Chapter 123: Lingjiu Sect Wang Wu

“Yuan Qu, what’s the situation?”

In the darkness, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage was coldly staring at Lord Yuan, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

“My Lord, it’s likely not a Sword Sect Disciple. However, we still haven’t found the specific perpetrator. Should we contact Black Mountain Pass to confirm the number of people in this batch?”

“Useless!”

The aura of the dark figure suddenly surged, and all its oppressive power bore down on Yuan Qu, forcing him to his knees, trembling uncontrollably.

“Don’t ask about things that don’t concern you.”

“Yes… yes!”

If it weren’t for the matters concerning spirit slaves and eligible young women, which required Yuan Qu’s assistance, he wouldn’t have been privy to this information given his cultivation level.

In fact, he only knew through Old Man Ning that these demonic cultivators came from Black Mountain Pass, and that he was responsible for transporting two batches of “people” each year.

He had no idea where they were going, what they were for, or what their purpose was.

He only knew that the eligible young women involved in the deeper plan brought him a large amount of cultivation resources, and the spirit slave business was purely his private enterprise.

They were using this trade to cover up the deeper plan, concealing their collaborators within the righteous path, such as those stationed at Black Mountain Pass.

Yuan Qu could guess some things, but he dared not speak them.

“Hmph— This year’s transport is already nearly three months late. Be ready to depart tomorrow at midnight, using secret passage number four.”

“Yuan Qu understood.”

After the brief exchange, the Foundation Establishment stage dark figure shimmered and vanished from the City Lord’s manor. No one knew where he had gone.

Yuan Qu, still kneeling, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He felt anxious, having worried for the past three months that a Sword Sect Disciple might be lurking, setting a trap.

After the spirit testing day, he had only marked some names, including suitable female cultivators and ordinary women in the city, but he hadn't yet moved to apprehend them.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Spirit Vulture Sect was in too much of a hurry; they were to be taken away tomorrow at midnight. He either had to act tonight or tomorrow night, as daytime was definitely out of the question due to the risk of being discovered.

As for the spirit slave business, Old Man Ning had disappeared, so the potential spirit slaves he had marked could be captured next year; there was no immediate rush.

Deciding the timing for capturing these eligible young women was critical. After all, he lacked sufficient manpower, most of whom were in the early Qi Condensation stage, and with over five hundred to capture, he would need to pull some strings.

Yuan Qu looked out at the night and thought to himself.

“This problem is too big. Perhaps I can go to Clear Spring Bamboo House and ask for advice from Third Uncle. He's retired there, but he's also there to help me strategize. An elder in the family is like a treasure. I'll go ask him now!”

Evidently, he was still unaware that the old City Lord had met a tragic end at the hands of Wang. It could only be blamed on his usual negligence in maintaining relationships and his failure to truly care for the old City Lord in his retirement.

The old City Lord had been entrenched in Stone Lake City for decades, accumulating connections and influence that couldn't simply be inherited by transferring the City Lord's manor authority.

For instance, the rogue cultivators nearby or the cultivating families were all potential sources of leverage. He hadn't been here long and was poor, so he was far from established.

Meanwhile, at the Wang Manor.

Wang Wu, who hadn't returned for some time, came back to Stone Lake City this time with his master and several fellow disciples in the late Qi Condensation stage, also to harvest resources.

Although the Wang family had only recently entered the cultivation world and had only passed down three generations since its rise, it was still quite powerful among mortals. Furthermore, the nearby mountains, influenced by spirit veins, had a chance to produce low-grade spirit herbs.

The Wang family had built its fortune on medicinal herbs and the art of healing. He could gain many benefits from this, at least enough to supply his cultivation resources for the early Qi Condensation stage.

With dual spiritual roots and training from the Spirit Vulture Sect, along with a Foundation Establishment stage master from the start, Wang Wu's strength improved rapidly.

At just over thirty years old, he had reached the peak of the seventh level of Qi Condensation. In a few months, or at most a year, he would surely achieve a breakthrough.

In the cultivation world, a cultivator with triple spiritual roots, without consuming any pills or utilizing rare treasures, could reach the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation before the age of one hundred, relying solely on a Qi Condensation cultivation method. Dual spiritual roots would allow for even faster progress. With various resources assisting him, if Wang Wu had joined a Nascent Soul sect, with a bit more effort, he might have already reached the ninth level of Qi Condensation by now.

For Wang Yu to catch up to, or even surpass, his speed was truly not easy.

After returning to the Wang Manor by a familiar route, Wang Wu didn't alert many people and went directly to his two nephews' rooms.

“Qiu Yi, Qiu Shi.”

The two eleven or twelve-year-old boys woke with a start. Realizing it was Wang Wu, they quickly rolled out of bed and knelt on one knee, saying, “Greetings, Patriarch.”

After a long moment of silence, Wang Wu finally smiled with satisfaction and helped them to their feet.

Although these two had mediocre aptitudes and he had forcefully accelerated their cultivation into the first level of Qi Condensation using demonic cultivation methods, they would at most advance to the third level in the future.

However, to him, they were the only subordinates he could trust and utilize.

“When there are no outsiders, there's no need to be so formal. Tell me about the spirit items you've collected recently.”

“Yes—”

At the bottom of Stone Lake.

Wang Yu, who had been cultivating in silence for three months, slowly opened his eyes. Silver-white divine light flickered within them, piercing through the void like a crescent moon as he gazed into the distance.

He sensed it—a familiar yet unfamiliar aura that triggered the spiritual imprint he had left on the two Wang family boys.

“Wang Wu!”

The anger that had been accumulating for some time finally erupted. Beneath Wang Yu's calm expression, emotions surged.

To be honest, even after cultivating the demonic path, he still found cannibalism repulsive. It would be more to his liking if he could refine the purest essence of heaven and earth instead.

Moreover, when he arrived, it would still take four more years for the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation to reach full completion. This period was essentially his own probation period.

The outcome, naturally, was self-evident.

He wouldn't kill Wang Wu before the Demonic Embryo Secret Incantation was complete, but he would take control of him in advance, so that once the time was right, he could immediately strip him of his spiritual roots!

During these three months, Machine No. 4 temporarily set aside the Profound Yin Hand to perfect the superior spell, Thousand Mile Divine Stride, adding a means of long-distance rapid movement.

Currently, he was cultivating the Turtle Breath Secret Art. This secret art was relatively simple, only requiring nine months to perfect, even less than some first-tier spells, but it could be applied at critical moments.

At this moment, Wang Yu set off from Stone Lake, activating the Thousand Mile Divine Stride. This spell primarily augmented his legs, feeling like a surging wave of strong wind.

It constantly propelled him forward, not only saving effort but also consuming less spiritual energy. When occasionally fatigued, there was even a comfortable sensation of riding on the wind.

He rested as he ran. His speed surpassed that of the Phantasm Body Steps, and he ran faster and faster.

Combined with the Night Concealment Incantation, Wang Yu took less than half an incense stick's time to enter the city from a corner of the city wall.

Since Wang Wu had returned from the Spirit Vulture Sect, he must have brought attendants. Moreover, Wang Yu hadn't forgotten the disturbance he had caused in the city recently.

Caution was paramount.

After traveling dozens of miles through the night, Wang Yu cautiously returned to the Wang Manor, shrouded in the Night Veil. Like a moving shadow, he gradually heard sounds coming from the room ahead.