Leidu, who was completely immersed in studying the Ghost Taming Art, finally opened his eyes after three days. His feelings were mixed; the Ghost Taming Art was indeed an incredibly potent spell. However, it was also profound and incredibly difficult to master. Three days had only allowed Leidu to grasp the barest essentials. Furthermore, unlike Chen Ge's Nether Fire Pellet, which only required absorbing Nether Fire during cultivation and could be used instantly in combat, Leidu's Ghost Taming Art demanded the construction of a Soul Nurturing Tower for yin souls to reside in, and the constant capture and refinement of wandering yin souls into Ghost Servants for combat use. Even these were not the primary issues. The most critical problem was that wandering yin souls in the wilderness were categorized by quality. To anyone proficient in the Ghost Taming Art, the vast majority of yin souls were classified as Inferior Ghosts, useful only as cannon fodder even after refinement. Since refining Ghost Servants consumed significant time and vital blood essence, the low growth potential of Inferior Ghost Servants made the investment hardly worthwhile.

Only about one out of ten thousand Inferior Ghosts would manifest as a Spirit Ghost. Spirit Ghosts were further divided into five tiers: Low-grade, Mid-grade, High-grade, Supreme-grade, and Celestial Spirit Ghost. In truth, any Spirit Ghost, even a Low-grade one, held cultivation value, but to rely on one as a trusted lieutenant long-term required at least a Mid-grade Spirit Ghost. However, higher quality Spirit Ghosts were exceptionally rare—a Mid-grade Spirit Ghost might appear only once in perhaps a million Inferior Ghosts. Nevertheless, the Ghost Taming Art noted that having a Mid-grade Spirit Ghost, coupled with a few Low-grade ones, during the Qi Refining stage would confer a significant advantage over peers of the same cultivation level.

These factors explained Leidu’s mixed feelings. He was currently penniless; how could he possibly acquire a Mid-grade Spirit Ghost?

Not only were Spirit Ghosts elusive, but Leidu also had no immediate solution for the Soul Nurturing Tower. Although the Ghost Taming Art listed the necessary materials for a novice’s Soul Nurturing Tower, setting aside the fact that he lacked the materials, even if he gathered them, he possessed no foundation in artifact refinement to construct the Tower himself.

Resigned, Leidu spent several days inscribing and refining his storage belt and small sword. While he couldn't claim mastery, he could barely wield them now. He then packed his few valuables into the storage bag, found an attendant, and had him escort him to the Artifact Refining Room attached to the Myriad Ghost Cave. This room, too, was managed by an elderly cultivator in the Qi Refining stage.

When Leidu greeted him, the old man barely glanced up, continuing to read from a bamboo scroll. Despite a flicker of annoyance, Leidu patiently inquired about the Soul Nurturing Tower.

The old man paused, then immediately began mocking Leidu, asking if he didn't know his place, trying to practice the extravagant Ghost Taming Art at the very first layer of Qi Refining.

From the old man’s rambling, Leidu gradually understood. While the Ghost Taming Art was formidable, achieving success required either vast wealth—an abundance of spirit stones—to purchase a Supreme-grade Soul Nurturing Tower or high-grade Spirit Ghosts. Cultivators beginning with the Ghost Taming Art usually possessed powerful backing, such as being a direct descendant of an Elder, which afforded them access to Mid-grade Spirit Ghosts. Of course, an exception was striking exceptional luck and capturing a superior Spirit Ghost early, much like the Myriad Ghost Ancestor, who fortuitously acquired a Supreme-grade Spirit Ghost at the fifth layer of Qi Refining. It was this Supreme-grade servant that granted the Ancestor overwhelming strength during the Qi Refining stage, enabling him to tackle difficult tasks beyond his level, leading to his subsequent accumulation of wealth, resources, and eventual attainment of the Golden Core Dao.

Yet, despite the Myriad Ghost Ancestor’s lifelong passion for Spirit Ghosts, even after expending countless means and fortunes, he possessed only one High-grade Spirit Ghost and that single Supreme-grade one acquired in his youth. This attested to the extreme rarity of superior Spirit Ghosts. A Mid-grade Spirit Ghost was already a matter of chance, and those above it—many Ghost Taming Art practitioners might never find one in their entire lives.

His face shifting from red to pale under the insults, Leidu steeled himself and asked the exchange rate for the most rudimentary Soul Nurturing Tower. The ten contribution points quoted by the old man caused Leidu immediate chagrin. A bottle of Minor Essence Replenishing Pills cost one contribution point. This basic tower required ten bottles. After a moment of hesitation, Leidu gritted his teeth and asked how many contribution points one would receive for paying spirit stones to the sect.

“Spirit stones?” the old man seemed uninterested in doing business. “By sect rules, depositing one low-grade spirit stone yields five contribution points. How many do you have?”

“I have no spirit stones; I was asking how many contributions one exchanges for a single low-grade spirit stone,” Leidu lied smoothly, his expression unchanged.

“Are you messing with me?” the old man scoffed. “Ten contribution points for one stone. How many do you want?”

“Just asking casually,” Leidu replied, somewhat disappointed. He departed under the old man's angry glare, realizing his two spirit stones—which he presumed were low-grade—could indeed yield one Soul Nurturing Tower if exchanged. However, the discrepancy between the deposit and exchange rates left him unwilling to settle. He mused that if someone had a spare beginner Soul Nurturing Tower, perhaps one spirit stone would suffice.

After consulting his attendant, Leidu learned that within the Myriad Ghost Cave, one senior brother specialized in commerce. Disciples sold surplus items to him, and he would periodically take them to sell outside. The Yin Sha Sect was a major organization, and the quality of items used by its disciples was generally decent. This merchant bought goods at low prices, reselling them to rogue cultivators or established cultivation families for a modest profit.

Upon arriving at the merchant’s door, the attendant notified the occupant. Brother Zhao Baiwan, who exuded the aura of a shrewd businessman, warmly invited Leidu in, showing no sign of looking down on him for being merely at the first layer of Qi Refining.

Entering, Leidu saw his room lined with an impressive array of various goods, resembling a small general store. A slight smile touched his lips.

“Junior Brother, don’t mock me. Zhao considers himself no cultivation genius, just a businessman trying to make a living,” Zhao Baiwan said, pouring tea. “Our Myriad Ghost Cave has only about a hundred members; everyone is busy cultivating or running missions. Even if they had the free time to set up a stall, few would patronize it. Going to the headquarters market is too far for trivial items. So, most senior brothers sell their used goods cheaply to me, Zhao. Junior Brother Lei, be sure to remember me if you have any business in the future.”

Leidu took a sip of tea, exchanged pleasantries, and then stated his purpose directly.

“A beginner Soul Nurturing Tower for novices? Of course, we have them. This is the Myriad Ghost Cave, after all; many people practice the Ghost Taming Art here. But it’s rare to see someone at the first layer of Qi Refining rushing straight for it like you, Junior Brother.” Zhao Baiwan rummaged through his stock, pulled out a Soul Nurturing Tower, and handed it to Leidu. “Exchanging contribution points for this tower costs ten, which is roughly equivalent to two spirit stones on the outside market. However, since we are fellow sect members, I won’t take advantage of you. I acquired it for six bottles of Minor Essence Replenishing Pills, and since this is our first transaction, let’s make it six bottles for you.”

“I feel bad accepting such a deal,” Leidu demurred, but then asked curiously, “However, I don’t know the value of six bottles of Minor Essence Replenishing Pills, nor their relationship to spirit stones.”

“Oh, so Junior Brother has spirit stones,” Zhao Baiwan’s eyes brightened. He smiled and explained, “Turning any resource into sect contribution is usually a bad deal. For instance, your spirit stones only yield five contribution points when deposited, but exchanging them costs ten. Therefore, people usually only use contribution earned from missions or merits to exchange for items. But for calculation purposes, we benchmark the value of buying or selling items against the exchange price. The cheapest exchange item is the Minor Essence Replenishing Pill, one bottle for one contribution point. Your low-grade spirit stone is equivalent to ten bottles of Minor Essence Replenishing Pills. Thus, in my valuation, a basic Soul Nurturing Tower is generally worth the same as one low-grade spirit stone.”