Chapter 40: The Soul Hall’s Laughter and the Unexpected Gift

And so, the three beautiful girls let out the distinctive cackling laughter unique to the Soul Hall elders. However, since they were beautiful girls, they didn’t have the chilling effect of those gruff men, and instead, they had a kind of reverse moe appeal.

“Wait, I think someone is about to come out! We better get ready!” Just then, one of the girls sensed something and quickly warned the others.

The other two immediately perked up, and when the door opened again, they rapidly cast a series of spells toward Ye Xiaozi’s door.

Accompanied by a cry of pain, the laughter of the three girls erupted:

“Ha ha ha, how does it feel? Have you felt the pain?”

“Exactly, let’s see if you can still pull off that innocent look.”

“Hmph, this is just a simple lesson for you. Next time… next time… next time…” The last girl was about to deliver a harsh warning when her expression suddenly changed.

Because as the smoke cleared, a girl appeared before them, wrapped in tattered rags. The girl had a striking figure and high looks, ranking among the top in the group of errand brothers. However, this wasn’t Ye Xiaozi.

Just then, the door opened again, and Ye Xiaozi anxiously looked at the seniors outside, her voice filled with worry: “Senior Sisters… Are you… Are you hurt?”

At that moment, the three of them silently swallowed, feeling a chill run down their spines.

****

Time rewinded back to just a moment ago. When Ye Xiaozi entered the room, she intended to sit on the bed and digest the slightly swollen spiritual energy from today. But before Ye Xiaozi could sit, a cold voice came from the side: “Hmph, you finally showed up.”

“Eeh!” Ye Xiaozi panicked and quickly turned to the source of the voice, seeing a beautiful girl in a saffron dress sitting on Wang Xiaomei’s bed, one leg crossed over the other, appraising Ye Xiaozi.

After a moment of thought, Ye Xiaozi recognized her: this was the area leader, known for her influential connections and opulent lifestyle, Senior Sister Qian.

Rumors had it that with her background and talent, she could have entered the outer sect or even the inner sect long ago for cultivation. Yet, she remained among the errand brothers to this day. It was clear she had her eyes set on becoming the overall leader.

An area leader had more resources than others, and as the overall leader, she would surely receive significant support.

Of course, this kind of support was different from what Luo Bingli or Bai Ruxue received. Luo Bingli and Bai Ruxue, with their almost supernatural talent, received whatever they needed from the sect. However, what they truly lacked, the sect couldn’t provide.

“Don’t be nervous, I just came to see the new area leader. And I heard you were rescued by Senior Sister Bai and the Saintess?” Senior Sister Qian had arrived with crucial intel: someone among the new recruits had connections with Senior Sister Bai and the Saintess.

And this person was an ordinary disciple who had previously gone unnoticed. It seemed that because of the Saintess and Senior Sister Bai, she had broken through to the fourth level of Refining Spirit.

Although the gap between the third and fourth levels of Refining Spirit seemed small, the difference was vast. The fourth level allowed for direct manipulation of objects and flying sword techniques. Most people stalled when advancing from the third to the fourth level, which was why there were so few who reached the fourth level in just three months.

Similarly, advancing from the sixth to the seventh level was also a significant leap.

“Uh… Well, Senior Sister is right. I was fortunate to be rescued by Senior Sister Bai and the Saintess. Without them, I might have suffered severe injuries, potentially hindering my cultivation.”

“Is that so!” Senior Sister Qian looked left and right but couldn’t see anything special about Ye Xiaozi. Still, if the Saintess and Senior Sister Bai had taken an interest in her, there must be something extraordinary about her, even if Qian couldn’t see it yet.

With her strategy of investing widely for future gains, Senior Sister Qian decided to offer her support. She coughed lightly, waved her jade-like hand, and a package appeared.

Ye Xiaozi’s pupils dilated instantly, recognizing it as an expensive storage item. It was said that even a square meter of such space cost over a hundred spiritual stones, and that was for low-quality storage bags without after-sales service.

Ye Xiaozi only saw the exquisite ring in Qian’s hand. Even the smallest space in such a ring would be worth thousands of spiritual stones. Ye Xiaozi’s envy knew no bounds, imagining the ring could be worth tens of thousands.

“Here, as fellow area leaders, this is a little gift from your sister. Don’t let others outshine you. If possible, strive to become the triennial new leader.” With that, Senior Sister Qian tossed the package toward Ye Xiaozi.

Ye Xiaozi was puzzled, wondering why she was receiving a gift from someone she didn’t know. Was there some hidden agenda? Clearly, Ye Xiaozi didn’t buy Qian’s excuse.

But when Ye Xiaozi felt the hardness inside the package, she froze. It was spiritual stones, and there were quite a few.

In the cultivation world, spiritual stones and spiritual stone sources had some differences. Generally, spiritual stones were cut into standard sizes for easy cultivation and trading. Otherwise, if the stones varied in size, pricing would be chaotic.

Although the package seemed small, it contained dozens of spiritual stones, along with some bottles and jars, likely cultivation pills. Ye Xiaozi’s face showed a mix of emotions, torn between returning the package and keeping it.

Seeing this, Senior Sister Qian was pleased, thinking that seeing Ye Xiaozi’s reaction made the half-hour wait worthwhile. She flipped her hair and said confidently: “Accept it, Sister. It’s just a token from me!” With that, she walked out.

Just as she opened the door, Senior Sister Qian was taken aback. Several Pure Fire Luminous Arts were visible before her!