Chapter 116

Speaking of which, although Old Yellow Ox had no idea how many years it had been inside the egg, it had only hatched nineteen years ago.

Si Zang was always busy—busy cultivating, busy advancing, busy securing his position as the number one in the cultivation world. Naturally, he had never set foot in Mingyue Tower, nor had his bonded spirit beast.

To say there was no curiosity at all would be a lie. In fact, Old Yellow Ox had been curious about Mingyue Tower for many years.

There were just too many juicy stories about the place.

Stories about a pair of biological siblings who got into a fierce fight at Mingyue Tower over a male courtesan…

Stories about a pair of Dao companions who secretly visited Mingyue Tower without telling each other, only to run into each other there…

Stories about a father and son who went to Mingyue Tower together, only to be caught red-handed by their respective Dao companions or the boy’s mother…

These kinds of gossip were so plentiful that one’s ears could develop calluses from hearing them.

Even so, Old Yellow Ox never got tired of listening. How could he? If anything, he wished there were even more stories to hear.

In any case, if Ning Xu was going to Mingyue Tower, he was definitely tagging along.
—

On her way to the Glacier Mountains, the Melon-Eating System updated Ning Xu about some recent events on the Three Thousand Cultivators Forum.

【Host, after you left a comment on your own post to verify your identity, all the cultivators who frequent the forum now know that you met with Elder Bei.】

【Elder Bei has already entered seclusion to refine the pill.】

【Many cultivators are speculating about the purpose of your meeting with him.】

Ning Xu asked, “Aside from Elder Bei and his people, was there anyone else who saw me that day?”

【Rest assured, host, no one else was there.】

Since there was no immediate danger of being exposed, Ning Xu ignored the commotion on the forum.

The moment she stepped into the Glacier Mountains, she felt the long-forgotten sensation of cold. Everything in sight was covered in a blanket of white snow. The ground was piled with thick layers of snow, and more was still falling heavily from the sky.

This was a world ruled solely by ice and snow. For the past few days, Ning Xu had encountered fewer and fewer travelers. This place was remote and had an extreme, freezing climate—hardly any cultivators would set foot here.

She enveloped herself in a protective aura of spiritual energy and asked, “The artifact spirit is staying in such an isolated place?”

The Melon-Eating System replied, 【Yes!】

It clicked its tongue twice and commented, 【How should I put it… The artifact spirit is lazy, gluttonous, and lecherous. But since it has no physical body and no spirit stones to buy delicious food, it simply decided to remove itself from temptation. By hiding here, it achieves a state of inner peace, free of worldly desires.】

Ning Xu: “…”

Inner peace, free of worldly desires? Really?

“How close is it to me now?”

【Around a thousand meters away.】

“Alright.”

Following the system’s guidance, Ning Xu headed northwest. After a while, the Melon-Eating System suddenly made a noise of surprise.

“What is it?”

【This artifact spirit is really sharp. The moment it sensed a cultivator approaching, it immediately moved to a new location.】

【It’s keeping a constant distance of about a thousand meters from you, never allowing you to get any closer.】

Ning Xu instinctively stopped walking.

She said, “A normal approach won’t work, but there are other ways.”

As Ning Xu halted, Old Yellow Ox also stopped.

It glanced at its nose ring. This wasn’t an ordinary nose ring—Sword Immortal had specifically commissioned it to be crafted. With this nose ring, the mind communication between Ning Xu and the Melon-Eating System remained within an extremely limited range.

The cultivation world was already in chaos, and things would only get worse in the future. Letting others overhear their mental conversations wouldn’t be safe. If the artifact spirit could hear them, it probably wouldn’t be keeping its distance.

Just as Old Yellow Ox was inwardly patting itself on the back, Ning Xu suddenly muttered to herself, “I heard there’s an Ice Mountain Lotus near the Glacier Mountains. If I can pick it, I’ll be able to sell it for quite a few spirit stones.”

“With those spirit stones, I can finally visit Mingyue Tower.”

She stroked her chin, a hint of anticipation in her tone. “I’ve heard that Mingyue Tower offers top-tier service regardless of whether one chooses male or female courtesans. I’d really like to experience it for myself.”

The moment Ning Xu finished speaking, the Melon-Eating System exclaimed excitedly.

【Host, this is a great plan! The artifact spirit has stopped moving. It’s listening to you intently now.】

If the situation weren’t so inappropriate, Ning Xu might have laughed out loud.

The system was right—this little artifact spirit was ridiculously easy to fool. She had merely mentioned something that piqued its interest, and that was enough to catch its attention.

This was almost too easy.

She continued her monologue, “If I search carefully, I might find a few more Ice Mountain Lotuses. Then I could visit Mingyue Tower multiple times, couldn’t I?”

“I’ve heard that Mingyue Tower has two top courtesans, both with gentle temperaments and unparalleled beauty. Whether it’s the male or the female lead courtesan, they’re both said to be the most stunning figures in the cultivation world. I wonder if they truly live up to their reputations.”

The Melon-Eating System instantly chimed in. 【Oh, they absolutely do.】

【These two top courtesans both have fox bloodlines. In terms of lineage, they are actually paternal cousins.】

【Their beauty is truly outstanding, and they don’t even have fox musk—on the contrary, they smell fragrant. This pair of siblings each has their own unique charm. Host, if you have enough spirit stones, you can book them both at once.】

Ning Xu was momentarily stunned. She had to admit, her own interest in Mingyue Tower had grown significantly. Let alone that little artifact spirit who had barely seen the world.

Back when she had first arrived in the cultivation world, she had encountered a fox demon. At that time, the Melon-Eating System had said that no matter how high a fox demon’s cultivation was, they would always have fox musk—it’s just that some cultivators couldn’t detect it.

But these two fox demons from Mingyue Tower truly had no fox musk.

Was there something special about them?

As Ning Xu grew increasingly curious, the artifact spirit took the bait. Not long after she spoke, she sensed slight movement nearby—like something rustling through the snow.

The Melon-Eating System chuckled. 【Host, it’s coming.】

There was no need for Ning Xu to actively seek it out. The artifact spirit had caught the scent and was hurrying over on its own.

Ning Xu had never interacted with an artifact spirit before and didn’t know much about them, even those within divine weapons.

She only knew that artifact spirits lacked a tangible human form. But what she didn’t know was that outside of their divine weapon, they could take the form of a cat!

The creature that suddenly appeared before her was a snow-white cat with golden feline eyes. It gazed at her with curiosity and wariness.

Ning Xu feigned surprise. “In this frozen land, why is there a cat?”

The cat didn’t approach her but instead ran off in a certain direction.

After covering some distance, it deliberately stopped and waited. Ning Xu quickly understood its intentions—it wanted to lead her somewhere?

The Melon-Eating System cackled wildly. 【Host, it looks like it wants to take you to find the Ice Mountain Lotus.】

And the system was right.

The artifact spirit of the Mountain and River Diagram was indeed leading Ning Xu to the Ice Mountain Lotus.

She didn’t know how long they had been walking, but when Ning Xu finally laid eyes on the vast field of Ice Mountain Lotus before her, she was momentarily speechless.

There seemed to be an excessive amount of them.

Seeing her standing still, the artifact spirit became anxious, wildly gesturing at the lotuses with its paws, signaling her to hurry up and pick them.

Ning Xu: …

If she sold all these Ice Mountain Lotuses, she could probably afford an entire year at Mingyue Tower, complete with VIP services.

She had long known that the little artifact spirit was lustful, but she hadn’t expected it to be this lustful…

Ning Xu asked, “You want me to pick all of these?”

The little artifact spirit nodded frantically.

Ning Xu smiled slightly. “These Ice Mountain Lotuses will fetch a huge amount of spirit stones. I originally planned to use them to visit Mingyue Tower…”

At this, she paused for a moment.

The little artifact spirit gazed at her, its furry cat face filled with eager anticipation.

Ning Xu’s smile widened. “Since you led me to all these Ice Mountain Lotuses, I’ll take you with me. How about it, little cat?”

The little artifact spirit nodded so furiously that it didn’t even hesitate. In an instant, it leaped several meters and landed directly on her shoulder.

The Melon-Eating System was speechless. 【I know you’re eager, but don’t be that eager.】

Hearing this unfamiliar voice, the little artifact spirit tilted its head in curiosity.

【Haste makes waste.】

While the Melon-Eating System was mocking the artifact spirit’s impatience, Ning Xu crouched down and harvested all the Ice Mountain Lotuses.

After all, who would ever complain about having too many spirit stones?
—

When Ning Xu first arrived at the Glacier Mountains, she only had an old yellow ox by her side. By the time she left, there was also a snow-white cat perched on her shoulder.

Low-level cultivators wouldn’t recognize how extraordinary her two seemingly ordinary spirit beasts were. One was a fearsome Ya Zi beast, and the other was an artifact spirit from a divine weapon—either one was enough to attract envious gazes.

Ning Xu wasn’t lacking in spirit stones. Even before traveling three thousand years into the past, she had already been quite wealthy.

Since she wasn’t in a rush to sell the Ice Mountain Lotuses, she didn’t waste any time—she immediately took the artifact spirit to Mingyue Tower.

Mingyue Tower had branch locations spread throughout the entire cultivation world. Almost every major city had one.

However, the branches and the main establishment were worlds apart. The most sought-after male and female courtesans were all in the main Mingyue Tower, which also boasted the richest variety of entertainment—far beyond what the branch locations could offer.

The main establishment was located at the heart of the cultivation world—in Sky City, the most prosperous region. Land there was worth its weight in gold, and any cultivator without sufficient wealth wouldn’t even have the confidence to step foot inside.

Ning Xu had plenty of money. She traveled straight from the Glacier Mountains using teleportation arrays, heading directly to the cultivation world’s grandest city—Sky City.

As soon as she arrived, she was met with an overwhelming sense of prosperity.

Street vendors called out their wares, while cultivators in spell robes strolled about. Most of these cultivators were clearly well-off—some led high-rank spirit beasts on leashes, while others were accompanied by groups of servants. Shops lined the streets in every direction.

The Melon-Eating System chuckled. 【Host, did you know? Sky City is a paradise for wealthy cultivators. Here, they can buy anything they desire using spirit stones.】

【Well, aside from divine artifacts and divine beasts.】

Ning Xu asked, “Is the main Mingyue Tower on this street?”

【Yes.】

The Melon-Eating System began an enthusiastic introduction. 【There are over sixty Mingyue Tower branches in the cultivation world, but only one main establishment—the rest are all subsidiaries.】

【Compared to the branches, the main Mingyue Tower is built with the utmost extravagance. Host, you’ll understand once you go inside.】

Following the largest street in Sky City, Ning Xu walked further in. Before long, a resplendent building came into view, its entrance adorned with a massive plaque bearing three grand characters—Mingyue Tower.

Ning Xu strode directly toward it.

A doorman at the entrance greeted her with a smile. “Is this your first time at Mingyue Tower, Cultivator?”

Ning Xu responded with a faint “Mm.”

“The entry fee for one cultivator is 500,000 low-grade spirit stones. If you wish to bring a contracted spirit beast inside, an additional 250,000 low-grade spirit stones per beast will be required.”

Ning Xu: …

As expected of the cultivation world’s grandest pleasure establishment—this pricing was enough to deter most low-level cultivators.

Wasn’t this practically daylight robbery?

Just as Ning Xu was marveling at how the owner of Mingyue Tower had mastered the art of overcharging, the little artifact spirit was already impatiently urging her to go inside.

Well, since she was already here… there was no point in being stingy with spirit stones.

Ning Xu straightforwardly paid 1,000,000 low-grade spirit stones.

Upon receiving the payment, the doorman beamed and led her inside.

“How should I address you, Cultivator?”

Ning Xu replied, “My surname is Ning.”

The doorman immediately switched to a more respectful tone. “Daoist Ning, allow me to introduce our main Mingyue Tower to you.”

“At present, we have one hundred gentlemen and one hundred ladies available.” As he spoke, he retrieved a thick booklet from his storage pouch. “Daoist Ning, this booklet contains information on every member of Mingyue Tower, including their rates, availability, appearance, personality, and more. If anyone catches your interest, you may book them directly.”

Ning Xu stared at the hefty booklet in her hands. “…”

Had the entertainment industry in the cultivation world really advanced to this level?