Chapter 122: Tianxu Sword Sect

After thoroughly checking Old Man Ning's storage bag once more and finding nothing else, Wang Yu began to examine the spoils of war.

The combined possessions of the seven late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators yielded fewer spirit stones than Old Man Ning's personal savings, only about 18,000. However, they had a vast array of magical artifacts, elixirs for various situations, and talismans, numbering over a hundred in total.

The total value of these physical items reached 20,000 spirit stones.

While seemingly wealthy, it was actually quite ordinary.

After all, these were seven elite late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators. Logically, they should have been accumulating resources to break through to Foundation Establishment, but being in the Taihu Spirit Realm was simply too dangerous.

It was likely that most of their personal wealth was hidden somewhere within their sects, and they only carried at most a third of it with them.

In addition, there were several spell manuals they had acquired during their missions. Many were duplicates, suggesting they had been shared.

There were roughly five types of spells, but only some were useful to him.

These included "Thousand-Mile Divine Movement," "Levitation Spell," "Breath Concealment Art," "Turtle Breath Secret Method," and "Five Elements Cultivation Path: Qi Cultivation."

The high-grade spell "Thousand-Mile Divine Movement" was an excellent method for traveling, perfectly compensating for his shortcomings in long-distance travel.

Generally, cultivators could only learn evasion techniques, true aerial combat arts that would accompany them throughout their lives, after breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

As for the others, only the Turtle Breath Secret Method might prove useful at times. Levitation and Breath Concealment Arts were of little use to him. The Five Elements Cultivation Path, on the other hand, contained minor spells related to the five elements.

These were all low-grade, first-tier minor spells that offered almost no increase in strength but could greatly convenience his daily life.

This was a compendium of low-grade spells. If broken down and learned individually, each spell would take fifteen days to master. It was impossible to learn the entire compendium simultaneously.

Wang Yu planned to choose a few practical ones to learn.

As he possessed a Five Elements spiritual root, he was quite versatile. Cultivating and using Five Elements spells would proceed at a normal pace, neither benefiting from a spiritual root enhancement nor facing increased difficulty due to differing attributes.

It was just a standard performance.

Sometimes, he would wonder if a Five Elements spiritual root of the Heavenly Spiritual Root tier might result in a natural Five Elements spiritual body. Unfortunately, his own spiritual root was too short, even shorter than a low-grade spiritual root.

"That's about it," he mused.

Gathering his thoughts, Wang Yu redeployed the Eight Directions Bewildering God Formation near Stone Lake. He hadn't forgotten that six members of their group had headed north and vanished shortly after entering the Taihu Spirit Realm.

Perhaps they would return, perhaps not, but it was wise to be prepared. Better safe than sorry.

He would then lie low and cultivate quietly at Stone Lake, awaiting the day Wang Wu returned. He had made all the necessary arrangements at the Wang Manor, ensuring he would know immediately if the two first-tier Qi Cultivation cultivators made contact with Wang Wu.

Rummaging through the numerous storage bags, Wang Yu found a few bottles containing a spiritual elixir called Water Repelling Pill. Its effect was simple.

It granted the ability to breathe underwater, with the effects lasting for ten days if the user remained still.

He then used his alchemy incantations and spiritual seals to verify it, consuming one only after confirming it wasn't poisonous. He then sank directly to the bottom of the lake and remained motionless.

Little did he know, he would wait for three months.

***

Stone Lake City, City Lord's Manor.

Since the incident three months ago, when late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators clashed within the city, the entire City Lord's Manor had been under strict lockdown, reaching a state of extreme tension. Cultivators skilled in reconnaissance were also covertly stationed at the four city gates, attempting to find the troublemakers.

The new City Lord, named Yuan, was not old, having just passed his sixtieth birthday. He hailed from the same lineage as the former City Lord and was somewhat well-known within the Lingjiu Sect.

He had recently reached the sixth level of Qi Cultivation. While this cultivation level might seem low, it was actually quite good, especially considering the Lingjiu Sect was a minor sect whose highest cultivators only reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.

With some effort, he might have a chance to break through to Foundation Establishment around the age of one hundred.

To achieve this goal, he needed a large supply of resources.

The small Stone Lake City was utterly insufficient. The resources generated by its spirit veins were nowhere near enough for him to make rapid breakthroughs. Therefore, it was clear that he would turn his attention to "people."

Thus, a secret cross-domain transaction officially commenced. Selling low-aptitude cultivators was only one aspect; the greater profits lay in a deeper scheme.

He was working for the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, specifically for an elder from Cold Blood Peak. There might also be other demonic sects involved, which had dragged the entire Lingjiu Sect into the affair.

Shortly after Old Man Ning concluded his transaction with him, a battle occurred within the city, leaving behind only traces of blood and almost no other clues.

Even the residual spiritual energy in the air had been deliberately dispersed.

Yuan Qu was very worried about being discovered. On the vast land of the Taihu Spirit Realm, there were seven Nascent Soul level orthodoxies: the Green Cloud Sect, Thunderfire Temple, and Moon-Gazing Palace, which were near the Demonic Domain.

The others were Crane Return Valley, Blazing Sun Sect, Heavenly Void Sword Sect, and North Suppressing Pagoda. Among these seven major powers, the Heavenly Void Sword Sect was paramount, serving as the leader of the righteous path. It boasted over twenty Nascent Soul cultivators, a well-ordered lineage, and a continuous emergence of monstrous talents.

It had stood on this land for over ten thousand years, a true ancient orthodoxy!

Yuan Qu's fear stemmed from the disciples of the Sword Sect. Within the Heavenly Void Sword Sect, there was a special institution called the Righteous Qi Academy. Those who could enter were exceptionally outstanding cultivators.

Whether it was their comprehension, aptitude, temperament, or fortune, anyone with extraordinary talent in any aspect could gain entry.

After completing their twenty-year studies, they would become "World Walkers." Their exact number varied, and it was said that the academy had an internal currency system called "Dao Merits."

The Walkers eradicated demons and upheld righteousness throughout the Taihu Spirit Realm, rectifying injustices. Once they accumulated a certain amount of Dao Merits, they could return to the sect, be listed as true disciples, and directly take a Nascent Soul cultivator as their master.

From this perspective, the true disciples of the Heavenly Void Sword Sect held more prestige and were more outstanding than those of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect.

In essence, the Sword Sect's Walkers were like blades of judgment.

They could appear anywhere, and their numbers were constantly increasing.

The incident in Stone Lake City strongly resembled the modus operandi of the Sword Sect's Walkers: once they discovered someone violating the rules of the righteous path, they would execute them without mercy.

Now, with Old Man Ning's fate unknown, Yuan Qu worried that he might have been captured alive. If more information were tortured out of him, Yuan Qu would also be in trouble. However, he still held a sliver of hope.

"What if," he mused, "it was a dog-eat-dog situation among the demonic cultivators?"

"Or perhaps something else entirely happened."

Internal strife was a common occurrence among demonic cultivators, as normal as humans needing to eat and drink daily; it was nothing to be surprised by.

Now that three months had passed without any reaction, the possibility of it being the Sword Sect's Walkers was diminishing. It was time to push the plan forward.

The Lingjiu Sect seemed to share the same opinion.

And so, today, a group of people secretly entered the city.