Chapter 1438: Observing the Ghost Pattern

The Ghost suddenly noticed that things were getting a bit strange.

She had clearly sought Fa Wuzun's help, having mentally prepared for him to refuse or make unreasonable demands. But now, while Fa Wuzun had indeed made an impolite request, he was also offering to pay her 300,000 spirit jade. The whole situation was quite unpredictable.

What's the big deal? A little discomfort won't hurt her. Furthermore, while the Ghost Race's Ghost Patterns are kept secret, they aren't top-level classified information. Many races have studied them, and if Fa Wuzun genuinely had the means, he could certainly research them through other channels.

Collecting her thoughts, the Ghost looked at Lu Ye and said, "If you need to prepare anything, do it quickly. We can wait for you here."

Lu Ye shook his head, indicating he had nothing to prepare.

"Then let's begin!" As the Ghost spoke, she produced an item. Lu Ye focused his gaze, observing that it resembled a leg bone, yet it was pristine white, like jade, leaving him uncertain whether it was bone or jade. This object was likely the pass for the exclusive scene. Exclusive scenes couldn't be entered directly; one had to acquire a specific pass in another scene and then use its power to gain entry. For instance, during the previous chaotic battle, if a pass for an exclusive scene appeared on the battlefield and a cultivator obtained it, they could then use it to enter the corresponding exclusive scene. Similarly, on the battlefield where Lu Ye first encountered Chu Shen, there might have been a pass for an exclusive scene, but no one searched thoroughly, and if it was there, it was missed.

The Ghost held the pristine jade bone and channeled spiritual energy into it. Instantly, a layer of pure white light emanated, then transformed into a luminous portal.

"You two go first!" the Ghost instructed.

Puck entered without a word, rushing in first, with Lu Ye right behind him. Only after the two had passed through did the Ghost step into the portal herself. As her figure vanished, the portal disappeared as well.

Appearing in a rather narrow passage, Lu Ye saw Puck not far off, holding a ten-foot-long fishing rod and standing guard. Lu Ye couldn't help but glance at the fishing rod, his eyelid twitching. It was his first time seeing such a spiritual treasure. Although he had known Puck for a considerable time, he had never actually fought alongside him.

Turning to survey their surroundings, it was largely as the Ghost had described: an ancient tomb, surprisingly not damp inside. The tomb passages formed a labyrinth, branching in all directions. They had appeared in a relatively wide passage. The lighting wasn't dim; throughout their visible range, clusters of will-o'-the-wisps floated, emitting faint light.

A will-o'-the-wisp drifted towards Lu Ye. He reached out to touch it, but unexpectedly, the will-o'-the-wisp darted away like a startled rabbit. Lu Ye's movements were incredibly swift; with a quick shift of his hand, he immediately seized the will-o'-the-wisp. It wasn't warm; in fact, it was icy cold to the touch, and a layer of frost instantly spread across his palm. Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. This will-o'-the-wisp appeared unremarkable, but its power was strangely insidious. He needed to be careful not to be heavily contaminated by it, as that would be problematic. The Ghost had explained this earlier, and Lu Ye, now experiencing it firsthand, found it to be exactly as she had described.

The Ghost had already entered and was standing nearby. Lu Ye turned to her and said, "Let's begin!"

He was, of course, referring to observing the Ghost's Ghost Patterns. Back in the grand hall, with people constantly moving about, it would have been highly inconvenient. Now that they were in this secluded place, with just the three of them, it was perfectly suitable. Moreover, Lu Ye didn't fully trust the Ghost. He had already paid a 100,000 deposit, so he needed to resolve the Ghost Pattern matter before this expedition concluded. Otherwise, it was uncertain if the Ghost would uphold her end of the bargain once they left this place.

"What's the rush?" the Ghost retorted irritably.

"Either we start now, or I withdraw immediately!" Lu Ye insisted.

"So bothersome!" the Ghost grumbled, glancing up at Puck.

Puck, displaying self-awareness, said, "I'll go scout ahead." As he spoke, he moved forward, turned a corner, and vanished from sight.

With just the two of them remaining, the Ghost's expression grew awkward; she seemed as uncomfortable as if ants were crawling on her. Looking at Lu Ye, she said, "Let's be clear upfront: remember to pay after you've had your look!"

"Less chatter!"

"Also, you only get five breaths of time, not a second more!"

"Twenty breaths!" Lu Ye countered, staring at her.

"Ten breaths, absolutely no more!"

After a brief verbal sparring, they finally settled on fifteen breaths. Only then did the Ghost slowly turn around, presenting her back to Lu Ye. She took a few more steps, stopped, tilted her head, and warned him, "You stand right there and don't move!"

"Understood," Lu Ye replied.

The Ghost then turned her head back, taking a deep breath as if making an incredibly difficult decision. Lu Ye waited quietly, knowing it wasn't appropriate to rush her now; even if she was usually brazen, she was still a woman. After a considerable pause, the Ghost finally seemed to steel herself, and her hands abruptly moved.

The next instant, a smooth, jade-like back came into Lu Ye's view. He was stunned. He had assumed this woman, the Ghost, had Ghost Patterns covering her entire body since they were visible on her forearms and calves, but he was mistaken. However, as the Ghost activated her power, intricate, dark patterns suddenly materialized on her back, crisscrossing in a complex display. At first glance, there were traces of concealment spirit patterns intertwined, but these patterns were undeniably many times more complex than simple concealment spirit patterns.

These were the Ghost Patterns of the Ghost Race! And what the Ghost displayed was clearly the concealment-related portion, as that was precisely what Lu Ye had asked for. While Ghost Patterns are innate to the Ghost Race, each member possesses unique patterns, influenced by both inherent factors and cultivation acquired over time. In Lu Ye's view, the Ghost's abilities were among the best in her cultivation tier within the Ghost Race, a fact evident from her ranking on the contribution board. Therefore, her cultivation of the concealment path undoubtedly possessed unique characteristics.

As the Ghost activated her concealment Ghost Patterns, her entire form seemed to blur. If she hadn't deliberately allowed Lu Ye to see them, even the patterns themselves would likely have vanished. Thus, what appeared before Lu Ye's eyes at that moment was solely the intricate pattern composed of those complex lines. Such a pattern would likely leave an ordinary cultivator bewildered and dizzy, but for Lu Ye, it was a rare and captivating sight.

He immediately activated his Insight Spirit Pattern to augment his vision, meticulously observing and simultaneously committing the structure and arrangement of the patterns to memory. These would serve as crucial foundations for his Talent Tree to deduce concealment spirit patterns in the future.

Fifteen breaths passed in an instant. Lu Ye was still observing when the Ghost's figure reappeared, now fully dressed. She turned, her face stern, and declared, "Time's up!"

Lu Ye closed his eyes, recalling and reinforcing his memory of the Ghost Pattern information he had just observed. When he reopened his eyes, the Ghost had a small hand extended towards him, clearly requesting the remaining payment. Lu Ye didn't prevaricate and directly transferred 200,000 spirit jade to her. The Ghost beamed with delight.

"You're a combat cultivator, why are you observing concealment?" the Ghost asked, counting the spirit jade. "If you're thinking of becoming a Ghost cultivator, it's probably too late." For the first time in her life, she found earning money to be surprisingly easy.

"I'd also like to observe the Ghost Patterns related to aura concealment!" Lu Ye stated.

Concealment and aura suppression have always been used in conjunction; only by combining them can one achieve perfect stealth. Since he had already gained insights from the concealment Ghost Patterns, Lu Ye naturally wanted to observe those related to aura suppression as well.

"Absolutely not!" the Ghost replied without looking up.

"Still the same price!"

"I said no, and that's final!"

"Then name your price!"

"This isn't about the price!" the Ghost said, looking up and glaring at him with a hint of irritation.

Lu Ye suddenly understood. The Ghost had agreed to let him observe the concealment Ghost Patterns earlier because they were located on her back, which wasn't a significant issue to expose. After all, some female cultivators typically wore very revealing attire, leaving large parts of their backs visible. However, the Ghost Patterns related to aura suppression were undoubtedly located in places that would be inappropriate for him to observe. If Lu Ye were a woman, it might have been acceptable, but with him being a man, the Ghost would never agree—it truly wasn't about money.

As she counted the spirit jade, the Ghost suddenly seemed to remember something. She looked at Lu Ye, inexplicably adopting a seductive expression, and purred, "How about... you marry me? Then you can look at me however you please!" She suddenly thought her idea was brilliant. Fa Wuzun himself was powerful enough, his future was undoubtedly promising, he wasn't bad-looking, and most importantly, he was rich! If she could marry Fa Wuzun, she would never have to worry about cultivation matters again, and she could completely escape her identity as a "poor ghost."

"You must be dreaming!" Lu Ye flatly refused.

"Just consider it?" the Ghost persisted, still unwilling to give up.

"Have you forgotten what you called me earlier?" Lu Ye remarked, giving her a faint glance.

The Ghost was enraged. "If you dare bring that up, I'll fight you to the death!"

Lu Ye turned and walked in the direction Puck had gone, unwilling to continue the argument with her. Although the transaction was complete, he still had to fulfill his promise. More importantly, Puck was also here. In the vast Myriad Forms Galaxy, among the people he had met so far, only two could barely be considered his friends. One was Chu Shen, and the other was Puck. However, Chu Shen was Fa Wuzun's friend, while Puck was Li Taibai's. The enemy the Ghost was about to face was not weak. If he were to leave, abandoning the Ghost and Puck, they might not succeed.

Turning a corner, he saw Puck in the distance, wielding his spiritual fishing rod like a staff, battling a group of bizarre creatures. However, it was less of a battle and more of a one-sided slaughter, as the attacking enemies couldn't even get close to Puck.