Ning Zhuo’s arrival at a Tongshang Tang branch stirred up a commotion.

“Who is that young man?”

“White clothes, a big head… judging by his appearance, it seems to be—”

“It must be Ning Zhuo. One of the top-tier newcomers to emerge from this year’s Feiyun Dahui!”

Many cultivators cast curious glances, whispering or communicating with their divine senses.

Ning Zhuo walked up to the counter.

The attendant cultivator behind the counter’s heart pounded. He quickly stepped forward and greeted, “Daoist friend Ning Zhuo, are you looking to buy or sell something? If you wish to purchase discreetly, we can communicate through divine sense; I promise to keep your secret!”

Ning Zhuo smiled faintly, “Thank you, but there’s no need. I wish to purchase some Confucian cultivation spells.”

He communicated verbally rather than through divine sense.

The attendant cultivator, seeing Ning Zhuo’s complete lack of arrogance, felt a sense of camaraderie and quickly nodded. “I know, you’ve won first place twice in the Confucian minor trials. What Confucian spells do you need? I’ll find them for you right away. Or, do you have any ideas? I can offer some humble suggestions.”

“That would be excellent. Thank you!” Ning Zhuo’s smile widened slightly. “I’m still quite new to Confucian cultivation. This trip, I’d like to buy some spells that can help me impart knowledge to others.”

The attendant cultivator paused, Ning Zhuo’s request was unexpected.

Ning Zhuo participated in the Xingyun Minor Trials; shouldn’t he be busy learning himself, instead of focusing on teaching others?

“He’s a top-tier genius, so naturally, his ideas are beyond our understanding,” the attendant cultivator thought.

He immediately checked his records and quickly made several recommendations to Ning Zhuo.

This was a flourishing era of cultivation.

There were dozens of relevant Confucian cultivation spells. Ning Zhuo carefully sifted through them, selecting eight: Shimen Lixue, Jichijian Xun, Chunchun Jiaohui, Shuxiu Qihui, Yanshi Zhongxun, Jiaobian Ceneng, Yibo Chuanren, and Xinhuo Xiangchuan.

Ning Zhuo’s current Confucian foundation wasn’t sufficient to cast the Shimen Lixue spell. However, he could achieve success by using related arrays. If this Confucian spell succeeded, the target cultivator would gain immediate understanding of the imparted knowledge, crossing thresholds and entering the profound.

The Jichijian Xun spell required the use of a specific magic ruler, the Jichijian, to be employed. Through striking with the ruler, a cultivator could learn useful knowledge.

The Shuxiu Qihui spell was a Confucian sacrificial method. Cultivators, with the help of portraits of ancient Confucian sages, would receive tuition from students and then bestow upon them a particular kind of wisdom.

“I’ll buy all of these,” Ning Zhuo said, taking out spirit stones and paying on the spot.

After inheriting Qing Huangzi’s legacy, he acquired a batch of spirit stones for daily expenses, finally escaping the awkward situation of constantly using Ghost Dao Golden Pills.

“Please take care,” the attendant cultivator and others watched as Ning Zhuo calmly left the Tongshang Tang branch.

Ban Jie sat by the window on the second floor of a restaurant.

A flying letter arrived, landing in front of her.

“Ning Zhuo came to Tongshang Tang this time just to buy some Confucian spells?”

Ban Jie looked closer, her brows slightly furrowed. “Why are they all methods for imparting knowledge to others? What is his intention?”

As an emergency envoy from the Ban family, Ban Jie felt perplexed by this information.

“Never mind that. Where is Ning Zhuo now?” Ban Jie touched the jade pendant at her waist, contacting her subordinates.

Her subordinates, who were constantly monitoring Ning Zhuo, immediately responded, and the layered intelligence quickly reached Ban Jie.

Thus, as Ning Zhuo was halfway through his journey, Ban Jie successfully appeared before him.

“Daoist friend Ning, please wait.” Ban Jie blocked his path. “I am Ban Jie, a cultivator from the Ban family.”

Ban Jie bowed respectfully and introduced herself.

She deliberately spoke loudly. Coincidentally, there was a mountain peak to their southeast where a bustling market was held, filled with people rubbing shoulders.

Sensing Ban Jie’s presence, many cultivators immediately took notice.

“Look! It’s Ning Zhuo.”

“Ban Jie? The Ban family has sent someone? And they’ve actively sought out Ning Zhuo? Are they going to teach this outsider a harsh lesson?”

“Hurry, there’s a good show to watch!”

“There were many rumors before, saying that Ban Ji was jealous of talent and secretly hired demonic cultivators to make things difficult for Ning Zhuo. Now the Ban family has even sent someone.”

Many cultivators grew excited. Some cast detection spells, while others simply summoned floating clouds, leaving the mountain peak and drifting towards Ning Zhuo and Ban Jie.

Ning Zhuo scrutinized Ban Jie, observing her inner garment of Bai Ren Tian Can Yi, an outer robe of Qiuxiang Luoyun Pao, and a translucent Amber Panshi Sha over that.

Her eyebrows were thin like blades, and at her temples, two Xuan Tong Mei Ding, embedded like gear pivots, rotated almost imperceptibly.

A sharp glint flashed in Ning Zhuo’s eyes. He immediately became wary, quickly scanning the cultivators flying over to watch the spectacle, and snorted, “Ban Jie? What brings you here?”

Ban Jie’s face showed a perfectly timed expression of sorrow and sincerity. “The previous incident, my brother Ban Ji, was framed! The so-called ‘hiring of demonic cultivators’ was truly a malicious scheme by petty individuals, seeking to incite conflict between the Ban and Ning families. Their intentions are reprehensible! My Ban family is a prestigious clan and would never act in such a way. If this misunderstanding isn’t resolved, both families will suffer, and the righteous path will be stained!”

At this point, Ban Jie looked around the crowd, then fixed her gaze on Ning Zhuo. “Today, Ban Jie shamelessly stands here, carrying the heartfelt intentions of my family elders, to present a small token of sincerity, hoping to resolve this misunderstanding with Daoist friend Ning Zhuo and turn enmity into friendship.”

“Daoist friend, your insights into mechanisms and the Five Elements are unique. With a heart of steel and the elegance of jade, you are truly a paragon among our generation, naturally inspiring admiration and a desire for friendship.”

“It’s better to resolve enmity than to perpetuate it. Turning conflict into harmony is a beautiful tale. It’s not even far-fetched to imagine us working together in the future, walking the Grand Dao side by side.”

The surrounding cultivators exchanged glances, their divine senses buzzing with communication.

“The Ban family is actually taking the initiative to resolve the misunderstanding with Ning Zhuo?”

“Ning Zhuo may seem alone, but his family is merely outside Feiyun Guo. The Ban family’s move is quite wise.”

“I always said the Ban family’s conduct wouldn’t involve demonic cultivators. I didn’t expect it to be someone else’s scheme!”

Ning Zhuo frowned, about to speak.

Ban Jie, observing his expression, decisively interrupted him. She slapped her storage bag at her waist, releasing the gifts for Ning Zhuo.

Immediately, a dazzling radiance erupted, with light flowing and spiritual energy swirling, causing onlookers to tremble with awe.

A dozen precious treasures, supported by an invisible force, floated between Ban Jie and Ning Zhuo, shaking the hearts of those who witnessed them.

The cultivators exclaimed repeatedly.

“Am I seeing correctly? That bottle seems to contain Jiutian Xuanbing Sui! The Ban family actually gave three drops of such an extremely cold treasure!”

“Dihuo Lianzhong? Such spiritual plants are incredibly rare; it’s said that if cultivated properly, they can nurture fire seeds.”

“There’s such a large Xukong Yunling Shi! This is a top-tier material for arranging teleportation arrays or refining spatial magic treasures!”

Ning Zhuo’s gaze was also drawn in.

He noticed a pagoda among them. The exquisite nine-story miniature pagoda rotated silently. Its body was densely covered with profound magnetic threads and miniature gears, subtly aligning with the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, precise to a dizzying degree.

Ban Jie introduced it at the opportune moment, “This is the Xuan Ci Qianji Jiuqu Cangbao Ta. The treasures hidden inside are often extremely rare, otherwise, such methods wouldn’t be used for their storage.”

She then pointed to a piece of jade, “This is Wanzai Kongqing Shenfeng Yu.”

Her finger moved to a crystalline spiritual egg, “This is a Qingluan egg. Hatching it can provide an excellent means of transportation.”

Finally, she introduced an ancient beast-skin scroll, “This is the ‘Tianyan Wanhua Shouling Qi’. Once cultivated, one can form a contract with any demon beast, making it their own. Even if the demon beast dies in battle, there’s a certain possibility of its spirit forming, continuing to serve the cultivator.”

Ning Zhuo’s frown deepened, and the clamor of the surrounding cultivators grew louder.

“Heavens! The Ban family is so generous! How is this a small gift?”

“Jiutian Xuanbing Sui! Dihuo Lianzhong! Xukong Shi! My Dao heart—I’ve never seen such things in my life!”

“The Ban family acts grandly! To prove their innocence, they spare no expense, but Ning Zhuo himself is indeed worthy of such attention.”

Ban Jie stared at Ning Zhuo, not missing the slightest change in his expression.

She murmured to herself, “Ning Zhuo! Such a grand gift is right before you. With just a word, you can make it all yours. I don’t believe you won’t be tempted!”

“As long as you accept them, our Ban family will have a righteous justification!”

“Once you accept the benefits, the family’s pivot chain in the ancestral shrine can act again, affecting your luck!”

How could he simply accept these treasures from the Ban family?

Ning Zhuo would inevitably have to pay a far more painful price! And these prices would be almost imperceptible to outsiders.

“Heh.” Ning Zhuo chuckled lightly, his eyes radiating cold stars, his gaze sharp as a knife, landing on Ban Jie’s face.

“Daoist friend Ban Jie, the Ban family—what a truly sincere and grand gift.”

“This Jiutian Xuanbing Sui has no relation to my Five Elements circulation. It’s not needed for Five Elements harmony. Its storage method requires constructing a special seal with a large amount of pure Yang and Wood-attributed heavenly materials and earthly treasures.”

“The Dihuo Lianzhong naturally grows deep underground, within magma. If I were to cultivate it, it would require a vast amount of Fire-attributed resources and be extremely time-consuming.”

“The larger the Xukong Yunling Shi, the more difficult it is to use. When arranging an array, if its internal stability is even slightly disrupted, it will self-destruct, causing space to collapse, and I would fall into the void, with no place to be buried!”

“And this Xuan Ci Qianji Jiuqu Cangbao Ta, to solve its puzzles and find the treasures within, who knows how much time and energy it would consume?”

“As for the ‘Tianyan Wanhua Shouling Qi’, given its ancient appearance, it’s likely an ancient method, isn’t it? How long do you expect me to research it?”

“It’s rather thoughtful of you to specifically send a Qingluan egg to encourage me to cultivate this ancient method with more motivation?”

Ning Zhuo’s point-by-point commentary silenced all the cultivators present.

Ban Jie, exposed, remained completely unfazed. She shook her head repeatedly. “Daoist friend Ning Zhuo has too deep a misunderstanding of my Ban family and has fallen prey to villainous schemes.”

“These were carefully selected from my clan’s treasury. Even if Daoist friend Ning Zhuo doesn’t use them, selling them to Tongshang Tang would still be a huge income.”

“The Wanzai Kongqing Shenfeng Yu among them can nourish the soul and clear the mind. It’s a superb treasure for assisting in comprehending wind and space. It’s inherently beneficial and harmless. I wonder how Daoist friend could misinterpret it?”

Only Ban Jie present knew the truth.

These gifts were indeed “carefully selected,” each with its drawbacks. What Ning Zhuo said, though with minor inaccuracies, was largely correct.

The Wanzai Kongqing Shenfeng Yu also had its drawbacks. It contained too much of the principle of wind. When cultivators tried to comprehend it, they could easily become engrossed, leading to their body and mind being corroded by the principle. They wouldn’t be able to fully digest and master it, resulting in a stained foundation, which was even more troublesome than having to abandon their cultivation and start anew.

Ning Zhuo snorted, his eyes like lightning, piercing straight into Ban Jie. “Eloquent and glib, utterly hypocritical!”

“Ban Ji hired demonic cultivators to harm me. I have ample evidence; I just don’t want to be distracted right now.”

“Once this Feiyun Dahui concludes, I will definitely make it public and confront your Ban family thoroughly.”

“This Ban Jie here is attempting to use heavy rewards to numb me, lead me astray, and prevent me from attending to other matters!”

“This scheme is truly insidious.”

Ning Zhuo’s voice rose. He scanned everyone present and immediately declared, “The great Confucian sage said: ‘To respond to an offense with courtesy is not true courtesy!'”

“Your Ban family has repeatedly harmed me, do you take me for an ignorant child?”

“This is outrageous!”

“I, Ning Zhuo, hereby swear again, I will definitely repay Ban Ji with all my might. I will not rest until I make him cry for his parents and flee in disarray!”

“I ask all those present to bear witness!”

The crowd roared.

Ning Zhuo knew very well that there must be shills arranged by Ban Jie among them, but most were probably bystanders.

All the cultivators widened their eyes, looking at Ning Zhuo with astonishment.

“I didn’t expect Ning Zhuo to be so resolute!”

“Too reckless. Ning Zhuo isn’t just provoking Ban Ji, but also the Ban family. What does he rely on?”

“Speaking of which, did Ban Jie have malicious intentions when she presented the gifts?”

After speaking, Ning Zhuo coldly glanced at Ban Jie and flew directly away.

Ban Jie suppressed her anger, repeatedly protesting her innocence, but couldn’t stop Ning Zhuo. She could only watch helplessly as the big-headed young man flicked his sleeves and departed.

The corner of Ban Jie’s eye finally twitched slightly.

“This brat was unmoved by such heavy gifts!”

“I even reminded him he could sell them for money, but he still wouldn’t accept!”

Difficult to deal with.

In her first confrontation with Ning Zhuo, Ban Jie suffered a defeat.

“But I have more tricks up my sleeve. Hmph, just you wait, Ning Zhuo!” Ban Jie stared intently at Ning Zhuo’s receding figure, malice simmering in her heart.

Dianxing Peak.

Council Hall.

Yan Linglong stood beside Situ Xing, quietly advising, “Leader Situ, as the saying goes, ‘to resist external aggression, one must first ensure internal stability.'”

“We have had two top-tier geniuses emerge here, which is a great thing.”

“However, Ning Zhuo is not ranked, and everyone has been discussing this matter today. Is he looking down on us?”

“You hold the first seat, followed by Lin Jinglong and Shen Xi. Yet Ning Zhuo doesn’t even have a seat. He received the stone tablet, gained renown, but hasn’t even met you.”

“If this situation continues to develop, I fear everyone will start to feel a little uneasy.”

Situ Xing frowned deeply, staring out the window and musing, “Indeed.”

“The seating order is our rule, but Ning Zhuo does not abide by this rule. Every moment he remains outside, he is undermining our rules.”

“What do you think we should do?”

Yan Linglong smiled faintly. She knew Situ Xing’s temperament well and subtly suggested, “It’s simple. Leader Situ might consider writing a letter, kindly advising him, and arranging for Ning Zhuo to take the second seat.”

Situ Xing’s frown deepened further.

Yan Linglong knew the timing was right and immediately excused herself, citing cultivation.

Arriving at her secluded cave, with no one else around, she sent a flying letter to Ban Jie: “I have done everything you asked of me.”

“Between Situ Xing and Ning Zhuo, there will definitely be a battle in the coming days!”