Chapter 117: Jinyi Night Walk

Black Mountain Pass.

Wang Yu had a deep impression of this place. That year, while being escorted in a prisoner cart to the Scarlet Kite Demonic Realm, he took one last look back, and the image of this place was branded in his mind, unforgettable for a long time.

Speaking of which, the Taihu Spiritual Domain is prosperous, boasting numerous Spirit Vein cities, beautiful spiritual mountains, and picturesque waters. Its territory is much larger than that of the Scarlet Kite Demonic Realm, with a mortal population numbering in the tens of billions.

In contrast, the Scarlet Kite Demonic Realm has a mortal population of only a bit over a billion at most, evenly distributed among the various Nascent Soul Demonic Sects, making it sparsely populated.

Each time a power declines or changes hands, half the population is lost—either dead, plundered, or even captured and used as breeding tools, their reproduction accelerated with special elixirs.

Over time, even with fertile land, mature agricultural techniques, and cultivators helping to regulate wind and rain, the total population has never managed to grow significantly.

From this, it is clear.

Taihu cultivators are clearly better at managing their domains than demonic cultivators, as seen in the current situation.

"Please keep this."

Old Man Ning stepped forward to negotiate with the cultivators at Black Mountain Pass. He respectfully offered a bag of spirit stones. Seeing that the late Foundation Establishment senior remained silent, he quickly presented a smaller bag as well.

After pocketing the bags, the man nodded to his colleagues at Black Mountain Pass. The formation below was then opened, revealing a safe passage.

"Go in. You only have two months."

"Yes, yes, yes... Let's go, depart."

Wang Yu couldn't help but gaze intently at the man. On his chest was an embroidered pattern: a verdant round bead amidst white clouds.

A member of the Azure Cloud Sect, one of the righteous Nascent Soul forces!

He didn't know the exact toll, but it was certainly not low. Could they even make this money back? Wang Yu was deeply skeptical. Based on his previous experience, bringing in merely a hundred people at once would definitely not be enough.

It might not even cover the toll. There must be other hidden dealings involved, which he was unaware of.

Once they successfully entered the Taihu Spiritual Domain, everyone immediately changed into black robes that could conceal their aura.

These were stealth artifacts equipped by the slave-catching team. Their effect was half as potent as the Night Veil Spell, which meant their value was considerable.

A few days later, five or six people were missing from the team, having headed north. Wang Yu saw this but didn't ask; his objective was different from theirs.

For this trip, Tantai Chan had arranged for him to infiltrate the Taihu Spiritual Domain long-term under the guise of a secret mission.

The slave-catching mission had nothing to do with him.

He wouldn't return before reaching Foundation Establishment. After that, he couldn't use the Black Mountain Pass route and would have to risk traversing the Dried Leaf Marsh or the Black Mountain Demonic Lands himself.

If he were bolder, crossing the Broken Realm Mountain Range directly wouldn't be impossible, though it would be more perilous. He would assess the situation when the time came.

Regarding identity, the difference between demonic cultivators and righteous cultivators, apart from their methods, was not significant in the early stages of cultivation.

It was difficult to distinguish them purely by the nature of their spiritual energy, unless they practiced a very conspicuous evil art.

While they were called demonic cultivators, before they came into contact with demonic energy, they were merely lingering at the periphery, not yet having obtained the true power of demonic cultivation. This stage made it easy to remain hidden.

Therefore, there was no need to worry about being exposed once he revealed his identity as a cultivator.

Only half a month after entering Black Mountain Pass, the group arrived at Stone Lake City. As per custom, the entire team hid at the bottom of the lake outside the city.

Only Old Man Ning and Wang Yu proceeded into the city.

"There are still a few days until the Spirit Aptitude Test. I'll first accompany Fellow Daoist Wang to take care of his old affairs."

"Currently, the Stone Lake City Lord is another young cultivator, also from the Spirit Vulture Sect. The former City Lord lives in a sparsely spiritual area outside the city. Should I take you there first?"

"No need."

Wang Yu shook his head, refusing.

"Fellow Daoist Ning, please go handle your sect's mission first. I want to go home and check on things. The former City Lord's matter is not urgent."

"This... very well."

Watching Wang Yu walk away, Old Man Ning couldn't help but mutter to himself, wondering what he truly intended to do.

As the saying goes: "A dragon does not dwell with snakes; an immortal does not walk with mortals."

Cultivators already belonged to another social stratum in this world. The chasm between them and mortals was like an unbridgeable gorge. In the Demonic Path, severing emotions and desires was even the norm.

Why bother with his mortal family? They were just petty landlords.

Shaking his head, Old Man Ning retreated into the shadows and walked towards the City Lord's manor. He was very busy; he needed to negotiate prices and settle another matter before the Spirit Aptitude Test.

As for Wang Yu, he wasn't planning to directly reveal himself to the Wang family; he preferred to remain incognito. The spiritual pulse in Stone Lake City was only Grade 1 superior, meaning the environmental spiritual energy was sparse and its radiation range was narrow.

It couldn't even support Foundation Establishment cultivators, let alone too many Qi Condensation cultivators, whose number was below a hundred.

His strength in Stone Lake City was essentially at the pinnacle, so he didn't need to worry much about safety.

Additionally, besides visiting his family, his main purpose for this trip focused on Wang Wu. The Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation would be perfected in just over three years. Considering that Wang Wu was the only suitable blood-related individual, it was natural to wait until the incantation was in its perfect state before acting to maximize the benefits.

Choosing this person was not only because he was the only suitable target but also due to past grievances. When it came to taking action, Wang Yu would certainly not hesitate.

He had also made all the necessary preparations.

Stone Lake City, Willow Lane Street, Wang Family Manor.

Having been away for sixteen and a half years, Wang Yu felt a momentary trance upon seeing the familiar gate of the Wang Manor again. He still remembered the night he was born.

He remembered the two jujube trees in the courtyard, the peaceful life of fishing with friends at Stone Lake, the tortoise carvings on the window lattices, and the fruits retrieved from the well.

His father's generation marked the beginning of the Wang family's rise. They used the wealth they accumulated over a lifetime to provide an excellent environment for their children.

Even after transmigrating, he had never truly experienced hardship until the day of the Spirit Aptitude Test.

With more family assets came more disagreements.

Excessive doting led to the emergence of wastrels.

His eldest uncle's branch was a typical example; the brothers fought among themselves fiercely over the pharmacy business, even resorting to physical brawls, which resulted in deaths and injuries among the servants and guards.

His father was the second child. The Wang family also had third, fourth, and fifth sons, and the sixth child was his aunt. All were the Old Master's offspring.

His third and fourth uncles agitated for a family division, while his eldest uncle wanted to take control as the family head. The eldest uncle had two sons, Wang Wen and Wang Wu. Wang Wu had been tested with a dual spirit root and went to the Spirit Vulture Sect, while Wang Wen, having no spiritual aptitude, presumably remained at home.

These were his memories from before he was abducted to the Scarlet Kite Demonic Realm. He wondered what had become of the Wang family now.

If Wang Wu had leveraged the influence of the Spirit Vulture Sect to develop the family's third generation, perhaps they might have become a cultivation family.

After all, he possessed a dual spirit root. If the Spirit Vulture Sect fully supported him, his cultivation might not be inferior to Wang Yu's, but his spell techniques and combat experience would definitely be far below Wang Yu's.

This was a superior-grade spirit root, a talent found in one out of a thousand.

At the small gate of the Wang Manor, the gatekeeper was dozing off inside.

Wang Yu recognized him instantly.

"Old Man Qin... has he aged so much?"