Dual Cultivation System: The Villainous Servant’s Rise

After providing a few brief instructions, Ye Qingxuan departed. Han Lie looked down at the Hell Nine-Tailed Cat perched on the tea table. Its pitch-black pupils were locked onto him, unblinking. He tentatively mimicked a few meows, trying to bridge the gap between them.

The black cat, which had been lounging lazily, suddenly bolted upright. Its two tails stood rigid, its back arched into a sharp curve, and it let out a low, wary hiss.

“Logically speaking, a Hell Nine-Tailed Cat of your cultivation level isn’t qualified to hiss at This Senior,” Han Lie remarked. He didn’t take the animal’s hostility to heart; instead, he produced a few Spirit Stones and waved them enticingly before the feline’s nose.

“Meow!”

The moment the cat laid eyes on the stones, its wary posture dissolved instantly. Han Lie chuckled and placed the Spirit Stones on the table. Lured by the prize, the cat stepped forward with cautious grace. Once it was certain Han Lie meant no harm, it began to feast, devouring all five stones in the blink of an eye.

“Meow!” Having finished its snack, the black cat looked up and meowed again, its intent clear: it wanted more.

Han Lie obliged, feeding it over a hundred Spirit Stones in a row. Yet, the creature remained unsatisfied, staring at him with wide, longing eyes.

“What a bottomless pit. No wonder that demoness said a hundred thousand Spirit Stones would only last three years…” Han Lie muttered.

He decided to cut off the supply for now. Whether it was a pet or a demon beast, the principle was the same: you could never satisfy it completely at once. Since he had just taken charge of this creature, he needed to tame it properly. If he didn’t establish dominance now, the cat might soon forget who was actually in charge.

Over the next few days, Han Lie played with the cat to build a rapport. He eventually set up a minor spell within his storage ring to automatically dispense a fixed amount of a hundred Spirit Stones daily for the cat. With the beast’s needs automated, he plunged back into secluded cultivation.

Excluding the funds Ye Qingxuan had provided for the cat, Han Lie still possessed a personal reserve of thirty thousand Spirit Stones. It was a solid foundation for a period of intensive training.

In the blink of an eye, three months vanished. During this time, Han Lie consumed twenty-two thousand Spirit Stones. The golden core within his dantian underwent a visible transformation, its radiance growing more concentrated. He could faintly sense that he was standing on the threshold of the mid-stage Golden Core realm.

However, his remaining eight thousand stones were insufficient to bridge the final gap for a breakthrough. Han Lie adjusted his strategy, shifting into a meditative state. Within that mental space, he trained diligently for another month.

While his internal energy stabilized, his comprehension of the Soul Devouring Saber Art’s second form—【Soul Sever】—deepened significantly.

“Phew…”

Exiting his trance, Han Lie exhaled a deep, cleansing breath. A satisfied smile played on his lips as he felt the vast, surging spiritual energy thrumming through his meridians. These four months had been incredibly fruitful; he was not only closer to the next stage of cultivation, but his combat instincts and mastery of the 【Soul Sever】 strike had reached new heights.

“Meow!”

The cat’s cry suddenly broke his concentration. Han Lie looked over to see hundreds of Spirit Stones scattered across the floor. The black cat was sitting in the middle of the pile, staring at him with pleading, watery eyes. A single stone even tumbled out of its mouth as it meowed.

“…?”

Han Lie was baffled for a moment before the realization hit him. It seemed the creature had grown tired of a monotonous diet of Spirit Stones and was demanding a change of pace.

“Hell Nine-Tailed Cats only eat Spirit Stones and various rare natural treasures…” Ye Qingxuan’s warning echoed in his mind.

“So that’s why a hundred thousand stones only last three years,” he mused. “You can’t just feed it the basic currency; it needs the occasional delicacy.”

“How pampered,” Han Lie remarked as he gathered the scattered stones. It was clear that raising a beast like this was a luxury few could afford. He realized he knew precious little about its true nature. ” This Senior wants to see what kind of demon beast you really are.” He made a mental note to find a bestiary and research the origins of the Hell Nine-Tailed Cat.

He took a quick tally of the funds Ye Qingxuan had provided. After four months, only eighty-eight thousand Spirit Stones remained. If he continued at this rate, the money wouldn’t even last the promised three years.

“What a bottomless, gold-eating beast…”

Han Lie sighed. “Fine. This Senior happens to be short on stones for my own cultivation anyway. I’ll take you out to find some rare treasures for your diet.”

After a quick cleanup, Han Lie tucked the cat into his robes and headed out. He didn’t plan on taking a mission this time. He still had the spoils from the Yang brothers—two high-grade spirit-rank treasures that should fetch a handsome price.

He found an open spot at the sect’s trading market and displayed the sword and the trident. At the official marketplaces of Lingbao Hall, high-grade spirit-rank treasures usually sold for twenty thousand stones each. However, if you sold them to the Hall, they would only offer fifteen thousand at best.

Han Lie decided to list them at eighteen thousand each. Even with the sect’s five percent venue fee, it would still be more profitable than a direct trade-in.

People stopped to inquire, but most were just window shopping. After half a day of fruitless waiting, the cat hidden in his robes began to squirm and protest.

“Quiet! Keep this up and I’ll sell you too!” Han Lie threatened with an amused, exasperated whisper.

As if it understood perfectly, the cat immediately settled into a silent pout.

“How much for these treasures?” A voice like silver bells rang out nearby.

“Eighteen thousand each; no bargaining,” Han Lie replied without looking up. Then, realizing who was standing before him, he blinked. It was Qin Lan.

“So it is Senior Qin Lan,” he greeted her with a polite smile. “With your cultivation, surely these items are beneath your notice?”

Qin Lan nodded with a gentle smile of her own. “Indeed. I noticed you’ve been sitting here for quite some time. It seems your pricing is the issue.”

“Disciples who can afford high-grade spirit treasures aren’t fools. While eighteen thousand is cheaper than Lingbao Hall, everyone knows what the Hall pays to buy them.”

“Why not lower your price by a thousand? Even with the five percent fee, you’d still walk away with more than you’d get elsewhere.”

Han Lie considered her suggestion. It was a practical piece of advice from a seasoned senior.