Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 411

Born in an age of chaos, Maple Prefecture City remained prosperous and thriving. It had even grown more flourishing due to the influx of refugees and powerful clans seeking shelter.

Like oil poured onto raging flames, its prosperity only intensified.

However, this also caused prices to skyrocket. Resource production across various regions plummeted sharply, and the prices of spiritual items used for escape, defense, and healing increased by five to ten times.

If not for the stability of spirit stone prices, they would have risen to astronomical levels as well.

The tasks Wang Yu had assigned to the three people in the Wang residence were actually very simple.

They were to investigate the movements of disciples from the Evil Sword Peak of the Exalted Sect, using this as a pretext to search for traces of the Nine Evils.

In reality, he was deliberately exposing them.

As long as even one of them was captured, soul-searching would naturally reveal his trail. The black smoke he had withdrawn earlier was indeed demonic intent.

But he had also hidden another layer of power within it.

He had planted a black paper boat inside each of their bodies, the manifestation of the Soul-Gouging Evil Boat Curse. The moment someone attempted a soul search, it would destroy their souls.

This was the second layer of concealment.

His true goal was to deliberately expose himself to the Nine Evil Sword Lord, using himself as bait to lure the enemy out and then surround and kill him.

The plan was rather crude, but it was absolutely effective.

Even if the opponent knew it was a trap, he would still come and test it. It was an open scheme.

If the opponent was not that clever, then the two layers of concealment would help Wang Yu seize the initiative.

Either way, he would not lose.

After arranging everything, Wang Yu glanced toward the depths of the Wang residence.

With the help of Human Pill, Tao Sixuan had already advanced to the Core Formation realm, but her usefulness had been greatly reduced.

Staying in Maple Prefecture no longer served any purpose.

His thoughts flickered rapidly. He originally planned to visit her, but then dismissed the idea. With a wave of his hand, he flicked out a divine sense jade slip, and his figure vanished completely.

Not long after, an Iron-Winged Centipede landed in the courtyard and transformed into the appearance of a beautiful woman.

Her figure was curvaceous and alluring, her gaze hazy and seductive. A faint sorrow hid between her brows, like lilac blossoms in bloom.

A light blue dress trailed along the ground. Her slender waist could be encircled with one hand, accentuating her full and shapely hips even more.

Such a stunning beauty, yet she carried an air of hesitation.

Holding the jade slip in her delicate hand, she saw that no one was present and let out a long sigh.

Wang Yu had arranged for her to go to the Moluo Horde.

Nominally, she was to gather information from the Taihu side and search for a cat demon named Hei Liu.

But she felt that he was actually sending her away from the center of the chaos. Something major was about to happen in Maple Prefecture, and the fate of chess pieces like her would naturally not matter.

In addition, the third-rank magic treasure, Earth Net Ghost Face Mask, had also been given to her. It was of little use to Wang Yu, but it made it easier for her to blend into the Moluo Horde.

As for what Wang Yu was truly thinking, only heaven knew.

…

…

In a small courtyard outside Maple Prefecture City, Wang Yu’s figure reappeared.

Jin Miaoshan and True Lord Jin Xiyuan were already seated at a stone table, waiting. Seeing that he had finally arrived, they immediately asked,

“You’re finally here. Who exactly are we dealing with?”

“Wait a bit longer. The helper sent by Heavenly Roc King hasn’t arrived yet. We’ll talk together when he gets here.”

“Alright.”

For some psychological reason, Wang Yu did not go to see Tao Sixuan.

After sitting down seriously and pouring himself a cup of tea, True Lord Jin Xiyuan suddenly spoke.

“We don’t have much time. At most two years. If the other party doesn’t show up, Miaoshan and I will need to return.”

“No problem.”

Cloud Ridge Prefecture was Jin Miaoshan’s territory. At a time like this, she naturally had to oversee things personally. Moreover, she was already very close to condensing a Nascent Soul.

After successfully undergoing spiritual nirvana, she used the Prajna Heart Sutra to control her killing intent and mastered part of the power of the fifth-rank spiritual treasure, the Asura Divine Sword.

As long as she maintained this state, the chance of losing control would be negligible.

In other words, as long as her mana kept pace with her realm, she could use the Nascent Soul-condensing spiritual items from Golden Abundance Tower to attempt a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm.

After switching to the Asura Slaughter Sacred Scripture, if she did not go to the Desolate Ancient Plains to absorb slaughter demonic essense and condense a slaughter-path Nascent Soul, then her only option was to use Slaughter Demonic Spirit Stones condensed from supreme-grade spirit stones.

These were similar to Frozen Demonic Spirit Stones.

They could be used as breakthrough spiritual items, and could also be used when condensing a demonic-path Nascent Soul to form the seed of demonic essence.

This granted the ability to convert heaven-and-earth spiritual qi into demonic essence.

Jin Miaoshan’s situation was very similar to Xie Xie’an’s.

People like them did not have much time to wait around and lie in ambush with him. This was understandable and expected.

“They’re here.”

As he was speaking, a demonic figure emerged from the shadows in the corner of the courtyard.

It was not the Roc King himself, but the Shadow Hound King, ranked eighth among the Nine Great Demon Kings.

He was at the eighth layer of the Nascent Soul realm, roughly on par with True Lord Jin Xiyuan.

This demon had a head of wild black-and-white mixed long hair. His features were sharp and ferocious. His pair of blood-red vertical pupils and exposed fangs gave off an unmistakably dangerous aura.

Standing nine feet tall, he was built like a small giant.

Aside from a few special bloodlines, the physical bodies of the demon race had always far surpassed those of humans at the same realm. At low levels, demonic beasts were generally inferior to human cultivators, but the higher the realm, the more pronounced their physical advantage became.

Moreover, they had no deficiencies in intelligence. Their external tools and divine abilities were not weak, and they were generally stronger than human cultivators of the same realm.

The Shadow Hound King’s innate talent lay in the Dao of shadows.

His Shadow Escape Technique had reached a masterful level, even stronger than the Wei Clan’s methods.

So although he looked like a berserker, he was in fact an assassin with terrifying burst power. He was the ultimate trump card for killing Nine Evil.

The three immediately stood up. Wang Yu spoke first.

“Greetings, Shadow Hound King.”

The demon glanced at Wang Yu with his crimson eyes, nodded, then cupped his hands toward True Lord Jin Xiyuan as a greeting, completely ignoring Jin Miaoshan.

It was clear that in his eyes, only strength mattered. Status meant nothing.

“This time, I will follow your command.”

“Many thanks.”

With this, Wang Yu now had two eighth-layer Nascent Soul powerhouses on his side. Jin Miaoshan also possessed a spatial secret treasure capable of sealing Nascent Soul teleportation techniques.

However, to ensure Nine Evil’s death without fail, there was still one more powerhouse.

This time, the wait was a little longer.

At nightfall, an old sharp-beaked monkey suddenly appeared in the courtyard. He wore a scholar’s robe and cap and had a thunder-god-like face. His body was thin and small, shorter than a child’s, and he hunched slightly as he greeted everyone.

“True Word King.”

“Hound King.”

This was the final demon.

He was at the seventh layer of the Nascent Soul realm. The divine ability he cultivated was called “Words Become Law”, commonly known as the Boasting Technique. It was said to be one of the top divine abilities first passed down by immortals of the upper realm.

Originally, it was a legacy of the Void Illusory Form Sacred Sect in ancient times. Later, it was acquired by Taihu’s Sword Sect. The northern demon race obtained an incomplete version, and among them, this divine ability was the strongest.

The True Word King came from the Vajra Ape Clan. However, he had been born physically weak and was unsuitable for his clan’s inheritance. Admiring human culture, he was extremely skilled in verbal debate and persuasion.

He had now left the Vajra Ape Clan and served under the Five-Colored Holy Lord.

The Hound King was support provided by the Roc Clan. This old monkey was sent by the Five-Colored Holy Lord.

To invite these two great cultivators, Wang Yu had paid an enormous price.

As long as he succeeded, anything he paid could be recovered in the future. With three top-tier experts assisting him, it was clear how resolute his killing intent was.

With everyone present, Jin Miaoshan swept her gaze around curiously.

She wanted to ask how Wang Yu had invited them, but seeing that the atmosphere was not suitable, she held her tongue, planning to ask later.

Wang Yu spoke instead.

“Since everyone is here, I will explain our target.

“Our opponent is Nine Evil Sword Lord, at the seventh layer of the Nascent Soul realm.

“I will find a way to lure him to Maple Prefecture. When the time comes, I will rely on all of you. Please make sure to kill him.”

At last, the enemy’s name was revealed.

The Shadow Hound King and the old monkey remained silent. They had already learned the target’s identity from the Roc King and had even prepared battle plans in advance, so they were not surprised.

Only Jin Miaoshan looked puzzled.

“Nine Evil Sword Lord… isn’t he an ancestor of your Exalted Sect? You want to kill him?”

“Is that hard to understand? Don’t you also want to kill Jin Lin?”

Hearing this, she immediately understood.

“Exalted Sect Nascent Soul cultivators… it is inconvenient for me to act.”

This was said by True Lord Jin Xiyuan. Golden Abundance Tower was a neutral organization and could not break its rules over this.

Of course, rules were rigid, but people were flexible. As for how to do it, Wang Yu had already planned everything.

“Miaoshan, lend your spatial secret treasure to True Word King first. Fellow Daoist Jin Xiyuan, are you proficient in disguise techniques? If not, just wear a mask.

“As long as we kill Nine Evil in this battle, there is no need to worry about exposure. I will also need to return to the sect afterward.”

In simple terms, four words summed it up.

Covering one’s ears while stealing a bell.

But dead men told no secrets.

After surveying the luxurious lineup once more, True Lord Jin Xiyuan pondered for a moment before finally nodding.

“Next, I will proceed like this…”

Considering that Lord Lei Hou was still in Maple Prefecture City, the battlefield definitely could not be chosen here. Moreover, before Wang Zhenghong and the others encountered setbacks or mortal danger, they would not foolishly expose Wang Yu’s existence.

…

…

The next day.

Spring Blossom Pavilion.

Wang Yu vaguely remembered that there was a dissolute young master from a collateral branch of the Yu Clan taking refuge here in Maple Prefecture City. If he wanted to quickly attract the attention of the Nine Evil Sword Lord, doing something high-profile yet insignificant was the best choice.

For example, romantic indulgence and pleasure-seeking were the most suitable.

After learning that the man often came here to drink himself senseless and engage in voyeuristic entertainment, Wang Yu took the initiative to lie in wait.

There were many patrons inside Spring Blossom Pavilion, making it extremely noisy and lively.

Outside, artillery fire raged. Inside, “artillery fire” also raged. One had to admit, it was a strange kind of tacit understanding. The more chaotic things became, the more these people needed an outlet for their pressure.

The first floor was circular in layout. In the center, a group of Qi Refining stage dancers were performing. Wearing sheer veils and barefoot, their seductive eyes shimmered as their faintly visible bodies exuded a hazy allure.

Amid the music of strings and flutes, pink mist drifted everywhere.

The smell of alcohol surged into the air, mixed with a strong sugary scent.

This kind of environment was considered rather low-end among brothels. Everything was direct and crude, with no foreplay, games, or buildup. The prices were probably not very high either.

The service attitude was not great.

Muttering inwardly, and seeing neither the madam nor the attendants, Wang Yu headed straight for the second floor. His appearance had been partially disguised.

Otherwise, with his usual white-haired, cold demeanor, who would believe he came here for pleasure? His cultivation aura was suppressed to the Foundation Establishment realm, and his expression was much livelier than usual.

The second floor consisted of private rooms.

From there, one could overlook the stage below, or close the door and enjoy oneself in peace.

A flamboyantly dressed madam stood in the corridor, speaking with a woman in red. Wang Yu walked over and casually tossed out a high-grade spirit stone.

“I heard that the top courtesan of Spring Blossom Pavilion, Miss Ziyan, is quite famous. Go call her over. Let this young master see how good she really is.”

After seeing the spirit stone, the madam’s face immediately bloomed into a smile.

“Young Master is truly humorous. I will go call her right away.”

“Nu’er, lead Young Master to the Begonia Room.”

Wang Yu had not visited brothels very often. In his previous life, he had been quite curious, but when it came to relationships between men and women, he usually followed the flow.

If the timing was right, he would play around. His standards for quality were also rather high.

Spring Blossom Pavilion did not really meet his tastes, but for the sake of his plan, he could sacrifice a little. Once that Yu Clan playboy showed up, there would be no need to keep pretending.

After entering the Begonia Room, he sat by the table and waited.

In the history of the Ice Prison Realm, only the ancient era had produced an immortal dynasty culture. Later, there were no unified empires. Everything was ruled by sects.

The cultural heritage had been passed down from that time, and its roots traced back to the upper realms. Although it was somewhat similar to the ancient Huaxia civilization Wang Yu remembered, it was actually completely different.

While his thoughts wandered, the madam knocked on the door.

“Young Master, Ziyan is here.”

“Come in.”

The beaded curtain was lifted.

A graceful and slender figure entered his view. Wang Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. Despite the concealment, he still sensed the aura of the Yellow Springs Path.

Fourth layer of Core Formation!

Encountering such a person here, and as the top courtesan frequently summoned by that playboy, naturally made Wang Yu think further.

Interesting.

He truly had not expected that setting a trap would bring such an unexpected bonus. Considering priorities, he did not expose anything for now. His smile remained bright.

“Miss Ziyan, please sit.”

With cultivation supporting her, her face was flawless, smooth and delicate like fine jade. Her eyebrows were slender, her eyes watery and seductive.

Her purple dress was tightly bound at the chest and flowed downward, revealing snow-white fragrant shoulders.

Her exquisite collarbones and deep curves complemented each other, drawing one’s gaze into them and making it hard to escape. She was enchanting and alluring, with an overtly seductive aura.

This was exactly what people meant by “fox spirit.”

Ziyan covered her mouth with a round fan and giggled softly.

“How should I address you, Young Master? You look unfamiliar. You don’t come to Spring Blossom Pavilion often, do you?”

Wang Yu nodded.

“Maple Prefecture is in chaos. My entire clan had no choice but to move into the city to take refuge. How long has Miss stayed here?”

“Is Young Master planning to redeem me~?”

“If you make this young master happy, everything is negotiable.”

This was a brothel. There was no need to hide one’s desires. Speaking directly was the norm.

Wang Yu reached out and wrapped an arm around her slender waist, pulling the beauty into his embrace.

His interest surged.

Fishing with a trap did not prevent him from enjoying himself first. Moreover, she was clearly a hidden piece planted by the Yellow Springs Monastery. With that added layer, the thrill was even greater.

She basically met his “high-quality” standard.

“Young Master~ don’t be so impatient. Let’s drink a few cups first to set the mood.”

“No need. Miss Ziyan is already a feast for the eyes.”

“Heehee~”

For a time, the private room was filled with her soft laughter.

Suddenly, Wang Yu sensed fluctuations of divine sense from downstairs, quickly locking onto him. His movements became even more unrestrained.

“Ah~”

Miss Ziyan let out a soft moan. Her eyes grew misty. The more she looked at Wang Yu’s handsome face, the more satisfied she became. Her slender jade-like hand quietly slid downward.

They were right at a critical moment of intimacy.

Boom!

The door of the private room exploded open.

The Yu Clan collateral playboy stormed in angrily, shattering the door. Behind him, other guests peeked in curiously.

Wang Yu’s gaze turned deep.

Because of the Innate Demonic Embryo constitution, he could sense exposed emotions through demonic intent. Yet this young master showed no real anger.

His face, however, was twisted with apparent fury.

Things were becoming more and more interesting.

This kind of disguise was not suited for a hidden agent. It was more like someone on the run, forced to act in line with his identity.

“Let go of Miss Ziyan.

“Brat, do you know who I am?”

Wang Yu looked at him calmly.

“Then do you know… who I am?”