: Give Me a Chance to Repay the Favor

Qi deviation!

In an instant, Ning Zhuo discerned Yu Heye's condition.

This truly took him by surprise.

He had only intended to capture Yu Heye's attention.

To be precise, just a certain degree of attention.

Yu Heye was at the late Golden Core stage, and the greatest advantage of the "Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art" lay in combat—this was Yu Heye's strongest suit.

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

Why bother?

Unless absolutely necessary, Ning Zhuo wouldn't lightly expose his combat prowess.

There were other ways to draw attention, such as through mastery of the Five Elements.

As luck would have it, Yu Heye cultivated the "Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art," which naturally fell within the domain of the Five Elements. Utilizing an advantage in Five Elements mastery to capture Yu Heye's attention was far more effective than a martial demonstration.

And Yu Heye's proficiency in the Five Elements was clearly lacking; otherwise, he wouldn't be stuck in his current predicament.

From start to finish, Ning Zhuo had no intention of personally engaging in a martial display.

Avoiding the enemy's strengths and attacking their weaknesses—that was the essence of tactics!

Nor would Ning Zhuo fully reveal his profound mastery of the Five Elements. It wasn't necessary; all he needed was to capture Yu Heye's attention and change his attitude.

Under the guise of seeking advice, Ning Zhuo first inquired about Yu Heye's specific situation.

On one hand, he had only studied the "Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art" theoretically, without practical cultivation experience. On the other hand, he needed a deeper understanding of Yu Heye's circumstances.

Ning Zhuo's luck held—Yu Heye was forthright and didn't conceal anything.

Ning Zhuo smoothly discovered that Yu Heye's attainments were deepest in the Fire and Wood Elements, followed by the Wood Element again, while his Metal and Earth Elements were extremely poor.

To showcase his own mastery advantage without causing offense and ensuring attentive listening, the best approach was to benefit the other party.

By offering just the right suggestions regarding Yu Heye's cultivation state, he could provide Yu Heye with benefits while compelling him to acknowledge Ning Zhuo's prowess.

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

Who asked him to have such profound mastery of the Five Elements?

Of course, even such profundity had its limits. Ning Zhuo could create spells on the spot but wasn't yet qualified to develop Five Elements-type cultivation methods.

The difficulty between the two was worlds apart.

So, Ning Zhuo had prepared in advance—he purchased the "Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art."

This demonic art was quite rudimentary. Ning Zhuo understood its principles at a glance.

Moreover, Ning Zhuo also cultivated the "Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art," a top-tier method whose strength lay in balancing and harmonizing Five Elements spiritual power, and through the principles of mutual generation and restraint, allowing single-element power to continuously transform, achieving multiplicative or divisive effects.

With this foundation, after learning Yu Heye's specifics, Ning Zhuo concentrated and devised an improvement plan.

It was akin to patching Yu Heye's situation specifically.

Analyze the specific situation and solve it accordingly.

This patch was tailored only for Yu Heye, lacking universal value and applicability. So, it was still far from truly refining the "Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art."

Yet Yu Heye was utterly captivated, ecstatic beyond measure, inevitably immersing his entire mind in it.

He was overjoyed!

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

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

Of course. Ning Zhuo tailored this patch for him—how could it not fit?

Although Yu Heye's Five Elements mastery was uneven and far inferior to Ning Zhuo's, he was, after all, a main cultivator of the "Reverse Five Elements Demonic Art" and had a foundational understanding. Thus, he recognized the logic in Ning Zhuo's demonstrated improvement—the reasoning was correct.

"This is correct!"

"It can work, this really can work!"

Heartfelt joy filled his chest, making Yu Heye forget himself, and he couldn't help but attempt it immediately.

One attempt, and he failed.

To some extent, this patch restructured the circulation pathways of spiritual power within Yu Heye's body. It required much preparation and repeated practice; Yu Heye's action was too rash.

But Ning Zhuo understood him completely.

Because Ning Zhuo had a very similar experience.

He unexpectedly discovered the "Innate Earth-Nurtured Fetal Breath Great Method" from the fetal breath spiritual boat and couldn't resist contemplating it, forgetting that his three seas were already cultivating main methods.

This led to backlash, severely injuring him.

At that time, his desire to resurrect his mother was too urgent. (The main reason for his low luck, which Ning Zhuo wasn't yet aware of.)

Yu Heye's mood was equally urgent.

The pressure he faced was as heavy as a mountain, almost a dead end—he had to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

And this patch would greatly adjust his condition, increasing his breakthrough probability by at least thirty percent. How could Yu Heye not be ecstatic?

In his ecstasy, he lost all restraint.

"I'm going to die!" Yu Heye's mood instantly plummeted from the clouds to the mud.

Most cultivators would struggle at this point, but Yu Heye had experienced qi deviation too many times; his experience in this area was too rich.

So, he immediately recognized the reality, knowing that this desperate situation was hopeless, with no chance of recovery.

"To think I'd die in such a way!" He lost consciousness.

Ning Zhuo frowned deeply!

If Yu Heye really died, it would be quite troublesome.

Ning Zhuo's most urgent need was to enter his mother's cave dwelling. Thus, he had to start from this mountain peak, taking a shortcut to avoid the lengthy process of formal channels.

If Yu Heye died, the matter would blow up.

The Wanxiang Sect encouraged resolving disputes among cultivators through martial demonstrations, not like this.

It would easily raise suspicions that Yu Heye died from foul play. Once he died, it would inevitably lead to interrogation and investigation by the Wanxiang Sect, likely causing complications.

As for Shen Xi, he was just an extra; there was room for development, but currently, he served more as a disguise, dispensable.

Ning Zhuo snorted coldly inwardly: "Qi deviation?"

"Not on my watch—I won't allow you to deviate!"

He reached out, fingers spread, spiritual power surging, and pulled through the air.

He drew Yu Heye into his palm, gripping his head like a ball.

Yu Heye was completely unconscious, motionless.

Divine Ability—Life Threads!

Ning Zhuo peered into Yu Heye's internal condition and found: the Heart Palace spewing lava, the Liver Palace pierced by venomous vines, the Kidney Palace eroded by stagnant water, the Lung Palace swirling with metal blades, the Spleen Palace's foundation collapsing! The Five Elements spiritual power and essence-blood were chaotic beyond measure, tangled into a mess.

If this continued, in just a few breaths, it would affect the Reverse Five Elements Golden Core, causing it to self-destruct, annihilating the entire cave dwelling and mountain peak in the explosion.

The power of a Golden Core self-destruction was formidable.

Especially for a combat-specialized Golden Core like Yu Heye.

Back then, Qing Yan's Golden Core self-destruction could even block a spatial storm for a breath, buying Ning Zhuo and Qing Chi the crucial time to escape.

Ning Zhuo snorted again, his divine sense flooding Yu Heye's entire body. Simultaneously, Life Threads shot straight down, directly onto the Reverse Five Elements Golden Core.

The next moment, he directly manipulated the Golden Core, erupting with a violent surge of Five Elements spiritual power.

The power rampaged through Yu Heye's body, causing extensive damage.

Blood trickled from Yu Heye's mouth; his injuries were severe.

But by using violence to counter violence, the effect was immediate, temporarily stabilizing his condition, easing the crisis, and buying enough time.

Ning Zhuo carefully manipulated, beginning to refine meticulously.

With Yu Heye offering no resistance, he索性 practiced his earlier reasoning, directly constructing a new spiritual power circulation within Yu Heye's body.

Sweat gradually beaded on Ning Zhuo's forehead. Under full concentration, his mental energy depleted rapidly.

After a short while, Ning Zhuo exhaled a turbid breath and slowly withdrew his hand.

His face was pale as paper, eyes cold as stars, inwardly relieved: "This is the first time I've manipulated someone else's Golden Core like this."

"The Reverse Five Elements Golden Core is hard to control; its emitted power is naturally mixed with Five Elements, making fine control of flow nearly impossible."

"Fortunately, I have similar experience..."

Ning Zhuo's experience came from the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel.

This mechanism component was the core of the Cang Tie Han Armor, several of which Ning Zhuo had consumed in consecutive battles against the Forgotten River Mansion Lord.

Frequent use in life-and-death battles had given Ning Zhuo many insights into utilizing Golden Cores.

These insights now helped him arduously control the Reverse Five Elements Golden Core, barely achieving the desired goal.

Ning Zhuo took out a meditation mat, immediately closed his eyes, and sat cross-legged, partly to rest himself, partly to mentally review and firmly remember the insights and inspirations.

This practice gave him new ideas about the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel.

He committed these ideas to memory for deeper exploration when the opportunity arose later.

"Perhaps I can refine the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel!"

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Yu Heye on the ground slowly opened his eyes.

"What happened to me...?"

"Pain!"

"Wait, didn't I die?!" His eyes widened abruptly, and he sat up straight with a jolt.

Excruciating pain made him gasp sharply.

Subconsciously, he directed his divine sense inward and found himself severely injured!

But he was ecstatic.

Because he discovered that the life-threatening chaos of the Five Elements before he lost consciousness had completely vanished. New cycles were established, revolving around the Reverse Five Elements Golden Core, operating on their own.

The fatal crisis was resolved.

"I'm alive! I'm actually alive!"

His gaze suddenly fixed on Ning Zhuo.

Only then did he realize: he was lying on the ground, while Ning Zhuo, this mere Foundation Building cultivator, was sitting in his spot, sipping tea and reading the cultivation jade slips from his bookshelf.

Yu Heye blinked several times, looking at Ning Zhuo with astonishment and doubt: "Did you save me?"

Ning Zhuo glanced at him, expression neutral, emitting only a nasal sound: "Hmm?"

Yu Heye's expression froze, suddenly awakening.

Enduring the pain, he struggled to his feet. With a grave expression, he bowed to Ning Zhuo with clasped hands: "Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo, your life-saving grace leaves me eternally grateful and unforgettable!"

He speculated inwardly: Was it Ning Zhuo himself, or did some expert assist secretly?

"Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo is only at the Foundation Building stage—could he resolve such a perilous situation?"

"More likely, an elder was hidden nearby. The rhetoric he used earlier in our exchange might have been guided by an elder."

Yu Heye had been completely unconscious, unaware of the outside world. Based on his life experience, it was hard to imagine Ning Zhuo saving him from certain death single-handedly.

But whether an elder or Ning Zhuo himself intervened, they were his saviors.

Maintaining his bowing posture, Yu Heye spoke again, expressing his desire to repay Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo felt satisfied inwardly; this Yu Heye was quite sensible.

This didn't surprise Ning Zhuo.

Having studied the intelligence earlier, he had analyzed Yu Heye's temperament. Yu Heye's conflict with the main peak led to years of suppression; such experiences taught him many lessons, giving him strong self-awareness and understanding of social norms.

If he acted recklessly based on mood alone, he would have courted death long ago and not reached this point.

It was precisely because Ning Zhuo had this understanding of Yu Heye that he decided to lend a hand while Yu Heye was unconscious.

"You do need to repay me," Ning Zhuo said, first producing a divine contract. "But before that, sign this."

Yu Heye's heart sank, thinking it might be some enslavement contract.

But he'd accept even that!

Upon inspection, however, he found it was merely the simplest confidentiality agreement.

He immediately signed the contract.

Ning Zhuo smiled: "Fellow Daoist Yu Heye, I have no interest in the mountain peak you've chosen. I wasn't aware of it beforehand."

"Originally, I intended to take the ten mid-grade spirit stones, leave this place, and rent another cave dwelling elsewhere."

"Less trouble is better."

"Being new here, I didn't want to make enemies or stir up conflict easily."

"But then Shen Xi came to me, telling me..."

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

Yu Heye accepted this readily, nodding repeatedly: "The Shen family of Jiugong Immortal City, I've long heard of them. They're renowned for their array formations, famous throughout Feiyun Kingdom, quite impressive."

"Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo, young as you are, has remarkable achievements. Interacting with a genius like Shen Xi is quite fitting!"

Saying this, he clasped his hands again: "Then I'll pack up immediately and move out with my subordinates."

Ning Zhuo laughed, waving his hand: "No need, no need, that would be too conspicuous."

"Being new here, I don't want to stand out too much. Better to observe the situation first."

Yu Heye understood, nodding again, expressing willingness to follow Ning Zhuo's arrangements.

Ning Zhuo said: "Since I'm leaving, I won't return. Today's matter, let's keep it strictly confidential between us."

"I need you to host a banquet for Shen Xi and his cousin Su Lingkou. During the banquet, just treat me as an equal in our conversation."

Yu Heye was stunned again.

He hadn't expected Ning Zhuo's request to be so simple!

Instead, Yu Heye felt pressured. He first expressed willingness to cooperate fully with Ning Zhuo, then cautiously stated that such arrangements couldn't possibly repay the life-saving grace.

Ning Zhuo smiled at him: "Our dispute is trivial as dust. If not for Shen Xi... do you think I'd bother here? If you died in front of me, causing trouble and attention, I wouldn't have intervened either."

"That's the truth; please don't take offense."

By now, even as a Foundation Building cultivator, Ning Zhuo had enough confidence to sit as an equal with Golden Core cultivators like Yu Heye.

Yu Heye opened his mouth to speak, holding onto his principles.

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo said: "Alright then. I'll assign some of my subordinates to temporarily station at your mountain peak. It's not so convenient for them to follow me closely right now. List the cave dwellings here, and I'll select a few."

Yu Heye, unsuspecting, agreed immediately.

With that, Ning Zhuo's true objective was achieved.

Not long after, a flying message reached Shen Xi.

Shen Xi was discussing the setup of a certain array formation with Su Lingkou. Reading the message, he smiled: "Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo has succeeded."

Su Lingkou extended her divine sense: "Yu Heye is hosting a banquet for us, with Ning Zhuo named as a guest. How did Ning Zhuo... manage this?"

Shen Xi quickly reviewed Ning Zhuo's actions in his mind: "He likely called upon some elders. This person must come from a major clan!"

(End of )