Essentially, all soul-searching techniques involve extracting the subject’s memories for a cultivator to examine.

This is akin to reading a book, except the content is unfiltered and overly voluminous, with less than one percent possibly being genuinely useful.

From this perspective, Confucian cultivation offers a tremendous advantage. The classic texts studied by Confucian cultivators are veritable gems, the essence of essences, greatly enhancing cultivation efficiency.

Ning Zhuo has studied all the soul-searching techniques recorded by Tianshuang, giving him an advantage even within the Soul Devouring Sect, placing him directly among the world’s elite.

He discovered that only the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique allows a cultivator to experience the memories of others as if they were their own. The experience gained from such soul-searching is almost indistinguishable from personal experience.

However, the enormous drawbacks resulting from this are rarely surmountable by anyone in the world.

“There must be other methods to avoid or counter this drawback. My innate talent is one of them!”

“Wangkan Fujun has far-reaching plans; if his century-long scheme succeeds, he will undoubtedly soar to great heights.”

“No wonder Yang Tian wants to stop him from attaining Dao!”

Ning Zhuo needs to search souls and then utilize his innate self to gain numerous experiences. But Wangkan Fujun doesn’t need to; he naturally possesses talent, allowing him to immerse himself in Wangkan and directly draw memories.

This efficiency is far greater than Ning Zhuo searching souls one by one!

If Wangkan Fujun acquires this innate talent, his entire path will undergo a transformative qualitative change.

Ning Zhuo diligently studied and practiced repeatedly, now fully realizing that the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique will be a frequently used spell in his future cultivation:

“My understanding in soul and Yin aspects is weak, only at an elementary level. To improve the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique would require too much time and effort.”

“For short-term cultivation, addressing the five major drawbacks of the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique is the practical approach.”

Ning Zhuo has mastered many soul-searching techniques and gained a deeper understanding of the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique, now knowing the truth behind the so-called “Five Calamities缠真.”

The five calamities are: first, name’s demise (Ming Mo); second, consciousness’s exhaustion (Shi Jin); third, boat’s scar (Zhou Hen); fourth, karma’s immolation (Ye Fen); and fifth, being lost at sea (Mi Hang).

“The true purpose of this spell is to lure people into cultivation and create soul materials. Therefore, the greater the degree of soul modification, the more numerous and negative the resulting impacts.”

“Shi Jin refers to the soul’s impact on the upper Dantian’s Sea of Consciousness, affecting the condensation of divine consciousness.”

“Zhou Hen, on the other hand, means too much soul modification, making it incompatible with the physical body and causing damage to the body. It’s like how my soul cultivation was too strong before, causing various bruises and marks on my body. Only, this Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique is even worse.”

Having understood the principles, Ning Zhuo now has measures for each of these drawbacks.

It’s simple: this spell modifies the soul, so after using the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique, refine the soul back to its original state.

This soul modification is hidden deep within the soul and cannot be easily detected. Otherwise, this spell would not have deceived many cultivators.

However, Ning Zhuo, who is proficient in the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique, is not among them.

Still, he hasn’t yet found any inspiration on how to refine the soul back.

“That’s not important!”

“Since I can detect the modified parts of the soul, I’ll just remove them.”

This is like a piece of flesh being cut from the body; the soul will naturally be injured. But Ning Zhuo has the Four Treasures of Soul Cultivation, as well as many soul cultivation methods and healing techniques, so he can naturally heal the soul.

Just like Madam Panshi earlier, many parts of her three souls were extracted and woven into soul cloth. But with rest and treatment, the soul will also recover.

The Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique goes against nature, but with the assistance of the Three Souls Spinning Wheel Technique, it won’t easily scatter other people’s souls.

Doing so allows Ning Zhuo to effectively avoid the Red Lotus Karma Fire, which he considers the most crucial of the Five Calamities.

The other four drawbacks are fundamentally different from this disaster.

The Red Lotus Karma Fire is not a negative effect of soul modification, but a miniature heavenly tribulation triggered when the caster’s accumulated sins reach a certain level!

The jade slip of the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique states: “When mild, it’s green flames scorching meridians and destroying networks; when severe, it’s the five viscera burning, self-cooking!”

From this, it is evident that the consequences of such a calamity are quite severe.

“I need to understand how much sin I will incur each time I use the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique.”

“What method can test this?”

This is a crucial question that Ning Zhuo needs to clarify; otherwise, he will always be anxious when using the Burning Boat Soul Ferrying Technique in the future and won’t be able to fully utilize it.

In the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, this problem might not have been solvable, but now is a flourishing age of cultivation!

In other places, even in an immortal city, a solution might not be found, but this is the main headquarters of the Wanxiang Sect!

And it’s still the early stage of the Feiyun Grand Assembly.

Ning Zhuo consulted his information jade slips and quickly found three methods.

After pondering for a moment, he made arrangements, selected one location, and then contacted Sun Lingtong via the “Human Life Suspended Thread” technique: “Boss, I need you to go out and buy some things.”

Sun Lingtong immediately set off in secret after hearing Ning Zhuo’s instructions. He left Shuyuzhai and headed directly to Yu He Ye’s cave mansion.

Ning Zhuo, meanwhile, left his own Qing Shi cave mansion and went to the nearest branch of the Zhuxie Hall.

The Wanxiang Sect has eight peaks and sixteen halls, and the Zhuxie Hall is one of them.

Yang Sanyan, Ning Zhuo’s battle comrade, is a capable leader in the Zhuxie Hall.

The Zhuxie Hall had already held the Xingyun Minor Test. Their purpose was very clear and singular: to recruit new members for the Zhuxie Hall.

Ning Zhuo descended from the clouds and entered the Zhuxie Hall, arriving at an inner door.

Cultivators guarded the entrance. Ning Zhuo presented his wooden token and was allowed to enter.

He stepped through the door, and his vision suddenly changed, entering an array space.

The surroundings were black stone walls, and the ground was a deep, eerie, glowing mire.

Chenye Niao!

In the center of this artificial swamp, there was a stone platform, on which lay a plaque. The plaque bore four grand, righteous, gilded characters, written with powerful strokes: “Ming Jing Gao Xuan.”

On the steps beneath the plaque, several cultivators with profound auras, dressed in the dark green high-ranking robes of the Zhuxie Hall, sat. Their eyes were like lightning, constantly scanning the many cultivators struggling through the mire.

The Zhuxie Hall, being one of the sixteen halls, offered excellent benefits, naturally attracting many newcomers.

And trekking through the Chenye Niao was the first screening round.

Ning Zhuo was just one of them.

He glanced around and saw at least fifty cultivators trekking through the Chenye Niao.

Ning Zhuo, cautious by nature, first observed carefully.

Most cultivators stepping into the swamp found the mud reaching their ankles, some up to their calves. They struggled greatly to pull their legs out of the swamp, as the mud had a strong adhesive force. A layer of grey mist constantly enveloped them, bringing more suppression.

All of them had beads of sweat on their foreheads, grave expressions, constantly urged their magic power, and their stamina was rapidly depleting.

A few cultivators were in quite a bad situation. They stepped in and immediately sank as if into a mud puddle, the mud instantly reaching their waists or even chests! They could only fully activate their magical artifacts, smash through the mud, and struggle to escape with difficulty.

During this process, the Chenye Niao seemed to cling like a living thing, trying to drag the cultivators down and drown them.

While Ning Zhuo observed, more than half of these cultivators were eliminated, shouting for help, and were directly teleported out by the Zhuxie Hall cultivators on the stone platform, who activated the array.

There were also a few other cultivators, very few, only a handful. But their feet stood firmly on the surface of the mire, the mud beneath their feet becoming solid and stable! They walked step by step, leaving only shallow footprints. They didn’t encounter any mud adhesion or dragging at all.

“The Chenye Niao’s reaction depends on the amount of sin.”

“The more sin a cultivator has, the more dangerous the Chenye Niao becomes, capable of drowning them.”

“Conversely, the less sin, the safer the Chenye Niao, almost like walking on flat ground!”

Ning Zhuo was not unfamiliar with Chenye Niao, having learned about it in books.

“How will I perform?” With this question in mind, Ning Zhuo stepped forward, officially setting foot on the Chenye Niao.

The surface of the swamp beneath his feet solidified abruptly the moment Ning Zhuo stepped on it, turning into a paving stone!

Ning Zhuo stepped forward, the mud beneath his feet firm and heavy, not even leaving a single footprint.

This was literally like walking on flat ground!

There was no collapse, nor the slightest suction.

While others were enveloped in a layer of grey mist, Ning Zhuo was clean and clear. He walked lightly, strolling leisurely, a stark contrast to the surrounding cultivators.

“?” After Ning Zhuo had walked a dozen steps, he immediately attracted many gazes. By the time he reached the middle section, almost all the high-ranking cultivators on the central stone platform of the Chenye Niao were focused on Ning Zhuo, scrutinizing him repeatedly.

“Who is this young man?”

“His cultivation is late Foundation Establishment, but he’s young, a good prospect!”

“It’s rare to see a cultivator make the Chenye Niao react like this.”

“This young man has clear eyes and moves with the demeanor of a distinguished person. He must have been cultivated by those venerable and strict orthodox sects with long traditions, who spent countless resources and isolated him from worldly distractions!”

The high-ranking cultivators of the Zhuxie Hall communicated through divine sense.

One of them shook his head slightly: “This young man probably hasn’t experienced much bloody battle; his hands are very clean. Therefore, with no killing karma, the Chenye Niao reacted this way. When we recruit him, we must carefully cultivate his combat experience.”

Another said: “Although he lacks some practical experience, there’s not a single wisp of grey mist around him, which shows his pure foundation and clear mind. Isn’t this precisely the integrity of our esteemed orthodox sects?”

Everyone spared no praise for Ning Zhuo.

“Regardless of this young man’s talent, this performance alone is enough to recruit him into our Zhuxie Hall.”

“Don’t be impatient! The Chenye Niao is only the first round of screening, and its detection power isn’t sufficient. In previous years, it wasn’t unheard of for some demonic cultivators to use strange magical artifacts or other means to conceal their sins and blood debts, passing through the swamp.”

“That’s right. Next, let’s see how this young man performs under the official plaque.”

The high-ranking cultivators secretly paid great attention to Ning Zhuo, but on the surface, they quickly shifted their gazes away from him.

Ning Zhuo easily surpassed many cultivators, and amidst many envious, jealous, and hateful gazes, he leisurely and calmly arrived at the central stone platform.

“This must be the easiest Xingyun Minor Test I’ve ever participated in,” Ning Zhuo mused inwardly.

The high-ranking cultivators on the stone platform were already a bit impatient, and one elder couldn’t help but urge: “Come, ascend the platform.”

“Junior Ning Zhuo respectfully greets all seniors.” Ning Zhuo was very polite, first bowing at the foot of the stone platform before beginning to ascend.

The cultivators on the stone platform all nodded inwardly: “This boy is very courteous, he must be from a prominent family, excellent, excellent.”

As Ning Zhuo climbed to the top of the stone platform, the elder who had spoken earlier continued to instruct: “Step forward and touch the official plaque with your hand.”

Ning Zhuo complied.

His expression was calm, and his palm gently pressed against the surface of the official plaque.

The four large characters “Ming Jing Gao Xuan” on the plaque began to emit a faint golden glow.

Seeing this, the high-ranking cultivators of the Zhuxie Hall were somewhat surprised and communicated through divine sense.

“This child actually has merit on him.”

“Did he do something good?”

“His background must be very deep, supported by a prominent family. Doing good deeds and charitable acts is not surprising.”

“It’s a pity the Hall Master isn’t here. If he were, he could fully activate this official plaque to detect how much merit this young man possesses.”

“He’s so young, how much merit could he have? Perhaps his family specifically arranged for him to join the Zhuxie Hall, which is also possible.”

“Let’s see if he accepts the upcoming ‘Questioning of the Heart’.”

Ning Zhuo, meanwhile, was scrutinizing the official plaque, feeling a slight oddity in his heart: “This is actually an official artifact?”

The elderly cultivator said: “Young friend Ning Zhuo has merit and no sin, having passed the second round of testing. Congratulations.”

“This old man still has three questions. You may answer, or you may remain silent. However, once you speak, it must come from your true heart. Do not deceive others, and especially do not deceive yourself.”

Some cultivators closer to the stone platform heard this and their expressions changed dramatically, worried yet hopeful that Ning Zhuo would refuse.

The other high-ranking cultivators were expressionless, completely unsurprised.

Ning Zhuo’s performance on the Chenye Niao was worthy of the Zhuxie Hall granting him the opportunity for the “Questioning of the Heart.”

Ning Zhuo immediately cupped his fists in a salute, his voice clear: “Thank you, senior. Please ask without hesitation.”

He was familiar with the relevant information: this round of the Xingyun Minor Test was a general selection by the Zhuxie Hall, consisting of two trials: the Chenye Niao and the stone platform’s official plaque. Passing these would allow entry into the next round.

In addition, if a particularly outstanding newcomer was encountered, the Zhuxie Hall would offer a third trial, the “Questioning of the Heart.”

The elderly cultivator nodded slightly, a hint of undetectable approval flashing in his eyes. He slowly opened his mouth and asked: “The Great Dao is vast, and evil forces run rampant. If you encounter treacherous villains and demonic beings who poison living creatures, it is one thing if you cannot capture them. But if you seize them, and they beg for mercy, offering great rewards, or willingly offer their useful bodies as vanguards, how would you handle them?”

All eyes, both on and off the platform, were focused on Ning Zhuo.

Certain techniques were already activated; Ning Zhuo felt his Sea of Consciousness in the upper Dantian gently tremble, but the next moment, the “My Buddha Heart Devil Seal” emitted streaks of demonic light, sweeping through the Sea of Consciousness, instantly stabilizing his Dantian as before.

Ning Zhuo felt strange; he was somewhat surprised, and it was also the first time he had seen the “My Buddha Heart Devil Seal” passively activate and emit demonic light. Previously, it had always been Buddhist light.

In an instant, he understood that the Zhuxie Hall’s “Questioning of the Heart” technique had failed on him.