Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 77

Eight Treasures Pavilion.

Gu Zhengshun arrived as promised and met Wang Yu in a private room. The second-rank ice-attribute python-type demonic beast core he had requested was already in place, along with three thousand spirit stones.

Smiling warmly, Gu Zhengshun said, ”This is the Ice Python Demon Core I had my master exchange from the sect’s second-rank treasure vault. You can inspect it.”

Wang Yu took the blue, ice-aura–filled demon core. Inside was a small serpent-shaped phantom, containing a trace of the beast’s soul, serving as proof of origin that could not be forged.

The Cold Chi Pill was only a first-rank pill, yet it required second-rank ingredients, which showed its special nature. If he could successfully condense the Cold Flame Seed in his dantian’s Qi Sea, this technique would be able to accompany his growth until the Core Formation stage.

It was a rare growth-type technique, though he felt it could also be classified as a treasure art, having a quality of borrowing power from a demonic beast.

Satisfied, Wang Yu set it down. With the Ice Python Demon Core and Yin Marrow Liquid, the two main ingredients were complete. The rest were first-rank spiritual herbs, all of them very common.

”No problem with the goods. Here is that Foundation Establishment corpse. Its soul is completely scattered, making it very suitable for refining into an armored corpse. At the very least, it will become an Iron Armored Corpse.”

Gu Zhengshun, hearing this, did not mind the ugly corpse at all. Instead, he caressed it lovingly, a perverse act that made one’s skin crawl.

”Good, good. The deal is done.”
Each side stored away their goods. Wang Yu hesitated for a moment before speaking, ”Brother Gu, could you do me a favor and investigate the Ice and Snow Pavilion’s movements over the past five years?”

”Oh?”

Gu Zhengshun rubbed his fingers.

”This is simple. At most, in one month I can have the details clearly. But why should I help you?”

Wang Yu took out a storage pouch filled with spoils prepared for sale and tossed it directly to Gu Zhengshun.

”Brother Gu holds a relatively high position at Heavenly Corpse Peak and has surely joined under some core disciple. You should have the channels to handle these things. No matter how much you sell them for, just give me eight thousand spirit stones.”

The implication was that any extra beyond that would be the payment for gathering the information. By Wang Yu’s estimation, this batch, though second-hand, would still fetch over ten thousand spirit stones in total.

Gu Zhengshun, being a knowledgeable appraiser, immediately agreed after hearing this.

”Well said. I did not expect Junior Brother Wang to have so many spoils. It seems your trip to Blackbone Mountain was quite fruitful.”

Wang Yu smiled. Both understood each other without speaking further.

”I also have a batch of Xuan Essence Flowers. Would Brother Gu be interested?”

”Come on, tell me more.”

As wine was brought over, the two chatted pleasantly for a long time before parting in the evening.

With matters entrusted to Gu Zhengshun, Wang Yu now had over thirty-six thousand spirit stones on hand, which, among Qi Refining disciples, was certainly considered wealthy.

Another four thousand and he could use the Ice and Snow Pavilion’s channels to purchase a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. This had been Zhao Shang’s goal, yet now it was about to be achieved by him — truly fate’s irony.

But he had killed so many late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, essentially seizing the wealth they had accumulated, all for the ambition of Foundation Establishment.

Unfortunately, high-grade Foundation Establishment Pills were of little use to Wasted Spiritual Roots.

If he truly intended to prepare for a breakthrough, he still had to rely on demonic path secret arts.

During the following month, while waiting for Gu Zhengshun’s news, he also waited for the Cold Chi Pill in the idle slot to complete. Each day, a vast amount of pill-refining experience poured into his mind.

When combined with his existing pill-refining technique, the efficiency was extremely high.

Aside from completing his daily cultivation routine, he also visited the alchemist society he had founded. The situation, however, was very different from before. In just five years, it had gathered a large number of low-level alchemists.

Its members had grown from four to over a hundred. The current leader was Zhou Tao, a Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivator. Compared to when Wang Yu had been in charge, its profit-making ability had reached new heights, now standing prominently in the open.

It had even become more famous than many pill shops run by Foundation Establishment alchemists.

This situation quickly extinguished Wang Yu’s intention to reminisce. Even outside the Blood Reversal Sect, such a desire for the spotlight was dangerous.

Moreover, the sect’s pill business had long been under monopoly. Only with certification from the Alchemy Hall could one operate in related industries.

Back then, Wang Yu had discovered that apart from the unified pricing of pills, low-rank alchemists were all working for pill shops, earning only labor fees.

They did not set up stalls to sell their own cheaply made pills at lower prices.

For Zhou Tao to step up on stage like this was pure arrogance. Eight times out of ten he must have thought that with Su’s personal disciple backing him, nothing would go wrong.

He expanded the business from Cold Blood Market to surrounding areas, earning more and more, blinded by spirit stones, unable to stop.

Such rampant profiteering, once it touched the bottom line, meant certain death.

As for the original four members of the alchemist alliance, when Wang Yu went to Blackbone Mountain, they had already withdrawn. The quiet and reserved Huang Kai also left, leaving only Luo Pinghu to serve at Zhou Tao’s side.

After learning the situation, Wang Yu could only sigh.

At this pace, they probably would not last through the year.

If he were ruthless, he could have used this chance to hand another golden key to Zhuo Shouqing of the Law Enforcement Hall, perhaps gaining even more benefits. But after some thought, he abandoned the idea.

After all, they had once been colleagues. Only that Huang Kai still had some potential worth cultivating.

He put the matter aside.

...

...

Outer Sect, Year 8 Month 5, the very first full month after returning to the sect.

That day, a magpie called at the door.

[Idle Slot 4: Cold Chi Pill (Perfected)]

“Cold Chi Pill (100/100): 36 refinings a day, 30 years to master.”

The perfected pill recipe meant Wang Yu’s familiarity with this pill had reached a masterful level.

Before, the Idle Slot had been refining 24 times a day, equivalent to having another version of himself in an unknown place refining twenty-four furnaces of Cold Chi Pills every day. All of that experience and technique was fully inherited by him.

Four months meant he had refined 2,880 cauldron.

Such experience could no longer be described as mere mastery. It could be called extraordinary. Few people had such assistance in their practice.

Having already prepared in advance, Wang Yu spent part of his contribution points from the Blackbone Mountain mission.

At the Alchemy Hall in the All-Hall Market, he rented a ground-fire chamber. Speaking of which, even as a first-rank peak-grade alchemist, he still did not own a suitable pill furnace.

This was also the norm for most first-rank alchemists.

Cultivating fire refinement methods required a fire source. Before learning any flame-breathing techniques, one could only borrow ground fire for pill refinement, which placed requirements on the site. The pill furnace was thus only used temporarily.

Once he refined the Cold Chi Pill and condensed the Cold Flame Fire Seed, he could then consider carrying a personal pill furnace with him.

At this time, his focus was entirely on alchemy.

Washing herbs, cleansing spirits... Using the might of the ground fire to remove all unwanted medicinal properties from the recipe. These were the so-called impurities, leaving only what was needed.

Wang Yu’s technique was skilled, his timing precise. Each time he added ingredients and refined them, it was nearly perfect.

After refinement came fusion.

His fire control technique was excellent, the medicinal properties fused smoothly without any waste. With the aid of various Condensing Pill Seals, the refinement quickly entered the pill-nurturing stage.