The Valley of Ghosts

Since Ye Chuan didn’t have a driver’s license, Wang Yanran took the initiative to volunteer as his chauffeur until he obtained one.

It’s safe to say Wang Yanran had mastered the art of social graces—so much so that she didn’t even bat an eye at playing the role of his personal driver.

After all, following the Super Martial Assembly, the Wang family had practically become inseparable from Ye Chuan. To secure better prospects, Wang Yanran naturally aimed to fulfill his every need.

After parking the car in a suitable spot, Wang Yanran left once again.

"I should find time to get a driver’s license," Ye Chuan thought to himself as he watched her go.

On his way back from the parking lot, Ye Chuan suddenly noticed Luo Xi walking beside him with her head down, seemingly in low spirits.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, picking up on her mood.

"Nothing," Luo Xi replied, scratching her cheek before clasping her hands behind her back and smiling as if nothing were amiss.

"Jealous?" Ye Chuan teased.

"N-no! Of course not!" Luo Xi’s face flushed instantly at being called out. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Oh?"

"It’s just… that girl seems so mature and accomplished, and her family must be well-off too…" Luo Xi had never envied such things before, but ever since getting together with Ye Chuan, encountering girls like this made her feel inexplicably insecure.

"There are plenty of rich girls out there, but only one who’s willing to pick up cans and eat boxed meals with me," Ye Chuan said with a grin.

"So… does that make me the most special one?" Luo Xi blinked at him.

"Hmm, hard to say. Give me a kiss, and then I’ll answer."

"You’re the worst." With just a few words, Ye Chuan had effortlessly lifted her spirits.

…

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching soccer at Luo Xi’s place, and Ye Chuan didn’t return home until evening.

"Huh? Another breakthrough?" When Ye Chuan got back, he happened to check Bai Qianshuang’s condition and was stunned to find she had directly advanced to the Great Perfection stage of the Golden Core realm!

Did she level up again?

Or was this another buff from the Spirit Gathering Array?

That couldn’t be right, could it?

Ye Chuan wondered whether it was Bai Qianshuang’s innate talent or just another lucky boost from the array.

But most likely, it was her talent.

Truly a peerless quality—her Heavenly Dao Physique was a different kind of overpowered in its own way.

"I thought my leveling speed was already insane, but Bai Qianshuang’s the real cheater here."

No hacks? Then she’s just built different.

"Still, this is a good thing." Ye Chuan was more than happy for Bai Qianshuang to grow stronger—it meant he’d have a reliable ally by his side.

"Suddenly, this Spirit Gathering Array seems worth it if it can make Bai Qianshuang level up this fast." He quietly pulled up the array’s information. The latest model was the Dimensional Spirit Gathering Array, capable of nourishing the entire world with spiritual energy.

No thanks.

If he bought that and some "I control my own destiny" protagonist-type geniuses popped up, his own safety could be at risk.

Ye Chuan might be immune to spells and magic, but physical attacks were still a threat.

One unlucky encounter with an eighteen-ton truck, and even he couldn’t guarantee his survival.

"I’ll consider it once I’m immune to physical damage."

Later, Ye Chuan spent some time redesigning the house, adding a garage in the yard to store the car Wang Yanran had gifted him.

After several hours of tinkering, it was almost midnight.

His phone buzzed—today’s rental income, tens of thousands, had just been deposited.

"Now this is the life." Glancing at his balance, he realized he’d already spent over twenty million without even noticing.

But money was no longer a concern for Ye Chuan. He only needed to keep a small amount on hand—the rest could be invested or splurged on software upgrades to boost his strength.

"Living without financial worries is the best." Stretching out on his bed, he idly scrolled through his phone, about to dive into an adventure game when something occurred to him. He quickly opened the Points Store.

Cultivation Section—

Nothing good today, mostly just artifacts.

Magic Section—

Skimming through the spells, most were offensive types, which didn’t interest him much. He preferred utility spells like spatial teleportation.

Supernatural Section—

Huh?

His eyes landed on a familiar item.

[Key of the Abyss]

This time, however, the key wasn’t free—it cost fifty points.

"Fifty points is manageable. More spirit essence to feed Lilith." Ye Chuan rubbed his chin.

He distinctly remembered Lilith mentioning that gathering a bit more spirit essence would earn him something special.

He was curious—what could a high-tier mage like her consider a "good thing"?

Buy!

[Item: Key of the Abyss

Effect: Unlocks a one-time adventure—Ghost Valley. Contains numerous supernatural entities. Returns upon death or completion.]

After purchasing the one-time adventure, Ye Chuan eagerly opened his inventory and used it.

Seeing a new option appear in the adventure menu, he tapped without hesitation.

[Entering Full-Dive Adventure—]

[Adventure World: Ghost Valley]

[Enemies Encountered: Headless Specters, Wandering Souls, Skeletal Monsters…]

[Obtainable Items: Spirit Essence, Mysterious Artifacts]

[Note: This world exists for only one day.]

Only one day?

But before he could ponder further, the world around him shifted.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Chuan found himself standing in a pitch-black valley, the air thick with the stench of decay. Even the moon overhead glowed an eerie crimson.

"Is this Ghost Valley?"

No structures, no rules.

But—

The moment Ye Chuan appeared, the temperature plummeted. In an instant, dozens of Wandering Souls materialized in the distance, drifting toward him.

"Ah, I get it now. A pure combat playground." Ye Chuan immediately grasped the nature of this one-day adventure.

No survival conditions—either slaughter all the monsters or get slaughtered to end it.

"Having Lilith around does have its perks. She’s the one who unlocked this kind of adventure for me."

Watching the approaching specters, Ye Chuan smirked and reached out, summoning his peachwood sword with a flick of his wrist.

"Spirit essence—all of it."

"Crackle, crackle—" Electricity gathered at his fingertip as he raised a hand. "Magic—Railgun!"

A beam of lightning, several meters thick, erupted from his finger, obliterating the specters in an instant.

When the light faded, only the floating spirit essence remained.

With a wave, Ye Chuan collected it.

"Oh?" No sooner had he wiped out the first wave than more Wandering Souls emerged.

This is too good.