Possessed!

In an instant, Ning Zhuo sensed Yu He Ye’s state.

This truly surprised him.

He only wanted to get Yu He Ye’s attention.

To be precise, only a certain degree of attention.

Yu He Ye was at the late stage of Jin Dan, and the greatest advantage of the “Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong” was combat, which was Yu He Ye’s strongest point.

If Ning Zhuo wanted to defeat him, he would inevitably have to reveal some of his trump cards.

Why bother?

Unless absolutely necessary, Ning Zhuo would not easily expose his combat strength.

There were other ways to gain attention, such as the Wu Xing realm.

Coincidentally, Yu He Ye practiced the “Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong,” which naturally fell within the scope of Wu Xing. Using his advantage in the Wu Xing realm to gain Yu He Ye’s attention was far better than a martial arts display.

Yu He Ye’s Wu Xing realm was clearly not good, otherwise, he wouldn’t be stuck in his current predicament.

From beginning to end, Ning Zhuo would not personally participate in a martial arts display.

Avoiding the enemy’s strengths and attacking their weaknesses was the essence of strategy!

Ning Zhuo also wouldn’t fully display his profound understanding of the Wu Xing realm. There was no need; just getting Yu He Ye’s attention and changing his attitude would be enough.

Ning Zhuo, under the guise of seeking guidance, first inquired about Yu He Ye’s specific situation.

On the one hand, he had only studied the “Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong” in theory, lacking actual cultivation experience. On the other hand, he wanted to gain a deeper understanding of Yu He Ye’s specific circumstances.

Ning Zhuo’s luck was pretty good; Yu He Ye didn’t hide anything from him and told him the truth.

Ning Zhuo successfully discovered that Yu He Ye’s attainments were deepest in Fire and Earth, followed by Wood, while his Metal and Water elements were very poor.

To show off one’s realm advantage without causing resentment and to make others listen attentively, the best method was altruism.

By simply offering some pertinent suggestions regarding Yu He Ye’s cultivation, Yu He Ye would benefit and be forced to acknowledge Ning Zhuo’s strength.

This was quite difficult for most cultivators, but for Ning Zhuo, it was much easier.

Who made his Wu Xing realm so profound?

Of course, such profoundness had its limits. Ning Zhuo could create spells on the spot, but he was not yet qualified to create Wu Xing cultivation methods.

The difficulty between the two was vastly different.

Therefore, Ning Zhuo prepared in advance by purchasing the “Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong.”

This demonic cultivation method was quite shallow. Ning Zhuo understood its principles at a glance.

Moreover, Ning Zhuo also practiced the “Wu Xing Qi Lü Jue,” a top-tier cultivation method whose strength lay in balancing and harmonizing Wu Xing magic power, and also in continuously transforming single-element magic power through the principles of mutual generation and mutual overcoming, achieving multiplier or reduction effects.

With these foundations, after learning about Yu He Ye’s specific situation, Ning Zhuo put all his effort into thinking and came up with an improved solution.

It was like applying a patch specifically tailored to Yu He Ye’s situation.

Specific situations required specific analysis and specific solutions.

This patch was only suitable for Yu He Ye, had no universal value, and could not be widely applied. Therefore, it was still far from genuinely improving the “Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong.”

Yu He Ye, however, was ecstatic and overwhelmed with joy, inevitably immersing himself completely in it.

He was so happy!

The problem that had troubled him for so long was actually solved at this moment.

And this solution was so ingenious, so wonderful, and truly suited him!

Of course it was. How could the patch Ning Zhuo custom-made for him not be suitable?

Although Yu He Ye’s Wu Xing realm was uneven and far inferior to Ning Zhuo’s, he was, after all, primarily cultivating the “Ni Wu Xing Mo Gong,” so he had a foundation in the Wu Xing realm. Therefore, he recognized the principles demonstrated by Ning Zhuo’s improved solution—the principles were correct.

“This is right!”

“It can work, this really can work!”

Heartfelt joy filled his chest, making Yu He Ye forget himself and try it instinctively.

As soon as he tried, he failed.

To a certain extent, this patch was equivalent to reconstructing the magic power circulation route within Yu He Ye’s body. There were many things to prepare in advance, and more practice was needed. Yu He Ye’s action was too reckless.

But Ning Zhuo understood him very well.

Because Ning Zhuo had a very similar experience.

He unexpectedly discovered the “Tian Sheng Di Yang Tai Xi Da Fa” from the胎息灵 (Tai Xi Ling) and instinctively began to comprehend it, forgetting the fact that all three seas (San Hai) cultivated had primary cultivation methods.

This led to him suffering a backlash and severe injuries.

At that time, his desire to resurrect his mother was too urgent. (Ning Zhuo was still unaware of the main reason for his low fortune.)

Yu He Ye’s mood was also very urgent.

The pressure he faced was as heavy as a mountain, almost a dead end; he had to break through to the Yuan Ying stage.

And this patch would greatly adjust his state, at least increasing his breakthrough probability by 30%. How could Yu He Ye not be ecstatic?

Following the ecstasy was losing control.

“I’m going to die!” Yu He Ye’s mood instantly plummeted from the clouds to the mud.

Most cultivators would still fight for it. But Yu He Ye had been possessed too many times, and his experience in this area was too rich.

So, he immediately recognized the reality, knowing that this dead end was a guaranteed death and simply irreversible.

“I never thought I would die in this way!” He fainted.

Ning Zhuo frowned deeply!

If Yu He Ye really died, it would be quite troublesome.

Ning Zhuo’s most urgent task now was to enter his mother’s immortal abode. Therefore, he had to start from this peak, take a shortcut, and avoid the lengthy process of formal channels.

If Yu He Ye died, this matter would escalate.

Wan Xiang Sect encouraged cultivators to resolve disputes through martial arts displays, not in this manner.

This would easily lead people to suspect that Yu He Ye died due to foul play. Once he died, it would inevitably trigger an interrogation and investigation by Wan Xiang Sect, making it very easy for complications to arise.

As for Shen Xi, he was just an added bonus, with room for development, but for now, he was mostly just a disguise, dispensable.

Ning Zhuo snorted coldly in his heart: “Possessed?”

“In front of me, I won’t allow you to be possessed!”

He reached out, fingers splayed, magic power surged, and he conjured something out of thin air.

He pulled Yu He Ye into his palm, gripping his head with his fingers, like holding a ball.

Yu He Ye was completely unconscious, motionless.

Divine ability—Human Life Thread!

Ning Zhuo perceived Yu He Ye’s internal condition and discovered that the heart palace was spewing lava, the liver palace was pierced by poisonous vines, the kidney palace was being eroded by stagnant water, the lung palace was filled with chaotic golden blades, and the spleen palace’s earth foundation was collapsing! The Wu Xing magic power and blood were incredibly chaotic, entangled together in a mess.

If this continued, in just a few breaths, it would affect the Ni Wu Xing Jin Dan, causing the Jin Dan to self-destruct, and the entire immortal abode and peak would be annihilated in the explosion.

The power of a Jin Dan self-destructing was quite formidable.

This was especially true for a combat-proficient Jin Dan like Yu He Ye.

Back then, Qing Yan’s self-destruction of his Jin Dan even managed to block a spatial storm for one breath, buying Ning Zhuo and Qing Chi crucial time to escape.

Ning Zhuo snorted coldly again, his spiritual consciousness entering and completely covering Yu He Ye’s entire body. At the same time, the Human Life Thread shot straight down, landing directly on the Ni Wu Xing Jin Dan.

The next moment, he directly manipulated the Jin Dan, unleashing a surge of violent Wu Xing magic power.

The magic power rampaged, causing significant damage within Yu He Ye’s body.

Yu He Ye’s mouth was bleeding, and his injuries were not light.

But using violence to curb violence, the effect was immediate, temporarily stabilizing his condition, easing the crisis, and gaining enough time.

Ning Zhuo meticulously manipulated it, beginning to refine it with great care.

Yu He Ye showed no resistance, so Ning Zhuo simply put his recent deductions into practice, directly constructing a brand-new magic power circulation within his body.

Sweat gradually seeped from Ning Zhuo’s forehead. Under intense concentration, his spirit rapidly depleted.

A moment later, Ning Zhuo exhaled a turbid breath and slowly withdrew his hand.

His face was ashen, his eyes like cold stars, and he secretly rejoiced: “This is my first time manipulating someone else’s Jin Dan like this.”

“The Ni Wu Xing Jin Dan is very difficult to control. The magic power it spews is naturally mixed with the five elements, making it impossible to precisely control the flow.”

“Fortunately, I have similar experience—”

Ning Zhuo’s experience came from the Wu Xing Jin Dan Wheel.

This crucial component was at the core of the Cang Tie Han Jia, and Ning Zhuo had used up several of them during his intense battle with Lord Wang Chuan.

Frequent use in life-or-death battles also gave Ning Zhuo a lot of experience in utilizing Jin Dan.

These experiences, applied here, helped him to laboriously control the Ni Wu Xing Jin Dan, barely achieving the desired goal.

Ning Zhuo took out a meditation mat and immediately sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. On one hand, he rested himself, and on the other, he secretly reviewed, engraving his insights and inspirations into his mind.

This practice gave him new ideas about the Wu Xing Jin Dan Wheel.

He now remembered these ideas, waiting for an opportunity to delve deeper later.

“Perhaps I can make some improvements to the Wu Xing Jin Dan Wheel!”

After a cup of tea, Yu He Ye, lying on the ground, slowly opened his eyes.

“What—what happened to me?”

“Pain!”

“Wait, wasn’t I dead?!” He suddenly widened his eyes and sat up with a jolt.

The intense pain made him gasp.

He subconsciously used his spiritual sense to examine himself internally and found that he was severely injured!

But he was overjoyed.

Because he found that the critical situation of the chaotic Wu Xing before he fainted had completely disappeared. A new circulation had been established, revolving around the Ni Wu Xing Jin Dan, operating autonomously.

The fatal crisis had been resolved.

“I’m alive! I’m actually still alive!”

His gaze suddenly fixed on Ning Zhuo.

He then realized that he was lying on the ground, while Ning Zhuo, this small Foundation Establishment cultivator, was sitting in his seat, drinking tea and reading the cultivation jade slips on his bookshelf.

Yu He Ye blinked a few times, looking at Ning Zhuo with surprise: “Did you save me?”

Ning Zhuo turned his gaze to him, his expression calm, only letting out a nasal sound: “Hmm?”

Yu He Ye’s expression froze, and he suddenly woke up.

He endured the pain and stood up forcefully. With a solemn expression, he bowed to Ning Zhuo: “Daoist Ning Zhuo, your life-saving grace, Yu is eternally grateful and will never forget!”

He wondered in his heart: Was it Ning Zhuo himself, or was there another master who helped?

“Daoist Ning Zhuo is only at the Foundation Establishment stage; can he resolve my recent peril?”

“It’s more likely that an elder is secretly with him. His communication with me earlier was probably guided by an elder.”

Yu He Ye had completely fainted earlier and was unaware of anything outside. According to his life experience, it was also hard for him to imagine that Ning Zhuo independently saved him from a desperate situation.

But whether it was an elder or Ning Zhuo himself who acted, he was his life-saver.

Yu He Ye maintained the bowing posture, spoke again, expressing his willingness to repay Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo felt secretly satisfied; this Yu He Ye was quite sensible.

This did not surprise Ning Zhuo.

He had analyzed Yu He Ye’s character when he studied the intelligence earlier. Yu He Ye’s conflict with the main peak and the years of suppression he endured taught him many lessons, giving him a strong sense of self-awareness and understanding of how to conduct himself.

If he had truly acted purely on impulse and ignored consequences, he would have long since met his demise and wouldn’t have reached this point today.

It was precisely because Ning Zhuo had this understanding of Yu He Ye that he decided to help him when he fainted.

“You do need to repay me.” Ning Zhuo first presented a divine contract. “But before that, you should sign it.”

Yu He Ye’s heart sank, thinking it was some kind of servitude contract.

But he accepted it!

However, after examining it, he found it was just the simplest confidentiality agreement.

He immediately signed the contract.

Ning Zhuo smiled, “Daoist Yu He Ye, I have no interest in the mountain peak you’ve chosen. I wasn’t even aware of it beforehand.”

“Originally, I intended to take the ten mid-grade spirit stones and leave here to rent another immortal abode.”

“It’s better to avoid trouble if possible.”

“I’m also new here and don’t want to make enemies easily.”

“But then Shen Xi came to me and told me—”

Ning Zhuo used Shen Xi’s request as an excuse.

Yu He Ye immediately accepted, nodding repeatedly: “I’ve long heard of the Shen family in Jiu Gong Xian Cheng, renowned throughout Fei Yun Guo for their mastery of formations, truly impressive.”

“Daoist Ning Zhuo is also exceptionally accomplished at such a young age, and interacting with a genius like Shen Xi is perfectly suitable!”

Speaking of this, he cupped his fists again: “Then Yu will immediately pack his bags and, with his subordinates, move out of here.”

Ning Zhuo laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, “No need, no need, that would be too ostentatious.”

“I’m new here and don’t want to draw too much attention. It’s better to observe the situation first.”

Yu He Ye understood, nodded again, and expressed his willingness to follow Ning Zhuo’s arrangements.

Ning Zhuo said, “Since I’m leaving, I won’t be back. For today’s matter, let’s keep it strictly confidential between us.”

“I need you to host a banquet for Shen Xi and Su Ling Kou, this cousin pair. During the banquet, you and I can converse as equals.”

Yu He Ye was stunned again.

He never expected Ning Zhuo’s request to be so easy!

Yu He Ye, on the contrary, felt pressure. He first expressed his willingness to cooperate actively with Ning Zhuo, then cautiously stated that such an arrangement could not repay his life-saving grace.

Ning Zhuo smiled at him: “The dispute between you and me is as insignificant as dust. If not for Shen Xi, do you think I would entangle myself here? If you hadn’t died in front of me, causing much trouble and attention, I wouldn’t have helped.”

“This is my honest truth, please don’t take offense.”

By now, even though Ning Zhuo was only at Foundation Establishment, he had enough confidence to stand on equal footing with a Jin Dan cultivator like Yu He Ye.

Yu He Ye opened his mouth to speak, still holding his ground.

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo said, “How about this: I’ll arrange some of my subordinates to temporarily station themselves on your mountain. It’s not so convenient for them to stay by my side for now. You can make a list of the immortal abodes here, and I’ll pick a few.”

Yu He Ye did not doubt him and immediately agreed.

At this point, Ning Zhuo’s true objective had been achieved.

Soon after, a flying letter reached Shen Xi.

Shen Xi was discussing the arrangement of a formation with Su Ling Kou when he received and read the letter, a smile appearing on his face: “Daoist Ning Zhuo has succeeded.”

Su Ling Kou sent out her spiritual consciousness: “Yu He Ye is inviting us to a banquet, specifically naming Ning Zhuo as a guest. How did Ning Zhuo do it?”

Shen Xi quickly reviewed Ning Zhuo’s actions in his mind: “He most likely enlisted the help of some elders. This person must come from a prominent family!”