Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 431

The dense mist quickly dispersed, revealing a passage that led straight toward the center of the lake. Strictly speaking, Wang Yu had never truly entered the old flood dragon’s cave abode.

At most, he had lingered outside. He had never gone deep within.

Since obtaining the fourth-rank teleportation talisman last time, he had not properly spoken with him again. After breaking through to Nascent Soul, their exchanges had become even rarer.

He followed the waterway inward.

An unexpected sight entered Wang Yu’s view.

At the lakeside pavilion,

Yu Tangtang’s small body was curled into a ball. Beneath her was a thick tiger-fur coat, and she had been placed atop the stone table by her father. The old flood dragon stood nearby with a look of tenderness.

His rough, calloused hand gently patted her, like an old father coaxing his beloved child to sleep.

At that moment,

“Senior Yu.”

“Sit.”

Wang Yu had originally come only to ask what kind of pill the Heavenly Roc King wanted refined, and whether the spiritual materials and pill formula were prepared. But he immediately understood that this was going to be a heart-to-heart talk.

He had known Yu Tangtang for nearly two hundred years. Had he finally earned the old man’s trust?

When they first met, Yu Tangtang had already looked like this little bean-sized child. After so many years, she still looked the same, which was clearly abnormal.

When he had asked about it before, the excuse had been that she was cultivating a special secret technique. Now, it seemed the old flood dragon was finally prepared to reveal the truth.

After a moment of silence, the old flood dragon spoke gravely.

“Wang Yu, I have known you for quite some time. I am well aware of the things you have done and what kind of person you are.

“I also know you carry hidden secrets. Otherwise, you would not have advanced so quickly. In just two hundred years, you have already condensed a Nascent Soul. In the future, you may even break the true cage…”

Wang Yu showed no reaction.

Anyone with half a brain could guess he possessed hidden opportunities. His greatest secret was the Idle Slots.

There was no physical form to them. They were simply his innate talent.

Activated? They had never been turned off.

In his early years, every risk he took had been out of necessity. Some opportunities, if not seized, would never come again in a lifetime. It was not as simple as hiding and enduring.

If he had truly chosen only to cower and survive without caring about anything else, he might still be stuck at Foundation Establishment.

Without the Demonic Embryo Mysterious Origin Curse, relying on a few Idle Slots alone would never have allowed him to overturn his fate. Of this, there was no doubt.

“Senior Yu flatters me. Breaking the cage is far too distant for someone like me. You are not planning to entrust Tangtang to me, are you? You look as if you are arranging your last affairs.”

“You brat, you wish. Do you think all the good things in this world belong to you? Do not think I do not know you secretly call me old geezer behind my back.”

Wang Yu froze. This time, he was genuinely startled.

The old flood dragon did not look like he was bluffing. But Wang Yu did not remember ever calling him that to anyone. Had he forgotten?

The old flood dragon sneered.

“Buddhist Mind-Reading Ability, combined with the demonic race’s secret art, Heart-Peering Technique. Together, they allow me to hear certain thoughts that are disadvantageous to me.”

Wang Yu abruptly stood up, then slowly sat back down.

“I am not saying I do not believe you, but Buddhism has been extinct for countless years. It flourished during the era of the Ancient Immortal Dynasty. Mind-reading ability? You are certain?”

“Of course. Your cultivation is too high now. I cannot hear clearly anymore.”

Wang Yu fell silent.

It was difficult to believe. But since the old flood dragon knew the term “old geezer,” Wang Yu chose to trust him for now.

“Let us speak of serious matters.”

He was merely relieved that they had not interacted frequently in the past. The period of closest contact had been when he used the old flood dragon’s Celestial Enlightenment Dao Platform to comprehend divine abilities and secret arts.

According to the old flood dragon, he could only hear certain malicious thoughts directed toward himself, not everything. There were limitations.

And even if he were lying and could hear everything, it did not matter. Wang Yu’s mind was filled with divine abilities and secret arts. Let him look if he wished. It would not harm him.

“This concerns Tangtang. Do you know of True Spirit bloodlines?”

“Of course. Above heaven-grade bloodlines. Legendary beings like Vermilion Bird, Qilin, and True Dragon all possess True Spirit bloodlines.”

Wang Yu listed only those True Spirits that had left behind legends and traces in the Ice Prison Realm. There were many others he had heard of but never seen.

The old flood dragon continued calmly.

“What you know is too superficial. Even among True Spirit bloodlines, there are distinctions of high and low. The True Dragon bloodline ranks at the very peak among True Spirits, perhaps even beyond.

“And in the demonic race’s bloodline hierarchy, above heaven-grade is not True Spirit, but Ancient Remnant Bloodline. They are direct descendants of True Spirits, and their potential is unfathomable.”

Ancient Remnant Bloodline. The name alone gave a general idea of its meaning. This was indeed a demon race secret Wang Yu had never heard before.

The old flood dragon continued.

“Tangtang is an Ancient Remnant Bloodline. She is not my biological child.”

Wang Yu’s eyelids twitched in shock.

This was because even earth-grade demonic bloodlines possessed the potential to reach Nascent Soul. Heaven-grade bloodlines had a lower limit of Nascent Soul, commonly Spirit Transformation, and an upper limit of Void Refinement.

That was already beyond what a single realm could normally contain.

Almost instinctively, Wang Yu raised his hand and cast the secret art Six Senses Veiled. An invisible ripple spread outward, enveloping the two of them. No one could peer through this concealment.

Such caution pleased the old flood dragon.

“You are thoughtful. But this is my cave abode. If anyone were spying, I would know.”

Wang Yu gave a helpless, bitter smile.

“There are ears beyond the walls. Outside the realm, there are even Six-Eared Thief listening at the corners. This junior cannot afford to be careless.”

“Six-Eared Thief?”

Seeing that the old flood dragon was unfamiliar with the term, Wang Yu did not dwell on it and decisively shared the information.

This matter was indeed secretive, but by collecting more ancient ruins and searching for clues left behind by predecessors, discoveries were always inevitable.

It was simply that the old flood dragon happened not to know.

If Yu Tangtang truly was an ancient remnant species, then extrapolating forward according to demonic bloodline laws, her minimum potential would be Spirit Transformation, her normal path would reach Void Refinement, and her upper limit would be the Body Integration stage.

Such an existence, if it had persisted eternally within the Ice Prison Realm, could not possibly have gone unnoticed.

Therefore, either she had already left before the Immortal Palace designated this place as an Ancient Demon Prison, or she had entered the Ice Prison Realm only after the prison’s transformation was completed. Otherwise, such a powerful bloodline remnant would not have been overlooked.

Just as Wang Yu finished speaking and fell into thought, cold sweat streamed down the old flood dragon’s back. His expression clearly showed belief, yet he still wanted confirmation.

“Is this truly so?”

“It could not be more real. It comes from black stone tablet inscriptions left behind by the ancient Taiyin Sect.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere fell into silence.

After a long while, Old Yu finally sighed.

“If that is the case, then in the future, only you will be able to lend Tangtang a hand. It is appropriate to tell you now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ah… due to the constraints of rules, the Ice Prison Realm is not suitable for Tangtang’s growth. The laws of heaven and earth here, the order of rules, have all been reshaped by great powers. Too many of them specifically suppress demons, beasts, and other non-human races.

“Moreover, the carrying limit of the Ice Prison Realm itself is Spirit Transformation. Without leaving this realm, the only way to reach Void Refinement is to shatter the world’s shackles, and even then, the chance is slim.

“But you were born here and grew up here. All of your cultivation is nourished by the spiritual energy of the Ice Prison Realm. Under normal circumstances, you can never break the world’s shackles.”

Ah, this…

Wang Yu fell into deep thought.

If normal circumstances could not break them, then what about abnormal ones?

For example, the Idle Slot. To this day, he had no idea where those special energies were being drawn from.

Because the Idle Slot had no interaction whatsoever with the outside world, it easily created the illusion that power was being generated out of nothing. In truth, Wang Yu had a strong intuition that it functioned as a transfer mechanism.

As for exactly where that power was transferred from, he had no way of knowing.

No need to overthink it. Just use it. After all, talent did not have to follow logic.

At this point, the other party’s intention was no longer hard to guess.

“So, Senior wishes that when I have sufficient confidence in the future, I take Tangtang with me and leave this realm?”

“Exactly. You do not need to do anything. Everything that can be done, I have already done. Unfortunately, I myself lack the ability to leave the Ice Prison Realm.”

“That is no issue. If this junior truly succeeds one day, bringing Senior along would not be a problem.”

“That is not what I mean.”

The old flood dragon shot Wang Yu a glare and spoke concisely.

“I have guarded the Blood Reversal Sect for thirteen hundred years.”

The implication was clear.

His lifespan was nearing its end. Before guarding the Blood Reversal Sect, he had already spent several hundred years cultivating.

There were two reasons he sought Wang Yu out for this matter.

One was that Wang Yu’s cultivation was solid and his reputation impeccable.

The other was that his time was nearly up.

With an alchemist’s wealth, raising an adorable and well-behaved daughter was no burden at all. She would not be difficult to support, and the benefits would even be substantial.

Just look at Snowjade, plump and radiant. She lived such a blissful life that she barely resembled a beast anymore, pure decoration piled on decoration.

After some thought, Wang Yu nodded.

“I agree.”

“Huh? You are not even trying to squeeze something out of me?”

The old flood dragon was greatly surprised. This did not resemble the Wang Yu he knew.

Who would have thought the boy would say something even more shocking.

“It’s fine. Once you pass on, won’t your entire lifetime collection go to Tangtang anyway? She’s young, so naturally I will keep it safe for her. Don’t you agree?”

Old Yu immediately flew into a rage.

Even knowing Wang Yu was joking, he was still furious. Just imagining it made his heart ache to the point he could hardly breathe. All of it going to this brat.

“Hmph!

“I am not a stingy person. I will not shortchange you. After my death, the flood dragon pearl I leave behind can help your Body Refining cultivation break through to mid fourth-rank. When the time comes, it will be given to you.”

Wang Yu’s eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together.

“How much longer?”

“A hundred years.”

At that reply, Wang Yu’s expression immediately fell.

A hundred years from now, would he still need that flood dragon pearl to break through? That would be seriously underestimating him. Besides, refining Old Yu’s flood dragon pearl felt somewhat unethical.

His moral bottom line in such matters was flexible, but he was not shameless enough to lay hands on the corpse of a friend’s father. The demonic path was not heartless, and heartlessness was not the Dao.

Toward enemies, Wang Yu had no bottom line. Toward friends, however, his moral sense remained quite high. Even without that flood dragon pearl, he could still break through to mid-stage fourth-rank.

“Forget it. I will take pity on you as a junior. A hundred years from now, when the time comes, Wang will naturally lend a hand.”

Old Yu could not stand being provoked. He insisted on producing some treasure that would satisfy Wang Yu. Yet when Wang Yu asked whether he had any True Soul Stones, he could not even squeeze out a single hair.

Wang Yu gave him a thorough look of disdain.

Though this heart-to-heart conversation appeared to end on bad terms, in truth their relationship had grown closer, and they understood each other better.

Only after leaving did Wang Yu realize he had forgotten to ask who Yu Tangtang’s mother was. Since she was not of the Blood-Eyed Demonic Flood Dragon’s lineage, she was certainly not his demonic consort.

Since it had not been mentioned, there was no need to press the matter.

What he was meant to know, he would eventually know.

…

…

Cold Blood Peak, Supreme Law Dao Field.

Not long after Wang Yu returned, the Sect Master sent members of the Blood God Guard to deliver two Star Demonic Stones. The power contained within them came from the Zhou Tian Star Constellations.

Their energy level surpassed even refined spiritual qi, though their versatility was somewhat poorer. Whether used in alchemy or directly absorbed and refined, they could increase one’s demonic essence.

The Blood Reversal Sect’s Nine Palaces Demonic Star Ascension Formation was remarkably effective. It was equivalent to a gold mine that continuously produced wealth. Aside from the initial cost of establishing the formation, everything afterward was pure profit.

When the environment stabilized in the future, he might also set up a similar feng shui configuration to meet his own needs and generate resources.

The Earth Mother Scripture that Wang Yu cultivated had extraordinary foundations.

Its creator had been a direct disciple of the Patriarch of Earth Masters. Using it for auxiliary purposes was more than sufficient. However, attempting to establish heaven-and-earth grand formations with it was somewhat beyond its limits.

If given the opportunity, he could supplement and perfect it.

After obtaining the Star Demonic Stones, Wang Yu rearranged his cave residence and showed no intention of paying respects to the Cold Blood Mountain Lord. On the very day of his return to the sect, he entered seclusion.

He refused to see anyone except members of the Blood Demon Hall.

He took out the Celestial Enlightenment Dao Platform, which still had sixty-seven years of effective duration remaining. Dao Comprehension Tea, Clear Mind Incense, Spirituality Dust, and other enhancement methods were all deployed to reinforce himself.

On the surface, the methods seemed similar to his previous seclusion.

In reality, after being enlightened by the Nine-Orifice Stone Human Blood, Wang Yu’s comprehension had surged significantly. This improvement lay primarily in raising his lower bound, relying on external aids.

What he lacked was the true genius-level flash of inspiration.

Yet every step forward was incomparably solid. Raising the lower bound was the fundamental reason his Idle Slots could double efficiency. After all, their effectiveness was based on his foundational attributes.

The Innate Demonic Embryo physique had already solved his aptitude problem.

Now it was his comprehension.

Every bit of improvement brought tangible benefits.

The main purpose of this seclusion was to deduce and advance the Human Pill Art to peak fourth-rank. At times like this, Wang Yu would remove all Idle Slot assignments.

He focused solely on one objective.

With seven Idle Slots operating simultaneously, the baseline efficiency was sevenfold. Combined with the Celestial Enlightenment Dao Platform and other external aids, even difficult problems could be rapidly overcome.

The speed was astonishing.

Each passing day brought visible improvement. With experience from the Cold Chi Alchemy Art, Wang Yu spent most of his time perfecting how to utilize “humans” as material.

Especially the essence of cultivators. The Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages were essentially “Dao Fruits,” milestone products of cultivation.

Next came integrating the concepts of the Blood Pill Art.

He deeply cultivated ideas such as qi and blood, blood essence, bone marrow, and related principles.

As long-lived beings, cultivators were more nourishing than many heavenly treasures. If a transmigrator had inherited Hannibal’s expertise, he would flourish in the demonic path.

Mastering the art of handling people would ensure they were coaxed into becoming embryos.

An elegant life indeed.

As time passed, a full year quickly went by. Wang Yu temporarily interrupted his comprehension to refine pills for the sect using the Taihe Blood Cauldron.

The Heavenly Roc King required rather unusual pills and first sent over the pill formula for Wang Yu to study. The spiritual materials listed would take time to gather.

Afterward, he continued deducing the Human Pill Art and Blood Pill Art.

He also incorporated the Ancient Demon Refining Art as reference. From this elevated perspective, the speed of deduction was the fastest it had ever been.

By the end of the third year, the Human Pill Art successfully advanced to peak fourth-rank, reaching the upper limit of the Idle Slot system.

Thus, the Glazed Iceheart Pagoda was permanently stationed at the Supreme Law Dao Field. The first subject he selected was Violet Lightning’s Nascent Soul. Combined with the Star Demonic Stones, the Human Pill he intended to refine was extremely famous.

Its name was:

Longevity Blood Nascent Pill.