After signing the alliance with the Lord of Bai Zhi Cheng, the entire Qing Jiao Jun breathed a sigh of relief.

Their situation was actually quite dire.

In the underworld, this army was reviled by Yin Tian and simply couldn’t stay. Returning to the human world, staying in the Yin Chao Hei Shi Zhao Di was their best option.

Firstly, this was the homeland of the Qing Jiao Jun, providing a large basis for survival. Secondly, the Qing family members within the Qing Jiao Jun were all Gui Ren, and living directly under the sun was not comfortable for them at all. They preferred and were accustomed to environments like Yin Chao Hei Shi Zhao Di.

With the divine contract signed, the Qing Jiao Jun had gained the recognition of the Lord of Bai Zhi Cheng, eliminating hidden dangers and allowing them to peacefully remain here to continue living and cultivating.

Ning Zhuo summoned Jiao Ma Sheng Fu and the current leader chosen by the Qing family, tasking them both with arranging the rest for their respective families.

The Qing Jiao Jun also had a large number of Gui Wu mixed in. These Gui Wu were directly subverted by Qing Chi through the use of her military strategy, “Qian Tong Gui.” It would be a great pity to lose them, and killing them would be a waste.

Just as Luo Si, a Yuan Ying-level Gui Jiang, had joined, Ning Zhuo handed him the task of reorganizing the Gui Wu.

Qing Chi remained in a coma.

Ning Zhuo, Luo Si, and Sun Ling Tong discussed the matter but reached no conclusion. None of them were skilled in medicine, but they all guessed that this was likely related to the national artifact, Ming Jiao Jian.

Ning Zhuo possessed the Wang Chuan Fu Jun Yin, but he had not refined it.

Ming Jiao Jian was also a national artifact, yet Qing Chi had refined it for her own use. The formidable power of Qing Yan left Ning Zhuo and the others secretly astonished.

Qing Chi was only at the Foundation Establishment cultivation level, so forcibly refining a national artifact like Ming Jiao Jian naturally placed an immense burden on her.

Her blood was burning, transforming into raging Qing Yan, scorching the Ming Jiao Jian.

The Ming Jiao Jian was only initially forcibly refined; it was still some distance from being completely subdued.

Had she been a normal human, Qing Chi would have long since died. However, within the Gui Ren, vitality and death energy each accounted for half, and Qing Yan could not only heal but also cause harm; it was a power that unified life and death.

Her current state was like a python that had swallowed an elephant, now lying still on the ground, fully digesting the enormous object within its belly.

Ning Zhuo carefully investigated with his divine sense and found that Qing Chi’s condition was improving, albeit very slowly.

After all, the Ming Jiao Jian no longer had any support; the longer the time passed, the weaker it would become.

What Ning Zhuo needed to do was to check on Qing Chi periodically, providing nourishment to her body and soul to sustain the scale and heat of the Qing Yan within her.

With the environment now stable, achieving this was not difficult at all.

Ning Zhuo, still wounded, began to study the “Shui Zang Chong He Ji De Jing.”

“The highest good is like water, benefiting all things without contention. Burial is not a work of annihilation, but truly a pivot of harmony, correcting bias and excess, returning to the mean. With water as the medium, it permeates yin and yang, transforms the turbid into the pure, and circulates tirelessly, thus accumulating virtue like rivers flowing into the sea, continuously forming—”

“The four virtues of water: First, gentleness, bending to accommodate straightness, flowing around rocks and through mountains, without obstruction or stagnation; Second, capacity, discerning clear from turbid, undeterred by floating or sinking, neither rejecting nor welcoming; Third, constancy, dripping water pierces rock, trickling streams flow into gullies, diligently present; Fourth, purity, washing away dust and reflecting images, returning to original emptiness and clarity, perceiving the heavenly heart—”

Ning Zhuo’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and various thoughts burst like bubbles in his spiritual sea. Occasionally, lightning-like thoughts flashed across the sky above his spiritual sea and Dantian.

He was immersed in this Daoist scripture, forgetting time, and only seemed to awaken after a day and a night, emerging from his deep concentration.

Ning Zhuo looked tired. After hastily eating some spiritual food, he collapsed and slept.

After a full night’s sleep, he took some healing elixirs and then continued to delve into the “Shui Zang Chong He Ji De Jing.”

The entire scripture consisted of only a few hundred characters, similar to the “Huo Zang Ban Ruo Jie Ling Jing,” both conveying profound meanings and containing Dao and truth.

Relying on his profound water element cultivation, Ning Zhuo made rapid progress in the early stages.

By the third day of his enlightenment, he already felt confident that he could successfully cast this Daoist scripture.

After a slight adjustment to his state, he ordered arrangements to be made in the sacrificial military camp, piling up some Gui Wu corpses.

Ning Zhuo came before this pile of Gui corpses, formed hand seals, and cast the “Shui Zang Chong He Ji De Jing.”

Misty water appeared out of thin air, rapidly spreading and covering the entire pile of Gui Wu corpses. Then, drops of dew condensed, some slowly drifting down from the mist, while others appeared on the inside and surface of the Gui Wu corpses.

Ning Zhuo waved his arms, his left and right fingers drawing a Tai Ji symbol in front of him.

At the same time, he increased the infusion of spiritual power, and the misty water immediately boiled, continuously dissolving the Gui Wu corpses.

The pile of Gui Wu gradually diminished.

During this process, specks of功德 (gōng dé) light, like faint fireflies, scattered out and flew into Ning Zhuo’s body.

The entire process lasted for half an hour before Ning Zhuo had completely processed the pile of Gui Wu corpses before him.

Luo Si and Sun Ling Tong observed the entire process.

Sun Ling Tong curiously asked, “How does it feel to have 功德 (gōng dé) enter your body?”

Ning Zhuo shook his head, indicating he felt nothing at all.

Luo Si then said that this was a legacy left by Graybone Elder, specifically taught to Ning Zhuo, and must be extraordinary. This was only the first time it was cast; accumulating it over time would surely bring immense benefits.

Ning Zhuo frowned slightly: “But to perform the water burial for Senior Graybone, this level is probably not enough.”

Sun Ling Tong secretly comforted him: “Xiao Zhuo, relax. Since your mother specifically left a message in the jade slip, asking you to first acquire these Gui Wu for practice before performing the water burial for Graybone Elder by the Wang Chuan River in the underworld, this arrangement must be feasible!”

“Next, you will learn as you practice, continuously honing your skills and deepening your understanding.”

“I will also help you.”

This was something that Fo Yi Meng Yao Yin had specifically instructed, and Ning Zhuo needed to do it quickly.

After successfully performing the water burial for Graybone Elder, Ning Zhuo would need to rush non-stop to the headquarters of the Wan Xiang Sect.

Although there was still some time before the Fei Yun Grand Assembly officially began, Fo Yi Meng Yao Yin had left a message for Ning Zhuo, telling him that the earlier he went, the better.

“It is best to ‘Xing Yun’ before ‘Fei Yun’.”

Ning Zhuo was a good child, so he naturally listened to his mother.

He returned to the commander’s tent, sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, and carefully contemplated. There were many mysterious feelings, but he couldn’t grasp them.

Ning Zhuo continued to comprehend the “Shui Zang Chong He Ji De Jing,” and indeed, he felt a bit clearer than before.

“Sigh, if Ling Yin Liu were here, it would be great,” Ning Zhuo began to miss his precious treasure.

Unfortunately, he now had to rush back to Nan Dou Guo, and the journey was simply too long.

A round trip would likely cause him to miss most of the Fei Yun Grand Assembly.

Ning Zhuo learned as he practiced, and his understanding deepened.

Sun Ling Tong also helped him comprehend, secretly exchanging ideas with Ning Zhuo.

“Burial is not burying the form; the Qi returns to the great void. Harmony is not harmony; light blends with dust. Dew dissipates, the mirror is clear, empty and bright, self-illuminating; virtue is like clouds and water, leaving no trace after passing through the peaks…”

When they discussed this passage, Sun Ling Tong shared his understanding: “This is the true essence of Chong He, being without intention and attachment: forcibly burying harms its harmony, forcibly accumulating damages its truth.”

Ning Zhuo’s eyes immediately lit up. Sun Ling Tong’s words triggered a cascade of inspiration, making everything clear, and his understanding of the “Shui Zang Chong He Ji De Jing” deepened by several tenths.

Two days later, he stood before a pile of Gui Wu corpses and once again performed the “Shui Zang Chong He Ji De Jing.”

This time, the misty water rapidly diffused, and the dew condensed into rain. Under the light, continuous drizzle, the pile of Gui Wu corpses completely vanished in just the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

功德 (gōng dé) flowed like wisps of smoke, intermittently entering Ning Zhuo’s body.

Luo Si witnessed this and praised Ning Zhuo for his rapid progress.

Ning Zhuo also praised him, noting that his training of the Gui Zuo had yielded immediate results recently.

This was not easy!

It must be known that these Gui Wu were all powerful survivors, continuously refined through several major battles. Especially among them were many Gui Wang painstakingly raised and cultivated by the Bai Gui Lao Mu.

Two more days passed.

A batch of Gui Wu were tightly bound together, forming a cluster.

Ning Zhuo stood before them, his hands held together like a sword, drawing a Tai Ji symbol across his chest.

As soon as he activated the “Shui Zang Chong He Ji De Jing,” clouds immediately rose into the sky, transforming into heavy rain clouds, and then a downpour poured down, dissolving countless Gui Wu.

The rainwater gradually accumulated on the ground, forming puddles. The puddles constantly rippled, and if they were deeper, they would have the appearance of small waves.

These Gui Wu were alive, yet they were forcibly subjected to water burial, but it only took the time of a cup of tea.

A large amount of 功德 (gōng dé) flowed like countless threads, converging into Ning Zhuo’s body. However, Ning Zhuo, with his divine sense, manipulated these thread-like 功德 (gōng dé) to flow into Sun Ling Tong and Luo Si. Like filling a pit, it didn’t store but dissipated into nothingness.

Graybone Elder’s bones disintegrated inch by inch, and wisps of green smoke gracefully ascended into the sky, which even the rain couldn’t obscure.

Finally, Graybone Elder completely vanished, and the water burial was a complete success!

Ning Zhuo closed his eyes slightly, standing by the Wang Chuan River, fully pursuing the flash of inspiration in his mind.

After a while, he suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing and disappearing from them like lightning.

This water burial of Graybone Elder brought him great rewards.

He turned to Luo Si and Sun Ling Tong: “I have understood Senior Graybone’s intention.”

“He was the mastermind behind the scenes, one of the culprits who disrupted the Wang Chuan Fu Jun’s century-long plan, and thus, like us, he was also detested by the underworld’s Cang Tian.”

“Now, by performing his water burial here, I am acting on behalf of heaven, earning the recognition of the underworld’s Cang Tian and the 功德 (gōng dé) of the underworld.”

“In this way, the aversion we carry will be offset by these 功德 (gōng dé).”

“From now on, the more 功德 (gōng dé) we accumulate, the less aversion we will have. One day, it will turn from negative to positive, and we might even gain the favor of Yin Tian!”

This good news, however, made Luo Si miss Graybone Elder even more.

He sighed deeply, gazing at the surging river: “Even on his deathbed, Senior Graybone still looked after us. He did not hesitate to use his own corpse to maximize its value, using it to help us!”

The three of them, by unspoken agreement, bowed deeply to the surface of the Wang Chuan River.

The return journey was much easier than before, with the number of unexpected events and disasters being less than 30% of what they encountered previously.

Luo Si pondered: “It seems from now on, we need to do some things for Yin Tian, to atone for our sins and gain merit.”

Sun Ning both nodded at the same time.

This was very necessary.

Fo Yi Meng Yao Yin had already arranged for the Qing Jiao Jun in her jade slip message.

For the Qing Jiao Jun to continue developing, besides expanding its forces, it also needed to go to the underworld for training!

Although entering directly through the Ming Jiao River led to the territory of their sworn enemy, Wang Chuan Fu Jun. However, for the foreseeable future, the Wang Chuan Di Fu would surely be fully resisting the fierce offensive of the Gui Huo Di Fu, making it difficult to spare any effort to eliminate this small army.

Moreover, the Qing Jiao Jun’s stronghold was located in the hiding place of the Seventh Paper Man Army.

This was a location arranged by Xuan Su Shu Sheng, and it was very secretive.

Upon returning to the sacrificial military camp, Ning Zhuo received a piece of good news—Qing Chi had woken up!

“It’s just that…” The Qing family cultivators showed sorrowful expressions, slowly shaking their heads.

Ning Zhuo knew Qing Chi’s condition and quickly asked, “Does she remember anything?”

The Qing family cultivator shook his head again, his voice heavy: “The Clan Leader, she doesn’t remember anything.”

Ning Zhuo fell silent for a moment.

In the silence, the three of them came to the tent, lifted the curtain, and saw the young girl Qing Chi leaning against a corner, holding a wooden stick as if it were a sharp sword, constantly striking vigorously and shouting loudly, driving away anyone who dared to approach her.

The surrounding cultivators were trying to persuade her to calm down, but the Gui Ren girl was very stubborn, causing everyone to feel a headache.

The headache-inducing young man appeared.

Qing Chi’s expression suddenly changed. She stared blankly at Ning Zhuo, showing an unprecedented gentle expression: “You—who are you? Why do I feel so close to you?”

A feeling of guilt lingered in Ning Zhuo’s heart. He sighed deeply, gazed at Qing Chi, and said gently, “Don’t be afraid, it’s me.”

Ning Zhuo slightly opened his mouth, wanting to introduce himself, but found it difficult to speak.

For a moment, he wanted to tell Qing Chi that his name was Jiao Ma.

But in the end, he gritted his teeth and faced Qing Chi: “Hello, Qing Chi.”

“I am—Ning Zhuo.”