Suddenly, Chen Ge steeled himself and dropped to his knees. He pulled the Mid-grade Fire Cloud Sword from his Storage Belt and presented it respectfully. "Reporting to the Ancestor, this Fire Cloud Sword was seized from that bastard at Extreme Yin Cave. I hope the Ancestor will accept it." As he spoke, he shot Lei Dong a knowing look.
Lei Dong understood at once. He quickly took out the Jade Box containing the Lingzhi, his expression earnest and a little excited. "Ancestor, this is the Lingzhi the three of us found. It was just a few months shy of a hundred years old. We wouldn't dare ask for anything else; we only hope it can bring you one step closer to the Nascent Soul stage, as a token of our filial devotion."
Of course, they couldn't bring out all the other odds and ends. That wouldn't be filial devotion; it would be an insult.
The three of them understood that while the Lingzhi and Fire Cloud Sword were valuable treasures in their eyes, to a powerhouse of the Myriad Ghost Ancestor's stature, they were probably no different from the grass and trees by the roadside. They had offered them for two reasons. First, they had already mentioned both items during the earlier incident. Whether the Ancestor valued them was one thing; whether they showed filial devotion was another. Second, even if the Ancestor really accepted them, given his status and their position as juniors under his command, and considering they had done something that pleased him so much, how could he not show them some appreciation? A single hair plucked from the Ancestor would be thicker than their thighs.
The Myriad Ghost Ancestor was evidently in excellent spirits that day. After all, these youngsters had taken down the newly appointed Personal Disciple of his old rival, Extreme Yin Old Ghost—and they had done it cleanly, with both reason and righteousness on their side. He could hardly help feeling pleased, especially since the youngsters were so well-behaved. Whether their filial devotion was sincere or not, at least they knew to offer the Ancestor something good.
He raised a hand slightly, and the Fire Cloud Sword and Lingzhi box drifted into his grasp. He stroked the sword and praised it. "Not bad. A Middle-grade Magic Artifact." Then he made it vanish into thin air. He opened the Jade Box, inspected the Lingzhi, and nodded. "This Lingzhi is only a few months short of maturity. More remarkable is that you transplanted it without the slightest mishap. That shows how cautious and meticulous you were."
After a brief pause, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor put away the Lingzhi as well. "I'll accept both treasures. I'll deal with this matter fairly. The three of you will stay in the cavern and cultivate in peace for the next two years. You may leave."
Seeing that the Myriad Ghost Ancestor had actually accepted their gifts without offering anything in return, the three of them all felt as though they'd stolen a chicken only to lose the rice they'd used to lure it. But at that moment, not one of them dared show the slightest displeasure. Instead, each wore an expression of delight, relief, and perfect satisfaction. They didn't dare linger. After taking their leave of the Ancestor, they followed the Ghost Slave out.
From beginning to end, the Ghost Slave didn't say another word to them. Once they left the Ancestor's residence, the three went together to Chen Ge's quarters. Only then did they finally let their guard down. One thing after another had happened, and though they had all seemed calm, only they knew the dangers they had faced. Exhausted, they sank into chairs. Their expressions held both relief and frustration—especially over the fact that the Myriad Ghost Ancestor had accepted their gifts without the slightest show of appreciation and simply waved them away.
After resting for a while, they went together to turn in the team mission that had nearly cost them their lives. Lei Dong's Contribution Value went from zero to ten. The Contribution Value was recorded in a rather remarkable way: it was inscribed on the disciples' waist tokens. As long as they were within the Yin Sha Sect, they could take their tokens anywhere and exchange their points for whatever they wanted. Chen Ge also sold all the miscellaneous items to Zhao Baiwan. In the end, the group's haul came to eight Spirit Stones and ten bottles of Lesser Vitality Pills. After dividing everything evenly among the three of them, Lei Dong received two Spirit Stones and ten bottles of pills. Since he had spent one Spirit Stone on the Jade Box, his total wealth now stood at exactly forty-two Spirit Stones.
Lei Dong also stopped by to ask Tang Qian about exchanging for a spell manual. After browsing for quite a while, he finally chose a manual called Spirit Forging Art on Tang Qian's recommendation.
Spirit Forging Art wasn't a particularly profound manual, but it was simple and easy to understand, making it ideal for people in the Qi Refining Stage who wanted to cultivate their Mind Power and spiritual sense. It could be considered a basic, widely taught method for tempering them. Even so, the Jade Slip containing the Spirit Forging Art cost thirty Contribution Value to redeem.
He had no energy left to take on missions. Gritting his teeth, Lei Dong still took out four Spirit Stones and donated them to the sect in exchange for twenty Contribution Value. That was just enough to get the Spirit Forging Art. His Spirit Stones had plunged from forty-two to thirty-eight, and the loss made his heart ache. But the Spirit Forging Art was something he had to acquire. He had experienced the power of a Ghost Soldier firsthand.
By his estimate, with two Ghost Soldiers at his side, his Mind Power and spiritual sense would just barely suffice. But if he wanted to divide his attention further and control a Magic Tool or the like, he'd be hard-pressed to manage it. So he had to strengthen his Mind Power. If he continued cultivating according to the Profound Yin Heart Sutra, his Mind Power and spiritual sense would certainly keep growing. But as his cultivation advanced, his Ghost Soldiers would have to keep pace. Otherwise, what use would it be to reach the tenth layer of the Qi Refining Stage while commanding only First-level Ghost Soldiers? The stronger the Ghost Soldiers, the more Mind Power it took to keep them moving. In the end, his Mind Power would still fall short.
Other people who cultivated the Ghost Taming Art might be content with just one Ghost Soldier. Spirit Ghosts were hard to find, and one was enough for most people. But Lei Dong had been fortunate enough to obtain the incredibly powerful, heaven-defying Soul Devouring Pagoda. If he only commanded one or two Ghost Soldiers, wouldn't that be a terrible waste?
After turning it over in his mind, Lei Dong decided to focus on cultivating his Mind Power and spiritual sense, strengthening them as much as possible. Every additional Ghost Soldier at his own level would greatly increase his overall combat strength. That was an advantage no one else had. So, although handing over four Spirit Stones made his heart ache, Lei Dong felt they were well spent.
After parting ways with Chen Ge and the others, Lei Dong stayed home and diligently cultivated, practicing his breathing exercises and meditation. To speed up his progress, he took a Lesser Vitality Pill every few days. He also held a Spirit Stone in his hand whenever he meditated. His progress was quite good. In addition, he set aside two hours each day to temper his Mind Power and spiritual sense with the Spirit Forging Art.
Just over a month later, the Ghost Slave suddenly came to visit. Lei Dong was both surprised and delighted, and invited him in. He soon learned that the Ghost Slave had come on the Ancestor's orders to distribute rewards to the three of them. Lei Dong received a Mid-grade Magic Artifact called Cloud Ascending Boots, along with a pouch containing more than a hundred Spirit Stones. He didn't know what Chen Ge and the others had received, but it was clearly no less than his own.
Lei Dong now had some understanding of the value of Magic Tools. Even the cheapest Mid-grade Magic Artifact was worth at least a hundred Spirit Stones, while the better ones could easily cost several hundred. The Cloud Ascending Boots were finely crafted, and the rippling glow of spiritual energy was visible to the naked eye. More remarkably, they adjusted themselves to fit any foot, large or small, and were extremely comfortable to wear. Even without activating the artifact, he felt as light as air. Clearly, these boots were among the better Mid-grade Magic Artifacts.
After refusing Lei Dong's attempt to give him the entire pouch of Spirit Stones, the Ghost Servant took his leave. Lei Dong hurriedly used the door communication system to contact Chen Ge and Wei Hua. Once he confirmed that they had received the same treatment—one Mid-grade Magic Artifact and a pouch containing a hundred Spirit Stones each—his heart finally settled, and he could barely contain his delight. It turned out that a single hair plucked from the Ancestor was indeed thicker than the thighs of the three of them, the poor souls. His wealth had increased nearly tenfold in one fell swoop.
But once Lei Dong calmed down, his thoughts cleared. External treasures were alluring, but one's cultivation was what mattered most. If he could cultivate to the Golden Core Stage like the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, these Mid-grade Magic Artifacts and Spirit Stones wouldn't even catch his eye.
He took several deep breaths, calming himself further. He put away the Spirit Stones and Cloud Ascending Boots he had been admiring, swallowed a Lesser Vitality Pill, and clasped a Spirit Stone whose spiritual glow had begun to fade in his palm. Then he resumed his bitter cultivation, striving to break through to the second layer of the Qi Refining Stage.
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