Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 479

The Lineage Master of the Azure Cloud branch, and the nominal Overseer of Sect Affairs.

His cultivation was only at peak Core Formation, but his master was the sole great perfection Nascent Soul cultivator of the Azure Cloud lineage and one of the Supreme Elders of the Azure Cloud Sect.

The extension of that power allowed him to hold this position firmly.

Yet even in the council hall at this moment, he did not dare speak carelessly. The overall strength of the Azure Cloud Sect was far inferior to the five great demonic sects.

They only had slightly more than thirty Nascent Soul cultivators—close to forty in total. Fifteen had been sent to Ice River Pass, and to deal with the demonic invasion of Feng Prefecture and Water Cloud Prefecture, they had dispatched another twelve Nascent Souls at once, commanding over ten thousand elite sect disciples.

Excluding those stationed in core heavy cities for defense and oversight, fewer than ten Nascent Souls remained at the Azure Cloud Sect’s mountain gate. Wang Yu’s battle had nearly wiped out one-third of their forces.

The Blue Cloud lineage suffered the heaviest losses, with only one early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator escaping. The Orange Cloud lineage fared even worse—almost completely annihilated.

Their originally high ranking had plummeted straight to the bottom.

With so many Nascent Souls lost, who could withstand this?

Recovering would be impossible without a thousand years of accumulation. No wonder the atmosphere in the council hall was so gloomy.

Amid the silence, a white-haired Supreme Elder could not hold back and said, “Before you set out, this old man repeatedly warned you to beware of demonic cultivators’ sneak attacks. Yet you treated my words like wind past your ears. Otherwise, how could you have fallen into a trap and been defeated one by one?”

The four survivors who had barely escaped stiffened their necks and replied,

“Old Ancestor, this matter cannot be lumped together like that.

“That Supreme Law Demonic Lord had already massacred the Yuan Clan in Water Cloud Immortal Capital and slain Daoist Tangyang at Kuangmei Mountain. We thought he would become an obstacle in the Ice River Pass campaign.

“Who could have predicted he would come to ambush us? Moreover… in that situation, it was simply impossible to detect him in advance. Our response speed and reaction reached the absolute limit.

“If we must point fingers… the enemy was simply too strong—strong enough to crush ordinary great cultivators! Daoist Blue Light was killed in a single exchange. How could we not feel terrified?”

The Supreme Elders in the hall had clearly not expected that the losers and juniors in their eyes would shamelessly blame the enemy’s strength.

“You four all think this way?”

They had long known they would face questioning, but once someone spoke up, the rest could only express support, feeling that the situation truly was like that.

In an environment where spatial annihilation winds raged.

Ordinary people could not survive at all. The fact that they had managed to save the elite disciples on two war spirit ships was already a tremendous achievement.

Thus, they all nodded in unison.

In that instant, the atmosphere in the council hall grew even colder.

Every Supreme Ancestor’s face turned iron-green. Some wanted to reprimand them, but were stopped by those beside them. The older generation shared an unspoken understanding: the pressure the Azure Cloud Sect currently faced was far too great.

One careless move could lead to total destruction.

The sect still needed their strength and could not damage their pride too severely.

Although they were all Nascent Soul cultivators, there was a generational gap in seniority.

The difference in strength was also very real. Exactly how to discuss punishment would have to wait until after the war ended—this was commonly known as settling accounts after the autumn harvest.

The authority of Nascent Soul cultivators was not unlimited.

In the end, the sect was still controlled by these old fossils.

“Since the matter has already happened, there is no point saying more. Let us first discuss this Supreme Law Demonic Lord.”

The Supreme Elder of the Yellow Cloud lineage stepped forward.

Following the order of the Seven Colored Cloud Lineages of the Azure Cloud Sect, the Orange Cloud lineage had also suffered heavy losses this time. Although the Red Cloud lineage showed signs of gradual recovery, it had still not returned to its peak scale.

The Yellow Cloud Ancestor currently held the greatest authority in speech.

He spoke calmly, “This person has committed such slaughter. The urgent task is to contact the Sword Sect, place him in the top five of the Demon Extermination List, and call upon all righteous path powerhouses in Taihu to hunt this fiend.

“Second, how he managed to travel from Kuangmei Mountain to southern Feng Prefecture so quickly is also a point of suspicion.”

If he had traveled south through Azure Cloud Sect territory, it would have been impossible to pass completely unhindered. He would have had to detour around several heavy city checkpoints, wasting a lot of time.

Yet from the moment the Crimson Kite’s main force chose to head north.

They had spent only a few days preparing and taken half a month to reach southern Feng Prefecture from Ice Plains Prefecture. Such a rushed march, combined with such a powerful lineup.

To be ambushed and nearly wiped out… he simply could not understand it.

Especially since it was only one person. He refused to believe Wang Yu was as terrifying as the four survivors claimed. Nothing but nonsense!

Therefore.

He suspected some other force had become Wang Yu’s helper.

“Two possibilities.”

The Supreme Elder of the Green Cloud lineage spoke.

“First, there is a traitor among the Azure Cloud Sect’s upper echelons who is an inside agent for the Supreme Law Demonic Lord. He precisely controlled the route of our team and set up the trap. We can send people to inspect the few ancient teleportation formation that can reach southern Feng Prefecture.

“Second, he borrowed a path through the Northern Land Demon Race, traveling south unhindered through their territory. That is the only way he could have set up an ambush in advance. The Northern Land Demon Race has an alliance treaty with us.

“We could send someone to inquire. After the ambush, the Supreme Law Demonic Lord vanished without a trace. His concealment ability cannot be underestimated. We may need to ask the Soul Spirit Origin Lord of the Purple Cloud lineage to take action.

“Of course, this old man is more inclined to believe those beastly demons are behind it. These sinful creatures have wild ambitions and have long wanted to break through the Severed Boundary Mountain Range and expand their territory in the outside world.”

After laying out all his thoughts in one breath, the council hall fell into deep contemplation. Soon, discussion voices rose.

“Yellow Cloud Ancestor is right. I heard that sixty years ago, the Northern Land Demon Race elected a new Holy Lord. With a unified voice, it is inevitable they would develop expansionist ambitions.”

“Indeed, indeed. Then shall we proceed according to Yellow Cloud Ancestor’s suggestion?”

“First send someone to the Northern Land Demon Race to ask.”

At that moment.

One of the early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who had barely escaped suddenly spoke.

“I just remembered something. That Wang Yu once transformed into another physical body form—black horns, dragon pupils, and an unusual dragon might emanating from him. Although it did not resemble demonic beast qi, it was very similar to the form of Demon Lord Tangyang.”

The moment these words were spoken, everyone in the hall was stunned.

“Could it be… he is also a half-demon bloodline?”

The Supreme Elders rebuked with hatred for iron that had not become steel:

“Why didn’t you say something so important earlier?! If it really is as we suspect, then the Supreme Law Demonic Lord has most likely hidden deep within the Northern Land Demon Race’s territory.”

As the saying goes, there are no coincidences in books. The Azure Cloud Sect higher-ups’ reasoning process was wildly off the mark, yet the conclusion they reached was surprisingly correct.

In the Ice Prison Realm, there were quite a few secret arts and techniques capable of changing one’s physical form.

However, abilities like Heavenly Demon Myriad Transformations, which came from spiritual-grade aptitude, were extremely rare. After all, this was a change that started from the bloodline itself.

In the Extreme Yin Dragon body state, Wang Yu was no longer human.

He was a pure Extreme Yin Dragon King!

A living weapon developed by the ancient Immortal Dynasty, and also a cultivation resource for Spirit Transformation Venerables. It had many uses. The boost it gave Wang Yu should continue until after he reached Spirit Transformation before gradually fading.

The Azure Cloud Sect’s discussion gradually came to an end.

In the end, they decided to send someone to the Northern Land Demon Race to investigate. If Wang Yu was truly there, they would privately negotiate with the Five Colors Holy Lord to demand the man.

Whether the request was granted or refused, it would indirectly prove their suspicion. They could then form a proper plan on how to respond instead of just talking big.

…

…

Northern Land Demon Race territory.

Near the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain, beneath the Heart Beast Tower, Wang Yu was leisurely playing Go with an old acquaintance while accompanied by Dou Zhao and Snowjade.

This person was called Third Uncle by Lei Yao. His fourth brother was the guardian spirit beast of the Thunderfire Temple, which created a connection. Wang Yu therefore also addressed him as Third Master.

Even though his current strength was more than enough to kill this old bird demon of unknown species, he still maintained respect.

“Lousy Go Player!

“Not satisfying at all.”

Sweeping the black pieces into the box, Wang Yu looked slightly embarrassed. His Go skills were indeed average, but they were not bad enough to deserve being called a lousy Go player.

He defended himself: “Third Master, your Go rules are basically village rules. Since when is there a rule that lets you take a point if the piece isn’t placed under the cover? That’s just cheating…”

“Mind your own business.”

After being called out by Wang Yu, the old bird demon stopped making a fuss and instead looked pleased with himself.

“Heh heh. The Supreme Law Profound Pill Demonic Lord who dominates the outside world still gets suppressed by this old man in Go. Doesn’t that prove this old man is quite capable!”

Wang Yu was instantly speechless. Snowjade and Dou Zhao beside him were secretly laughing.

The reason he was playing Go with Third Master was not simply to kill time.

He had only recently consumed the Blood Nascent Pill refined from Demon Lord Tangyang. He could not take another one in the short term, so he had come straight to the Heart Beast Tower.

His goal was to let Dou Zhao and Snowjade attempt the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain.

Especially Snowjade—she should obtain quite decent rewards. Dou Zhao was just tagging along. Even if she could not reach the summit, she could still gain plenty of benefits from the tiered platforms.

That was why he was accompanying Third Master in Go. He was not bored enough to do this for no reason.

Having successfully “gotten what he wanted” and suppressed Wang Yu by one move.

Third Master generously waved his hand and said, “Let the two little girls climb the mountain. This old man will have people watch over them. There will absolutely be no problems.”

“Thank you, senior.”

“Thank you, Third Master.”

After the two girls thanked him, they flew toward the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain. The old bird demon immediately winked at Wang Yu.

“You brat, you’re practically carved from the same mold as my fourth brother. Enjoying the blessings of two beauties quite nicely, eh~”

Wang Yu also raised an eyebrow.

“The Northern Land Demon Race’s dual cultivation methods are pretty good too. On the way here I noticed that both female and male demons have taken quite a few human pets. Are they for eating?”

This “eating” was not the literal kind—only those in the know understood.

The old lecherous bird demon instantly changed the subject.

“There’s no Demon King Banquet for you this time. Did you come here to take refuge?”

“Why say it so unpleasantly? This lord came to the demon race to save people from suffering. Could it be that you don’t welcome a fourth-rank supreme-grade alchemist?”

The old bird demon was stunned, then exclaimed in surprise, “You’ve broken through in the Dao of alchemy again? Your aptitude is truly heaven-defying. Your cultivation advances at godly speed, and now you’ve reached such heights in alchemy too.

“We old-timers look like we’ve been eliminated. The future truly belongs to you youngsters.”

Wang Yu shook his head and said meaningfully,

“That’s not necessarily true. Over the years, the Five Colors Holy Lord formed an alliance with the Azure Cloud Sect and secretly contacted the Nether Mountain Sect. Quite a few demon cultivators have left the Severed Boundary Mountain Range.

“Has that Spirit Transformation Demon Venerable of yours come out of seclusion?”

Very early on, during his first visit to the Northern Land Demon Race, Wang Yu had suspected they had a Demon Venerable behind them. There was one in the Northern Severed Boundary Mountain Range and one in the Southern Severed Boundary Mountain Range as well.

And in the Spirit Transformation realm, they should be among the stronger ones. Otherwise, neither Taihu nor the Crimson Kite would have allowed the Northern and Southern Severed Boundary Mountain Ranges—such massive resource-producing lands—to remain under demon race control.

This was something anyone could figure out with their butt.

His probing words now were to see whether the Northern Land Demon Race had any intention of coming out. The Heart Beast Tower raised a large group of old demons, basically all fourth-rank shapeshifted transformation great demons with unfathomably deep foundations.

If the righteous path sects were weaker than the demonic path sects, then the demon race’s foundation was above the demonic path sects. Ranked from weakest to strongest, it would roughly be:

Righteous Path Six Sects (30–40 Nascent Soul cultivators) are weaker than the Four Demonic Sects (50–60 Nascent Soul cultivators), which in turn are weaker than the Southern/Northern Demon Clans (over a hundred, with Venerable-level combatants), and all of them are inferior to the Sword Sect and the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect (over a hundred, with multiple Venerables).

The demon race was suppressed for both racial reasons and because they possessed Spirit Transformation combat power. Look at the Spirit Transformation poison dragon in the Heavenly Demon Bone Forest—it was also pressed down and did not dare emerge.

It was terrified of being skinned and tendons pulled by human Venerables to be refined into a fifth-rank spirit treasure.

Facing Wang Yu’s probing question.

The old bird demon skillfully deflected the issue and pushed the question back.

“Whether they come out or not, since both sides have needs, this old man can act as a bridge. The Northern Demon Race has plenty of heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

“You help refine pills, and the Northern Demon Race provides shelter. We guarantee that anyone from the Azure Cloud Sect who comes will be driven away immediately. How about it?”

Wang Yu chuckled and shook his head.

“Third Master is being too greedy. You think the rotten oranges of the Azure Cloud Sect can make this lord fall? Even Crimson Heaven couldn’t do anything to me. Why would I need the Northern Demon Race’s shelter?

“Refining pills is a normal commission. This lord will only take the proper compensation. Besides, I still owe the Heavenly Roc King a favor, so I will go talk to the Heavenly Roc Clan myself. There’s no need to trouble Third Master.”

Seeing his little scheme exposed and realizing he could not fool this demon lord with the Azure Cloud Sect, the old bird demon did not mind.

He cheerfully stroked his sparsely feathered pointed head.

“No problem, no problem. Do things your own way. This old man was just speaking casually.”

“No harm done.”

Wang Yu’s impression of the Northern Land Demon Race was still quite good.

He also had the feeling that the one who owed money was the boss. The fact that he could safely come to the Northern Land Demon Race meant he believed his own value exceeded what the Azure Cloud Sect could offer.

This time he had even thrown out fourth-rank supreme-grade alchemy as bait.

After long contact with the Blood-Eyed Demonic Flood Dragon, he knew very well what the demon race lacked most was the ability to utilize heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Especially alchemists—they were short to the point of “pathological” levels.

He was not afraid they would not take the bait.

The pill-refining process would help him train his demonic essence control, further shortening the time needed before he could take the next Blood Nascent Pill. At the same time, he could wildly collect fourth-rank spiritual materials.

Whether used for pill refining to attempt creating some foundation-solidifying or body-strengthening pills, or for pills that enhanced physical foundation and control, or to solve the side effects of Blood Nascent Pills, the improvement to him would be huge.

Furthermore, the Glazed Iceheart Pagoda and the Guanghan Twelve Phases.

One was his life-bound magic treasure and the other his life-bound divine ability. Both needed to absorb large amounts of yin-cold attribute heavenly materials and earthly treasures to raise their foundation and upper limits.

Cultivating the extreme cold power within Frost Demonic Essence also required consuming large amounts of heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

Therefore.

Coming to the Northern Land Demon Race for closed-door cultivation was a matter that killed three birds with one stone for him.