< Chapter 41: Please Help Me Cultivate >
Han Ming’s features were already quite striking, but now, as she suddenly lowered her stance from cold and domineering to humble and submissive, it was disconcertingly charming. Beneath the mask of the Cang Tie Han Armor, Ning Zhuo remained as unfazed as an ancient well.
He took out Han Ming’s magical instrument, the Soul Capturing Shuttle: “I’ve heard that the techniques of your Soul-Devouring Sect allow one to increase the foundation of one’s soul directly by devouring spirits.”
“If your sect’s techniques were reversed, one could refine one’s own elite soul essence through the magical instrument and then transfer it to another person. Although this process results in substantial loss, it bears no negative side effects.”
“With this ability, your sect has allowed elders nearing the end of their lifespans to transfer soul power and instantly provide younger cultivators with a strong foundation. This is also one of the main reasons why the Soul-Devouring Sect has become a major sect within the demonic path.”
“Han Ming, I would like you to assist me in my cultivation.”
The Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill was a type of medicinal pill. Ning Zhuo’s soul could not bring it into the palace.
Even if he consumed it before entering the palace, its effects wouldn’t last long.
Ning Zhuo preferred to achieve a direct increase in his soul foundation. After he learned about the Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill and encountered Han Ming, he decided to capture Han Ming alive.
Hearing this, Han Ming’s eyes widened, and a chill spread through her body: “I see now, I am your real prey!”
“All this talk of attacking the Ziyang Courtyard was just a decoy!”
“This is all a trap, a venomous snare!”
Han Ming screamed, struggling fiercely, the heavy chains on her body clanking loudly.
The chain was firmly attached to the wall of the cell, clanging against the wall with a metallic sound. young puppet master Ning Zhuo watched her quietly, waiting until Han Ming calmed down before saying, “You’re too agitated, which is not good for your injuries.”
Hearing this, Han Ming, who had just calmed down, flared up again, swearing continuously.
Ning Zhuo listened quietly, waiting again until Han Ming exhausted herself from cursing, then stopped.
“Would you like some water?”
Ning Zhuo’s fingers moved slightly, extending a thread of condensed mana from his fingertip. Below the thread, a puppet little person carrying a water cup climbed up from Han Ming’s instep, up her shin, thigh, abdomen, and then stood on her chest, holding up the water cup to her mouth.
Han Ming’s breath grew heavy again.
But her recent struggle and cursing had drained much of her energy. She stared fixedly at Ning Zhuo and finally lowered her eyes to glance at the water cup.
The next moment, she lowered her head to drink. She was indeed thirsty.
Most importantly, she was now a prisoner. If the young puppet master wanted to harm her, there were countless ways he could do so; there was no need to bother with poisoning her water.
After drinking, Han Ming calmed down a bit.
“There’s one thing I can’t figure out!” Han Ming looked up, her eyebrows furrowed, eyes fixed on the young puppet master’s face. “Sun Lingtong is a distinguished disciple of the No-Void Sect, so why would he collaborate with you? What exactly is your relationship?”
Ning Zhuo smiled faintly. “I’ve been buying information from him for over a decade.”
“I watched him strive bit by bit, and ultimately, he took control of the black market within Puppet Immortal City, securing his foothold in this immortal city.”
“Our interests are deeply intertwined.”
Han Ming scoffed, “Is that all?”
“Is that all it took for him to conspire with you to trap me, risking the wrath of the Soul-Devouring Sect?”
“Should anything unexpected happen, allowing me to escape, his foundation in Puppet Immortal City, and you, would both be doomed!”
“We are not like those on the righteous path who play by the rules.”
Ning Zhuo smiled faintly again: “Have you escaped then? Have you managed to send any message out?”
Han Ming was silent.
Ning Zhuo continued, “The attack on Ziyang Courtyard wasn’t just a diversion. At least, we did manage to obtain a lot of elixirs.”
Mention of this stirred Han Ming again.
“You two wretches, despicable beings! My sect will surely avenge me, flaying and deboning you both, crushing your souls, plunging you into endless torment!”
Ning Zhuo gestured for calm. “Settle down, settle down, okay?”
“Getting angry is bad for your health.”
“Didn’t you just agree? You said you’d do anything. So, help me with my cultivation.”
Han Ming threw her head back, bursting into shrill laughter, even crying from it.
“Ptui.” Suddenly stopping her laughter, she spat, saying with intense hatred, “In your dreams!”
The spit flew into the air, only to be blocked by Ning Zhuo’s mana, falling powerlessly to the ground.
Han Ming’s voice was chilling to the bone, “I have painstakingly cultivated, accumulating for so many years to establish today’s foundation and essence. You want me to diminish my soul’s essence to aid your cultivation? Hah, you think so beautifully with such an ugly face!”
“Hard-earned accumulation?” Ning Zhuo asked in disbelief, “The Nine-Turn Soul-Devouring Art of your Soul-Devouring Sect allows you to devour others’ souls to enhance your own essence. Clearly, it’s ruthless plundering, how can it be considered hard-earned?”
This was the fundamental difference between the righteous and demonic paths.
The cultivation resources for a righteous cultivator were things like lightning, rain, and dew, or the flora and fauna.
For demonic cultivators, their resources were the very beings of other cultivators, such as blood, souls, and bodies.
Han Ming retorted, “You know nothing, only seeing the surface! Do you think the Nine-Turn Soul-Devouring Art is so easy to cultivate? That it can fully transform another’s soul into one’s own essence?”
“Hmph! If it were that easy, then my Soul-Devouring Sect wouldn’t just be one of the great sects of the demonic path, we would have unified the demonic world long ago!”
“Five percent, at most five percent!”
“The souls devoured, the closer they are to the original body, the smaller the difference, the higher the yield.”
“It also can’t be used frequently.”
“It’s like eating, eat too much, and you’ll burst.”
“We also need a substantial amount of time and numerous auxiliary resources to help our souls digest,” Han Ming continued. “If the digestion isn’t thorough, the soul becomes deformed, leading to severe consequences.”
“Of course, in my Soul-Devouring Sect, there are those who are impatient for quick results. They ignore the deformity of the soul and devour others’ souls recklessly, which boosts their strength significantly in a short period. But by doing so, they certainly doom their future.”
Han Ming was not shortsighted. She possessed an innate ability, the Yin Corpse Qi, which already put her ahead of most cultivators.
She always emphasized proper digestion to keep her soul pure.
She cared deeply about her future.
That’s why she was extremely reluctant and did not want to cooperate at all. How could she possibly hand over the essence she had painstakingly accumulated over decades to someone else?
Absolutely impossible.
Especially to an enemy!
“You wish to make me cooperate? Kill me instead; that would be cleaner!” Han Ming was also very cunning.
She could tell that Ning Zhuo needed something from her and felt secure. By saying this, she aimed to gain some leverage.
Ning Zhuo sighed deeply, “I spoke kindly, hoping you would cooperate willingly.”
“If you cooperate well, I can promise you that, after a while, I will set you free.”