Zheng Ying had been warned by a senior expert before that the more he used his special ability, the more damage it inflicted upon his body. But for Ye Wen to state it so plainly—use it for three more months and you will be dead—was a certainty he had never heard before.

At these words, not only was Zheng Ying utterly terrified, but Wang Zhao was also struck dumb with shock.

He had always known his friend’s physical condition was less than ideal, but he hadn't expected it to have deteriorated to such a degree that he only had three months left to live?

Ye Wen explained casually, "Your body is on the verge of collapse. Although you possess a special ability, your physical condition is only slightly better than an average person's, barely qualifying as healthy and robust. It simply cannot withstand such immense power! Every time you used that ability previously, you were constantly consuming your own lifespan. Your body can no longer bear it. If you continue to use it..."

In truth, three months was Ye Wen's optimistic estimate; if used frequently, Zheng Ying would perish within this month.

Wang Cui opened his mouth, wanting to ask Ye Wen if there was any way to treat Zheng Ying, even if it was just to extend his life slightly.

He actually knew how to remedy Zheng Ying's condition: find a unique cultivation method for him to practice, one that could harmonize the obstructive Yin and Five Energies within his body. Once the Five Energies were balanced, the malady would naturally cure itself without medicine.

The problem was, where could one find a suitable cultivation method for Zheng Ying?

The environment of the Cultivation World had become increasingly harsh, and many marvelous secret arts had lost their lineage. If Zheng Ying had presented himself a few centuries earlier, some sects possessing special techniques might have happily taken him in. However, under the current circumstances, no sect favored disciples like Zheng Ying.

Ye Wen pondered for a moment, thinking to himself that it was difficult to assess the young man's character this way. Perhaps he should first find a way to prolong his life, and if the man proved decent, he could directly accept him as a disciple?

After a moment of thought, Ye Wen settled on a plan and spoke directly, "However, there's no need for you to panic. Although your situation is troublesome, it is not incurable! At least, I, Ye Wen, have several methods that could restore you to normal... though, well..."

As soon as this was said, before Zheng Ying could grasp the meaning, both Hermit Bei He and Wang Zhao’s expressions shifted dramatically in surprise. A moment later, Wang Zhao quickly nudged Zheng Ying, who was standing stock-still beside him: "Such a great opportunity, why aren't you seizing it?"

After receiving several meaningful glances, Zheng Ying finally understood that this person could save him, but salvation... always required a reason, didn't it? Thinking of these "traditional rules of the elders," Zheng Ying immediately snapped back to attention, realizing this was a heaven-sent opportunity. He immediately knelt down, kowtowed repeatedly, and pleaded, "Please, Master, save me..."

Ye Wen chuckled, thinking that Zheng Ying was not foolish at all. Calling him Master right away showed he understood that seizing the chance to join his sect was an extremely rare stroke of luck—a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush, so he had to grasp the moment.

Zheng Ying, however, was thinking much more deeply. He had been an entirely ordinary young man. When he was very young, he discovered his special ability, and at that time, he had fantasized about being a unique figure who would accomplish great things.

Later, he learned that there were many people like him, and countless others much stronger. Nevertheless, because of his ability, he was inducted into the nation's most mysterious organization, tasked with handling matters that could not and should not see the light of day.

Wang Zhao was his colleague in that department. Unlike Zheng Ying, who was discovered among ordinary people, Wang Zhao came there due to his powerful sectarian background—partly for experience, and partly as a form of cooperation.

From that time on, he had encountered many figures seemingly like immortals, including elders from Wang Zhao's sect and seniors from other factions. It was impossible for Zheng Ying not to have harbored aspirations when these people came and went before him.

But...

Almost everyone who examined Zheng Ying's condition shook their heads and sighed, claiming they were powerless. Among these people were rumored to be some relatively famous figures in the cultivation world, yet they were all stumped by Zheng Ying's situation. Over time, Zheng Ying understood that he had no hope of becoming one of those legendary immortals in this lifetime.

At the same time, he learned that his lifespan would be far shorter than that of ordinary people, and the more frequently he used his ability, the shorter his life would become!

"Forget it, I suppose I've had my share of fun..."

In private, he had tried to comfort himself this way, but who truly wanted to die? If he were someone with nothing to live for, so be it. But Zheng Ying was somewhat of an official; he had capability, wealth, and a decent background. Just as he was beginning to truly enjoy life, he was about to die. How could he be reconciled to that?

In a certain sense, this situation was quite similar to Ye Wen's own!

Ye Wen had once stood at the pinnacle of a world, which inevitably made his temperament loftier. After returning to this world, although he knew it was vastly different from the one he had lived in, and he was no longer the person standing at the peak, that disposition couldn't be changed overnight. Reining in the aura cultivated from holding a high position...

Moreover, Ye Wen had no intention of restraining himself. Likewise, he didn't wish to turn into a pile of dust after a hundred years. In a way, his situation overlapped somewhat with Zheng Ying's.

Perhaps because of this reason, he conceived the idea of accepting Zheng Ying. Of course, Zheng Ying’s innate talent was indeed good; although his comprehension was unknown, his Li Fire Body alone guaranteed his achievements wouldn't be too poor.

Of course, there was also the requirement that Ye Wen must find a suitable cultivation method to regulate Zheng Ying's body.

"Get up first. For now, I will use other means to suppress the Li Fire Qi within you. When I return, I will properly consider if our sect has any secret arts you can cultivate, and I will pass them on then!" Upon hearing this, joy dawned on Zheng Ying's face. But Ye Wen immediately poured cold water on his enthusiasm: "However, you are not yet a disciple of this sect. I will explain the specifics later! For now, you just need to know that our sect is extremely strict in accepting disciples. Besides exceptional talent, we place immense value on character! These past few days..."

He didn't elaborate further. Such words didn't need excessive explanation. Zheng Ying was not a child; he was in his twenties and worked in that sort of place. These hints were more than enough.

Zheng Ying understood, and he didn't find it strange. After all, these were figures akin to immortals; assessing character before accepting a disciple was the most normal thing in the world.

Let alone Ye Wen, even ordinary people considered character when taking an apprentice. Thus, Zheng Ying saw no issue with the suggestion and responded with utmost respect.

Seeing his nod of assent, Ye Wen chuckled slightly. Then, he held his right palm in a gesture as if cupping something. Zheng Ying felt as if his entire body was enveloped by a mass of energy. Involuntarily, he rose to his feet, unable to refuse, passively held upright by that mass of kinetic force.

"The formalities of discipleship can wait. Others will explain the specifics to you. For now..."

Ye Wen shifted his gaze, and everyone followed his eyes to the side, where a corpse lay—the foreign agent previously captured by Tommy.

Tommy only then noticed his captive was dead. He went over to check but found no visible wounds on the man.

Ye Wen walked over, reached out, and removed the things covering the man's face. The onlookers then saw a look of utter disbelief on the face, suggesting the man hadn't expected to die.

A quick probe of the body revealed Ye Wen's conclusion: "Poisoned! But it probably wasn't suicide. His gear is strange; perhaps his superior detected something amiss and used a remote control or similar device to kill him and silence him!"

"Heh, Uncle Shanma is quite skilled at these sorts of deeds!" Wang Zhao couldn't help but offer a mocking remark. After all, the department he worked for frequently dealt with those sorts of people, and there was considerable friction between them.

Ye Wen offered no comment, having no desire to involve himself in such matters. He merely addressed Hermit Bei He: "I will assist with the matter of the God-Beating Whip. However, investigating it for you is impossible! All matters must be handled by you. If you find it, the credit will be yours... As for me..."

He didn't specify how he would act, but Bei He understood that Ye Wen would only intervene if an outside force attacked; forcing him to exert himself and search diligently for the God-Beating Whip was out of the question.

Considering this arrangement reasonable, Bei He respectfully bowed, "Thank you, Senior, for your assistance!" The tone of this agreement was thus settled.

In the following days, Bei He did not appear, nor did Wang Zhao vanish. It was presumed they were arranging all necessary affairs for traveling abroad. Zheng Ying, however, was kept by Ye Wen. Besides instructing him on matters concerning the Shu Mountain Sect, his primary task was to suppress the Li Fire Qi within his body.

This task kept Ye Wen busy for three full days. The ferocity of the Li Fire Qi surpassed Ye Wen's earlier estimations. He thought he had given the Li Fire Body due respect, but when he actually attempted suppression, he realized the Li Fire Qi within Zheng Ying seemed endless—the more force he exerted, the fiercer the backlash.

Fortunately, this power was an unrestrained, solitary spirit, making it relatively simple to deal with. Ye Wen spent three days and three nights forming four layers of suppression using the Hantian Baojian and the Innate Purple Qi, finally bringing the Li Fire Qi under control.

The White Cloud Smoke, Rose Haze Ripples, and Violet Star River formed three layers of a cage, while Ye Wen's fundamental Innate Purple Qi served as the ultimate defense.

Ye Wen estimated that while this setup wouldn't last indefinitely, Zheng Ying should be safe from fatal danger for the short term. More importantly, the fire-manipulation ability derived from his Li Fire Qi had not been sealed; he could still use flames freely.

"This ability is quite a good thing! If you can use it well, you’ll gain a significant advantage in combat!" If Zheng Ying's special ability existed during the zenith of the Cultivation World, it might have been refined into a life-bound magic tool or technique. Its power would increase with personal cultivation, and it would be far more handy than ordinary magical artifacts.

However, now that Zheng Ying was under Ye Wen's tutelage in the Shu Mountain Sect, how to utilize the flames was a headache for Ye Wen. This was because Ye Wen's Shu Mountain Sect was not one that specialized in magic tools; they were a martial arts sect that believed first and foremost in the body. Even when cultivating weapons, the body must first be tempered—the self as the foundation.

After entering the sect, Ye Wen first designated Zheng Ying as an affiliated disciple, not a direct heir. During this period, he planned to impart some basic cultivation methods, observing Zheng Ying's character while teaching.

As for how Zheng Ying would begin internal energy cultivation—the sensation of Qi—Ye Wen was unconcerned. People with Zheng Ying's unique aptitude need not worry about sensing Qi; they could completely rely on their special ability to locate it.

"The trouble lies in this Li Fire Qi you carry. Even if you cultivate our sect's introductory core method, it will be difficult to cultivate a balanced and harmonious inner strength! But giving you this technique is merely for entry, to familiarize you with the methods of internal energy cultivation. What you achieve with it is of less concern!" Besides this, Ye Wen also taught Zheng Ying the Taizu Long Fist as an introductory skill. Indeed, Zheng Ying had a foundation in fist arts; he grasped the Taizu Long Fist in just two or three days. Although not profound, it was sufficient for dealing with ordinary people.

More critically, whenever Zheng Ying threw a punch, flames would inevitably surge out, increasing the destructive power of his strike manifold compared to an average person's punch. Especially after receiving the method for circulating internal energy from Ye Wen, Zheng Ying's flames became more condensed, and their power increased significantly.

"Master, in this state, I feel a bit like that guy from KOP..."

Ye Wen nodded, "He does look a bit like him, but it doesn't matter!" He naturally wouldn't take it seriously. He had already plagiarized so much in daily life; what was one more? Even if he managed to perfectly replicate that martial art belonging to the person named Cao, few would object. Many might even be astonished—to transform a martial art from a game into a genuinely usable skill in reality, how profound must a person's martial cultivation be?

Therefore, other than adding an aura of mystery around Ye Wen, these matters would cause him no repercussions. However, he suddenly remembered that the Absolute Domain could also be taught to Zheng Ying.

He hadn't considered this before, but the issue was that once the Absolute Domain was cultivated, Zheng Ying's cultivation system would become fixed, preventing him from practicing other skills.

Previously, he had been willing to teach Tommy the Seven-Colored Battle Qi, partly because he was pestered relentlessly, and partly because he considered that Tommy might not grasp the intricacies of Eastern cultivation methods.

Zheng Ying's situation was different. If a suitable technique were found, Zheng Ying's future prospects would be incredibly bright, potentially making him a powerful combatant for the Shu Mountain Sect.

Of course, cultivating the Absolute Domain had its advantages. Given Zheng Ying's condition, he might be able to advance the Absolute Domain to a very high level within a year, providing Ye Wen with substantial aid in the shortest time possible. But for the long term...

The Absolute Domain was fundamentally different from normal cultivation methods. The most critical difference lay here: traditional Eastern cultivation methods have no limit. Even the most rudimentary Quanzhen Core Method in Ye Wen's possession could continuously improve if practiced persistently.

But the Absolute Domain? Even after breaking through the Absolute Domain to reach Ultimate Power or even Cosmic Power, or the even more outlandish Destructive Power or Millennial Power, it still had a ceiling.

Although Ye Wen didn't know the exact power level at this limit, having a limit meant the technique was constrained. If the power at the highest levels proved potent enough, that might be acceptable. But what if the Shu Mountain Sect reached higher tiers in the future, while Zheng Ying's practiced power was restricted, leaving him no higher-level path to cultivate?

Having accepted someone as a disciple, a master must consider their disciple's future. After all, a disciple is not just a student; in traditional culture, a disciple is akin to a son, and a master is like a father, needing to consider every aspect for their apprentice lest they dishonor that paternal title.

"It's a bit more troublesome then! Although the Absolute Domain can rapidly build combat strength, one shouldn't be too selfish!" Ye Wen sighed, feeling that ultimately he wasn't a man destined for epic deeds, sometimes being overly indecisive. A ruthless, ambitious figure might have simply thrown the Absolute Domain at Zheng Ying and let him cultivate it, thinking, 'What happens to Zheng Ying's future? Not my problem!'

Setting aside the fact that there were many more powers for him to learn later—and whether he could master them all—the immediate priority was securing a major general quickly. As for that general's future...

After teaching the Quanzhen Core Method and the Taizu Long Fist, Ye Wen intended to pass on the Mian Palm as well. Practicing the Mian Palm aided in loosening and tempering muscles and bones. His original intention was to have Zheng Ying practice this skill to improve his physical fitness, thereby lessening the damage inflicted by the Li Fire Qi.

However, just as he taught a few moves, Hermit Bei He reappeared. This time, the group exchanged no pleasantries and boarded the plane heading for Europe immediately.

Considering Ye Wen's situation, the party flew directly to England first, rested there for a while, and then prepared to depart for Northern Europe—they only had word that the target was somewhere in the North, the exact location unknown. Ye Wen also planned to contact the Vatican to inquire about the situation.

Furthermore, arriving in England provided a convenient opportunity for Ye Wen to summon his other affiliated disciple. Compared to Tommy, who had only reached the peak of White Battle Qi and was still a ways from Yellow Battle Qi, Chris, who had already touched the threshold of Red Battle Qi, could offer Ye Wen greater assistance.

Upon landing in England and meeting Chris, who had come to receive them, Chris's sharp, imposing aura immediately drew Hermit Bei He's attention.

"Such strong presence!"