What made Old Ancestor Chen even more terrified was the thought of those ominous forces that might have already infiltrated. If those who were taken by the ominous forces were unknown to the Sect Alliance, and if the ominous forces utilized those occupied bodies to escape, what would be the consequences? Old Ancestor Chen had intended to ask Ning Beichen about this, but Ning Beichen had already left, so he had to put the matter aside for the time being.
Though Ning Beichen had departed, he had not left Sakura Country, for he still had someone to deal with, a damned monk—Master Kongjing. In Sakura Country, Master Kongjing held a special status as the national monk, possessing great power and authority, and was surrounded by numerous protectors. Dealing with him was no easy feat, and even the world's most formidable assassins would struggle to get close to him.
However, this did not apply to Ning Beichen. After all, Ning Beichen's reputation as the strongest in the mortal realm was not without reason. In broad daylight, Ning Beichen, wearing a mask, suddenly appeared, struck Master Kongjing's heart meridian with a palm strike, and then gracefully departed, shocking the world. Master Kongjing died inexplicably, with no one even seeing the killer's face. All that was known was that the assailant wore an Oni mask. Such Oni masks were commonplace in Sakura Country, sold even at small street stalls. Only Chen Mingyue had an inkling of the truth, but she dared not speak of it, not even to her own ancestor.
While Sakura Country was in an uproar searching for the murderer of Master Kongjing, Ning Beichen had already left, returning to Liu Yilin's side. For the following period, Ning Beichen stayed put in Haizhou New City, engrossed in studying the Nine Palaces Strategy and the cultivation techniques within the bronze fragments. However, Ning Beichen had practically worn out the nine volumes of the Nine Palaces Strategy without finding a way to reach the realm of unity between man and nature.
As for the bronze fragments, Ning Beichen had largely managed to organize them. Yet, he discovered that if he followed the cultivation methods described in the bronze fragments, they yielded no results whatsoever. Ning Beichen ultimately concluded that either the cultivation methods in the bronze fragments were ineffective, or they required cultivation in a specific location or under particular environmental conditions.
During this time, Ning Beichen also returned to his sect, hoping to seek help from his master. However, his master had not returned since his last departure, and his whereabouts remained unknown. Ning Beichen stayed at his sect for about ten days to half a month, and in his frustration, he left a note and departed.
"Beichen, why don't you let me give it a try?" Liu Yilin volunteered enthusiastically when Ning Beichen was completely stumped by the Nine Palaces Strategy.
"You?" Ning Beichen looked at Liu Yilin with a hint of bewilderment. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but if even he, a grandmaster, couldn't figure it out, could Liu Yilin?
"Beichen, don't underestimate me. While my cultivation may not match yours, I might have a way to decipher this," Liu Yilin said.
"Then what do you plan to do?" Ning Beichen became interested. After all, Liu Yilin's intelligence surpassed his, and his master's inexplicable instruction for him to protect her might hold some deeper meaning.
"Naturally, by employing high-tech means. We at the Tianmei Technology Group possess two of the world's fastest computers. What the human mind cannot analyze, a computer might be able to." Liu Yilin explained to Ning Beichen, "As long as we input the content of the Nine Palaces Strategy into the computer and then use intelligent software to screen and analyze it, we might find what you're looking for."
Ning Beichen's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he immediately agreed to Liu Yilin's suggestion. However, this matter required absolute secrecy, and Liu Yilin shared Ning Beichen's sentiment, so they decided to handle it themselves without involving outsiders.
They acted on their decision that very day, setting up a private laboratory. They then inputted the entire content of the Nine Palaces Strategy and began using the computer to dissect and analyze it with the precision of a master butcher. However, this was not a task that could be completed in a day or two. While computers were fast, speed did not equate to accuracy; some aspects still required human correction and judgment.
Approximately half a month later, after countless combinations and dissections of the entire Nine Palaces Strategy, and after trillions of calculations, the computer finally produced a set of coordinates, much to the excitement of Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin. Liu Yilin cross-referenced the coordinates globally, and they pointed to one location: Mount Zhongnan in the ancient Eastern nation.
"Could the secrets held within the Nine Palaces Strategy be located on Mount Zhongnan?" Ning Beichen murmured, his face alight with unconcealable excitement. Mount Zhongnan was the birthplace of Taoism and a place of cultivation, known for its longevity. Throughout history, many famous recluses and even immortals had left legends on Mount Zhongnan. The fact that the Nine Palaces Strategy pointed to Mount Zhongnan was unlikely to be a mere coincidence. Regardless of the outcome, Ning Beichen was determined to make the journey.
That same afternoon, Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin booked flights to Mount Zhongnan. By evening, they were already on a flight heading there. The following day, Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin found themselves at the foot of Mount Zhongnan. However, the current Mount Zhongnan was quite different from its former sacred status. Many people had come to live in seclusion or to seek traces of hermits and immortals, blurring the lines between truth and falsehood. Some were genuine recluses, others merely pretending, and some were simply there for leisure, with even live streamers making the mountain somewhat chaotic.
Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin paid these people no mind. They purchased food and water, packed camping gear, and began their trek into the mountains. The Nine Palaces Strategy had provided a coordinate located deep within Mount Zhongnan, and reaching it would take considerable time. Of course, with Ning Beichen and Liu Yilin's financial resources, it wouldn't have been a significant issue to reach the coordinates via helicopter. However, since they were there to search for something, they decided a trek would be more appropriate. Moreover, both possessed cultivation skills; Ning Beichen was a grandmaster, and Liu Yilin's current cultivation was also considerable. Hiking into the mountains was not a difficult task for them, rendering the use of a helicopter unnecessary.
Carrying their backpacks, they appeared like a pair of tourist couples. Initially, their ascent attracted some curious glances. However, they soon moved away from the areas inhabited by the recluses and entered the true wilderness of the mountain. Deeper inside, there were fewer hermits. The primary reason was the lack of passable roads and the absence of utilities, leaving very few truly ascetic practitioners.