novelraw Chapter 116
Chapter 116
The Inner Sect was already the backbone strength of the Blood Reversal Sect. Almost all Foundation Establishment and Core Formation disciples came from this group.
The greatest benefit was that once one broke through Foundation Establishment, they were qualified to apply for the right to guard a city. Just look at Heart Erosion City: monopolizing one city brought enormous profit.
But an Outer Sect cultivator at Foundation Establishment had no such qualification. Even to open a shop within the sect required permission from the higher authorities.
For example, Deacon Xu and the Xu Clan’s Pill Shop were typical cases.
Wang Yu’s promotion into the Inner Sect was also a carefully considered decision. He intended to put down deep roots in the Blood Reversal Sect, for the sake of future benefit.
After respectfully taking his leave, Wang Yu appeared at the square of the Hall Market in a completely new outfit. Many fellow disciples cast envious looks at him.
The Outer Sect of the Blood Reversal Sect’s nine peaks had hundreds of thousands, yet the Inner Sect had only about ten thousand. A higher identity meant trampling hundreds of thousands of cultivators beneath his feet.
It was a complete transformation.
“Now I too am an Inner Sect disciple. And it just so happens to be year’s end. Today marks the first day of my Inner Sect life.”
His heart swelled with pride. As he left the Hall Market, he failed to notice a pair of secretive eyes watching him in the dark.Corpse Market, an ordinary cave dwelling.
Nearly two months had passed since his promotion into the Inner Sect. Wang Yu had quickly adapted to his new status. At present, he was using Cold Flame to refine a first-rank supreme-grade Beast-Nurturing Pill, which could assist the Snowjade Fox’s growth.
He valued this greatly, so once the pill recipe was perfected, he immediately opened the furnace.
The little fox had been eating well for several months. Wang Yu rarely kept it inside a spirit beast pouch, preferring instead to carry it in his arms and stroke it often. Since he was walking the elite path, building emotional bonds was necessary.
After all, self-initiated protection and forced obedience were two very different things.
The former was more efficient and far more effective.
His alchemy skills were already at mastery. Refining first-rank pills posed no problem. Even refining lower-grade second-rank pills, he had full confidence. Only the Cold Chi Pill Technique remained incomplete, as he had no Idle Slot to fill it in.
When the time was right, Wang Yu struck the pill furnace. As the lid flew open, three emerald-green pills radiating vitality appeared.
After extraction, fusion, pill formation, and nurturing, the final result was near perfect.
Innate Alchemy truly was domineering.
“Three supreme-grade pills. The medicinal power of the ingredients limited me. If the potency were several times greater, one furnace producing nine supreme-grade pills would not be impossible.”
He placed the pills into a jade bottle. The Snowjade Fox, long impatient, leapt out, crying out toward him before jumping into his arms and exposing its soft belly.
Wang Yu could not help but smile. Ever since the Snowjade Fox had been with him, his near-paralyzed expression was finally restored.
Humans were social creatures after all. Prolonged solitude was difficult. With such a cute companion, his chance of becoming twisted diminished greatly.
In such an environment, maintaining mental and emotional health was not easy.
“Here, here. Once you grow up, you will become my mount.”
With a single gulp, the Snowjade Fox ate the fragrant pill. Its eyelids grew heavy, and within breaths it fell asleep. Wang Yu placed it into his pocket and resumed refining.
He opened four furnaces in succession, preparing enough to last until pill resistance formed. By the time he emerged, more than half a month had passed.
Meanwhile, news finally arrived from Tantai Chan, who had vanished since his Inner Sect promotion. The matter was complete. Within seven days he was to report at the Stone House District of Cold Blood Peak. A new slave-hunting team was about to depart.
The consumption of Spirit Slaves was always extremely high. Very few survived past twenty years. He had never heard of anyone else, like himself, who had risen from Spirit Slave to the Outer Sect.
No wonder he always attracted astonishment. It was too rare. In fact, he was the only case in the past hundred years.
Because of the heavy consumption of Spirit Slaves, the nine peaks each had strictly divided territories for slave hunting. Some peaks even operated within the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain. This was also why Wang Yu insisted on joining Cold Blood Peak’s team.
He wanted to return to the Taihu Spiritual Domain, to Stone Lake City. To do so, he had to retrace his steps, once again passing through Black Mountain Pass.
So many years had passed. He wondered how his family was now.
After preparing his belongings and sending task notices to familiar contacts, he left the Ten Markets of Blood Reversal without looking back.
Cold Blood Peak, Stone House District.
The place was lively today. Three slave-hunting teams were departing for different regions.
When Wang Yu arrived, he saw many familiar faces.
For instance, the old cultivator who had once personally “delivered” him here, and Steward Liu, standing out prominently in the Stone House District. When they saw Wang Yu, they both even greeted him warmly.
Even Duan Ping and Fatty Duan, who had been missing for some time, were here. Duan Ping was no longer a steward but had become a member of this slave-hunting team.
Qi Refining seventh layer. Wang Yu narrowed his eyes. This was not the same realm as when he had first known him.
After Wei Zhong and Su Yulong’s downfall, this little shrimp Duan Ping had escaped safely, probably because the real culprit was caught. Sparing him was considered a favor to the Duan Clan of Elephant Mountain.
But he had been stripped of his post and demoted into the slave-hunting team. His appearance had aged drastically, unlike before.
It seemed he had once attempted Foundation Establishment using a lower-grade Foundation Pill, the Blood Reversal Pill, but failed. Otherwise he would not look so dispirited and even have regressed in cultivation.
When Duan Ping saw Wang Yu, he trembled and retreated behind the team leader, Old Ning.
Seeing this posture, Wang Yu grinned, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight, but the smile was chilling instead of warm.
“You… what do you want…”
“Nothing. Does Brother Duan fear me? Could it be that you have a guilty conscience?”
“No, no. Stay away from me. Old Ning… Ning—”
“Enough.”
Old Ning yanked Duan Ping out from behind him and pushed him toward Wang Yu with a smile.
“Fellow Daoist Wang, this journey to the Taihu Spiritual Domain will be extremely dangerous. Accidents on the road are commonplace. It is best to prepare yourself well while still in the sect.”
“Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Ning.”
Wang Yu was a little surprised at his attitude. His words implied that within the sect, he gave face to Wang Yu, but once outside, Duan Ping was his to dispose of.
A shrewd man indeed.
Duan Ping also caught the hidden meaning. His face instantly turned pale. “No, you cannot do this. I treated you well before. You—”
But Old Ning ignored him completely.
“Everyone is here. Set out.”
More than ten late-stage Qi Refining cultivators released their flying artifacts, preparing to depart. Duan Ping refused to move. Old Ning did not care.
“Not going? Then wait here for the sect’s beheading order. Everyone else, depart.”
With that, he was the first to rise into the air.
The others followed in succession. Before long, Fatty Duan also followed, though he deliberately kept far from Wang Yu. Either way, it was a dead end. Better to take his chances outside.