Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 174

Reception hall.

“Worthy brother, you truly will not go”

“No, no, I will not. I, Wang, do not lack inheritance. That Eastern Extreme Capital has only a bit of attraction because of its inheritances. As for relics from the ancient era, what kind of treasures could have really survived until now”

Wang Yu shook his head like a rattle-drum. This left Patriarch Guan, who kept trying to persuade him, somewhat embarrassed.

At the side, a female cultivator from the Scent Perceiving Sect finally spoke. She was not the representative of the North District branch but a guest who had come from the sect’s mountain gate outside the city.

She had only heard Wang Yu’s name before and this was her first time meeting him. Like Daoist Cultivator Qingyang, she too was at the peak of Foundation Establishment and held high status within her sect.

It could be said she stood below one person yet above ten thousand.

“City Lord Wang has misunderstood. The relic does not only contain inheritances. The Eastern Extreme Capital had residences of many royal family members. Each was called a prince’s palace and within were carefully preserved treasures.

Pills, magical artifacts, talismans, formation flags, spirit herbs, spiritual materials… all kinds of things. My Scent Perceiving Sect once obtained an ancient incense from a fragrance shop there.”

Wang Yu had wanted to rebut her, but the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back.Only sixty to seventy thousand years had passed. A Spirit Transformation cultivator has over three thousand years of lifespan. As long as the inheritance was continuous with successors, passing it down for twenty generations would not be a problem.

Thinking of it this way, it was reasonable for treasures to have been preserved.

“No, no, I do not like consuming things of unknown origin. Esteemed guests, do as you wish. I still have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave.”

“Wait.”

This time several people spoke at once to stop him. They looked at each other and then at Wang Yu. “City Lord, if you truly will not go, then could you allow us to view the records of Jade Spirit City through the generations…”

“Five thousand.”

Wang Yu’s eyes lit up.

“The seven of you, each will pay five thousand spirit stones. You may freely view the intelligence stored in the City Lord’s Mansion.”

The Guan family, Jiang family, Scent Perceiving Sect, and Purple Dragon Mountain made four factions.

In addition, Cloud Dream Pavilion, Tiger Demon Gang (new), and the Violet Gold Merchant Association from the North District made three Foundation Establishment powers.

The Violet Gold Merchant Association was a local firm of Jade Spirit City. Its scale was far below that of Golden Abundance Tower and the two were not comparable.

But it was easier to influence and control, which was why Wang Yu deliberately kept them in this alliance family. They could help him dispose of black market goods and also open channels with the Yanluo Ghost Market.

He himself would never go to such a far and dangerous place. He could only let others go to see if they could obtain resources he needed.

As for the Tiger Demon Gang, it was a newly risen Foundation Establishment force built on the corpses of the Azure Dragon Gang and many small gangs, with Wang Yu himself having played a part in it.

In short, his control over Jade Spirit City was becoming deeper and deeper.

At five thousand spirit stones the intelligence was not expensive. Everyone could afford it. Since Wang Yu’s attitude was firm, no one pressed the matter further and they all agreed.

After each had paid, Wang Yu had someone lead them to the records chamber.

After they had left, Daoist Qingyang emerged from the shadows where he had been hiding. He had been watching the entire process.

“City Lord, I too will pay five thousand spirit stones.”

“No need, no need. Between us it is intelligence exchange.”

With a broad smile Wang Yu pulled Qingyang over and pressed him into a chair. “Daoist brother, you are too polite. Of course the intelligence of the City Lord’s mansion is somewhat more precious than that of your Ink-Water Sect.”

“Yes.”

On this point Daoist Qingyang did not deny it.

Members of the Ink-Water Sect had died in the relics for generations, and they had mapped a relatively safe route. But the intelligence from Jade Spirit City’s mansion was nearly a full map of the Eastern Capital.

Not only marking the imperial city, but also the one hundred and eight districts, palaces, prince residences, and gates of the capital. A small part came from those who had truly gone, most were deductions.

Coming from the Blood Reversal Sect, their understanding of the ancient immortal dynasty was naturally far beyond others, so their analysis had strong foundations. Its reliability was quite high.

The things Qingyang sought were three. First, the Inheritance of the Court Artisan Academy and its imperial painter. Second, the remains of his sect’s ancestral founder. Third, a suitable Core Formation spiritual item.

With this intelligence, he felt the royal treasury recorded within was very likely to have what he needed. It was far better than searching blindly like a headless fly. At least now he had a target.

This favor, he naturally would remember.

Wang Yu then revealed his true purpose.

“The bond between you and me is unlike those outsiders. Sharing intelligence is nothing. Since I can do it, Daoist brother surely can as well.”

“…Yes.”

Daoist Qingyang hesitated a little. They had only known each other for a few days, and speaking so deeply already felt a bit premature.

“Good, then I shall await Daoist Qingyang’s return from the relic. At that time you and I will drink together, tell me about the situations inside and the stories you experienced. We will not part until drunk.”

So this was his intention. Daoist Qingyang’s tense body finally relaxed.

“No problem.”

He was a sincere man. Rare, truly rare.

……

……

Jade Spirit City, Golden Abundance Tower.

Half a month after sending Daoist Qingyang and the others off, Wang Yu finally received word from Golden Abundance Tower and immediately went over.

In the past ten years his wealth had surged to three or four million spirit stones, though he had also spent much. Third-rank spiritual materials were one of the greatest expenditures, and another was a Core Formation spiritual item.

Such spiritual items could only be encountered by chance. Most came from secret realms, where the essence of heaven and earth was denser, better suited for such rare treasures to grow, and rarely disturbed.

Once they sprouted, there was an eighty percent chance they could mature.

Of course, this did not mean the outside world’s essence of heaven and earth was inferior, but that it was a matter of concentration.

Secret realms were small. The density of heaven and earth essence appeared stronger, but in fact it was only due to the spatial restriction.

Back then, after the execution of the Bai family, Wang Yu had already been searching in Jade Spirit City’s Golden Abundance Tower for a Core Formation spiritual item.

Although he had a contract with the Third Young Master of Blood Reversal Sect, which would grant him a quota to enter the Mystic Heaven Secret Realm after reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment, where Core Formation spiritual objects were produced.

But was this not risky.

If spiritual stones could be used to buy them, why risk dueling others for it.

However, even Golden Abundance Tower would not constantly store a batch of Core Formation spiritual objects waiting for others to buy. Once such a rare treasure was obtained, it would be auctioned at a high price.

After Wang Yu and the steward had conducted several transactions involving third-rank spiritual materials, their relationship stabilized. Only then did the steward agree to help procure one, with a base price of one million spiritual stones, and without guaranteeing compatibility.

Whether it was compatible or not, Wang Yu did not care, as he was still far from Core Formation.

The reason he had to obtain it was for exchange.

The higher a cultivator’s realm, the greater their demand for rare treasures, and sometimes treasures acquired with great difficulty could not be used personally.

Selling them for spiritual stones always felt like a loss.

At this point, various treasure-exchange gatherings emerged, usually hosted by respected seniors and held within small circles of cultivators.

This way, one could exchange for urgently needed treasures from others.

Mutual benefit.

This practice had been passed from the Taihu Spiritual Domain. In recent years, the number of extreme demonic cultivators had declined. They realized that killing for profit was inefficient and unsustainable.

Naturally, they grew wiser. Treasure-exchange gatherings flourished and formed distinctive social circles.

In the future, Wang Yu would have the opportunity to use a Core Formation spiritual object to exchange for another, creating a win-win situation. Why not.

This was also a way to make use of his excess spiritual stones.

In the core area of the central district, not far from the City Lord’s Mansion, was the famous Golden Abundance Tower. This merchant guild thrived not only in the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain but was also a giant even in the Taihu region.

Wang Yu hurried over. The branch master of Jade Spirit sub-branch naturally received him personally.

“Brother Wang, shall we talk inside.”

“Of course. Thank you, Brother Qian.”

Golden Abundance Tower was the second-largest building in Jade Spirit City, constructed in the style of tall buildings with open courtyards. The first floor consisted of counters on both sides with a central passage, designed for cultivators to enter, browse from the left, circle around, and exit from the right. These mostly displayed items for Qi Refining cultivators.

From the second floor onward, the counters displayed treasures for Foundation Establishment.

From the third floor upward were private rooms, which served both as points to purchase items from loose cultivators and as venues for treasure-exchange gatherings.

When Golden Abundance Tower occasionally hosted auctions, these rooms became private boxes for esteemed guests.

The central courtyard was perfectly suited for hosting auctions.

From above, overlooking the items being bid on gave participants a sense of control, easily exciting them.

Branches of Golden Abundance Tower throughout the Crimson Kite region followed this format.

Only the use of upper floors varied. For example, in prefectural capitals, the third floor displayed Core Formation-level treasures, while the fourth floor contained private boxes.

Cultivators who had purchased from Golden Abundance Tower would always feel at home when visiting branches elsewhere. Male cultivators especially enjoyed this sense of familiarity.

Unless there was an issue of stock shortage, they would rarely switch to another merchant.

This Jade Spirit City branch only went up to Foundation Establishment level.

However, third-rank spiritual items would occasionally appear. As a major customer, Wang Yu had risen in connections from steward to branch master, contributing greatly to their achievements.

On the rooftop, Branch Master Qian had already prepared a table of delicacies.

“Thanks to you, Brother, I will soon be transferred to the Secluded Prefecture branch. You have helped me tremendously. Fifty years of achievements were completed by you alone.”

Wang Yu: “Congratulations… congratulations.”

He had a thought he dared not speak aloud.

If you leave, will my relationship not be wasted. A complete loss.

Branch Master Qian was a middle-aged man with a mustache, dressed in a wide-sleeved robe woven with golden threads and inlaid with gems, wearing a dazzling golden toad crown.

Both his hands were covered with spatial rings. These were standard equipment for Nascent Soul cultivators, yet his were not even entry-level.

With such an outfit, it would not be surprising if he were robbed by an old Nascent Soul demonic cultivator.

At this moment, Branch Master Qian raised his cup of wine and said.

“Brother, do not worry. My sister-in-law will succeed me as Jade Spirit branch master. She is of the Jin clan’s direct line. I have already told her about you. She will surely continue to help you find spiritual items.”

Wang Yu nodded. Having a successor was good. His efforts would not go to waste. As for the Jin clan, they were the true owners of Golden Abundance Tower.

It seemed this Branch Master Qian had married well.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, they finally spoke of business.

“Brother, please look—

Third-rank spiritual material: Thousand-Year Ice Marrow Jade, third-rank spiritual material: Cold Moon Pearl. These two alone are worth fifty thousand spiritual stones.”

Wang Yu was slightly moved, but he anticipated the next item even more.

“Core Formation spiritual object: Everlasting Vitality Treasure Branch.”

A priceless treasure worth over one million spiritual stones.