The next morning, a steady drizzle fell, and the gloomy aura of the Dead Ground thickened once more.
For Wen Jiu, this was a good thing—the heavier the yin energy, the better.
But for Wang Nian, it was a source of frustration. With a deep frown, he was forced to use another Yin-Dissipating Talisman to disperse the surrounding yin energy.
This time, Wang Nian was even more irritable, scaring the corpse buriers so much that they didn't dare to breathe too loudly.
"You, kid… come here!" Wang Nian waved his hand, then pointed directly. "Yes, you!"
Wen Jiu, who had been singled out, quickly set down his cart and approached respectfully. "Senior, what do you need?"
"What's your name?"
"Wen Jiu."
"Old Wen's son?"
"Mhm."
Wen Jiu nodded.
The name "Old Wen" was exactly the nickname his father had in the Dead Man's Peak.
"Come with me."
Wang Nian strode away from the field of mangled corpses, and Wen Jiu followed closely behind, waiting in silence for what was to come.
After walking about a hundred paces, Wang Nian stopped with his hands behind his back and got straight to the point. "Do you still remember what Elder Chen said in the Law Transmission Hall? That those who practice unorthodox paths will harm their bodies, shorten their lives, and even if they become the strongest in cultivation, nine out of ten will never be admitted as an apprentice."
With those words, Wang Nian examined Wen Jiu from head to toe.
Wen Jiu nodded, his face betraying no extra emotion—neither disappointment nor distress.
"I remember."
Wang Nian narrowed his eyes in surprise at Wen Jiu's reaction. "You don't want to be an apprentice at Dead Man's Peak?"
"I do." Wen Jiu answered without hesitation.
Wang Nian grew even more puzzled. "Then why do you look like you don't care at all?"
Wen Jiu replied calmly, "If I obtain it, it is my fortune; if I lose it, it is my fate."
Wang Nian was momentarily taken aback, repeating the phrase in his mouth, savoring it. The more he thought about it, the more profound it seemed.
He couldn't help but reevaluate Wen Jiu.
"A kid with a strong mindset…" Wang Nian praised before continuing, "How about we make a deal?"
"A deal?"
This time, it was Wen Jiu's turn to be surprised.
Deals were made between equals.
But he and Wang Nian were not equals.
He had thought that merely showing some talent and gaining Wang Nian's favor would already be fortunate enough.
Wang Nian waved a hand dismissively. "If it weren't for your sister, do you think you'd even be qualified to make a deal with me?"
"My sister?"
Wen Jiu was stunned.
But before he could ask further, Wang Nian continued, "In a few days, you'll help me clear the corpses in the Dead Ground that have absorbed too much yin energy, reducing the overall yin accumulation. In return, I'll give you a non-ranked Corpse-Nurturing Pearl. This pearl is an excellent aid for corpse cultivators, and even though it's non-ranked, with your status, you'd never be able to buy one… Help me with this, and I'll give you the pearl today."
"Deal!"
Wen Jiu nodded immediately, without hesitation.
Wang Nian, seeing this, nodded in satisfaction.
Just as he was about to add a few more instructions, Wen Jiu spoke up. "Senior, why did you mention my sister earlier?"
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Wang Nian didn't bother to be cryptic and answered frankly, "You're lucky. You have a sister who's good-looking, has a decent personality, and knows how to behave. A few days ago, while she was working as a menial servant, she caught the eye of the old lady of the Xu family. She's planning to bring her into the Xu household as a concubine for her son… Once Steward Xu returns, your sister's status will change completely. Even I will have to address her as Madam Xu Sixteen."
Wang Nian's words contained a lot of information, and Wen Jiu felt a surge of joy. He wanted to ask more about this Xu steward's character and temperament, but he knew it would be inappropriate to ask Wang Nian to speak ill of someone behind their back. Instead, he chose a different question.
"Senior, may I ask what cultivation method Steward Xu practices?"
Hearing this, Wang Nian's face showed a trace of approval. "Didn't expect that your first reaction wasn't joy or excitement, but to inquire about his cultivation method. You're not bad. Rest assured, Steward Xu is one of the side-peak stewards, at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement, and he practices a standard Qi Refinement method…"
Wang Nian hesitated for a moment.
Wen Jiu immediately pressed on, "Senior, please speak frankly. I swear to keep it secret, and I will be forever grateful."
"It's only because you seem like a loyal and righteous kid that I'm telling you this. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't bother." Wang Nian sighed before continuing, "The Qi Refinement method is standard, yes, but Steward Xu himself is… unpredictable. He's greedy, lustful, and temperamental. It's been just one year since he became a side-peak steward, yet he's already taken seventeen wives…"
Wang Nian paused for a beat before adding, "You're probably wondering why your sister is called Madam Sixteen, right? That's because two of them are already dead. It's said that they displeased him, so he killed them with a single palm strike."
"This…"
Wen Jiu's heart tightened.
If his sister married such a man, wouldn't that be like stepping into a pit of fire?
"Thank you for telling me this, Senior." Wen Jiu quickly collected himself and expressed his gratitude, while secretly making a firm decision in his heart.
No. I must quickly improve my cultivation and find a way to stop my sister from getting married.
With that in mind, Wen Jiu hurriedly asked, "Senior, besides ranking in the top three in cultivation a year from now to qualify as an apprentice, is there any other way?"
"There is, of course, but it's not something just anyone can accomplish. I advise you not to think about it."
Wang Nian seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further.
Wen Jiu bowed again, this time at a full ninety degrees, demonstrating the utmost respect. "Please enlighten me, Senior."
"You brat… Fine, it won't hurt to tell you. You'll give up once you hear it anyway. The other way is to kill a disciple from a rival sect—one at least at the second level of Qi Refinement. Even though unorthodox cultivation methods are faster than regular Qi Refinement, to kill a second-level Qi Refinement cultivator, you'd need to reach the peak of the second level yourself. And that… would take you five or six years at the very least."
With that, Wang Nian said no more.
He waved his hand, signaling Wen Jiu to leave.
Wen Jiu bowed respectfully and departed.
As he walked away, he made up his mind—if the first path was impossible, he would take the second.
Qi Refinement, second level?
Fine.
I'll remember that.
—
By evening, Wang Nian handed the Corpse-Nurturing Pearl to Wen Jiu.
The night before, Wen Jiu had thoroughly researched the pearl, and just as Wang Nian had said, it was indeed an exceptional auxiliary treasure for corpse cultivators. Even an ungraded Corpse-Nurturing Pearl had immense value.
Its first function: Gathering Yin energy. As long as the White Ghoul corpse held the pearl in its mouth, Yin energy within a thousand feet would automatically converge around it.
Its second function: Purification. The White Ghoul had a limited absorption rate for Yin energy, but the pearl could refine it, effectively increasing the amount the corpse could take in within the same timeframe.
The moment Wen Jiu obtained it, he immediately compared the daily experience gains, and the results were surprisingly significant.
[Channeling Earthly Fiend Yin Energy, supplemented with large amounts of cultivator blood, corpse-nurturing with Yin energy for twelve hours—Panel experience +1, Corpse-Nurturing experience +6, +13.5, Corpse Cultivator experience +1, Blood Transformation Body experience +12]
"I gave the pearl to the White Ghoul right away… and by midnight, three hours had passed."
An extra 1.5 experience points in just three hours!
That meant an additional six experience points over twelve hours.
The efficiency of corpse-nurturing had increased by a staggering fifty percent!
"As expected, revealing a glimpse of my abilities was the right choice." Seeing the results, Wen Jiu was extremely pleased with his decision.
If he hadn't demonstrated his skills, would Wang Nian have agreed to trade with him?
Would he have gotten the Corpse-Nurturing Pearl?
Maybe he could have bought one in the future.
But that would only happen after he became an apprentice.
And how long would that take?
Three to five years, at best.
But obtaining the pearl in advance meant reducing the time needed to become an apprentice.
Of course, becoming an apprentice wasn't the goal.
Wen Jiu's real objective was to climb higher, to gain access to greater resources—he had lived two lifetimes and understood all too well that resources were always concentrated in the hands of a select few.
Moreover, practicing an unorthodox path meant he had to rise to the top and find someone powerful to rely on. Only then could he avoid being labeled as a heretic and eliminated by the so-called "righteous" sects.
"But if I want to stop my sister from marrying that Steward Xu, this cultivation speed still isn't fast enough."
Wen Jiu's expression turned serious.
He decided to visit Wang Nian again tomorrow.
He needed Yin Souls.
But at night, Yin Souls were too strong—too dangerous.
Yin Souls belonged to the Yin element.
And nighttime had the densest Yin energy.
Yin Souls formed in death-ridden places, and they became even fiercer at night.
Letting the White Ghoul search for them at night, or going with it himself, wasn't the best plan.
What if the White Ghoul got torn apart by a powerful Yin Soul?
Raising another one would take too long.
So he had to hunt for Yin Souls during the day.
In daylight, Yin Souls were weaker.
They hid in dark places.
Ordinary people couldn't find them, but the White Ghoul could.
Although the White Ghoul feared sunlight, death-ridden lands were shrouded in Yin energy, death energy, and blood energy, preventing sunlight from penetrating.
So hunting in the daytime was the best option.