The morning sunlight was gentle, filtering through the dense foliage of the forest, casting dappled shadows along the mountain path.
Ning Zhuo carried a wine jar, walking with composed steps, brushing past branches as he moved.
Birdsong chirped in the woods, crisp and pleasant to the ear. The air was fresh, laced with the scent of earth and vegetation.
"Here again," Ning Zhuo murmured as he arrived at a deep pool—this was the place where he and Lin Shanshan had first met.
The pool was crystal clear, fish swam within. One suddenly leapt out of the water, stirring ripples that shattered the golden sunlight on the surface.
Ning Zhuo continued onward, circling to the mountain path behind the waterfall.
To his left, the waterfall roared, water splashing everywhere. Sunlight shone through, forming a rainbow across the air. To his right, moss covered the mountain wall, serene and deep.
Motion and stillness side by side, as if echoing the harmony of Yin and Yang.
After passing the mountain path, Ning Zhuo halted before the entrance of the Ten Thousand Demons Cave.
He did not enter immediately but activated his mana, summoning a piece of talisman paper. In a moment, he had written a Message Bird.The Message Bird fluttered gently and slowly floated into the cave.
Not long after, Linghu Jiu walked out of the cave holding the message, a smile on his face, coming to welcome him in person.
At last, the two truly met for the first time in this moment.
Linghu Jiu was tall and lean, clothed in a blue robe with wide sleeves that drooped elegantly, as graceful as the wind—refined and dashing.
Ning Zhuo, on the other hand, wore a wide-sleeved white robe. His brows and eyes were as clear as water, his expression like a spring breeze, warm as the morning light, courteous and refined, instantly likable.
Seeing Linghu Jiu, Ning Zhuo thought inwardly, “What a remarkable figure indeed!”
He recalled the intelligence reports and thought again of how Linghu Jiu had sent the Comprehension Diagrams of the Gold Attribute and Fire Attribute. All this made Ning Zhuo believe that Linghu Jiu was far from ordinary.
"Now that we’ve met, I must better understand this man."
Linghu Jiu had a strong reputation within the Myriad Medicines Sect, his status unshakable. He was undoubtedly part of the sect’s power core, even likely to be the next Sect Master.
Meanwhile, Linghu Jiu secretly admired, “What a fine young man! Graceful and elegant, a noble son in a troubled world.”
“Though valued by his clan elders, his attire is simple.”
Before their meeting, Ning Zhuo had many assumptions about Linghu Jiu. At first glance, he found Linghu Jiu’s presence to be exceptional, matching his expectations.
Linghu Jiu also had many speculations about Ning Zhuo. At first glance, he thought Ning Zhuo’s appearance exceeded his imagination. His simple and clean attire left a good impression.
Both had looked forward to this meeting, and at first sight, both felt a favorable impression.
Linghu Jiu smiled, “Young Master Ning Zhuo, the sect already informed me by Message Bird of your visit. In recent days, your successive victories on the Lesser Strife Peak have made waves. Though I dwell deep in the cave, I’ve heard much. Please, come in!”
Ning Zhuo first set down the wine jar in his hand, using his mana to suspend it in midair. He cupped his hands and said solemnly, “I’ve long heard of Brother Linghu’s great name. To meet you today is truly a blessing of three lifetimes. Forgive my abrupt visit—I’ve brought a humble jar of wine and hope it is not unwelcome.”
Linghu Jiu twitched his nose, eyes fixed on the hovering wine jar. He laughed heartily and gestured with a flourish, “Such a generous gift, Brother Ning. Linghu accepts it with shame. Please, come inside. Allow me to offer proper hospitality.”
The two entered the cave.
Inside, the furnishings were simple—stone table, stone stools, and a stone bed.
Linghu Jiu invited Ning Zhuo to sit. “This cave is crude. I fear it dishonors such a noble guest.”
But Ning Zhuo said, “The mountain view is unique, ancient and serene. And today, drinking with Brother Linghu is a true joy in life.”
Linghu Jiu took out stone bowls and looked expectantly at the wine jar.
His nose twitched again. “I won’t hide it from you, Young Master Ning Zhuo. I have a wine-nose—quite adept at discerning aromas. From the scent alone, this wine is extraordinary. It’s already stirring my heart!”
Ning Zhuo was slightly taken aback.
The intelligence had emphasized Linghu Jiu’s fondness for wine.
But after meeting, Ning Zhuo realized that Linghu Jiu’s love of wine was even greater than the reports described.
While pouring the wine, Ning Zhuo introduced its origin.
This was Ice Jade Wine.
Produced from the Ice Heart Jade Flask, it was a heritage item of the Ning Family. For those cultivating the Ice Heart Sutra, drinking this wine greatly complemented their cultivation.
Ning Zhuo first filled Linghu Jiu’s stone bowl, then poured himself a glass into a glazed cup.
Ning Zhuo raised his cup with both hands. “Visiting today, I must first thank Brother Linghu. Previously, due to misunderstandings from Lao De and others, it was thanks to Brother Linghu that I was rescued from trouble.”
Linghu Jiu laughed aloud and raised his bowl. “Aiya, I can’t pretend anymore. I’ll drink first!”
Ning Zhuo: ?!
For a moment, the sixteen-year-old boy froze as he watched Linghu Jiu raise his head and gulp down the full bowl of Ice Jade Wine.
As Linghu Jiu drank the fine wine, he felt an intense, pure coolness rush through him—like drinking spring water in the dead of winter.
The chill flowed through his entire body, washing away all weariness and agitation.
The wine melted like snow, without the slightest harshness, leaving behind a lingering sweetness that clung like music around the rafters. The more he savored it, the more wondrous it became!
At the same time, brilliant currents of light surged from Linghu Jiu’s upper Dantian like a waterfall, cascading down and pouring straight into the middle Dantian sea of qi along his spine.
Within the sea of qi, clouds surged and waves rolled without end.
Linghu Jiu’s cultivation within his qi sea rose rapidly.
“Excellent wine! Truly excellent. Young Master, another full bowl, please!” Linghu Jiu grew excited, showing no restraint.
The smile on Ning Zhuo’s face deepened. “It’s an honor that Brother Linghu enjoys this wine.”
But deep inside, he was muttering, “What kind of person is this? Is this behavior a facade?”
According to the gathered intelligence, Linghu Jiu was carefree and easygoing, winning much affection from his fellow disciples. But when Lao De and others spread malicious rumors, Linghu Jiu still considered the greater good, taking the initiative to compensate Ning Zhuo with the Comprehension Diagrams of the Gold Attribute and Fire Attribute. Clearly, he was a man with depth.
This made Ning Zhuo wonder just what Linghu Jiu’s true nature was.
In the past, Ning Zhuo had needed long observation and interaction to gradually understand someone’s true temperament.
But now, with divine abilities at his command and treasures at his side, he had quicker methods.
Watching Linghu Jiu down his second bowl, a sharp gleam flashed through Ning Zhuo’s eyes.
Divine Ability—Life Hanging by a Thread...
“Hmm?!”
At that instant, Ning Zhuo nearly lost his composure.
A powerful intuition told him: If he activated the divine ability now, even if it succeeded, Linghu Jiu would notice!
This was the first time Ning Zhuo had encountered such a situation.
His heart was shaken.
“I possess Foundation Establishment cultivation, and even Golden Core-level cultivators are unable to sense it. Ning Jiufan, the two ancestors of the Zhou Family, the Fox God of Mist-Hidden Mountain— even someone as strong as Zhu Xuanji was affected by my Life Hanging by a Thread divine ability.”
For Golden Core-level cultivators, even though Ning Zhuo had applied Life Hanging by a Thread, at most it only increased his sensitivity—it was impossible to forcibly control them.
On one hand, even if he attempted forced control, the influence would be minuscule—at most, making them twitch a pinky or sneeze.
On the other hand, any forced control would immediately alert Golden Core cultivators who had not previously detected anything, making them suspicious. It was highly possible they would discover Ning Zhuo and, in a rage, beat the foolish youth to death.
“For Nascent Soul-level existences, I cannot apply Life Hanging by a Thread.”
This Ning Zhuo had already tested in secret after meeting Granny Yuan.
It was useless. The thread simply couldn’t land.
When the thread descended above their head, an invisible force like a fierce wind would sweep it away, preventing success.
“For Foundation Establishment-level cultivators, my divine ability has always worked without fail. Yet today, it failed on Linghu Jiu!”
In the Myriad Medicines Valley, Hanzhou, Hua Guzi, Lin Shanshan, and others had all been marked by Ning Zhuo’s Life Hanging by a Thread.
Lai Wuying, Zheng Xingchen, and others had not yet received this ‘treatment’. That was because Ning Zhuo maintained a good habit—never using divine abilities publicly in front of crowds.
Ning Zhuo felt that if he marked Linghu Jiu with Life Hanging by a Thread, while it could succeed and allow control, the latter would definitely notice it.
“Linghu Jiu’s foundation runs deep. He can actually resist my divine ability to a certain extent!”
“It seems he, like me, understands the art of Concealing One’s Strength. I just don’t know—between the two of us, who hides more, and who hides deeper.”
Ning Zhuo was shaken inwardly, though nothing showed on his face.
Since Linghu Jiu liked fine wine, Ning Zhuo poured cup after cup.
“Please.”
“Please!”
“Once more, please!”
Linghu Jiu drank ten bowls in a row and still wasn’t satisfied.
His face was flushed, eyes bright with joy, breath reeking of alcohol, and his gestures exaggerated.
“Good wine, good wine!”
The wine stirred his poetic spirit, and he recited:
“Ice Jade enters throat, chills to the bone,
Drunk, the heart sees through worldly tone.
Sweet aftertaste lingers, tongue won’t part,
Qi sea soars, with spirit heart!”
A gleam flashed in Ning Zhuo’s eyes. Admiring Linghu Jiu’s poetic talent, he was just about to respond with a verse when Linghu Jiu suddenly spoke.
He asked, “Brother Ning Zhuo, what are your intentions toward my Junior Sister Shanshan?”
Ning Zhuo softly let out an “ah”, finding the question as abrupt as a sudden sword thrust, catching him completely off guard.
He gently placed his cup onto the stone table, face turning solemn and respectful. “I felt an instant connection with Miss Lin.”
“This time I came to your honorable place seeking guidance and alliance.”
“Miss Lin is pure of heart and warm of spirit. She helped me multiple times, even to the point of being confined.”
“The kindness of a friend, I carve deep in my heart. I will repay it in full one day!”
Linghu Jiu’s drunken eyes fixed on Ning Zhuo, the scent of wine thick in the air.
And yet at this moment, Ning Zhuo felt as if Linghu Jiu saw straight through to his heart—utterly unobstructed.
Linghu Jiu pointed at him. “Good lad! So you speak the truth!”
“Hehehe.”
“Hahaha!”
He tilted his head back and laughed, tears welling up at the corners of his eyes, wiping them away unashamedly in front of Ning Zhuo.
Linghu Jiu’s emotions were in turmoil.
On one hand, he felt relieved—his Junior Sister hadn’t been fancied by an outsider.
On the other, he felt stifled and aggrieved—his Junior Sister had given so much, yet wasn’t fancied by the outsider!
Seeing Ning Zhuo puzzled and silent, Linghu Jiu let out a long sigh. “Forgive me, Young Master Ning Zhuo. I possess a talent called Drunken Moon Seeking Immortals.”
“As long as I drink fine wine and enter a drunken state, my thoughts soar, inspiration flows, and I gain insights into the world with precise clarity.”
“Just now when I questioned you, I invoked this talent and confirmed that your words were sincere.”
“To be frank, not only Lao De and the others misunderstood you—even I did!”
Ning Zhuo smiled faintly. “Drunken Moon Seeking Immortals?”
“No matter what, clearing up this misunderstanding is a great fortune for me.”
“Brother Linghu need not apologize. Rather, I must thank you.”
As he spoke, he raised his wine cup.
Linghu Jiu also raised his bowl. The two clinked their vessels and drank in one go.
Linghu Jiu examined Ning Zhuo up and down, then sighed. “I understand now why my Little Junior Sister fancies you.”
He pointed at Ning Zhuo. “She respects her father most—our Sect Master.”
“You carry yourself properly—very much like her father.”
Ning Zhuo hurriedly showed humility, saying he was unworthy to be compared to someone like Lin Bufan, a Nascent Soul grand cultivator.
Suddenly, Linghu Jiu stood up. “Hold on. Put the Ice Jade Wine aside for now. Let me treat you to some wine instead.”
He strode over to the stone bed.
Reaching beside it, he pulled out a wine jar.
Linghu Jiu returned and placed it on the stone table, proudly boasting, “I’ve been confined many times, so I had someone set up a hidden storage formation here to stash some fine wine.”
“Whenever loneliness struck or thirst overtook me, I’d pull one out to soothe my cravings.”
“This wine is called Deep Thought and Brewing Intent. It’ll be quite useful for you, Young Master Ning Zhuo.”
Linghu Jiu lifted the jar and poured for Ning Zhuo.
He explained, “The main ingredients are Yellow Springs Water and Night Wanderer Grass, with supporting components like Moon Dew, Nether Jade, and Nine-Tailed Fox Tears.”
“After drinking, your thoughts will extend into the netherworld, gaining wisdom from ancestors and guidance from the unseen.”
Linghu Jiu sighed again. “Because of my talent Drunken Moon Seeking Immortals, my father—the Sect Master—specially invited a master Spirit Chef to brew this wine for me. It has greatly benefited my cultivation.”
“Please!”
Ning Zhuo was already thoroughly curious. He respectfully lifted the cup and examined it closely.
The Deep Thought and Brewing Intent was a deep blue hue, glowing faintly with specks of light.
Bringing it near his nose, he took a gentle sniff. The fragrance was so light it was nearly nonexistent, yet it instantly calmed Ning Zhuo’s mind, bringing complete peace.
“Boss, I’m going to drink it,” Ning Zhuo transmitted.
Inside the Puppet Dragon, Sun Lingtong swallowed a mouthful of saliva. “You brat, eating and drinking well out there while I have to watch over you. Don’t forget to leave some for me.”
Ning Zhuo calmed himself and took a gentle sip.
The wine passed over his tongue, its sweetness tinged with a faint bitterness—like the ups and downs of life.
Once it entered his belly, a warm sensation spread from within. The mysterious power of the spirit wine flowed through his body, bringing an unprecedented tranquility and peace.
In a haze, Ning Zhuo “saw” a man.
“I am the Five Elements Divine Lord! The mysteries of the Five Elements are in my grasp. The Five Spirits and Five Gods heed my command—none dare disobey.”
“Junior of future generations, do you seek my Divine Spirit Art of the Five Viscera Temple?”
“Hahaha, listen well!”
“The Five Elements are gold, wood, water, fire, and earth; the five viscera are heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. The Five Elements correspond to the five viscera—each with its duty, giving rise and restraining, cycling endlessly…”
Ning Zhuo focused intently, listening closely.
Eventually, the Five Elements Divine Lord’s voice grew softer and softer, until his figure vanished completely.
“What happened?” Ning Zhuo abruptly opened his eyes.
He had sobered up.
A sense of loss surged within him.
Linghu Jiu laughed aloud. “It seems Young Master Ning Zhuo has realized the wonders of this wine.”
“Would you like more?”
Ning Zhuo, without any pretense, eagerly said, “Please pour.”
After another cup, he again saw the ancient-faced, awe-inspiring Five Elements Divine Lord.
The Divine Lord continued to recite his Divine Spirit Art of the Five Viscera Temple.
This time, after a short passage, he disappeared again.
Ning Zhuo opened his eyes. “More. I need more.”
Linghu Jiu laughed heartily.
Ning Zhuo directly picked up his glazed cup and looked at Linghu Jiu. “Brother, do you have a bowl?”