Green Lotus, Green Tea

Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art went out?

And it found a Low-grade Spirit Ghost?

After hearing the system prompt, Lu Li instantly perked up.

His eyes began to shine.

Spirit Ghosts were ghosts that had developed intelligence through a fortunate coincidence. They were exceedingly rare.

Rare meant valuable!

And a Low-grade Spirit Ghost was equivalent to a Low-grade Spirit Tool!

Spirit Tools were used by Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

Even the worst Spirit Tool was worth ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones!

In other words, a Low-grade Spirit Ghost was worth at least ten thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Lu Li had never expected that while the Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art went out to cultivate on its own, it could also discover a Low-grade Spirit Ghost.

"System Log!"

Lu Li muttered inwardly and immediately opened the system records for a careful look.

At a glance, he saw the last two entries:

"Your Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art discovered a Low-grade Spirit Ghost in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave."

"Location of the Spirit Ghost: Seven hundred and twenty li southeast of Three Star Valley, inside a seven-foot-tall Soul Burial Tree."

Three Star Valley was the Gathering Yin Land where he had fought and sent the fierce ghosts on their way before.

He had to hurry there!

If he arrived too late, someone might capture that Low-grade Spirit Ghost first.

Lu Li's expression turned solemn. He grabbed the jade pendant from the ground and rushed straight out of the cultivation chamber.

Suddenly, he halted.

Something was wrong.

If he rushed over directly and captured the Spirit Ghost, it would be easy for others to grow suspicious.

Perhaps Ghost Demon True Person was still watching him from the shadows.

He had not left the house for a month, yet he somehow knew there was a Spirit Ghost in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave and even knew its exact location? That was definitely suspicious!

Thus, Lu Li calmed down. His expression returned to cold indifference as he left the Star Gazing Tower at an unhurried pace.

Then, he activated the Spirit Ghost Phantom Step and drifted toward the underground passage behind the mountain.

After entering the passage, he remained in no hurry.

Before long, as he went deeper in, the Blue Light Barrier Restriction blocking the passage appeared before him.

Lu Li stepped through it.

The familiar underground world appeared before him again, icy air rushing into his face.

The sky over the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave was still dark and gloomy.

Lu Li glanced in the direction of the Spirit Ghost, but instead of hurrying over, he waited where he was.

He was waiting for Green Lotus.

Sure enough!

Less than two or three minutes later, a speck of green light flashed in the dark horizon ahead and sped toward him.

The green light flickered several times, crossing more than ten li before appearing before Lu Li.

"It really is you! Long time no see!"

A pretty, radiant young woman in green robes sat atop a White Bone Greatsword.

The moment she saw Lu Li, her eyes curved into crescents with a smile.

She looked rather happy.

This charming young woman was Green Lotus, the one who had forced him to buy a map and collected protection fees.

"Greetings, Senior Sister Green Lotus."

Keeping a straight face, Lu Li cupped his hands toward her.

"Hee hee, no need to be so polite. You're now a Core Disciple of the Yin Underworld Ghost Sect. In terms of status, you're the same as me. Here, these are your five Low-grade Spirit Stones. I'm giving them back to you."

Green Lotus smiled sweetly and flicked her little hand, sending five Low-grade Spirit Stones floating before Lu Li.

"Senior Sister, this is..."

A trace of confusion appeared on Lu Li's face.

"You know Bai Jinfei, right? He's one of my people. You're his junior brother, which means you're one of my people too. Since we're our own people, I won't charge you Spirit Stones."

Green Lotus kicked her dainty little feet as she spoke with a beaming smile.

Her smile was innocent and warm, instantly making people favor her.

But Lu Li's heart tightened.

Among the Core Disciples of the Yin Underworld Ghost Sect, this Green Lotus was definitely a big-sister figure.

Returning the Spirit Stones now was probably her way of buying people's hearts.

"What? Are you afraid I poisoned the Spirit Stones?"

At that moment, Green Lotus gave a soft snort, seeming somewhat displeased.

"Then many thanks, Senior Sister."

Hearing this, Lu Li stopped being polite. He put away the Spirit Stones and cupped his hands in thanks.

Seeing this, Green Lotus smiled again. Resting her chin on one hand, she studied Lu Li from head to toe with a grin. "I'm really curious. You're only at the first layer of Qi Refinement, yet you still passed Ghost Demon True Person's test and successfully became a Core Disciple. Can you tell me how you did it?"

"Just luck."

Naturally, Lu Li would not answer honestly.

"Oh?"

Green Lotus raised her delicate brows, suddenly changing the subject. "I heard from Bai Jinfei that you've been cultivating diligently all month?"

"Yes. Master passed down a cultivation art, so naturally I dare not slack off."

Lu Li replied calmly.

He was starting to get anxious inside.

Why was this woman so noisy? Why wasn't she leaving yet?

Though Lu Li was thoroughly annoyed, he did not reveal it on his face.

"Tsk, tsk. Any hot-blooded young man who becomes a Core Disciple usually relies on the authority in his hands to scour the outer sect servants for a few stunning beauties to serve his pleasures. Yet not only did you refrain from doing that, you even refused the peerless beauty Bai Jinfei offered you? That truly makes me see you in a new light."

Green Lotus stared at Lu Li with great interest.

"One glance at Senior Sister ruined me for life. From now on, every other woman is nothing but cheap rouge and common powder in my eyes."

Lu Li's eyes shifted as he began laying on the awkward flattery with a blank expression.

"Pfft."

The moment Green Lotus heard that, her smile blossomed like a flower. "You really are something. You can't even be serious when lying to people. But... I like that lie of yours. Hee hee, take this."

As she spoke, her slender, fair hand flicked again, sending something over.

A parchment map.

"This is a map of the entire Ten Thousand Ghost Cave. With this map, you can move about freely in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave and cultivate in any Extreme Yin Land marked on it."

Green Lotus said with a smile.

"This..."

A trace of surprise appeared on Lu Li's face.

"I'm giving it to you, so just take it. I have no use for it anymore."

Green Lotus said generously.

Hmm?

Lu Li frowned.

Could this woman really have taken a fancy to him?

Still, in order to get her to leave quickly, he cupped his hands. "Then I shall respectfully accept rather than decline. Many thanks, Senior Sister."

With that, he accepted the parchment map.

"All right, I'm leaving then. See you next time. Oh, I usually cultivate in the very center of this map. You can come find me when you have time."

Green Lotus smiled mischievously and blinked her beautiful eyes at Lu Li.

Then she raised a hand and flew away on her sword at high speed.

Watching the green light vanish, Lu Li's expression turned cold.

This woman... what a deep scheme!

First, she returned something. Then she drew him in, praised him, gave him small favors, and finally, before leaving, tossed out an ambiguous invitation that seemed both welcoming and coy. She even appeared to have used a charm technique somewhere along the way, greatly increasing one's favorable impression of her.

After this whole routine, any ordinary young man would probably have had his heart stirred, his blood surging in two directions, his imagination running wild.

But Lu Li was no ordinary youth.

He had remained deeply guarded all along, so Green Lotus's charm technique had no effect on him.

Besides, he had already watched countless films. He could not be bothered with a flat-as-a-plank girl like Green Lotus.

"Forget it. I'll deal with that later. First, I'll capture the Spirit Ghost!"

Lu Li hesitated no longer. Grabbing the parchment map, he flashed forward and transformed into a ghostly shadow, drifting toward Three Star Valley.

Before long, he arrived at Three Star Valley.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sounds of fighting came from within the valley.

Wearing his Dharma robe, Lu Li drifted over and took a glance. He found a burly man in black shaking a Soul Gathering Banner and other ghost-path Dharma artifacts as he subdued fierce ghosts.

After watching for a few moments, he turned and left.

He headed straight southeast.

Soon, he arrived seven hundred and fifty li from Three Star Valley. Looking out, he saw black earthen hills of varying heights.

Specks of green ghost fire drifted aimlessly through the air.

These ghost fires were Pure Yin Ghost Fire. They carried yin poison, and if they entered the body, they would damage one's foundation.

Looking around at the small hills, he saw a solitary withered tree growing atop each one.

Their dead branches clawed toward the sky like hands thrusting out from grave soil.

The sight was somewhat eerie, terrifying, and frightening.

These were Soul Burial Trees, pure yin trees that only grew in Extreme Yin Lands. They were generally used to refine Dharma artifacts.

Avoiding the ghost fires, Lu Li drifted forward at a leisurely pace, pretending to merely pass by as he surveyed the scenery around him from the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, his heart jolted.

He found it!

The seven-foot-tall Soul Burial Tree!

It stood on a small hill to his left!

That Low-grade Spirit Ghost was hiding inside that Soul Burial Tree!