The days after returning to the Wuji Holy Sect felt like sailing from a storm-tossed ocean into a tranquil harbor.

The brutal slaughter in the Attacking and Killing Marketplace, the life-and-death struggles within the Pot Valley Yin Ruins, the Buddha-Demon conflict deep within the Earth Temple, and the various troubles on the journey back all felt like distant phantoms, replaced by the orderly atmosphere within the Sect.

Qi Yun’s pace of life slowed down abruptly.

He secluded himself deep within his cavern estate, declining most unnecessary social interactions.

His daily life became structured and simple.

In the early morning, he would greet the first wisp of purple energy from the east, breathing in and out to refine his Qi. He focused on stabilizing his Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivation and familiarizing himself with the various wonders of True Essence circulation after achieving Hundred Acupoints Spirit Communication.

In the mornings, he studied the Daoist Canon, especially the insights and taboos left by his predecessors regarding the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, the "Realm of Divine Soul." Occasionally, he would go to the Dharma Transmission Hall to listen to the public lectures given by the Foundation Establishment Martial Uncles on this realm.

In the afternoons, he would temper his Magic, striving to achieve a higher level of mastery in both the control of his Soul Refining Banner and the subtle application of the Nether Spring Bone Technique.

At night, he would sit in meditation, clarifying his Heart and Spirit, and cleansing the fatigue and distracting thoughts accumulated from a day of cultivation.

He was in no hurry to use the string of Platinum Buddha Beads.

Instead, like a patient craftsman, he continuously polished his own state, hammering the foundation of his Qi Refining Eighth Layer until it was incomparably solid.

He adjusted his state of mind to one of peace, as placid as an ancient, undisturbed well.

And so, a month slipped by quietly in peaceful and fulfilling cultivation.

On this day, Qi Yun felt his condition had been honed to its absolute peak.

The Spiritual Light in his Hundred Acupoints was full, and his True Essence flowed abundantly, circulating smoothly and without obstruction.

His Heart and Spirit were clear and transparent, free from stray thoughts, like a bright mirror and still water.

"It’s about time..."

Qi Yun’s gaze shifted as he looked up at a dewdrop slowly falling from the branch of a large tree before him.

’It was time to begin cultivating the Ninth Layer.’

The Qi Refining Ninth Layer, the Realm of Divine Soul.

The mystery of this realm lay in "gathering the souls and condensing the spirit."

A human body contains Three Souls and seven spirits. The physical body is the vessel, while the heart-soul is the master.

The cultivation of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer required one to take the Three Souls—Fetal Light, Shuang Ling, and Ghost Spirit. These souls were scattered throughout the body, governing different aspects of one’s spiritual nature. One had to gather and guide them out of their formless, incorporeal state, ultimately merging them into one.

Then, using a vast amount of Divine Rhyme as Resources, one would reshape and condense them, forging a complete, solid Divine Soul capable of perceiving Heaven and Earth!

Only upon the initial formation of the Divine Soul could one truly achieve a "union of spirit and qi," allowing for a clearer comprehension of the Great Dao’s essence and the perception of the Heaven and Earth Laws.

This would lay the most solid foundation for the next step: communicating with Heaven and Earth to build the Dao Foundation.

Conversely, if the condensation of the Divine Soul failed or was left flawed, the mildest consequences were damage to one’s mind and the severing of their future path.

In the worst cases, one’s soul would be scattered, and a lifetime of cultivation would be reduced to nothing.

The danger involved far exceeded that of the previous eight layers combined.

Qi Yun sat cross-legged in his meditation chamber, having already laid out simple mind-calming and protective arrays. He took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

The first step of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer was to stabilize the spirit, unify the mind, and gather all stray thoughts.

His consciousness sank into his Purple Mansion Dantian, no longer focusing on the surging True Essence or the shining acupoints within his body.

Instead, he searched inward, deeper and deeper, seeking the location of the ethereal and illusory "soul."

At first, his Heart and Spirit felt as if they had fallen into a chaotic fog. Countless stray thoughts surfaced uncontrollably, like bubbles rising from the bottom of a lake.

Fragments of past memories, speculations and worries about the future, difficult and confusing aspects of his cultivation, and even some meaningless images and sounds...

They all came rushing in, attempting to disrupt his concentration.

The human mind is chaotic; a single stir can give rise to a hundred thoughts.

Qi Yun silently began to circulate a Meditation and Concentration Method he had purchased: the Bright Lamp One Heart Method.

He visualized his Heart and Spirit as a lamp, its flame steady, illuminating the Purple Mansion.

He let the stray thoughts come like moths to a flame; they scattered upon contact, unable to shake the flame in the slightest.

Gradually, his breathing became long and subtle, almost imperceptible.

His entire aura became as placid as still water, as if he had merged with the meditation chamber itself.

The surging tide of distracting thoughts subsided. His Heart and Spirit finally settled, becoming incomparably pure and focused.

His entire consciousness was focused on that which existed in the unseen depths—the Three Souls, which represented the very source of his life and the root of his spiritual nature.

A strange sensation began to surface. It was as if, in the boundless darkness deep within his Purple Mansion, three extremely faint yet fundamentally different points of light were calling out to each other from afar.

Fetal Light, Shuang Ling, Ghost Spirit... Scattered, they are formless; gathered, they have spirit.

’This is much faster than I expected...’

Qi Yun felt a little relieved. He hadn’t expected to sense the presence of his Three Souls during his very first attempt at cultivating the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

In truth, this was to be expected.

He had spent a full month adjusting his state for the Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivation. He had also purchased a top-quality Spirit Calming Skill and was sitting on the Great Miao Zhenluo Meditation Mat, which had a similar effect.

More crucially, back in the Earth Temple,

Little Monk Ming Xin had baptized his physical body with Merit Buddha Light, causing a trace of divinity to blossom within his physical foundation.

With all these effects stacked together, it was only natural that his path to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer had become incredibly smooth.

While cultivating the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, Qi Yun also used his spare time to search for new Magic in the Holy Sect Treasure Market.

The path of Artifact and Magic Cultivation, as exemplified by the Soul Refining Banner, had truly given him some inspiration this time.

Although the initial investment was large, the returns after it took shape were truly substantial.

While browsing the Holy Sect Treasure Market and researching various techniques for Artifact and Magic Cultivation, his gaze finally landed on a Magic technique named Profound Nether Qi Bottle.

This was a strange and treacherous water-elemental Secret Skill from the Demon Sect, one that combined Artifact and Magic Cultivation.

"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not contend."

"However, the softest of water, when overwhelming, is unstoppable. It can also corrode bone and dissolve the soul, just as it can either capsize a boat or carry it."

"This Curse does not take the form of water, but rather its nature of corroding all things and permeating without gaps."

"It gathers the water qi of the Nine Earthly Yin Fiends, combines it with one’s own Demon Essence, and through Refinement within the Magical Artifact ’Profound Nether Bottle,’ creates the Profound Nether Erosive Qi."

"This Qi is formless and intangible, seeping into everything. It specifically damages a cultivator’s Dao Foundation, defiles the Spiritual Light of Magical Artifacts, and erodes Protective Gang Qi. Those afflicted will find it clinging to them like a maggot on a bone, extremely difficult to remove."

"It is truly insidious, tyrannical, and impossible to guard against."

Reading this, a sharp glint flashed in Qi Yun’s eyes.

’This Magic is exactly what I’m looking for!’

Its characteristics were completely different from the Soul Refining Banner’s frontal assault and Ghost Realm suppression. It followed a path of insidious erosion, damaging an opponent’s foundation, making it perfect as a hidden trump card.

Moreover, it was also a form of Artifact and Magic Cultivation, sharing common ground with his experience cultivating the Soul Refining Banner.

’Getting started shouldn’t be too difficult.’

However, when he saw the amount of Holy Essence required to redeem this Magic and its accompanying "Profound Nether Bottle" Magical Artifact refinement diagram, he couldn’t help but frown slightly.

It was a rather jarring number.

Although his gains from leaving the mountain earlier were substantial, most of them were physical objects that couldn’t be directly exchanged for Holy Essence, such as various materials and some Magical Artifacts taken from opponents.

Liquidating these items wasn’t something that could be done in a short amount of time.

His original savings were not much to begin with, and now he had next to nothing left—not even close to enough for a fraction of this Magic’s cost.

And that wasn’t all.

He suddenly remembered something, and his expression immediately darkened.

To get information about Wenjian Forest, he had ended up owing the well-connected Ning Feng a full three thousand Thousand Crane Talismans!

He had only paid five hundred upfront and was still on the hook for a massive debt of two thousand five hundred.

The materials for making the Thousand Crane Talisman weren’t exactly top-tier treasures.

But such a huge quantity would still add up to a considerable expense.

And then there was the twenty-thousand Holy Essence loan for the Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends Map.

’Refining and upgrading the Soul Refining Banner already wiped out most of the savings I got from Wu Yushan. Now I’m drowning in talisman debt and have a twenty-thousand Holy Essence loan...’

Qi Yun rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling rather helpless as he realized that although his Cultivation and strength had advanced by leaps and bounds,

in terms of "financial power," he had fallen into an unprecedented predicament.

He was practically destitute, and even heavily in debt.

"Looks like I’ll have to find a way to earn some Holy Essence..." Qi Yun muttered to himself and began to calculate in his mind.

’Should I take on Sect missions? Or craft some Talismans to sell?’

On the path of cultivation—wealth, companion, technique, and location—the "wealth" was ultimately an unavoidable hurdle.

After a moment of thought, Qi Yun ultimately decided to return to his old trade—crafting Talismans—to alleviate his financial pressure.

After all, it was the method of earning Resources he was most familiar with.

However, he had no intention of doing it like before—hunched over a desk, brush in hand, expending his Heart and Spirit to draw them one by one.

That method was fine in the Outer Mansion, but in the Inner Mansion, it wasn’t considered a mature approach.

He executed a Finger Technique, and the gloomy Soul Refining Banner beside him stirred without a wind, black qi roiling on its surface.

"Come out."

With a single Heart Thought, the temperature in the meditation chamber plummeted, and a bleak Yin Wind swirled.

One by one, twisted, blurry soul-shadows exuding an aura of pain and venomous resentment floated out from the banner’s surface like summoned soldiers, silently lining up before him.

A sinister Ghost Qi filled the air.

These Resentful Souls were completely different from the muddled Soul Bodies in ordinary Soul Refining Banners, which only knew how to attack on instinct.

They had undergone multiple rounds of devouring one another in a process of survival of the fittest.

Not only was their individual strength comparable to that of a Qi Refining Middle Stage Cultivator, but their eyes were also filled with intelligence.

Qi Yun gently fiddled with the smooth Platinum Buddha Beads on his wrist, a flicker in his eyes.

His gaze swept over the group of "hard-working and uncomplaining" soul-shadows, and an idea that had sprouted long ago grew ever clearer.

’They don’t need to eat, they don’t need to rest, they have no emotional fluctuations, and they can execute commands with precision guided by just a wisp of Divine Thought...’

’Such excellent laborers... to not use them for production would be a colossal waste, wouldn’t it?’

Making Ghosts paint Talismans—if this idea got out, it would be enough to make most Talisman Masters curse him for being outrageously fanciful and blaspheming the Talisman Dao!

The Talisman Dao emphasizes a pure Heart Thought, brushstrokes imbued with a Spiritual Mechanism, and the ability to channel the Power of Heaven and Earth.

To have a Resentful Soul, filled with grievances, wield the brush?

Wouldn’t that be like pouring ink into a clear spring?

But Qi Yun didn’t think so.

’The spiritual nature of these Resentful Souls of mine far surpasses the ordinary!’

’The key is how to make them ’understand’ and execute the steps of Talisman Painting...’

Qi Yun pondered for a moment, then sent out an extremely fine wisp of his Divine Sense. Like controlling a marionette, he connected it to the Main Soul that had the most solid aura and a bit more residual Spiritual Light in its eyes.

He didn’t directly implant the complex structure of a Talisman.

Instead, he transmitted an extremely simple thought, along with the stroke pattern for a basic Evil-Breaking Talisman.

It was one of the most basic and familiar Talismans he knew.

The Soul Fire in the Main Soul’s empty eye sockets flickered, as if it were trying to comprehend the sudden command.

Its translucent arm, condensed from resentful energy, lifted somewhat stiffly, its fingertips wreathed in black qi.

Qi Yun pushed a blank sheet of Talisman Paper and a Talisman Brush dipped in Low Tier Spiritual Ink in front of it.

Under the subtle guidance of Qi Yun’s Divine Thought, the Main Soul imitated the Talisman’s stroke pattern, picked up the Talisman Brush, and cautiously brought it down onto the Talisman Paper...

PFFT—

With a soft sound, the expected lines of Spiritual Light did not appear on the Talisman Paper.

Instead, a crooked, scorched black mark was corroded onto it by the Yin Qi.

The spiritual nature of the entire sheet of Talisman Paper was instantly defiled, turning it into a useless scrap.

A failure.

But not only was there no disappointment in Qi Yun’s eyes, there was instead a look of interest.

’The Yin Qi is too strong; it directly destroyed the Talisman Paper medium...’

’I need to make adjustments. Either weaken the output, or... switch to a different type of Talisman?’

Undiscouraged, he switched to a Demonic Talisman called the Profound Yin Slash Talisman.

This time, he tried to guide the Resentful Soul to use its own Yin Sha Qi as "brush and ink."

Inside the meditation chamber, the scene became bizarre and absurd.

Qi Yun, a disciple of the Demon Sect, sat cross-legged in the center, fiddling with his Buddha Beads like an overseer.

A hundred ghosts surrounded him, their Yin Qi thick and chilling.

A few of the Resentful Souls, like young children first learning to write, clumsily and stiffly sketched twisted lines on the Talisman Paper, continuously producing one failed piece after another—some scorched black, others with chaotic Spiritual Light.

But Qi Yun knew he was pioneering an unprecedented path of "Talisman industrialization."

Once successful, he would possess a tireless and astonishingly efficient army for Talisman production!

Repaying his debt to Ning Feng and redeeming the Profound Nether Qi Bottle would no longer be a problem.

He watched the Resentful Souls, who were continuously making minute adjustments with each failure and gradually getting a feel for it under the guidance of his Divine Thought. A profound smile touched the corners of his lips.

’Productivity... is the true number one cultivation power...’

...