Yi Tianxing didn't touch a single coin of the underworld currency. He left it all for Zhao Li and the others to distribute. Even so, the gazes of the ghost messengers toward Yi Tianxing completely changed—there was genuine friendliness and respect. Clearly, even though they knew he was buying hearts, this was a type of "purchase" they were more than willing to accept.
Refusing it would be foolish.The goodwill of a strong man was just as valuable to ghost messengers.
Yi Tianxing didn't involve himself in what came next. He recalled the Dragon Guard and brought Nannan back to the Nether Inn.
The inn was brightly lit. Everything that had transpired in Chiyan City couldn't be hidden from the well-informed eyes and ears within the Nether Inn. Scenes from the battle had already spread far and wide—especially those of Yi Tianxing taking action.
So when he returned, the inn was filled with awe-stricken gazes.Many looked at Nan Nan with undisguised envy. Of course, she still wore her bronze mask.
"My face is only for Brother to see," Nannan had once said to Yi Tianxing with a tone of resolute determination.
They headed to the sixth floor, picked a private room, and ordered some signature dishes from the Nether Inn before sitting down. Yi Tianxing then asked Nan Nan about what had happened to her after their separation.
Nannan didn't say much. She skipped over the hardships and dangers, brushing them off lightly. Her gaze never left Yi Tianxing's face, and the joy she felt was written all over her expression. Though she didn't know how to express it in words, it was clear from her demeanor.
That made Yi Tianxing feel even more heartache.
A little girl surviving alone in a world of chaos—he could imagine the suffering she had endured: begging, being scorned, hunted by foreign races. To survive until now was a miracle.
He didn't need to ask. He understood it all.
Since she didn't want to talk about it, he didn't press her.
However, he looked at her seriously and said,
"Nannan, right now you're just a living soul drawn into the Underworld. Your lifespan hasn't ended. That means you still have a chance to return to the mortal realm. Now that we've suppressed the Red-Robed Ghost King and reclaimed the Ghost Gate leading back to your region, with Zhao Li's help, sending you back won't be hard.
The Underworld may be important, and ghost cultivators can reach the peak of the heavens, but we were born human. The physical body is crucial for the future. Its potential is greater—the mortal realm offers more possibilities.
So I plan to send you back."
"Brother, back in the mortal realm, my body was severely injured by a powerful enemy from another race. It was crippled. Otherwise, the Red-Robed Ghost King couldn't have drawn out my soul so easily. I was even preparing to walk the path of reincarnation.
But now that I've found you again, I'd rather not reincarnate. I'd rather remain in the Underworld—even as a rogue ghost cultivator—than be separated from you."
Nannan shook her head with unwavering resolve.
Her greatest goal had always been to find Yi Tianxing. Now that she had, she had no intention of leaving—no matter what the cost.
"Don't worry. I have a Reincarnation Pill.
Even if your body is shattered, as long as a single drop of your blood remains, it can bring you back to life. Flesh restored, fate renewed. Here, take it.
Just swallow it when the time comes—whether with your body or your soul, it won't matter."
Yi Tianxing smiled and brought out a Reincarnation Pill sealed in a jade box covered in restrictive runes—clearly an immensely valuable item.
He explained its effects to Nannan. Her eyes lit up with joy. Naturally, regaining her physical body was something worth celebrating. A living body conferred many advantages for cultivation. Though ghost cultivators could also possess bodies, they would always be laced with yin energy.
Becoming a ghost cultivator required specific ghost-path techniques.
Take Nie Xiaoqian, for example—she had a body. Without one, how could she bear children?
Now, with the Reincarnation Pill, this was no longer an issue.
Nannan accepted the pill without hesitation. She didn't offer thanks or pleasantries—everything was stored deep in her heart.
"By the way, Nannan, why did you want the Red-Robed Ghost King?"
Yi Tianxing asked.
"Brother, I want to devour him.
The Red-Robed Ghost King is a fire-type ghost—born with a fire-element physique. If I consume him, my body will undergo a powerful transformation, and my cultivation will soar."
She told Yi Tianxing everything without hiding anything and revealed her self-created technique: "Northern Sea Swallowing Heaven Technique" (北冥吞天功).
Of course, if it had been any other cultivator, she would never have shared such a thing.
A technique built on devouring others was bound to be seen as taboo.It would draw fear, greed, and murder. Once exposed, she would be hunted down before she could even grow strong.
Nannan had long understood that—her every act of devouring had been done in secret.
"From what you're saying, this 'Northern Sea Swallowing Heaven Technique' is still in its early, crude form.
Luckily, you laid the foundation for it early on, so your core Dao remains stable. But it's too rough right now. If you try to cultivate with it, the risks are high.
Trying to devour the Red-Robed Ghost King at your current level is practically suicide. There's a 90% chance of backlash."
Yi Tianxing frowned.
He didn't envy the technique—his own "Heavenly Emperor's Imperial Dragon Scripture" far surpassed it. Even if Nannan tried to devour his power, she'd barely touch a fraction of it. The gulf in quality was too vast.
Still, he understood her plan.
She wanted to devour divine and sacred physiques, turning her ordinary body into a supreme celestial body. By doing so, she would bridge the largest gap in her cultivation—her innate potential—and grow step by step to the top.
"But combining all these physiques into one is extremely dangerous.
Different bloodlines may not be compatible. If they clash, it could cause catastrophic backlash and destroy you on the spot.
Without a solution to the bloodline conflict, you're walking a death path."
He didn't sugarcoat his words.Cultivation techniques were no joke—one misstep and you were dead.Devouring the Red-Robed Ghost King now was sheer recklessness.
"I know, Brother.
But with my current abilities, this is all I can do. Even if there are risks, I can only try to deal with them later."
Nannan replied calmly.
"Relax. Your issue is one of foundation.
The number of techniques and scriptures you've seen is too small—you don't have the heritage to support the creation of your own cultivation technique.
But that's what I'm here for. Open your mind.
I'll give you ten thousand techniques and Daoist scriptures.
With your comprehension, that should be enough for you to refine and perfect your technique."
Yi Tianxing had already realized the root of the issue when she spoke.
She lacked the foundation to create a supreme technique. That wasn't her fault—she hadn't had the opportunity.
But if a "furnace" is filled with myriad scriptures, it can forge a peerless method.
With a thought, a divine sense left Yi Tianxing's body and entered Nan Nan's brow.
It carried with it thousands upon thousands of scriptures, martial arts, Daoist and Buddhist texts. All of it was sealed to prevent overload—but she could access it at will.
"There are a few key scriptures you must study:
One is the 'Dao Heart Planting Demon Scripture' (道心种魔经),Another is the 'Origin of Ten Thousand Tribulations Demon Scripture' (万劫始魔经).
They'll be very helpful for refining your technique.
And the 'Sitting Forgetfulness Scripture' (坐忘经) I gave you earlier—study it seriously. It's more profound than you think.
If we were in the Great Yi Dynasty right now, I'd let you view the 'Insight into People Scripture' (观人经) too—you might gain sudden enlightenment."
Yi Tianxing shook his head slightly.
"Next, I'll send you into a world that was born from my life-bound treasure.
There's a special place within that world that greatly aids in understanding the Dao.
It will make comprehending these scriptures much easier."
If you lack a foundation—then as your brother, I'll make up for it.