novelraw Chapter 195
Chapter 195
Wang Yu had not expected Qingyang to be such a remarkable person. Strictly speaking, they had only met twice. The first time, they had exchanged information and made an agreement afterward.
The way Qingyang explained things in such detail showed he was trustworthy.
Now he even promised to lend him a treasure. Regardless of whether it was true or not, the straightforwardness of his tone proved that he was not a bad man.
Since that was the case, Wang Yu no longer hesitated.
“Daoist Brother, after the Eastern Extreme Capital matter was resolved, most of the foreign cultivators left, but some remained.
“Under the jurisdiction of Jade Spirit City, there is a second-rank Yellow Crystal Iron Mine, which has been seized by an early Core Formation rogue cultivator from Secluded Prefecture. He has gathered men, built a camp, and intends to act as a bandit to rob other cultivators.
“Eight hundred li north, there is another second-rank Jade Thunder Banana Grove, also occupied by an early Core Formation rogue cultivator. Both of these places have been under Jade Spirit City’s control since its founding, managed by successive City Lords.”
In other words, these were unregistered private holdings. Whoever became City Lord of Jade Spirit City would claim them. In past years, they had always been held by the younger generation of the Zhuo Clan. Wang Yu had only obtained them temporarily due to good fortune.
Once his term ended, he would still have to return them intact to the Zhuo Clan of Ghostfang. The Banana Grove matured once every ten years and was not included in his cycle income.
The Yellow Crystal Mine produced ore of brittle quality, mostly used as auxiliary material in various crafts. It was difficult to mine, only sold once every twelve years, and also not included in his cycle income.These were purely private holdings, which meant he had to deal with them on his own.
By this point, Wang Yu’s meaning was obvious, and Qingyang understood. He now wore a troubled expression.
“Brother Wang, it is not that I am unwilling to help you.
“I only condensed my Core Formation recently. First, I have yet to refine my Life-bound Magical Treasure. Second, I have not cultivated a Life-bound Divine Ability. I may appear to possess Core Formation power, but in truth I only hold the realm without its substance.”
These words were sincere. For a Core Formation cultivator to fully display the marvel of their power, both a Life-bound Magical Treasure and a Life-bound Divine Ability were indispensable. Only when both were present could a Core Formation cultivator be considered complete.
As far as he knew, the reason those two rogue Core Formation cultivators had joined the Fire Demon Sect was precisely to obtain the inheritance of a Life-bound Divine Ability.
Divine Abilities were different from spells. Though they also had ranks, once inscribed upon the Core and transformed into a Life-bound Divine Ability, they gained growth potential.
Even Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators used Divine Abilities. The higher the realm, the greater the power a Divine Ability could unleash. It was considered the perfect Dao-protecting art, though its cultivation requirements varied widely.
For the moment, Wang Yu could not press further.
Seeing that Wang Yu understood, Qingyang actually felt embarrassed. He probed cautiously.
“If Brother Wang has some trump card to deal with Core Formation cultivators, Qingyang would not mind lending a hand. A Divine Ability cannot be cultivated in a short time, but among the relics left behind by my ancestor, there is a high-grade Magical Treasure that I can fully unleash.”
Wang Yu was silent.
He understood now. He should not have thought of Qingyang as so straightforward. Even if Qingyang’s character was lofty for one raised in a demonic environment, his earlier refusal was merely testing him.
Once he sensed Wang Yu might give up, he dangled a lure.
Wang Yu took a deep breath.
“In this battle, I have fifty percent confidence. I have a third-rank early-stage Corpse Puppet, very suitable for surrounding and besieging. With Daoist Brother Qingyang’s assistance, confidence will rise to eighty percent.
“As for the spoils, we split evenly. If Daoist Brother uses his deepest trump card, then you may take an extra twenty percent. What do you think?”
Sure enough, Qingyang had been waiting for him to name the reward.
Hearing this, he immediately clapped his hands in delight.
“Excellent. Brother Wang is a man of wisdom and strategy. I shall lend my full support.”
For Wang Yu, the main goal was to reclaim the resource sites. It did not matter if he gave up more of the battle spoils. Qingyang was clearly willing to risk himself because he lacked resources to refine his Life-bound Magical Treasure.
The founder of the Ink-Water Sect had lived a thousand years ago. Magical Treasures and inheritances would remain intact, but spirit medicines and spirit pills left lying around would likely have long since decayed.
After all, whether storage bags or universe rings, the time within their spaces still flowed. They were fine for short durations, but for the long term, one needed special methods of preservation.
“Then let us make preparations. We set out Tomorrow at the hour of the Snake.”
(roughly 9–11 AM.)
“Good.”
The matter settled, Wang Yu handed Qingyang a copy of the intelligence he possessed. It was not overly detailed, but it recorded the opponent’s Divine Abilities and Magical Treasures.
In a cultivator duel, intelligence was of great importance.
With or without preparation were two completely different outcomes. Sometimes a single piece of intelligence could decide victory or defeat. After all, the cultivation world held countless strange treasures, and there was always some way to restrain your opponent.
The most classic example in history was a Core Formation genius who mastered the Divine Ability of Summoning Wind. He was ambushed and killed by a mere Foundation Establishment youth using the rare treasure, the Wind-fixing Pearl. Afterward, he became a laughingstock, and countless others took him as a warning.
After assigning personnel to be mobilized for tomorrow, Wang Yu summoned Snowjade. This great beast was also about to break through, and it would happen alongside him.
During the first Treasure Exchange Gathering, it had been close to breaking through. The refining of the Corpse Puppet had taken over half a year, yet his own cultivation had not fallen behind. At this moment, his True Essence had already condensed seven hundred and ninety-nine drops.
“Snowjade, take this Frost Spirit Pill and break through.”
“Awuu—”
In the main hall of the City Lord’s Mansion, the three-tailed snow fox lay coiled, raising its head as its aura surged. Wang Yu smiled faintly and circulated his cultivation technique for one full great cycle.
His whole body shook as he successfully crossed the watershed of eight hundred drops of true essence, formally stepping into the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment.
To break through to the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, he would need one thousand four hundred drops of true essence. This time the accumulation would take longer. By relying solely on Idle Slots, it would take at least sixteen and a half years.
However, with his already impressive cultivation speed and the aid of supreme-grade Ice Spirit Pills, it would take at most seven to eight years, or even as little as five to six years if things went quickly.
At that time, the late stage of Foundation Establishment would truly become grinding work. Just thinking about the requirement of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine drops of True Essence was like facing a heavenly chasm.
Inside the hall, Snowjade took even longer. By dusk, it finally broke through, becoming a third-layer Foundation Establishment spirit beast. Its ice attribute demonic arts grew slightly stronger.
…
…
Yellow Crystal Iron Mine.
The inescapable net had already been set. People from the City Lord’s Mansion were hidden in all directions. Their goal was not to besiege nor to block the enemy but rather to provide Wang Yu with the direction of his opponent’s escape.
He absolutely did not want anyone to run away and expose the information about his Lunar Yin Fiend Corpse.
At this moment, he and True Personage Qingyang were crouched behind a low mountain, discussing tactics.
“Daoist brother, the one occupying this place is known as True Personage Flame Spitting. He is proficient in fire arts, possesses a lower-grade magic treasure, the Crimson Chain Sword, and his innate Divine Ability is the Three-Pellet Flame Spit.”
Speaking of it, Wang Yu had also studied the flame-spitting technique, but compared to a true divine ability it was far too inferior.
Back when he was in the Qi Refining stage, it had helped him quite a bit. It was considered a superior group attack spell.
Core Formation cultivators possessed two kinds of realm-based wonders.
The first was Samadhi True Fire.
The sovereign fire of the heart, the minister fire of the kidneys, and the commoner fire of the bladder. The convergence of these three fires formed the Samadhi of a Realman.
This True Personage Flame Spitting’s Three-Pellet Flame Spit divine ability was built upon this wondrous realm. He transformed the root qi of the organs into fire pellets, with power comparable to the wondrous flames of heaven and earth.
The second was the Undying Golden Core.
Cultivators who had reached this realm, even if their bodies perished, could still rely on the protection of their golden core to escape with their soul. If they had also cultivated a soul-seizing technique, they could even seize another shell and be reborn. It was only inferior to the Nascent Soul possession technique.
Once one reached the third realm, the chances of dying decreased greatly.
But if trapped in a special place, the Undying Golden Core’s ability to protect the soul was not as effective. For preserving life, one had to look to the Nascent Soul.
In any case, Wang Yu had already made preparations to deal with every possible situation.
“Brother Wang, I have already noted everything you said. Just tell me how we will fight.”
“How to fight?”
Wang Yu’s expression revealed a strange look. He glanced toward the Lunar Yin Fiend Corpse of wrapped in black robes and said spiritedly.
“Fight to the death. Let the corpse strike first. Daoist Brother will naturally know what to do when the time comes.”
Inside the Yellow Crystal Iron Mine.
A group of Qi Refining itinerant cultivators were gathered. True Personage Flame Spitting, who did not even have a single Foundation Establishment subordinate, held a flaming long whip in hand, occasionally cracking it in the air with loud snapping sounds.
He looked at the subordinates carefully mining in the pit with great impatience.
“Hurry up. Be nimble in your movements. When peeling off the stone skin, scrape with your fingernails. Do not use your damn tools. If you damage my treasure, I will whip you to death.”
Clearly, this so-called camp was nothing more than a bunch of enslaved miners. After such news spread, how could any Foundation Establishment cultivator possibly join him.
The miners secretly revealed resentful expressions and quietly transmitted messages to each other.
“Bear it for a bit longer. His good days will not last. This bumpkin from Secluded Prefecture still does not know whose territory he has taken.”
“Exactly. I barely escaped alive from Eastern Extreme Capital, only to be captured by this old bastard. Hopefully City Lord of Jade Spirit City will soon send reinforcements.”
“If not, even people from Purple Dragon Mountain or Ink-Water Sect would do.”
“Alas… it has been so many years.”
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
They were not fools. After such a long silence, they knew hope was nearly extinguished. At this point they were merely muttering to each other to vent their frustrations.
Suddenly, someone shivered, his gums trembling.
“Why does it feel like the weather just got colder.”
“I think your cultivation is lacking. Even if it is winter, would a cultivator like you really feel cold.”
“No, it is snowing.”
“So what if it is snow…”
“There is freezing rain, sleet mixed with snow.”
“Your mother…”
Abruptly, even a bad-tempered late-stage Qi Refining man shuddered and could not utter another curse.
“Something is wrong.” True Personage Flame Spitting floated in the air, frowning as he felt the sleet and snow imbued with true essence. He sneered.
“So it is you. The turtle-like City Lord of Jade Spirit City finally dares to show his face. Truly, your name suits you, Turtle Spirit. Hahaha.”
Wang Yu and the three-tailed snow fox openly stood in the distant sky, no more than a hundred meters above the ground, with waves of icy mist beneath their feet.
“This City Lord has serious matters and no time for you. Do you really think I cannot deal with you, old thief.”
“Hehe.”
True Personage Flame Spitting’s expression was full of contempt. In truth, his vast divine sense had already spread out. When he only discovered some Qi Refining juniors hiding far away, he did not relax his guard. He knew Wang Yu only had Foundation Establishment strength. It was impossible for him to come seeking trouble alone.
“Whatever tricks you have, show them. Let me take a look. If you are thinking of ambushing, forget it.”
Wang Yu moved his mind, and the snow fox dashed to the right. Over a dozen icy claws formed from icicles lunged at True Personage Flame Spitting.
“Petty trick.”
His body hardly moved. He merely spread his hands.
A torrent of crimson flames burst forth, turning into a sea of fire. All the icy fox claws instantly melted, without the slightest effect.
At that moment, the ground rippled like waves.
The Lunar Yin Fiend Corpse leapt out.
“I thought you had some clever stratagem. Trash tactics.”