Due to Ding Wanyan’s fame and cultivation level in this cohort, she had become an existence that all her peers had to look up to. Furthermore, her demeanor was aloof and distant, as if naturally guarded against everyone, which deterred most people from approaching her. This did not mean, however, that the blooming hearts of the young disciples held no flicker of secret adoration for her.

With skin like ice and bones of jade, stunningly cold and possessing exceptional aptitude, her cultivation progressed at a blinding speed. All these merits had unconsciously mythologized Ding Wanyan in the minds of her junior brothers. She was like a proud goddess, untouched by worldly concerns, held high above, drawing reverence, worship, and the most deeply hidden, nascent romantic yearning.

Still, most only dared to bury this nascent affection in the deepest recesses of their hearts. The vast gulf between them easily bred feelings of inferiority. Even the seemingly seasoned Chen Ge admitted that the nervousness he felt speaking before Senior Sister Ding was no less than what he experienced facing the Ancestor himself.

Perhaps the only exception was Zhou Minghua, one of the three direct disciples of the Ancestor’s current generation. He considered himself an astonishing talent, even if he inwardly conceded he was slightly inferior to his senior sister, he was leagues ahead of everyone else.

At this moment, he and a few junior brothers stood not far away. As a direct disciple, he was never without his entourage of followers.

“Lei Dong!” he ground out through clenched teeth, chanting the name inwardly. His eyes were already faintly red with jealousy. “A mere common disciple at the third layer of Qi Refining? How could trash like you even dream of touching Senior Sister Ding? It’s nothing short of a toad lusting after swan meat.”

As if oblivious to the fact that many people were mentally dissecting him, Lei Dong maintained an air of calm composure. He withdrew an exquisitely carved bracelet from his storage belt and offered it forward slightly. Before Ding Wanyan could fully recover from her surprise, he spoke with an expression of intense sincerity and utmost respect: “Senior Sister, please do not misunderstand; I, Lei, am not trying to flatter you.”

His words were carefully chosen. Offering a carved bracelet to a girl would naturally trigger vigilance in a sensitive female mind—is this person harboring intentions toward me? Yet, Lei Dong used a phrase explicitly denying flattery, indirectly suggesting to Ding Wanyan that pursuit or romance was the furthest thing from his mind; his immediate concern was clarifying his lack of flattery. Pursuit is an affair between a man and a woman. Flattery, however, pertains to status, irrespective of gender. Although the term ‘flattery’ made Ding Wanyan slightly uneasy, the sharp edge of her vigilance was blunted by more than half.

“Junior Brother Lei, what is this?” Ding Wanyan couldn't quite grasp his motive. It wasn't pursuit, nor was it sycophancy; what exactly did he want? She failed to realize that she was already being led by the nose without her awareness.

“The situation is this: About two years ago, I was constantly hunting Yin Souls in the wilderness. With extraordinary luck, I managed to capture a Mid-grade Spirit Ghost.”

At this, even Ding Wanyan showed a slight flicker of surprise: “Junior Brother Lei, you are quite fortunate.”

Lei Dong, having already plotted his narrative, spoke fluently: “Although I also cultivate the Ghost Controlling Art, given my current lack of funds, I calculated that selling it would be better. After selling that Mid-grade Spirit Ghost, I used the money to acquire a High-grade Soul Nurturing Tower, raising three Low-grade Spirit Ghosts. Keeping them for two years and performing several Blood Sacrifices would yield a superior overall combat strength compared to using a low-tier Soul Nurturing Tower for a Mid-grade Spirit Ghost. Once my realm advances, obtaining a Mid-grade Spirit Ghost will be much easier.”

Ding Wanyan followed his logic and conceded there was some merit to it: “It’s a sound idea, but Mid-grade Spirit Ghosts are rare; even with a higher cultivation, they are difficult to obtain. However, having a High-grade Soul Nurturing Tower means you won't suffer a loss.” Yet, she still couldn't discern the connection between this calculation and the storage bracelet in his hand.

“When purchasing the High-grade Soul Nurturing Tower, I happened to see this storage bracelet,” Lei Dong said, gratitude resurfacing on his face. “I immediately thought that Senior Sister had shown immense kindness to my brothers and me, and I hadn't yet expressed my thanks. Seeing how beautiful this bracelet looked and how perfectly suited it was for Senior Sister, I simply bought it.”

Hearing him call it beautiful, Ding Wanyan instinctively examined the storage bracelet. Indeed, the carving was exquisite; the openwork resembled scattered starlight. However, her prior assistance was rooted partly in shared indignation and partly in her inherent nature; she hadn't expected repayment. It felt improper to accept a gift.

Just as she opened her mouth to decline the gift, Lei Dong spoke again, his tone earnest: “Senior Sister Ding, please, do not refuse. That matter might have been a trivial exertion for you. But for the three of us brothers, it concerned matters of life and death. How could a mere storage bracelet possibly repay even one fraction of a life-saving debt? If Senior Sister refuses to accept it, I fear I will be restless and unable to eat or sleep for the rest of my life.”

Ding Wanyan was genuinely moved. Firstly, the storage bracelet was undeniably beautiful—any girl loved pretty things. Secondly, he had escalated the issue to the level of repaying a life debt; refusing now would seem utterly heartless, slighting his sincere intentions.

Seeing Ding Wanyan hesitate, Lei Dong knew the matter was nearly settled. He proactively pressed the storage bracelet into her hand, offering a wry smile: “If Senior Sister does not accept it, it would be too ridiculous for me to wear a woman’s storage bracelet myself.”

“Then I thank you, Junior Brother Lei.” Ding Wanyan truly admired the bracelet and no longer demurred, accepting it. It was hardly surprising; although it was acquired as a bonus gift, he had spent over twenty days meticulously comparing options. He hadn't sought the highest quality, but rather unparalleled design.

Her acceptance was seismic, causing the complete collapse of every disciple who had been watching the scene, whether intentionally or casually. This fellow daring to approach Senior Sister Ding to strike up a conversation was already a capital offense, yet he had the audacity to present a gift. And for Senior Sister Ding to unexpectedly accept it!

In an instant, many began to eye Lei Dong with simmering hostility. Even Chen Ge and Wei Hua glared at him with jealousy. The strongest reaction came from Zhou Minghua, the Ancestor's other direct disciple; fire seemed ready to erupt from his eyes.

In truth, Lei Dong had been subtly watching Zhou Minghua all along. Initially, he intended to give the storage bracelet to Ding Wanyan in private, hoping to strengthen their bond and perhaps latch onto Senior Sister’s influence. That way, should any issues arise later, he would have an ally to speak for him. But after learning that Zhou Minghua had reached the fourth layer of Qi Refining over a year ago and was highly likely to cause trouble for him during this upcoming Three-Year Minor Competition, Lei Dong had devised a plan.

If Zhou Minghua merely intended to harass or humiliate him, so be it. But the young man was arrogant and overbearing, and Lei Dong feared he might try to inflict real harm. If that were the case, Lei Dong certainly wouldn't hold back. Never mind that he was only the Ancestor’s direct disciple; even if the Ancestor himself tried to strike him down, inflicting a wound in return before death would be worthwhile—though whether he could actually land that bite was another matter entirely.

Consequently, he felt compelled to use a clever stratagem and temporarily align himself with the Senior Sister in front of everyone. Firstly, it would make Zhou Minghua hesitate to act ruthlessly, forcing him to maintain some level of restraint. Secondly, even if Zhou Minghua disregarded caution and forced him toward death, if something untoward happened to Zhou Minghua in Lei Dong’s hands, he would have the Ancestor’s favorite, Senior Sister Ding, to speak up for him. Furthermore, having already reported his possession of the High-grade Soul Nurturing Tower and the three Spirit Ghosts to his Senior Sister, deploying the three ghost soldiers in combat would not appear sudden. If he claimed they were merely Low-grade ghost soldiers upgraded through repeated Blood Sacrifices, that would explain why each of his Low-grade ghost soldiers possessed innate magical abilities. After all, even Low-grade ghost soldiers, after multiple Blood Sacrifices, had a chance to gain innate magical arts.

Moreover, ghost servants that have undergone Blood Sacrifice are, in a sense, linked to their master’s consciousness and bloodline, becoming part of the master’s life force. Others might be able to kill them, but recovering them into their own Soul Nurturing Towers for quality inspection would be nearly impossible. Of course, they could force Lei Dong to compel the ghost servants to agree to be collected and inspected. However, if things escalated to that point, it would mean he was exposed and the pretense dropped. At that stage, simply resorting to the method of Soul-Extracting and Spirit-Refining would be far simpler.