Chapter 489 - 496: Entering the City, Selling Medicine

Song Wanning let out a soft, somewhat helpless laugh.

But she wasn’t envious. Her own Cultivation was advancing so quickly that it wouldn’t be long before she, too, reached the Mahayana Realm.

The Divine Nether Profound Fire perched on Song Wanning’s shoulder, watching as the ghost servant was instantly pulled into her inner world. The whole thing felt a bit surreal.

"Sister, none of us can enter your inner space. Why can the ghost servant?"

"Is it because he absorbed a large amount of Yin Qi before?"

But the inner world has Spiritual Energy too, so why can’t the Dragon Spirit go in?

The little companions’ eyes widened with curiosity, their gazes filled with a thirst for knowledge.

But Song Wanning just shrugged. "I don’t know either. It was just a spur-of-the-moment reaction."

’The Unlucky Ghost has had enough bad luck. Since he’s with me now, I should do my best to protect him.’

With that, she released the Unlucky Ghost from her inner world. But the moment he appeared, her pupils contracted slightly.

Because the last traces of a living soul about him had completely vanished, replaced by a dense Yin Qi.

And he had actually embarked on the path of a Ghost Cultivator!

Song Wanning’s eyes flashed with shock, filled with astonishment.

"What happened to you?" she demanded in a low voice.

The Unlucky Ghost still looked bewildered, but he now felt a mysterious sensation within his body. His previously exhausted and famished form was suddenly filled with power.

In his entire life, he had never experienced such a feeling.

It was incredible!

"I—I don’t know either. As soon as I went in, a gray gas started gathering around me."

The Unlucky Ghost blinked, looking even more confused.

What he was describing couldn’t have been Yin Qi. The Netherworld was filled with Yin Qi, yet many souls still couldn’t achieve enlightenment and become Ghost Cultivators. They could only be wandering phantoms, drifting aimlessly through the Underworld.

If they were lucky enough to meet a kind Ghost Cultivator, they might be taken in as a ghost servant, helping with daily chores in exchange for Yin Coins to buy supplies.

Therefore, what the Unlucky Ghost must have felt was Chaos Qi.

Song Wanning’s expression changed. ’This Unlucky Ghost has been so unfortunate even in death, yet this time he hit the jackpot and absorbed Chaos Qi?’

She narrowed her eyes. She had originally planned to just deal with him for a short while, but now she couldn’t just let the Unlucky Ghost go.

’After all, Chaos Qi is so precious. Since the Unlucky Ghost absorbed it, he’ll just have to stay with me.’

’Anyway, he can stay in my inner world, and when I leave here, he’ll have a place to cultivate.’

The more Song Wanning thought about it, the more she felt this was the only way she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage. Her gaze toward the Unlucky Ghost grew much more shrewd.

Being watched with such a gaze, the Unlucky Ghost felt a shiver of unease.

He looked at Song Wanning with an innocent and glum expression, his entire ghostly being radiating an aura of dejection.

Song Wanning could barely bring herself to look at him. ’Acquiring this ghost servant of mine was a bit... hasty.’

...

After a night, Song Wanning finally left Rebirth Valley.

Leaving Rebirth Valley, Song Wanning felt as if she had returned to the Spirit Realm, except that Yin Qi permeated everything and the plants looked rather bizarre.

But as soon as she entered a city, the familiar feeling returned instantly.

Especially the buildings—they were magnificent and opulent, all in the style of an imperial court.

’Every other building in the city is built like an Imperial Palace. It must be a lingering obsession from these Ghost Cultivators’ past lives.’

She began to wander through the city, curiously passing by the roadside stalls and observing the many Medicinal Herbs of the Netherworld.

Ghost Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, Spirit Cultivators, Buddhist Practitioners...

Each path of cultivation was different, but in the end, they were all forms of cultivation.

Therefore, Ghost Cultivators also required Cultivation Materials and had a currency for trade and to aid their practice.

As Song Wanning browsed, she observed her surroundings discreetly, her eyes lighting up slightly.

On her way here, she had dug up quite a few promising-looking herbs. From what she gathered from the stall owners, she might be able to exchange them for some Yin Coins.

’Then I can buy some books about the Netherworld to learn more about this realm.’

So she quickly searched the city for a shop and walked into the nearest one.

Upon entering the shop, a Ghost Cultivator immediately came to greet her, putting on a standard, practiced smile. "Ma’am, may I ask if you’re here to buy or to sell?"

"We have everything here. As long as it’s something you need, we can find a way to get it for you."

The Ghost Cultivator spoke with a hint of confidence; after all, their shop was one of the best in the entire Ghost City.

Song Wanning calmly scanned the layout. There weren’t many Ghost Cultivators in the main hall, which looked rather sparse. The upper floors were likely more crowded.

"I’m looking to sell some Medicinal Herbs. Take a look."

She didn’t waste words, taking the Medicinal Herbs out directly. ’I wonder if I can try refining Ghost Pills...’ she thought to herself.

’If I can, won’t the Yin Coins just come rolling in?’

"Oh? In that case, ma’am, you can let me have a look at them."

The Ghost Cultivator’s expression remained unchanged as he took the Medicinal Herbs from Song Wanning and examined them carefully.

"Hmm, these Medicinal Herbs are all very fresh. They were picked carefully, with no damage."

"How about this? I can give you a total of three hundred Yin Coins for them. What do you think?"

The Ghost Cultivator didn’t dare to lowball Song Wanning. After all, her level of Cultivation was plain to see.

"Alright," Song Wanning agreed. Her priority was just to get the money first.

"Then please have a seat, ma’am."

The Ghost Cultivator immediately invited Song Wanning to sit in the main hall while he took the items into the back room.

Ghost Cultivators came and went through the entrance. If she ignored the Yin Qi clinging to them, Song Wanning might have forgotten she was in the Netherworld.

She watched the Ghost Cultivators coming and going and was startled to realize that their Cultivation levels were generally quite high.

Ghost Cultivators relied mainly on Yin Qi for their practice. As for fortuitous encounters, Song Wanning didn’t know much about them.

But Ghost Cultivators had long lifespans to practice, so the Netherworld must be full of old ghosts. They were afraid of lightning and feared undergoing tribulations.

Because of this, some Ghost Cultivators were likely unwilling to ascend, preferring to lord it over others in the Netherworld. After all, undergoing a tribulation could very well lead to instant death and the complete annihilation of their soul.

’As an outsider, I have to be careful here and not reveal any flaws.’

The Ghost Cultivator wasn’t gone for long before he returned with a tray, on which were arranged three hundred Yin Coins.

They were called Yin Coins, but they were irregularly shaped, like small stones, and emitted a dense Yin Qi.

This was the currency of the Netherworld.

"Please count them, ma’am."

The Ghost Cultivator placed the tray in front of Song Wanning and added, "We have many treasures on the second and third floors, as well as Soul Nourishing Pills specially procured from Ghost Valley. Would you like to take a look, ma’am?"

His eyes gleamed, hoping that Song Wanning would spend the money she had just earned right here—and perhaps even spend more Yin Coins on top of that.

"Soul Nourishing Pill?"

Song Wanning’s heart stirred upon hearing the familiar name. ’Could it be the same as the Soul Nourishing Pill from the Spirit Realm?’

’And that Ghost Valley... is it a place that specializes in refining Ghost Pills?’