Hao Dong looked at Zhang Zhongjin with an undisguised expression of pity. He said, "With Zhongjin’s martial cultivation, plus the special technique I taught him, it should have been unlikely for the Yin Sha energy to invade his body. However, according to Junior Nephew Jin and Junior Nephew Wei, this time the Yin Sha energy seems particularly potent, and the number of people driven to madness far surpasses previous instances. That is why Zhongjin lost control, his mind finally overwhelmed."

He Yiming's thoughts turned swiftly, and he instantly understood that all of this was, in a way, connected to Hao Xue and the other two.

In an environment like Ghost Cry Ridge, the appearance of every mad person placed an enormous psychological strain on everyone else.

Even the most steadfast individuals couldn't help but wonder, will I be next?

It was a chain reaction, escalating with each passing moment.

Had Hao Xue and the others not created those nine madmen, the number of people afflicted by the Yin Sha energy would certainly have been lower.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately decided against revealing the deeds of Hao Xue and the others.

Taking a few steps forward, He Yiming reached out and gently placed his fingers on Zhang Zhongjin’s pulse. He had studied the Dao of Elixir Refining and touched upon medical arts to some extent. Although he was nowhere near the level of a master like Hao Dong, he possessed a rudimentary understanding of discerning the pulse through Zhenqi.

His Zhenqi circulated once through Zhang Zhongjin’s body, and He Yiming's brow furrowed.

Within the man’s body, nestled between the brain and the core abdomen, a cluster of Yin Sha energy had taken root. What made the situation trickier for He Yiming was that this Yin Sha energy seemed to have already become entangled with his internal Zhenqi meridians. Under such circumstances, the possibility of forcing the Yin Sha energy out was indeed slim.

But upon reflection, if the situation weren't so thorny, how could it have stumped Venerable Hao Dong?

Lifting his head, He Yiming’s expression grew heavy. "Senior, this junior is willing to try my utmost, but if I cannot draw out the Yin Sha energy..."

Hao Dong sighed deeply. "In truth, I have exhausted every method, yet I remain powerless. Asking you to act is a measure of desperation. Just do your best; whether you succeed or not depends entirely on Zhongjin's fate and fortune."

The old man's voice carried a profound sense of helplessness, yet He Yiming knew that as long as there was a sliver of hope, he would not abandon Zhang Zhongjin.

Moving Zhang Zhongjin onto a simple stone bed, He Yiming placed his hand flat against the center of his back, allowing a wisp of Zhenqi to slowly enter his meridians.

Moments later, He Yiming noticed a subtle difference.

The Yin Sha energy within Zhang Zhongjin seemed far more active than before, showing a tendency to spread outwards. He Yiming immediately recalled the ice bed that radiated a chilling coldness.

That object must also be a treasure; it was precisely because of its inherent chill that it managed to confine the Yin Sha energy within a certain boundary.

He sighed inwardly. The Lingxiao Treasure Hall truly lived up to its reputation; precious treasures appeared endlessly. Forget the Hengshan lineage; even the main Tianchi lineage might not be able to compete with them in this regard.

Composing himself, He Yiming focused all his energy onto the Zhenqi in his hands.

He already possessed considerable experience when assisting others in striking the Innate stage by invigorating their meridians in the Northwest; now, he skillfully guided his Zhenqi through the man’s internal pathways. However, Zhang Zhongjin’s meridians were extremely weak at this moment, so He Yiming dared not charge recklessly. Instead, he used Wood-element Zhenqi to enter slowly, continuously releasing its unique, robust vitality to nurture Zhang Zhongjin’s gradually wilting meridians.

How powerful was He Yiming’s Zhenqi? Although he had yet to fully condense the Flower of Wood, he was a Venerable nonetheless; his Zhenqi reserves were unparalleled, vastly surpassing Zhang Zhongjin’s at this time. Consequently, as soon as his Wood-element Zhenqi began to take effect, a faint blush returned to Zhang Zhongjin’s previously ashen complexion.

Hao Dong and the other watched Zhang Zhongjin intently. Seeing this, their hearts relaxed slightly, realizing He Yiming’s Zhenqi was not being rejected by Zhang Zhongjin’s constitution. This meant the chances of success were marginally higher.

The Zhenqi advanced slowly. It first reached the area between Zhang Zhongjin’s chest and abdomen.

Comparatively, the Yin Sha energy clustered in the brain was far more perilous; He Yiming dared not easily enter that minefield without absolute certainty.

When He Yiming's Zhenqi arrived at the meridians around Zhang Zhongjin’s chest and abdomen, it finally made contact with the Yin Sha energy rooted there. It was an icy presence, steeped in an aura that inspired dread. Even the mere touch against his Zhenqi sent a strong wave of gloom surging through He Yiming’s spirit.

But this sensation lasted only an instant before it was effortlessly neutralized by the energy of his Dantian.

In contrast, the Yin Sha energy residing within Zhang Zhongjin was far more concentrated than most areas within Ghost Cry Ridge, yet it was significantly weaker than the region occupied by the great python on the peak.

If even the black mist there couldn't inflict harm upon He Yiming, then the Yin Sha energy inside Zhang Zhongjin was negligible in comparison.

However, drawing this Yin Sha energy out was no simple task.

He Yiming’s brow furrowed slightly. Although his Wood-element Zhenqi was powerful, it was saturated with endless vitality. Upon contact with the Yin Sha energy, the two were fundamentally incompatible. Even exerting the utmost effort, he couldn't absorb even a single speck.

His thoughts shifted, and the attribute of the Zhenqi He Yiming emitted instantly changed.

Among the Five Elements Zhenqi, Wood-element was undoubtedly the best for healing effects, closely followed by Water-element Zhenqi.

As for the other elemental Zhenqi, even with expert manipulation, they could only achieve a certain degree of therapeutic effect, falling far short of the former two.

Since the Wood-element Zhenqi was useless, He Yiming naturally chose Water-element Zhenqi.

In mere breaths, all the Zhenqi within Zhang Zhongjin transformed into a gentle, flowing stream.

When circulating Zhenqi inside another person, even He Yiming proceeded with caution, controlling the flow to a level the recipient could tolerate. After all, this was not a life-or-death duel, but an act of saving a life.

Although Water-element Zhenqi also possessed potent vitality, it differed clearly from the Wood element.

The Yin Sha energy did not seem to strongly repel the Water-element Zhenqi; rather, it shared a strange affinity with it.

This discovery instantly filled He Yiming with great joy. His mind suddenly recalled legends concerning the Single-Lineage Zenith Accumulation (Yi Mai Ju Ding).

Like the Five-Elements Zenith Accumulation, Single-Lineage Zenith Accumulation was also an exceedingly rare and overwhelmingly powerful method for ascending to the Venerable realm. In this method, Water-element Zhenqi, seemingly a singular force, underwent miraculous transformations capable of dividing into three, achieving the Three Flowers Zenith Accumulation—truly peerless in its profound mystery.

Freeze it into ice, melt it into water, heat it into mist—this was the core secret of the Single-Lineage Zenith Accumulation.

Although the mist in Ghost Cry Ridge was not hot, it was undeniably related to water. Using Water-element techniques to interact with it meant that, at the very least, it would not be violently repelled by the Yin Sha energy.

He Yiming calmed his mind. He did not attempt to expel the Yin Sha energy. Instead, he began to slowly try absorbing it, knowing that if even Venerable Hao Dong couldn't succeed, there was no point in wasting time.

The Water-elemental force slowly began to emanate a subtle, hidden suction. Under this strange pull, the Yin Sha energy indeed began to creep towards the Water-elemental force.

This was the inherent instinct of the Yin Sha energy; they sought to continuously expand their occupied territory through this means, even attempting to use the Zhenqi as a guide to enter He Yiming’s own body.

He Yiming welcomed it all, sending every drop of the Yin Sha energy into his Dantian without reservation.

However, he soon discovered that the suction provided by the Water force was quite limited. Once it reached a certain threshold, the entrenched Yin Sha energy refused to budge.

He Yiming offered a wry smile. If even the Water-elemental force couldn't draw out this Yin Sha energy, then he too would be at a loss.

A sudden realization struck him, and another power surged from He Yiming’s Dantian.

This was the power of Wind, incredibly subtle, but when this force entered Zhang Zhongjin’s body and reached the region between his chest and abdomen, it began to stir slowly at the center of the Water-elemental force.

This change yielded no immediate results, but after the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the Water force within Zhang Zhongjin’s meridians had completely merged with the Wind force, forming numerous tiny vortices.

These vortices were everywhere, swirling through all parts of the meridians like a host of joyful little spirits.

Any lingering malignant spirit, clinging like maggots to the bone, that encountered these small vortices was mercilessly sucked inside.

Soon, even the most stubborn Yin Sha energy could not resist. All the black mist clustered between the chest and abdomen vanished completely within a few short breaths.

A sensation of profound wonder, reaching its absolute peak, rose within He Yiming’s heart.

This feeling intensified especially when all the small vortices wrapped in Yin Sha energy returned to his Dantian, triggering an event he hadn't anticipated.

Inside his Dantian, there had previously been only chaos; virtually all forces that arrived there met the fate of decomposition and disappearance.

The only forces capable of remaining were the power of the Pagoda and the Five-Element Ring.

But this time, a new power had emerged.

The small vortices containing the Yin Sha energy gradually merged into one larger vortex upon their return. This vortex began to spin within his body, slowly absorbing the surrounding Zhenqi.

In this expanse of chaos, its sudden appearance was startling.

He Yiming pondered for a long while before finally abandoning the thought of dispelling this vortex.

Since this power had been recognized by the Chaotic Dantian, it must be extraordinary; He Yiming was loath to simply cast it aside.

Continuing to circulate his Zhenqi, these small vortices proved quite peculiar: not only did they show no signs of damaging the meridians, but they actually possessed the ability to repair them. Yet, upon encountering any foreign malignant energy within the pathways, they immediately and ruthlessly absorbed it entirely.

A full hour later, He Yiming exhaled a long breath, slowly withdrawing the hand resting on Zhang Zhongjin’s back.