Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 317

Zhuo Shouqing’s mind froze for a moment.

He truly had not expected that, so close to the final battle, such a change would occur. He could not help recalling the scene from their previous conversation.

Back then, Wang Yu had said that he himself was Zhuo Shouqing’s advantage. Seeing him today, it was indeed no empty boast. The moment he thought about the Blood Abyss opening and the possibility of Wang Yu returning alive from it, Zhuo Shouqing realized that Wang Yu’s support would become his greatest boon.

Damn that Lu Chenzhou.

Seeing Zhuo Shouqing silent, Wang Yu did not mind. He simply gave him more time to think, and even poured a cup of warm tea for Huang Jiu as a gesture of respect.

Wang Yu also needed time to think.

He had acted on impulse earlier, and now that he recalled it, everything seemed too coincidental.

Especially since Su Yulong had just failed in his attempt to persuade him a few days ago.

Zhuo Shouqing was ruthless enough and had a firm state of mind, but he was terrible at judging people. The subordinates he had gathered were a mixed bag of competence.

The weak ones were truly pathetic, but the capable ones were terrifyingly competent.However, that group of capable individuals each had their own hidden motives. They did not seem to serve him wholeheartedly, especially Zhuo Yuanshen, the intelligence chief.

Every time Wang Yu thought about him, he wanted to laugh.

Absolutely absurd.

Zhuo Yuanshen definitely knew about the Nether River Contract. Zhuo Shouyun’s abilities were also top-tier. The fact that he could make Lu Chenzhou willingly act on his behalf proved his extraordinary means.

If Zhuo Shouyun had long known about the Nether River Contract, then what had happened today was nothing less than a long-prepared scheme.

A scheme to drive a wedge between Zhuo Shouqing and Wang Yu.

This was one of the possibilities Wang Yu had guessed when Su Yulong visited. He had not considered it deeply back then because it seemed impossible. Now that he thought about it...

They really had been driven apart.

He could not sign another Nether River Contract. The original one prioritized Zhuo Shouqing and the other two’s lives above Wang Yu’s. In other words, Wang Yu himself was only secondary.

If they encountered a Nascent Soul level foe, Wang Yu would have to charge forward, sacrifice himself, and buy enough time for the three to escape.

Such harsh terms were the reason they had supported him without holding back. Otherwise, he would have died long ago when opposing Golden Abundance Tower.

Now that Wang Yu had shattered one of his three shackles, how could he willingly place another one upon himself?

Everything now depended on whether Zhuo Shouqing could figure this out.

Given his stubborn nature, it was doubtful.

"What a vicious scheme of sowing discord. I underestimated Zhuo Shouyun."

At that moment, Zhuo Shouqing finally spoke. His words surprised Wang Yu for a moment, then Wang Yu smiled and raised his cup.

"It seems you have understood. This was something you had to comprehend yourself. If I had said it, the rift between us would only deepen."

Zhuo Shouqing let out a bitter laugh and glanced toward Huang Jiu.

"Uncle Huang, do you think I can win?"

Huang Jiu sighed.

"Young Master Zhuo, back then, I was only one step away from success. Had I turned back, I would not have formed a Dead Nascent Soul Infant and watched my Dao collapse in an instant.

"Wang Yu, do you have strong liquor?"

"I do."

Wang Yu decisively set out a full banquet. He was someone who indulged in good food and drink. Every time he finished a period of secluded cultivation, he would satisfy his desires.

As he rose to prepare, Zhuo Shouqing understood Huang Jiu’s hidden implication and sighed.

"You mean that I have no retreat left."

Huang Jiu nodded.

"Indeed.

"You either defy fate and rewrite your destiny, or you perish. There is no third path. However, I believe you do not need to worry about certain matters for now."

"Senior Huang is right."

Wang Yu beckoned the two of them over and sat down first, smiling brightly.

"Next, it is time for your Ancestral Patriarch Liezu to take action."

Zhuo Shouqing froze for a moment, then his face lit up with joy.

"Truly?"

"Nine times out of ten. Come, Senior Huang, drink."

"Hahaha, thank you."

The atmosphere between Wang Yu and Huang Jiu was sunny and carefree, while Zhuo Shouqing looked like someone attending his own funeral.

"Is this massive commotion not the upheaval we have been waiting for? To speak bluntly, even if your Ancestor Liezu were blind, he would have noticed Zhuo Shouyun’s movements."

Wang Yu said this.

His mood earlier had been average, but now he felt quite pleased.

Since Zhuo Shouqing had seen through the scheme, the discord had failed to take root. That meant Wang Yu could now negotiate a new contract with him.

"An upheaval... yes. This is the upheaval I have been waiting for.

"Once Ancestor Liezu drives away those foreign forces, Zhuo Shouyun will fall into unprecedented weakness.

"The backlash from those foreign nobles alone will make him suffer, not to mention Lu Chenzhou. The sharper the blade, the more painful it is when it turns upon its wielder."

Zhuo Shouqing muttered to himself. His expression grew increasingly excited, finally matching Wang Yu’s and Huang Jiu’s mood. His face flushed as he said loudly.

"Drink, drink. Once the battle starts now, he is doomed!"

The three raised their cups. Yet Wang Yu splashed cold water onto Zhuo Shouqing’s enthusiasm and said.

"The timing is not right. You are still not his match."

"Why?"

Zhuo Shouqing could not understand. Since all external factions would definitely be wiped out by the Zhuo Clan’s Ancestral Patriarch Liezu, those foreign nobles would not dare ignore the words of the Zhuo Ancestor, so they naturally would not believe Zhuo Shouyun’s promises.

"After sowing discord comes the self-inflicted scheme."

Wang Yu sighed. This man was practically a hopeless fool.

"What do you mean?"

"You and he are the same age, yet the resources and support he has received far surpass yours. Do you really think that while you have been accumulating power all these years, he has just been foolishly cultivating in seclusion?"

Zhuo Shouqing was stunned.

"But is that not the power he has gathered?"

"You see, you have been deceived by him again."

Wang Yu picked up a piece of demonic beast hide, happily stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed with a face full of enjoyment.

Huang Jiu stepped in at the right time to clarify for Zhuo Shouqing.

"The external forces, including the members of the Blood Pavilion, were gathered only recently. He intentionally created the appearance of preparing for a decisive battle with you. Do not forget his original objective."

Zhuo Shouqing felt his scalp itch as he murmured.

"His original goal was to lure Wang Yu to Elephant Mountain, help Fu Xiao achieve the Postnatal Demonic Embryo Physique, use that opportunity to form a Nascent Soul, and then crush me with overwhelming strength."

"Correct."

Wang Yu continued speaking.

"Once one plan failed, he simply continued luring you into using force and abandoning the promise of the Zhuo Clan’s Ancestral Patriarch Liezu. This is a tactic of feigning weakness to lure the enemy deeper.

"Even if the Zhuo Clan’s Ancestral Patriarch Liezu clears away the external forces for you, the subordinates he has personally nurtured over the years are still stronger than yours."

It did seem to make sense.

Realizing that he was far less clever than he imagined, Zhuo Shouqing hurriedly asked.

"Then what should I do now?"

"The Blood Abyss."

Wang Yu pondered before speaking.

"Zhuo Shouyun will most likely enter the Blood Abyss personally. He will not abandon his path toward the Great Dao because of you. To ensure his safety, he has two options.

"First, gather his forces and bring all eligible Core Formation cultivators under his command into the Blood Abyss.

"Second, adopt an elite strategy and only take several top-tier late Core Formation cultivators into the Blood Abyss. Regardless of his choice, this is your opportunity."

Hearing this much, Zhuo Shouqing naturally understood Wang Yu’s meaning.

If he could find a way to heavily injure Zhuo Shouyun within the Blood Abyss, the outcome of everything would be decided.

However, he needed to personally devour the other party, complete his Blood Spirit Root, and reshape his cultivation path. Otherwise, all calculations were meaningless.

So Zhuo Shouyun could only be severely injured, not killed.

Even so, this was a real chance to weaken the opponent’s overall strength. Wang Yu would enter the Blood Abyss and try to kill as many of Zhuo Shouyun’s powerful subordinates as possible.

Zhuo Shouqing would remain outside. With Zhuo Shouyun absent and his forces leaderless, he could launch a decisive assault and find a way to wipe out his entire power base.

This was the true moment to strike.

"I understand."

"Do you really understand?"

"Yes, I truly do."

Seeing Wang Yu’s suspicious expression, Zhuo Shouqing’s face twitched. Compared to Wang Yu, he was inferior in every possible way.

"Then let us now discuss the agreement regarding how we will act inside the Blood Abyss."

"As it should be."

Upon hearing this, Huang Jiu spoke.

"Young Master Zhuo, Friend Wang Yu, this Huang rarely visits Cold Blood Peak, so I will take a walk outside. Call me once you finish discussing."

"Very well."

Wang Yu readily agreed and directly borrowed a subordinate token from Huang Jiu.

Zhuo Shouqing did not object.

They had to finalize a new agreement within the timeframe of the Blood Abyss’s opening. Each opening generally lasted thirty years.

Even if one did not emerge when the time ended, it was fine. It would open again two hundred years later. With the lifespan of Core Formation cultivators, as long as they did not perish inside, they could simply come out then.

Therefore, many powerful individuals from the previous opening were still inside the Blood Abyss. After cultivating for two hundred years, as long as they survived, they would generally reach late or peak Core Formation.

Strength depended on both cultivation and fortune.

The conflict between Zhuo Shouqing and Zhuo Shouyun had not lasted two hundred years, which meant that when the last opening occurred, neither of them had even been born, so there was no need to worry about Zhuo Shouyun having allies inside.

Wang Yu stated his condition first.

"After so many years of interaction, Brother Zhuo should know what kind of person I am.

"For this expedition into the Blood Abyss, I will do my utmost to kill Zhuo Shouyun’s subordinates. I cannot guarantee that I can capture him alive, but I will give my all. I may even prioritize this over obtaining opportunities."

Hearing this, Zhuo Shouqing immediately tensed up.

He knew Wang Yu was about to ask for a steep price.

But Wang Yu said.

"I only have one condition. Remove the contracts that Yu Xing and Zuo Qiuming signed with me."

"This..."

Zhuo Shouqing was startled and instinctively wanted to refute.

But the Nether River Contract could be canceled as long as both parties agreed. He had already used his chance, and Wang Yu mainly interacted with him anyway.

As for the other two, especially Yu Xing, he did not really need Wang Yu’s life-saving opportunity.

The condition was actually quite lenient. Once the contract disappeared, the support terms could naturally end at any time. The future would depend on their friendship.

If they remained close, Jade Spirit City would still stay in Wang Yu’s hands.

It merely returned initiative to Zhuo Shouqing. This was a gesture of sincerity.

Zhuo Shouqing frowned and pondered for a long time.

"I need to discuss this with the two of them."

"No rush. You are staying here anyway, and the Blood Abyss will not open for some time. Take it slow. We will definitely reach an agreement."

Wang Yu was considerate and not anxious at all.