Chapter 25: War Is Coming

When Qi Mingyue mentioned the "Soul-Nurturing Pill," the eyes of the others present lit up instantly.

Wan Yi, seeing this, looked puzzled and asked, "I can certainly get my hands on Soul-Nurturing Pills, but are they really that scarce here?"

It was no wonder he was confused; in the realm of the living, the Soul-Nurturing Pill was not considered a high-grade medicine. In terms of quality, it sat somewhere between the first and second grade. At his own Alchemy Peak, these pills were merely used by new disciples to practice their craft. If a practitioner was skilled, they could refine it to the second grade, but if a novice made it, the quality would only reach the standard of a common first-grade pill. Furthermore, the pill’s effects were nothing special—it was simply used to gently nourish the spirit, much like a health supplement, and most people who made them just consumed them themselves.

Seeing Wan Yi’s bewilderment, Qi Mingyue hurriedly explained, "My dear little Yi, you don't understand. These pills may be worthless in the living world, but here, they are hard currency!"

Noticing that in just this short time, Qi Mingyue had changed her address for him from "Chief Constable Wan" to "little Yi," Wan Yi felt a chill run down his spine. He managed a strained smile and said, "Tower Master Qi, isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Qi Mingyue retorted with a playful huff, "It’s just a form of address! You’re a grown man, why are you being so fussy? Hurry up and get to the point—how many can you get?"

As she spoke, she subconsciously looped her arm through Wan Yi’s. Feeling his arm being pressed between the two large "treasures" on her chest, Wan Yi’s face turned red to the roots of his hair. He swallowed hard, his throat dry, and asked awkwardly, "How many do you want?"

Hearing this, Qi Mingyue became energized and exclaimed excitedly, "How many do you have? I want them all! I’ll pay you one mid-grade spirit stone for every Soul-Nurturing Pill!"

"How much did you say?! One mid-grade spirit stone each?!" Wan Yi’s voice cracked from the sheer shock. It was no wonder he was excited; at Alchemy Peak, a single pill was worth five low-grade spirit stones. Given the exchange rate where one mid-grade spirit stone equaled one hundred low-grade ones, the value of the pill had just increased twentyfold in the blink of an eye. Anyone would be thrilled.

Just as he was about to agree, Yan Wuji interjected, "Qi Mingyue, you’ve gone too far! You’re so obsessed with money that you’re even trying to swindle my brother? In the Wangchuan Tower, a single Soul-Nurturing Pill sells for ten mid-grade spirit stones, yet you’re trying to buy them from my brother for only one? How could you be so unscrupulous!"

*Damn, what is this? Are the profit margins in the Underworld really that high? Good thing I didn't agree yet!* Wan Yi thought to himself, *This woman is truly ruthless!*

Sitting on the other side of Wan Yi, Qi Mingyue grew indignant at Yan Wuji’s rebuke. "Oh, my lord, you have no idea how hard it is to run a household! The Wangchuan Tower is such a massive enterprise, supporting so many ghosts high and low—every bit of it costs money! My success is only on the surface; none of you know how bitter it is behind the scenes. You just signed off on such a massive order! I have to find a way to fill that hole!"

As she spoke, a mist actually gathered in Qi Mingyue’s eyes, giving her a tearful, heartbreaking appearance. However, Yan Wuji, being familiar with her ways, didn't fall for it. He chuckled, "Don't cry poverty to me. Let me tell you, if my brother manages to get you those pills, you are to pay him at least five mid-grade spirit stones for each one."

Seeing that her tactics were useless against Yan Wuji, Qi Mingyue dropped the act. She straightened her face, shot Yan Wuji a glare, and spat, "You smelly man, you have no sense of chivalry at all." She then turned to Wan Yi and said, "Three stones. I will give you at most three mid-grade spirit stones for one Soul-Nurturing Pill. Not a word more!"

Wan Yi agreed immediately, thinking, *Damn, three stones is plenty! It’s tripled in value in an instant! What more could I ask for? Calculating it out, if I bring a Soul-Nurturing Pill over, I’m making a sixty-fold profit on the resale. I’ve really hit the jackpot this time.*

Once the deal was struck, Wan Yi couldn't help but ask why Qi Mingyue was so desperate to acquire these pills at such a high price. With her and Yan Wuji’s explanation, he finally understood. While the pills seemed of little use in the living world, they were treasures to the ghost cultivators of the Underworld.

Ghost cultivators were essentially spirits; these pills not only aided their cultivation but helped them heal wounds, stabilize their souls, and condense their ethereal bodies into physical forms. Before reaching the Golden Core stage, a ghost cultivator’s body remained illusory. However, upon breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, they could solidify their spirit bodies to appear just like ordinary people. Yan Wuji and Qi Mingyue were both ghost cultivators who had achieved this, which was why their bodies seemed no different from the living to Wan Yi.

There were many other uses for the Soul-Nurturing Pill, but in short, it was the dream medicine for every ghost cultivator. Although the Underworld had its own alchemists who could produce "Yin-Soul Pills," their medicinal efficacy was nowhere near that of the Soul-Nurturing Pill. Because the two realms were sealed off, ordinary ghost cultivators could not reach the living world, so they had no way to acquire them. While ghost messengers could travel to the living world, they rarely interacted with mortal cultivators due to their status and strict rules. Even if they occasionally managed to get a few, they were barely enough for their own use, so no one was willing to sell them.

Thus, in the Underworld, the Soul-Nurturing Pill had become a highly sought-after commodity.

Having understood the situation, Wan Yi patted his chest and promised, "Rest assured, everyone. Once I return, I’ll bring you a whole batch of Soul-Nurturing Pills. You’ll be able to eat them like candy!"

With Wan Yi’s promise, the atmosphere of the banquet reached a new peak. Eventually, after the wine had flowed and the meal was finished, and both host and guests were satisfied, Wan Yi gripped his constable token, focused his thoughts, and vanished from the spot.

When he left the Underworld and returned to the thatched cottage behind Alchemy Peak, the world outside was already bright with daylight. Looking at his familiar surroundings, Wan Yi felt a sense of daze; so much had happened in the past twenty-four hours that it felt unreal.

Just then, the sound-transmission talisman in his robe emitted a surge of magical power. Taking it out, he saw a message from Zhou Tong: "Little Yi, what are you doing? Come to the herb garden quickly—something big has happened in the sect!"

"I'll be there immediately," he replied. Wan Yi rose and left the cottage, flying toward the herb garden at the back of the mountain. Along the way, he guessed that the "big event" the girl mentioned must surely have something to do with Junxiu Peak.

But when he arrived at the herb garden and heard what she had to say, he was stunned. *What kind of turn of events is this?* he thought to himself. *How on earth did the cannibalistic monks of the Moluo Sect get dragged into this?!*

As he stood there in a stupor, Zhou Tong continued, "Just a moment ago, my father said that because of what happened last night, the top ten sects of the righteous path have decided to form a cultivation alliance to wipe out the Moluo Sect. This means war!"