Chapter 661: Ghost Art Pavilion (Part 2)
Yang Haoran and Xu Meijing were both new to being Underworld Officials, so they didn't know many others. This made obtaining Ghost Arts from other Underworld Officials quite troublesome.
Moreover, acquiring Ghost Arts from other Underworld Officials also came with a price, unless their relationship was solid enough for them to be willing to teach for free.
However, neither Yang Haoran nor Xu Meijing had any Underworld Official friends like that.
From their current situation, entering the Ghost Art Pavilion was the best and most efficient way to acquire the Ghost Arts they desired. Yet, the exorbitant price truly pained Yang Haoran.
Despite the pang of heartache, he decided to visit the Ghost Art Pavilion nonetheless, as he urgently needed Ghost Arts to enhance his strength.
"Heh heh, how are you so well-versed in the Ghost Art Pavilion? " Yang Haoran asked Xu Meijing with a smile.
"Back then, I also wanted to acquire some Ghost Arts to boost my strength, so I decided to search for relevant information within the Underworld Iron Tome. That's how I found details about the Ghost Art Pavilion," Xu Meijing replied.
"The Underworld Iron Tome?"
"Why didn't I think of using the Underworld Iron Tome to look up the information? Truly. . . my brain must have short-circuited."
Every Underworld Official possessed two Underworld Iron Tomes: one recorded the laws of the Underworld, while the other was rich in content, chronicling major events within the Underworld and serving as a communication tool for the Underworld to issue various commands.
The Underworld Iron Tome Xu Meijing referred to at that moment was the latter.
In the past, Yang Haoran had never actually considered using the Underworld Iron Tome to look up this kind of information. If not for Xu Meijing's reminder today, he had no idea when he would have realized it.
Yang Haoran's expression at that moment was truly a sight to behold. Xu Meijing saw it and couldn't help but let her smile deepen a few shades.
"Usually, you don't seem like an idiot. I guess my eyes must have been deceiving me," Xu Meijing teased with a chuckle.
Yang Haoran didn't know how to respond and could only manage an embarrassed smile. Now he finally understood why Xu Meijing had been so incredulous earlier upon learning he didn't know about the Ghost Art Pavilion. If it had been him, his surprise probably wouldn't have been any less than hers.
Xu Meijing had known about the Ghost Art Pavilion for a long time, but due to her financial constraints, she hadn't dared to enter. After all, the cost of entry was simply too high; without a substantial foundation, one couldn't afford the expenditure. The matter of cultivating Ghost Arts had thus been continually postponed, and who knew, with all the delays, she had almost forgotten about it entirely.
"Let's go, we should check out the Ghost Art Pavilion. No need to waste time here," Xu Meijing said with a smile, no longer teasing Yang Haoran.
Now, with Soul Pills on hand—both those she refined herself and those acquired from the Underworld—she was immeasurably wealthier than before. Coupled with the current situation, she truly needed to cultivate some powerful Ghost Arts to enhance her strength. This was why Xu Meijing had decided to visit the Ghost Art Pavilion.
Yang Haoran had already made up his mind, so of course he wouldn't refuse. Under Xu Meijing's lead, the two hurried towards the Ghost Art Pavilion.
They moved quickly, without the slightest delay, so it didn't take long for them to arrive at the Ghost Art Pavilion. Gazing at the uniquely shaped three-story building before them, the two halted their steps.
At the entrance of the Ghost Art Pavilion stood two statues, each with a human body and a ghostly head. The statues held long halberds, their faces fierce and menacing, lifelike, their gazes fixed forward, as if they could spring to life at any moment.
These two statues emitted no life fluctuations and no Yin Qi, yet Yang Haoran had a feeling that they were probably not as simple as they appeared to the naked eye.
After taking a couple more glances at the statues, Yang Haoran turned his attention to the entrance of the Ghost Art Pavilion.
Under his gaze, Underworld Officials from the mortal realm and Ghost Officials from the Underworld continuously entered and exited the grand entrance of the Ghost Art Pavilion. The sheer number of people surprised him.
"Such an expensive place, yet so many people are constantly coming and going. It seems it's just you and I who are poor, not all Underworld Officials," Yang Haoran remarked with a smile.
"Are we poor now? " Xu Meijing retorted directly, without offering further explanation.
"Poor, of course we're poor, just slightly better off than before," Yang Haoran replied with a laugh.
"Yes, just slightly better off than before," Xu Meijing said with a smile.
Whether they were poor or not, they both knew perfectly well in their hearts. Before possessing the Soul-Refining Cauldron, they had indeed been very poor. But after acquiring it, they had completely escaped poverty. While they couldn't compare to the extremely wealthy big shots among the Underworld Officials, they were definitely not on the same level as ordinary Underworld Officials.
However, the Soul-Refining Cauldron was a shared secret between them. Neither brought it up; instead, they both pretended to be very poor.
What the two didn't know was that the Ghost Art Pavilion used to not be so bustling. Its threshold was simply too high, and furthermore, Soul Pills were far too precious for Underworld Officials, so a large portion of them preferred to obtain Ghost Arts through other means rather than come to the Ghost Art Pavilion.
The main reason it was so lively now was that the outside world had changed drastically. They desperately needed powerful Ghost Arts to enhance their strength, and this time, the Underworld had issued ten Soul Pills to every Underworld Official, so their finances weren't as tight as usual. That was why the Ghost Art Pavilion was so bustling.
"Are photos allowed inside? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
Xu Meijing only had to think for a moment to understand why Yang Haoran had suddenly asked such a question and what he intended to do.
In her view, Yang Haoran definitely wanted to use his phone or other photographic equipment to capture as many Ghost Arts as possible within the limited time, take them out of the Ghost Art Pavilion, and then slowly cultivate them. This way, he could maximize his gains with minimal expenditure.
"I know what you're thinking, but you'd best abandon that notion. Photos aren't allowed inside. If you're caught, you'll permanently lose the right to enter the Ghost Art Pavilion, and you might even face other penalties depending on the severity of the offense."
Yang Haoran gave an embarrassed smile. Xu Meijing hadn't been wrong; he had indeed been preparing to use photography to bring out as many Ghost Arts as possible, just as she'd said. But now, hearing her words, he had no choice but to drop the idea. After all, the punishment for being caught was severe, and it simply wasn't worth the risk.
"Taking photos is definitely out, but there is one method we could use," Xu Meijing said with a smile.
Hearing that there was still a loophole to exploit, Yang Haoran's eyes lit up. He quickly asked, "What method?"
"It's quite simple," Xu Meijing said with a smile, "We'll each memorize different Ghost Arts within the limited time."
Xu Meijing didn't elaborate, but Yang Haoran already understood her meaning. Her idea was very simple: once they entered the Ghost Art Pavilion, they would each memorize different Ghost Arts. Then, when they emerged, they would teach each other the Ghost Arts they had remembered. This way, both of them would gain free access to the Ghost Arts the other had memorized inside the Ghost Art Pavilion.
"Heh heh, that's not a bad method. But is this kind of practice officially allowed? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"This practice is essentially just Underworld Officials privately teaching each other Ghost Arts. What's not allowed about that? " Xu Meijing asked with a laugh.
"Heh heh, you make a good point. Then we'll do just that. However, for our visit to the Ghost Art Pavilion this time, should we stay on the first floor or go up to the second?"
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, seeking Xu Meijing's opinion.
The reason he only mentioned the first and second floors was that the cost for those two floors was still acceptable, but the expenditure for the third floor was beyond what he could currently afford.
It wasn't that he couldn't produce that many Soul Pills, but such an action would be too ostentatious. Before reaching a certain level of status and position, it was better to keep a low profile, lest he be targeted and end up dead without knowing how.
"The first floor only has ordinary Ghost Arts, and their power is quite unremarkable, so I think it's better to head to the second floor," Xu Meijing responded after some thought.
Xu Meijing thought for a moment before replying. Like Yang Haoran, she hadn't even considered the third floor of the Ghost Art Pavilion.
"Alright, I'll follow your lead. We'll go to the second floor," Yang Haoran replied with a smile.
Yang Haoran replied with a smile, then followed Xu Meijing into the Ghost Art Pavilion. They made no stop on the first floor, heading directly up to the second floor of the Ghost Art Pavilion.
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