After the Wang Family members left, Ye Chuan also got into Wang Yanran's car. He first glanced at the night scenery outside the window, his thoughts drifting to the matter concerning Lilith.
"Yanzi, where can I find a lot of little ghosts? I want to gather some spirit essences—the more, the better."
Spirit essences? And the more, the better?
Though Wang Yanran wasn’t sure why Ye Chuan needed spirit essences, she thought for a moment before replying, "Our Wang Family, as the most skilled in ghost taming among the aristocratic families, actually has quite a few spirit essences in stock."
Ye Chuan immediately grasped her implication. "You mean the Wang Family will give them to me?"
"Yes, if you need them, I can apply to my grandfather for them." Wang Yanran believed that offering Ye Chuan some spirit essences as a goodwill gesture was completely reasonable.
However, Ye Chuan began to ponder. Truthfully, he didn’t know much about super martial aristocratic families—in other words, he had no idea what the Wang Family’s situation was like. If he accepted this favor, he would essentially be tying himself to them.
Thinking this, he asked, "What’s the strongest level of super martial artist in your Wang Family?"
Wang Yanran hadn’t expected this question, but it wasn’t exactly a secret either. She answered, "My grandfather is an eighth-level super martial artist. There are also three seventh-level, ten sixth-level super martial artists in the family. As for the rest, I’m not entirely sure of the numbers."
"What’s the standing of an eighth-level super martial artist among all the aristocratic families?" Ye Chuan pressed.
"He’s already among the top-tier combatants in this region. Right now, aside from the Super Martial Alliance’s leader—the only ninth-level super martial artist—the heads of other aristocratic families are mostly at the seventh or eighth level."
Ye Chuan suddenly understood.
After his earlier encounter, he had a rough grasp of the strength levels of super martial artists.
1–3 levels: Early Qi Refinement stage
4–7 levels: Mid Qi Refinement stage
8–10 levels: Late Qi Refinement stage
Even a fifth-level ghost king was only around the mid Qi Refinement stage in terms of strength for Ye Chuan. Based on this calculation, the highest levels here wouldn’t even reach Foundation Establishment.
Even if they did, Ye Chuan wasn’t worried.
Given his current passive cultivation speed, he could break through to Foundation Establishment-level strength every month.
So I’m actually this strong?
Ye Chuan felt much more at ease. Though he had been nothing more than cannon fodder on the Tianxuan Continent, here he was already among the top-tier combatants.
If the Wang Family was offering something good, why not take it?
As a mighty Foundation Establishment expert, wasn’t it only natural for him to provide shelter to a small aristocratic family?
If anyone dared to act disrespectfully, he could just summon Bai Qianshuang—his little golden core powerhouse—to blow up whatever he pointed at.
Ye Chuan didn’t fully grasp the concept of the Golden Core realm, but Bai Qianshuang was two major realms above him. She could definitely trample over the mortal world without issue.
"Alright then, help me ask your grandfather for some spirit essences. In exchange, I can assist your family with any matters." Ye Chuan patted Lan Xiaoke’s plump thigh beside him, then snapped his fingers at Wang Yanran.
Lan Xiaoke, sitting next to Ye Chuan: ?
You say ‘alright’ all you want, but why smack me?
Wang Yanran seemed to understand Ye Chuan’s meaning. She smiled sweetly and nodded repeatedly. "Understood."
...
After dropping Ye Chuan off at his home, Wang Yanran returned to her family estate.
"Yanran, your grandfather wants to see you." The moment she stepped inside, her father informed her. Wang Yanran nodded and immediately went to meet Old Master Wang.
Inside the room, the elderly man sat in a chair with his eyes closed, deep in thought. Before him lay the bottle that Wang Yanran had entrusted to the Wang Family’s subordinates to bring back.
"Grandfather, I’ve returned," Wang Yanran greeted respectfully upon seeing him.
"Hm." The old man’s expression was neither happy nor sad. He opened his eyes, his gaze settling on the bottle before him, a trace of complexity flashing across his face.
He had already opened the bottle—inside was a fifth-level ghost king, but its face was that of Wang Li.
No matter how disappointing he had been, he was still his son, still family.
First, he had schemed against his niece, then recklessly thrown himself at a ghost king. Such despicable actions weighed heavily on the old man’s heart.
"About Uncle..." Wang Yanran began.
"Hmph. I suppose he wanted to use the Wang Family’s secret arts to forcibly subdue that peak fourth-level ghost king. But even a ghost king of the same level is difficult for a super martial artist to handle, let alone a fool like Wang Li who forcibly raised his level through forbidden methods.
Facing a peak fourth-level ghost king was nothing short of suicide." Old Master Wang exhaled deeply, as if exasperated by his son’s foolishness.
But what was done was done. There was no point dwelling on it.
He turned his attention to Wang Yanran. "That mysterious young man—even a fifth-level ghost king was no match for him?"
Ye Chuan’s strength had far exceeded Old Master Wang’s expectations. Just where had this monstrous talent come from?
"Indeed. His power is truly formidable. Even against a fifth-level ghost king, he nearly obliterated it with a single casual strike." Wang Yanran’s voice carried a note of disbelief.
Ye Chuan had acted so effortlessly—even allowing the ghost king to break through to the fifth level before making his move.
Absolute psychological annihilation.
"Even a sixth-level super martial artist might not be able to instantly kill a fifth-level one, right?"
"Seventh-level? At eighteen years old?"
Old Master Wang felt as if the world had turned upside down in ways he no longer recognized. He had spent his entire life struggling to reach the eighth level.
Now, an eighteen-year-old youth—possibly a seventh-level super martial artist—had appeared out of nowhere. The impact on his mindset was undeniable.
But precisely because of this, the old man became even more determined to forge a good relationship with Ye Chuan.
A figure like this was destined for greatness. If the Wang Family could establish strong ties with him, he would undoubtedly become one of their hidden aces in the future.
Wang Yanran then brought up the matter of the spirit essences.
"Oh? That young man needs spirit essences?" The old man was slightly surprised. "Is he also a super martial artist skilled in ghost taming?"
"Uh..."
Wang Yanran hesitated.
"He seems... more proficient with a sword?" she said uncertainly. After all, she hadn’t seen Ye Chuan go all out. Even when surrounded by wandering spirits, he had simply swept them away with a casual swing of his blade.
As for the ghost king—he had punched it into oblivion.
"Why would a swordsman need spirit essences?" The old man was puzzled.
But he quickly dismissed the thought. "Yanran, go to the treasury and retrieve one hundred first-level spirit essences, fifty second-level, thirty third-level, ten fourth-level... and one fifth-level spirit essence."
Wang Yanran was stunned. She fully understood the value of these spirit essences.
She hadn’t expected her grandfather to be so generous.
"Go. This is the Wang Family’s sincerity," the old man said with a wave of his hand.
"I understand, Grandfather." Wang Yanran didn’t press further.
Just as she was about to leave, the old man suddenly spoke again. "Wait, Yanran. For the Super Martial Assembly’s participant selection, go ask if that young man would be willing to represent the Wang Family."
"The Super Martial Assembly? You want Ye Chuan to participate?" Wang Yanran was surprised.
"Yes. Remember—only ask. Do not behave in any way that might offend him."
"Understood, Grandfather."