222: Effective guidance

One year later.

Inside the fifth floor of the Cultivation Manual Tower.

Zhou Leren rose, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

Before him, a three-foot-long azure blue sword floated in the air, rising and falling as if echoing Zhou Leren's breathing and exhalation.

"Peiyu Sword!"

Zhou Leren reached out and grasped it, a feeling of being connected by Bloodline, as if his arm could command it, surfaced in his heart.

He casually made a few sword flourishes.

As the peiyu sword swung, a faint mist permeated the air.

With a thought.

The peiyu sword in Zhou Leren's hand disappeared.

He closed his eyes and looked inward, only to see a small azure blue sword slowly rotating around his Golden Core, constantly nourished by the magical power within his body.

The peiyu sword repeatedly appeared in his hand and then disappeared.

After more than ten times.

Zhou Leren grew accustomed to it and stored the peiyu sword back into his body.

Now that the peiyu sword was successfully refined, Zhou Leren's strength had increased by several points.

A feeling of eagerness to try it out surfaced in his heart.

Zhou Leren thought for a moment, then his figure disappeared from the Cultivation Manual Tower.

Above the boundless water marsh.

Zhou Leren's figure appeared.

"Old Ancestor, Old Ancestor."

Zhou Leren's tone was quite excited, his spirits high.

"Om~"

A vortex appeared in the water marsh, and a precious bead slowly rose.

"What is it?"

Mo Xuan's lazy voice came from within the precious bead.

"Old Ancestor, look quickly."

With a thought, a blue-green precious sword appeared in Zhou Leren's hand, emanating the Aura of a third-tier magic treasure.

"Oh?"

"You want to try it out?"

Mo Xuan's voice, slightly surprised and with a hint of eagerness, came out.

"Uh..."

Zhou Leren's smile froze, and he said awkwardly.

"How could I, haha~"

He certainly didn't want to get beaten for nothing.

Moreover, as the only Golden Core True Person of the Zhou Family, if he were to show off again.

If the younger generations of the family saw it, where would his dignity as a Golden Core True Person go?

"I want to spar with Elder Heavenly Scorpion, and I'd like to ask Old Ancestor to be a witness."

Zhou Leren's expression became serious.

The snake shadow inside the precious bead glanced at him.

Zhou Leren felt a little guilty under its gaze.

Heavenly Scorpion had already advanced to the Mid Golden Core Stage, and his invitation for Mo Xuan to appear was merely to avoid a beating.

"Alright."

Mo Xuan was too lazy to expose him and agreed.

Zhou Leren was delighted.

The precious bead shot into the sky, reaching high altitude.

Before long.

The two-hundred-foot-tall Heavenly Scorpion and Zhou Leren's figures appeared.

"Bang bang bang~"

"Boss."

Heavenly Scorpion waved his giant pincers and shouted at the precious bead, while Zhou Leren also bowed in salute.

The illusory snake shadow materialized and nodded to the two of them.

"Begin."

Mo Xuan commanded in a deep voice.

Clouds and mist suddenly arose, enveloping this space to prevent any commotion from escaping.

"Elder Heavenly Scorpion, please show mercy."

Zhou Leren saluted with his sword.

"Hehe, easy to say, easy to say."

After so many years of interaction with the Zhou Family, both sides were already familiar.

Moreover, it was due to the Zhou Family's offerings that he was able to advance to the Mid Golden Core Stage more than ten years ahead of schedule.

The initial slight repulsion in his heart had also completely disappeared.

So, even without Mo Xuan present, he naturally wouldn't strike with heavy hands.

However, just now, he had heard Mo Xuan's voice transmission... "Hehe~"

Heavenly Scorpion chuckled to himself.

Golden light shone on his body, and he instantly disappeared from his original spot.

With extreme speed, Heavenly Scorpion arrived beside Zhou Leren, his giant pincers sharp and menacing, clamping down on Zhou Leren.

Zhou Leren was startled.

He retreated hastily, brandishing the peiyu sword in his hand, and streaks of Sword Qi flew across the sky, striking the giant pincers.

As the Sword Qi struck, the golden light on the giant pincers changed, and a yellow light flashed by.

Sounds of 'bang bang' rang out, the Sword Qi dissipated, leaving two indentations.

"Go!"

Zhou Leren retreated, and the peiyu sword in his hand, under his mental control, flew straight out.

The peiyu sword sliced through, trailing streams of water.

Heavenly Scorpion raised his giant pincers, crossed them in front, and the yellow light on his body was as heavy as a mountain.

"Ding ding ding~"

The sound of sword strikes continuously echoed.

Heavenly Scorpion seized the opportunity and flicked the peiyu sword away with one pincer.

Black mysterious light/aura (boundary) surged from his body, his speed suddenly increased, and in an instant, he appeared behind Zhou Leren.

Golden light shone from his scorpion tail, sweeping towards Zhou Leren.

Zhou Leren didn't have time to recall the peiyu sword.

He formed a hand seal.

Streams of water curtains appeared behind him.

The golden light met the water curtains, and streams of water curtains shattered one after another.

A huge force came, and Zhou Leren flew out with the momentum, grasping the peiyu sword in his hand.

The three-foot-long sword was raised to the sky, and a faint, continuous drizzle fell.

The light on Heavenly Scorpion's body changed again, and flames erupted from all around him, evaporating the falling drizzle.

"Bang bang~"

Heavenly Scorpion's giant pincers clapped, and the flames rapidly expanded, transforming into rings of fire that swept towards Zhou Leren.

"Peiyu Transforms into Dragon!"

Zhou Leren shouted in a low voice.

The peiyu sword shone with spiritual light, and the drizzle rapidly gathered; behind Zhou Leren, a hundred-foot-long water Dragon coiled and condensed.

Zhou Leren raised his sword and swung it down at the incoming rings of fire.

As the peiyu sword swung, the water Dragon behind him leaped up, roaring down from the high sky.

"Ang~"

A Dragon's roar seemed to echo.

"Bang!"

The water Dragon crashed through several rings of fire, heading straight for Heavenly Scorpion.

Heavenly Scorpion's heart tightened, his demonic core spun rapidly, his Aura greatly increased, displaying the Aura of a Mid Golden Core Stage.

The color of the flames shifted towards blue-white, converging on his dual pincers.

"Boom!"

The hundred-foot-long water Dragon crashed down.

"Clap!"

Loud noises continuously rang out, as the pair of fiery giant pincers tore the water Dragon apart.

The light on Heavenly Scorpion's body changed again, and he broke through the water Dragon, appearing beside Zhou Leren.

His giant pincer swept horizontally.

Zhou Leren had no time to escape; he raised his sword to block and was sent flying by the blow.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Zhou Leren's Qi was slightly in disarray, and his figure appeared somewhat disheveled; seeing that Heavenly Scorpion was about to strike again, he quickly shouted loudly.

Heavenly Scorpion's movements paused, and his Aura dissipated.

Zhou Leren felt a sense of relief.

"Thank you, Elder Heavenly Scorpion, for showing mercy."

"It's nothing, nothing."

Elder Heavenly Scorpion raised his pincers and scratched his head, replying awkwardly.

He had received Mo Xuan's instructions and truly hadn't intended to show mercy, but Zhou Leren called a stop too quickly, so he couldn't make another move.

"Elder Heavenly Scorpion must be in cahoots with the Old Ancestor..."

Zhou Leren thought of Heavenly Scorpion's unusual behavior at the beginning and the sudden surge of power at the end; based on his many experiences of being tricked by Mo Xuan, how could he not know that his Old Ancestor had come up with another bad idea.

Thinking of this, Zhou Leren looked with a resentful gaze towards the snake shadow high in the sky.

"Cough~"

"Not bad, not bad, both of your strengths have improved."

Mo Xuan's completely unashamed voice came out.

"It's all thanks to the Boss's good teaching!"

Heavenly Scorpion (^o^)/ chuckled.

"Flattery Scorpion~"

Zhou Leren muttered in his heart.

"It's all thanks to Old Ancestor's excellent guidance."

Zhou Leren said in a sarcastic tone.

Mo Xuan was not annoyed; with a thought, the clouds and mist dissipated, and the snake shadow nodded to the two of them before disappearing into the precious bead.

It vanished from this place.

Zhou Leren and Heavenly Scorpion bowed, tidied themselves up, and then returned to Jade Moon Peak, finding Jing Ya who was with Zhou Xiutong.

Heavenly Scorpion then fell back into the water marsh.

Three years later.

Jade Moon Peak.

A three or four-year-old girl with a round face and two pigtails skipped along the path.

"Eh?"

The girl's eyes suddenly lit up, and she ran quickly towards the front.

"Ah!"

The girl tripped, and her body fell forward.

Suddenly, light burst forth from the girl's body, protecting her entire form.

"Hoo~"

"That scared me to death, scared me to death."

The girl was unharmed; she got up and patted her chest, speaking with lingering fear.

In the distance, Zhou Dingyang and Zhou Dingze, seeing the girl fall, changed their expressions and were rushing over, but upon seeing the light on the girl's body and hearing her muttering to herself.

Their mouths twitched unconsciously.

"Little Grand-Aunt."

Zhou Dingyang pulled Zhou Dingze and bowed in salute.

"Hey, where are you two going? Take me with you, take me with you."

Zhou Xiutong's face was flushed, and she spoke charmingly.

"This..."

Zhou Dingyang's expression was hesitant.

They had just learned two new Spells and originally wanted to go to the Yaori Peak practice ground to try them out.

"Okay, okay, okay."

Seeing Zhou Xiutong's mouth pout, about to cry.

Zhou Dingze quickly answered for both of them.

"Hehe~"

Zhou Xiutong's face broke into a smile, and she spread her arms.

Zhou Dingyang and Zhou Dingze exchanged glances, helplessness in their eyes.

The two communicated for a moment, and Zhou Dingyang gave in.

He squatted down.

Zhou Xiutong skillfully climbed onto him.

Zhou Dingyang carried Zhou Xiutong and headed down Jade Moon Peak.

"Little Grand-Aunt, hold on tight, don't fall."

Zhou Dingyang carefully instructed her.

Zhou Dingze watched the Magical Artifacts all over Zhou Xiutong from the side, his eyes twitching.

Even if both of them fell, Zhou Xiutong would be fine.

"Little Grand-Aunt."

"Little Grand-Aunt."

"..."

Along the way, Cultivators of the ming generation and Ding Generation, seeing the three, all bowed in salute.

Zhou Xiutong kept a straight face, responding to each one.

"So tired..."

Seeing that there was no one else around, Zhou Xiutong let out a sigh of relief.

Zhou Dingyang and Zhou Dingze exchanged glances.

They actually had a feeling of borrowing prestige.

"It doesn't seem so bad after all?"

Zhou Dingyang carried Zhou Xiutong forward, lost in thought.