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Join the ServerThe Source of Essence lay hidden within the Dantian. To retrieve it, one needed to employ a special cultivation technique, inscribing eighty-one layers of intricate formations upon it, one after another, until it could finally be extracted.
While the process demanded patience, Zi Linglong found herself hesitating. The Dantian’s location, just above the lower abdomen, made her reluctant to proceed.
Having never been so intimately close to a man, Zi Linglong’s hesitation was palpable. If others knew of her wavering, they would undoubtedly mock her, deeming her ‘not a true woman’.
Even powerful female cultivators, including those from orthodox sects, typically had one or two companions.
Engaging with men in such a manner was entirely commonplace in the cultivation world, hardly a rarity.
Despite the cultivation world’s skewed gender ratio, with more women than men, high cultivation was a form of capital.
Even if they didn’t actively seek male companions, many male cultivators would flock to them like moths to a flame, offering themselves for cultivation resources. They could have as many as they desired.
From the slender to the voluptuous, every type imaginable.
It was enough to make one dizzy with choice.
Yet, Zi Linglong, a powerful female cultivator of considerable beauty, had never experienced intimate contact with a man. She was truly a rare anomaly in the cultivation world.
However, Zi Linglong’s situation was unique. Had it not been for the Ghost Fiend Yin Art, she would not have been so averse to men.
Truthfully, it was Shen Ruotong of the Lingtian Sect who was even more perplexing, rejecting men entirely due to her obsession with cultivation. This led some in the cultivation world to secretly speculate about her capabilities.
She had even rejected the advances of the cultivation world’s most handsome man. No one knew what kind of man she would eventually fall for.
‘A quick death or a slow one, I must obtain the Source of Essence today and uncover the hidden secrets of the Ghost Fiend Yin Art!’
After much deliberation, Zi Linglong resolved that one must make sacrifices to achieve great things. Though she cursed her lack of experience in such matters, she knew she had no choice but to proceed.
It was merely Ye Cha; Zi Linglong held him in no regard whatsoever!
With this thought, Zi Linglong took a deep breath. After forcefully pulling down Ye Cha’s square-cut trousers, she immediately focused her mind, using her finger as a brush to swiftly outline the intricate formations.
As she concentrated, Zi Linglong found herself drawing closer and closer to Ye Cha.
Eventually, they were incredibly close, their breaths distinctly audible.
Despite the lack of a stinging sensation when near Ye Cha, her long-standing lack of contact with men made Zi Linglong instinctively resistant. Had it not been absolutely necessary to obtain the Source of Essence, she would never have approached Ye Cha so closely.
Now, it was merely a task!
She had to overcome this difficulty.
Lost in these thoughts, Zi Linglong’s concentration wavered, causing her hand to pause. The formations nearly failed.
She quickly steadied her mind, dismissing all other thoughts, and refocused solely on inscribing the formations before her.
Unconsciously, she had knelt beside Ye Cha.
Her head slightly bowed, her fair neck appeared slender and graceful. Her deep purple hair bun had come slightly loose, with a few strands cascading over her shoulders and framing her cheeks, further accentuating the paleness of her skin.
Inscribing the formations was not as easy as it seemed. A single mistake could render all previous efforts useless, thus demanding extreme caution.
Zi Linglong didn’t even have time to wipe the sweat from her brow. Tiny beads of perspiration rapidly dripped, leaving small wet marks on Ye Cha’s inner garments.
Due to her exertion, a faint, elusive fragrance emanated from Zi Linglong, quickly diffusing through the air. The exotic aroma filled Ye Cha’s nostrils, causing the unconscious man to let out several muffled groans, struggling to awaken.
Alas, he could not.
Hearing Ye Cha’s sudden sounds, Zi Linglong’s hands continued their work, but her eyes immediately darted to his face. She did not believe Ye Cha could break free from the suppression of the Ghost Ring Bind on his own.
The white smoke released into the bonfire earlier was not merely a sleeping agent. It was the effect of the Million Souls Grand Duke, a secret treasure crafted by Zi Linglong using a million living souls, which activated the Ghost Ring Bind.
In the cultivation world, besides various grades of magical artifacts, there existed another unique type of secret treasure.
These secret treasures had unknown origins and indeterminate grades, yet they were highly sought after by cultivators for their special effects. However, not every secret treasure was useful; some ineffective ones would often be mixed in, fetching exorbitant prices from eager cultivators.
Zi Linglong’s Million Souls Grand Duke, requiring a million living souls for its refinement, was clearly no ordinary secret treasure.
Unlike cold, inanimate magical artifacts, the Million Souls Grand Duke was soft and pliable like dough, its dark, unassuming appearance belying its true power.
If the Million Souls Grand Duke were lost, others wouldn’t even spare it a glance.
However, its utility was immense.
Among other things, many ghost cultivation secret arts, when aided by the Million Souls Grand Duke, could have their effects boosted by more than half.
In the Southern Barrens, only reclusive old monsters possessed secret treasures like the Million Souls Grand Duke. As for why Zi Linglong had it, it was due to the formidable power of her Ghost Fiend Sect, which collected tributes from other ghost cultivators annually, with a large portion flowing into her hands.
Collecting souls alone was too slow, but when dozens of sects gathered them collectively, the speed was incomparable.
This demonstrated the power of numbers.
After successful refinement, the Million Souls Grand Duke possessed incredible regenerative abilities. Its discarded scraps could then be used to perform various ghost cultivation secret arts.
The Ghost Ring Bind could completely seal one’s divine sense, plunging them into an unconscious state. The higher one’s cultivation, the shorter the unconscious period; conversely, the longer it was.
Ye Cha, with only a Golden Core cultivation, would likely remain unconscious for an entire day if Zi Linglong did not actively release the bind. This made it convenient for Zi Linglong to acquire the Source of Essence.
If it were Shen Ruotong, there was a high probability the bind would fail, and Zi Linglong dared not gamble. In a clash between experts, a single misstep could lead to death.
Moreover, Shen Ruotong’s sword arts were famously formidable, an experience Zi Linglong had no desire to undergo.
As long as she could resolve the transparency flaw of the Ghost Fiend Yin Art, with her perfect affinity for the cultivation method, Zi Linglong was confident that her cultivation speed would not lag behind Shen Ruotong’s.
Even if she had to minimize her cultivation time due to concerns that stronger cultivation would exacerbate the transparency, Zi Linglong’s current cultivation was already quite high. This clearly showed that the Ghost Fiend Yin Art was exceptionally outstanding in cultivation, vastly different from the slow pace of other cultivation methods.
As Zi Linglong completed half of the formations, her speed gradually slowed. She began to etch the remaining formations at a steady pace, fearing that rushing might lead to failure at the last moment—a thought that brought a pang of discomfort.
With her pace reduced, Zi Linglong was no longer as tense as she had been initially. Relaxing, she found herself appreciating Ye Cha’s handsome face, finding it quite pleasing to the eye.
However, at that very moment, Ye Cha’s eyes suddenly opened, meeting Zi Linglong’s gaze.
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, There Is a Monster in The Imperial Palace is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : There Is a Monster in The Imperial Palace
