At the tender age of three, Ning Zhuo produced a miniature furnace and, before everyone’s eyes, forged a novel material for Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong scoffed, “I don’t even need a furnace. Watch and learn.” He extended his palm, a flame igniting within it. He successively tossed in the medicinal ingredients, quickly obtaining a brand-new concoction. “How’s that?”

Ning Zhuo examined it meticulously, then clapped his hands in glee. “Little Brother Sun, you’re amazing! You can do it barehanded, without a furnace. And it’s even faster and better than what I did.”

Sun Lingtong shook his head. “This is nothing. One must always be humble.”

Ning Zhuo hummed in agreement, nodding earnestly.

At four years old, Ning Zhuo held a talisman brush, tracing symbols on a piece of talisman paper. It was effortless, a success in a single attempt.

Sun Lingtong was slightly taken aback, knowing he had to be even faster and create an even better talisman than Ning Zhuo. He feigned nonchalance, yawning deliberately, his eyelids drooping. He casually held the brush, yet focused all his attention, completing the task in one swift stroke.

Ning Zhuo compared the two, then gave a thumbs-up, praising sincerely, “Little Brother Sun, you’re awesome!” “Compared to you, I’m nothing. You’re truly remarkable!”

Sun Lingtong sighed. “Talents are countless. Compared to them, I’m as insignificant as an ant. Little Zhuo, remember to be humble!”

Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly. “I know, I’ll keep it in mind!”

At five, Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and began arranging formations on a blank formation plate. Three hours later, he wiped away the sweat on his brow, saying with some shame, “Little Brother Sun, I failed.”

Sun Lingtong had witnessed the entire process, his heart trembling. Ning Zhuo had given it his all. Even though he failed, the arraying skills he displayed were far beyond his age.

Sun Lingtong remained outwardly calm. “Not bad, not bad at all. Now, watch me.” He swiftly arranged the formation, completing the formation plate in just one hour.

Ning Zhuo examined the plate, his admiration genuine.

Sun Lingtong wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking, “Array formations aren’t my specialty. Luckily, I tampered with the plate beforehand last night.”

He said to Ning Zhuo, “This is nothing. I still have much room for improvement.”

Ning Zhuo expressed strong agreement, quickly pointing out the numerous flaws in the formation plate.

Finally, he voluntarily told Sun Lingtong, “Little Brother Sun, I’ll keep working hard. Don’t worry, I’m not complacent or arrogant at all.”

“That’s good, that’s good!” Sun Lingtong nodded, filled with relief.

Inwardly, he felt uneasy. “He’s only five years old. What will happen next year?”

After this incident, he resolved to dedicate time in secret to mastering the myriad arts of cultivation, in order to deal with the increasingly formidable Ning Zhuo.

The competition at six years old was beast taming.

Ning Zhuo was filled with fighting spirit and brimming with confidence. “Little Brother Sun, my Fiery Might General is very strong. I personally hatched it at the start of the year, and I’ve been raising it since then. This time, for the school’s small examination, I sealed most of its power in advance, and it still easily squeezed into the top five!”

Sun Lingtong nodded, expressionless. “Looks like your fighting cock is indeed powerful. Mine is not so good, I only got it a little over a month ago!” He chuckled inwardly, but in reality, more than a year ago, he realized he might not be able to keep up with Ning Zhuo, so he specifically inquired about the past examination topics and confirmed this year’s small test content in advance.

Therefore, he had secretly been raising a fighting cock, his time investment far surpassing Ning Zhuo’s.

Ning Zhuo released his Fiery Might General, while Sun Lingtong released his Little Dark One.

The General launched the first attack, its wings unfolding like blades, whistling as it swooped down on its opponent.

Little Dark One dodged nimbly, quickly counterattacking, using its sharp beak and claws to strike the General’s chest.

The two cocks fought fiercely, their battle intensifying, feathers flying, blood splattering.

Ning Zhuo gave it his all, occasionally casting spells to protect the Fiery Might General.

But in the end, the General’s all-out attack was dodged by Little Dark One, which soared into the air, tearing through the General’s comb, securing the victory.

The General fell to the ground, barely alive.

Little Dark One was also swaying, pushed to its limits.

Ning Zhuo panted, his face flushed, looking dejected, his eyes lifeless.

He shuddered and quickly ran into the arena, placing his hands on the General, activating healing spells, and doing his best to heal it.

The General’s condition quickly stabilized, its breathing becoming steady, falling into a deep slumber.

After a long while, Ning Zhuo finally looked up, saying in a low voice, “Little Brother Sun, I lost again.” He could not hide his disappointment.

Sun Lingtong’s tense mood gradually calmed down.

He had originally thought that he had a great advantage, but he didn’t expect this cockfight to be so evenly matched, and the victory was only decided at the very end.

He knew that his victory was not honorable. He had secretly invested a lot in Little Dark One, far exceeding Ning Zhuo’s investment.

Sun Lingtong felt guilty and praised sincerely, “You did very well, if you really went all out, your General would definitely be number one in the school.”

Ning Zhuo shook his head. “What’s the point of being number one in school? What about compared to the entire Fire Persimmon City? I’m nothing! In the entire Nan Dou Kingdom, I’m not even ranked, not to mention other cultivation kingdoms. I’ve always been worse than Little Brother Sun, I always lose!”

Sun Lingtong gritted his teeth, trying to make amends, “I almost failed just now!”

“Really!”

“That last move of yours, it looked like you used the puppet technique?”

Ning Zhuo nodded. “Yeah, I usually use marionettes to train the General. Later, I referred to some cultivation formulas and designed some commands, as long as I say them, it will allow the General to fly down and kill powerful enemies. It will also activate the talismans deep within the General’s feathers, greatly increasing the General’s attacks.”

Sun Lingtong was stunned, and sincerely praised, “Amazing, you’ve already started using various methods to nurture your fighting cock.”

“You’re not limited to what the elders in the school teach.”

“You are innovating, and most importantly, the actual combat effect is great.”

Ning Zhuo was still somber. “Little Brother Sun, thank you for your praise, you don’t have to comfort me, I understand!”

“I need to work harder, this actual combat has exposed many of my shortcomings!”

“I’m really nothing, compared to you, I’m far behind!”

“I can only work harder to make up for the gap in talent!”

Sun Lingtong fell silent, and couldn’t help but wonder: Have I gone a little too far these years?
The contest at age seven ignited Sun Lingtong’s fury.

“Little Zhuo, what’s wrong with you?”

“Over the past year, you’ve made progress in the hundred arts of cultivation, but not enough!”

“What have you been doing?”

“Have you been studying diligently?”

Ning Zhuo lowered his head, readily admitting his mistake, telling Sun Lingtong that he had been indulging in the game of marbles with his classmates!

Sun Lingtong carefully inquired about this marble game, and upon discovering its dull and tasteless nature, lamented, “You’ve actually become addicted to this? This is simply a waste of your aspirations!”

He sternly lectured Ning Zhuo for a full incense stick’s worth of time.

Ning Zhuo’s eyes welled with tears, “Brother Sun, I’ll never do this again! I’ll study hard!”

“I know I’m lacking and have too many shortcomings!”

Sun Lingtong paused, pondering whether he had been excessively critical of Ning Zhuo’s accomplishments, distorting his self-perception and causing him to lack a sense of achievement and confidence, thereby hindering his motivation for self-improvement.

“Actually!”

Sun Lingtong carefully chose his words, “Little Zhuo, you’ve actually done very well before, don’t belittle yourself too much.”

Ning Zhuo replied, “I know, Brother Sun, you don’t need to comfort me, I understand.”

Sun Lingtong: “……..”

In the orphanage, Li Leifeng was holding a puppet show.

Sun Lingtong infiltrated the crowd, stealing the personal belongings of the cultivators to use as resources for his daily cultivation.

After Li Leifeng’s performance concluded, he went to the private room to thank the Zhou family elder for his generous donation to the performance.

The Zhou family elder was eager to befriend Li Leifeng, inquiring about his methods of teaching children during their conversation.

“Under Elder Li’s guidance, the orphans in the orphanage are all well-behaved, obedient, and hardworking!”

“Alas, my son Zhou Zeshen is mischievous and hates school, showing no interest in learning at all, which is truly vexing.”

Li Leifeng asked a few questions, learned the truth, and smiled, “My suggestion is to let him play!”

The Zhou family elder was puzzled.

Li Leifeng explained, “From your description, I understand that your son is being closely monitored. Apart from school, he has numerous tutoring sessions at home, leaving him with little time to play.”

“It is precisely because he plays too little that a blade of grass, a pen, or even a cloud in the sky can enthrall him, leading him to daydream and wander off!”

“Know that no matter how intelligent a child may be, they all possess a childlike heart. Play is their nature and an essential part of their journey, an indispensable element of their growth!”

“Only through constant play can they find joy and happiness. When they have played enough, a blade of grass or a pen will no longer hold any allure.”

“This is precisely the growth they need!”

Sun Lingtong, hiding nearby, was deeply engrossed in listening.

From that day forward, he never stole money from the orphanage again.

Sun Lingtong excitedly found Ning Zhuo.

“You kid really struck gold running into me!”

His abrupt statement only left Ning Zhuo bewildered.

“Come on, I’ll take you out to play!”

Seven-year-old Ning Zhuo was incredulous, his eyes shining with delight.

“R-Really?”

“Of course!”

Sun Lingtong raised his head, grabbed Ning Zhuo’s arm, and soared through the air.

In a dark alley, Sun Lingtong “encouraged” Ning Zhuo, “See that unpleasant fellow? Use the technique I just taught you and steal something from him for fun.”

Ning Zhuo hesitated, “Is it really okay to steal from people?”

“What are you afraid of? Listen to your Brother Sun, would I ever harm you!” Sun Lingtong patted his chest, constantly urging, “It’s very thrilling.”

“Especially the first time you steal, it’ll make you feel excited.”

Under his guidance, Ning Zhuo chose a ruffian and stole his money pouch.

The ruffian searched frantically, nearly stripping himself bare.

Ning Zhuo hid in the shadows, laughing heartily.

Before leaving, he even seemed to toss the money pouch near the ruffian’s feet.

Sun Lingtong patted Ning Zhuo on the shoulder, “How was it? Felt pretty exciting, right?”

“Yeah, it was quite fun!” Ning Zhuo replied.

Sun Lingtong sighed, “Sometimes, when I’m in a bad mood, I’ll wander around the streets and steal from whoever I find displeasing.”

“Hahaha, every time I steal something, my mood improves a lot.”

Ning Zhuo hesitated, “Brother Sun, it’s still better not to do that. The school teaches us to walk the righteous path and do the right thing. Stealing isn’t a good habit.”

Sun Lingtong rolled his eyes, then smiled mischievously, “What the school elders say is reasonable, and it’s actually the same thing I’m trying to teach you.”

Ning Zhuo widened his eyes, expressing his confusion.

Sun Lingtong explained, “Don’t you understand the principle of punishing evil and promoting good? Punishing these wicked people is accumulating good deeds, it’s an act of justice!”

“The ruffian you taught a lesson to just now bullies the honest and kind-hearted commoners on a daily basis. You only gave him a fright, with no actual loss, which is letting him off easy!”

Ning Zhuo narrowed his eyes, “Then we’ll go back and steal from him again.”

Sun Lingtong nodded, “Alright, I’ll go with you!”

End of Chapter.