After hearing that, Zhuge Muyu finally showed a look of relief, his tensed shoulders dropping as he immediately cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "Zunshàng, as long as you can help Muyu escape this sea of suffering, I'm willing to stay by your side in the future."
Yunxi thought for a moment, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her chin before she spoke. "If that's the case, then we need to plan this properly. This Lord doesn't just force a deal. Your Tower Master does have some skill, and we shouldn't underestimate him."
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Zhuge Muyu quickly said, "Everything will be done according to Zunshàng is instructions."
Yunxi rubbed Li Li's soft head, pondered for a bit as she stared at the courtyard garden, then said, "You stay here and rest. This Lord's going to see a friend and ask her to help me."
"Yes. Muyu will wait for Zunshàng is good news."
Yunxi didn't delay. She waved her sleeve with a sharp motion, setting up a shimmering barrier to trap Zhuge Muyu inside the room, then vanished from the courtyard in a blur of spiritual light.
After she left, Zhuge Muyu looked around the small, quiet courtyard. He sat down and began playing the xiao, the haunting melody drifting through the air as he quietly waited for her return.
Yunxi headed straight to Bing Li's territory. The shop was much cleaner this time, the shelves dusted and organized with care.
Bing Li sat in a sturdy wooden rocking chair behind the counter, reading through a thin booklet. When Yunxi walked in, she looked up and smiled. "An honored guest has arrived. Didn't things go smoothly?"
Yunxi nodded, her expression serious. "Let's go. I have got something to discuss with you."
Seeing her expression, Bing Li knew this was serious business. She closed the shop, locking the front door, and led her companion to the secluded backyard.
Yunxi briefly explained what happened at Dengyun Tower and how she brought Zhuge Muyu back, then looked at Bing Li with a sharp gaze. "This Lord wants that Wood Spirit Pearl."
Bing Li chuckled, the sound light in the quiet yard. "How do you want to do it?"
Yunxi answered without hesitation. "Go with the flow. Since they didn't have good intentions toward us, this Lord's going to collect some interest first."
Bing Li put on a listening expression, signaling for her to continue with the details of the plan.
"You use his cultivation to break through to the Unity stage. I take the Wood Spirit Pearl for myself. After you plant the Ice Soul Frost Cicada in his soul, I'll send him back to Dengyun Tower. I'll pretend I lost control during dual cultivation and accidentally damaged his foundation, then say I'll ransom him back later to keep him by my side.
We'll give him time to communicate with the Tower Master and feel out whether Dengyun Tower's already become a blade for evil cultivators. After that, we slowly devour their cultivators one by one. What do you think?"
After hearing the cold logic of the scheme, Bing Li sighed with emotion. "You're really ruthless. You eat him clean and still make him think you fell into their trap."
Yunxi shot her a brief glare. "Why talk about morals with evil cultivators? Do you really want to help the evil god is return to this world?"
Bing Li laughed softly, her eyes crinkling. ]"Now I get why evil cultivators only dare to scheme against you in secret. No one dares face you head on. Anyone who's gone up against you probably died miserably."
Yunxi thought about her past battles and didn't deny it. She asked directly, "So, are you in or not? Give me a straight answer."
"Of course I'm in. A breakthrough opportunity delivered to my door can't be wasted. But if we're acting, we have got to do it properly. That Tower Master is at the late Unity stage, and who knows if there's some old monster backing him from the shadows. If your cultivation doesn't improve alongside mine, you won't fool them."
"Relax. This Lord's already on the edge of a breakthrough. I have just been suppressing it while waiting for the right opportunity. This is perfect timing."
After that, they went over the finer details of the plan before parting ways.
An hour later, Yunxi returned to the small courtyard and explained the fabricated plan with a reassuring smile.
Zhuge Muyu hadn't expected her to use this method to ransom him back. He felt some reluctance at the thought of his foundation being temporarily damaged, but after thinking about the future gains, and since he also coveted Yunxi's high cultivation, he eventually nodded and agreed.
Yunxi smiled and slipped the black storage bracelet off her wrist, then placed it onto Zhuge Muyu's wrist.
"Don't worry. This is just a temporary measure. What is inside is enough to restore your cultivation later. With your own innate healing ability added in, you'll definitely repair your foundation."
He swept the contents with his spiritual sense and saw everything inside clearly. Greed flashed in his eyes as he took note of the pills. Those items really could help him recover quickly and mend his foundation, so he smiled and agreed to the arrangement.
Only then did Yunxi pat the back of his hand in satisfaction.
"Come with me."
They both knew exactly what came next. Zhuge Muyu didn't refuse the invitation. If he wanted her cultivation, he had to pay the price. He gave a shy smile and let Yunxi lead him into the dim bedroom by the hand.
Once they fell onto the bed and his cultivation began to drop under her touch, he didn't resist the drain. He only said in a low voice, "Zunshàng, slow down."
"Be good. Don't resist. This Lord won't treat you unfairly."
The speed of absorption only grew faster as the spiritual energy was pulled from his body.
Zhuge Muyu's face gradually turned pale. He cursed Yunxi in his heart for having no restraint, yet he still didn't resist at all, hoping for the eventual reward.
But the real scene in the bedroom was completely different from what he perceived through his clouded senses.
He lay quietly on a cold jade bed with his eyes closed, trapped in a powerful illusion. Bing Li used her purple gourd to rapidly absorb his cultivation, the shimmering energy flowing into the vessel, while Yunxi, without alerting the evil cultivator Nascent Soul in his dantian, slowly peeled the Wood Spirit Pearl away from his spirit root.
Working on both fronts, Zhuge Muyu's face turned deathly white, his skin losing all its color as if he might stop breathing at any moment. At that time, Xiao Meng sent a voice transmission to Yunxi.
"Zunshàng, your movements are too big. His cultivation is draining too fast. He is already suspicious of the speed."
Yunxi immediately stopped her movements and said to Bing Li, "Move faster. He is about to wake up."
Bing Li formed a rapid hand seal, halted the purple gourd, and quickly sent a larger Ice Soul Frost Cicada into his Yuányīng.
The sleeping Yuányīng frowned and began struggling against the Ice Soul Frost Cicada, its tiny form twisting as it was unwilling to lose its autonomy. Bing Li rapidly formed seals again, speeding up the devouring of its consciousness.
Yunxi seized the moment and completely stripped out the Wood Spirit Pearl with a final tug of spiritual power. Zhuge Muyu's entire wood spirit root dimmed noticeably, the vibrant green fading to a dull grey.
Perhaps because the pearl was fully removed, the sleeping Zhuge Muyu suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw the two of them hovering over him, he finally understood. He only managed to say "You—!" before losing consciousness again.
Yunxi held the green Wood Spirit Pearl, which was about the size of a lychee, and felt the rich, vibrant wood spiritual energy pulsing within it. A satisfied smile appeared on her face.
Bing Li quickly formed seals again to stabilize the puppet. Two quarters of an hour later, she finally turned Zhuge Muyu into her puppet completely and ordered him into a state of deep sleep. She wiped the fine sweat from her brow.
"All done. Now we just wait and enjoy the show."
Yunxi looked down at the unconscious Zhuge Muyu. "Hurry up and break through. Five days from now, you're coming with me to Dengyun Tower."
Bing Li rubbed her hands together, a look of anticipation on her face. "No problem. This time I will change my face and identity and act it out with you. You'd better break through here and don't let anything slip. Don't worry. They won't find a single flaw."
Bing Li then left the room without a sound, vanishing into the night.
Yunxi temporarily trapped Zhuge Muyu in the bedroom with additional seals and took Li Li back to her space. The Seven Stars Soul Shattering Staff in her dantian had already sent her a clear desire for the Wood Spirit Pearl.
After entering the space, she grasped the smooth surface of the Seven Stars Soul Shattering Staff. The green Wood Spirit Pearl was drawn into the Tianji Star position on the staff, beginning a new round of fusion.