Translator: CinderTL
Upon hearing this, the Old Ghost retorted, "Don't try to scare me. No other buyer will offer more than I will. How about a 30/70 split? Take it or leave it."
"Deal!" Xu Sanyan agreed instantly. He had originally planned for a 30/70 split, mentioning 20/80 only to leave room for negotiation.
Xu Sanyan grinned as he examined the soul crystals he had acquired. The seven of them had collectively obtained 14.7 catties, enough to elevate his divine soul to the next level.
However, soul crystals couldn't be absorbed directly, at least not with his current cultivation level. They needed to be converted into edible forms, such as steamed buns or mantou.
Moreover, the conversion ratio between soul crystals and divine soul wasn't one-to-one. For instance, the 14 catties of soul spirit he held might only translate to a pound or two of divine soul enhancement.
As he exited the broker's office, the seven individuals who had accompanied him had already vanished. The transaction was complete.
Now that all the Demonic Seeds had been planted, their hosts wouldn't die anytime soon, preventing him from planting more on others. He would need to find new business opportunities.
Xu Sanyan wasn't in a hurry. He had a more pressing matter at hand:
His Vitality had reached the required threshold.
Through continuous absorption of spirit stones, the Vitality displayed on his panel had exceeded 800 points, enough to break through to the Perfected Dao Seeking Realm.
But where should he attempt this breakthrough?
There were no inns or lodging nearby. He couldn't possibly break through in the middle of the street, could he?
Xu Sanyan glanced at a passing female ghost and suddenly recalled a place that might be perfect for this.
"Ah, young master, you've arrived! Please come in quickly. You've earned money so quickly—truly remarkable!"
The madam forced a smile onto her stiff face as she enthusiastically pulled Xu Sanyan inside, calling out loudly, "Qiu Hua, Xiao Cui, Lanlan! Come serve the young master!"
"Coming..."
Three female ghosts floated down from the upper floor, surrounding Xu Sanyan. Six towering "mountains" pressed against him, as if they feared he might escape.
Xu Sanyan playfully pinched one of the "peaks" before turning to the madam. "Get me a room first. No interruptions. I'll call for you when I'm done."
"No problem at all! Lanlan, take the young master to his room immediately."
A female ghost in a blue dress reached out to guide Xu Sanyan, forcing a strained smile onto her deathly pale face. It was clear she was trying hard to appear welcoming.
Xu Sanyan didn't make things difficult for her. He took her small, icy-smooth hand in his, finding the texture surprisingly pleasant. He gave it a firm squeeze, then casually wrapped his other arm around her waist. With a slight lift, Lanlan floated into the air, as light as a feather.
After entering the room, Lanlan withdrew. Xu Sanyan wasted no time, summoning his panel with a thought.
"Upgrade!"
The Vitality he had painstakingly accumulated vanished in an instant, leaving only a dozen points.
Immediately, his Inner Qi Sea churned violently as spiritual energy from the secret realm surged toward him, pouring into his body through every pore.
Lanlan glanced back from outside the door but showed no surprise. Such a realm breakthrough was commonplace.
Ghosts, too, had their own hierarchies and realms. Though she was at the lowest tier, she wasn't far behind this young master.
Xu Sanyan closed his eyes, silently refining the heaven and earth spiritual energy. After channeling it through his meridians, he guided it into his Qi Sea.
As the spiritual energy flooded in, his Qi Sea reached its capacity and began to expand, like a water-filled balloon stretching to accommodate more Spiritual Power.
The surging Spiritual Power scoured his meridians, strengthening them further. Within his Qi Sea, the great halberd spun wildly, another dark pattern etching itself onto its obsidian shaft.
Completely absorbed in his breakthrough, Xu Sanyan remained oblivious to the outside world.
Time flowed slowly. After an indeterminate period, the turbulent spiritual energy gradually subsided.
He slowly opened his eyes, sensing the changes within himself. First, his meridians had expanded by roughly a third, allowing them to withstand a more violent surge of Spiritual Power.
Second, his Qi Sea had more than doubled in size, capable of storing far greater reserves of Spiritual Power. If he were to manifest his dao body again, he could maintain it for a much longer duration.
Had he possessed this level of cultivation earlier, that battle wouldn't have been so perilous.
"Hah..."
Xu Sanyan exhaled deeply, gazing out through the tightly sealed window. The sky outside was pitch-black.
"Has so much time passed?"
Knock, knock, knock~
Sensing the spiritual energy had subsided, Lanlan gently knocked on the door. "Young master, are you finished?"
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow. She was still waiting outside?
"I'm finished. Come in."
Creak—
The door swung open, revealing Lanlan standing expressionlessly in the doorway. She held a candle, its flickering light casting eerie shadows across her deathly pale face, making her appear unnervingly ghostly.
Xu Sanyan sighed inwardly. This was truly awkward. How could he possibly... get up... with this scene before him?
Lanlan glided in with small, delicate steps, gently placing the candle on the table before leaning into Xu Sanyan's embrace. "It's been three days. Has everything gone smoothly?"
Xu Sanyan was about to nod when he suddenly snapped to attention. "Three days?"
Had he really been here for three days?
He distinctly remembered feeling like only a short time had passed.
Lanlan tilted her head slightly. "Yes, three days."
Xu Sanyan suddenly remembered something and asked slowly, "How many soul spirits do you... require per day?"
"Not too expensive," Lanlan replied. "Five taels of soul crystals per day. Plus, with my company for the night, three catties should be enough."
"Wait, three catties?!" Xu Sanyan was inwardly shocked. No wonder you have no customers! Why not just rob people outright?
Noticing his troubled expression, Lanlan reached out and gently stroked his cheek. "What's wrong, young master?"
To her, this price wasn't unreasonable. After all, they weren't catering to commoners; their patrons were nobles who wouldn't mind spending a few extra soul spirits.
Xu Sanyan snapped out of his daze and pulled Lanlan into a fierce embrace. "Nothing. Come, let this young master see what tricks you have up your sleeve..."
"I have many tricks," Lanlan purred, "but I'm afraid you might not be able to handle them all..."
"Hmph, bring it on!"
"Then I'll come at you..."
The next morning, Lanlan woke up with a dazed look, staring at the empty bed beside her. The window rattled gently in the breeze, and a sudden sense of unease washed over her.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Lanlan called out, "Has the young master left?"
A sister replied, "I haven't seen him. Wasn't he with you last night?"
Hearing this, a shrill roar erupted from the room: "A free ride? You'd even freeload off a female ghost? Do you have any humanity left?"
The madam burst through the door, her eyes blazing as she took in Lanlan's disheveled state. Gritting her teeth, she snarled, "Boy, you'd better hope I never see you again, or I'll skin you alive!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her fingers clenching into fists. "Go fetch Martial Constable Wu! I won't swallow this humiliation. After all these years, he's the first one to dare freeload here. I'll kill him!"
"Yes, Madam."
Lanlan responded with a whimper, her eyes wide with fear as she glanced at the madam before hastily dressing and hurrying downstairs.
Meanwhile, Xu Sanyan was slowly savoring a steamed bun. This was already his twentieth, each costing three taels of soul spirit, totaling six catties.
Twenty buns might seem like a lot, but they weren't filling at all. The moment they entered his mouth, they transformed into a stream of energy that nourished his divine soul.
Feeling the clarity in his divine soul, Xu Sanyan smiled contentedly. He casually weighed his divine soul using the vendor's scale: two catties, eight taels, and three qian—almost three catties! That was a gain of four taels and seven qian since last time!
Now that's what I call spending money wisely, he thought.
As for last night...
Best not to mention it.
Humming a little tune, Xu Sanyan was in high spirits. He had to admit, Lanlan's skills were truly remarkable. Those icy-cool little hands, with their myriad techniques, had left him utterly captivated.
To be honest, he now understood Ning Caichen's feelings quite well...
(End of the Chapter)
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