestion that he waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no. Ning Ning is still young. I beg the Island Master to show mercy and use your great compassion to nourish other lands instead."

Qu Feiqing snorted coldly, her mouth still carrying a smile of certainty, though she changed the subject: "After this incident, the disciples of my Niguang Island and the Haoran Sect will likely be heartbroken for quite some time."

Rong Ci was the most talented disciple she had encountered in recent years, so it was inevitable that he had developed a proud and arrogant temperament.

His schemes had almost never failed, and his ability to manipulate human hearts was unparalleled. She hadn't expected him to run into someone who didn't play by the rules this time—not only did she see through his intentions clearly, but she also turned the tables and used a counter-espionage tactic, making Rong Ci the tool being used.

That conversation he had with Ning Ning in the cave seemed as if Rong Ci held all the initiative, step-by-step guiding the little girl into his web of tenderness, causing her to reveal secrets out of guilt and sympathy.

In the end, it turned out that Ning Ning had turned passive into active. At first glance, she appeared to be a naive girl being led by the nose, but in reality, she was the one secretly controlling the situation.

Even Rong Ci's schemes were within the plans she had calculated.

It was a pity he had deliberately injured himself just to get close to Ning Ning; once that child learned the truth, she would surely be furious to the point of death.

The elegant, celestial-like female cultivator's smile deepened. As she watched the young girl's face in the Profound Mirror, a rich sense of anticipation flickered in the depths of her eyes.

Ning Ning had no idea what the elders outside the Profound Mirror were thinking. At this moment, her only concern was where the three of them should go next.

Although she had claimed she wanted to fleece them for everything they were worth, she wasn't some deranged devil after all. After arriving at the cave where they were stationed on Niguang Island, she only took a few medicinal herbs for detoxification.

After He Zhizhou and Xu Ye took the herbs, their delirious and muddled states finally improved significantly.

Thinking back on the various scenarios of swimming to ascend to immortality and giving birth to children, the two towering Sword Cultivators looked at each other in silence, tears streaming down their faces.

They certainly wouldn't return to the previous cave. After some discussion, the three decided to head to the Ancient Wood Forest Sea at the mountain peak to see if they could try their luck and find some ancient, rare spiritual plants.

"Ancient Wood Forest Sea—just hearing the name, you know it must be an incredibly mysterious place."

He Zhizhou held the half-eaten grilled fish and grilled eel in his hands and said mysteriously, "I heard that the frequency of Heaven Grade and above spiritual plants and ore deposits there is extremely high. It's truly a legendary mobile game with a super high drop rate—one slash for 999, exploding with gold weapons, a paradise for gold farming with cool equipment; you can bully the pay-to-win players without spending a cent."

This guy was treating the Ancient Wood Forest Sea like some cheap browser game.

Xu Ye didn't understand what he was talking about and simply assumed the man hadn't fully recovered from the mushroom poisoning. He glanced at the eel in his hand and frowned, "Last time it was poisonous mushrooms, this time it's this slimy thing. Can't you eat something normal?"

"What do you know? This is called 'don't underestimate the eel because it's small, simmer it to perfection, and you'll be satisfied until the end.' The meaning is so auspicious! Eating it will bring good luck. Unlike grilled fish—every time I see one, I think of that classic line: 'A strange light flashed in the fish's eyes.'"

He Zhizhou shook his head and rambled on, "Don't talk about me, weren't you poisoned by mushrooms too?"

"I, I didn't eat the poisonous mushrooms you cooked!"

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