In Song Yan's arms, there are two Jade Tokens, one of his own containing 83 points, and another belonging to Miss Qiu, containing 7 points.
Miss Qiu, to prove her usefulness, worked tirelessly on skin making, managing to accumulate 7 Contribution Points in half a year, and then... she handed them all to Song Yan.
The youngster skillfully made his way to the low-level market at the foot of the mountain, and along the way, he excavated a bundle under a marked rock, changing into a low-hooded cloak and human skin mask.
These items were purchases he acquired during his trips to the market over the past few months, including three bottles of "Strengthening Ginseng Pill," totaling 1 Contribution Point.
The human skin mask was merely a mask used by Jianghu people, easily identifiable by a cultivator with a slight perception, hence inexpensive, but to Song Yan, it was quite useful, allowing others to mistake him for a bandit or some evil Jianghu figure.
And in the months following his huge acquisition, he acted normally, without causing any suspicion, descending the mountain regularly, which led him to discover that Jianghu people from outside also visit the market below the mountain.
Puppet Sect, in the eyes of evil martial artists from Jianghu, is clearly an emperor towering above, much more advantageous than a mundane Dynasty.
Through conversations with those people and Qiu Lianyue, Song Yan learned that the world to which he had transmigrated seemed vast, with numerous dynasties, and the Puppet Sect he was in was situated in an evil cultivation force at the "Three Kingdoms Border".
The Three Kingdoms, however, were mortal kingdoms, coincidentally named Wei, Shu, and Wu, but these kingdoms seemingly had no relation to the Three Kingdoms Song Yan knew of before his transmigration.
As a result, whenever the Puppet Sect desired people, it would plunder any of these kingdoms, with an inexhaustible supply.
As for controlling dynasties, the Puppet Sect seemed disinterested; firstly, mortal dynasties lacked Profound Stones and Profound Veins, wasting time meaninglessly; secondly, they still needed mortal dynasties to continually provide "people" as resources.
Song Yan arrived at the foot of the mountain, pretended to wander outside, but today he didn't purchase "Strengthening Ginseng Pill," nor did he visit the usual stalls, instead, after a while, he entered a pavilion and skillfully swiped his Jade Token on the "Goods Display Board."
A series of goods information instantly appeared in his mind.
Song Yan quickly swiped the Jade Token, spending 88 points to buy "Qi Concealment Technique," "Qi Arrow Technique," then reluctantly gazed at the newly added goods from last month.
"Soul-Searching Skill," a Refining Profound magic, applicable, price: 199 Contribution Points.
The more one fears something, the more one desires it.
Song Yan wanted to buy it very much.
But 199 Contribution Points were still too expensive for him...
Song Yan glanced at it, then quickly left.
He was about to take a few detours, dispose of the human skin mask and cloak before returning to the cliff top, but suddenly heard commotion at the market entrance.
It was clamor, accompanied by some malicious laughter.
He paused his steps, turned his head towards the market entrance, and saw carts of prisoners approaching from afar, though the men and women inside were dusty and despondent, they all bore a noble air, clearly not ordinary people.
The men were handsome, and the women beautiful, all exuding a high-class aura, certainly not common.
Some Jianghu people nearby were laughing wantonly.
"Is Wei Kingdom going to be completely destroyed? Royal females and princes are all captured, even though the Blood Gun Gang revolted, they were sensible enough to send all these people to the Puppet Palace to show reverence to the immortals."
"It's rumored that the Wei Kingdom's royal family has a trace of Multi-tailed Fox Race bloodline from the Mountain and Sea Kingdom. Although that bloodline is extremely thin, insufficient for cultivation, it grants them extraordinary beauty, both men and women alike... Now it seems the rumors might be true."
"Look, isn't that the Eldest Princess Cao Yanran of Wei Kingdom in the lead? Tsk tsk tsk, I've heard of her beauty in Jianghu, the most beautiful in Great Wei. But what of it? She's still sent to the Puppet Palace, from now on... likely only to become a lowly servant."
Song Yan looked at the front cart, the woman indeed exquisitely beautiful, such that any man would be moved upon seeing her. Although Qiu Lianyue had some charm, she was far from comparable to her.
Relating to the words of those Jianghu people, Song Yan sighed lightly in his heart: it seems the world outside is unsafe too.
If this scene was merely "watching TV or a movie," he would feel sympathy, but in such a world, he found it already challenging enough to take care of himself for survival.
In such times, each person should only sweep the snow from their own doorstep.
'Still have to become stronger.'
...
...
That night.
Song Yan recounted to Miss Qiu what he'd seen and heard at the market today.
He recalled that Miss Qiu was also from Wei Kingdom.
And after listening to Song Yan's words, Qiu Lianyue was dumbstruck for a long while, then quivered as she spoke: "Even the Eldest Princess was captured?"
Song Yan said, "I heard those Jianghu people say, her name is Cao Yanran."
Qiu Lianyue said, "A beauty that captivates the kingdom, the peony of Wei Palace..."
She murmured, then sighed long and deeply, then her eyes reddened, tears streaming down.
Song Yan said, "Do you know her?"
Qiu Lianyue said mournfully, "Our family business's background in Great Wei is Yanran Eldest Princess. My father took me to see her once.
At that time, standing before her, I felt as if a dazzling light was in front of me. I dared not even raise my head, much less steal a glance at her...
Brother Song, you mentioned the Blood Gun Gang's rebellion. It hasn't been more than this half year. Since Yanran Eldest Princess and many royalties were captured, our family business might have also suffered from this calamity."
Originally, Qiu Lianyue still harbored a slight hope of returning home, but now... this faint hope is completely shattered.
Her complexion turned pale, her eyes hollow, murmuring, "Dynasties change, but the lasting ones are these Cultivating Profound sects..."
Suddenly, her expression became excited again, clutching Song Yan's hand tightly, she said tremblingly, "Brother Song, you must succeed, you're a good person, you must succeed.
Actually, I guess it, I guess that your cultivation requires drawing from me for it to work, don't be gentle, you already bought me so many medicines, draw a bit more, you must not fail! I don't want you to fail! You mustn't fail!"
Song Yan scratched his head.
In truth, what worried him now was not failure, but concealment.
After Qiu Lianyue finished her watch for the first half of the night, he sat back at the door of the Suspended Room, his expression stirred, panel brought up:
[Name: Song Yan]
[Life Span: 17/3908]
[Talent: Remaining Life Dao Fruit]
[Realm: Refining Profound Level 1]
[Spirit Root: Inferior Ghost Profound Root (can perform Life Span Calculation)]
[Cultivation Technique: Profound Qi Guiding Technique (Mastered) (can perform Life Span Calculation)]
[Magic: (can perform Life Span Calculation)]
"Qi Concealment Technique"(Not entry-level)
"Qi Arrow Technique"(Not entry-level)
In over seven months, he accumulated a considerable amount of life span, and his understanding of the relationship between [Cultivation Technique] and [Magic] deepened a bit.
Cultivation Technique, it is a strange method for cultivation, a tool for cultivation, without any differentiation in levels. Using this method to absorb Profound Qi is the essence of [Cultivation Technique]. But this absolutely does not imply that [Cultivation Technique] is simple, quite the opposite, it is rather complex, like the intricacies within "Profound Qi Guiding Technique", requiring visualization, hearts method, and other details.
But the true Slaughter Technique lies in magic.
Magical Battle, battling is not about Cultivation Technique, but magic.
After purchasing "Qi Concealment Technique" and "Qi Arrow Technique", Song Yan also understood that magic has levels, they are: entry-level, Xiaocheng, Great Success, Perfection.
Now, he focused his attention on "Qi Concealment Technique".
Only if he could hide his aura and not be exposed, would he continue choosing to break through the realm.
[Please choose to invest life span]
Song Yan, adept, began his attempt.
Life span numbers began to change.
[You invested one year to comprehend "Qi Concealment Technique", spent three months effort, you reached entry-level, after another three months, already Xiaocheng, by year-end, you achieved Great Success. You realized that so-called Qi Concealment is actually gathering Qi, hiding Qi. Within the human body, like a maze, muscles, bones, skin, blood, organs, every meridian can hide Qi. Others trying to probe your realm, unless obvious, need to test with Qi, upon touching your Qi, naturally knowing your realm. But if you hide it beforehand, letting them unable to find, then the Qi... will naturally be concealed]
'Achieved Great Success in one year?'
Song Yan was somewhat surprised.
But recalling this is a common technique, and considering his singular focus during comprehension, he felt it acceptable.
Seeing his life span still abundant, he decided on something ambitious, recalling Qi Yao previously stated "The terrifying aspect of Ghost Cultivators is in their ability to mutate ordinary magic, twisting and transforming them into illusion techniques, devouring and such."
[You invested ten years to comprehend "Qi Concealment Technique", after one year, you achieved Perfection, able to gather Profound Qi within your body, hiding it anywhere in your body at will, occupying just one position. Not satisfied, continued trying to conceal Qi, yet showed little results. In repeated experiments, you finally noticed some anomaly, your internal Profound Qi wasn't ordinary Profound Qi, but Evil Profound. Evil Profound Evil Profound, with evil mixed within, you began pondering how to utilize this unique force. Five years later, you realized "Soul-Collecting Technique", capable of extracting Evil Qi from your Evil Profound within temporarily, anyone daring to use Qi to explore your realm and information can be repelled by your Evil Qi. Still not satisfied, continued trying. After another four years, achieved nothing.
Song Yan glanced at the panel.
[Magic]
"Soul-Collecting Technique"(Perfection)
Clearly, the mutated magic he realized needs no more cultivation.
'Still abundant life span, converting it into power stabilizes further, then... continue.'