Everyone arrived at the Ning Family's martial arts training ground.
Ning Zhuo originally wanted to rent a training ground in Huoshi Immortal City, but Zhou Zhenshen said there was no need to waste that money.
There was also no need to go all the way to the Zhou Family; it would be better to have a small sparring match at the Ning Family's training ground.
This statement made Ning Zhuo glance at Zhou Zhenshen at the time, his heart beginning to contemplate something.
Ning Yong immediately stood up, raising his hand, "Then I'll go contact the family's training ground."
Seeing Ning Zhuo nod, Ning Yong excitedly ran out of the courtyard.
Zhou Zhenshen, with a smile on his face, suggested, "Big bets hurt the body, small bets bring joy. Brother Ning, why don't we bet on something?"
Ning Zhuo also smiled and said, "It seems Brother Zhou was already prepared before coming here."
Zhou Zhenshen spread his hands, "You’ve caught me, Brother Ning. I thought, I couldn't visit you empty-handed, so I brought this."
As he spoke, Zhou Zhenshen took out a crossbow from his storage belt.
The crossbow was small, only about thirty percent larger than an adult's palm, and finely crafted with a bronze texture.
Notably, it lacked a traditional arrow quiver, replaced by a small rectangular wooden box.
"This is a rivet shooting crossbow, slightly modified by me. Its power is not small." Zhou Zhenshen revealed a confident smile. "Brother Ning, if you win, I'll give this to you, along with the mechanism blueprint."
Ning Zhuo's heart stirred, and he took out a Mechanical Explosive Monkey. "If you win, I’ll give this to you, also with its blueprint. I'm just worried that I won’t be able to give it away."
"Hahaha." The two exchanged glances and laughed simultaneously.
Ning Yong soon returned, panting as he said he had reserved the Ding-character training ground.
Everyone immediately left the courtyard, gathering in groups as they made their way to the training ground.
The branch family cultivator in charge of the training ground was respectful and enthusiastic towards Ning Zhuo, asking what kind of battlefield they needed.
Ning Zhuo looked at Zhou Zhenshen.
Zhou Zhenshen said, "Since there are mountains all around, let’s go with a mountainous terrain."
Thus, several formations of the training ground were activated in succession.
The previously flat ground immediately saw countless red earth being piled up, getting higher and higher.
It was as if an invisible force was molding the red soil into two small hills, the height greatly surpassing the Ning Family compound walls.
But that wasn’t all.
The power of wood was applied to the hills, causing grass and trees to grow and mature within just a dozen breaths, forming a dense forest.
A cloud gathered, floating over the battlefield, and rain poured down.
Water also flowed out of nowhere, forming a small river between the two hills.
As per Zhou Zhenshen's request, the concealment formations of the training ground were not activated.
Such a grand spectacle quickly attracted other members of the Ning Family.
With introductions from Ning Zhuo's classmates, everyone soon understood the situation.
"It's Young Master Ning Zhuo, going to spar with the genius of the Zhou Family, Zhou Zhenshen!"
"Why?"
"Zhou Zhenshen initiated the challenge."
"Uh oh, Zhou Zhenshen looks treacherous. Is our Young Master Ning Zhuo being set up? Is Zhou Zhenshen using him to make a name for himself?"
"Ahem, that's a bit much. Zhou Zhenshen is already famous, long before Young Master Ning Zhuo."
"Can't you see the two of them are getting along quite well? Both are smiling."
"This is bad. I’ve heard Zhou Zhenshen possesses the talent of ‘Water Accumulates into Abyss' and has been nurtured by his family for a long time. But although Young Master Ning Zhuo has talent, it hasn't even been fully tested yet. How can he win?" Ŕ
"Young Master Ning Zhuo, fight on!"
"We’re all supporting you!"
More and more Ning Family members gathered, and after some discussion, they all began cheering for Ning Zhuo.
This was one of the reasons Zhou Zhenshen suggested this sparring match.
The Zhou Family wanted to win over Ning Zhuo, and Zhou Zhenshen keenly understood that Ning Zhuo had immense potential.
If he continued at his current pace, he was destined to become a pivotal figure in Huoshi Immortal City.
And to win over key figures, the prerequisite was to understand them well.
A friendly sparring match often allowed cultivators to quickly build rapport and deepen their understanding of each other.
"The Explosive Monkeys are only five, so Ning Zhuo doesn’t have much pressure controlling them."
"He could easily cast detection spells while also commanding the Mechanical Monkeys."
"Indeed."
"He understands my main intention for this spar."
"As expected of a genius like me."
Zhou Zhenshen's lips curved slightly, feeling that dealing with someone as smart as Ning Zhuo was comfortable. Many things didn’t need to be said; they could just understand each other.
Ning Zhuo deliberately slowed the pace of the battle, while Zhou Zhenshen threw out a storage bag.
The bag fell to the ground, its mouth wide open, releasing over a dozen mechanical bats—Night Sky Bats.
The Night Sky Bats flew across the air, heading towards Ning Zhu
o.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo patted his belt, releasing a flock of Thunderstorm Birds.
These mechanical birds were very common, widely praised for their simple control and ease of use.
The Thunderstorm Birds clashed with the Night Sky Bats in mid-air, beginning the second frontal confrontation between Ning Zhuo and Zhou Zhenshen.
The Thunderstorm Birds attacked in a straightforward manner, while the Night Sky Bats were erratic, with sharp turns and great evasion capabilities, far superior to the Thunderstorm Birds.
The Night Sky Bats were mechanisms from the Mud Flow Sect, clearly outperforming the Thunderstorm Birds in terms of performance.
Ning Zhuo had more Thunderstorm Birds than Night Sky Bats, but after the clash, the Thunderstorm Birds quickly dwindled, clearly at a disadvantage.
The Ning Family spectators looked serious, some frowning, secretly worried for Ning Zhuo.
"He's holding back," Zhou Zhenshen thought.
Earlier, Ning Zhuo had controlled the five Mechanical Monkeys with great precision, demonstrating high control skills.
But in this aerial battle, Ning Zhuo’s Thunderstorm Birds were barely maneuvered, moving in straight lines, making their attack paths easy to predict.
This gave Zhou Zhenshen a huge advantage.
"Is it because my Drilling Rats retreated in the first exchange? Is Ning Zhuo intentionally giving me face by losing this round?"
"This guy..."
Zhou Zhenshen gritted his teeth, feeling conflicted.
He was grateful for Ning Zhuo’s consideration for his reputation, showing such tacit understanding.
But he also felt uncomfortable, as Zhou Zhenshen, a genius, rarely experienced being let off like this.
"Although this is a friendly sparring match, I have always taken it seriously."
"I’m giving my all, yet you’re holding back..."
"While it’s kind, to me, it’s also a form of subtle insult."
"Ning Zhuo!"
"I want you to take me seriously!"
Zhou Zhenshen shouted in his heart.
Fueled by this, he took out a medium-sized mechanism from his storage belt.
This mechanical creation resembled a fierce tiger, about twenty-five feet long, five feet tall at the shoulder, with three-inch claws, two-inch-long teeth, white fur with black stripes, and golden tiger eyes, looking extremely imposing.