After washing up, Yu Yan placed a basin beneath the stone stalactite to catch any liquid and left the cavern with Xiao Wu.
They rolled a boulder to seal the small opening, disguised the spot, then sat on the mountaintop chatting while waiting for sunrise.
As the sun rose, countless strands of purple qi appeared from nowhere.
This was the first time Yu Yan used purple qi to Cultivate after breaking through to Tenth Level and gaining a spirit ring.
Before this he'd been following Yu Qingfeng's group and never had the chance; on his first morning back in Balak City it had rained, so again no purple qi.
Today the weather was perfect—nothing would block the rising sun.
After a slight hesitation, Yu Yan drew three strands of fading purple qi into his cultivation.
Before becoming a Spirit Master he had guided two strands;
now that he'd broken through there was no reason to stick to the same number.
If he did, what had been the point of the Breakthrough?
The three dissipating strands posed no pressure; he refined them effortlessly.
It felt like the first time he'd refined a single strand after mastering the process.
Next time he might double the number—or try refining purple qi at its peak.
But not yet; progress had to be gradual… Finished with his daily purple qi cultivation under the rising sun, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu carried the Human-Faced Cicada's corpse to Shimo Village.
At the gate they found the sleep-deprived Village Chief Shi and anxious villagers waiting for news.
"Chief Shi, the strange cries you heard came from this thing. Problem solved—please sign here."
Yu Yan tossed the corpse in front of them and produced the form for the chief's signature and thumbprint, confirming completion.
Once the signed form was taken back to the Soul Master Guild, he could collect three gold coins and quest points.
Guild Ranks were Bronze Soul, Silver Soul, and Gold Soul, matching bronze, silver, and gold coins.
Finishing quests and earning points raised your Rank.
Higher Rank meant better quests and better rewards.
The system let the guild and new Spirit Masters learn each other's ways.
Important jobs were never handed to unknown newcomers.
The Human-Faced Cicata startled everyone; a bug with a human face was too grotesque for villagers who'd never left Shimo.
Chief Shi steeled himself, prodded the corpse, and once satisfied it was dead signed and stamped the form.
Yu Yan politely declined the villagers' offer of a meal, and he and Xiao Wu set off back to Balak City.
Shimo Village wasn't far; they reached Balak Junior Soul Master Academy before classes began.
Tuesday's lesson was spirit power cultivation; after almost a month the instructor had finally taught every first-year how to use the Meditation Technique.
Some had long since become Spirit Masters, some had already known how to Cultivate, others were only now learning—progress was uneven.
To help the slower students, the teacher kept reviewing key points.
Yu Yan and Xiao Wu had been up all night and had already cultivated that morning; they knew the technique inside out.
So they decided to nap during class.
Sleeping while a lesson droned on felt entirely different from sleeping in your own bed.
A teacher's voice has a strange power—especially when the subject bores you.
Those who know, know.
Lulled by the droning safety tips, Yu Yan quickly dozed off.
Soon Xiao Wu, equally drowsy, slumped against him and joined his dreams… That afternoon they handed in the Shimo quest at the guild and picked up a new one from the city smithy.
The smithy had taken an urgent large order and needed a Spirit Master who could produce high-temperature flames.
Reward: seven to ten gold coins, depending on contribution.
The job was right in the city; Yu Yan's fire fish from his Ice and Fire Twin Fish could produce scorching flames—perfect fit.
His flame temperature was high, so he easily passed the smithy's test and claimed the lucrative job.
At the forge he learned from a hammer-wielding Spirit Master that his task was to release high-heat fire during the quenching stage.
Chatting with the smiths, he discovered the weapons were an urgent shipment for Balak Kingdom's frontier.
At eight that evening, after quenching the final blade, Yu Yan gulped the drink Xiao Wu handed him; the forge was sweltering and he was parched.
Xiao Wu's Spirit couldn't produce fire, and the smithy didn't need her help, so Yu Yan handled the job alone.
"Thanks for the hard work, kid. Your fire fish's flames are hot; the batch came out top quality. Here's your pay."
The head smith presented the completion form and ten gold coins.
Yu Yan had only used the fire fish, never showing the Ice and Fire Twin Fish.
After all that labor he pocketed the form and coins without protest—he'd earned them.
He exchanged a few parting words and left.
It had taken him two years to save fewer than two gold coins; less than a week after becoming a Spirit Master he now had fourteen.
With enough coins saved, it was time to earn money at the Soul Fighting Arena.
Flush with gold, Yu Yan could now use his foreknowledge to power-level.