The paper-figure attendant led Yang Weida to Tingyou Pavilion, gesturing for him to wait by the entrance.

Yang Weida’s face remained impassive as he hastily nodded, yet anyone could discern the tremor of nerves within him.

He stood by the door for but a few breaths before the paper-figure attendant received instructions, actively pushing open the portal and motioning for Yang Weida to enter.

Yang Weida swallowed hard, straightened his collar, and with a heart fraught with unease and trepidation, lightly stepped into Tingyou Pavilion.

Earlier, Tingyou Pavilion had suffered grievous damage when Sang Le Youling was ambushed and assassinated.

However, the White Paper Immortal City had immediately marshaled significant resources to aid Sang Le Youling in restoring the place.

With the comprehensive overhaul of defensive formations and other measures, it had become even more secure than before.

Sang Le Youling would summon male consorts one by one to this place for examination and selection.

Upon entering Tingyou Pavilion, Yang Weida beheld Sang Le Youling and was about to perform the ritualistic bow of respect.

Sang Le Youling sat cross-legged behind the desk, but her gaze did not fall upon him. She merely plucked the strings of the Jiao Wei Qin resting before her.

The sound of the zither was clear and resonant, instantly resonating deep within Yang Weida’s heart. He immediately received a spiritual message from Sang Le Youling, instructing him to forgo further formalities and simply sit down and listen to the music.

Yang Weida nodded repeatedly, obediently complying.

Sang Le Youling’s two fingers plucked the strings, her playing light and ethereal. The zither music was monotonous and empty, like a deep well without ripples.

Successive chimes of seven yellow jade bells echoed.

The first bell’s sound was like ice cracking; the second, like withered leaves crumbling; the third, like the dripping of spring water…

Yang Weida was swiftly immersed in the music, unable to extricate himself.

He “saw” the flame of the bronze lamp on the desk twist into a panic-stricken human face.

He “saw” his own reflection on the green bricks warp and lengthen, its limbs dancing wildly.

He also “perceived” the cold moon in the sky, with countless fierce ghosts climbing all over him, incessantly scratching and gnawing at his body and mind.

Yang Weida felt as though he were truly present in this horrifying scene, and Sang Le Youling’s countenance grew increasingly solemn.

All the illusions within Yang Weida’s heart dissipated, finally resolving into a wave of powerless weakness that enveloped his entire being. It left him feeling utterly spent, desiring only to lie in bed motionless and sleep for three days and three nights.

Sang Le Youling’s fingers trembled slightly as she plucked the final note.

Yang Weida again received a prompt, instructing him to quietly withdraw without making a sound.

Many doubts churned within Yang Weida’s heart. He yearned to know if he had passed the assessment, but he dared not ask. Head bowed, he retreated, leaving Tingyou Pavilion in hushed silence.

Within Tingyou Pavilion, only Sang Le Youling remained, seated cross-legged.

A clear breeze wafted in, carrying the rustling sound of the bamboo grove outside the pavilion, gently stirring the female cultivator’s three thousand strands of green hair.

Sang Le Youling let out a sigh.

Wen Rou Yu emerged from the rear hall and inquired, “How was it?”

Since Sang Le Youling had been assassinated twice, her safety had become the utmost priority for city defense. This time, the White Paper Immortal City had even arranged for Wen Rou Yu to protect Sang Le Youling, concerned that assassins might be hidden among the male consorts.

Yang Weida had been escorted into the city by Wen Rou Yu, acting upon Sang Le Youling’s instructions, and thus held a degree of importance in Wen Rou Yu’s eyes.

This time, Yang Weida had even surged in rank, claiming the top spot on the list, showcasing a sharp edge.

Sang Le Youling sighed and said, “His origin is clear; he is indeed a traveling cloud merchant from the Flying Cloud Country. His arrival at the city lord’s mansion, his active role as a male consort, is merely to use this identity to become a fortunate person who receives a promotion.”

Wen Rou Yu nodded. “Friend or foe is not the key. The crux is, is he the crucial person you divined and calculated to be the savior of the White Paper Immortal City during this ghost tide?”

Sang Le Youling shook her head slightly. “I cannot be certain.”

“However, his Yang energy is indeed abundant. Among this session’s male consorts, the first name is well-deserved.”

Wen Rou Yu then asked, “How does he compare to Jin Yangzi?”

Sang Le Youling replied, “Jin Yangzi is a true disciple of the Seven Feathers Alliance and possesses an incomplete bloodline of the Three-legged Golden Crow. How could Yang Weida compare to him?”

Wen Rou Yu mused, “In my opinion, if Yang Weida is this key person, it is highly probable that he is the new owner of the Golden Yan Fork. Only by borrowing the Golden Yan Fork can he release massive Yang energy to help City Lord harmonize enough Yin energy.”

“Yang Weida is, after all, only a Foundation Establishment cultivator. This is the path I have thought of repeatedly, the most likely way he can help our White Paper Immortal City.”

Sang Le Youling said, “Based on current conditions, your guess is most probable. But divination and truth are often not so closely aligned.”

“I still cannot determine if Yang Weida is the key savior.”

“Therefore, we must retain more hopes, allow for more possibilities to emerge, so that we do not miss the true key person.”

Wen Rou Yu nodded, largely agreeing with Sang Le Youling’s assessment.

Cang Yang Separate Mansion.

The moment Yang Weida returned, he was immediately subjected to questioning.

Everyone was eager to inquire about the detailed process of Sang Le Youling’s assessment, hoping to use it to their advantage in passing.

Yang Weida himself was unsure of the accurate result, but facing the barrage of questions, he puffed out his chest and exuded confidence, claiming he had already passed with ease.

His words were a mix of truth and fabrication, emphasizing the power and wondrous effects of his divine medicine.

The male consorts, wanting to glean inside information, at least hoped to buy a box of the divine medicine from him.

“Whether I’ve passed or not, this trip to the White Paper Immortal City is absolutely not a loss based on this massive sale alone!” Yang Weida had broken even, and his mental state was significantly more relaxed.

Ning Zhuo did not follow the crowd.

For him, he had no fundamental interest in being promoted to the Three Courtyards.

Ning Zhuo planned to contact Sang Le Youling, immediately reveal his identity, ask her to perform a divination, and then instantly ride the Wan Li You Long away from this troubled region.

Underworld.

Water Burial Valley.

Valley Lord Gray Bone Old Man impatiently regarded the visitor. “Fu Jun, the favor I owed you from the last divination is already settled.”

In the Underworld, one who can be addressed as Fu Jun is necessarily an Underworld Lord, holding a high and powerful position, far from ordinary.

This was because an Underworld often comprised multiple Immortal Cities, equivalent to the monarch of a Yang World country!

The Underworld Lord nodded. “Indeed. Gray Old, do not worry. I have not come to seek a divination from you this time, but to request another important matter.”

Gray Bone Old Man was slightly startled, then pinched his fingers to calculate. “You wish for me to disrupt a side’s calculation mechanism?”

Fu Jun admitted frankly, “Exactly so.”

Gray Bone Old Man said, “I do possess a technique called Jie Gray Fu Yao, which has the power to disrupt calculation mechanisms.”

“However, this method comes at a high price. It is more, not less, compared to the favor I returned you before.”

Fu Jun then produced an object. “Gray Old, what you cherish most is your destiny. I know that disrupting calculation mechanisms consumes very little destiny. As for the so-called price, I wonder if this object can compensate?”

Gray Bone Old Man’s gaze was already drawn to the treasure material. “Is this a ten-thousand-year Profound Tortoise shell?”

“Precisely,” Fu Jun said.

Gray Bone Old Man was silent for a moment, then said, “This treasure material is indeed sufficient. But to perform the Jie Gray Fu Yao technique, I must borrow tribulation energy and transform it into ash before it can succeed.”

Fu Jun was surprised. “You mean to collect the tribulation energy of the ghost tide?”

Gray Bone Old Man chuckled. “Fu Jun, there’s no need for such nonsense; it merely wastes our time.”

“Others may not know, but how could I not?”

“This ghost tide is precisely your act against heaven, your attempt to refine that sky ghost head bone. The entire White Paper Immortal City has been deceived, becoming your helpers in receiving heavenly punishment.”

Upon hearing these words, Fu Jun’s face immediately turned solemn, his gaze sharp as he stared at Gray Bone Old Man.

Gray Bone Old Man remained calm and unafraid, continuing, “If you wish for me to disrupt the calculation mechanism, you must allow me to contact the source of the disaster tribulation and take tribulation energy. It is precisely such tribulation energy that can profoundly influence all cultivators within the tribulation.”

“Aside from this one way, there is no other method.”

Fu Jun fell into silence.

To pass heavenly punishment and appease heavenly wrath, the best method was blood sacrifice.

The White Paper Immortal City was the place Fu Jun had long designated for a blood sacrifice!

However, the White Paper Immortal City was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and its current city defense core was Sang Le Youling.

Fu Jun, allied with the Fu Cheng Alliance, had acted multiple times. Two assassination attempts had failed to kill her, and numerous attempts at internal and external pincer attacks had all been calculated by Sang Le Youling in advance and successfully thwarted.

Thus, Sang Le Youling was a thorn in the side of Fu Jun and the Fu Cheng Alliance, whom they wished to remove quickly!

Disrupting the calculation mechanism, although the price was extremely high, the situation demanded that Fu Jun act in this manner.

After a long while, Fu Jun gazed at Gray Bone Old Man and slowly spoke, “Very well.”

One day later.

Dining hall.

Ning Zhuo sat upright, watching the spirit cook old man prepare a nether meal before him.

As usual, Ning Zhuo ate the nether meal until his belly was bloated, making it difficult to move.

As the meal was digested, his soul foundation formally surpassed the threshold of a thousand times that of an ordinary person.

“Smelly boy, you’re already a thousand-person soul,” the spirit cook old man, facing Ning Zhuo, immediately detected a trace of overflowing soul aura from him.

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly. “Many thanks for your assistance, senior.”

The spirit cook old man scoffed. “Less flattery! You’ve achieved this partly because you were willing to spend merit points to order my nether meals, and partly due to the immortal city’s policy adjustments, which allocated many precious resources. In normal times, this would be impossible.”

Ning Zhuo nodded. “I know. The ghost tide has been attacking the city continuously for many days.”

The spirit cook old man shook his head. “That’s not the only reason. Sang Le Youling, the adult, was assassinated the other day and then ate my spirit food to heal. That’s how I obtained these rare ingredients. In any case, Sang Le Youling was the primary recipient; you were merely an extra.”

“You mustn’t think the Cang Yang Separate Mansion allocated so many precious ingredients solely for you. Consider yourself lucky; you’ve ridden an east wind!”

Ning Zhuo said, “Ah, so that’s it.”

His heart stirred. “Senior, when you say this, are you intending to care for me? When I see Sang Le Youling, should I express my gratitude to her?”

Ning Zhuo was also among the male consorts being promoted to the Three Courtyards this time.

This afternoon, it was his turn to see Sang Le Youling.

The spirit cook old man nodded. “I am an old man of the White Paper Immortal City. It is incredibly difficult for this immortal city to have survived to this day. Sang Le Youling has contributed greatly to this, especially now that the City Lord intends to self-seal.”

Ning Zhuo recalled the recent war achievements and nodded in agreement. “Indeed so.”

The spirit cook old man looked at Ning Zhuo seriously. “Jiao Ma boy, you are the first among the male consorts to continuously eat my nether meals for so many days. You have tenacity!”

“You are also from a village outside the city; the White Paper Immortal City is your homeland.”

“Are you interested in accepting my inheritance and becoming a spirit cook? In the future, you can cook for yourself, or stay here and gain the appreciation of the City Lord, Sang Le Youling, and other adults, thus changing your life.”

Ning Zhuo was surprised. “This… To tell the truth, senior, I wish to venture out and travel the world.”

“Humph.” The spirit cook old man’s expression was displeased, but he still produced a jade slip and a token.

“Spirit cooking is one of the hundred arts of cultivation; it has its own lineage and rules.”

“This inheritance is for you alone; do not spread it casually. Whether you learn it or not is up to you. But if you do learn, you must remember that you are a member of the Dark Cuisine Sect and must promote this lineage in the future!”

“Within the jade slip are my cultivation methods, recipes, cultivation insights, and more. The token signifies our lineage and your identity. In the future, when participating in the hundred countries culinary arts grand competition, this is your entry and competition ticket.”

Ning Zhuo hadn’t expected that after eating nether meals for so many days, he would accidentally gain a spirit cook inheritance.

Despite the spirit cook old man’s fierce demeanor, he was actually very appreciative of Ning Zhuo.

Skill never weighs down the body. The clever and eager-to-learn young man thought for a moment before seriously agreeing.

He carried the inheritance jade slip and identity token and left the dining hall. Not long after, he was led by a paper-figure attendant.

Ning Zhuo followed the paper-figure attendant to a room within a separate mansion and used the transmission array within to directly reach Tingyou Pavilion.

Standing at the entrance, he rubbed the mechanism ring a few times. The latter remained unresponsive, which further reassured Ning Zhuo.

After waiting for a few breaths, he saw the paper-figure attendant push open the door and motion for him to enter.

Ning Zhuo stepped inside and saw a female cultivator sitting behind the desk, her hands resting on the zither, unmoving.

The door behind Ning Zhuo closed.

Ning Zhuo cupped his hands and spoke, stating his purpose and identity, but Sang Le Youling gave no reaction.

Ning Zhuo lifted his head in doubt, just about to observe, when he heard Sun Ling Tong exclaim, “Something’s wrong! The situation is wrong!”

“Little Zhuo, Sang Le Youling is already dead!!”

“What?!” Ning Zhuo’s hair stood on end, his scalp tingling.

He hastily rushed forward to examine her at close range.

Sang Le Youling had no breath; she was truly dead!

Sun Ling Tong urged, “This place is not suitable to linger; we must flee quickly!”

Before he could finish speaking, alarm bells blared, and the entire defense formation of Tingyou Pavilion activated, sealing the space and firmly trapping Sun and Ning within.

“Enemy attack, enemy attack!”

“Someone has assassinated Sang Le Youling again!”

“I will hack the murderer to death with a thousand cuts!”

The next moment, a large contingent of city guards rushed over, heavily surrounding Tingyou Pavilion.