Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

Having said that, Ning Che took out the small bronze fish he hadn't spent yet and handed it to the old man with both hands: "I have no other choice now. I wonder if there will be any chance to make amends in the future?"

The old man took it, touched it, and then put it in his pocket. He looked at Ning Che's travel-worn appearance and said with a complicated expression, "This technique is very powerful. If there is a way to remedy it, it won't end up in dust."

He paused, then asked, "You're not from the city, are you?"

"I am a hunter from the mountains of Shizhu Village, and I was fortunate enough to have some opportunities for cultivation," Ning Che replied frankly.

"No wonder." The old man sighed, his tone tinged with regret. "If you achieve merit in the future, you can come here to exchange for some spells that help you guard your mind and maintain clarity of thought. They won't cure the root cause, but they can alleviate the symptoms."

"Thank you for your frank advice, senior." Ning Che bowed to the old man again before going to copy the book.

As Ning Che emerged from the library, the sun had already set behind the mountains, and twilight enveloped the entire mountain like a blanket. A chilly mountain wind swept across the stone steps, but it did not stir any ripples in Ning Che's heart.

This was, of course, poison prepared by Mu Qingming, but he knew it all along and had no complaints. Since he had chosen to protect, some burdens were destined to be borne.

Back at the Jiazi barracks, Zhao He and Chen Mu were chatting. They greeted him when they saw him return.

"Brother Xing, how did it go? Did you receive the cultivation technique?" Zhao He couldn't help but ask, seeing no joy on his face. "Nothing went wrong, right?"

"It's nothing." Ning Che nodded slightly, his tone calm, without elaborating on the dangers of the cultivation technique. "Thank you for your concern, brothers. I need to focus on my cultivation. If there's anything else, please remind me."

"Don't worry about it, we've got it covered!" Zhao He immediately patted his chest and agreed, while Chen Mu nodded in agreement.

Ning Che placed the crescent moon beside his bed, opened the manuscript, and began to study.

The process of revising the law felt like a dream.

He saw a snow-white rabbit with six ears leap down from the Moon Palace. As the distance increased, the moon grew smaller and smaller until the six-eared rabbit stood upright, grabbed him in its hand, and stuffed him into its mouth.

Ning Che felt as if he had become one with it. He opened his mouth and inhaled, and could even feel the "moon" passing through his throat, bringing a refreshing coolness like eating mint.

The talisman underwent a strange change; it seemed to freeze, and the clear light swirling around it ceased to flow. Ning Che could no longer control it, and could only watch as it fell into the darkness like a pure white, luminous stone.

The darkness rippled like pebbles falling into a lake.

It did not go out; instead, it burst forth with an even stronger light in the darkness. Spread by the "lake water," it became blurred, like a reflection of the moon.

Then frost formed.

White crystals precipitate out, piecing together to form the shape of branches, then extending and connecting to create a space of about one square inch in size.

This is the opening of the marrow sea!

At the same time, a shadow approached from the dark surface, and its face looked exactly like Shi Yong.

With a thought, Ning Che also condensed a physical form within his newly opened marrow sea. This seemed to be an instinct; as one's cultivation level increased, it naturally became possible.

"Ning Che." The shadow spoke, its voice identical to Shi Yong's, its tone icy: "You kept saying you'd protect Shizhu Village, protect us, but what happened?"

The shadow grinned, its smile filled with mockery and venom: "You followed Mu Qingming into the city, signed a contract of servitude, and now you've started practicing this evil, murderous art. You think you're protecting us? You're just using the lives of thousands of people in our village as bargaining chips to climb the social ladder!"

The shadow's words did not shake Ning Che's resolve, but after trying a few times, Ning Che discovered that he could not speak. It wasn't until he imagined he had vocal cords that he was finally able to ask, "What kind of monster are you, and why are you here?"

"Demon? I am you. Haven't you ever thought about using the mountain guardian to climb up the ranks?" The shadow grinned maliciously, its body twisting and deforming until its appearance resembled Xing's.

"You are not me, otherwise, wouldn't you know that I have never used anyone as a bargaining chip—dismissed!" Ning Che shouted lightly, and the Lung Golden Sword Qi manifested here, swirling up frost all over the ground and pulverizing that shadow.

But the shadow solidified again, becoming slightly more ethereal. Standing on the edge of darkness, a blurry, muddy dirt road could be vaguely seen behind it: "I'm waiting for you, I'll wait for you..."

The shadow turned and walked down the road, disappearing into the darkness.

Ning Che glanced at the marrow sea that had opened up beneath his feet. Perhaps because of the special nature of this technique, although it was called a sea, it was actually a solid.

He dispersed his physical form from the sea of ​​marrow, and his consciousness slowly returned.

Inside the cave barracks, it was still the familiar darkness. Moonlight shone through the cracks in the small round window and fell on the back of his hand.

He clenched his fist, and a thin layer of white frost suddenly formed on the back of his hand. When he opened it again, the frost melted away, leaving only a little moisture.

This kind of magic is quite extraordinary. If it is used to activate frost-related spells, its power will probably far exceed that of ordinary spells.

He closed his eyes again, and the night passed quietly as his cultivation practice circulated throughout his body.

When Ning Che opened his eyes again, it was broad daylight, and the morning mist had already drifted into the camp along the mountain path. Lin Ye was not there, Zhao He was also sitting cross-legged in meditation, and Chen Mu was still asleep.

Just then, a rapid gong sounded outside the barracks, followed by the mountain guard's booming voice, which echoed throughout the entire barracks area along the corridor: "Listen up, all new recruits! Breakfast will be served at Chenshi (7-9 AM). Show your numbered wooden tag to collect your breakfast and body-tempering soup. Latecomers will not be served!"

Body Tempering Elixir?

Ning Che had never heard of this before, but with the drought raging and the village nearly starving, hearing about it felt like a lifetime ago.

No wonder so many people are so eager to join the ranks of the mountain guardians; these three officials are indeed different.

Ning Che got up and went out.

The Demon-Suppressing Mountain was already awake at dawn. Along the way, one could see rows of Xuanjia guards patrolling, as well as groups of two or three new candidates. Some looked relaxed or indifferent, but most were anxious, tense, and wary.

After all, everyone is a competitor, and every spot that goes up is one less available. The air was already thick with tension.

Ning Che didn't stop walking, following the flow of people towards the north of the mountain. He didn't stop along the way, constantly looking around. When he passed the martial arts training ground, he happened to see several young men practicing their swordsmanship around a stone pillar. He thought to himself that he could come here to practice his swordsmanship after he finished eating.

Before long, we arrived at the canteen.

These are a series of spacious caverns connected together, each with dozens of long wooden tables neatly arranged, and separate dining areas for newlyweds and official mountain guardians. The air is filled with the aroma of millet and the fragrance of stewed meat, things that ordinary villagers can only dream of.

At this moment, in the dining hall belonging to the newlyweds, many people were already seated at the long table, either queuing up to get their meals or sitting in groups.

Ning Che went to get his own meal, only to see Lin Ye swagger in, his tight-fitting clothes taut, followed by two followers. His gaze swept across the dining hall, and the people who had been talking in hushed tones instantly fell silent, avoiding his gaze and even lowering their breathing.

Lin Ye was quite pleased with this, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth. His gaze swept around the dining hall before finally settling on Ning Che in the corner.

Instead of going straight up, he deliberately sidestepped and bumped into a skinny boy who had just come out to get his food.

With a loud crash, the earthenware bowl in the boy's hand shattered, spilling millet rice and animal meat all over the ground, and the spiritual soup splashed all over the boy.

"Are you fucking blind?!" Lin Ye's expression changed instantly. He kicked the boy in the back of the knee, and the boy fell to his knees with a "thud," his face turning pale with pain, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.