Ye Kong examined the spiritual energy in his Qi Sea again and discovered it was true – not only had his own spiritual energy returned, but spiritual energy was actually continuing to flow in non-stop. This must be Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ spiritual energy. Hehe, if I’m at Qi Refinement Layer 2 and absorb a Nascent Soul stage cultivator’s entire spiritual energy, how many layers would I jump?

Haha, a blessing in disguise! Ye Kong laughed. “Old Ancestor Yellow Springs, you were heartless first, so brother here won’t be righteous either. You just sucked me dry, now it’s my turn. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you a single drop!”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs said urgently, “You want to die from spiritual energy overload? If you do, neither of us will survive! My Nascent Soul stage spiritual energy – how could a Qi Refinement Layer 2 like you absorb it all?”

Ye Kong was startled, then nodded. “That’s true. Now I’ve changed my mind. I’ll absorb in bursts, slowly absorbing. Haha, Old Ancestor, thanks!”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs hated himself for giving that reminder. But then again, if he hadn’t and Ye Kong died, he’d die too. With his Nascent Soul trapped and unable to escape, once Ye Kong’s physical body perished, his Nascent Soul would be annihilated along with it.

“Fine, fine, Brother Ye, when my Nascent Soul stage cultivation was stored in the artifact, I’d already lost half. During a hundred thousand years of slumber, I consumed eight or nine-tenths of what remained. However, even what’s left is enough for you to reach Foundation Establishment.”

Hearing “Foundation Establishment,” Ye Kong was overjoyed. He was currently at Qi Refinement Layer 2. Jumping straight to Foundation Establishment meant leaping eight layers. This temptation couldn’t be called small.

However, Ye Kong was no fool. Old Ancestor Yellow Springs wouldn’t kindly tell him all this without reason. He asked, “Don’t tell me you have some conditions?”

No matter how high Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ cultivation was, at this moment he could only smile ingratiatingly and flatter. “Fellow Daoist, you don’t have the ability to absorb all that cultivation power at once. However, if my Nascent Soul doesn’t return to the small sword for a long time, that spiritual energy will dissipate into nothing, and neither of us will get it. I’m thinking… since this is a misunderstanding, why don’t you release me back into the small sword? That way the spiritual energy is preserved, you can come absorb it anytime, and I don’t have to stay in your head.”

After listening for a while, Ye Kong finally understood. So this old bastard wanted him to release him back into the small sword artifact.

“Old Ancestor Yellow Springs, just now I seem to have heard someone swear they’d never go back into the small sword.” Ye Kong sneered.

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ face changed, then he laughed ingratiatingly. “Did I swear? Haha, you actually believe that? My oaths are like farts.”

“Haha.” Ye Kong laughed loudly. “Yellow Springs old dog, you think I’m stupid? If I let you go back, next time I try to absorb your power, you’ll kill me for sure! Moreover, keeping a guy whose cultivation far exceeds mine nearby, I won’t be able to sleep peacefully.”

“Then I’ll teach you another method. You can cast a spell that makes an out-of-body Nascent Soul unable to control spiritual energy. That way I can’t deal with you.”

Ye Kong’s heart stirred. “Let’s hear it.”

An hour later, Ye Kong had completely learned this spell called the “Infant-Fixing Curse.”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs smiled. “So you can release me now, right?”

“But I’m still not reassured.”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs became angry from embarrassment and roared, “You’re so shameless! If you won’t release me, why did you learn my spell? Despicable, too despicable! Are you really going to watch that much spiritual energy disappear? That’s enough for you to reach Foundation Establishment!”

Ye Kong laughed heartily. “You’re so eager to go back – is it really for my benefit? Since you’re letting me absorb all that spiritual energy, why care so much? Anyone would be tempted by such a huge windfall, but I know that I’d rather eat one bite less than lose my life!”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs was completely helpless. He ignored Ye Kong and sat alone in the golden pillar of light, meditating cross-legged.

Actually, Ye Kong was quite troubled too. In his heart, he desperately wanted to eliminate this old bastard. Whether Old Ancestor Yellow Springs was in the small sword or in his head, it was extremely dangerous.

But his current strength was limited. Apart from the Complete Collection of Talismans being able to trap Old Ancestor Yellow Springs, killing him was almost impossible. This was also why Old Ancestor Yellow Springs wasn’t worried about himself at all. For Ye Kong to kill him was too difficult.

No choice – he’d have to let him stay in his head for now. Fortunately, a Nascent Soul was just a soul, requiring no food or drink. Otherwise, if it could shit and piss, that would really be disgusting. Ye Kong withdrew his consciousness from his Spirit Platform and focused on absorbing the spiritual energy from the small sword. Speaking unauthorized copy of which, Nascent Soul stage cultivators truly had abundant spiritual energy. Even having lost the vast majority with only a fraction remaining, it was enough to stuff Ye Kong to bursting.

The Qi Sea also had capacity. Each time one broke through a layer or realm, the Qi Sea would increase in volume. If it were someone else, the spiritual energy they absorbed would be far less. It was fortunate that Ye Kong cultivated the Five Elements Ascension Scripture, which was famous for large spiritual energy storage capacity. He actually absorbed half of Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ remaining spiritual energy before swelling up unbearably.

There was still another half of the spiritual energy, but Ye Kong couldn’t absorb even a bit more. His Qi Sea was already storing beyond capacity, bulging from the strain. Even his four limbs and bones were full of spiritual energy, making it difficult to circulate.

As for the remaining half, Ye Kong was prepared to waste it. No choice – wasting it was better than leaving it for an enemy.

The problem now was refining it. So-called refining meant purifying, removing impurities for one’s own use.

Cultivation materials needed refining to increase purity and remove impurities. Magical treasures and artifacts needed refining to erase the divine sense left by the previous user, so they’d display greater power when used.

Similarly, this spiritual energy absorbed from someone else also needed refining – filtering out the other party’s residual divine sense from the spiritual energy.

To give an analogy, if you bought used clothes, you’d wash them clean before wearing them, right? Spiritual energy needed washing too.

Although this refining couldn’t be completed in just a few days, it was still countless times faster than Ye Kong absorbing spiritual energy from the air himself.

Ye Kong estimated that refining all this spiritual energy would take about a year.

The time seemed long, but considering he’d reach at least Qi Refinement Layer 5 by then, it didn’t feel long. If Ye Kong cultivated slowly on his own, five years definitely wouldn’t get him to Qi Refinement Layer 5.

Ye Kong opened his eyes and looked at the small sword artifact in his hand, shaking his head regretfully before placing it in his storage pouch. The spiritual energy inside was absolutely beyond his reach. By the time he spent a year refining the spiritual energy in his body, the spiritual energy in the small sword would have long since completely dissipated.

But when putting away the small [unauthorized copy]sword, Ye Kong suddenly noticed something else in the storage pouch.

Spent spirit stones! Cultivators’ bags were full of treasures. Even used waste products were too precious to throw away. Even spirit stones drained of spiritual energy – Fan Jiushe had carefully saved them. These semi-transparent white crystals actually numbered thirty-eight.

“Can I store the remaining spiritual energy in the waste spirit stones first? These were originally containers for spiritual energy. The spiritual energy inside shouldn’t dissipate so easily.”

Ye Kong was excited by this idea and quickly grabbed a spirit stone, transferring in the unrefined spiritual energy. He tried it – it actually worked!

However, unfortunately, the spirit stone’s capacity was really quite small. The value of spiritual energy in spirit stones lay in its purity – quality over quantity.

“Better than nothing.” Ye Kong filled all thirty-eight spirit stones, then absorbed from the small sword artifact once more. Half of the half remained – a quarter. He couldn’t think of any other method, so it could only be wasted.

“Cultivate all you want! Sooner or later this old ancestor will break through your golden light and seize your body. Haha, you’re cultivating all this for me!” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs’ laughter came from deep in his mind.

“Oh really?” Ye Kong sneered. “You failed to seize my body, so you can only return to your original body. And right now, the small sword artifact is your original body. If I destroy this small sword and then drive you out of my Spirit Platform…”

“I still won’t die!” Old Ancestor Yellow Springs roared angrily.

“But you’d become a wandering ghost. Haha, I’ve heard many demon cultivators like to refine soul banners. I imagine they’d be thrilled to death over a Nascent Soul-level soul!”

Before Ye Kong finished speaking, he heard Old Ancestor Yellow Springs roar in fury. “You dare! You, you, you! You’re too inhumane! Too intent on complete extermination!” Then, switching to a pleading tone, “Fellow Daoist, actually, keeping this old ancestor around still has great use. You’re a cultivator who just entered the path – there’s much you don’t understand. If you explore on your own, it wastes time and effort. With this old ancestor helping, you can achieve twice the results with half the effort.”

Ye Kong thought about it – he was right. Since he currently couldn’t drive him away or kill Old Ancestor Yellow Springs, why not put him to use?

“Fine.” Ye Kong replied. “If you truly help me, in the future I’ll definitely [unauthorized copy]find you a cultivator with excellent spiritual roots to seize. But if you try any tricks… I’d rather die than not drag you down with me!”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs quickly responded, “Don’t worry, I won’t, I won’t. I swear…”

“Your oaths are like farts.”

Old Ancestor Yellow Springs laughed awkwardly. “Anyway, I won’t. We’ll coexist peacefully, like loving family.”

Although Ye Kong was very unwilling to have two people living in his brain, this was all he could do for now. He could only think positively – there were many things he didn’t understand, so having someone to ask was actually beneficial.

“Old Ancestor, let me ask you – how did you get inside the artifact? Can all Nascent Souls survive for a hundred thousand years? Also, where’s the nearest cultivator’s market?”

Ye Kong asked questions for a while but got no response. Sending his divine sense back into his Spirit Platform, he discovered Old Ancestor Yellow Springs had already fallen asleep.

“Damn it, awake when there’s a fight, but falls asleep when I hope he’ll help by answering a few questions. Really a lazy ass!” After cursing, Ye Kong laughed at himself.

“Today really was a blessing in disguise. If I refine his spiritual energy, I’ll soon be able to control the flying sword. Then I can travel the world. Haha, quickly refine the spiritual energy!”

This meditation session didn’t last very long. The next morning, he woke up on his own.

“Mother, I’m going to start closed-door cultivation soon. I’m thinking I’ll come out for one day every five days.” Ye Kong hadn’t yet reached the inedia state. Eating once every five days was just right.

“Oh, alright. You be careful too. Don’t starve yourself. Don’t work too hard on cultivation either. Mother will immediately prepare some change of clothes for you, and dry rations. If you’re hungry, just gnaw on a steamed bun. Also…”

“No need, I’ve already prepared everything.” Ye Kong quickly interrupted her endless nagging, then added, “Mother, what you need to do is not let people disturb me in my room. Those maids – turn them away if you can. The news that I’m [noodles]a cultivator must be kept secret, or your son will be in danger, understand?”

Ye Kong deliberately made it sound scary to make his mother take it seriously. Chen Jiuniang smiled. “I understand. You nag even more than Mother.”

While mother and son were eating breakfast, female voices rang out from outside. “Auntie Chen.” “Master.” “You came so early, haha, wonder if we’ll run into Eighth Young Master…”

“Here they come again.” Ye Kong grabbed a steamed bun and fled back to his room.