Ye Family, Astronomical Price Soul Tool

After parting ways with Wang Xian, Dugu Yan took Ye Lingling home.

There were few pedestrians on the road. The two girls walked side by side; Dugu Yan was more than half a head taller than Ye Lingling and had a longer stride, so she had to slow down from time to time to wait for the slow-moving girl beside her.

"Lingling, how many times have I told you? If you're bullied, you have to fight back, otherwise they'll only get worse." Dugu Yan's tone carried a hint of frustration. "The more you stay silent, the more those people will think you're easy to push around."

Ye Lingling kept her head down, twisting the hem of her skirt with both hands, and whispered, "I don't want to fight."

"It's not about fighting; it's about protecting yourself." Dugu Yan stopped, turned to look at Ye Lingling, and reached out to tuck the hair hanging by her face behind her ear.

"You're pretty and have a soft temperament, so those scumbags out there specifically target people like you."

"If that Wang Xian hadn't passed by today, what were you planning to do?"

Ye Lingling pursed her lips and said nothing.

Dugu Yan sighed, unable to bring herself to say anything harsher.

She knew in her heart that Ye Lingling had grown up in that kind of family since she was young. Her parents had passed away early, leaving only her grandmother to raise her, and their home was cold and lonely, with no one even to talk to.

Growing up in such an environment, it was no wonder her personality was a bit soft.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Dugu Yan waved her hand and changed the subject. "Do you know that kid from earlier?"

Ye Lingling shook her head.

"Looking at him, he seemed to be only seven or eight years old; his height only reached my shoulder." Dugu Yan recalled Wang Xian's appearance.

"To be able to drive those scumbags away all by himself, he certainly has guts. I wonder which academy he's a student at."

She paused, and a thought suddenly occurred to her: "He wouldn't happen to be from our Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy, would he? How come I've never seen him before?"

Ye Lingling's footsteps faltered slightly, but she quickly returned to her normal pace without responding.

Only in those lowered eyes did a subtle ripple flash by.

Seeing that she wasn't speaking, Dugu Yan was used to it and continued on her own: "But Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy is neither too big nor too small; it's normal that I wouldn't know a new student."

"If we run into him again, we can always ask."

The two walked for another stretch, crossing two streets, and arrived at a quiet residential area on the east side of Heaven Dou City.

The houses here were not as grand as those in the city center, but they were peaceful, the streets were clean, and the trees on both sides provided patches of shade.

Dugu Yan stopped in front of a small house.

"We're here, Lingling. Go on in. I'll come find you when we have class tomorrow; don't you dare leave without me." She smiled and patted Ye Lingling on the shoulder.

Ye Lingling nodded, the corners of her mouth curving into a shallow, almost invisible smile: "I know, Sister Yan."

With that, she pushed open the courtyard gate and walked inside. The gate closed gently behind her with a faint sound.

Dugu Yan stood at the entrance for a while, confirming that Ye Lingling had entered the house, before turning to leave.

The scene shifted.

Wang Xian stood in front of the Treasure Pavilion, looking up at the building.

The Treasure Pavilion was the largest Soul Tool trading venue in Heaven Dou City. It was rumored to have backing from the imperial family, and while the items inside were outrageously expensive, they were undeniably authentic.

The entire building was three stories high. The outer walls were made of dark gray stone bricks, and each floor was inlaid with large pieces of transparent crystal, reflecting a dazzling light under the sun.

The main gate was made of rosewood, carved with intricate patterns, and flanked by two stone-carved mythical beasts that looked quite imposing.

"As expected of a shop in the capital; even the facade is incomparable to Notting City," Wang Xian remarked before stepping inside.

As soon as he entered, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted toward him.

The floor was paved with polished marble, and several ink paintings of unknown origin hung on the walls.

The display cabinets all around were filled with various items, including Soul Tools, medicinal herbs, and unidentified metal ores.

Every item had a price tag, and the numbers on them made one's eyelids twitch.

There were few people in the lobby, and it was quiet, forming a sharp contrast to the bustle of the streets outside.

A young girl wearing a red cheongsam saw Wang Xian enter and immediately walked up to greet him.

She was tall with a beautiful face, wearing a polite smile and bowing slightly.

"Welcome, honored guest, to the Treasure Pavilion. How may I assist you? I can guide you."

Wang Xian didn't beat around the bush and asked directly: "Do you have any storage Soul Tools here?"

The girl's eyes lit up, and the smile on her face deepened.

Storage Soul Tools were popular items at the Treasure Pavilion, but they were quite expensive; those who asked for them were usually people with money to spare.

She gestured to the side and led Wang Xian toward the back of the lobby.

"Of course, please follow me this way."

The two passed through several rows of display cabinets and arrived at an independent glass display case.

The case was covered by a transparent glass dome, and inside, laid upon dark blue velvet, was a silver-white bracelet.

The surface of the bracelet was carved with complex patterns. Looking closely, those patterns were actually miniature Soul Tool arrays, layered and as precise as the gears of a clock.

The girl opened the glass cover but did not reach out to touch it, instead stepping slightly to the side to let Wang Xian see it more clearly.

"This storage Soul Tool is called the Heaven Origin Bracelet. It has a storage space of twelve cubic meters and is currently the most cost-effective model in our shop." She paused before stating the price, "The selling price is five thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Wang Xian frowned slightly.

Five thousand Gold Soul Coins; after fighting in matches in Notting City for over half a year and adding in the money won from betting, he only had a little over five hundred Gold Coins left after buying the Whale Rubber.

To him, five thousand Gold Soul Coins was nothing short of an astronomical figure.

"Are there any cheaper ones?" Wang Xian asked.

The young girl shook her head with some difficulty. Her tone remained polite, but there was a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "This is already the cheapest storage Soul Tool in our shop. The supply of storage Soul Tools is just too scarce."

Wang Xian was silent for two seconds, then nodded.

"Then that will be all for now, thank you."

"You're too kind, please come again next time." The young girl bowed slightly, her smile remaining professional.

Wang Xian turned and walked out of the Treasure Pavilion. Standing on the steps at the entrance, he watched the bustling crowd on the street and couldn't help but sigh.

There was a full tenfold difference between five hundred Gold Coins and five thousand Gold Coins.

If he relied on saving up match by match, he had no idea how long it would take.

"It seems I'll have to bet on myself; that's the only way to make money fast."

He shook his head and began walking in the direction of the Heaven Dou Intermediate Academy.

Since he couldn't afford it, he would just go back and cultivate for now, then return once he had saved up enough money.