...... Suddenly, Chen Ge steeled his nerve and immediately knelt down. He pulled the Mid-grade Fire Cloud Sword from his storage belt and offered it respectfully, "Reporting to the Old Ancestor, this Fire Cloud Sword was confiscated from that wretch in the Extreme Yin Cave. I hope the Old Ancestor will accept it." As he spoke, the fellow winked conspiratorially at Lei Dong.

Lei Dong immediately caught the cue and swiftly produced the jade box containing the Lingzhi mushroom. His expression was earnest and excited, "Old Ancestor, this is the Lingzhi mushroom that my two companions and I found, only a breath away from reaching a hundred years of age. I dare not hope for anything else, only that it may help the Old Ancestor take another step toward the Nascent Soul stage, as a token of the filial piety of your three disciples."

Of course, they couldn't offer up the other paltry trinkets. Such a gesture would not be seen as filial piety, but rather as an insult.

The three of them understood that while the Lingzhi and the Fire Cloud Sword were valuable treasures in their own eyes, to a powerhouse of the level of the Myriad Ghost Old Ancestor, they were probably no different from a common weed by the roadside. The reason for presenting these treasures was twofold: firstly, these items had already been mentioned in the previous incident, so whether the Old Ancestor cared for them or not, showing filial piety was a separate matter entirely. Secondly, even if the Old Ancestor genuinely accepted these items, given his status and their position as his junior subordinates who had just done him a great service, how could they not offer a token of appreciation? Even a single strand of hair pulled from the Old Ancestor's body would be thicker than their own thighs.

It was likely the Myriad Ghost Old Ancestor was in an exceptionally good mood that day, having seen his old rival, the Extreme Yin Old Ghost's newly accepted direct disciple, eliminated so cleanly and justly. This naturally contributed to his high spirits, especially since these young ones were thoughtful enough—whether sincerely or not—to know they ought to honor the Old Ancestor with treasures.

With a slight wave of his hand, the Fire Cloud Sword and the Lingzhi box drifted slowly into the Myriad Ghost Old Ancestor's grasp. He lightly stroked the sword and praised, "This sword is not bad; a Mid-grade Magic Tool." Saying so, he tucked it away into thin air. He then opened the jade box containing the Lingzhi, glanced at it twice, and nodded, "This Lingzhi is only a few months shy of its full term. What’s rare is that there wasn't the slightest error during transplantation, which speaks to your meticulous caution."

After a brief pause, the Myriad Ghost Old Ancestor finally collected the Lingzhi. "I shall accept both of these treasures. I will handle the matters here fairly. The three of you will remain in the grotto for the next two years to cultivate in peace. You may go now~"

Seeing that the Myriad Ghost Old Ancestor had truly accepted their offerings without giving any token in return, the three felt a distinct sense of having failed to profit from a risk—a feeling of bringing a chicken only to lose the rice. However, at that moment, not one dared to show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction; instead, they all displayed expressions of happy relief and entitled acceptance. They did not dare linger, bowed their farewells to the Old Ancestor, and allowed the Ghost Slave to escort them out.

The Ghost Slave had not exchanged another word with them from beginning to end. Once outside the Old Ancestor’s cave residence, the three of them proceeded directly to Chen Ge's quarters before they could fully relax. A string of events had unfolded, and although they had all maintained composure, only the three of them could truly grasp the myriad dangers involved. They collapsed onto chairs, utterly exhausted, yet their expressions held a mixture of relief and chagrin. Especially regarding the Myriad Ghost Old Ancestor accepting their gifts without any reciprocal gesture before simply waving them away.

After resting for a while, they collectively submitted the nearly life-threatening team mission report. Lei Dong's contribution points, which had been zero, now registered as ten. The record for these points was miraculously imprinted directly onto the disciples' waist pendants. As long as they were within the Yin Sha Sect, they could exchange these points for anything they desired wherever they went using this pendant. Chen Ge also sold his miscellaneous items to Zhao Baiwan, resulting in a final haul of eight Spirit Stones, plus ten bottles of Minor Vitality Replenishing Pills. After dividing these equally among the three, Lei Dong received two Spirit Stones and the ten bottles of pills. Since he had spent one Spirit Stone on the jade box earlier, Lei Dong’s current total assets amounted to exactly forty-two Spirit Stones.

Lei Dong also took the opportunity to check the exchange rate for spell manuals with Tang Qian. After perusing for a good while, he settled on a manual titled God Forging Art, based on Tang Qian's recommendation. The God Forging Art was not an overly profound manual, but it was simple and easy to understand, perfectly suited for cultivators in the Qi Refining stage to temper their mental focus and divine sense—it was considered a foundational technique for refining the mind and spirit. Even so, the jade slip containing the God Forging Art required thirty contribution points for exchange.

Having no energy left to undertake more missions, Lei Dong gritted his teeth and reluctantly donated four Spirit Stones to the sect in exchange for twenty contribution points. This allowed him to finally acquire the God Forging Art. The number of Spirit Stones sharply decreased from forty-two to thirty-eight, causing him a pang of heartache. Nevertheless, obtaining the God Forging Art was essential, as he had personally experienced the terrifying might of the Ghost Soldiers.

By his estimation, if he were to command two Ghost Soldiers now, his mental focus and divine sense would likely be just sufficient. But if he tried to spare his concentration to manipulate a Magic Tool as well, it would be extremely strained. Therefore, he absolutely needed to strengthen his mental cultivation intensity. While cultivating the Profound Yin Heart Sutra would naturally increase his mental focus and divine sense, as his cultivation realm advanced, the power of his Ghost Soldiers would also need to keep pace. Otherwise, reaching the tenth layer of the Qi Refining stage while commanding only first-tier Ghost Soldiers would be useless. The more powerful the Ghost Soldiers, the more mental focus required to sustain their actions. Consequently, his mental intensity would inevitably prove insufficient by then.

Other cultivators who practiced Ghost Controlling Arts might settle for commanding just one, as Spiritual Ghosts were rare and often sufficient ninety percent of the time. But Lei Dong was fortunate enough to possess the monstrously heaven-defying treasure that was the Soul Devouring Pagoda; controlling only one or two Ghost Soldiers would be a complete waste of such a gift.

After careful consideration, Lei Dong resolved to intensify the cultivation of his mental focus and divine sense, pushing his mental strength as far as possible. Commanding one additional Ghost Soldier of the same level as himself would result in a significant overall boost to his combat power—an advantage others did not possess. Thus, though parting with the four Spirit Stones was painful, Lei Dong felt the expenditure was worthwhile.

After parting ways with Chen Ge and the others, Lei Dong settled down diligently at home, practicing breathing and meditation, striving hard in his cultivation. To accelerate his progress, he consumed a Minor Vitality Replenishing Pill every few days. While meditating, the Spirit Stones he held were indispensable. As a result, his progress was quite satisfactory. Furthermore, he dedicated two hours every day to tempering his mental focus and divine sense using the God Forging Art.

Just over a month later, the Ghost Slave suddenly paid a visit. Lei Dong was both surprised and delighted, inviting him inside. It turned out the Ghost Slave was there on the Old Ancestor's command to distribute rewards to the trio. Lei Dong was overjoyed to receive a Mid-grade Magic Tool called the Cloud Ascending Boots, along with a hefty reward of one hundred Spirit Stones. Although he didn't know what Chen Ge and the others had received, he was certain it wouldn't be less than his own share.

Lei Dong now had some understanding of the value of Magic Tools; even the lowest-quality Mid-grade Magic Tool was worth at least a hundred Spirit Stones. Better ones in the mid-grade category often fetched several hundred. These specific artifacts, the Cloud Ascending Boots, possessed exquisite craftsmanship, and one could visually perceive the spiritual light subtly fluctuating within them. Even more remarkable, regardless of the size of the wearer’s feet, they automatically adjusted upon being put on, making them incredibly comfortable. Even without actively channeling the tool’s power, the wearer felt a distinct sense of lightness. Clearly, even among Mid-grade Magic Tools, these Cloud Ascending Boots were an exceptional item.

After declining Lei Dong’s attempt to give away the entire stack of Spirit Stones, the Ghost Servant promptly departed. Lei Dong hurriedly contacted Chen Ge and Wei Hua via the access control system. Once confirmed that they had received the exact same treatment—one Mid-grade Magic Tool and a hundred Spirit Stones each—Lei Dong’s heart finally settled, the barely contained ecstasy threatening to burst forth. Indeed, a single strand of hair plucked from the Old Ancestor was thicker than the thighs of the three unfortunate brothers; his personal wealth had effectively increased nearly tenfold overnight.

However, once Lei Dong’s mind quieted down, his thoughts became clearer again: although external wealth was tempting, one's own cultivation realm remained the most crucial factor. If he could cultivate to the Golden Core stage like the Myriad Ghost Old Ancestor in this lifetime, these Mid-grade Magic Tools and Spirit Stones would become utterly insignificant.

Taking several deep breaths to center himself and achieve greater composure, he put away the Spirit Stones and Cloud Ascending Boots he had been fiddling with. He swallowed a Minor Vitality Replenishing Pill, grasped a Spirit Stone whose spiritual energy seemed slightly dimmed in his palm, and resumed his arduous practice, desperately striving to break through to the second layer of the Qi Refining stage. ......