Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 397

Beneath the high platform, the Two-Tailed Shadow Cat watched the four peak-stage demon kings above, who were chatting and laughing together. His heart wavered, unable to decide. For him, if he could place his bet early on the future Holy Lord of the northern demon race, that would bring the greatest benefit to the Shadow Cat clan. If he waited until the result was decided and only then went to pledge allegiance, he would merely be following the crowd. It would not even count as icing on the cake.But if he bet on the wrong one, then even without the Holy Lord saying a word, his entire clan would be targeted and suppressed. The Shadow Cat clan’s current situation was, in truth, a microcosm of the entire demon race. Without a pillar-level powerhouse to support them, they could only attach themselves to other factions.

Much like the sect-guarding spirit beasts sent to the various hegemonic powers.

The faction the Shadow Cat had chosen to rely on was Golden Abundance Tower, a merchant guild organization that leaned more toward neutrality.

Quite a number of mid-tier clans had made the same choice. Now that the internal power structure of the northern demon race was being reshuffled, they were inevitably going to have to choose a side.

He was torn between the Heavenly Roc King and the Five-Colored King.

As for the Thunder Qilin King and the Fire Crow King, they were not even within his consideration. The former’s racial discrimination was far too severe, while the latter had long been accustomed to acting alone and was not suited to being a Holy Lord.

While he was thinking, the situation on the platform began to change.

A fierce argument erupted. The expressions of the four demon kings completely slipped out of control. The quarrel was intense, yet not a single sound leaked out.

This banquet had lasted nearly two months.

From time to time, arguments would break out up there. The demons had already grown used to it. What they really wanted to know was: when would the competition finally begin?

Unexpectedly, just as someone raised the topic, the invisible barrier surrounding the high platform shattered completely. The Fire Crow King’s hair bristled with rage as he snapped, “You insolent brat! You are not worth plotting with!”

The Thunder Qilin King was no less impolite. With a casual flick of his sleeve, he shot out a bolt of wild lightning, only for it to be canceled out by a crimson-black torrent of flames. He said arrogantly, “I have never stooped to those petty, scheming tricks.”

With that, he shot straight into the sky.

Centered on his body, his demonic essence was driven by divine abilities and transformed into one lightning serpent after another, violently striking toward the Fire Crow King. The Fire Crow King opened his mouth and spat out a Fire Feather Blade.

Twisting to the side in midair, he swung it in a spiral motion. A massive flaming blade aura seemed to split space itself, warping and shredding everything in its path as it cut forward like a irresistible force. It cleaved the lightning serpents apart one after another.

In the very first exchange,

it was the Thunder Qilin King who fell into the disadvantage.

The crowd below hurriedly retreated to both sides, withdrawing onto the steps around the empty-air battlefield as they began watching this sudden outbreak of combat, treating it as the true opening of the Holy Lord struggle.

Even those demonic beasts whose strength had not yet reached fourth-rank transformation quickly retreated as well. This arena-like battleground was instantly cleared in the center, while the surrounding stands became packed with all sorts of miniaturized demonic beasts.

“Lord Thunder Qilin King!”

“Crush him!”

“Defeat the Fire Crow King!”

Shouts rose and fell without end, like mountain-crushing waves. With wave after wave of deafening support, the Thunder Qilin King grew increasingly pleased with himself. Meanwhile, the Fire Crow King had brought only a dozen or so fire crows with him.

How could such a small number contend with an ocean of demonic voices? His expression turned incomparably ugly.

The Five-Colored King spoke calmly, offering commentary.

“See? This is what happens when you lose the hearts of the demons. The Holy Lord… is ultimately a position of governance. It is not suited for brute warriors. Wu Yan is not fit, and neither is the Thunder Qilin King.”

The implication was obvious: the only true contender was the Heavenly Roc King.

He did not hide these words at all, deliberately letting everyone hear them. On the surrounding stands, a group of Yellow Springs Monastery Nascent Soul cultivators stood together with the Evil Dragon Spider clan. Hearing this, they fell into thought.

In order to seize the Holy Lord position, the northern demon race seemed to be showing signs of internal strife.

Whether he should push things further, he also hesitated.

Aside from those of the Yellow Springs Monastery, representatives from Golden Abundance Tower, Heaven Treasure Pavilion, the Blood Reversal Sect, Azure Cloud Sect, and Moon Gazing Palace were also present in the stands. However, they had no intention of interfering in this demon king banquet.

Most of those dispatched were early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, here only to bear witness and go through the motions.

The righteous and demonic paths were currently locked in war. Even though they could see one another here, not a single person showed any intention of making a move. With so many Nascent Soul demon cultivators present, no one would sit by and allow Nascent Soul cultivators to die here.

Moreover… there was no need.

Meeting on the battlefield was one thing. Meeting elsewhere, without a conflict of interests, was basically a “you’re fine, I’m fine, everyone’s fine” situation.

No matter what, Nascent Soul cultivators were rulers within both sides’ territories. With very few exceptions, Nascent Soul cultivators cherished their lives.

The Thunder Qilin King and the Fire Crow King fought in a deadlock, and it looked as though they were about to bring out their life-bound demonic treasures and get serious. Suddenly, the Heavenly Roc King transformed into a streak of golden light and appeared between them.

With a single exchange of gazes, the three immediately executed the preliminary plan they had established through their arguments over this period of time.

The Heavenly Roc King spoke.

“Enough. This match is over. The Fire Crow King wins. Thunder Qilin King, do you accept?”

“What?”

“On what grounds?!”

“Your Majesty, that's a foul play!”

Before the Thunder Qilin King could even speak, his subordinates from the scaled, armored beast clans instantly exploded in protest. They spoke up for their king, questioning the Heavenly Roc King’s fairness and the legitimacy of his decision.

Who would have thought that the Heavenly Roc King would respond with a trump card right out of the gate.

“Foul play? This king is playing foul from the start. What are you going to do about it?”

The moment those words fell, the entire arena went dead silent.

That answer… how were they supposed to respond to it?

If that was truly the case, they might as well hand the Heavenly Roc King a “Holy Lord Award” on the spot. Who could possibly compete with him? This aerial arena was the Heavenly Roc Clan’s territory, after all.

As expected, the Heavenly Roc King’s words sparked intense opposition throughout the venue. A late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator from the Dragon Python Clan raised his voice and shouted loudly.

“I object!

“This battle determines the position of Holy Lord of the Northern Lands demon race.

“By the rules, every Great Demon who has taken human form is qualified to participate. If Heavenly Roc King insists on acting this way, I will call on a few friends and rebel against you, you muddle-headed and incompetent fool!”

With emotions running high, and with the demon race long known for bowing to strength rather than rules, waves of rebellious voices rose from the crowd. The Heavenly Roc King could only sigh helplessly in his heart.

According to the Fire Crow King’s plan, among the four of them, the one most suited to become Holy Lord was the Five-Colored King, Lu Ming. Because the Medicine-Horn Deer Clan was not especially skilled in direct combat, their ability to govern territory was exceptional.

Ever since the Azure Dragon Venerable entered closed-door seclusion, the Medicine-Horn Deer Clan had developed the fastest. They had even begun imitating the human race, building cities in the Northern Severed Boundary Mountains with spirit veins as their core.

They abandoned the demon race’s traditional primitive habits of using the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed. Moreover, there were countless ordinary demon beasts and wild demons flocking to Lu Ming’s banner.

This model fit them perfectly. It could save vast amounts of living space, accommodate far more demon race members, and its growth potential was much faster than the old tribal system.

After being persuaded, the Heavenly Roc King chose to smear his own reputation.

He was making room for the Five-Colored King. At this point, they needed a fixed match to establish the Five-Colored King’s strength. Everyone had to see it clearly, yet also be unable to detect anything wrong.

That was the truly difficult part, and it had been the core issue they had argued over for two whole months.

How do you act it out?

At that moment, the Five-Colored King slowly rose into the air. Five-colored spiritual radiance bloomed from his entire body, forming an astonishing pillar of spiritual qi light that shot straight into the clouds.

His presence and aura instantly hit the absolute peak, and the demons were shaken to the core.

Because they vaguely sensed a trace of Spirit Transformation pressure. That feeling of a Nascent Soul pushing toward Spirit Transformation was extremely clear. At once, even the Thunder Qilin King’s supporters, who usually loved to shout and cause trouble, felt that something was terribly wrong.

For once, the Five-Colored King tasted what it meant to subdue others with sheer force.

Unable to resist, he lifted a hand and crooked his finger.

“You… come at me together!”

“Arrogant.”

“Shamelessly boastful!”

“Insane!”

While all these amusing scenes unfolded in the aerial arena, Wang Yu’s side was having the time of his life. The Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain was practically a sacred land for Body Refinement.

Compared to the various treasures of Blood Abyss that enhanced mana, it was not inferior in the slightest. In fact, because it was effective even for Nascent Soul cultivators, its value was even greater.

Since the Northern Lands demon race had not prohibited outsiders from challenging it, this place should have been quite famous. Wang Yu should not have never heard of it.

Even if the reason was fear of danger, it would not have been completely sealed off through every information channel. If Lei Yao had not mentioned it, he would not even have known such a divine mountain existed. This clearly meant there were still secrets hidden within.

Two months was enough time for him to climb from the foot of the mountain to near the summit, reaching the fifteenth layer. There were eighteen resting platforms in total at the turns.

After receiving the Beast God’s blessings from fifteen platforms, Wang Yu’s early-stage fourth-rank Body Refinement cultivation had already advanced past the halfway point. If divided by nine layers, he had already reached the second layer of the fourth rank.

His skull tempering was also more than halfway complete, and it already carried a hint of the effects of an Undying Bone.

The gap compared to his original estimate existed because some platforms delivered rewards in the form of a beast soul baptism, which acted upon divine sense, strengthening the soul and nurturing perception.

Even though Wang Yu’s soul realm was already at mid-stage fourth-rank, he still gained significant benefits. Just as he was preparing to challenge the 1,080 stone steps leading to the sixteenth layer, a jade slip inside the Seaheart Ring suddenly shattered.

This was Brother Black notifying him that the Four Kings’ battle for the Holy Lord position had begun. Wang Yu wanted to witness the combat power of the top existences of this world. Not only would it broaden his horizons, it would also allow him to better and more clearly assess his own standing.

Observing a battle between strong experts brought endless benefits.

Those with heaven-defying talent might even be able to comprehend one or two secret techniques from it. That could be considered a small stroke of fortune.

Thus, the challenge of the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain was temporarily suspended.

Wang Yu was just about to take off when he saw the message delivered through the jade slip. His expression froze.

“It’s over?”

The speed was absurdly fast. Was it a complete crushing defeat?

As the thought crossed his mind, Wang Yu glanced back at Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain, then still chose to flee toward the aerial platform. Lei Yao had already left. He could come back here anytime.

He would go over there first and see what was going on.

A treasure exchange gathering was always the main venue where top-tier rare resources appeared. It was worth heading over early for that alone.

Besides, he was also curious. Who exactly had won so quickly?

…

…

“How is that possible?!”

“He used only a single move…”

“Terrifying… is this the might of a Spirit Transformation cultivator?!”

“Five-Colored Holy Lord!”

“Five-Colored Holy Lord!”

“Five-Colored Holy Lord!”

Amid the boiling cheers and congratulations, the Five-Colored King, Lu Ming, slowly clasped his right hand behind his back. The flesh on his fingertips had completely vanished, exposing grim white bone.

To intimidate the crowd, he had deliberately used an invisible damaged ancient treasure of the fifth rank.

Only then could he imitate the might of a Spirit Transformation cultivator. Even so, it was still nowhere near a true Spirit Transformation mighty cultivator. Paying a small price for it was only natural.

The Heavenly Roc King, Thunder Qilin King, and Fire Crow King had already been defeated in an instant beneath that five-colored divine light just moments ago, collapsing on the spot and losing consciousness. The Heavenly Roc King only felt his face burning unbearably hot.

He connected with the other two “playing unconscious” through divine sense and asked worriedly, “Doing it like this… we won’t be exposed, right? Falling in a single exchange is a bit too exaggerated.”

The Fire Crow King refuted him through divine sense.

“It’s fine. None of them have ever seen a real Spirit Transformation mighty cultivator make a move. Venerable Azure Dragon once gave me guidance. The true pressure would only be even more outrageous.”

The empty title of “Holy Lord” was both important and unimportant.

What truly mattered was the contest of power at the Spirit Transformation level.

After openly putting on a show of discord, they would secretly stage a few “fake battles” in private.

Then they would wait.

Wait for either Taihu or the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain to take the bait. Whether they contacted the Five-Colored King or any one of their three factions, they would be able to openly and righteously join this war.

When that time came, swallowing territory and benefits would not be impossible with legitimacy. As for how to demand fiefs and land grants, that was another matter entirely, something that required careful long-term planning.

The demon race was powerful, with large numbers of shapeshifting great demons.

If one side held an overwhelming advantage, they might not be tempted. But if the situation grew difficult, then it was hard to say.

For example, the Blood Reversal Sect was currently under siege on all sides and badly needed reinforcements.

As for the chaos in Maple Prefecture, the simplest way to pacify it would be to send a late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator to suppress the situation. Unfortunately, Yellow Springs Monastery and the southern Joyous Union forces were both formidable enemies.

Among the border fortress passes of the three prefectures, two had already been lost.

It was as if the defenses were completely open, allowing Taihu cultivators to march in unimpeded. Maple Prefecture was the one being thrown into turmoil now.

If the situation continued to spread, it could very likely anchor the main battlefield of this righteous-demonstration war firmly within the Blood Reversal Sect’s four prefectures.

That was not good news at all.

This internal division gave people the impression that even if the demon race were brought to the table, it would only be one branch, not the entire demon race. This was a price they could afford.

It carried the flavor of Jiang Taigong fishing, where only the willing would bite.

Whoever came, they would cooperate with. Simple and direct.

The struggle of the Four Kings for the Holy Lord ended too quickly. Wang Yu did not even manage to see them leave the stage before the battle of the Nine Kings began.

This time, the Three Kings of the upper four clans did not put on an act.

They crushed the late-stage demon kings of the lower eight clans cleanly and decisively, directly securing the top three spots among the demon kings.

Only then did Wang Yu arrive late, silently appearing beside Brother Black.

He glanced at the stage where the Vajra Ape and the Dragon Python were fighting fiercely, and asked curiously, “Who won?”

“The Five-Colored King.”

Brother Black’s expression was solemn. He had not been able to place his bet before the result was decided, and the outcome had far exceeded his expectations. At this moment, he was thinking about how to join the Five-Colored King’s camp.

Seeing him so heavy-hearted, Wang Yu did not ask further.

He turned his attention to observing the battle in the arena. The Dragon Python possessed a trace of true dragon bloodline, and among its clan’s outstanding talents, one or two might occasionally awaken superior earth-grade bloodlines.

Late-stage fourth-rank demon kings emerged from the Dragon Python clan without end, and their status among the lower eight northern clans was relatively stable. As for the Vajra Ape, its numbers were scarce, but it was born with an indestructible Vajra body.

It was naturally suited to the savage beast body-refinement path. Though not very intelligent, it was extremely loyal, making it an ideal choice for a Holy Lord’s personal guard.

Both had a chance of securing a position among the Nine Demon Kings.

Thus, once they clashed, the battle shook heaven and earth.

Even space itself rippled repeatedly, wrinkling and distorting without end. This made the fight look extremely strange from a third-person perspective, as if everything were stuttering and skipping frames.

It was also as if they had mastered a spatial escape technique.

They flickered forward, collided, and fought again. Demonic qi surged into the sky like a wildfire, completely igniting the atmosphere of the arena.

It was astonishingly fierce.

Wang Yu estimated inwardly.

If the Nine Evil Sword Lord possessed this level of battle strength, then Wang Yu would definitely not be his opponent. Unless he could break through to mid-stage Nascent Soul on both his paths, he would not even be qualified to circle around and stall.

What was most troublesome of all was the existence of divine ability intent.

Its terrifying power surpassed early and mid-stage Nascent Soul by far, by an utterly overwhelming margin. No wonder such cultivators were called Great Cultivators. At the most fundamental level, they were simply different beings.