Chapter 116: Killing the Pig

Wang Yu had wanted to kill him many times. That person was a complete drag, holding him back like a dead weight. And after gaining influence, he even tried to steal his credit. Wang Yu himself had paid with an arm to qualify for promotion to outer disciple.

And Duan Ping? He did nothing, even causing trouble for Wang Yu on several occasions, yet he reaped the greatest rewards. Su Yulong granted him three thousand contribution points—Wang Yu had investigated this and was well aware of the details. He truly deserved to die.

On the way out of the sect, Wang Yu kept a close eye on Duan Ping. He intentionally startled him a few times, and after secretly leaving a spiritual mark, he stopped maliciously teasing him.

Interestingly, this was his first time leaving the sect without a suitable flying magical artifact for transportation. He had used the bone boat during the trip to Mystic Bone Mountain and the land vessel for the Spider Mountain expedition. They were all valuable treasures. This time, however, on his journey to the most distant Taihu Spirit Domain, he had none. Based on his previous experience, there would be multiple stopover points along the way, and the arrival would take at least three months. Last time, he was returning, accompanied by a convoy of prison carts filled with spirit slaves. This time, traveling light, the journey should be much faster.

Once they left the sect, Wang Yu initiated a conversation with Old Man Ning. Perhaps worried that Wang Yu harbored resentment, Old Man Ning spoke first before Wang Yu could even open his mouth.

"It's been a long time, Fellow Daoist Wang. You've already been promoted to an inner disciple. The matter of abducting you back then was never my intention. I offer you my apologies. If you still harbor any resentment, when we return, feel free to slap me a few times or even stab me. It would be fine, as long as it helps you vent your anger and leaves this old man with his pathetic life."

His words made it difficult to pursue the matter further. Yet, he couldn't simply let it go. As Wang Yu's thoughts churned, killing intent secretly simmered within him, though his expression softened considerably, as if genuinely touched by Old Man Ning's sincerity. Still, Old Man Ning's words seemed to hint at a hidden reason, so Wang Yu pressed him for details.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, what do you mean by that? What do you mean it wasn't your intention?"

"Alas..." Old Man Ning sighed. "When traveling, especially in a place like the Taihu Spirit Domain, it's best to avoid conflict if possible. Staying in peak condition at all times is the best strategy for survival. Back then, on the day of your spiritual root testing, I made a deal with the Stone Lake City Lord. He was to capture promising individuals with four or five spiritual roots from that testing and sell them to me at a low price."

So that was the true story. Wang Yu was momentarily stunned. He had never imagined that the Stone Lake City Lord was the one who had sold him. His Wang family offered a considerable amount of gold, silver, and treasures as tribute annually, even aged spirit herbs. From his current perspective, these were actually low-grade spiritual medicines that had been graded, each worth at least seven or eight spirit stones.

"So that's how it is..." Wang Yu's expression turned cold, simmering with unexpressed anger.

Seeing his changed expression, Old Man Ning quickly said, "Back then, he asked me to bring him a Blood Reversal Pill for his next transaction to attempt a breakthrough, but he failed. Now he's retired in Stone Lake City, and his cultivation has fallen to the fifth layer of Qi Condensation. He doesn't have many years left to live. If Fellow Daoist wishes for revenge, I can lead the way for you."

"Very well, then I shall trouble Fellow Daoist Ning."

"It's merely a small effort."

After their conversation, Wang Yu observed Old Man Ning from a distance. This man was definitely not simple; he had no discernible background, yet he served in a slave-capturing squad and had survived to such an age within the demonic path. He was certainly not as timid as he presented himself.

A month later, the team left Blood Abyss Province, thoroughly departing from the territory of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. The path ahead grew dangerous, and the time had come for Wang Yu to settle his scores.

"Duan Ping!"

The chubby figure trembled and, without a word, plunged headfirst downwards into the deep, dense forest below. Of course, Wang Yu wouldn't let him escape. After activating the Swiftwind spiritual pattern on his Dharma robe, the speed of his Blue Butterfly Sword beneath his feet surged, and he caught up in mere moments.

A sudden change occurred. The team halted in unison; some members looked at Old Man Ning.

"Boss, this..."

"Don't worry about it. Wang Yu is backed by True Inheritor Yan; we cannot afford to offend him. Just wait for him to return."

"Understood." After years of management and leadership, this slave-capturing squad, composed of over a dozen late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators, was clearly Old Man Ning's personal domain, where his word was law. If Wang Yu were truly intent on killing him, these people would pose a threat.

Meanwhile.

Duan Ping leaped from mid-air, and just as he reached the tree canopy, he saw dozens of ice swords shooting towards him. He swiftly retrieved a bowl-shaped Dharma artifact. The artifact flew above his head, and the emanating bronze light formed a spiritual energy shield that blocked all the ice swords.

"A peak-grade first-tier Dharma artifact?" Wang Yu narrowed his eyes. In the cultivation world, peak-grade artifacts, regardless of their tier, were exceedingly rare, a fact directly tied to their refining conditions. "Peak-grade" meant that the materials' effects had been utilized to perfection. Only an artifact-refining grandmaster, possessing unparalleled mastery in that field, could refine them. Similar to alchemy, Wang Yu could consistently produce peak-grade pills because his skill and comprehension of the pill formulas had reached perfection. This was, in fact, an extremely difficult condition to meet. Pharmacology was intricate, exceptionally obscure, and interwoven with numerous Yin-Yang and Five Element theories, making it incredibly complex.

As far as he knew, the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect had no artifact-refining grandmasters, so he wondered where this fatty had obtained it. Now, it was his!

Whoosh—

Duan Ping had just managed to block the volley of ice swords when he suddenly found a long whip, resembling a golden leaf-blade, wrapped around him, its other end firmly in Wang Yu's hand. His expression instantly turned grim.

"Don't go too far! I, Duan, also have my own means!"

"Oh?" Without another word, Wang Yu gave a gentle flick. The fat Duan arced through the air and swung back, flailing in panic. Wang Yu's left arm swelled several times its normal size, and unparalleled divine power erupted. Even the peak-grade artifact's defense could only hold for three breaths before it suddenly shattered between the two of them. The bronze bowl instantly dimmed. He then used his spiritual sense to retrieve it from afar and directly placed it into his storage bag.

"You... you... no, let me go! I'm from the Duan clan of Xiangshan! I have spirit stones, I have resources, I can give them all to you! Wang Yu—"

"Foolish. If I kill you, they'll all be mine anyway."

The next moment, the fat Duan's head exploded like a watermelon. A splash of blood splattered towards him, but he made no move to block it with spiritual energy, letting it stain his cheek. The warm blood reminded him of events from more than ten years ago. So satisfying, utterly satisfying! The pent-up frustration in his heart was released in an instant, leaving him utterly exhilarated.

It was a pity that this fat Duan had failed his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, making him easy to kill. After all, he had suffered a backlash from his failed attempt and was no longer at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation cultivation. Of course, had Su Yulong won, Duan Ping might have also obtained a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, and then the situation would have been much harder to predict.

After collecting the corpse, Wang Yu also briefly examined the storage bag. It was quite meager. He estimated that most of it had been spent on cultivating connections. Excluding the peak-grade artifact, the contents were worth at most a thousand spirit stones. Fortunately, he had acquired a peak-grade artifact.

Shortly after, Old Man Ning came over with the team, smiling.

"Is it handled?"

"Just a small personal grudge. My apologies for the delay. Let's continue on our journey."

"Very well. We'll reach Black Mountain Pass in a few days."