Chapter 98: This Time, Let's Try Something From the Underworld

Su Ji'an pondered for a moment; this still did not guarantee absolute success. After all, Xi Wang was a cultivator at the Spirit Transformation stage.

There had been a precedent for this before. When the Holy Lord had snuck into the Hall of Punishing Evil to kill Long Hu, the target had also been bound by the Demon-Binding Rope, yet Long Hu’s Primordial Spirit had still managed to escape in the end.

Although the Primordial Spirit of a Spirit Transformation cultivator is fragile—once the physical body falls, the spirit struggles to exist for long in the world and loses most of its power, unable to even contend with an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator—there are certain secret techniques that can compensate for this weakness, though they are not common.

Therefore, to ensure there were no slip-ups, he needed to provide the Holy Lord with some means to restrain the Primordial Spirit of a Spirit Transformation cultivator. The Blood Toad Gu could not deal with a spirit, so he had to look elsewhere to unlock something new.

[Soul-Hooking Lock (Imitation): Refined by a certain Ghost Immortal, the genuine item is used by Soul-Hooking Envoys. It is the bane of Primordial Spirits, spiritual bodies, and ghosts. Any Primordial Spirit below the level of an Immortal has no power to resist when faced with this lock. However, it is only effective upon the first use, and one must chant the incantation "Heaven and Earth are Infinite, the Universe Borrows the Law" before each use.]

[Do you wish to spend 60,000 Spirit Power points to unlock?]

Let’s try something from the netherworld this time. Su Ji’an did not know if a true Underworld existed in this world. Although the path of immortality was flourishing, there were no legends of Underworld Ghost Immortals in the world. Plus, this thing was voice-activated...

The cost to unlock this item was truly exorbitant—a staggering 60,000 Spirit Power points. However, its value was immense; it could even restrain the Primordial Spirit of a Mahayana stage cultivator, which would surely prove useful in the future. This was only an imitation; the genuine article would require millions of Spirit Power points to unlock. Still, even though it was only effective for the first use, he could summon it infinitely, rendering that restriction meaningless to him.

Su Ji’an did not hesitate and immediately chose to unlock it.

[Current remaining Spirit Power: 201,455.]

He then proceeded to edit the task for the Holy Lord.

[After killing Xi Wang, head to the Qingyun Sect and lie in wait. Closely monitor the movements of Shen Lianxiang, the leader of the Southern Alliance, and ensure you are not detected by the Righteous Alliance.]

[Task Reward: Soul-Hooking Lock, the bane of Primordial Spirits, spiritual bodies, and ghosts... requires the incantation "Heaven and Earth are Infinite, the Universe Borrows the Law" before use.]

[Task Penalty: Deprivation of the Undying Body.]

This matter was also of urgent importance. Cui Wenzi should have already reached the territory of the Monster Race, and it should not be difficult for him to contact the Monster Emperor. When that time came, the exact movements of the mastermind behind the scenes would be of paramount importance. The Qingyun Sect was the sect to which Shen Lianxiang belonged, and it was the most powerful sect within the Southern Righteous Alliance. The position of Righteous Alliance Leader was traditionally held by those with virtue, but in reality, those with the biggest fists were the ones deemed virtuous.

With that, there should be no issues. Su Ji’an sat back and waited for the good news from the Holy Lord.

***

That very day, just as Su Ji’an had anticipated, news arrived from Feng Chen. This young man had been very low-key over the past few days, unlike other players who would loudly broadcast their success in the player channel after breaking through to the Qi Refining stage.

[Because no one applied for the position of clerk at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in Hanshan City, player Feng Chen easily became a clerk there.]

Su Ji’an was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Feng Chen to infiltrate the Myriad Treasures Pavilion so easily. Previously, the clerks at the Hanshan City branch were mostly used as cannon fodder to vent anger. Su Ji’an had already grasped the root of the problem. The concerns held by the players were the same as those held by everyone else in the world. The Righteous Alliance had a formidable reputation, and no one wanted to be cannon fodder for the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. This was what had given Feng Chen his opening. Moreover, Hanshan City was merely a secular city; only in the most important shops were clerks appointed directly from within the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Su Ji’an casually added a follow-up task for Feng Chen.

[Investigate the true situation of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in Hanshan City, including the remaining inventory of spiritual items and the strength of the cultivators guarding the branch.]

[Task Reward: Ten Heavenly Spirit Pills.]

[Task Penalty: Deduction of 20 years of lifespan.]

The Myriad Treasures Pavilion would certainly strengthen its defenses this time, but they would definitely not deign to send a Void Refinement stage expert to a secular place like Hanshan City. It was already no easy feat for them to have sent a Spirit Transformation cultivator to Hanshan City in the first place. Spirit Transformation cultivators were not as common as cabbages; the Myriad Treasures Pavilion could not possibly mobilize too many of them on short notice. Having just spent 60,000 Spirit Power points, he needed to find a way to recoup his losses. The Myriad Treasures Pavilion was the best target, and besides, the Righteous Alliance would serve as the perfect scapegoat.

This task was very simple, and he believed Feng Chen would return with the information soon. This kind of thing was not a secret, unless the Myriad Treasures Pavilion intentionally concealed it. This did not affect Feng Chen’s investigation; he would have to test the waters eventually. Only by ensuring there were no issues could he make his move.

A moment later, Feng Chen reported the results of the mission.

[Player Feng Chen, through subtle probing and previous hearsay, learned that there is only one Golden Core cultivator guarding the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. The shop's inventory is very low, sufficient only for a few days of sales, and consists mostly of common goods. Any items not in stock require advance orders.]

Su Ji’an: "..."

He hadn't expected the Myriad Treasures Pavilion to have learned their lesson; this was indeed a clever strategy. Although it would be quite troublesome to have to replenish the shop's inventory frequently, it was a permanent solution.

Even if it were looted again, it would be a minor inconvenience for the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Furthermore, the guard was now only a Golden Core cultivator, a drop of two whole tiers in power. Su Ji’an was not disappointed; this precisely proved that the Myriad Treasures Pavilion did not intend to let matters rest, otherwise they would not have responded this way.

***

That night, Su Ji’an and Zhao Qianxue felt the atmosphere was right and once again began their practice of the Mysterious Maiden Scripture. An hour later, Zhao Qianxue was the first to give out, exhausted in both body and mind. Su Ji’an had no desire to sleep and went out into the courtyard.

There had been no news from the Holy Lord yet; he wondered how things were progressing. The Holy Lord would likely choose to make his move tonight.

A moment later, he did not receive news of the Holy Lord’s actions, but he did receive a notification from player "Mushroom Chill."

[Player Mushroom Chill has discovered a bizarre-looking rat. It not only walks on its hind legs but also has a tuft of golden fur on its head and carries a hundred-year-old mountain ginseng on its back.]

A monster? Or perhaps a young monster that hadn't yet taken human form. Su Ji’an didn't pay much attention and continued reading.

[Player Mushroom Chill’s eyes lit up, and he immediately gave chase. Seeing him chasing, the rat moved with increasing agility.]

[Mushroom Chill pursued it all the way into the deep mountains, unknowingly arriving at a secluded cave dwelling.]

[Mushroom Chill discovered that the interior was another world entirely, but he hadn't taken more than a few steps before he was shredded by the restrictions within the cave.]

[Player Mushroom Chill has died, and the mission is interrupted. Does the host wish to spend 1,000 Spirit Power points to resurrect player Mushroom Chill?]

Mushroom Chill and "Emperor Ye" had come to see him the day before yesterday. Seeing that others had already obtained cultivation methods, they had naturally come to turn in their tasks. The two had not gained much—merely a few unranked spiritual herbs and some common medicinal plants—worth about 200 Spirit Power points in total. But this time, Mushroom Chill had encountered something extraordinary. It was likely a stroke of luck, but fortune often went hand-in-hand with risk, and it warranted a closer look.