[Sword Spirit Physique experience +20!]
[Sword Spirit Physique (20/100) Exotic Grade]
[Metal Spiritual Root aptitude +20!]
[Low-grade Metal Spiritual Root (20/10)]
[Fire Spiritual Root aptitude +20!]
[Medium-grade Fire Spiritual Root (20/100)]
"My physique can grow stronger too?!" Ye Ba was somewhat surprised.
Though he had no idea what tier "Exotic Grade" belonged to.
Still, since it was a free gain falling into his lap.
He was making a massive profit either way!
"That she-devil Bu Shenghua actually practiced in seclusion for this long after knocking me out!" Ye Ba felt an itch of deep resentment.
True to her name as a she-devil, she showed no mercy whatsoever toward spirit slaves.
Had he not possessed the Supreme Yang Immortal Body, he probably would have died.
Once his cultivation improved, he would return every bit of this with interest!
And let these she-demilsses taste his suffering as well.
"Wait, wouldn't that mean she still gets the upper hand?" Ye Ba felt somewhat helpless, realizing the flaw in that plan.
Still, Bu Shenghua's aptitude was quite decent; the experience gained from her spiritual root in a single session was five times that of Chu Yao!
"What a pity. If only those first few hours had counted toward the tally too!" Ye Ba felt a tinge of regret.
He only gained experience through physical contact.
Consequently, those initial hours had been a completely free ride for her.
No matter, though—Bu Shenghua had already crossed that threshold for the first time.
This sort of thing only ever had a first time and countless times after.
He wasn't worried about the future at all.
"Huh? Did she leave this for me?" Ye Ba looked at a medicinal vial by the bedside, uttering a startled sound.
He had no idea what kind of habits these she-demons had.
They always left something behind after they were done.
Chu Yao had been like that, and Bu Shenghua was too!
It made him feel like some sort of male escort.
He opened the vial and poured out the pills to inspect them.
Inside were ten golden pills, each about the size of a glass bead.
A first-grade medium-tier pill, the Yang-Replenishing Pill.
Upon recognizing the pills, Ye Ba's expression immediately fell into deep disappointment.
This stuff was meant for replenishing vital essence.
His essence was already overflowing, so he had no use for it whatsoever.
She would have been better off leaving him some pills that could advance his cultivation.
Still, Bu Shenghua was quite generous; she looked rather like a little wealthy mistress.
He put the pills away, looked at the messy bed, and smiled helplessly.
He got up and meticulously cleaned up the bedclothes.
Making sure no trace of the she-devil's belongings was left behind.
He carried the rumpled bedsheets outside, tossed them into a basin of water to wash, and hung them out to dry.
"Washing them every single time wastes too much of my time. Can't these she-devils bring their own gear!" Ye Ba thought to himself.
Afterward, he brewed another batch of Essence-Enhancing Pills.
"The Essence-Enhancing Pills are enough for my cultivation needs. There's no need to go out for a while!" Ye Ba warned himself.
He had just gone out yesterday, and by evening, a Law Enforcement Hall disciple had come knocking. Someone had definitely seen him spending too many spiritual stones and reported him.
These sect disciples might not be living all that well themselves, but seeing someone else living comfortably made them jealous and eager to stir up trouble.
Returning to his room, he swallowed a pill and sat cross-legged to cultivate.
Ye Ba quickly entered a state of deep meditation.
...
Time passed swiftly.
Before he knew it, afternoon had arrived.
Thud, thud, thud!
Someone knocked on the courtyard gate of Ye Ba's residence.
Waking Ye Ba from his meditation.
He got up, walked to the door, and looked outside through a crack in the wooden panels.
Recognizing an acquaintance, he opened the door.
"What happened to you? Why do you look like you've been completely hollowed out?" Ye Ba asked in surprise as he looked at Qin Shuang standing before him.
Spirit slaves had their own social circles, too.
Qin Shuang right before him was a friend he had made over the years.
His cultivation aptitude was slightly better than Ye Ba's, and he was currently at the Qi Condensation 3rd Layer.
"Don't even ask. A few days ago, a she-devil rented me from the Spirit Slave Hall, and I went through days of inhuman torment. I barely made it back alive, and to top it all off, I have to go back to that she-devil's place tomorrow." Qin Shuang's face was plastered with lingering fear.
Unlike Ye Ba, who dragged at the very bottom of the Qi Condensation 1st Layer, Qin Shuang was at the Qi Condensation 3rd Layer and still got rented out by she-devils.
At least five or six times a year.
The she-devils who rented spirit slaves from the Spirit Slave Hall showed not a shred of mercy.
Having spent spiritual stones, they squeezed their slaves for all they were worth, terrified of getting a bad return on their investment.
One could only imagine the miserable state of the spirit slaves.
If it weren't for the fact that they had to compensate the Spirit Slave Hall with spiritual stones if a slave died, there was a high probability these slaves wouldn't make it back alive.
"Come in and sit down." Ye Ba invited him inside and poured a cup of water.
Qin Shuang had just sat down and taken a sip when he suddenly gave Ye Ba a long, deep look.
He raised an eyebrow and said, "Brother Ye has broken through to the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer?"
"Ah, I managed to break through by a stroke of luck these past two days," Ye Ba replied with a smile.
Higher-tier Qi Condensation practitioners could easily see through the cultivation levels of lower-tier ones.
Besides, he hadn't intended to hide it.
After spending eight years in cultivation just to reach the Qi Condensation 2nd Layer, in the eyes of outsiders, he was still nothing more than a good-for-nothing.
"Congratulations, Brother Ye!" Qin Shuang cupped his fists and offered his congratulations with a smile.
Right after, he produced a stalk of spiritual grass and handed it to Ye Ba.
"I happened to come across this stalk of Sun-Connecting Grass by chance. I'm giving it to Brother Ye as a congratulatory gift."
"Brother Qin is too kind." After uttering a polite formality, Ye Ba accepted the Sun-Connecting Grass.
"You must have other matters in mind coming here today, Brother Qin?"
Based on his understanding of Qin Shuang, the man wouldn't come to his place for no reason at all.
"Hehe, my vital essence has drained away severely, and I was hoping to purchase a couple of Yang-Enhancing Pills from Brother Ye." Qin Shuang flashed a grin.
He had to assist a she-devil with her cultivation tomorrow and didn't want to be sucked dry, which was why he had seized a moment of free time to buy some pills.
The Yang-Enhancing Pills brewed by Ye Ba were not only cheap, but their effects were also quite good.
"Yang-Enhancing Pills?" Ye Ba hesitated inwardly. He did have some Yang-Enhancing Pills left over.
However, it was through those exact pills that Chu Yao had discovered his secret last time.
If he let any more Yang-Enhancing Pills out into the open and other she-devils found out, it would spell trouble.
His eyes rolled a few times, and then he reached into his tunic, pulling out a golden pill—precisely the Yang-Replenishing Pill that Bu Shenghua had left behind.
"Brother Qin, I'm out of Yang-Enhancing Pills. What I have here is a first-grade medium-tier spiritual pill, the Yang-Replenishing Pill. Its effects are much better than the Yang-Enhancing Pills."
"First-grade medium-tier? Has Brother Ye's alchemy grade improved?" Qin Shuang exclaimed in surprise, then quickly added, "How many spiritual stones for this Yang-Replenishing Pill?"
"Well! If Brother Qin wants to buy them, ten spiritual stones per pill will do," Ye Ba said, smoothly going along with the flow.
"Alright, give me two!" Qin Shuang immediately produced spiritual stones for the transaction.
Once the trade was complete, Ye Ba saw Qin Shuang out of the courtyard.
Returning inside, he sat on the bed and frowned.
At the Qi Condensation 3rd Layer, one could be rented away by a she-devil at any moment.
And he should reach the Qi Condensation 3rd Layer very soon himself.
If he got rented out by a she-devil, the secrets he carried might be exposed.
Sitting quietly in the room for half a day until the dusk deepened.
Ye Ba finally came up with a plan.
As his cultivation level increased, getting rented out sooner or later was inevitable.
However, he could arrange for Chu Yao and Bu Shenghua to take turns renting him, leaving no opportunity for anyone else.
Furthermore, within the Spirit Slave Hall itself, perhaps he could recruit a she-devil to join his side from the inside.
That way, he wouldn't have to fear having his physique exposed.