As Ye Tiancheng grew fierce again, the ghost began to tear up, its appearance burly and well-built, suggesting it was quite fit. Yet, when it cried, it seemed so fragile, truly like a pear blossom caught in the rain.
"Alright, I'm a casual talker, but I never have any wicked intentions. My heart isn't cruel. Just listen to me and don't take it to heart. I only have one request: I don't want to see you cry anymore."
If he had to watch a grown man cry like this, Ye Tiancheng truly suspected he would go insane, even questioning the meaning of life.
Sometimes, it didn't matter if one was a man or a woman; as long as they were human, a little coaxing would suffice. This was the simplest method, and Ye Tiancheng certainly didn't want to abandon the simple path for a troublesome one.
"Then don't be fierce with me anymore. When your friend recovers tomorrow, don't chase me away. Since you chose that shovel, this is our destiny. Fate cannot be stopped, so let's stay together and overcome difficulties."
What the lonely spirit said made sense, so Ye Tiancheng nodded and quickly withdrew his consciousness from the胖子's body.
After withdrawing, Ye Tiancheng found that the胖子 was no longer in as much discomfort, only looking a bit drowsy. He likely needed some rest to recover his energy.
"胖子, you should sleep now. No matter what, let's talk after you've had this sleep."
Ye Tiancheng also needed rest. Every time he expended his true qi, he required a certain amount of time to recuperate. Ye Tiancheng realized he needed to take care of himself; it was a profound matter. Sometimes, one should be smarter about what's best for oneself, rather than just pushing through.
"Xue'er, you should rest too. You've worked hard today. We'll make do here for the night and continue exploring Black Wind Mountain later."
Perhaps it was because he discovered the difficulty, but the more challenging it became, the more interesting it felt. Without challenges, things were meaningless.
And so it went until the next morning. Ye Tiancheng was awakened by a clattering sound.
Upon waking, he quickly went to check. The胖子 was outside, furiously wielding the shovel and attacking monsters. Yesterday, he had been listless, but today he seemed to have a complete change of heart, appearing incredibly excited and full of energy. This was the most peculiar thing.
"胖子, what's wrong with you? It's early in the morning. Did you get injected with chicken blood?"
Ye Tiancheng found it very strange. While the胖子 was usually diligent, he wouldn't normally be this excited about fighting so early in the morning.
"Brother Ye, I don't know what happened when I woke up, but I'm filled with strength. I woke up before dawn and have been excitedly fighting ever since. I've battered these monsters flat! Not only that, but I feel like my shovel is getting more and more powerful."
If that was the case, it was indeed possible. This shovel was no ordinary shovel; it carried the resentful spirit of a previous owner, meaning it had an enchanted effect.
"It's normal. As you defeat more demons and monsters, the shovel accumulates more merit. It's perfectly normal for it to become more powerful."
Just like gaining experience in a game, the胖子 felt excited upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's words. After all, most men enjoyed playing games, and the rules of this current game felt very challenging to the胖子.
"Brother Ye, it's a shame there are so few monsters attacking us this morning. I've already finished them all. We need to find more monsters quickly. The monsters in Black Wind Mountain are too weak; this wave isn't enough."
Ye Tiancheng looked at the胖子 with some astonishment. He hadn't expected such a drastic change in the胖子's personality. It seemed that having strength truly made a difference.
Previously, when faced with danger, the胖子 would mostly hide behind Ye Tiancheng, appearing timid and fearful. But now, with newfound strength, everything had reversed. He was practically eager to charge out and implement a scorched-earth policy on the entire Black Wind Mountain, killing, burning, and looting everything.
"胖子, take it easy. This Black Mine Mountain doesn't only have these low-level monsters. At your current level, you can only handle the lowest-level and slightly higher-level ones. If the level increases even a bit, the situation won't be optimistic."
This sentence had almost become Ye Tiancheng's catchphrase. Even the胖子 had gradually gotten used to it. Since arriving at Black Wind Mountain, things had rarely gone smoothly, leading to frequent situations that weren't optimistic.
"Alright, Brother Ye, I understand the situation. I won't be impulsive. But if there are any low-level monsters, please don't act yourselves. Let me gain some experience. After all, in terms of cultivation, I'm just a beginner, just starting out. You have to let me have my turn."
There was nothing wrong with that statement. Ye Tiancheng naturally looked out for his brothers. The better the胖子 cultivated, the greater the good it would be for him.
"Okay, I'll talk to Xue'er about it. In any case, I'll definitely sort this out for you."
"Understood, thank you, Brother, for taking care of me. I will never forget your kindness, little brother."
Before, the胖子 hadn't had many plans for self-improvement. He often felt that things should happen naturally. But now, it was different. With this shovel, he felt that life had regained its purpose and hope.
Being able to make this shovel increasingly powerful and cultivate more merit made the胖子 incredibly happy. He even felt that his life was more complete.
"I must work hard to help that lonely spirit achieve reincarnation. This is a great act of merit."
"This lonely spirit has been wandering on the shovel for over a hundred years, enduring much hardship. Several times, it was almost annihilated. It would have been tragic if it had truly turned to dust. Now that it has finally persevered, it deserves all of this."
"Understood, Brother Ye. We two have now merged. When I encounter danger, he will help me resist, acting as my defensive armor. This is a great thing; we are cultivating together."
"Alright, stop being so talkative. I see you've already prepared breakfast. You have boundless energy. Let's go eat first. Your pork rib noodles are always delicious, and you even added a fried egg. If I hadn't been drawn by your strange behavior, I would have eaten the pork rib noodles first."
The pork rib noodles were a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. It was unlikely anyone could resist such temptation.
"I also made you white fungus and lotus seed soup. Brother Ye, when we eat delicious food, you shouldn't just thank me; you should also thank Miss Xue. If Miss Xue hadn't used her spiritual energy to keep all the food fresh, by the time it reached us, everything would have spoiled."
Ye Tiancheng didn't need to be polite with his disciple. Lin Xue's actions were always for the good of the team, and Ye Tiancheng had never doubted this.
After eating the pork rib noodles, they felt incredibly full. Ye Tiancheng was even getting drowsy, so he quickly pulled the胖子 outside.
"Brother Ye, there's no time to waste! Let's hurry out and fight monsters. It's a good way to expend some energy. Otherwise, if we eat too much and just lie down, it can cause indigestion and be bad for our health."
The胖子 simply wanted to fight but couldn't go alone. He could handle the small monsters nearby, but what if they encountered a large one? Of course, he had to drag Ye Tiancheng along.
Even if Ye Tiancheng couldn't defeat it, he could at least run away, preventing the胖子 from losing his life.
"Alright, we agreed to go together. Let's set off then."
The pork rib noodles needed to be digested. Ye Tiancheng released a wave of true qi, a necessary measure for him to scout ahead. If they encountered monsters, the true qi would return promptly, allowing Ye Tiancheng to know if there was danger ahead.
The three of them traveled together, with Ye Tiancheng leading the way. Following the path of his true qi, he could try to bypass some of the more troublesome monsters.
Some monsters, while not possessing strong attack power, could spit venom or spray poisonous mist. These were incredibly difficult to guard against. If one accidentally got poisoned, it would be very troublesome.
"胖子, stick close to me. There's no rush to fight monsters. There are plenty of monsters in Black Wind Mountain; you could fight them your whole life."
Ye Tiancheng could already sense the胖子's eagerness and began to worry. He hoped the胖子 wouldn't stir up trouble. He had just grasped some secrets to becoming powerful, and any normal person would need some time to adapt, perhaps even getting themselves into trouble.
"Brother Ye, don't worry, I'm following you closely. I'm just a bit anxious. Why haven't we seen any monsters yet?"
"Because I'm actively avoiding them. Don't worry,胖子, soon everything will be settled, and then we can find monsters to fight."
He had heard that there was a spring eye in the very center of Black Wind Mountain. The old ancestor's hint, although it didn't specify a location, certainly meant they would try to find the most famous spot, and they wouldn't be wandering aimlessly.
"Okay, Brother Ye, I'll continue to cover the rear."
The three of them walked for about two hours. The environment inside Black Wind Mountain was unpleasant, giving off an extremely stuffy feeling. Ye Tiancheng, in particular, was sweating profusely, his clothes sticking uncomfortably to his skin. It felt terrible, almost like unbearable pain.
"胖子, did you bring any ice water? Give me a drink. I really can't take it anymore, and the mosquitoes are biting me. I'm itching all over..." Ye Tiancheng complained, even reaching out his hand. However, he didn't receive any ice water from the胖子.
Ye Tiancheng gradually sensed something was wrong. He turned his head and saw only Lin Xue following behind him. As for the胖子, who had been occasionally speaking, he was now nowhere to be seen.
Ye Tiancheng's heart sank. This situation wasn't good. What if the胖子 had been snatched away by some terrifying beast and was already reduced to mere bone fragments? Ye Tiancheng would be devastated.
"Xue'er, have you seen the胖子? Has something happened to the胖子?"
"Don't worry, Master. I'm keeping an eye on him. The胖子 is fighting small monsters behind us and to our side."
"Didn't we already bypass those small monsters? Why is the胖子 actively seeking them out?"
Ye Tiancheng was very confused. He couldn't understand why someone would look for trouble. They had clearly avoided them, yet the胖子 was actively seeking them out to cultivate his shovel. This was clearly a case of overly eager cultivation.
"No, those small monsters sometimes appear in groups. There must be a reason for that, and it's likely there's a larger monster. The胖子 is being very reckless. I can't just watch him take such risks."