From absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to achieving divine mastery in martial arts

"Young master...you say there's a way to save us?"

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the deathly silent courtyard.

The group looked up abruptly, their murky gazes instantly freezing on Cang Lian's face. It was an expression of disbelief and astonishment, and a fear of mishearing.

Cang Lian did not answer immediately, but fell into deep thought, his gaze sweeping over each of them with profound intensity.

The dying old man, Ning Chongli, was a master of Dan Jin; the middle-aged man, Ning Geng, though on his deathbed, was also a master of Hua Jin; even the young man, Ning Xiaoxing, had extraordinary muscles and bones, clearly having reached the level of An Jin; and even the seemingly delicate Ning Ke had the foundation of Ming Jin.

With such a configuration, it would be a force to be reckoned with, no matter where it is placed.

It would be a real shame if he died like this!

Cang Lian quickly made a plan in her mind.

His experiences during this period made him realize a profound truth: in today's chaotic world, various forces are deeply entrenched and intertwined, and one tree cannot support the whole.

Even a peerless expert as powerful as Chu Zhaoxue has a day when he is trapped in a dangerous place and isolated and helpless. In the end, he still needs Yan Tang to risk his life to save him and Yan Tang to lead a search party to help him escape.

Going it alone is not a long-term solution.

If these individuals could be recruited and cultivated into one's trusted core, it would be a significant advantage, providing greater confidence in both establishing a firm foothold within the National Martial Hall and dealing with future changes within the Cang family.

Thinking of this, a deeper meaning appeared in Cang Lian's eyes, and he slowly spoke:

"You yourselves probably know that what torments you isn't some ordinary illness, but the most insidious 'bloodthirsty energy,' right?"

"The Blood God Cult has now been completely eradicated. Although this bloodthirsty aura is poisonous, I do have a way to eliminate it for you!"

Cang Lian knew very well that the Blood Soul Needle was a divine weapon that should not be shown to others easily. After all, you can know a person's face but not their heart. He was currently weak, and if someone with ulterior motives found out about it, it would bring unnecessary trouble.

However, using someone else's strength against them is possible.

The Blood God Pearl in Chu Zhaoxue's hand is precisely the source of the blood evil energy, and also a treasure for neutralizing it.

"What? The Blood... Blood God Cult has been wiped out? Could it be the last time?"

The middle-aged man Ning Geng's pupils suddenly contracted, and the others exchanged glances, all looking extremely shocked.

They had gone to great lengths and faced death countless times in their efforts to escape that hellhole, but unexpectedly, the enormous creature was uprooted in a short period of time.

"You guessed right, it was last time." Cang Lian nodded slightly, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "Speaking of which, we really have to thank you for providing the approximate location of the Blood God Cult's lair. It was because of that clue that our National Martial Hall was able to pinpoint its location accurately and wipe it out in one fell swoop!"

"Then what is the life-saving method that you mentioned, young master?" Ning Geng asked cautiously, his breathing quickening.

"Since you know about the Blood God Cult, you must have heard of the 'Blood God Pearl,' right?" Cang Lian said calmly. "This object can devour all kinds of blood evil, and it is currently in the hands of General Chu Zhaoxue, the leader of the Martial Hall of Shenghai Kingdom. As long as you use this pearl to absorb all the evil energy in your bodies, it will not be difficult to save your lives."

"Chu Zhaoxue...that proud daughter of the National Martial Arts Hall?"

Upon hearing this, the glimmer of hope that had just risen in Ning Chongli's eyes dimmed even further.

He struggled to lift his head and said with a bitter smile, "Young Master, that kind of celestial beauty is a figure from heaven, unattainable. We are nothing but outlaws of the martial world, and now we are even crippled. Young Master... can you really persuade her to help us?"

In their eyes, Chu Zhaoxue was a powerful figure who suppressed a region, so why would she waste her energy on a few dying people?

"Since I've spoken, I have a way." Cang Lian's expression was calm, yet his tone exuded confidence. "I have some connections with General Chu, so this matter won't be difficult. However, I'm not here today primarily for your sake; I have other matters to attend to. After we're done, I can take you away and find a way to survive!"

Hearing this, the group had no more doubts.

"Thank you so much, young master! We will never forget your kindness!"

This time, instead of pleading in despair, the group knelt heavily on the ground with overwhelming joy and gratitude for surviving the ordeal, their foreheads touching the earth, and remained kneeling for a long time.

"Get up, all of you, get up!" Cang Lian stepped forward again and helped everyone up one by one.

Seeing that the group had escaped from a desperate situation, Old Huang's deeply lined face broke into a broad smile. He then respectfully asked, "Young Master, you said you had important business to attend to. What is it?"

Cang Lian composed himself and said seriously, "Elder Huang, I have come today to ask you about the 'Eight Formations of Military Formations.' In addition, there is another matter I need to trouble you with."

As he spoke, Cang Lian reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy bag of silver coins, handing it to Old Huang: "During this time, I'd appreciate it if you could help me find a reliable blacksmith shop or forging workshop. I need to have a few specially made steel needles made. The materials must be the best, the tougher the better. Money is not a problem; just ask me for more if you need more."

Old Huang took the silver pouch and felt a sudden weight in his hand. He immediately patted his chest and said, "Since it's something the young master asked me to do, I will certainly do my best to handle it. There's a man named 'Iron Hand' in the old alley south of the city. His ancestors made weapons for the Imperial Guards. His craftsmanship is superb. I'll go and make the arrangements later."

He didn't ask Cang Lian why he wanted to forge steel needles; he did his duty as a servant very well.

"Thank you very much, Elder Huang!" Cang Lian clasped his hands in a salute, then his gaze became piercing. "Then please, Elder Huang, teach me the Eight Formations of Military Formations!"

"Good! Young Master is very intelligent, he will surely understand it immediately."

Old Huang didn't hesitate; he immediately put away the silver pouch and walked to the open space in the courtyard.

He took a deep breath, and his originally hunched body instantly straightened up, exuding a fierce and murderous aura.

"Young master, watch closely. This first move is called—Breaking the Formation!"

Suddenly, a strong wind arose in the courtyard, and an old man and a young man took up their stances, practicing their killing techniques honed in the midst of mountains of corpses and seas of blood in this dilapidated courtyard.

Beside them, the Ning family members supported each other, watching this scene with eyes full of hope for the future and deep gratitude for Cang Lian.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

After a full day and night of practice, Cang Lian had thoroughly mastered all the power exertion techniques and footwork variations of the "Eight Formations of Military Formations".

Although the knowledge has not yet been fully integrated, the seeds have been sown and are waiting to be nurtured in the future.

After bidding farewell to Elder Huang, Cang Lian led the four members of the Ning family back to the Sheng Hai Kingdom Martial Hall base.

The atmosphere inside the command building was solemn.

Chu Zhaoxue had just finished her official business and was sipping her hot tea when she heard Cang Lian's request. Her clear, cold eyes looked through the window at the few people sitting on the playground like paper figures.

"You mean, you want me to use the Blood God Pearl to save those dying people?"

She looked at Cang Lian with a half-smile, her tone playful: "Cang Lian, since you have the Blood Soul Needle, absorbing a few strands of Blood Fiend Qi is not difficult for you, so why did you come to me? Oh... I understand."

"You don't just want to save their lives; you want to indebted to them so you can use this opportunity to win their hearts and completely integrate them into your team, right?"

Having his thoughts seen through at a glance, Cang Lian made no attempt to hide them and laughed, "To be honest, General, I do have this selfish motive."

Selfishness? Who in this world doesn't have selfishness?

Chu Zhaoxue gazed out the window and said slowly, "Cang Lian, you saved their lives, that's a life-saving grace. They're willing to serve you and sell their lives to you, which is an honor they couldn't ask for! This is called mutual benefit, it's reasonable."

She slowly turned around. "Fine, I'll do you this favor. I'll let you use my influence."

"However!" Chu Zhaoxue changed the subject, her tone becoming meaningful, "I suggest that we do not remove all the bloodthirsty energy from their bodies at once."

"If they fully recover, they will naturally be grateful to you, but that gratitude will fade over time. After all, it's a weakness of human nature to forget easily. What you need to do is 'keep them hanging.'"

"The way to manage people lies in using both kindness and severity, and even more so in maintaining a balance between leniency and strictness. If they feel that they have been given a life too easily, they might become disloyal if things don't go their way in the future. After all, that Grandmaster of Dan Jin is not someone you can easily bully."

"If they are capable and loyal, then every so often, remove a bit of their malevolent energy. In this way, their lives will always be in your hands. They will have both hope and awe, and only then will they be completely devoted to you."

How about this?

Upon hearing this, Cang Lian smiled knowingly and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "General, you are absolutely right. This method of 'phased elimination to observe the effects' can both save their lives and test their hearts. General and I have the same idea!"

Chu Zhaoxue gave a light snort, a hint of admiration in her eyes: "Since you have no objections, then bring them in. I also want to see how good they are."

(Thanks to birdstalk, 逆水千帆AO, and 毛毛毛病 for the monthly tickets!)