Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 421

About three days earlier, the team led by Wang Yu, which had originally been sent to support Black Mountain Pass, changed direction midway. According to Dark Demon Barbarian Lord, this was an order issued by Evil Soul Ancestor.

They were to intercept and eliminate the reinforcement team dispatched by the Void Heaven Sword Sect.

The specific situation was not entirely clear.

They only knew that at Black Mountain Pass, after years of attrition, the mid and low-level forces on both sides had suffered severe casualties, especially the Taihu cultivators stationed there.

Most of them had been worn down and killed by magic treasures such as soul banners.

Cutting off this reinforcement team would greatly advance the timetable for Black Mountain Pass’s fall. As executors of orders, they did not need an overly precise understanding of the overall situation.

They only needed to fulfill their role as a sharp blade.

After rushing north for half a day, Wang Yu and the others entered the Withered Leaf Marsh north of Black Mountain Pass. Back when he had just reached Foundation Establishment, he had once crossed this place alone.

At that time, the righteous-demonic war had not yet begun. According to ancient records, there were still several relatively safe routes through Withered Leaf Marsh. But now that war had reignited, after so many years of confrontation and slaughter, countless formations and forbidden traps must have been laid, with thorough preparations on both sides. Moreover, neither side could keep their maps updated in real time.

But to Nascent Soul cultivators, it was hardly worth mentioning.

“Leave it to me.”

Their team was small in number but high in cultivation. This made them easy to command and especially suited for infiltration and encirclement tactics.

Wang Yu had always been accustomed to viewing things from a higher strategic level. Now that he had joined a localized battlefield and was carrying out standard tactical offensives, it felt somewhat unfamiliar and novel.

It was like shifting from a detached observer to a nail driven deep into the battlefield.

In a corner of Withered Leaf Marsh,

Dark Tiger Demon Lord gave a low shout. Countless strands of gloomy ghostly mist surged out of his body. The black smoke transformed into palm-sized red-eyed crows that flew into the dense marsh forest.

This was his second Yin Beast: Nether Blood Crows.

They possessed an innate divine ability to split into sub-bodies. Their main function was auxiliary support, making them especially suitable for use as scouting tools in large secret realms, ruins, or wars.

Their blood-red eyes could also detect abnormal spiritual fluctuations, break illusions, and see through falsehoods. Their practicality was extremely high.

As an auxiliary method, they were top-tier.

“Follow me. Do not touch the ground.”

Immediately afterward, everyone flew at low altitude, following Dark Tiger Demon Lord as they moved through the marsh. They avoided forbidden traps and did not even alert the local demonic beasts.

In less than half a day, they passed through smoothly and fully entered Taihu territory. The group temporarily settled in a mountain hollow, while countless Nether Blood Crows dispersed outward.

They searched for traces of the Sword Sect reinforcement team and also bought time to discuss strategy.

Wang Yu was relatively familiar with this region.

He also knew that the largest city here was called Withered Leaf City. If it could be taken, and Blood Abyss Prefecture was informed to send more reinforcements, it might be possible to form a pincer attack on Black Mountain Pass.

Of course, at his current level, he did not have enough authority to casually propose such a plan.

Attacking Black Mountain Pass was one of the conditions for cooperation with the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect. He knew this very well. Their true goal was almost certainly to secure a bridgehead for a direct advance.

The Heaven Refining Demonic Sect’s target was always the Ancient Demon “Life”.

Anyone could guess that.

If their mission was carried out successfully, they would also earn considerable battle merit. During wartime, contribution points were calculated using a different system.

Minor merit, medium merit, major merit, and honor medals.

From low to high, three minor merits could be exchanged for one medium merit, and so on.

These could be exchanged for items from the Blood Reversal Sect’s War Treasury List. Many of them were rare treasures seldom seen under normal circumstances.

Foundation Establishment Pills, Core Formation Pills, rare spiritual items, powerful inheritances, and even aptitude-altering secret arts that could defy fate were all included. The demonic path was generous in this regard and deeply understood human nature.

Moreover, most war missions were collective actions. Generally, anyone who survived would earn at least one minor merit, making accumulation very fast.

For the mission Wang Yu and the others were carrying out, Evil Soul Ancestor had set a reward at the level of major merit. As for honor medals, those could not be exchanged with three major merits.

They could only be obtained by playing a decisive role in a particular battle.

Their effects were even more extraordinary. They could be used to exempt one from a death sentence, request a Nascent Soul ancestor to take one as a disciple, or exchange for top-tier secret arts and divine abilities.

They were the highest-tier wartime rewards.

This system was mainly aimed at disciples below the Nascent Soul realm. For people like Wang Yu, who were already at the Nascent Soul layer, any military merit they obtained was generally tied to the mountain peak behind them.

When the war finally ended, distribution would be carried out according to overall contribution.

This naturally involved the spoils gained after victory or defeat.

If the results were meager or nonexistent, one could only receive sect benefits and partial resource support.

But if the war gains were substantial, such as expanding territory by dozens or hundreds of kilometers, then the accumulated military merit could be exchanged for governance rights over a region. If one did not want it, it could also be traded to others.

In short, military merit was like a spoon.

When it came time to divide the cake in the final stage, the bigger your spoon, the more cake you could scoop out, and the more satisfied you would be.

The only drawback was that the delay was rather long. Mature Nascent Soul old monsters usually found their own ways to “eat” in the meantime.

Inside a mountain valley.

Dark Tiger Demon Lord rubbed his chin and said, “According to the intelligence provided by Senior Evil Soul, there are two sword-path Nascent Soul cultivators in this reinforcement mission, eighteen Core Formation Sword Envoys, and three thousand Foundation Establishment sword cultivator disciples.”

The Void Heaven Sword Sect had seventy-two Sword Peaks and seventy-two sword-path Nascent Soul cultivators. A single peak could not compare to the nine peaks of the Blood Reversal Sect, but their inheritance system was orderly.

Each generation had newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators taking over in sequence, according to rank.

Those ranked near the top were all late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivators. Considering the existing forces at Black Mountain Pass, the reinforcement team would not be excessively overwhelming, but it was certainly not weak either.

The Sword Wanderers originated from the Righteous Qi Institute and were considered disciples of that Vast Righteousness Great Sword Chief. Each generation numbered one thousand and eight in total, and they normally roamed throughout Taihu.

Like imperial inspectors, they specialized in executing demons and wicked cultivators.

On the surface, their status was inferior to the Exalted Sect’s true disciples. In reality, their authority was extremely great, and they were widely disliked by the Seven Righteous Sects. After all, no one wanted a killing star with “execute first, report later” authority stationed in their territory.

The Sword Wanderers’ aptitude was at minimum dual spiritual roots, or they possessed other special talents. In plain terms, they had at least a ten to twenty percent chance of condensing a Nascent Soul.

The Moonlight Fairy Chang Xi, who had once trapped Wang Yu badly, was one of the outstanding figures among them. If he ever had the chance, he would not mind taking revenge.

For now, it was unclear whether such an opportunity would arise.

Dark Tiger Demon Lord stroked his chin again. “This scale is manageable. What do you think, Fellow Daoist Profound Pill? They are already here. We can’t leave without pulling off a big job.”

“True enough. Then I’ll have to trouble Brother Dark Tiger’s Yin Crows.”

“No problem.”

Wang Yu turned his head and glanced at the four followers behind him. He sent a concise voice transmission.

“Once the fighting starts, don’t rush to the front.”

Qingyang understood this principle well. Yang Xiong looked like a reckless brute, but in reality he dared to vanish during wartime when necessary, and knew when to retreat. There was no need to worry about him.

The main concerns were Xu Ruozhou and Situ Hong. Both were Foundation Establishment cultivators, and their strength was somewhat weaker. However, after experiencing several similar missions, if they accumulated one major merit, they could exchange it for a mid-grade Core Formation Pill. At the very least, they would have one real chance to break through. Wang Yu would also look after them a little.

…

…

Dusk gradually fell.

Withered Leaf City.

Compared to the blazing war at Black Mountain Pass, Withered Leaf City was hosting a grand banquet today, welcoming a group of cultivators traveling south from Ice River Pass in the north.

The team was mainly composed of members from the Azure Cloud Sect.

Their numbers exceeded six thousand, consisting mostly of Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, along with more than thirty Core Formation cultivators and one mid-stage Nascent Soul leader.

Five years earlier, when the Blood Reversal Sect had stirred up massive turmoil in Maple Prefecture, the Taihu cultivators had been forced to retreat to Ice River Pass. Large numbers of cultivators withdrew to the Taihu Spiritual Domain, waiting for the demonic factions to fight among themselves before taking advantage of the situation.

This dispatched team had not come to support Black Mountain Pass.

Instead, they had their eyes on Strange Peak Pass in the central section of the Northern Severed Boundary Mountains.

If they could take it, Night Jewel Prefecture in the corresponding region would fall into chaos, giving Yellow Springs Monastery an opportunity to expand its gains.

Previously, although both sides had caused trouble in Maple Prefecture, they had never contacted each other directly. Instead, they had formed many large-scale tactical cooperations based on the overall situation.

Otherwise, even with the Blood Reversal Sect’s deep foundation, it would not have been driven into such a frantic state.

The Azure Cloud Sect team settled in Withered Leaf City to rest and regroup.

On one hand, this place was suitable as a secondary hub, from which scouts could be dispatched to gather intelligence on enemy movements. On the other hand, they were also waiting to see how Moon Gazing Palace would respond.

Attacking Strange Peak Pass alone had already been attempted once by Thunderfire Temple. They had achieved considerable results and had successfully covered a surprise assault on Ice River Pass.

Unfortunately, they had failed to capture the pass itself, leaving things somewhat imperfect.

City Lord’s Mansion of Withered Leaf City.

The current city lord invited the Azure Cloud Sect’s old ancestor to sit in the seat of honor. He showed extreme respect and spared no effort in hospitality, forcibly spending nearly half of the manor’s treasury.

At the same time, A thousand li away from Withered Leaf City, streaks of sword-riding cultivators cut through the sky.

Foundation Establishment cultivators had not yet mastered the ability to transform themselves into pure sword light. Thus, most of them stood atop their flying swords as they traveled, roaring through the air with thunderous noise that was far from subtle.

At the very front were two white-bearded elders.

One wore a purple robe embroidered with Eight Trigrams patterns, exuding an immortal-like bearing.

The other wore coarse linen clothes and carried an iron sword on his back. His temperament was carefree and unrestrained, though he appeared somewhat unkempt, giving off a dirty impression. In reality, he was perfectly clean.

Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely fast, yet they were not traveling at full speed.

Behind them followed eighteen streaks of sword light. The most eye-catching among them was a pale moon-white sword shadow, dazzling and brilliant, emitting the aura of a Core Formation eighth-layer cultivator, standing foremost among the group.

The linen-clad elder narrowed his eyes and spoke.

“In another eight hundred li, we will reach Black Mountain Pass. This journey is dangerous. Do not rush forward out of greed for merit.

“Evil Soul and Dark Blade are both famous peak Nascent Soul experts. Even the aftershocks of their battle are not something you can withstand.”

“We understand, Ancestor.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Ancestor Hemp Robe.”

After these brief words, the team returned to silence.

The elder in the Eight Trigrams Bagua robe was full of worry. He secretly transmitted his voice to the Hemp Robe Ancestor.

“Why do you think the sect sent us here? Are we just being used as cannon fodder? It is all your fault for offending Five Elements Sword Lord. What will happen to my Eight Trigrams Peak now…”

“Heh. If your foolish disciple had not insisted on snatching that Fire Dragon Sword from the Sword Tomb, would we have been targeted? My Linen Peak is in trouble too. You are not the only one suffering.”

Knowing that Black Mountain Pass was a battlefield for peak Nascent Soul experts, anyone could guess that this support mission was a thankless task.

If they succeeded, it would be fine.

But if they failed, they would be held accountable.

The reason these two had been dispatched was because, during the recent opening of the Sword Tomb, a disciple of the Eight Trigrams lineage had seized a Fire Dragon Sword that a disciple of Five Elements Sword Lord had set his sights on.

The Hemp Robe Ancestor had stood up for his friend’s disciple at the time, and the matter had snowballed into the current situation.

In the demonic path, dogs bit dogs until their mouths were full of fur.

The righteous path looked united on the surface, yet internally it was just as chaotic. Once war began, countless greedy people sought to eliminate competitors and seize more resources.

Among the Seven Righteous Sects, only three near the Severed Boundary Mountains were truly bearing the brunt of the war.

Thunderfire Temple, Moon Gazing Palace, and Azure Cloud Sect.

Void Heaven Sword Sect had contributed somewhat, but was still far from committing fully. Northern Suppression Tower had few members and was mainly focused on the Endless Ice Plains, so it could be ignored.

As for Crane Return Valley and Blazing Sun Sect, whose mountain gates lay deep in Taihu’s rear, they pretended to be deaf and blind. They were determined to let others serve as cannon fodder first.

They would only act after the fiercest initial clashes ended, or if they saw a better opportunity.

In this regard, Void Heaven Sword Sect could do nothing.

They governed through benevolence and morality.

They could not directly interfere in other sects’ affairs. They could only urge them to contribute. Without forcing them, and unless the situation deteriorated significantly, they would not resort to underhanded methods.

Meanwhile, the three sects whose mountain gates lay at the edge of the Severed Boundary Mountains had no choice.

If they did not resist, they would be slaughtered.

Among them were ambitious individuals stirring things up behind the scenes, urging aggressive action. They were the main war faction.

“Be careful. The Crimson Kite Demonic Domain is fighting fiercely internally this time. Who knows what they are plotting now.

“The [Desire] Demon Sealing Ground in the Black Mountain Demon Lands is where the real slaughter is happening. I heard tens of thousands have already died, and it is still expanding. A bunch of lunatics.”

The secrets of the Ice Prison Realm were not only known to the upper echelons of the five demonic sects. The Seven Righteous Sects of Taihu also knew.

They simply did not act as extremely.

They believed that when the time came, the Spirit Transformation great cultivators would find a solution. Their own level was too low to worry about such matters.

As the Sword Sect team reached the sky above a mountain valley, a sudden sense of danger surged through their hearts.

The Hemp Robe Ancestor’s expression changed. He shouted.

“Ambush!”

This was spiritual sense premonition. The higher one’s realm, the more accurate it became. Sword cultivators were especially sensitive in this regard.

But it all happened in an instant.

Dark Tiger Demon Lord let out a sinister laugh.

The Eight-Armed Ox Ghost and the Skeletal Nightmare Horse, third- and fourth-grade Yin Beasts, emerged together.

As the sky abruptly darkened, four hundred-zhang-tall Ghost Gates appeared, surrounding the Sword Sect team.

The ghost totems on the gates suddenly opened, spewing endless Yin mist and ghostly qi, isolating the space from the outside world.

Wang Yu tossed Snowjade to Situ Hong.

It was time for the little thing to hone her combat skills.

At the same time, he secretly activated the Void Secret Technique: Lock of Heaven, combining it with Dark Tiger’s Ghost Gate Formation to turn this valley into a sealed battlefield.

His gaze locked onto the moon-white figure among the Sword Sect team.

Familiar.

Far too familiar.

He had just been thinking about her earlier. Thanks to her, his Foundation Establishment breakthrough had been full of twists and turns.

With such great “kindness”, she deserved a proper reward.

Dark Blade Barbarian Lord also stepped forward and said in a low voice, “The one on the left wearing the Eight Trigrams robe is Master Bagua. He specializes in formation-based sword arrays and has defeated stronger enemies many times. Leave him to me.

“The one on the right is Ancestor Hemp Robe. He cultivates a single iron sword and walks the ancient artifact-refinement path. He is extremely strong. Brother Profound Pill has only recently advanced to Nascent Soul. Let Brother Dark Tiger handle him.”

“No problem.”

Wang Yu nodded.

His understanding of Taihu’s experts was limited. Not having to fight a peer-level opponent was naturally good.

After a pause, he added, “I will deal with the small fry as quickly as possible and support you two.”

“Attack!”