"Okay, Yingzi, I have another question. Besides the self-mutilation ritual in the Dachian Record, does the Ao Jing Sect have any other techniques or abilities?"

Upon hearing Li Huowang's question, Yingzi's face showed a hint of difficulty.

"Yes, but I can't teach them to you now, En Gong. They are all like the Dachian Record, and you need something on hand to use them."

"Senior Shousan definitely won't give them to you."

"Everything requires a book? What kind of strange sect is this?" Li Huowang thought to himself.

"Then let me ask you, who wrote these books?"

"I heard that they were written by the elders in the cave. All the books were written by them."

The elders...?

Seeing Li Huowang's puzzled expression, Yingzi added, "Everyone else needs a book, but I heard that the elders don't need them. They have all sorts of abilities at their fingertips, but I haven't seen it myself."

"Oh...I see." Li Huowang nodded.

It seems that Shousan is not the leader of the Ao Jing Sect. At best, he is just a middle-level member.

"Do the elders come out often?"

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"They don't come out. They don't care about the world. I've been here for four years and only saw them once."

"Wait, if the elders can hold rituals without the Dachian Record, does that mean they can borrow the power of Bahuai at any time?"

Just as he thought of this, Li Huowang immediately shook his head. "No, summoning Bahuai requires a price, and it is a very painful price. It is only interested in extreme pain and not easy to borrow."

Yingzi looked a little uneasy and glanced at Li Huowang who was deep in thought. "En Gong, why are you asking this?"

Li Huowang's heart tightened, but he immediately pretended to speak calmly, "As you know, I am doing business with them for the first time. I just want to know more about the Ao Jing Sect so as not to be deceived."

Although he had already made up his mind to use Yingzi to inquire about information on the Ao Jing Sect, Li Huowang did not reveal his true thoughts to this girl whom he had only known for less than half a day.

It seemed that this girl had been persecuted by the Ao Jing Sect for more than four years, and this time she was directly sent as cannon fodder to die.

In theory, she should not have been able to work with the Ao Jing Sect and was unlikely to betray herself.

But Li Huowang didn't want to gamble on this kind of thing. Even if there was a slight possibility, he couldn't afford to lose, as it could be a matter of life and death.

If he directly told her that he planned to cause trouble within the Ao Jing Sect, the risk would be too great. If she turned around and told Shousan about his plan to protect herself, it would be all over.

"En Gong, do you really want to do business with them? They...are not good people."

Li Huowang nodded. "Of course, I know they are not good people and very dangerous, but that doesn't mean they are useless. Their transactions seem fair, and I have no reason to refuse."Li Huowang did not deceive the other party. He planned to do both: find a way to alleviate the extreme inner pain of his birth while attempting to steal the Ao Jingjiao's method of treating himself. Whether it was cooperation or theft, as long as he could remove Danyang Zi, who was gradually affecting him, it was fine.

That night, Li Huowang talked to Yingzi for a long time, until late at night. From her, Li Huowang learned a lot about the Ao Jingjiao and gained a general understanding of the religion. These people rarely interacted with the outside world, and their highest doctrine was to find a way to steal the Ba Gui, ultimately taking its place like a god. Moreover, according to her, although the Ao Jingjiao was cruel and bloody, they followed rules strictly. Even after using self-torture instruments, they had to wash and arrange them neatly. Believing that there were no rules, there was no square or round, breaking the rules of the Ao Jingjiao was a big taboo.

Li Huowang also learned that the Ao Jingjiao was a large religion. They were different from the Zhengde Temple and An Ci An. This stronghold was only one of their five locations, located in different places. Every year on the thirteenth of the lunar month of June, they would gather and share their experiences. Late at night, Li Huowang pondered with a furrowed brow. Yingzi's information made him understand the entire Ao Jingjiao more comprehensively and made him realize how difficult his situation was.

"These two methods are difficult to accomplish no matter which one I choose..." Li muttered to himself.

"What two methods?" Yingzi asked in confusion. Compared to her previous trembling and later emotional breakdown, she now appeared much more stable.

"It's nothing. Let's go to sleep." Li Huowang stood up and walked towards the stone bed beside him.

Yingzi did not say anything and silently followed him. In this dangerous place, Li Huowang did not have time to think about anything else. Moreover, letting the other person lie in bed with him was also a kind of test. At this time, Danyang Zi, who he extremely abhorred and rejected, served as a safety net.

That night, Li Huowang was awakened by the intense barking of a dog. When he quickly lit the oil lamp, he saw Mantou barking wildly beside the bed. When he saw Li Huowang awake, Mantou immediately stopped, wagging its tail and shaking its head. "Woof~"

Li Huowang took a glance at Yingzi who was sitting up with sleepy eyes. "Dad, what's wrong? Why is our dog barking?"

After she woke up, she realized that she had misspoken and her face showed a little embarrassment. "I just dreamed that I was celebrating the New Year at home."

Her expression was incredibly genuine, as if she had just woken up. Li Huowang took a glance at her and then looked around the desolate cave. He reached out his right hand, pinched Mantou's neck skin with two curved fingers, and lifted it onto the bed directly."Go to sleep. It's okay." Li Huowang hugged the dog in his arms and closed his eyes again.

"Mm..." Yingzi responded softly and lay down next to Li Huowang again.

The room returned to darkness, and Li Huowang listened to the gentle breathing beside him.

"You, as a girl, lying next to me, is it really okay?" Li Huowang asked, and then heard the sound of fabric being removed beside him.

"I can't even be considered a woman now. What's wrong with lying next to you, sir? If you don't mind, it's up to you."

The light of the oil lamp illuminated everything in the room, and Li Huowang was shocked to see Yingzi's naked body.

What a woman should have was no longer visible on her, only two fist-sized hideous scars remained.

In addition, her tender body was covered with various forms of wounds, some of which were still oozing.