At this moment, hearing this news, Ryan Ling didn’t feel nervous at all. After seven days of intense fusion training, Lin Zhan, Yuan Zhengang, and the other eight had melded almost perfectly with the eight grandmaster ghosts—their spirits and bodies were practically one. There were no barriers between them anymore, and unless you were some top-tier Daoist master, you’d never notice each of them had a grandmaster ghost possessing them.
Ryan’s own cultivation over these seven days was even more productive. He spent them meditating and refining his skills right in the heart of the Grandmaster Cemetery, absorbing the place’s yin-sha energy. Who knows how many years’ worth of corpses had piled up in this graveyard—the accumulated yin and ghostly energy here had reached a terrifying level after all that time.
For ordinary people, even a tiny bit of this energy would be fatal. But for Ryan, practicing the Purgatory Soul-Suppressing Art, this stuff was basically premium supplements. The Art itself was a top-tier Netherworld technique, and what it needed most was yin and ghostly qi. Sure, you could trade Merit Points for it, but having it isn’t the same as having it pure—the difference in impact and real power is massive.
Now, after seven days of cultivation, Ryan had pretty much sucked up all the yin-sha energy in the Grandmaster Cemetery. He cycled it through his body over and over, and finally, at the last moment, he broke through—reaching full completion of the first stage of the Purgatory Soul-Suppressing Art. Instantly, not only did he feel his strength multiply several times, but what really stunned him was that his skin felt like ice, his bones like jade, and he had this brand-new, indescribable aura about him.
"Kid, congrats! After this round of soul-ferrying training in the Grandmaster Cemetery, you’ve finally entered the Dao!" Just as Ryan was marveling at his own transformation, the System suddenly piped up, with Granny Soul standing nearby decked out in her usual extravagant getup, looking insanely rich.
"Entered the Dao?" Ryan didn’t get it at first.
"You silly kid, entering the Dao means you’ve officially stepped into the ranks of cultivators. You’ve been reborn—you’re not just an ordinary guy anymore. This is a huge deal!" Granny Soul laughed.
"Cultivation?" Ryan swallowed hard, instantly getting excited.
"Alright, old ghost, quit lecturing him—let’s get down to business!" Granny Soul said, shoving the System aside.
"Oh, right!" The System scratched its head, then grinned, "By the way, Ryan, when it came to ferrying the Grandmaster Cemetery, I helped you out big time. And you said I could name my price, remember? You haven’t forgotten, have you?"
“......” Ryan Ling’s eyes instantly went pitch black. These two idiots never remember anything important, but when it comes to squeezing me for money, they’re sharper than anyone. If I want to get even a little advantage over them, I can forget about it for life.
“Alright, I haven’t forgotten. So, tell me, how much are you planning to extort from me this time?” Ryan shot back immediately.
“Relax, it’s not much. We’re just following the rules. Look, during the Special Item Store’s shopping festival, we bought a few things. Just help us reimburse it, that’s fair, right?” The System said, instantly handing Ryan the receipt.
“Reimburse you? Let me see what you bought.” Ryan’s heart skipped a beat. Seeing the System’s sly grin, he felt a chill down his spine. But as soon as he grabbed the receipt and gave it a tug, it stretched out four or five meters. Ryan felt like he’d been smashed with an iron hammer—his head was about to explode. These two old geezers could really shop: nearly ten million in one go! Some shops, they basically cleaned out. And the System had bought dozens of boxes of condoms, while Granny Soul—at her age—had bought a truckload of sanitary pads. Ryan finished reading and collapsed right on the grave mound, wishing he could just die on the spot.
“Come on, bro, that’s pocket change for you now. You’re not the same as before—you’ve got Million Jin backing you, and you’re hustling miracle pills for your father-in-law. You’re practically rolling in cash. Why sweat the small stuff?”
“Yeah, seriously! You’re gonna be a billionaire for sure. We only spend a little now and then, no need to play dead, right?”
The System and Granny Soul immediately started shouting.
Ryan felt miserable. Keeping these two vampires around was karma from a past life. Even if he made a mountain of gold, they’d burn through it all.
Helpless, Ryan could only agree.
But as soon as he paid the ransom, Granny Soul grinned and said, “Ryan, you wiped out Little Hades and pacified the Grandmaster Cemetery. That’s some serious merit. We’ve calculated your reward for you. However...”
“However what? Just give me the reward and vanish already!” Ryan shouted, totally clear that Granny Soul was up to no good again.
“Let me finish! Now you’ve entered the Dao, cultivated ice skin and jade bones, and officially transformed. But you’re still missing something. If you complete this last step, you’ll be a true cultivator!” Granny Soul changed the subject, quickly pulling out a black pouch. Inside were two weird blue-glowing orbs.
“What are these?” Ryan blinked, curiosity piqued.
“They’re Fire-Eye Orbs, top-tier stuff. Your skin and bones changed, but your ordinary eyes are still your weak spot. For cultivators, eyes are a fatal vulnerability—you have to upgrade them. Take these, they’ll be a huge help!” Granny Soul said, handing them over.
Ryan nodded blankly and grabbed them, but as soon as he did, Granny Soul dragged the System and started leaving.
“Wait a sec, you almost tricked me again! Where’s my reward? Hand it over!” Ryan yelled.
“You really don’t know when to quit. These Fire-Eye Orbs should cost at least a hundred thousand Merit Points, but I’m cutting you a deal—seventy thousand! That’s about all your Merit Points plus your reward. Hand it over!” Granny Soul said, and vanished before Ryan could protest.
This chapter isn’t finished yet~.~ Click next page for more!
“Hell no! You scammer!” Ryan shouted, nosebleed pouring from sheer frustration.
“Sorry, no refunds. Bye-bye!” In an instant, not a trace of those two old ghosts remained—clearly, they’d run off to avoid Ryan chasing after them.
Ryan wanted to cry but had no tears. It felt like his heart had been stabbed seven or eight times—every blow shattering him.
......
Early the next morning, the eight of them returned to Harbor City, had a hearty pre-battle feast, and after some rousing speeches from the city’s martial arts elders, Ryan and his crew set out for Wuzhou. Everyone knew this was their shot at washing away years of humiliation—Harbor City had come in last every year, the butt of everyone’s jokes, stomped on especially hard by Wuzhou. If they weren’t so weak, punks like Dylan Dai and Qiu Hao wouldn’t have dared kill people in public. That’s what happens when you’re weak—no rights, just suffering.
So, all of Harbor City pinned their hopes on this fight. Ryan’s heart surged with emotion. In just a few months, he’d become the city’s leading figure—even he hadn’t expected that one day he’d be fighting for Harbor City’s pride and honor.
“Brothers, this battle is win-only—losing is not an option! We’re gonna wipe out every last Wuzhou punk!” Ryan shouted, and the group set off in grand fashion. As usual, Jason Lin’s car convoy led the way, and Million Jin wasn’t about to miss out—his father-in-law’s a soldier, so he couldn’t pass up a chance to show off. Luxury cars in front, army vehicles quietly following behind. It looked less like a tournament trip and more like an invasion of Wuzhou.
Harbor City and Wuzhou are pretty far apart—the drive takes most of the day. It was almost noon, and Ryan guessed everyone was hungry, so he shouted, “Brothers, we’re almost at Wuzhou! My sis Lily Liu got there early and is waiting for us in a little town called Welcome Grove, right by the highway. She’s got hometown dishes and wine all set!”
“Awesome! That’s great!” Hearing Lily Liu had food and drinks ready, Jason and Warren started dancing with excitement—clearly, they still hadn’t gotten over her.
But just as everyone was pumped, a scout came running back, panting, “Bad news! A bunch of Wuzhou punks are smashing Boss Liu’s food and drinks, saying Harbor City trash aren’t allowed to set up stalls on their turf!”
“What? Sons of bitches, I’ll rip their heads off! Take us there—now!” Jason and Warren exploded with rage, and Ryan clenched his fists...