Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 236

“Zhuo the Second has no time. I’ll take your place to guard Jade Spirit City. As for Yu Xing, let him handle his own matters. Everyone has their own affairs to tend to.”

When Zuo Qiuming spoke, his tone carried a trace of melancholy. In that instant, he seemed to change from a carefree playboy into a mature man. The good days of the three Young Masters of the Blood Reversal were gone forever.

Wang Yu fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “How confident are you?”

“I don’t know. Zhuo the Second has always been a deep and scheming person. As for how far he can go, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. Now, I’m off to sleep. Got any beauties?”

Wang Yu replied, “...In your room.”

Zuo Qiuming grinned, “As expected of my thoughtful Fourth Brother. I’ll go ahead then. Before you depart, just handle the affairs of the mansion. No need to report to me.”

When the banquet dispersed, Wang Yu ordered the attendants to clean up, then sat upon his profound ice bed and began cultivation using the Cold Essence Absorption Technique to accelerate his progress.

Over these past few years, with the feedback from the Yellow Spring Great Hand Seal and the extreme cold of the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Bed, the quality of his true essence had risen significantly. The frigid energy within him was now several times stronger than before.

Consequently, the power of his Yin and Ice-attribute spells had also increased immensely. He was becoming stronger, that much was beyond doubt.

After that night’s talk, Wang Yu began making arrangements for his departure from Jade Spirit City, particularly for Qingyang and Xu Ruozhou.In addition, the Heavenly Heart Lightning Dispersion Tribulation Formation had already been successfully refined. It was a third-rank formation artifact consisting of twelve sky-blue flags, effective solely for avoiding heavenly tribulation.

The crafting of another tribulation-avoidance treasure had been entrusted to Jin Miaoshan, who in turn asked Master Tianshui to forge it. Wang Yu would pay the remaining balance once he returned.

During their discussions, he unexpectedly learned about an high-grade ice-type Core Formation spiritual item and promised to reserve the Ten-Thousand-Year Tree Heart for her.

Meanwhile, Han Jia of Heaven Treasure Pavilion had prepared a third-rank body refinement spiritual liquid suitable for physical cultivators.

It was called Glazed Lotus Heart Essence, rumored to be related to Buddhist body cultivation arts. Its origins were unclear, but it was undoubtedly perfect for Wang Yu’s use.

After taking care of all these matters, Wang Yu’s fortune had once again been halved, but everything was now properly arranged. His purpose in staying at Jade Spirit City was to wait.

After years of nurturing within the Blood Pool and aided by the Yin-Yang Counterflow Corpse Refining Formation, two variant corpses had finally completed their sacrificial refinement.

However, since their original bodies were only second-rank, a Corpse Fiend and a Corpse Demon — even after being infused with numerous spiritual materials, they still had not reached the third rank.

At their current state, they could already be awakened. With their variant potential, it would not take many years for them to reach the third rank after being born.

However, unlike the Lunar Fiend Corpse, the third rank was a transformative realm. No matter whether it was a race, a demonic beast, a ghost, or an evil creature, all had to undergo a lightning tribulation upon reaching it.

The material of the Lunar Fiend Corpse had already been a late Core Formation cultivator’s living corpse, one that had endured lightning tribulation in life. But these two had not.

Among them, the Thunder Corpse could still endure it, but the Demonic Corpse’s success was uncertain.

That was why Wang Yu decided to wait longer, just until they reached the point of being ready to awaken, then seal them within the Yin Fiend Corpse-Nurturing Coffin. The Demonic Corpse would be halted; the Thunder Corpse would proceed.

With his current spiritual sense, he could control two third-rank corpses without issue, but not make them fight simultaneously. During battle, it would be best to control only one, so as to avoid losing control.

If, on this journey, he could solve the limitations of his divine sense techniques, then with the Lunar Fiend Corpse, Demonic Corpse, and Thunder Corpse in his grasp, no one would doubt his identity even if he donned the robes of a True Disciple of Heavenly Corpse Peak.

The true teachings of Heavenly Corpse Peak resided here, within Jade Spirit City!

…

Inside the City Lord’s mansion, within the secluded cultivation chamber.

Before the Blood Pool, Wang Yu had purchased a set of corpse refinement instruments— Corpse-Suppressing Bell, Yin Lotus Lamp, and Corpse-Sealing Talisman Pouch. When used together, they assisted him in controlling and refining corpses, and even strengthened the refining process itself.

At this moment, the Yin-Yang Blood Pool displayed two opposite scenes.

On one side, black mist surged upward, cold and biting, inducing unease and a killing urge with a single glance.

On the other side, lightning flashed fiercely, scorching like the sun. A glance would sting the eyes, and the closer one drew, the hotter it became. This was not the power of fire but the manifestation of pure Yang and supreme firmness.

For a corpse to possess such power, Wang Yu suspected that the Corpse Demon’s body must have belonged to some special constitution from ancient times, not as mysterious as a Thunder Spirit Corpse, yet still remarkable.

A corpse that had once birthed a spirit, that was rare indeed. It was only one tier below a Thunder Spirit Corpse.

With all three corpses under his command, Wang Yu was confident he could crush any outer Core Formation disciple of the Blood Reversal Sect. As for the inner disciples, he would need to cross hands with them to judge.

The crisp ringing of the Corpse-Suppressing Bell echoed.

From within the Blood Pool, two corpses slowly floated up, their fierce aura almost at the peak of the second rank.

By reversing the final breath of life within their bodies, they would completely transform into zombies. Wang Yu joined his fingers and dipped them into the Yin Lotus Lamp, using its oil as a catalyst. Talisman after talisman flew out from the Corpse-Sealing Pouch, wrapping the corpses tightly before sealing them within the Corpse-Nurturing Coffin.

This place was not suitable for awakening them yet. Otherwise, he could have awakened the Thunder Corpse first to test its power.

After cleaning up this chamber, he descended to the second underground level to dismantle the Killing Intent Chamber. Those killing-intent stone slabs were valuable and he intended to take them with him.

Outside, it is not easy to obtain this kind of “Divine Ability Cultivation Accelerator.” Besides, there are not enough Idle Slots available, so it is better to carry it along personally.

Finally, he arrived at the insect chamber.

As the Myriad Spirit Venom Marrow was digested, the refined blood within Wang Yu’s dragon spine had already reached a scale of six to seven thousand drops. In terms of true essence cultivation, this was roughly equivalent to the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment.

Half of the Venom Marrow still remained and could be used one last time.

As for the Immaculate Jade Toad—

Because Wang Yu would occasionally purchase highly toxic spiritual materials and feed them to it, combined with the effect of the Venom Marrow, it had entered its maturity stage even faster than expected.

It was now about the size of a palm, already forming a partial cocoon for its complete transformation, though this was not something that could be finished overnight.

A mature-stage Immaculate Jade Toad could already resist more than eighty percent of the toxins under heaven. Only extremely high-ranked and exceedingly rare poisons could not be digested instantly.

No poison could kill it; at most, it would only be bloated from overabsorption.

That level of resistance was more than enough for Wang Yu to bring it along when venturing into the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest. It would definitely play a great role.

Late at night.

Outside Jade Spirit City, Wang Yu quickly reviewed a new True Essence Pill formula in his hand. A flash of blue fire flickered across his palm. Stepping onto the Flying Cloud Boat that had once carried him into the Cloud Ridge Mountains, his figure vanished into the darkness.

…

…

One month later, in a foreign land—

Wang Yu wore a mask carved with the ancient character “Earth.” It was compensation from Jin Miaoshan for the destruction of Jade Spirit City’s central district.

It was a third-rank mid-grade magic treasure, the Earth-Net Ghost Mask.

It originated from a now-destroyed assassin organization in the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain known as the Moluo Horde. Reportedly, there were thirty-six masks in total, each specializing in concealing spiritual presence. They could not be seen through without Nascent Soul-level divine sense.

Some rumors even claimed the thirty-six masks formed a fourth-rank concealment formation treasure that could deceive any cultivator below late Nascent Soul. All of this information came from Jin Miaoshan. Wang Yu only cared about its concealment effect.

After more than a month of arduous travel, Wang Yu arrived outside the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest, at a small town known as Ten Thousand Poison Town.

This place had been formed by wandering cultivators gathering together and had already existed for thousands of years.

Not only did it hold abundant information and updates about the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest, but many cultivators who hunted beasts, gathered herbs, or captured spirit insects in the forest would stop here to rest.

It was a place of mixed fish and dragons; all kinds of people could be found here.

Strictly speaking, this was Wang Yu’s first real venture into the Crimson Kite territory. His experience was not extensive, but having served as the City Lord of Jade Spirit City for more than thirty years, he understood the ecology of low-level cultivators very well.

For instance, back when he was within the Blood Reversal Sect, he often saw fellow disciples fighting and killing each other in dark alleys. Outside, such acts were even more rampant.

Here in Ten Thousand Poison Town, there were also Heaven Treasure Pavilion and Golden Abundance Tower.

Except for the areas around these two commercial buildings, which were relatively clean and orderly, most shops on the streets carried a thick smell of blood. In this place, one could not do business without strength.

Wang Yu had barely entered the town when he had already witnessed twelve cases of murder for treasures. Some were not even for treasures—just for a few thousand spirit stones, cultivators would kill without hesitation.

It was like another world—or perhaps, this was the true face of why the Crimson Kite territory was called a Demonic Domain. Otherwise, with such beautiful mountains and rivers, it would not deserve such a name merely because its people were evil.

—Listening Wind Pavilion

Looking up at the signboard, Wang Yu stepped inside.

This was an organization that sold intelligence, active only in the northern part of the Cloud Ridge Prefecture. At best, it was considered a third-rate force, comparable to the Ink Water Sect.

Still, it was a local power.

The building was divided by formation arrays into soundproof and aura-concealing rooms. No attendant was needed; one simply entered an unoccupied room and spoke directly.

“I want the latest map of the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest, as well as information on the powerful cultivators in this region.”

“One thousand spirit stones.”

Inside the room stood only a square table. The voice came from within it. After Wang Yu poured the spirit stones onto the tabletop, the count seemed to match, triggering a mechanism.

The table sank into the floor, and a jade slip shot upward.

Within it was the intelligence he had requested.

Efficient and convenient—most importantly, no human contact. Those who worked in intelligence for too long would often be discovered and killed if their identities were exposed.

After reading the jade slip, it had to be left inside the room for reuse. A third-rate power had to economize wherever possible.

As his divine sense swept across the jade slip, Wang Yu imprinted the latest version of the map and danger zones into his mind, then began reviewing the strong cultivators’ information.

The data was highly up-to-date. Besides the long-term residents of Ten Thousand Poison Town, it included many unknown powerhouses from all over the southern seas and northern lands, all identified by code names.

Some would stay active for months or years before leaving.

Others would disappear within the town or the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest. Such occurrences were common.

[Listening Wind Daoist: Core Formation, seventh layer, master of the Listening Wind Pavilion. Other information: none.]

“Interesting. A deliberate show of intimidation.”

[Five Poison Old Demon: Core Formation, seventh layer. A poison cultivator entrenched in Ten Thousand Poison Town for three hundred years. Master of the Five Poisons Divine Ability, skilled in controlling Gu insects and curses. Once destroyed the Ghost Lantern Sect in a single battle. His strongest divine ability, ‘Five Poisons Revolving Wheel,’ is powerful enough to threaten the Core Formation cultivators of the Exalted Sect]

[Evil Centipede Daoist: Core Formation, fifth layer. Suspected elder of the Exalted Sect’s Gu Poison Peak. Has cultivated within the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest for over sixty years. Acts alone. None who fought him survived.]

[Red and White Twin Fiends: Core Formation, third layer. A man and a woman, one cultivates the Corpse Dao and the other the Ghost Dao. When fighting together, they can battle late-stage Core Formation cultivators. Practice the ‘Corpse Ghost Demonic Art,’ both are mentally unstable. After entering the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest, they kill everyone they see. It is advised to avoid them.]

[Tiger Demon (codename): Foundation Establishment, peak stage. Expert in a body-refinement fist art. Extremely fast and possesses a roar that can shake the soul. Suspected dual cultivation in the Soul Dao.]

[Mysterious Formation Cultivator (codename): Foundation Establishment, peak stage. Frequently seen deep within the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest. Other details unknown.]

[Insect Woman (codename): Foundation Establishment, fourth layer. Suspected inner disciple genius of the Exalted Sect. Skilled in controlling a blood Gu...]

[Liu Yidao (codename): Foundation Establishment, second layer...]

“Hmm?”

Wang Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Looking at the spiritual projection of this Liu Yidao, the corner of his mouth curved into an exaggerated grin.