Chapter 16: The Business of Immortality

Of course, this was not the truth.

Its true identity was that of a secret manual, recording the Xuan Yin Netherworld Art.

“I don’t know.”

White characters floated in the air, their strokes as meticulously precise and forceful as if penned by a master calligrapher holding their breath in concentration.

Yet, like wisps of smoke, they swiftly dissipated.

Ye Qingfeng, quite astonished, inquired, “I toss every spirit stone I earn into the bag where you reside; can you truly not calculate that?”

A profound indignation surfaced.

This human emotion, however, emanated from a mere book.

“Since you know I’m lying there, why do you keep throwing those spirit stones onto me?”

Ye Qingfeng asked nonchalantly, “It doesn’t hurt, does it? Just bask in the joy of being filled with spirit stones; isn’t that the ultimate pleasure?”

“Consider how many people dream of such a thing.”

“Besides, these are made using the cultivation method recorded within you as the formula, so take a little pride in that.”

Had Ye Qingfeng not mentioned it, all would have been well; but at the mere mention, the Book Spirit’s composure utterly shattered.

It wailed, “This is a divine art leading directly to the immortal path!”

“And you actually used it to concoct things to earn spirit stones!”

“I should never have trusted you back then, especially when you spoke of ‘improving’ my cultivation method!”

“That wasn’t an ‘improvement’ to the cultivation method,” Ye Qingfeng countered.

“I’m preparing to benefit countless beauty-loving cultivators across the Boundless Cosmos, ensuring they no longer wander lost on their path to beauty.”

“With just a small payment of spirit stones, they can transform into entirely different versions of themselves.”

“Then, when that time comes, I’ll reveal to them that all the formulas were unearthed from you.”

“Don’t you think they’ll flock to you, vying to cultivate your art?”

Ye Qingfeng’s words sent a tremor through the Xuan Yin Book Spirit’s entire being.

It had to admit, there was undeniable logic in what she said.

Since it was merely a promotional tactic, it decided to forgive her.

Even if it didn’t, it seemed utterly powerless to do anything against Ye Qingfeng anyway.

Ye Qingfeng rose from her bed, stretching languidly as she made her way towards the room’s glazed mirror.

Simultaneously, the black robe she had been wearing slipped from her shoulders of its own accord, pooling on the floor.

Her complete visage and figure were reflected in the translucent glazed mirror.

Her hair, styled in a windswept bun, revealed delicate temples.

Her brows were lightly brushed, her eyes sparkling with the vibrancy of spring.

Her skin, smooth and lustrous as warm jade, felt exquisitely soft.

Her cherry-red lips, naturally vibrant without adornment, appeared luscious enough to drip.

Two wisps of hair by her cheeks softly caressed her face in the breeze, adding a captivating allure.

Her nimble eyes darted with a playful, mischievous glint.

Clad in a pale green gown, her waist was so slender it seemed one could encircle it with a single hand.

She possessed a beauty so flawless, so ethereal, it seemed she belonged not to the mortal realm.

Despite having been forced into possession of such an unparalleled physique, each time Ye Qingfeng gazed into the mirror, not an ounce of aversion arose within her.

This was especially true for her bosom, which, to Ye Qingfeng, was utterly perfect… a perfect A-cup! (TL Note: Referring to the smallest bra cup size, emphasizing a flat chest.)

Indeed, a perfect A-cup!

The kind where she could glance down and see her toes without obstruction.

There was no excess fat to impede her vision.

Holding her chest out for extended periods never caused her shoulders the slightest fatigue.

In combat, there would be no superfluous hit-detection zone.

And if she ever wished to transform into a handsome male for business, she wouldn’t require any chest-binding at all.

Could anything possibly be more perfect than this?!

No, absolutely not!

A-cups were the supreme path; how could one ascend to immortality without a flat chest?! (TL Note: A humorous twist on the Chinese idiom ‘胸不平何以平天下’ (How can one pacify the world without a calm heart?), implying that a flat chest is ideal for cultivating the immortal dao.)

Having affirmed her thoughts, Ye Qingfeng then focused her attention on her skin.

Her skin was like ‘icy jade,’ exquisitely smooth and soft as fresh cream—an apt description in every sense.

Especially considering Ye Qingfeng had spent the past year constantly on the move, tirelessly striving for survival and cultivation, without a single moment for self-care.

Yet, her complexion had not faded even for a day.

After escaping from adversity, transforming from a disciple of an orthodox Xuanmen sect into a wandering rogue cultivator, Ye Qingfeng had lacked any means of acquiring spirit stones for a considerable time.

If not for Quan Haoqing sharing a significant number of spirit stones with her, there were even months when she would have had to emulate the ancients, refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for her own use.

The crucial point, however, was the environment in which those ancient sages had lived.

Spiritual energy, diffused throughout heaven and earth, didn’t even require deliberate refining; it would simply seep into their bodies on its own.

It was like a fish swimming in the ocean—would it ever fear not finding water to drink?

But now?!

With the ebb of spiritual energy, refining the energy of heaven and earth was no different from a lizard trying to drink in the desert, and the impurities were far more abundant.

Once too many spiritual energy impurities accumulated within the body, cultivation would yield half the results for twice the effort, or even lead to blocked meridians.

The cultivation realms for cultivators were divided into Marrow Cleansing, Origin Reversion, Spirit Tempering, Divine Transformation, Nirvana, and Dao Seeking.

Only after reaching Spirit Tempering could one absorb and expel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth while completely purifying it of impurities.

All cultivation prior to Spirit Tempering relied solely on absorbing the pure spiritual energy from spirit stones.

‘I can endure the darkness,’ she mused, ‘but only if I’ve never seen the sunlight.’

Ye Qingfeng, who had once known prosperity, now observed her own skin.

Had she been a native-born local, she would naturally have been forced to follow the conventional path of other rogue cultivators, seeking out ‘fortuitous encounters.’

Yet, she saw a business opportunity within herself.

The skin of cultivators was indeed significantly better than that of mortals, for during cultivation, as spiritual energy circulated through their bodies, it would expel bodily impurities.

However, Ye Qingfeng was certain that under normal cultivation circumstances, skin would never reach this level of perfection.

This meant that the Xuan Yin Netherworld Art she cultivated possessed beauty-enhancing abilities!

‘A business opportunity!’

‘Truly worthy of being a supreme divine art.’

However, it had also begun to attract the attention of certain individuals.

The toner she produced was developed using her cultivation method.

Although many sought to replicate it, unfortunately, no matter how they researched, they couldn’t decipher the formula.

They could only watch as Ye Qingfeng earned spirit stones from other cultivators.

Consequently, they conceived another method of earning money.

Likely seeing that Ye Qingfeng had always operated alone, they prepared for a wave of ‘robbing the rich to aid the poor.’

This was precisely why Ye Qingfeng had been constantly moving and hiding.

‘If only I had known, I should have eliminated them when their numbers were still few.’

Ye Qingfeng sighed, realizing that her business had already attracted the notice of certain opportunistic individuals.

She just didn’t know whether they were deacons stationed locally by a sect or local aristocratic families.

The night markets where cultivators set up their stalls were not unmanaged.

Behind them stood influential forces, maintaining a basic level of order.

Naturally, these markets also levied stall rental fees.

There were also unofficial markets, spontaneously organized by rogue cultivators, but in such places, murder, robbery, swindling, and deception were commonplace.

Without first understanding their rules, Ye Qingfeng had no intention of risking herself there.

The forces behind these night markets typically didn’t collect much in rent.

This was because the rogue cultivators who set up stalls were not affluent to begin with, and their sales volume wasn’t high.

Ye Qingfeng, however, was different.

Her recent activity had gradually established her reputation as a cosmetics merchant, and the fact that she consistently earned a considerable number of spirit stones had caught the attention of the powers behind the night markets.

Their previous inaction stemmed from their belief that they could replicate her products; now, having discovered they couldn’t, they would surely devise a way to act against her.

Ye Qingfeng grumbled, “Although I’ve heard rumors before, the living environment for rogue cultivators is far harsher than imagined—it’s utterly suffocating.”

Considering the high probability of being collectively targeted, she decided to temporarily suspend her stall activities.

However, a problem now presented itself.

After a year of consolidation, she now harbored hopes of breaking through to the Origin Reversion realm.

To successfully achieve this breakthrough, beyond her own inherent strength, breakthrough pills and spirit stones were indispensable.

‘Alas, if I were still in a sect, disciples wouldn’t even need to worry about realm breakthroughs; breakthrough pills and spirit stones would be readily prepared.’

‘The next auction is a month away.’

At the city’s auctions, Origin Reversion Breakthrough Pills were almost always available, clearly indicating that the forces behind the auction house possessed alchemists capable of refining them.

Each time, the price for a Breakthrough Pill hovered around one hundred and fifty high-grade spirit stones.

While this price was somewhat inflated, it remained the sole avenue for rogue cultivators in the vicinity to acquire Breakthrough Pills.

Ye Qingfeng took out all her assets, gazing intently at the two hundred high-grade spirit stones.

This was undoubtedly a substantial fortune, accumulated through her frugality and careful saving.

It was also why it had taken her a full year to even contemplate a realm breakthrough.

The problem, however, lay in the fact that after purchasing the Breakthrough Pill, she wouldn’t possess enough spirit stones remaining for the actual breakthrough.

To be safe, she would need at least another hundred high-grade spirit stones on hand to successfully break through to the Origin Reversion realm.

‘Should I wait?’

Ye Qingfeng frowned, but swiftly dismissed the idea.

Her cultivation progress had already been delayed.

While she could indeed persist by adhering to such an overly cautious, procrastinating approach, it would only drag things out.

Yet, if she were to act like a thousand-year-old timid tortoise, when would she ever uncover the truth and exact her revenge?

Or, even if she did uncover the truth then, what good would it do?

Following the established routine would forever leave her a step behind everyone else.

Opportunity always favored those daring enough to take risks.

If she wished to acquire a significant amount of spirit stones in a short period, Ye Qingfeng knew of just the place.