Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 391

True Lord Violet Lightning’s face shifted from pale to flushed red. Several veins bulged at his temple, and even the wound that had been corroded by the power of the Great Black Heaven split open further.Thick, pitch-black pus-blood oozed out, reeking with an overpowering stench. It was a truly miserable sight.

He had never expected Wang Yu to clap back so plainly and directly, not giving him the slightest face at all. It was as if Wang Yu never considered himself an outsider in the first place.

With rage surging to his head, True Lord Violet Lightning slammed the table and stood up, pointing straight at Wang Yu.

“What the hell are you? How dare you spout such arrogant nonsense here!”

Wang Yu responded with repeated cold laughter.

“If you’re not convinced, then fight me. If you can win, I’ll hand this position over to you. If you can’t…”

He paused, then smiled faintly.

“I’m not greedy. Thirty supreme-grade spirit stones will do.”

“Do you dare, brat?!”

These words came from Wang Yu while he still wore that youthful face, driving the mockery to its absolute peak. His ability to provoke anger was naturally quite useful.

“Fine!”

The moment Violet Lightning agreed, True Lord Yang Lei suddenly slammed his palm onto the table. Scarlet lightning exploded with a deafening crack.

“Enough!”

His gaze swept coldly over Violet Lightning, carrying a clear warning.

“Nephew, do not think that just because you have condensed a Nascent Soul, you have already climbed to the top of the mountain. There is always a higher mountain beyond the mountain, and a wider sky beyond the sky. When a man is too arrogant, disaster will strike him sooner or later.”

He did not say this only for Wang Yu’s sake.

Part of it was to uphold his own authority and orders, and part of it was to rein in the child of an old friend. Unfortunately, the effect was not particularly good.

Violet Lightning did not respond at all, acting as though he had not heard a thing.

True Lord Burning Heart listened from the side for a moment, then spoke carefully.

“Violet Lightning, both you and Fellow Daoist Wang have only recently condensed Nascent Souls. You are both at the first layer of the Nascent Soul realm. But Ancestor Cloudsmoke is a veteran Nascent Soul expert at the third layer…”

He stopped there.

That much was enough for Violet Lightning to grasp what he meant.

To put it simply… you are not his opponent.

Why humiliate yourself?

For a time, the atmosphere grew awkward and silent. Meanwhile, Wang Yu sat calmly in his chair, already unrolling the scroll listing the treasures.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, most of the items recorded on it were things he could actually use. Due to the special circumstances of wartime, many restricted resources that were normally off-limits had now been opened up.

The required battle merit for each exchange was staggering.

After scanning a few circles, Wang Yu’s gaze quickly settled on the section listing secret arts and divine abilities. He had long wanted to see what was different about Taihu’s mystical arts.

Killing and capturing a Nascent Soul body… one hundred thousand battle merit.

That was only enough to exchange for a single secret art.

Supreme-grade spirit stones could also be exchanged, at ten thousand battle merit each. The per-person limit was only ten stones, which felt rather stingy.

But limits were necessary.

Otherwise, if everyone rushed to exchange only supreme-grade spirit stones, the War Treasury established through funding from the Seven Righteous Sects would be drained dry from spirit stones alone.

After all, this thing could be used again and again. In this day and age, what major force did not have a fourth-rank spirit vein? Exchanging for supreme-grade spirit stones was the most cost-effective option.

It directly increased one’s foundation, and cultivators would rarely take supreme-grade spirit stones out lightly.

Wang Yu thought about it and decided not to exchange for spirit stones yet.

There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

What he wanted more was a secret art that could lock down space. As long as it could seal a Nascent Soul cultivator’s spatial shifting techniques, the probability of killing someone at the same realm would rise sharply.

His cultivation was far too deceptive.

It was easy for others to underestimate him and fall into the illusion of “I can win” and “he will definitely die.”

After all, Wang was merely a frail little Nascent Soul first-layer junior.

After browsing through the scroll once, he quickly confirmed his target.

“Fellow Daoist Yang Lei, I’ll take this one.”

Yang Lei glanced over, surprised.

“The Void Dao Compendium?”

The others all looked over as well. Clearly, they all knew the name. Wang Yu had never operated within Taihu before, so he had no idea what hidden meaning it carried.

“Is there a problem with it?”

“Country bumpkin.”

Violet Lightning looked as if he had finally gotten to hold his head high again. With his hands neatly folded across his chest, he did not even turn around as he explained.

“The Void Dao Compendium is a gift left behind for later generations by the founding emperor of the Ancient Immortal Dynasty. It is said to be the closest inheritance to true immortal arts in this world. Anything bearing the name ‘Dao Compendium’ is without exception a supreme, all-encompassing set of profound methods.

“Many of these inheritances can only be cultivated after reaching the Nascent Soul realm, and the difficulty is extremely high. Most of the resources needed to support cultivation have already gone extinct. You won’t be able to cultivate it.”

Violet Lightning’s tone was utterly decisive, as if he were certain Wang Yu could not do it.

In response, Wang Yu did not take it seriously at all. He even returned a meaningful smile. He liked divine abilities and secret arts with grand origins and extreme difficulty.

Something simple might still fail.

But something difficult was guaranteed to be absurdly powerful. That was exactly what he valued.

As for why this man kept opposing him,

Lei Yao secretly explained it to him via voice transmission. The rough meaning was that Violet Lightning was also a direct-line descendant of Thunderfire Temple, with an extraordinary background. His father was even a late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator.

He was one generation older than Lei Yao.

Among mortals, a generation was roughly twenty-five years. But among cultivators, it was not nearly that stable, especially in families with very high cultivation realms. The gap could be far greater, with no fixed standard.

So this “one generation” difference here referred to the previous generation of Thunderfire Temple’s outstanding geniuses. The span was generally around one hundred to two hundred years. For Violet Lightning to stand out meant he was among the very best of that previous generation.

Beneath his arrogant and self-satisfied personality, there was both the shame of being unable to defeat Black Heaven Talisman Lord, and dissatisfaction with Wang Yu stealing the spotlight. That position of Demon-Subduing General was something he regarded as already belonging to him.

That was where the conflict came from.

In truth, who cared whether he won or lost? Caring too much about what outsiders thought would only cause one to gradually lose their original heart. Losing to Black Heaven Talisman Lord was perfectly normal, and no one blamed him for it.

But Violet Lightning’s pride had always been so great that he felt the looks in other people’s eyes had changed, as if they were surprised he could actually lose.

To be a genius admired by all, had both benefits and drawbacks. Issues with one’s Dao heart ranked at the very top. When someone had been flattered and raised high from a young age, suddenly suffering a crushing defeat could easily cause them to collapse completely.

Wang Yu shook his head inwardly, then spoke with certainty to True Lord Yang Lei.

“I’ll take that one.”

“Alright.”

Since Wang Yu insisted, True Lord Yang Lei had no intention of continuing to persuade him. One hundred thousand battle merits could not be exchanged for the entire Void Dao Compendium, but obtaining a single secret art from it was already enough.

“At the latest, come find me again within half a month. It will take time to bring the original manual over.”

“That’s easy enough. No rush.”

With the matter settled, Wang Yu finally left.

Seeing this, Lei Yao apologized to the group and also withdrew early, hurrying after him. This made Yang Lei’s brows knit tightly. He always felt that Lei Yao’s state was a bit off.

It should not develop into becoming Dao companions, right?

If Wang Yu knew what he was thinking, he would definitely spit. The friendship between gentlemen was as calm as water. He and Lei Yao had not even met that many times.

Their relationship was built more on a kind of appreciation.

Lei Yao appreciated Wang Yu, and Wang Yu appreciated Lei Yao.

The former was appreciation for a certain quality of his, while the latter appreciated her idealism. It was like how Wang Yu did not want to be a good person, yet that did not stop him from liking good people as friends.

……

……

“Daoist Brother Wang, wait.”

At the edge of the Cloudsky warship’s deck, Wang Yu was just about to leave when a voice from behind stopped him. He could not help but smile.

“Don’t worry.”

“If we really fight, I’ll hold back against that little tender chicken, Violet Lightning.”

Unexpectedly, Lei Yao shook her head with a laugh.

“That’s not what I mean. There’s something I want you to help me think through.”

“Oh?”

That was somewhat unexpected. Wang Yu pondered for a moment, then nodded.

“No problem. After all, I’m relying on Miss Lei for a living. Same old place?”

“Alright.”

The viewing pavilion.

The moment the two sat down, Lei Yao immediately spoke.

“It’s about the Joyous Union Demonic Sect.”

Wang Yu understood at once. In order to avenge a senior sister, she had made the Yin-Yang Demonic Lord of the Joyous Union Sect her lifelong target, swearing to kill him no matter what, and she had also inherited that senior sister’s will.

She had vowed to rescue every suffering mortal in the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain and resettle them in the Taihu Spiritual Domain. This kind of ambition was somewhat abstract, and the idea that Crimson Kite mortals were “suffering” in the first place…was actually a narrative the upper ranks of Taihu used to indoctrinate the lower ranks, to prevent the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain from growing too strong. The cultivation world was built upon mortals, and the larger the population, the more prosperous the cultivation world became.

Yet that indoctrination had ended up affecting one of their own direct-line descendants. The Crimson Kite demonic cultivators’ infamy was enough to stop children from crying at night. Wang Yu did not understand Lei Yao’s ideals, but he respected them.

Speaking of this matter, Wang Yu actually had questions of his own as well.

Based on geography, Thunderfire Temple’s territory was mainly located along the Southern Severed Boundary Mountains (also known as Coiled Dragon Mountain Range), and the corresponding region was also the same area controlled by the Joyous Union Sect.

Yet the Thunderfire Temple’s cultivator army had chosen to march north and attack Strange Peak Pass, taking a detour route. That was clearly abnormal.

At this moment, Lei Yao gave her explanation, along with the matter she needed Wang Yu’s help advising on.

“On the outskirts of the Southern Severed Boundary Mountains, within the Black Mountain Demonic Land, there is a sealed ground for an ancient Demon, [Desire]. Many years ago, it was inspected and checked by a top disciple from the Sword Sect, and in truth, many hidden dangers were already cleared away.

“But even so, unresolved issues have remained to this day. This has caused the Black Mountain Demonic Land to almost turn into a forbidden wasteland. Anyone who enters will have their most primal desires forcibly awakened.”

This situation was already extremely severe.

The ancient Demon’s power leaking out meant the seal was no longer stable. Clearly, it was a lingering hazard caused by the Joyous Union disciples’ nonstop unrestrained evil rituals.

According to the black stone tablet’s records, Wang Yu reasonably suspected that the Joyous Union Demonic Sect was also attempting to help the ancient Demon break the seal, triggering a chain reaction with the goal of destroying the Ice Prison Realm’s cage.

Moreover, they had connections with the Yellow Springs Monastery.

Back then, Wang Yu had casually mentioned Elder Dizang and was able to provoke the restriction within Lan Boting’s sea of consciousness, causing him to die in horrific misery. Lan was a Sword Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He had once led a Sword Sect mission to hunt down Joyous Union disciples.

If he had held back even then, it would make sense.

Yellow Springs Monastery and the Joyous Union Demonic Sect joining forces, plus the hidden agents planted inside the Sword Sect, working together inside and out, was what formed the current situation.

A centipede may die, but it never stiffens. In fact, using a fake death as an opportunity to go from the light into the shadows was not necessarily a bad thing for those people.

The passage connecting the two regions through the Southern Severed Boundary Mountains had been blocked.

Aside from opening a new road, it surely meant that many over-the-limit powerhouses had gathered there as well.

Even if war erupted, the ancient Demon sealing ground would still rank first among all urgent crises that had to be solved. It might even force a Spirit Transformation cultivator from the Sword Sect to personally take action.

Lei Yao’s so-called request for advice was exactly that.

She wanted Wang Yu to propose a plan.

How could they lure out the Yin-Yang Demon Lord under such circumstances?

It was a thorny problem, because he had no idea what the other party truly desired.

Fishing was all about the bait. If you did not chum the waters, how would the fish ever bite?

“Could Black Mountain Pass still be traversed normally?”

“It can.”

Wang Yu raised his hand and took a sip of tea, thinking for a moment before speaking.

“The timing is not ripe yet. Even if you really manage to lure him out, how do you plan to deal with him?”

“Of course I would report it to my lord father and have this scoundrel executed.”

“The Yin-Yang Demon Lord broke through to late-stage Nascent Soul not long ago. Unless a Sword Sect Spirit Transformation cultivator takes action, no one under the heavens can kill him.”

If the gap between early-stage Nascent Soul and mid-stage Nascent Soul was still understandable, then the gap at late-stage Nascent Soul was on a completely different level. Late-stage great cultivators formed a rudimentary nascent spirit, comprehended divine ability intent, and it was no exaggeration to say that they could crush Nascent Soul cultivators with ease.

Defeating a peak mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator at the sixth layer, would take at most three moves. It was absolute disparity in strength.

Hearing this, Lei Yao did not doubt the authenticity of Wang Yu’s intelligence. She lowered her head and fell silent. Only after a long time did she give a dejected smile.

“Then forget it. I will leave this hatred for myself to repay in the future.”

Wang Yu’s expression turned complicated, but he said nothing.

Accompany her was out of the question. No amount of payment would be worth becoming enemies with a late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator. He already had a major trouble of the same level hanging over him.

He had no desire to invite more disaster.

After seeing Lei Yao off, Wang Yu returned to the temporary cave abode that True Lord Yang Lei had arranged for him. It was, in its entirety, a large palace-type magic treasure.

After being expanded with the technique of size-as-you-will, it could accommodate several thousand cultivators for temporary residence. With Wang Yu’s status as a Nascent Soul ancestor, he naturally held sole usage rights to one such palace treasure.

Its privacy was decent enough, and with a few more layers of formation flags and defensive arrays arranged, there would be no problem.

He had just gone through a major battle, so he needed rest to recover his condition. At the same time, he also needed time to process the Nascent Souls of Qingyi and Cloudsmoke.

If the Human Pill Art were not limited to only the third-rank perfected realm, he might even have tried his hand at the legendary “Nascent Soul Grand Pill”!

This pill used a cultivator’s Nascent Soul as its main ingredient, supplemented by a massive quantity of precious natural treasures. Once refined, the finished pill would resemble the legendary ginseng fruit.

There were three types of Nascent Soul Grand Pills, each with a different formula.

The Nascent Soul Heaven-Longevity Pill. One pill could increase lifespan by one hundred years.

The Nascent Soul Heaven-Method Pill. One pill could increase one’s demonic essence by one hundred years’ worth.

The Nascent Soul Heaven-Rebirth Pill. One pill could reshape the fleshly body, turning the impossible into possible. It could revive the dead and restore bones to white flesh. Even if only a fragment of bone remained, the body could be fully restored. It was the ultimate life-saving treasure.

These three pill formulas violated harmony and were extremely likely to stir up storms of bloodshed. Many years ago, they were destroyed and eradicated. Only the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect still possessed them.

The Heaven-Longevity Pill could only be taken once, yet it was a supreme treasure that countless old demonic cultivators chased like mad.

In truth, Wang Yu could use the Idle Slot to deduce the Human Pill Art into fourth-rank.

As long as he could find third-rank inferior substitutes for the three formulas, he could deduce them as well. It was just a waste of time, because the Idle Slot was always in a state of not being enough.

There was no need to rush this. Even if he wanted to, he could not force it.

In the short term, Wang Yu would not touch the two Nascent Souls. This would prevent the Glazed Iceheart Pagoda from fully exerting its might, since suppressing Nascent Souls also required power.

Fortunately, he was currently the Demon-Subduing General, Wang the Brute.

His Body Refinement cultivation and the Evil Demonic Dragon Armor were enough to handle most situations.

Inside the cultivation chamber, Wang Yu sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Two top-tier storage rings floated before him. One treasure after another was taken out, and then sorted and stored into his own Seaheart Ring.

His mood was extremely pleasant.

The value of a Nascent Soul ancestor’s wealth spoke for itself.

Just supreme-grade spirit stones alone, he had gained forty more. That number was absolutely significant. As for magic treasures, spiritual materials, and other items, there were even more.