"You really never visited this kind of tavern?" Ja Sun inquired while both of them had booked a table. Amazingly enough, the redlight district of the city still represented uniform structure but within the tavern, men and women in extremely revealing clothes walked around and waiting on the tables while on two raises platforms, on the beat of sensual music, two women continued to slowly dance in an arousing manner.
Drinking fresh juice from her mug, Ah Yin shook her head and replied in a slightly reserved manner, "I never took the time to visit such establishments." Her eyes followed the workers and she looked quite interested by the general idea of this place.
"Smaller towns or cities don't usually have such a large business and wouldn't entertain in such a manner. It's in places like Balak City where you can find these kinds of locations," Ja Sun smirked and drank juice from his mug, too. The establishment did not deal in alcohol but juice squeezed out of exotic fruits that serve the refresh their customers.
The tavern was filled with men and women alike. While ordinary men and women may not be able to openly reveal their desires, Spirit Masters could. Gender didn't matter to most of the rogue cultivators as they would struggle to cultivate and then spend their earnings to live an extremely fulfilling life.
"You are a frequent patron to such places?" Ah Yin inquired once she heard Ja Sun describing such locations.
"No, of course, not. These services require coins and I only got rich this year."
"But if this is all then it is kind of redundant," She finally shook her head. "The music is not to my taste, and even if this is professional work for the workers, all of this still doesn't suit my taste."
"At least you gave it a try," Ja Sun chuckled, "There are too many people who would reject this kind of location without even trying it once."
"Are you going to stay here or return?" She emptied the mug of juice and pulled down her mask.
"Hmm, I'll come with you," Ja Sun sighed. He gave a longing look to the beautiful strippers and even if they weren't as amazing as Ah Yin... they were willing parties!
Noticing Ja Sun's gaze, Ah Yin narrowed her eyes but finally kept her quiet. The two left after paying their dues and walked the streets next to each other.
"We did it," Ah Yin spoke after a few minutes of silence.
"What?" Ja Sun inquired.
"You wanted to visit a night tavern with me," She replied faintly as Ja Sun recalled the message he left for Ah Yin last year. Honestly, he didn't know that Ah Yin would agree back then but now, entering a strip club wasn't even close to Ah Yin's bottom line. A chuckle subconsciously escaped Ja Sun's lips, his voice muffled.
"Well, it was different from what I hoped back then."
"Then it must be quite sick." Ah Yin replied.
"Hey!" Ja Sun snorted. Even if it was, there was no need to point out the obvious!
"Let's train once we return to the Inn." She finally proposed while Ja Sun's gaze lit up. He really needed to test another theory and with that, it could be considered as almost completing the fusion of the two techniques.
---
Ah Yin frowned and looked at Ja Sun with an incredulous expression. It has been four days since their arrival in Balak City now and aside from roaming and trying to collect more information, Ja Sun never left the inn. Ah Yin was even more prominent on the matter. She would continuously create thin vines and control them. As for cultivating around a bed of Blue Silver Grass? Ah Yin's first spirit skill took care of it.
Her first spirit skill— Growth, layered the entire floor of the Red Concubine's Entrance with luscious blue silver grass. The Rising Jade Inn wasn't aware of the matter and the duo didn't intend to inform them either.
However, right now, Ja Sun sat on the floor. The blades of blue silver grass around him were actually scorched and yellowed while a primal, and numbing heat continued to overflow from his body.
At this moment, Ja Sun's spirit energy continuously tumbled and shocked his body. The pressure over his body turned overbearing and the Bright Goddess Butterfly seemed even more suppressed. Her manifestation pressed against the vortex of mental energy as her wings shuddered.
Sweat covered Ja Sun's body and he continued to regulate his breathing.
His breathing...
It was changing.
He had mistakenly thought of the Final Buddha Array as a fighting technique. After all, Arrays in martial arts means tactics that can harm the opponent. He was wrong. The reward this time did not come with the manifestation of a skill manual, crystal, clothing, or a weapon. It was a resource in the purest form of energy set in an actual array. The array itself was formless and the moment it was created in front of Ja Sun, his body was impacted.
The concentric spirit technique was turning useless by the second. His breathing technique couldn't bear the pressure of the Array and the array itself began to carve out a new path while slowly melding in his spirit energy.
Rewards from the start of the D-rank have the chance to be a hidden inheritance. Even the Tome of Harvesting and Farming was a low-tier inheritance of the Douluo Continent. By now, he had received Evil's Egg and Blue Silver Emperor's Core as an S-rank reward that seemed to conform as a resource-type reward. Meanwhile, the Astral Combatant Technique was an inheritance type reward from a Title Douluo of the past era.
Now, the Final Buddha Array revealed that there were many more types of rewards that he had never experienced before.
"Replenish..." Ja Sun whispered through gritted teeth. If continued as such, he would still survive but the damage to his body would be severe since his spirit energy would be exhausted.
Instantly understanding Ja Sun's words, Ah Yin spread her domain carefully. In fact, she stood closer to Ja Sun and only spread her domain slightly. Instantly, Ja Sun felt his spirit energy being replenished at a great speed.
This Array was actually a support-type cultivation resource that purifies spirit energy!
Right now, in Ja Sun's spiritual sea, a dazzling array continued to rotate gently. Wisps of spirit energy would float from the spiritual sea. They were soft blue and sometimes even misty white. These wisps after passing through the thin array, would turn into extremely thin white mist. The color of the energy was as pure as a jade before it would return to the spiritual sea but instead of mixing with the sea itself, these wisps of pure energy seeped into the deepest portion of the spiritual sea and looked like a layer of different colored sediment.
Ja Sun's breathing turned rough and the lifeless body of the Bright Goddess Butterfly also seemed affected by this array. Her body slowly condensed by the slightest margin but this itself revealed a splendor she did not have before.
The situation continued for hours. Ah Yin's expression was already terrible by this point because she could feel Ja Sun's spirit energy reverting to its previous level. He wasn't at rank 30 anymore. In fact, without any backlash, his spirit energy was slowly receding and she couldn't do anything about it.
On the other hand, Ja Sun meditated deeply. The pressure over his Concentric Spirit Technique was only temporary. Once the Final Buddha Array settled, his breathing returned normal and he could finally collect spirit energy from the surroundings actively but the requirement of the spirit energy turned considerably larger.
Slowly opening his eyes, Ja Sun found Ah Yin looking at him with a slightly haggard expression and he frowned.
"What's wrong?"
He knew that her domain, when surrounded by blue silver grass, did not expend her in the slightest and that is why she could act as an amazing auxiliary-type spirit master.
"Your... rank fell." She sighed and shook her head. After washing Ja Sun with another round of mental, physical, and spiritual replenishment, she retracted her domain as Ja Sun nodded.
"Yeah. I'm rank 26 now," Ja Sun unclenched his fist and gazed at his palms.
"How did this happen?" Ah Yin sat in front of him with a breath as Ja Sun shook his head.
"I'm not telling."
"I see..." Ah Yin grew quiet before she stood up and walked towards the bed before glancing in Ja Sun's direction, "You stink."
"Hey, come on. I didn't want to lie to you so the best thing is not to tell you," He shrugged.
"No, not that. You physically stink. Go take a bath," Ah Yin scoffed and sat on the bed while closing her eyes.
Once Ja Sun entered the bathroom, his smile turned excited and he instantly set up the mission he has been waiting for. By now, he had completed multiple S-ranked missions so his confidence in this rank had soared. Even if he cannot complete the mission, he would still try it. The benefits are simply too great!
Just this Final Buddha Array that can refine spirit energy to its purest form is amazing. Not only does it strengthens his body and mind slightly, but the consumption of the spirit energy is also heavily decreased due to the top quality of his reserves!
"Set Mission."
His eyes glimmered.
[Objective: Participate in the war between Silvers and Balak Kingdom and gain merit.
Optional Objectives:
1) Remain Unscathed
2) Become the critical reason for the victory of your faction.
Mission Rank: Based on the quality of the achievement-S-S
Rewards: Based on the quality of the achievement—Crystal of War God's Essence—20000-year-old Tyrant Elephant Torso Spirit Bone.
Time Limit: 88 days.]
Immediately accepting the mission, Ja Sun decided to opt for an individual mission tomorrow. Over these few days, despite the initial success, Ja Sun wasn't able to persuade Ah Yin in taking part in the war. It was her choice and he could hardly do anything about it. But he understood. What Ah Yin considered wasn't the reward at the moment but her own limits.
She was fearful of two things and didn't bother hiding them.
First, if this war was really some form of selection then she didn't want to reveal her true capabilities to remain hidden from the eyes of the top brass of the continent.
Second, if she did team-up with Ja Sun in a mission, there is a chance that Ja Sun himself might become a burden despite his resourcefulness and the duo's situation might instantly turn fatal.
So, the next day, after having his breakfast, Ja Sun left to volunteer for his first mission. Meanwhile, Ah Yin only stated that if he happened to die, she would surely light incense for him for three years— truly a warm morning.
Entering the Spirit Hall, one of the greatest offenders of the Spirit Hall placed his token in front of the individual mission center as the man on the other side silently picked it and took out a journal. From within, he tore a particular page in half. The top half remained in the journal on which the man wrote a few things and he gave the lower half to Ja Sun after folding it.
These parchments were formed by spiritual wood which lowered the chances of someone sneaking up on the mission. After entering Ja Sun's token name and pressing the token over the paper, the man revealed a small crystal tube. Silently, he dripped a drop of clear liquid from within the tube over the token and the round green token instantly flashed.
"Ultimate Grandson, your mission is registered. Clear the objectives, bring the required proof of completion and you will be rewarded merit."
"One question. If I complete the mission without killing the opposing party, how will it be calculated?"
"The merit is based on the objective. The process of accomplishment of objective is something the Spirit Hall has no right to interfere with," the man replied impassively and returned the token alongside the folded piece of parchment. Storing both of them, Ja Sun silently left the Spirit Hall before returning to the inn.
"Why... are you back?" Ah Yin looked at Ja Sun strangely and he removed the mask, looking even more weirdly at Ah Yin.
"Why won't I be back? I have to understand the mission and this is a safe place... did you think I will be leaving for the mission at once?"
Ah Yin's expression froze slightly before she coolly replied, "Of course, not. But that action wouldn't be beneath you."
"Really? You're embarrassed and you'll insult me to cover it up?" Ja Sun pursed his lips.
"I'm hardly embarrassed."
"Really?"
"Yes. Then if you aren't embarrassed, just remove your clothes," Ja Sun sneered while wagging his brows suggestively.
"Get lost," Ah Yin snorted before entering the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Ja Sun sat down on the floor, which was much more comfortable due to the carpet of Blue Silver Grass, and took out the mission objective.
Ja Sun observed the map of the border of the Balak and Silvers Kingdom. A village was pointed out and the objectives were quite clear.
Destroy the Storage Unit of the Silvers Kingdom. Proof of Mission: The Blood Token of the opponent defender.
It was clear that even if the Spirit Hall didn't state that death was compulsory, without fatal means, snatching an opponent's token will be extremely harsh.
The time limit of the mission was three days and the reward was 10 merit points. The value of a single merit point is worth 100 gold coins and this also happened to be the lowest exchange for it. Next were all various spirit beasts material that can be used to create plenty of spirit devices by the true professionals. Since Ja Sun had never practiced this profession, his goals were herbs on the list. Even the lowest ranking herb was worth 70 merit points!
He didn't stay in the inn any longer. As he left the inn, Ah Yin walked out naturally with a slightly sour expression. Silently, she sat on her bed and began cultivating.
***
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