**: Please Assist My Cultivation**

**2025-05-25 Author: Gu Zhenren**

Han Ming's features weren't bad to begin with, and now, with her suddenly lowering her stance, shifting from coldly domineering to submissive and meek, it couldn't help but stir one's heart.

Beneath the visor of the Cang Tie Han Jia, Ning Zhuo remained as calm as an ancient well, utterly unperturbed.

He took out Han Ming's magical tool, the Soul-Snatching Shuttle: "I've heard that your Soul Devourer Sect's cultivation method can directly increase one's soul foundation by devouring souls."

"If you reverse the technique, you can refine the essence of your own soul through a magical tool and then transfer it to another person. Although this incurs significant loss, it has no negative side effects whatsoever."

"Your sect relies on this ability, allowing seniors nearing the end of their lifespan to transfer soul power, instantly granting powerful foundational strength to junior disciples. This is also one of the main reasons the Soul Devourer Sect became a major demonic faction."

"Han Ming, I'd like to ask you to assist my cultivation."

The Phoenix Soul Blood Incense Pill was a type of elixir; even if Ning Zhuo's soul entered the palace, he couldn't bring it inside. Even if he consumed it before entering, the medicinal effects wouldn't last long.

Ning Zhuo preferred a more direct, one-step solution. Why not simply increase his soul foundation directly?

When he saw the intelligence regarding the Phoenix Soul Blood Incense Pill and then saw Han Ming, he had decided to capture her alive.

Upon hearing the words of the Chuítiáo Guest (Childlike Guest), Han Ming's eyes widened, a chill instantly spreading throughout her body: "I understand now! I was your true target all along!"

"Attacking the Ziyang Branch Manor was just a pretense!"

"This was a setup, a vicious trap!"

Han Ming screamed, struggling fiercely, rattling the heavy chains binding her.

The other ends of the chains were firmly fixed to the prison cell wall, clanging loudly against the stone as she moved.

The Chuítiáo Guest, Ning Zhuo, watched her quietly. He waited until Han Ming calmed down before speaking: "You're too agitated. It's not good for your injuries."

Hearing this, Han Ming, who had just settled slightly, flared up again, cursing vehemently.

Ning Zhuo listened silently, once again waiting until Han Ming cursed herself hoarse and stopped on her own.

"Would you like some water?"

Ning Zhuo's finger twitched slightly, and a thread of magical power extended from his fingertip. Following the thread, a small wooden puppet carrying a water cup climbed from the top of Han Ming's foot, up her calf, thigh, abdomen, then stood on her chest, holding the cup up to her lips.

Han Ming's breathing grew heavy again.

But her previous struggles and curses had drained much of her strength. She stared fiercely at Ning Zhuo, finally lowering her gaze to glance at the water cup.

The next moment, she bent her head and drank.

She was indeed thirsty.

Most importantly, she was already a prisoner. If the Chuítiáo Guest wanted to harm her, he had countless methods; there was no need to go through the trouble of poisoning the water.

After drinking, Han Ming calmed down a bit.

"There's one thing I don't understand!" Han Ming looked up, frowning deeply, her gaze fixed on the Chuítiáo Guest's face. "Sun Lingtong is a disciple of the esteemed Bukong Sect! Why did he join forces with you? What exactly is your relationship?"

Ning Zhuo smiled faintly: "For over ten years now, I've been purchasing information from him."

"I watched him strive, bit by bit, until he finally took control of the black market in Huoshi Immortal City and secured his footing here."

"Our relationship of mutual benefit is very solid."

Han Ming snorted coldly: "That's all?"

"Just that was enough for him to collude with you in framing me, risking offending the Soul Devourer Sect?"

"If any accident had occurred, allowing me to escape, both his enterprise in Huoshi Immortal City and you would be finished!"

"We aren't like those righteous path folks who play by rules."

Ning Zhuo let out another light laugh: "But did you escape? Did you manage to send any messages out?"

Han Ming: "..."

Ning Zhuo continued: "Also, attacking the Ziyang Branch Manor wasn't entirely a pretense. At the very least, we did acquire many pills."

Mentioning this made Han Ming agitated again.

"You two scumbags, damnable bastards! My sect will surely avenge me! They will flay you both, old and young, grind your souls to dust, and cast you into endless suffering!"

Ning Zhuo waved his hand: "Calm down, calm down, alright?"

"Anger is bad for your health."

"Didn't you just promise me you would do anything? Then assist my cultivation."

"Heh heh, ha ha ha." Han Ming threw her head back and let out a shrill laugh, even laughing until tears streamed down her face.

"Pah." She suddenly stopped laughing and spat, her voice filled with intense hatred. "In your dreams!"

The spit was blocked mid-air by Ning Zhuo's magical power, falling powerlessly to the ground.

Han Ming's voice was icy cold: "I've cultivated with utmost dedication, painstakingly accumulating for so many years to achieve my current foundation and reserves. And you want me to damage my own soul foundation to assist *your* cultivation? Heh heh heh, you're ugly, but you sure can dream big!"

"Painstakingly accumulated?" Ning Zhuo asked, puzzled. "Your Soul Devourer Sect's Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Art allows you to devour others' souls to enhance your own foundation. It's clearly ruthless plundering, how can it be called painstaking accumulation?"

This is the fundamental difference between the Demonic Path and the Righteous Path.

The cultivation resources for Righteous Path cultivators are basically natural elements, flora, and fauna.

The cultivation resources for Demonic Path cultivators are often other cultivators themselves—such as their blood, souls, flesh, etc.

Han Ming retorted: "You, an outsider, only know the surface, not the depths!"

"Do you think the Nine Revolutions Soul Devouring Art is so easy to cultivate? That you can just devour other souls and convert them entirely into your own foundation?"

"Hmph! If it were that easy, my Soul Devourer Sect wouldn't be just one of the major demonic sects; we would have unified the Demonic Path long ago!"

"Fifty percent, at most fifty percent!"

"The closer the devoured soul is to one's own, the smaller the difference, the higher the conversion rate."

"And it can't be used too frequently."

"It's like eating; if you eat too much, you'll burst."

"We also need a significant amount of time and auxiliary resources to help our souls digest."

"If the digestion is incomplete, a malformed soul can bring very severe side effects."

"Of course, there are those in my sect who are impatient for quick success. They disregard soul malformation, frantically devouring other souls, and their strength advances rapidly in a short time. But those who do this have certainly sacrificed their future."

Han Ming was not short-sighted. Possessing the lower-grade innate资质, Yin Corpse Qi, already placed her above most cultivators.

Han Ming had always focused on proper digestion, maintaining the purity of her own soul.

She cared deeply about her future.

Precisely because of this, she was extremely resistant and fundamentally unwilling to cooperate. To actively transfer the foundation she had painstakingly accumulated over decades to someone else?

Absolutely impossible.

Especially when that person was her enemy!

"Don't even think about me cooperating with you! Just kill me, make it clean!" Han Ming was also quite cunning.

She could see that Ning Zhuo needed something from her, so she felt emboldened. She said this deliberately, attempting to gain some initiative.

Ning Zhuo let out a soft sigh: "I'm advising you nicely, hoping you will cooperate willingly."

"If you cooperate well, I can promise you that after some time has passed, I will set you free."

**(End of )**