After the golden ingot, golden lotus, little paper servant, and spirit armor paper clothes, the fourth paper-crafted item to undergo a spiritual transformation was the Grade-Four Paper Clothes.
These clothes looked exactly like real fabric garments. They were hard to damage, difficult to stain, could adjust in size to fit the wearer, and even offered protection for the soul. Whether it was the Yin Paper Clothes made for spirits or the Yang Paper Clothes for the living, the basic properties were the same. The only difference lay in their intended wearer.
After being nurtured with spiritual energy, the Grade-Four Yin Paper Clothes didn't change much, only appearing more lifelike and vibrant. What once looked like paper mimicking fabric now had patterns that almost seemed to come alive.
This small improvement, however, didn't quite match the amount of spiritual energy she had invested in it. On the other hand, the Grade-Four Yang Paper Clothes gained a new ability—active defense.
While the spirit armor could protect its wearer passively, the Yang Paper Clothes allowed the wearer to inject their spiritual energy into the garment, creating a spiritual barrier around them. The more energy infused, the stronger the barrier. As long as the flow of energy continued, the barrier would remain intact.
When Song Miaozhu wore the Grade-Four Yang Paper Clothes and used her spiritual energy to activate the shield, it reminded her of the ancient defense techniques described in cultivation texts.
Nowadays, the world's spiritual energy no longer followed the Five Elements, and without elemental attributes, it only benefited cultivators themselves—or in this case, handicrafts. The cultivation system had also changed. Once spiritual energy left the body, it became difficult to control. It was no longer possible to cast intricate elemental techniques like cultivators of the past.
Yet to her surprise, by relying on the Grade-Four Paper Clothes nurtured with spiritual energy, she was able to control her outward energy and form a stable circular shield around her body. It was as if the garment acted like a mold, shaping her spiritual energy into something usable and structured.
"Could it be that modern techniques require a medium to cast?" Song Miaozhu wondered aloud. "Maybe the medium has to be a handmade artifact… or even a spirit-bound item raised through spiritual nurturing?"
Unfortunately, the Grade-Four Yang Paper Clothes were the only item among her collection to undergo such a transformation. The golden lotus, golden ingot, little paper servant, and spirit armor paper clothes all had useful changes, but none offered the same level of controlled spellcasting ability.
Though the little paper servant and spirit armor did possess a level of sentience and could function without her direct control, that was different from being able to actively channel spiritual techniques through them.
"I wonder if the SEIU has discovered this," she murmured, opening the SEIU app to browse the latest information.
It had been half a year since the SEIU underwent a major overhaul. Since then, they had implemented many new initiatives, none of which had caused serious problems. Back when several members withdrew from the organization, the SEIU hadn't revoked their app access. Instead, they had transformed the SEIU app into a public platform for all cultivators.
As long as one had registered and filed their information with the SEIU, they could create an account—whether they were part of the organization or not. Rumor had it that internal members had access to a private network within the app, available only to official SEIU staff.
Although now a shared app, the accounts belonging to SEIU headquarters and local branches remained active. The SEIU had been relatively open with their research findings. As their understanding of spiritual energy and its application in crafts deepened, they published many insightful reports.
One issue that Song Miaozhu had followed closely—whether spirit-bound items raised by one cultivator could be used by another—finally received a definitive answer two weeks ago.
A spirit-bound item nurtured with spiritual energy naturally resonated with its creator, making it easier to control.
However, if a cultivator actively infused their own spiritual energy into another's spirit item, the item could be transferred to a new owner. The catch was, the new owner could use the item, but not continue nurturing it. Only items crafted and raised personally could undergo spiritual nurturing.
Now, just a few weeks later, the SEIU app's contribution mall was filled with listings for spirit-bound items. Song Miaozhu checked it daily to expand her knowledge, though she rarely found anything she considered useful or worth obtaining.
Nothing she had seen so far matched the Grade-Four Paper Clothes in terms of spell-like functionality. So far, she had only purchased one item through the contribution mall: a Spirit Storage Jade Bead.
This jade bead, the specialty of a renowned jade carving master, didn't require recognition by the buyer. It could hold a small amount of spiritual energy, enough to store leftover energy for later use. Though limited in capacity, it was incredibly convenient when purchasing items from the app.
When she found an item she wanted, she would purchase a jade bead, store her own spiritual energy inside, and send it to the item's owner.
The seller could then use the energy stored in the bead to complete the ownership transfer of the spirit-bound item.
Once the transaction was complete, the empty bead and the transferred item were sent back together in a secure package. Upon confirmation of delivery, the seller received the corresponding contribution points.
Although this process was slower than regular online shopping, it saved cultivators from having to travel long distances for in-person trades. After all, spiritual energy now existed wherever people lived, and most cultivators had their own settled territories. Meeting face to face for a transaction was often impractical.
With logistics services backed by the SEIU, this method of trading became much more accessible and reliable. The spirit item trade now followed this system, which Song Miaozhu had studied for quite some time.
Ever since the SEIU's leadership reshuffle, her long-blocked merchant certification was finally approved. Now, all she had to do was register her items with the local SEIU branch, and she could begin listing them in the app's storefront.
Of course, the SEIU charged a 1% fee for each transaction, which covered platform maintenance. If she wanted insurance and logistics coverage from SEIU's trusted services, she also had to pay with contribution points.
Still, this was far more reasonable than the exploitative terms the old leadership had offered her. She had already started planning to list some of her spirit-bound paper crafts on the app. Everyone else was selling their own spirit-bound items. Blending into the crowd would make her less conspicuous.
She could sell Yin Paper Crafts at the Ghost Market for hell coins and sell spirit-bound paper crafts on the SEIU app for contribution points.
With the Treasure Bowl of the Heavenly Bank in her hands, everything she earned—whether hell coins or contribution points—could eventually be exchanged for spirit stones to support her cultivation.