Chapter 117: The Mysterious Mask

  "One good thing after another. I'm about to break through to the Soul Wanderer realm," Yang Tian muttered with a grin, his face filled with excitement. He immediately focused his mind and sank into his sea of consciousness.

  Within his spiritual body, dense soul energy surged. The soul energy left behind by the Soul Crystal had only been partially absorbed, and his full spiritual body trembled violently.

  The medicinal power of the Soul Nurturing Lotus Seed was diminishing, continuously flowing into his spiritual body. As it nourished him, the trembling of his spiritual body intensified, and a thick cloud of black energy formed above his head.

  This state lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. By then, half of the Soul Nurturing Lotus Seed's medicinal power had been consumed. Suddenly, his spiritual body grew taller, and the surrounding medicinal energy began to drain rapidly. It wasn't until his spiritual body reached the size of half a palm that the growth finally stopped.

  "Is this the Soul Wanderer realm?" Yang Tian murmured, sensing the disappearance of the tremor. He patted his forehead, and his spiritual body floated out from the top of his head.

  The ten-inch-tall spiritual body stood atop Yang Tian's head, resembling a miniature version of himself. Its pitch-black eyes scanned the surroundings.

  Yang Tian slowly directed the spiritual body to move forward. The consumption of energy was significant, but the speed was astonishing. It zipped through the air with a whooshing sound and could even fly. Typically, breaking through to the Soul Wanderer realm corresponded to the Mysterious Passage realm.

  Thanks to the Soul Crystal and the Soul Nurturing Lotus Seed, Yang Tian's spiritual foundation was several times stronger than others. His spiritual body was exceptionally robust. After playing around with it for a while, Yang Tian felt a hint of fatigue and quickly retracted it.

  "If only I could get my hands on a soul cultivation technique," Yang Tian sighed, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Such techniques were incredibly rare. Despite robbing so many Holy Sons, Yang Tian hadn't even obtained a fragment of one.

  Yang Tian spent the next few days refining pills. In the end, he ruined thirteen batches of spirit herbs but, driven by sheer determination, managed to refine a single high-tier first-grade pill. After that, he decided to stop.

  Having stayed in the Ancestral Dragon Ring for nearly three months, Yang Tian was starting to feel restless.

  Outside Yang Tian's room, a lazy figure leaned against the door. When she sensed that he was still cultivating inside, she pouted. If she remembered correctly, today was the final day of their bet.

  "Is this little guy trying to back out?" After waiting for over half an hour, Meng Yunxi completely lost her patience. Just as her jade-like hand was about to knock on the door, she paused.

  "What if I interrupt his cultivation and he goes berserk?" Her long, narrow eyes flickered as she forced herself to be patient and waited a little longer.

  Half an hour later...

  "Consider yourself lucky today. I'll give you one more day," Meng Yunxi muttered, stomping her foot. She frowned, clearly annoyed. Just as she turned to leave, a light chuckle came from behind.

  "If you're in a hurry to admit defeat, I won't stop you."

  The teasing tone sent a shiver down Meng Yunxi's spine, but she quickly suppressed it. "You little rascal, don't try to fool me with tricks. I'm almost a fifth-tier alchemist," she retorted, her voice filled with confidence.

  Meng Yunxi was convinced Yang Tian had lost. For most people, just refining the medicinal liquid took considerable effort, let alone mastering the use of spiritual energy.

  *Creak...* The door opened, and a seductive figure swayed in, her hips moving like a water snake. Her alluring eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled at Yang Tian.

  "So, little guy, are you here to admit defeat? Don't try any tricks in front of me," Meng Yunxi said, sitting down on the bed.

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  "If I succeed, you promised to do one thing for me, right? No take-backs," Yang Tian said, scratching his head with a sly grin.

  Hearing this, Meng Yunxi's unease grew. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Yang Tian suspiciously. "I never go back on my word. As long as it's something I can do, I'll fulfill your request."

  "You said it yourself. No take-backs," Yang Tian said, holding out his hand. In his palm was a pill, still warm. "Here, fresh out of the cauldron. Take a look."

  Meng Yunxi stared at the pill in Yang Tian's hand, momentarily stunned. She picked it up, feeling its residual warmth. Her heart sank as she sensed the pill's grade, and a look of bitterness crossed her face. A hint of pleading appeared in her eyes.

  Seeing the plea in Meng Yunxi's expression, Yang Tian's heart softened for a moment, but he quickly steeled himself. "You're not thinking of backing out, are you? You promised."

  "A mid-tier first-grade Bone Tempering Pill? This has to be fake. There's no way you could refine this in a month," Meng Yunxi shook her head, her eyes filled with doubt and resentment.

  "Just because others can't do it doesn't mean I can't," Yang Tian said smugly. If he showed her the high-tier first-grade pill he had refined, she'd probably faint from shock.

  Meng Yunxi gave Yang Tian a skeptical look, then rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. What do you want? Just say it."

  "You said it yourself. No take-backs. This is something you can definitely do," Yang Tian said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

  "What are you planning? Don't get any funny ideas," Meng Yunxi said, instinctively leaning back, her voice laced with warning.

  "Uh..." Yang Tian was taken aback by her reaction, then sighed in exasperation. "Who'd be interested in you anyway..." he muttered under his breath.

  "What did you say?" Meng Yunxi's eyes widened, her anger flaring. Her eyebrows shot up, and her cheeks tightened.

  "Nothing, nothing," Yang Tian waved his hands hurriedly, then pulled out a delicate undergarment. A faint fragrance wafted from it as he handed it to Meng Yunxi.

  "You... you... where did you get this? You should be ashamed!" Meng Yunxi's face turned bright red as she stared at the translucent undergarment in Yang Tian's hand. She spat out the words in embarrassment.

  "Hey, I didn't ask you to wear it. Why are you so nervous?" Yang Tian raised an eyebrow, patting his forehead in exasperation. "Just look at who's embroidered on it."

  "Who's embroidered on it?" Meng Yunxi gave Yang Tian a suspicious look, then took the undergarment. When she saw the seductive figure stitched onto it, her blush deepened.

  The nearly naked figure, with its voluptuous curves and rosy skin, looked as if it had just stepped out of a bath. Meng Yunxi's face was flushed as she examined the image. Just as she was about to scold Yang Tian, her expression froze.

  "This... this is Gu Lingyun! Little guy, don't tell me you've taken a fancy to her? She nearly killed you that day. That old woman is despicable," Meng Yunxi said, her mind racing with wild thoughts.

  "Pfft..." Yang Tian couldn't help but twitch his lips, giving Meng Yunxi a look of utter disbelief. He then explained the relationship between Gu Lingyun and Gu Mo.

  *Giggle...* After hearing Yang Tian's explanation, Meng Yunxi burst into laughter, her chest heaving with amusement. The sight was so captivating that even Yang Tian couldn't help but stare.

  "Oh my, her and her nephew..."

  "So, you want me to spread this story?" After a moment, the blush on Meng Yunxi's face faded, and she glanced at the undergarment, finally understanding Yang Tian's plan.

  "Exactly. Your auction house has branches all over the Eastern Continent. Spreading this shouldn't be too hard, right?" Yang Tian said with a smile.

  "I can agree to that, but it's a big risk for me. If I'm caught, I'll be in serious trouble," Meng Yunxi said, waving the undergarment playfully. "Give me another bottle of the Vitality Springwater's byproduct, and I'll help you. How about it?"

  "Do you think the byproduct grows on trees? No way. Change the condition," Yang Tian shook his head vigorously, refusing outright.

  "If you don't agree, you're not getting this back, and I'm canceling our deal," Meng Yunxi said, waving the undergarment teasingly, her tone turning mischievous.

  "You..." Yang Tian was speechless but didn't dare to act rashly. Meng Yunxi was a genuine War King-level expert, far beyond his current strength.

  "Fine, I'll give you the byproduct, but I want a soul cultivation technique," Yang Tian said, narrowing his eyes with anticipation.

  "Dream on. Those are core secrets of my family. I can't give them to you. Do you want the Meng Family hunting you down?" Meng Yunxi rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.

  "If you really want one, I have an idea. But I'm not sure if you're brave enough to try it," Meng Yunxi said suddenly, seeing Yang Tian's disappointed expression.

  "What is it?" Yang Tian asked without hesitation.

  "A few days ago, many powerful figures entered the Ten Thousand Mountains. Someone accidentally stumbled into a cave, but unfortunately, they died inside. It's said to be the cave of a War King-level expert, and it hasn't been fully opened yet. Someone like that would definitely have soul cultivation techniques. Do you dare to go?"

  "Also, the caves outside are nothing like Martial Mountain. They're filled with deadly formations. You could easily lose your life in there."

  Yang Tian frowned at her words. He wasn't afraid of the formations, but with so many people after his techniques, entering such a place would be like walking into a lion's den.

  "Here, take this. It's a treasure that can hide your true appearance from anyone below the War Emperor level," Meng Yunxi said, seeing Yang Tian's hesitation. She pulled out a mask-like object and handed it to him with a smile.

  "Oh?" Yang Tian took the mask and examined it closely. A look of delight spread across his face, and he rubbed his hands together gleefully. But when he saw Meng Yunxi's teasing smile, his expression quickly fell.