Ban Ji clutched his heart, panting for a long time before his mind finally settled.

However, the icy grimness on his face remained unchanged.

His plan had been severely disrupted!

He instinctively looked up at the sky, feeling a deeper layer of mystery and malice concerning the Human Tribulation.

“That Che Zhuzi is a member of Wanxiang Sect, and yet the outsider Pan Si Niangzi dared to act against him.”

“Even if it’s just a honeytrap, if discovered, the consequences would be dire! It would be perfectly reasonable for Che Zhuzi to kill Pan Si Niangzi directly if he were to become alarmed.”

“This fellow is far too bold!”

Ban Ji felt regret.

“Such rogue demonic cultivators, even if they know the rules of Wanxiang Sect, only understand them superficially. They simply don’t grasp the details and nuances!”

“Once this incident comes to light and the investigation traces back to me, I will also be seriously implicated.”

“Damn it.”

Ban Ji clenched his fists.

He had to find the best countermeasures for the worst-case scenario.

Once Pan Si Niangzi was caught, he couldn’t expect her to keep silent for him. It was most likely that she would implicate him.

In short, there was no relying on the bottom line of demonic cultivators.

“In fact, even if Pan Si Niangzi is killed, there is no shortage of soul-searching methods in the world.”

“No!”

“I must sever ties with this matter as soon as possible—”

Ban Ji frowned deeply. Thinking of this, a chill spread from the deepest part of his heart.

Clearly, if he were to completely cut ties with the four demonic cultivators now, the large sum of money he had previously spent would certainly not be recoverable, and he would be unable to use this method to restrain and entangle Ning Zhuo.

“Is this the Human Tribulation? Forcing me to confront it head-on?”

“No!”

Ban Ji’s expression hardened. “I only need to sever ties with Pan Si Niangzi, and immediately sign additional contracts with the other three to prevent them from breaking unspoken rules and implicating me if something goes wrong.”

“But no matter what, Che Zhuzi is now off-limits.”

Ban Ji was well aware that if he were to stubbornly pursue his original plan, the consequences could be quite severe!

Even if Ning Zhuo didn’t participate, if Wanxiang Sect investigated and found Ban Ji was the mastermind behind Pan Si Niangzi, and he ultimately profited from Che Zhuzi’s Xingyun Xiaoshi, what would Wanxiang Sect think?

Ban Ji knew very well: according to Wanxiang Sect’s style, he would surely be severely punished!

“Xukong Zhusi, my Xukong Zhusi—”

Ban Ji sighed inwardly, forced to give it up with a heavy heart.

He felt greatly wronged, all because Ning Zhuo hadn’t even made a move this time. The true source of his obstruction was himself!

Ning Zhuo woke up, his fatigue gone, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

“My soul is that of a million people, and my physical body has been cultivated many times, almost allowing it to completely carry a million souls!”

The profound foundations of his soul and physical body now demonstrated their power.

His past accumulation and efforts had not been in vain.

His previous state had been too poor, only now did Ning Zhuo have the strength to review.

“This time, I used almost all the methods at my disposal for learning, and the results are not insignificant.”

“I understand the structure of the twelve spiral-stacked tendons in the ‘Moran Xuejin Gong’, which saves more vital blood than the basic condensing method, and can increase strength by at least 30%.”

Ning Zhuo had finally peeled back the mist enshrouding the “Moran Xuejin Gong”, revealing its true form.

“Hanging hair from a beam can sweep away distracting thoughts. Stabbing one’s thigh with an awl can generate penetrating thoughts, helping to overcome difficulties in learning.”

“When spiritual thought is exhausted, Wen Feng can be passively consumed, producing wisps of Wen Qi to nourish the upper Dantian, extending study time.”

“The Luoshu page is equivalent to always using the correct abacus, ensuring that every calculation result and direction is correct.”

“The疊加 (stacking) of Ku Mo and Huiyi Bi doubles their marvelous power. They can bring me higher-level, hidden knowledge beyond words and pictures, and allow for rapid comprehension.”

“The drawback is the lingering ‘bitterness’ in the Shenhai Dantian.”

“What a pity. If I had the original manuscript of ‘Moran Xuejin Gong’ left by the Three Sect Lords, the combination of Ku Mo and Huiyi Bi would have an extremely strong effect.”

“The text I am currently studying is just my personal transcription into a jade slip.”

Even jade slips made by cultivators at the Golden Core stage who practice Moran Xuejin Gong would be better than those Ning Zhuo made himself.

Because others’ understanding will always have differences from one’s own.

With the combination of Huiyi Bi and Ku Mo, Ning Zhuo had the ability to gain this unstated meaning from the original manuscript.

“It’s truly a great regret!”

“The Three Sect Lords once left an original manuscript of ‘Moran Xuejin Gong’, and it was a true scripture!”

“As a result, unknowingly, it became a material for refining Yuan Dasheng.”

The ‘intent’ contained within a true scripture would not be ordinary profound meaning, but true meaning.

Cultivators could absorb true meaning and directly comprehend the various profound mysteries of the cultivation method in the true scripture, which was very convenient.

This also meant that the value of true scriptures was extremely high, and very few cultivators could produce them, so they were almost never circulated on the market.

Ning Zhuo instinctively rubbed his fingers, pushing this review to its conclusion.

“Wen Feng’s help is also considerable.”

“It’s a pity I can’t cultivate Confucianism concurrently, otherwise I could transform more and higher quality Wen Qi from Wen Feng!”

“Seeing the small to know the great, one can realize the huge advantage of Confucian cultivators in this aspect of learning.”

“Therefore, this ‘Songtao Yangqi Gong’ is a must-learn.”

“Additionally, although Songtao Sheng allows me to draw on the ‘Songtao Qi’ from the mountain at any time, this act, while seemingly advantageous, may actually come at a greater cost.”

Free things are always the most expensive!

“Therefore, I still need to personally seek out pine trees, plant them, and strive for self-sufficiency.”

At this point, the review ended.

Ning Zhuo called for Chef Lao, gave him a demonic Dao Golden Core, and sent him out to purchase pine trees, as well as related cultivation materials and tools.

“Wen Feng is so important, it’s essential for my future cultivation.”

“Why not just choose an empty cabin in the Wanli Youlong and plant pine trees there?”

After several months, Ning Zhuo began to develop the Wanli Youlong again, after Lingyin Liu.

Ning Zhuo took out the jade slip for “Songtao Yangqi Gong”.

“Undoubtedly, it’s a reward specifically tailored for me by the Confucian cultivators of Wanxiang Sect. However, my performance this time should not have made things difficult for them.”

This was also Ning Zhuo’s subtle way of showing his sincerity for cooperation!

Ning Zhuo sat cross-legged like a pine tree.

On the table before him, the Huiyi Bi lay still like a dragon in slumber, and the Ku Mo in the inkstone was as deep and profound as congealed night. Inside Shuyu Zhai, Sun Lingtong sat before the water vortex array, her eyes radiating spiritual light, seeing the Luoshu page, which allowed Ning Zhuo to share the profound power of the Dao artifact.

He took a deep breath, his gaze as deep as an ancient pool.

“Hanging hair from a beam!”

His sea of consciousness vibrated, the hemp rope tightening his hair, his scalp pulled taut, and various distracting thoughts in his spiritual sea were swept clean like dust.

“Stabbing one’s thigh with an awl!”

A wooden awl pierced his thigh, the sharp pain like a red-hot iron rod penetrating his bone marrow!

His mind instantly became like a taut bowstring.

Sharp thoughts arose one after another, ceaselessly.

Ning Zhuo slowly extended his arm, reaching for the brush.

The Huiyi Bi touched the Ku Mo, and the warm, soft glow of the brush body intertwined with the deep darkness of the ink.

The brush tip, heavily laden with the mercury-heavy, deep brown ink, settled onto the paper as Ning Zhuo began to write.

Ning Zhuo first wrote the general outline of “Songtao Yangqi Gong”.

“Qiankun possesses righteousness, scattered to form various shapes. Pine and cypress embody strength, their spirit revealed in winter’s chill—”

The brush tip moved with difficulty on the paper. For Ning Zhuo, the style of Confucian cultivation methods was unfamiliar, and as a beginner, it was as hard as a tumor climbing a mountain.

The phrases were abstruse and obscure, the language ancient. “Zheng Qi” (righteousness), “Liuxing” (flow and form), “Gangjian” (strength and health)—a chaotic flood of information poured in, making it difficult for Ning Zhuo to grasp the key points.

The meaning conveyed by the Huiyi Bi to his heart, however, stood in stark contrast to Ning Zhuo’s understanding.

It was continuous, yet overall vague.

Ning Zhuo vaguely sensed something, but wasn’t in a hurry, knowing that this was merely the beginning of accumulation.

This was only the first tracing.

The feeling of sluggishness from the Ku Mo was particularly strong; every character written consumed immense mental effort, as if wading through a swamp, his mind overwhelmed by the heavy ‘bitterness’.

Fortunately, Ning Zhuo was adept at enduring hardship and possessed remarkable tenacity, forcefully memorizing the form of each character and exerting his utmost effort.

“Songtao Yangqi Gong” was not lengthy. After completing the first tracing, Ning Zhuo gained much, but was also extremely fatigued.

He closed his eyes, meditated, rested for a long time, then slowly opened his eyes and began the second tracing.

When he reached a passage in the “Wensong” (Literary Pine) chapter: “Wensong emits clear sounds, like chanting ancient sages’ scriptures. Its qi rises, dense and pure, its color like glistening jade—” the accumulated ‘intent’ in Ning Zhuo’s heart underwent a qualitative change from quantitative accumulation.

The Huiyi Bi became somewhat “clear and melodious”, the heaviness of the Ku Mo remained, but the brushstrokes in the tracing became a little firmer.

Ning Zhuo’s understanding ascended a level: “The so-called pine wave wind is the mixture and rhythm of qi.”

When he wrote a passage in the “Wusong” (Martial Pine) chapter: “Wusong vibrates like metal and iron, as if hearing battle drums. Its qi arises stern and fierce, its color like profound iron blue,” the Huiyi Bi distinctly conveyed an entirely different “essence,” making Ning Zhuo feel as if he saw pine branches wildly dancing like warriors wielding halberds amidst howling winds! An image of raging pine waves, clashing weapons, and thundering hooves.

His understanding deepened further: “Literary qi, martial qi—literary and martial originate from the same source but flow differently!”

The second tracing concluded. Ning Zhuo’s rest time was half of what it was before.

The third tracing.

When writing a passage: “Literary nurture the heart, martial refine the form. When heart and form complement each other, the Dao can be achieved.”

At this instant, Sun Lingtong, far away in Shuyu Zhai, seemed to see the Luoshu page gently vibrate!

The Luoshu provided Ning Zhuo with the most accurate deduction, causing Ning Zhuo to deepen his understanding once again: “Fierce power needs to be controlled by a resilient heart, and a resilient heart also needs to be supported by a fierce will! Just like the pine and cypress, their branches are strong enough to withstand wind and snow (martial), but their needles are flexible and can stay green all year round (literary)!”

“So, the mutual complement of heart and form is the core true meaning of this cultivation method!!”

At this point, Ning Zhuo finally had his first personal, albeit hazy, realization of the core mysteries of Songtao Yangqi Gong.

The brush tip stopped with difficulty at “With righteousness within, what fear of floating life.”

The third tracing ended!

Ning Zhuo slowly laid down the brush, his face pale, his body and mind utterly exhausted. The stinging pain in his legs now clearly surged forth, and he was drenched in cold sweat.

The Wen Feng that had enveloped his body had been completely depleted during the second tracing.

The paper was soaked through with Ku Mo, completely destroyed, and his thighs were a bloody mess.

His scalp ached, and many broken hairs were scattered beside him.

“The ‘moistening’ of Wen Qi, the ‘sharpening’ of Wu Qi, the ‘stillness’ of the mind, the ‘movement’ of the body—it turns out that this pine wave, this heaven and earth, and the person themselves, all operate within these two words, ‘Yang Qi’ (nurturing qi), following the principle of mutual complement of rigidity and flexibility, ceaselessly.”

Ning Zhuo closed his eyes, as if hearing the sound of the pine waves on the mountain that day.

This sound was different in his heart now. It was no longer just a sound, but a grand symphony containing vibrant energy and revealing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth.

With a joyful heart, Ning Zhuo went directly to sleep this time.

When he woke up, he was once again refreshed.

“This kind of learning method is not something ordinary people can endure.”

“Fortunately, my foundation is sufficient!”

“Paper is a shortcoming. Otherwise, Huiyi Bi and Ku Mo could provide even more help.”

Ning Zhuo didn’t try to solve this problem himself.

He had a feeling that the Confucian cultivator group of Wanxiang Sect would likely address this weakness for him in the next Xingyun Xiaoshi.

“First the Huiyi Bi, then the Ku Mo.”

“‘Songtao Yangqi Gong’ might have been an impromptu addition from Songtao Sheng, given to me.”

“Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone will likely follow this order.”

“Let’s look forward to it for now.”

Ning Zhuo got up, left his cave dwelling, and went to the former Songshan Wenmiao.

This mountain peak had long activated its array, prohibiting outsiders from entering, but Ning Zhuo passed through unimpeded.

He arrived at the Wenmiao and saw its doors open, with no one inside.

Ning Zhuo sat in his previous spot and tried to activate “Songtao Yangqi Gong”. His Five Elements Dharma Power was not suitable for this cultivation method; he needed to expend more to achieve the same power as Confucian Dharma Power.

Large gusts of wind were drawn in by Ning Zhuo and applied to himself.

This time, it wasn’t just Wen Feng, but also Wu Feng.

“I draw in more Wen Feng, and it’s easier, consuming much less Dharma Power!”

“It turns out that this Wenmiao also provides a corresponding boost for me when I perform Confucian cultivation methods.”

Ning Zhuo discovered this secret, realizing that the convenience Songtao Sheng offered him was more than what was expressed on the surface. He silently held this gratitude in his heart.

“If I study here, can I also receive the Wenmiao’s boost?”

Ning Zhuo acted on his thought, but just as he began, he felt an invisible force pushing him out.

Although this force was gentle and subtle, Ning Zhuo went with the flow and walked out of the Wenmiao.

The Wenmiao gates closed behind him.

Ning Zhuo was definitely not Pan Si Niangzi; he had been a righteous person since childhood, and immediately understood the boundaries.

“It seems that providing me the convenience of gathering pine wind is already the limit for these Confucian cultivators.”

“If I were to study within the Wenmiao, it would break that limit and implicate the Confucian cultivators.”

“Since they don’t wish for that, I cannot force it.”

By now, Ning Zhuo and the Confucian cultivator group had a very tacit and positive cooperation, so he naturally didn’t want to sour this relationship.

Ning Zhuo left this mountain peak, returned to his own cave dwelling, and received the latest intelligence.

“Qing Huangzi is holding the second trial?”

“Hmm—I need to prepare Yuan Yin Zhu Kui in advance.”

“Every reed component from the ‘Yuanyin Huangpian Shu’ must be crafted.”

“This isn’t difficult!”

Ning Zhuo immediately shifted his focus to this matter.

Qing Huangzi’s Xingyun Xiaoshi was different from others. Its purpose was to pass on his legacy, and its value was undoubtedly the highest at the moment.