Ding Wanyan

After leaving the Spirit Ghost Pavilion, Lei Dong strolled around the streets. Then he returned to the inn, changed into another outfit, and leisurely walked into a different shop that specialized in selling all kinds of fine magic tools. Half an hour later, Lei Dong emerged with a calm expression. He went straight out of the market, mounted Phantom, and shot into the sky. After circling around and making sure no one was following him, he changed course and flew toward Myriad Ghost Cave.

Only then did a satisfied smile appear on Lei Dong's face. He had sold the Middle Grade Spirit Ghost for a handsome price, which had made him quite a bit richer. Unfortunately, the thousand-odd Spirit Stones had barely warmed his pocket before they were nearly all spent again. The Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda he had his eye on was marked at eleven hundred. After haggling for quite a while, he bought it for a thousand—and even managed to get a Storage Bracelet worth dozens of Spirit Stones thrown in.

Compared with Flying Magic Tools, which were generally expensive, Soul Nurturing Pagodas were much more affordable, since demand for them wasn't as high. Even the Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda Lei Dong had bought cost a mere thousand Spirit Stones. He had originally planned to settle for a Middle Grade one, so this was a pleasant surprise. It was the first Upper Grade Magic Item he had ever acquired. True, an Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda wasn't most people's first choice. But paired with the Soul Devouring Pagoda to create Spirit Ghosts, this Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda would suit Lei Dong perfectly.

Unlike the beginner-level Soul Nurturing Pagoda he currently owned, this Upper Grade Soul Nurturing Pagoda was extraordinarily effective. Even a First-level Ghost Soldier with Low-grade aptitude, if kept inside for a year without devouring any flesh or Yin Souls, could easily advance to the second level. As for a First-level Ghost Soldier with Middle Grade aptitude, it would probably advance naturally in just three or four months.

This would undoubtedly save Lei Dong a great deal of time and effort. Once he got home, all he had to do was Blood Sacrifice the two remaining Middle Grade Spirit Ghosts, one by one, and then he could devote himself to cultivation in peace. The three Middle Grade Ghost Soldiers would probably advance no more slowly than he did. At most, he would need to replace the Spirit Stone in the Soul Nurturing Pagoda once every couple of months. Of course, he could leave the Spirit Stone out, but the nurturing effect would be much weaker. And if he went too long without adding one, the Soul Wood—the pagoda's main material—would gradually lose its power and eventually become useless. The old Soul Nurturing Pagoda had been so worthless that Lei Dong hadn't bothered wasting Spirit Stones on it.🐚♠  ♥😂

The journey wasn't entirely free of danger. A few unknown cultivators spotted Lei Dong flying on his sword and each mounted a Magic Tool, trying to catch up. They might have meant well, or they might have had evil intentions. Lei Dong didn't care. He drove Phantom to its top speed and left them so far behind that they soon vanished from sight.

A Flying Magic Tool capable of traveling a thousand li in an hour normally cost at least one or two thousand Spirit Stones—a considerable sum. Even some poorer cultivators who reached the Foundation Establishment Realm might not be able to afford one with that kind of speed. That was why Lei Dong had been willing to buy Phantom, despite its outrageous Spirit Stone consumption.

Afterward, he rested somewhere safe during the day and flew at night on Phantom, which had the ability to conceal itself after dark. Despite a few close calls, he made it safely back to Myriad Ghost Cave.

Once inside his room, he checked the messages left by the warding array. They were all from Chen Ge and Wei Hua. Lei Dong had spent far too much time catching Spirit Ghosts, and Chen Ge had already advanced to Qi Refining Third Layer a month or so earlier. Even Wei Hua had reached the peak of Qi Refining Second Layer and was striving to break through to the next level.

There were also a few odds and ends, such as the news that Senior Sister Ding had reached Qi Refining Fifth Layer and Zuo Chao had reached the fourth. Another more significant update was that Zhou Minghua, perhaps goaded into action, had kept his head down and cultivated in seclusion. He had eventually caught up and advanced to the fourth layer as well.

Chen Ge had also urged Lei Dong repeatedly to stop wandering around and get on with his cultivation. The Three Year Small Competition was just over a year away. Zhou Minghua would surely do everything he could to humiliate them at the competition.😲🏆  ☝🐨

As befitted a Personal Disciple of the Ancestor, whose aptitude had been rated outstanding, Zhou Minghua's cultivation level left Lei Dong somewhat vexed. But since he had already offended him, he didn't regret it in the slightest.

Zhou Minghua might have excellent aptitude, but Lei Dong wasn't a pushover either. Besides, he had a heaven-defying treasure that would drive even Myriad Ghost Ancestor mad if he learned of it. Once Lei Dong's three Ghost Soldiers had advanced, so what if Zhou Minghua reached Qi Refining Sixth Layer by then? It would be four against one. He'd see how Zhou Minghua liked those odds.

Completely casting aside the pressure Zhou Minghua brought with him, Lei Dong replied to the messages one by one, then began his seclusion. First, of course, he Blood Sacrificed the two remaining Middle Grade Spirit Ghosts, refining them into Ghost Servants. He couldn't help marveling at how much stronger Middle Grade Spirit Ghosts were than Low-grade ones. After a single Blood Sacrifice, both had reached the peak of the first level and seemed close to the second. He had finished refining the first and put it in the Soul Nurturing Pagoda. Before he had even finished resting and refining the second, the first had already advanced to the second level...

Furthermore, both Ghost Soldiers had comprehended a spell. The first was Ghost Howl, an area-effect spell that could temporarily fill people with weak willpower with fear and scatter their fighting spirit. The second had comprehended the rather rare Escape Technique. Unless an opponent's Mind Power and spiritual sense were far stronger than those of the Ghost Soldier using Escape Technique, it would be extremely difficult to detect the invisible Ghost Soldier. This curious spell would be quite useful, whether for ambushes or other kinds of mischief.

Of course, each had comprehended just one spell. That only meant their luck had been decent. Middle Grade Ghost Soldiers had a fairly high chance of comprehending innate spells during a Blood Sacrifice, and they could even comprehend two spells at once—but Lei Dong hadn't been so fortunate. This was one of the main reasons Middle Grade Spirit Ghosts cost far more than Low-grade Spirit Ghosts and were so sought after.

Blood Sacrificing the two Spirit Ghosts took another two months. But throughout the more than half a year he had spent working with Spirit Ghosts, he hadn't neglected his cultivation even while resting. Lei Dong's cultivation was still nowhere near Qi Refining Third Layer, but he was approaching the middle of Qi Refining Second Layer. There was now only about a year until the Three Year Small Competition.

With no time left to waste, Lei Dong immediately settled into meditation, calming his mind and regulating his breath. Fortunately, he still had around a hundred Spirit Stones, so Lesser Vitality Pills and Spirit Stones for his meditation were not in short supply for the time being.

Cultivation knew no years; before long, the Three Year Small Competition arrived.

On that day, Lei Dong slowly opened his eyes. His dark pupils seemed even more lively and deep than before. After getting up and washing, he put on a brand-new Junior Disciple Uniform, black with red, and headed toward the Martial Arts Hall of Myriad Ghost Cave, full of vigor.

Half a year earlier, Lei Dong had broken through to Qi Refining Third Layer in one go. But he knew that no matter how hard he worked during the remaining half year, he had no chance of reaching Qi Refining Fourth Layer. So he had instead devoted more time to the Spirit Forging Art, tempering and strengthening his Mind Power and spiritual sense. Thanks to his relentless efforts, his spiritual sense now far surpassed that of an ordinary Qi Refining Third Layer cultivator. It should have reached the level of an ordinary cultivator in the early stages of Qi Refining Fifth Layer. This was partly because new Junior Disciples rarely spent much time practicing the Spirit Forging Art to temper their spiritual sense. As they advanced, breakthroughs became harder and harder, and many began broadening their cultivation to other areas, focusing on increasing their overall combat strength.

Lei Dong judged that his Mind Power and spiritual sense had reached the level of an ordinary Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator because one of his three Ghost Soldiers had already advanced to the fourth level, while the other two were at the peak of the third. Yet he could control all three with ease despite being only at Qi Refining Third Layer. This was likely beyond what an ordinary Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator could manage.

He strolled leisurely into the Martial Arts Hall and saw that all thirty-odd Senior Brothers and Sisters from his year were already there. Three years had passed. Unlike back then, when some were old and others young, they now all looked like teenagers. Even Zuo Chao, the youngest, had grown into a dashing young man.

Most had formed little cliques, gathered in groups of two or three. Only Ding Wanyan seemed to be standing alone by a pillar, with no one near her. It was hard to tell whether she was simply unsociable by nature or whether her status made people afraid to approach her.

When Chen Ge saw Lei Dong, he waved him over. But Lei Dong only signaled to him with his eyes before turning and walking straight toward Ding Wanyan. He stopped when he was about a zhang away, then bowed respectfully under her cold gaze. "This Junior Brother Lei pays his respects to Senior Sister Ding."

Lei Dong's solemn expression and level gaze softened Ding Wanyan's icy look a little. She nodded coolly. "Greetings, Junior Brother Lei." But judging by the faint furrow in her brow, she had probably forgotten who he was.

Lei Dong noticed her expression but didn't mind. He smiled simply, cupped his hands again, and said, "I came here today to thank Senior Sister for speaking up for us before the Ancestor and putting in a good word for the three of us."

Ding Wanyan paused, then gradually remembered which Junior Brother stood before her. Her expression softened a little more, and she gave a slight nod. "It was a small matter. No need to mention it."

Chen Ge and Wei Hua, standing off in the distance, weren't the only ones staring in astonishment. The other Senior Brothers and Sisters were also dumbfounded to see Lei Dong shamelessly strike up a conversation with the haughty, untouchable Senior Sister Ding they all admired. Most astonishing of all, Senior Sister Ding was speaking to him with a pleasant expression.

(New writer, new book. I hope all my fellow brothers and sisters will give it a vote! Many thanks~)

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