The meal was enjoyed by both the host and the guests.

Ning Zhuo developed an even better relationship with Yu Heya and Shen Su.

Ning Zhuo greatly approved of Shen Xi’s astute choice.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ning Zhuo inquired about the Jiu Gong Zhen in this area from Shen Xi, to some extent showing interest in the Zhen Dao magical treasure left by Xie Tang.

As Ning Zhuo put it: “I have always been quite interested in Zhen Dao. I believe that after exchanging ideas with Daoist Friend Shen, I will make some small progress.”

“Perhaps the formation treasure left by Senior Xie Tang will be a goal to test what I have learned.”

“Of course, even if my Zhen Dao attainments allow me to acquire this treasure, I will carefully consider the pros and cons of joining Chong Zhen Peak.”

“All in all, if there is a path, it’s not bad.”

Xie Tang set up formations here, left Zhen Dao magical treasures, and widely publicized it—he certainly didn’t just reveal this secret in the lecture hall of Jiu Gong Xian Cheng.

The reason for the wide dissemination was clear to any discerning person: it was to attract talent from outside. The Zhen Dao magical treasure at Chong Zhen Peak served as a test, helping Xie Tang save time and effort in screening out cultivators who possessed Zhen Dao attainments and were interested in joining Chong Zhen Peak.

Such arrangements are actually not uncommon in the cultivation world.

Zhen Dao magical treasures are not easily acquired. On the surface, they are left to those with predestined connections, but in reality, they all hide demands for benefits.

Without other motives, who would just give away a magical treasure as a game reward? Where would such a good thing come from?

What’s free is often the most expensive!

The situation should be similar for Qi Chi, who sought a suitable heir for his friend’s legacy. Ling Xiao, a quasi-Dao Transformation sword cultivator, was not a qualified successor (his path was already set), so he retreated, heavily wounded.

Many cultivators, even after death, would add extra tasks to the legacies they left behind during their lives. For example, to continue their lineage, or to spread the fame of a certain sect, or to point out enemies and seek revenge.

In short, the karma here is unavoidable.

Truly free gifts are extremely rare in practical situations.

Take Xie Tang’s Zhen Dao magical treasure, for example. If a short-sighted or inexperienced young cultivator passes the test and takes it, they will inevitably be drawn into and join Chong Zhen Peak.

Don’t think this is a good thing.

Ning Zhuo has already foreseen the future: this session of the Fei Yun Grand Assembly of Wan Xiang Sect will be different from previous ones, being at a critical stage of transition between old and new, with brutal competition. In such circumstances, newly joined cultivators will undoubtedly become pawns in this fierce game, and those with low strength will largely be cannon fodder to fill the ranks.

Some might ask: “Couldn’t they just take the Zhen Dao magical treasure without joining Chong Zhen Peak? Xie Tang didn’t clearly publicize his intentions. Couldn’t they just pretend not to understand?”

Anyone who says this is quite naive.

If they really did that, they would be cutting themselves off from the power structure of Wan Xiang Sect—no one would cooperate with someone so ignorant of the rules.

Wan Xiang Sect has few explicit rules, but actually more unwritten ones.

These unwritten rules emerged gradually from internal power struggles and strongly bind cultivators.

In fact, the Fei Yun Grand Assembly, as an overt system, was also an excellent solution produced after various parties’ struggles. It can resolve internal conflicts, determine outcomes, suppress the extent of internal friction to avoid excessive brutality, and absorb new blood from outside to replenish Wan Xiang Sect.

“This is one of the reasons why Wan Xiang Sect is so powerful. It’s like the Wan Xiang Yun Hai, always in a state of expansion,” Ning Zhuo sighed inwardly.

After this banquet, he had a clearer understanding of the situation within Wan Xiang Sect.

Because Ning Zhuo had asked Shen Xi many questions, after the banquet ended and they parted ways, Shen Xi immediately took out a jade slip and presented it to Ning Zhuo on the spot.

“These are my class notes, concerning this Jiu Gong Zhen and Xie Tang’s magical treasure. They are all in here.”

“I’m gifting them to Daoist Friend Ning Zhuo. Please don’t despise them.”

Ning Zhuo immediately showed a look of pleasant surprise. After putting it away, he thought for a moment, then took out a Jin Dan and offered it to Shen Xi.

This startled the other three.

Ning Zhuo, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, actually took out a Jin Dan directly!

Yu Weiye felt a chill down his spine.

At this moment, Su Lingkou also felt that Ning Zhuo was not simply boasting. She clearly understood one thing: since Ning Zhuo could casually give away a Jin Dan, it meant he had more than just one Jin Dan!

Shen Xi quickly waved his hand in refusal, his impression of Ning Zhuo rising again in his heart: “The power behind Ning Zhuo is definitely not small. He is only at Foundation Establishment, yet he is bestowed with a cultivator’s Jin Dan by his power, which means his status within this power is definitely not low!”

“This is truly too valuable.”

“My Zhen Dao notes are absolutely not worth such a Jin Dan!”

“Is this a Gui Dao Jin Dan?”

Although Shen Xi sternly refused, his gaze was still inevitably drawn, and he became interested.

If he could acquire a Jin Dan beforehand for research, he could gain a more practical understanding of the subsequent realms. This was of immense value to Shen Xi.

Moreover, he couldn’t help but ponder: “How powerful would the formation I set up be if I used a Jin Dan as the formation core?”

Once this thought arose, it became particularly tempting, making Shen Xi unable to stop thinking about it, and he couldn’t suppress it.

Ning Zhuo observed Shen Xi’s words and expressions, seeing the yearning deep in his eyes. He chuckled, directly placing the Jin Dan into Shen Xi’s hand,

and “forcefully” made him accept it.

Touching the cold surface of the Jin Dan, Shen Xi’s fingers first flinched but soon held it lingeringly, somewhat unwilling to let go.

His inner voice grew stronger, and Ning Zhuo’s “forceful” demeanor also fully demonstrated sincerity and determination, making it even harder for Shen Xi to refuse. Finally, he nodded with difficulty and accepted the Jin Dan.

But the next moment, he took out a magical treasure and gave it back to Ning Zhuo: “This Zhen Li Xi You Suo is my potent magical treasure for exploring, learning formations, and making fine adjustments after setting up formations.”

“Brother Ning is interested in Zhen Dao and wants to learn, so you can use this treasure a lot.”

“If you discover any clues, you can use this shuttle to explore deeper, and perhaps you will find the magical treasure left by Senior Xie Tang.”

Ning Zhuo had not expected any return, but Shen Xi, coming from a prominent family, had his own demeanor and would never easily take advantage of others.

He had received an elite education since childhood and had long known that taking small advantages often became a greater debt!

And the magical treasure he gave truly hit Ning Zhuo’s sweet spot.

“Next, I need to secretly explore Bao Teng Ya to find my mother’s teleportation formation here. This Zhen Li Xi You Suo is perfect for me!”

Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo no longer stood on ceremony and accepted it directly.

Su Lingkou’s gaze was fixed on the Zhen Li Xi You Suo. She secretly worried for Shen Xi: “This is my cousin’s most suitable magical treasure, a reward from the family for being first in the major examination, and it holds great significance for him. I didn’t expect him to give it away so easily.”

“Oh dear, cousin only has three magical treasures. Although this one is not an offensive or defensive weapon, but merely an auxiliary tool, and it’s a Jin Dan-level magical treasure, it is still a magical treasure.”

“Although it was exchanged for a Jin Dan, which is indeed quite rare, is its value truly greater than that of the Zhen Li Xi You Suo for cousin?”

Su Lingkou secretly calculated.

Shen Xi, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

At this banquet, Ning Zhuo successfully, through Yu Heya, subtly showed his strong side, making Shen Xi even more certain that contacting Ning Zhuo was the right thing to do.

But he still didn’t expect that at the final farewell, Ning Zhuo directly gave him a Jin Dan!

This doubled Shen Xi’s pressure!

Ning Zhuo’s generosity made Shen Xi even more worried that the former would make some difficult demands later.

But Ning Zhuo’s grand gift was hard for him to refuse.

Refusing would mean disregarding appearances. He still wanted to build a good relationship with Ning Zhuo!

Someone who casually gives away a Jin Dan as a gift—would you not want to build a good relationship with such a person?

Therefore, Shen Xi was willing to give away the Zhen Li Xi You Suo to preemptively reciprocate this grand gift. This way, he would be blocking the possibility of Ning Zhuo making future demands that he couldn’t meet.

The group officially parted ways. Ning Zhuo left Bao Teng Ya and returned to his temporary cave dwelling.

From Wan Li You Long, he released Chef Lao, Qing Chi, and Sun Lingtong, first having them collectively examine the unexpectedly acquired magical treasure.

The treasure shuttle was three inches and seven fen long, with a body of green jade and flowing star sand inside. Cloud and water patterns were carved on its body, and its head and tail were inlaid with Kiss Eyes, capable of emitting bluish-white light.

The grip was wrapped with a circle of dark blue rattan skin, and the tail was adorned with a Five Elements Forbidden Breaking Silken Thread.

Qing Chi merely looked on curiously. After inspection, Chef Lao and Sun Lingtong confirmed there were no issues.

Sun Lingtong immediately took a liking to the treasure shuttle at first glance, rubbing its surface with his small hands: “I’ve always wanted to buy such a treasure to enhance my thievery skills. This treasure shuttle is far more refined than those sold on the market, truly worthy of being a product of the Shen family of Jiu Gong Xian Cheng.”

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly: “Boss, if you want it, I’ll give it to you.”

Sun Lingtong showed no politeness, not even thanks, only humming in response. The two communicated telepathically, not revealing their true relationship in front of Qing Chi and Chef Lao.

Sun Lingtong had always “served” by Ning Zhuo’s side as a subordinate.

In the eyes of Qing Chi and Chef Lao: Ning Zhuo was a young master from a prominent family, and Sun Lingtong was the young master’s little book boy.

Of course, neither of them dared to underestimate Sun Lingtong.

Because earlier, it was Sun Lingtong who disguised himself as multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators and easily defeated all of Yu Heya’s Foundation Establishment subordinates in the practice hall.

Sun Lingtong’s cultivation was similar to Shen Xi’s, at the peak of Foundation Establishment. He had once wanted to form his core in Bai Zhi Xian Cheng but was delayed by the events involving the Forgotten River Mansion Lord.

After the telepathic communication, Ning Zhuo immediately ordered Chef Lao and Sun Lingtong to move to Bao Teng Ya.

The main task was for Sun Lingtong, as the primary operative, to refine the Zhen Li Xi You Suo and actively explore the mountain’s teleportation formations. Chef Lao would assist him.

As for Qing Chi, due to his amnesia, Ning Zhuo kept him by his side to care for him.

Sun Lingtong and Chef Lao immediately accepted the order.

Ning Zhuo then took out the jade slip given by Shen Xi, letting everyone examine it together.

Chef Lao had little knowledge of Zhen Dao. After reading it once, he stated that he would actively follow Sun Lingtong’s arrangements and instructions.

Sun Lingtong, on the other hand, read with great relish.

His Zhen Dao attainments were even stronger than Ning Zhuo’s!

Ning Zhuo only had a solid foundation in Zhen Dao, while Sun Lingtong had delved into more ancient texts and possessed rich practical experience.

“Xiao Zhuo, we are lucky. If we had tried to do this alone from the start, we would probably have failed and been exposed; the formations here are quite complex!” Sun Lingtong transmitted telepathically, feeling a sense of relief.

Ning Zhuo agreed, thinking to himself: “It’s not easy for my mother to set up a teleportation array. It’s highly probable that she knows about the two mountain-guarding great formations of Bao Teng Ya and Yun Mo Ding, and also the layout of Xie Tang’s Jiu Gong Zhen. Otherwise, hastily setting up a teleportation array would very easily conflict with these three great formations.”

Ning Zhuo wasn’t guessing out of thin air.

In Bai Zhi Xian Cheng, within the paper-man giant statue, he had personally witnessed the astonishing scene of Buddhist Healer Meng Yao Yin repairing the formation within the giant statue.

At that moment, he was captivated by his mother’s unfathomable Zhen Dao attainments!

Sun Lingtong nodded, a flash of confidence in his eyes: “I think the same as you. This way, by deducing these three formations, we can calculate the possible locations.”

“I think we’ll find that mountain teleportation array very soon!”

Ning Zhuo was also very confident: “Of course.”

“Don’t forget, we disrupted the Forgotten River Mansion Lord’s century-long conspiracy, rendering service to Yang Tian.”

“We are currently in a state of heavenly favor.”

“If not for this, we wouldn’t have received exactly what we needed—Shen Xi just happened to give us this jade slip.”

Sun Lingtong nodded: “If not for the spirit treasures that suppress fortune within Wan Xiang Sect, the treatment we receive would be even more exaggerated.”

“I really want a legacy of fortune-telling and divination.”

“Hey, Xiao Zhuo, since your aunt is so skilled in divination, would there be a divination legacy in her cave dwelling?”

Ning Zhuo’s eyes also showed a glimmer of anticipation: “If there is, that would be wonderful!”

After the battle with the Forgotten River Mansion Lord, the Sun and Ning brothers had a profound understanding of fate and luck. They both desired a legacy of divination.

Sun Lingtong and Chef Lao successfully entered their respective cave dwellings.

The biggest obstacle, Yu Heya, had become the biggest helper.

Sun Lingtong performed the Earth Escape Spell and disappeared into the mountain.

He was as free as if swimming inside the mountain, but he still encountered obstacles.

Deep within the rocks, countless rattan roots were intertwined like a coiled python swarm. Yi Mu spiritual energy continuously surged from between these roots, preventing the Earth Escape Spell from passing through.

Sun Lingtong was not surprised, having known about this situation for a long time.

He constantly detoured, searching for a path.

He still couldn’t act recklessly; if he cut these rattan roots, it was very likely to trigger a counterattack from the Qian Teng Yin Yun Zhen.

In this situation, the Zhen Li Xi You Suo was too useful. Apart from anything else, just the Five Elements Forbidden Breaking Silken Thread attached to it allowed Sun Lingtong to directly break through these rattan root obstacles.

The treasure shuttle could also drill into the gaps between large formations, allowing Sun Lingtong to slip through.

Sun Lingtong’s small, childlike body was perfect for such exploration.

“I found the teleportation array.” Soon after, Sun Lingtong discovered a stone chamber within the mountain.

The stone chamber was not large, containing only one teleportation array.

The markings on the wall hinted at Meng Yao Yin’s identity, which only Ning Zhuo could decipher.

“Xiao Zhuo, I’ll go in first to scout the way.” After communicating with Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong directly activated the teleportation array.

The next moment, he entered Shou Yu Zhai.