Chapter 114: Promotion to Inner Sect

Strictly speaking, this was an exchange.

Back when they were spirit servants in the Stone House District, Steward Liu was the first to become arrogant, only to flee the sect in disgrace and hasn't been heard from since.

When it was Steward Duan's turn to rise, he didn't last many years before Su Yulong's scheme against Wei Zhong was exposed, leading to both of their downfalls.

In contrast, Steward Liu, who had always maintained good relations with everyone, rose to power, backed by Yan Ling, the true disciple.

This incident proved that in the demonic path, as long as one survives, change is inevitable, because your enemies might unwittingly cause their own demise.

Waiting itself was an opportunity.

The first thing Yan Ling would do upon her return was surely to take over the Stone House District. The significant amount of spirit sand provided by this area would help her further expand her forces and provide financial support.

And a second-tier mid-grade alchemist like Tantai Chan, who had many connections within the Foundation Establishment circle, was essentially a grand gift to Yan Ling, the true disciple who was eager for talent.

Under this exchange of benefits, arranging for him to join the slave-catching team was a minor matter. Furthermore, if Yan Ling prevailed in future struggles, Tantai Chan herself would gain significant advantages.

This matter was not only helping Wang Yu but also helping herself.

Who knew, she might even be able to shed her identity as a human slave? Even a tiny glimmer of hope was better than none at all.

As her thoughts raced, Wang Yu's few hints made Tantai Chan realize that whether she was taking a risk was not her choice; she was compelled by Yu Tangtang's order to help Wang Yu succeed.

"You had this all planned out?"

Wang Yu did not answer, merely looking at her.

Another silence followed.

"I agree."

"Then I'll leave it to Senior Tantai. This is my sound transmission jade slip. Once the recommendation is handled, just notify me."

With that, he rose and left. He had stayed in the herb garden long enough; it was time to return.

But then he heard Tantai Chan suddenly speak from behind him.

"You want to use the slave-catching mission to return to the Taihu Spirit Realm? You want to go home? You want to leave the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect?"

"Perhaps."

Wang Yu gave an ambiguous reply. By the time Tantai Chan wanted to ask more, he had already disappeared into the distance.

She could only sigh to herself, unsure what she was sighing about, perhaps herself.

After returning to his residence in the Heavenly Corpse Quarter, Wang Yu resumed his cultivation.

He primarily focused his efforts on the *Flood Dragon Might* cultivation technique. As a first-tier peak body refinement technique, it could support Wang Yu in breaking through to the second tier.

He had just reached the seventh level. If he could complete Foundation Establishment through body refinement first, his vitality would surely be sufficient for him to complete the three-stage transformation.

He had always been concerned about the effects of his missing limb.

It could be said: he succeeded because of it, and worried because of it!

His severed arm presented a significant disadvantage, yet it also spurred him to cultivate the *Corpse Demon Secret Art* to compensate, and it was this very act that granted him strength beyond his cultivation realm.

His extraordinary combat power at Qi Condensation Level Five was largely due to this corpse arm. Later, as he accumulated more perfected spells, his attainments in the path of spells surpassed the benefits of the corpse arm.

Therefore, the assistance provided by this arm was no longer as significant. Once he broke through to Foundation Establishment, it would be best to use a secret art to regrow the arm.

In this regard, body refinement could help him, and with the power of the "Yin Blood Pill" from the *Corpse Demon Secret Art*, there was a certain chance of regenerating it early.

Failing that, seeking a limb-regeneration elixir in Sky Treasure City was also an option.

"The *Corpse Demon Secret Art* has only been in the placement slot for a little over five years, almost six. It will take over ten more years to complete it. For a short-term solution, I can only rely on elixirs."

What a headache!

Studying the four placement slots, Wang Yu felt they were far from enough. According to past patterns, the fifth slot wouldn't appear until he broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

He wondered if there was a limit to the number of placement slots.

***

One month later.

Wang Yu, who was sitting in a large wooden tub absorbing a body refinement secret medicine, suddenly sensed activity from his sound transmission jade slip. He picked it up and saw that it was indeed Tantai Chan.

The matter of his promotion to inner disciple had been handled. Tantai Chan hadn't charged him a single spirit stone, managing the entire process on his behalf.

All he had to do was make a trip to the Ancestor's Hall in the Halls Quarter.

As for the slave-catching mission, that would have to wait.

In the tub, Wang Yu waited until he had fully absorbed the secret medicine before getting up and dressing. Without the aid of the third-tier Flood Dragon's inner core, the medicine's effectiveness would be significantly reduced.

But it didn't matter; Wang Yu was accustomed to planning ahead.

Since he had gone out to seek transactions, he had certainly prepared a batch of improved secret medicines in advance, enough to cultivate him to the level of Nine Dragon Tendons.

An hour later.

Halls Quarter – Ancestor's Hall.

The benefits for inner disciples far exceeded those for outer disciples. The person in charge here was also a Core Formation elder, which was quite rare among the Ten Blood Quarters of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect.

After all, the spiritual energy environment here was only of second-tier high-grade, insufficient to support Core Formation cultivators. Those high-ranking elders either cultivated in the Nine Peaks or were not within the sect.

"Wang Yu, you served as an outer disciple for fifteen... sixteen years, with less than two thousand sect contribution points. You're quite lucky to have Tantai Chan vouch for you."

"Senior, you overstate it," Wang Yu quickly lowered his head. How could he possibly mention that he had only accepted two missions, both of which were for local benefits rather than contribution points?

The Core Formation elder glanced at him, saying nothing more.

"Hand over your old token; you'll use this one from now on."

His Black Blood Token was exchanged for a Purple Blood Token, which was the inner disciple's token. All recorded information was transferred.

Next were the benefits for inner disciples.

A set of standard inner disciple attire: a white inner layer, a deep blue outer robe, adorned with blood-red embroidered patterns resembling the Nine Peaks.

It was also a ranked treasure, a first-tier high-grade spirit robe. Keeping warm in winter, cool in summer, and self-cleaning were basic functions. It could also activate the spiritual runes on the robe.

Infusing it with spiritual energy could create a 360-degree, all-encompassing elliptical spiritual energy shield. It could also activate the Swift Wind spiritual runes within, greatly increasing one's speed.

Combining practicality and aesthetics, this single spirit robe was equivalent to more than half the wealth of a mid-Qi Condensation cultivator. Even Wang Yu hadn't expected the benefits for inner disciples to be so generous.

In addition.

There was also a first-tier high-grade flying magical artifact: the Blue Butterfly Sword. It was similar to the one he had seized earlier in the canyon near Spider Mountain, but of a higher and newer grade.

Its hilt was shaped like a butterfly, purely a flying sword for transportation.

A mid-grade storage pouch, with an internal space roughly the size of a room.

These were the tangible benefits. The rest were improvements in privileges. For instance, he could enter many special sect buildings that required contribution points at an 80% discount.

The Scripture Repository's second floor was open to him. He could also freely read the records of biographical oddities and legends of the cultivation world, as well as books explaining cultivation realms, in the Scripture Explanation Hall.

In special places like the Artifact Forging Hall, Alchemy Hall, and Formation Pavilion, he could jump the queue and have his requests prioritized by adding a small amount of spirit stones.

This "small amount" primarily referred to bidding among inner disciples; whoever offered more would have their request fulfilled first, a privilege outer disciples did not have.

All the above benefits were just the basics; the main point was the change in his status.