“My lord, things are not looking good!” A cultivator ran up to Ban Jie.

He first presented a flying message, then whispered a report.

Ban Jie listened to the report, simultaneously scanning the flying message with his divine sense. His brow furrowed instantly: “What? Ning Zhuo found Ban Ji again and participated in the Xingyun Trial of the Nine-layered Mystic Soldier Armor!”

“Damn it!”

“How did he guess?”

Ban Jie’s expression immediately became solemn, and he sighed with emotion: “Is this the power of the Human Tribulation? I have already released as much smoke as possible and was very confident that our side had not leaked any information, but I didn’t expect Ning Zhuo to accurately grasp it.”

“No, now is not the time to dwell on this.”

Ban Jie shook his head slightly and quickly analyzed the current situation.

The flying message described in detail the performance of Ban Ji, Ning Zhuo, and others in the second round.

Seeing Ban Ji’s previous encounters, where he didn’t even obtain a single sword or saber, Ban Jie knew the reason.

“Ning Zhuo is Ban Ji’s Human Tribulation!”

“As long as he makes a move, or even just being present, it will affect Ban Ji’s luck.”

“If Ning Zhuo hadn’t intercepted him and hadn’t jointly participated in the Xingyun Trial of the Nine-layered Mystic Soldier Armor, Ban Ji would likely have encountered a saber and a sword in the first or second sequence.”

“But due to Ning Zhuo’s appearance and participation, Ban Ji’s luck was greatly suppressed, making things quite unfavorable.”

For the Xingyun Trial of the Nine-layered Mystic Soldier Armor, the family had already planned for Ban Ji, and the strategy was quite mature. But now, he hadn’t even seen a single saber or sword. This situation was too rare.

However, Ban Jie was dispatched by the Ban family to help Ban Ji deal with unexpected situations.

“Ban Ji cannot be defeated by Ning Zhuo in such a public setting!”

“Once that happens, the entire Ban family’s reputation will be dragged down and looked down upon by others.”

“More crucially, it’s about fate!”

“The Human Tribulation will naturally suppress the cultivator undergoing tribulation, but it doesn’t mean that the cultivator can never resist.”

“This contest is the best moment for a counterattack.”

“Once successful, Ban Ji’s luck will be greatly boosted, to a certain extent changing his passive situation. As such counterattacks increase, Ban Ji’s ultimate luck will even counter-suppress his Human Tribulation!”

Ban Jie clearly understood the key to this.

The reputation of the righteous path was secondary; more important was Ban Ji’s luck.

Ban Ji’s luck needed to continuously rise and rise, so much so that it would lead to a qualitative change after reaching a certain level.

Reaching this step would mean a vast open sky.

When the King’s Mandate officially blossomed, both Ban Ji and the Ban family would have a new starting point and treatment.

In Xuanjia Dong.

Ning Zhuo tapped the blade of the bronze saber with the blade of the sword in his hand.

“Left saber, right sword?” His thoughts continued to diverge from the inspiration he just had.

Sabers and swords were the most common weapons and armaments, so many of the demon cultivator souls Ning Zhuo absorbed contained experience in using sabers and swords.

These experiences were also digested by Ning Zhuo in the previous two actual battles and transformed into his own.

The practical combat gave him a profound realization!

“The bronze saber and sword come with their own moves, which is a help, but also a restriction.”

“If I want to perform a saber-sword combined attack, I must start from this foundation and not create something out of nothing.”

“The bronze sword only has basic sword moves, but the bronze saber also has連招 (lian zhao, continuous moves) and small routines. Therefore, to create a saber-sword combined attack, the bronze saber must be primary and the bronze sword secondary.”

Ning Zhuo immediately found the direction for his conception.

He took a deep breath, loosely gripped the bronze saber with his left hand, tightly gripped the bronze sword with his right hand, and slowly took up a stance.

The saber and sword in his hands began to move in coordination with his thoughts.

This strange scene attracted the attention of many people.

“Look, what is Ning Zhuo doing?”

“He has already refined the bronze saber, and his physical injuries have almost healed. Isn’t he going to the next battle?”

“He seems to be—creating moves?”

Those who saw clearly couldn’t help but look at each other.

Someone massaged their forehead: “This is our Xingyun Trial of the Nine-layered Mystic Soldier Armor. It’s my first time seeing someone devising moves during the trial.”

“Hmph! Ning Zhuo previously spent his effort learning in actual combat. Now he’s neglecting the trial to create moves. He doesn’t take our Xuanjia Dong seriously at all!”

“He’s a top-tier genius, arrogant and proud, which is normal.”

Some people began to be dissatisfied with Ning Zhuo, feeling that he didn’t value this Xingyun Trial at all, which meant he was disrespecting Xuanjia Dong.

“I look forward to seeing Ning Zhuo’s expression when he finally loses and is eliminated. Who told him to waste valuable time here!”

“Hmph, he seems to be trying to create combined moves. Is that something that can be designed overnight?”

“Indeed, that’s a bit presumptive—”

Ning Zhuo also felt the difficulty in his attempt to conceive.

The methods of exerting force and utilizing sword moves and saber moves have many commonalities and also differences.

To use both a saber and a sword simultaneously and achieve more powerful combat effectiveness, a deep understanding of sabers and swords is required.

In other words, it requires this kind of martial arts realm!

Ning Zhuo, of course, did not possess this condition.

If it were Wuxing Fashu (Five-elemental Magic), with his realm, he could create spells on the fly.

“But I have other means.” Ning Zhuo secretly activated Ren Ming Xuan Si (Human Fate Suspended Thread), communicating with his closest relative, “Big brother, help me!”

Sun Lingtong, who was far away in Shuyu Zhai, had long known that Ning Zhuo was going to participate in the Nine-layered Mystic Soldier Armor’s minor trial this time and was prepared.

Sun Lingtong activated his talent, insight into Luoshu, bringing beneficial influence from a Dao-tool to Ning Zhuo.

At the same time, Sun Lingtong also had impressive accomplishments in sabers and swords, especially saber techniques. Ning Zhuo transmitted his situation to Sun Lingtong through Ren Ming Xuan Si.

Sun Lingtong watched Ning Zhuo practice, secretly discussed with him, and also helped Ning Zhuo conceive.

Outwardly, Ning Zhuo was struggling to think alone; in reality, he had the more insightful Sun Lingtong assisting him, as well as a Dao-tool!

Soon, the two discussed a move.

Ning Zhuo wielded the saber with his left hand, initiating Po Lang San Die (Three Waves Breaking). The saber acted as the vanguard, he lowered his stance and exerted force, cleaving downwards at a hypothetical enemy in front.

At the same time, the bronze sword in his right hand followed closely, at the moment when the saber’s momentum was exhausted, old strength had just faded, and new strength had not yet emerged, he executed the fastest and most precise “Dian Ci” (Point Stab) among sword moves.

The precise and swift thrust of his right arm compensated for the inherent flaw in Po Lang San Die.

The saber used force, the sword used speed. With the saber as the main and the sword as the auxiliary, the continuous moves of Po Lang San Die became even more perfect.

“Eh?” The cultivators observing in secret all showed expressions of surprise when they saw this scene.

“Results already, so quickly?”

“Using the continuous saber moves as the main and assisting with the sword is indeed the correct direction for conception.”

“If it were me, I could also do it. It’s not difficult overall, just combining two basic elements.”

“Can you do that when you’re as old as Ning Zhuo?”

“Uh—”

Ning Zhuo continued to practice.

He exerted force with his left arm, his left wrist flexibly rotated, driving the bronze saber, no longer cleaving with great force, but instead engaging in continuous, lingering combat.

The saber’s edge often skimmed the ground, specifically attacking the lower body, restricting the opponent’s movement, and creating chaos.

Suddenly, the bronze sword in Ning Zhuo’s right hand abruptly cleaved, like an enraged dragon emerging from the sea, from top to bottom, the sword light was fierce and chilling.

“Hmm?!” Several cultivators had been observing Ning Zhuo, and when they saw this scene, they all showed surprised expressions.

Some blinked repeatedly, not quite believing it, thinking they had misseen.

But after Ning Zhuo finished this strike, he stopped in place, and after three breaths, he began to perform it again.

After performing it a second time, the cultivators were completely sure that Ning Zhuo had created a new saber-sword combined attack.

“This time, he no longer focuses on the saber; the saber became an auxiliary and a prelude, with the true killing intent in the sword!”

“He wields the saber like a sword and cleaves with the sword like a saber. I must say, it’s very innovative.”

“He seems to be looking for commonalities between the saber and the sword. From this move, it can be seen that his understanding of saber and sword has reached a new level!”

“Indeed, it’s impressive. He stopped to create moves, and he actually succeeded.”

The cultivators’ appraisal of Ning Zhuo rose again.

Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong’s discussion grew more fervent; both were immersed in the creation of moves.

“Wait, Xiao Zhuo, what did you just say?” Sun Lingtong suddenly had a flash of inspiration but couldn’t grasp it.

Ning Zhuo was puzzled: “Which sentence? I just said a lot.”

He then repeated himself.

Sun Lingtong, however, shook his head repeatedly: “Not that one, ah, not that one either—”

“Forget it, forget it.”

Sun Lingtong knew that opportunities for such mental breakthroughs were rare, and seeing it about to vanish, he quickly took out a wooden awl.

He plunged the wooden awl deep into his inner thigh.

Confucian method—Zhui Cigun! (Awl Stabbing Thigh)

This spell had long been taught to Sun Lingtong by Ning Zhuo.

The thoughts in Sun Lingtong’s divine sea immediately became penetrating, piercing through the mists at once, helping Sun Lingtong accurately grasp that ethereal flash of inspiration.

He shouted with joy: “Xiao Zhuo, I have another idea!”

Ning Zhuo listened and beamed with joy.

He began to practice.

He thrust his right arm forward with the sword, the sword spirit like a shuttle, the sword tip flashing with cold light, piercing directly to the middle.

This sword move was named Fen Shui (Parting Water).

This move, upon striking an enemy, would inevitably make Ning Zhuo endure a counter-shock force.

Next, Ning Zhuo’s left arm simulated a counter-shock force, and he swung the bronze saber downwards and upwards in a perfect arc.

It was precisely the saber move—Liao Yue (Scooping the Moon)!

Sun Lingtong was very excited: “Xiao Zhuo, you’ve performed it. The subtlety of this combined attack lies in utilizing the enemy’s force feedback, transforming it into the momentum for your own saber move.”

“This requires deep skill in power transmission, body coordination, and timing.”

“Before the counter-shock force is transmitted, your body must be prepared in advance; it’s also a kind of pre-judgment—”

Sun Lingtong spoke incessantly.

Ning Zhuo’s eyes sparkled: “Big brother, you’re amazing! To think of such a move!”

“Once the saber move is blocked, there will still be a counter-shock force, driving the sword move to attack again.”

“So, these two moves, Fen Shui and Liao Yue, can mutually enhance each other, link after link, and constantly cycle back and forth!”

Ning Zhuo sincerely admired Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong laughed heartily, standing proudly with his hands on his hips in Shuyu Zhai.

He didn’t forget to remind: “Xiao Zhuo, I think that’s enough for now. Call me again if you need anything later.”

He had just co-created three moves with Ning Zhuo, temporarily named: Po Lang Dian Xing Shi (Wave-Breaking Star-Pointing Style), Chan Si Beng Shan Shi (Silk-缠 Collapsing Mountain Style), and finally Fen Shui Liao Yue Shi (Parting Water Scooping Moon Style).

Sun Lingtong knew that three forms were enough for Ning Zhuo to practice for a while.

Ning Zhuo also knew this, so he temporarily broke the connection and began to practice diligently.

This left many cultivators somewhat speechless.

“He’s still practicing.”

“Others have already obtained their fourth bronze artifact, but he’s still messing around in the same spot.”

“The first two forms looked decent, but what is that third form? Stumbling and staggering, it hasn’t even been fully created yet, has it?”

The cultivators present did not recognize the essence of the Fen Shui Liao Yue style. This was because this move required leveraging the opponent’s counter-shock force. Ning Zhuo practiced alone, only with an imaginary enemy, and his saber and sword were not truly engaged, so his posture looked ugly and felt very awkward.

Ning Zhuo practiced for a while before setting off again.

“With a saber in the left and a sword in the right, the attack speed is at least doubled; the power has indeed multiplied!”

“The coordination between saber moves and sword moves requires practice. The related footwork and methods of exerting force all need adjustment.”

“My big brother and I roughly created three saber-sword combined attacks, but their power is only so-so; they definitely cannot compare to Ban Ji’s saber-sword combined attacks.”

“He has diligently practiced saber and sword for many years, and his saber-sword combined moves have been tempered countless times, tested in countless actual battles, and might even be the result of continuous summation and improvement by many predecessors.”

“Even if I can’t surpass him, familiarity with the inner intricacies of saber-sword combined attacks will be beneficial for my upcoming confrontation with him, allowing me to fully intercept him!”

Ning Zhuo continued forward while pondering.

Soon, the bronze artifact that appeared before him was a pair of floating bronze gauntlets.

The young man was overjoyed!

“Good weapons!”

“Fists and feet are used more commonly than sabers and swords. Among the life experiences of those demon cultivators I absorbed, even magic cultivators who don’t use weapons like sabers and swords generally have some knowledge of hand-to-hand combat.”

“In terms of hand-to-hand combat, my foundation is deeper.”

“At the same time, using two fists and using a saber and a sword simultaneously also have many commonalities that can be drawn upon.”

“I must learn this well!”

Ning Zhuo’s eyes sparkled; with a saber in his left hand and a sword in his right, he eagerly walked towards the bronze gauntlets.

Meanwhile, a conspiracy was underway.

“Lord Hao, someone over there is willing to double the price for your assistance,” a cultivator transmitted via divine sense.

The cultivator surnamed Hao was one of the deputy commanders of Xuanjia Dong and was currently in charge of this Xingyun Trial.

Cultivator Hao: “Over there? Heh, isn’t it just the Ban family? They previously complained that my price was a bit high; why the change of heart now?”

“Never mind, that question isn’t important.”

“Suddenly doubling the price, what do they want me to do?”

“Let me say beforehand, I won’t do anything too outrageous.”

The secretly communicating cultivator quickly said: “Naturally. They want you to move the bronze saber and sword to Ban Ji’s path.”

“At the same time, set up more obstacles for Ning Zhuo. You can improvise on those.”

Cultivator Hao sneered and transmitted via divine sense: “Heh, and they still say it’s not the Ban family?”

“On one hand, they want me to secretly help Ban Ji, and on the other, they want me to trip up Ning Zhuo.”

“A twofold return is also reasonable.”

“Let me first see the situation on the field.”