Sold Out and Still Counting the Money for Them

"I require high-quality soul essence, the more the better, and the faster the better."

Ning Chen stared straight at Venerable Jiyin, his gaze profound.

"I know the Northwest Continent is a backwater with little to gain, so my demands aren't high..."

He paused, then continued, "In three months, I want half of the total souls acquired by this branch over the last five years. I need them to temper my soul power, break through to the late stage of the Spirit Realm, and prepare for refining an eighth-tier five-color medicinal pill."

"Half?!"

Venerable Jiyin gasped.

This was no small amount!

Collecting souls was the core mission of the Soul Hall, governed by strict quotas and audit systems.

To embezzle such a massive quantity of souls in private—if the headquarters discovered it, death would be the least of his worries.

A look of distress and terror appeared on Venerable Jiyin's face.

"Young Master, this is no trivial matter! Soul offerings are an ironclad law of the Hall. If this is discovered..."

"If it is discovered, I alone shall bear the responsibility."

Ning Chen cut him off directly.

"You only need to operate in the shadows and make the ledgers look clean. I only care about the results."

His tone shifted, and he suddenly lowered his voice, making Venerable Jiyin hold his breath.

"Jiyin, you are a smart man. If I can complete my master's requirements ahead of schedule and return to the clan, my status will be vastly different."

"When that time comes, those who assisted me today... will have earned the merit of supporting a future sovereign. Is the position of an elder in this remote Northwest Continent branch really your limit?"

Venerable Jiyin's heart hammered, and cold sweat seeped from his temples.

On one side was the immense risk of violating the Soul Hall's iron law; on the other was the supreme temptation of attaching himself to a future titan of the Soul Clan and rising to the top!

Both the risk and the opportunity were terrifyingly large.

He weighed the pros and cons in his mind at lightning speed.

The potential and background displayed by this "Young Master Hun Chen" could not be fake.

Helping him certainly carried huge risks, but if successful, the rewards would be immeasurable!

He had been trapped in this Northwest Continent for many years; without a heaven-sent opportunity, he feared he would never advance further in his lifetime.

And before him, this might just be that heaven-sent opportunity!

If he won the gamble, his future would be bright.

If he lost... he glanced at Ning Chen's calm, unruffled eyes and suddenly felt that, given this young master's intellect and background, he might not lack the means to cover it up...

Greed and ambition finally overcame his fear.

Venerable Jiyin gritted his teeth, knelt on one knee, and said, "I am honored by your trust, Young Master! Jiyin... is willing to serve you with all my might! Three months from now, half of the soul offerings will be presented to you on time! If there is any failure, Jiyin is willing to offer my head!"

"Very good."

Ning Chen reached out as if to help him up, a satisfied smile on his face.

Look at that—what is the highest realm of deception? Selling someone out, and having them thank you and count the money for you.

"This matter is known only to heaven, earth, you, and me. Handle this well, and I will not forget your contribution."

"After all, ever since I was a child, the eighth-tier medicinal pills my master casually bestowed upon others have been too numerous to count."

As expected of the Soul Clan's premier alchemist; in the hands of his master, eighth-tier pills were no different from candy!

Venerable Jiyin stood up, his heart surging with excitement.

From this moment on, his fate was tightly bound to this mysterious "Young Master Hun Chen."

However, he did not believe he had misjudged the man; he still had that much confidence.

To further demonstrate his loyalty and deepen this investment, Venerable Jiyin's thoughts stirred, and he hurriedly retrieved two items from his storage ring.

One was a pitch-black jade slip, inside which a ghostly light seemed to flow.

The other was an ancient scroll, dark purple in color, emitting a faint, fishy, sweet scent.

He offered both items with both hands and said respectfully, "Since you are about to travel far, your subordinate has nothing of great value to offer. Please accept these meager tokens."

He pointed to the black jade slip. "This jade slip contains a full-strength strike from me, which can be used for self-defense in a critical moment."

He then pointed to the purple scroll. "This scroll is titled [Wan Du Shi Gu Jue], an Earth-tier low-grade poison-attribute cultivation technique. While not top-tier, it is exceptionally devious and ruthless."

"It is perfect for laying a foundation or for reference during the early stages of the Woeful Poison Body. I hear the young lady is currently studying poison arts; perhaps she may find it useful. It is but a small gesture of my sincerity."

He was clever, knowing that gifting treasures directly to Ning Chen might not catch his eye—after all, what fine things had a Soul Clan young master not seen?

But gifting it to the young girl with the Woeful Poison Body who was clearly highly valued by Ning Chen would not only please him but also appear thoughtful and considerate.

Ning Chen felt a slight stir in his heart as he looked at the jade slip and the scroll, especially when he heard the term "low-tier Earth class," he nearly failed to maintain his calm expression.

People were so foolish that he actually felt a twinge of guilt for continuing the deception.

"You have a heart," Ning Chen said in a flat tone as he took the jade slip and scroll.

"Little Fairy Doctor truly needs such texts on the poison arts; I shall accept these on her behalf."

Although he didn't receive the surprise or praise he had expected from Ning Chen, seeing him accept the items so calmly only made Venerable Jiyin more convinced that Ning Chen was accustomed to grander things, filling him with even more respect and relief.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

The back mountain of the Wanxie Sect remained tranquil, but the atmosphere was slightly different from three months ago.

In the courtyard, Ning Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his aura dense and heavy; he had impressively reached the level of a seven-star Dou Wang!

Breaking through two stars in three months—if this speed were made known, it would be enough to make countless so-called geniuses hang their heads in shame.

Of course, this was inseparable from the precious resources Venerable Jiyin had secretly offered to help solidify his foundation.

Even more eye-catching was the Little Fairy Doctor beside him.

Dressed in a pale purple dress, her figure slender and graceful, she stood quietly, naturally exuding a profound aura that no one dared to underestimate.

Her cultivation had actually reached the level of a three-star Da Dou Shi!

Three months to cross from a two-star Dou Zhe to a three-star Da Dou Shi—such a terrifying speed of advancement made even Ning Chen feel a bit envious.

Today was the day Ning Chen and the Little Fairy Doctor were set to officially leave the Wanxie Sect and return to the Jia Ma Empire.

There were not many people there to see them off, only Tie Protector, Xie Biyan, and Venerable Jiyin.

At this moment, Tie Protector and Xie Biyan had red-rimmed eyes and were streaming with tears, looking as if they were suffering through a tragic parting, almost ready to throw themselves forward and hug Ning Chen's legs while wailing.

The sincerity of the scene left Venerable Jiyin, standing to the side, completely speechless.

Anyone who didn't know better would think these two had lost their own parents today!

"Enough! What kind of behavior is this!" Venerable Jiyin barked in a low voice.

"The young master and the lady are about to depart; do not stand here blubbering and disturbing the peace! Step back!"

Startled by his shout, Tie Protector and Xie Biyan quickly stifled their sobs, casting lingering glances at Ning Chen before retreating into the distance.

Having driven away the two drama queens, Venerable Jiyin turned to face Ning Chen, who wore a calm expression with a faint, indiscernible smile on his lips.

He took a deep breath, and at the same time, his vast soul power quietly permeated the area, carefully sensing every inch of space within a radius of several miles.

Only after confirming that absolutely no one was spying did the expression on his face become incomparably solemn.

He took a step forward and, with extreme caution, retrieved two items from his storage ring.

First was a translucent crystal sphere, roughly the size of a fist, which appeared an eerie, dark gray throughout.

Inside the sphere, there was no solid matter, but rather what looked like a miniature, never-ending vortex of agony sealed within!

Countless blurred, twisted soul phantoms emitting silent wails struggled and collided frantically inside.

Merely catching a glimpse of it was enough to unsettle one's mind, as if one could hear the shrill shrieks of billions of departed souls.

"Young master, the item you requested... is here."

Venerable Jiyin's voice was extremely low as he held the dark gray soul sphere in both hands, offering it respectfully.

Ning Chen's gaze fell upon the sphere, a flash of surprise and joy crossing the depths of his eyes.

He extended his right hand, fingers splayed, and a gentle suction force emerged, steadily drawing the sphere containing the massive soul origin into his palm.

He then immediately stored it away into his system space.

"Very good, Venerable Jiyin, I have noted your contribution."

Seeing Ning Chen accept it, Venerable Jiyin felt slightly relieved and, not daring to delay, immediately took out the second item.

It was a black token, roughly the size of a palm.

"This is my personal token," Venerable Jiyin explained, his posture becoming even more submissive.

"Holding this token is equivalent to my personal presence. Within the Northwest Continent, all protectors and soul envoys of the Soul Hall branches must unconditionally obey any commands upon seeing it. It should be convenient for you to handle minor matters or gather information; please, young master, do accept it."

Ning Chen glanced at the token, pondered for a moment, and then reached out to take it.

With this thing, he was essentially the uncrowned king of the Northwest Continent.

"You have a heart."

"Now that matters here are concluded, I should be going. Venerable Jiyin, until we meet again."

Or perhaps, never to meet again... Ning Chen suppressed the urge to let his smile widen and said no more. With a wave of his sleeve, the sleek Wind Riding Boat appeared out of thin air, shimmering with cyan light.

He carried the Little Fairy Doctor and drifted onto the boat.

The Wind Riding Boat paused for a moment, then the cyan light flared brilliantly, transforming into a streak of light that shot into the sky, rapidly disappearing into the clouds on the horizon toward the Jia Ma Empire.

In front of the mountain gate, Venerable Jiyin gazed for a long time at the point of light that had long since vanished, his black robes snapping in the wind.

He slowly exhaled a long, heavy breath, his eyes flickering with near-fanatical anticipation and the fire of ambition.

The young master... will surely soar into the heavens!

And I, Jiyin... will be the first to ride the wind alongside him!

He seemed to already see the scene of himself rising through the ranks within the Soul Clan and the Soul Hall, wielding great power, all thanks to this "merit of supporting the dragon."