After purchasing the "Steal Crops" feature for the herb garden, Ye Chuan first took a glance at the Qingyun Sect's herb garden. Since he had already looted it once before, a quick scan through his phone confirmed there were no other spiritual herbs left.
Ye Chuan smirked, plucked a few stray weeds, and closed the interface. At least the weeds from the cultivation world had some use, containing traces of spiritual energy.
But it didn’t matter—he could just wait for those guys to replant. Harvesting would be easier in the future anyway.
The "Steal Crops" feature was unlocked based on the herb gardens he had visited. The more gardens he explored, the more places he could loot.
"Is the Qingyun Sect’s herb garden… the only one?"
"Is there a chance for me to visit other sects’ gardens?"
Ye Chuan pondered. It wasn’t impossible to find opportunities to visit other sects, but he wasn’t familiar with the locations and situations of the various sects across the Tianxuan Continent.
He didn’t dwell on it further. After double-checking the garden to ensure he hadn’t missed anything, he set his phone aside and went to take a bath.
Steam curled in the air.
Soaking in the tub, Ye Chuan stretched his legs, relaxing both body and mind. Just as he was fully unwinding, he turned his head and noticed a face peeking out from the wall.
Lan Xiaoke: (●´ω｀●)
Ye Chuan: "…"
"Ye Chuan, can you help me set up my streaming equipment?" Lan Xiaoke blinked. If Ye Chuan weren’t used to it by now, the sudden appearance of a head in the wall would’ve startled him.
It was almost like one of those eerie tales from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio—a beautiful woman’s head floating mysteriously.
"Wait till I finish my bath," Ye Chuan yawned, lazily narrowing his eyes. It wasn’t a big deal anyway—just setting up a livestream wouldn’t take long.
"Yay!" Lan Xiaoke turned away, presumably fiddling with her phone on the other side of the wall—after all, she couldn’t exactly bring her phone through solid matter.
Ye Chuan glanced at the lower half of Lan Xiaoke’s body still embedded in the wall and gave it a light pat, eliciting a soft "eep!" from her.
After his bath, Ye Chuan went to Lan Xiaoke’s room to help set up her streaming gear. Following his instructions, she put on a real short-sleeved shirt.
"Hehe." Lan Xiaoke tugged at the hem of the oversized shirt and spun around cutely.
The shirt actually belonged to Ye Chuan, so it didn’t fit her perfectly, but the loose drape added a lazy, endearing charm.
Previously, Lan Xiaoke’s clothes were all illusions she conjured herself. But now, with the shirt on, Ye Chuan pulled out his phone—
On the camera screen, Lan Xiaoke’s body was invisible. Only the shirt remained, floating as if worn by an unseen figure.
"Somehow… this feels oddly suggestive," Ye Chuan mused. It was just a shirt, but seeing it in the camera’s view made him ask her to put on a pair of denim shorts as well.
"Got it!"
The shorts belonged to Luo Xi. Their body types were different—Lan Xiaoke was on the petite side—so the shorts hugged her curves a little snugly.
"Not bad." Ye Chuan observed the screen, where only the clothes moved independently, with no trace of Lan Xiaoke herself.
"Alright, just sit there and start streaming." Ye Chuan pointed at the chair.
"I’ll try!"
Lan Xiaoke began her livestream—or more accurately, she started gaming, since the stream was just a side hustle for some extra cash.
Soon, she got so absorbed in the game that she forgot about the stream entirely, clicking away enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, thanks to the algorithm’s recommendations, her livestream gradually attracted seven or eight viewers. The stream’s title was particularly eye-catching—
"This Female Ghost Can Actually Play Games?"
Newcomers to the stream were stunned—an empty chair with nothing but a floating short-sleeved shirt, filled out as if worn by someone invisible.
The mouse and keyboard moved on their own, clacking away as the game played on-screen.
[LMAO, streamers these days are next-level with their gimmicks.]
[Damn, that figure though?]
Is this just a green-screen effect with the host wearing green clothes?
[The editing is so seamless, zero flaws.]
[Mom, I’m scared.]
[Yesterday I watched an immortal cultivating, today a ghost gaming—who said China can’t do good special effects?]
As the comments rolled in, the viewer count slowly climbed, though not as fast as Bai Qianshuang’s streams.
After all, Ye Chuan had helped promote Bai Qianshuang’s channel, whereas Lan Xiaoke was mostly relying on organic traffic.
…
When Lan Xiaoke finally paused to take a break, she was shocked to see her viewer count had reached one or two thousand.
Wow.
Ye Chuan’s idea really worked. Lan Xiaoke giggled to herself, though no one could see her expression.
"Gift me, and I’ll show you what a true gunslinger looks like!"
She clicked her mouse, and the energetic beats of Phoenix Dance in the Sky blasted through the stream. Swaying to the music, she started bobbing her head—still completely invisible to the audience—while simultaneously showcasing her "skills" in both singing and shooting.
(Neither of which were particularly impressive.)
Meanwhile, in the next room, Ye Chuan lay in bed video-calling Luo Xi. On the other end, the girl seemed to be adjusting something, faint music playing in the background.
"What are you up to?" Ye Chuan asked, hearing her slightly labored breathing.
Definitely not jogging.
"Practicing dance, Chuan-Chuan. The broadcasting club has a performance for the school festival, remember?" Luo Xi’s voice came through the call.
"Oh?" Ye Chuan noticed the camera was angled toward the headboard. "Let me see?"
"Hehe, no! You’ll see it when it’s polished."
Ye Chuan didn’t push it. Seeing Luo Xi’s shyness, he idly scrolled on his phone, chatting with her between pauses.
"Phew… Alright, Chuan-Chuan, I’m gonna shower now." Luo Xi picked up her phone again after finishing practice, and only then did Ye Chuan notice the crescent-shaped sweat stains on her shirt.
"Oh?" Ye Chuan smirked. "Take me with you."
"No way!" Luo Xi stuck out her tongue playfully before hanging up. "Bye~"
After the call ended, Ye Chuan shrugged. He planned to lounge around until midnight to unlock the next adventure phase, but suddenly, the pendant on his chest glowed.
A violet light coalesced in the air, materializing into Lilith’s petite form.
"…" Lilith slowly opened her eyes, floating mid-air as usual, one leg elegantly crossed over the other.
"Lilith? What brings you out today?"
Lilith rested her chin on her hand, studying Ye Chuan for a moment before speaking. "Something significant may happen soon. Be prepared."
"Significant? What do you mean?"
"I can sense spatial disturbances in this area. It’ll occur within this timeframe." She paused, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
"Not that I’m worried about you dying. I just need you to collect spirit essences, that’s all."