Chapter 147: New Second-Level Kung Fu, Foundation Building Steward

The first order of business upon returning to Cold Blood Peak was, naturally, to visit the Stone House District. Unlike other tasks, slave-capturing missions for the spirit slaves of each peak were not handled by the Halls but managed directly by the spirit slave stewards of the respective peaks.

Wang Yu, familiar with the route, arrived at the district. Unlike years ago, when three stewards balanced each other, vying for profits from spirit slaves to appease the True Disciple above them, now only one steward remained: Steward Liu, who had served True Disciple Yan Ling for a long time. He was also Wang Yu's only acquaintance in the Stone House District.

"Steward Liu."

As Steward Liu was nearing ninety and was an old subordinate of Yan Ling, there was a chance he might be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill. Thus, Wang Yu was particularly polite.

Steward Liu rubbed his eyes, surprised, "Brother Wang, you've returned alive?"

"Yes, this trip had some twists. Old Ning and the others perished in the Taihu Spirit Domain. I was lucky; I hid in the Dead Leaf Marsh and wasn't discovered. That delayed me for several years, and I only just returned today."

"How fortunate, how fortunate! It's good that you're safe. It was just a simple slave-capturing mission; I'll issue your reward right away."

Steward Liu openly helped him gain an advantage, which was quite perplexing, but Wang Yu certainly wouldn't refuse free resources.

"By convention, the reward for a slave-capturing mission is 800 contribution points. I'll take the liberty of rounding it up for you to a thousand!"

"Oh, and while you were away these past few years, His Highness Yan Ling established three new slave-capturing teams operating in Chiyuan. Would you like to join one and become a team leader?"

Wang Yu waved his hands dismissively. He certainly would have agreed in the past, but not anymore.

"I, Wang, have already achieved Foundation Establishment. I'm here not only to turn in the mission but also to advance my position at Cold Blood Peak. Is True Disciple Yan Ling available to see me?"

Upon hearing this, Steward Liu was initially shocked. He carefully observed Wang Yu for a few moments, then showed a troubled expression.

"This... His Highness Yan Ling is preparing for battle, it's not suitable to disturb him. How about I take Brother Wang to the Merit Hall of Cold Blood Peak to register? With proof from Cold Blood Peak, you'll be able to claim resources and benefits for Foundation Establishment cultivators at the Various Halls."

"That works well. I appreciate Steward Liu leading the way."

"No trouble at all. Please."

If he couldn't meet him now, he could do so later; there was no immediate rush. In any case, as long as he had the Foundation Establishment token, all associated benefits could be claimed at the Various Halls. While Cold Blood Peak required registration, the Various Halls also needed to register him, meaning both places would retain his information.

Along the way, Steward Liu probed with a question.

"Brother Wang, could you perhaps explain how you achieved Foundation Establishment? I recall you had a Five Spirit Root aptitude... and you're not yet forty."

The question was somewhat intrusive, but it was precisely what Wang Yu had expected. Anyone would be curious about the hidden secret. Achieving Foundation Establishment before forty, and with a Five Spirit Root? Wasn't that worth coveting? After all, even a Dual Spirit Root cultivator typically only reached Foundation Establishment by fifty. How did he manage it? A secret revealed? No, it had always been present.

Wang Yu smiled wryly. He wasn't particularly famous in the sect, but he knew he would cause a stir after today. He had long prepared an explanation, backed by the notorious 'Three Young Masters of Inverse Spirit'.

"Steward Liu, there's no need to probe. There's nothing that can't be said about this matter." He sighed, then continued.

"I, Wang, had low aptitude and was born a spirit slave. To defy fate and change my destiny, I had to frantically burn my lifespan, becoming withered like an old man by sixteen. Fortunately, Senior Brother Su valued me, and I escaped the mire of being a spirit slave. With the help of spirit pills, I regained my youthful appearance. Deeply aware of the difficulty of cultivation, I had no choice but to continue burning my lifespan. Several years ago, I entered the ninth level of Qi Condensation, just a step away from exhausting my lifespan and perishing. But Heaven didn't want to see me die like that, and I encountered a benefactor." As he spoke, Wang Yu displayed the enforcement token he had received from Zhuo Shouqing.

"Senior Brother Zhuo couldn't bear to see me perish, so he bestowed upon me the 'Foundation Seizing Grand Method'. My trip to the Taihu Spirit Domain recently was to find a righteous cultivator and seize their foundation, thereby gaining temporary longevity and, in turn, achieving Foundation Establishment."

Steward Liu listened, completely dumbfounded. Such a thing existed in the world: burning one's life due to poor aptitude, then realizing a waste spirit root couldn't achieve Foundation Establishment, and so using a demonic secret method to seize another's foundation to forcefully enter the realm. Although the future potential was zero, for cultivators like him, who were also at the bottom, it was still enviable! After all, his own path to Foundation Establishment remained uncertain and highly risky.

Wang Yu had carefully considered this narrative. With the endorsement of the Three Young Masters of Inverse Spirit, those with powerful backgrounds wouldn't bother with him. Those without backgrounds would, at most, covet the Foundation Seizing Grand Method. Those who desired such secret methods with severe side effects were mostly Qi Condensation cultivators, unlikely to cause much trouble. Moreover, the Three Young Masters of Inverse Spirit, knowing the true circumstances, would actively help him conceal it. After all, cultivating the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation promised boundless prospects. With existing rapport and investment, increasing that investment was a natural step; there was no need to share it with others. With this backing secured, his future was worry-free!

Today, he could use Steward Liu to spread this narrative, preemptively eliminating potential trouble. If someone decided to take a risk, there was nothing he could do about it. This was an inevitable problem, and it was better to proactively draw it out than to hide in the shadows.

The journey passed without further conversation. After successfully completing the registration, he turned and left Cold Blood Peak, leaving Steward Liu staring blankly behind him.

***

The Name Affairs Hall, located within the Various Halls.

The affairs here were managed by a Foundation Establishment seventh-layer cultivator, whom Wang Yu had never met. Holding the Foundation Establishment token from Cold Blood Peak, he stepped forward and respectfully stated:

"Wang Yu, an inner disciple of Cold Blood Peak, recently achieved Foundation Establishment. I am here to register and claim my Foundation Establishment benefits."

"A newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator from Cold Blood Peak?" the man asked. He wore a hibiscus crown and an ink-green silk-embroidered crane cloak, moving with noble grace. His refined and elegant demeanor made him seem less like someone from the demonic path and more like a cultivated master from the righteous side.

"Yes." Wang Yu lowered his head, maintaining strict etiquette. He knew that anyone serving as the head of a hall in the Various Halls, regardless of their cultivation strength, must hold a highly distinguished status.

"Rise, and wait a moment."

Soon after, the man left for a moment, then emerged from the inner hall, tossing a storage bag to Wang Yu as he spoke.

"Since you are an inner disciple who has advanced, you have two options. One is to retain your disciple status. When the next True Disciple selection occurs, you can take on the True Disciple trial missions and contend for a True Disciple position. The second is to become a deacon. You would receive a high-grade residence in Cold Blood Plaza, choose a position within the Various Halls, and receive an annual salary of five thousand spirit stones."

Wang Yu didn't hesitate. "I choose the second option."

Truth be told, he had indeed considered the True Disciple position. Especially after deciding to remain and develop within the demonic path, the status of a True Disciple could offer him significant advantages. Not choosing it now, however, was a matter of practical considerations. Wei Zhong's fate served as a stark warning. Wang Yu couldn't be certain he wouldn't meet a similar end. Put simply, the risk was too high; even the highest rewards were merely empty promises, ultimately useless.

Secondly, True Disciple selections occurred once every two hundred years. It would take at least another two or three decades for Yan Ling's current selection to conclude, and the next Inner Sect Grand Competition was a century away. Only the top ten would qualify to compete. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should have formed his Core by then and would be eligible for an Elder position. He would also be able to study the core inheritances of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect. Contending for True Disciple status would put him in a dangerous position, making it somewhat not worthwhile. Furthermore, since he used the Foundation Seizing Grand Method as an excuse, if he truly became a True Disciple, people might easily discover flaws during his Foundation Establishment stage. Once he broke through to the Core Formation stage and stepped into the limelight, exposing the matter of the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation would no longer be an issue.

"Since you've made your choice, do you have a preferred position?"

"The Enforcement Hall of the Evil God Plaza. I, Wang, was formerly an enforcement disciple there."

Upon hearing this, the uniquely poised Hall Master showed a flicker of surprise, then said, "You actually know those three wastrels... well, well." After a brief silence, he continued his explanation.

"The storage bag I gave you contains higher-level sect benefits, including a set of first-tier high-grade spirit robes, a high-grade storage bag (fifty cubic meters), and a second-tier cultivation technique exchange token. Since you've chosen the second path, I will also grant you a second-tier enforcement token and corresponding accessories for your status. With this token, you can command the enforcement disciples of a plaza. You may go now."

"Yes." Wang Yu didn't ask further. Having obtained what he desired, there was no need to linger, as his time was quite limited.

Regarding the matter of establishing his own residence outside the sect, not every Foundation Establishment cultivator was qualified; it required an application to the sect. This responsibility would likely fall upon the Three Young Masters of Inverse Spirit, and he would need to visit them once his current affairs were settled.

Now, it was time to go to the Scripture Depository for the second-tier cultivation technique of the Cold Blood Art. Even though he had already developed the *Cold Blood Spirit Ascension Art* through placement, the sect did possess its own legitimate advancement technique. Furthermore, unlike the direction of his own derivation, the accompanying spells, secret arts, magical artifacts, and pill recipes provided within were all obtainable and of extraordinary value.

The path to the Scripture Depository was even more familiar. He arrived in no time and handed over his token. A heritage jade slip was then placed into his hand. Upon examining it with his divine sense, he found:

The top-grade Foundation Establishment cultivation technique, *Heavenly Cold Yin Blood Art*, could be cultivated smoothly to the Core Formation realm. However, all sections related to aptitude enhancement were gone, replaced entirely by effects that strengthened ice attributes.

It included second-tier pill recipes: the Ice Spirit Pill (for cultivation) and the Cold Moon Pill (required for cultivating escape techniques).

It also contained second-tier magical artifact crafting methods: the Heavenly Cold Spear, Yin Blood Sword, and Snow Concealing Ice Needles (the final grade determined by materials and the artificer's skill).

Second-tier low-grade spells included: Freezing Rain Art and Ice Sword Qi.

Second-tier mid-grade spells included: Moon Chasing Spear and Nine Yin Blood Swords.

Second-tier high-grade spells included: Frost Moon Wings (an escape technique), Ice Wheel Art, and Extreme Ice Chaotic Kill.

Foundation Establishment secret arts included: Ice Coffin Seal, Cold Absorption Art, and Breathless Curse.

These were all the methods recorded in the heritage jade slip. Wang Yu couldn't possibly learn them all due to time constraints, but there were still many excellent techniques among them. It was indeed a complete second-tier inheritance.

Both pill recipes were excellent. As for the magical artifacts, he wasn't interested in any of them; they were far inferior to the spells. The Freezing Rain Art, which could alter the environment to his immense advantage, was a must-learn! Frost Moon Wings, likely an escape technique cultivated in conjunction with the Cold Moon Pill, was also a must-learn. His standards were always high; he intended to learn all three high-grade spells and all three secret arts. Among the secret arts, the Cold Absorption Art, a secret method that aided cultivation in environments rich in ice spiritual energy, was the most valuable. The Breathless Curse, as its name implied, was for concealing one's aura. With the Night Stealth Curse now unavailable, he would use it in combination with the Invisibility Curse going forward. As for the Ice Coffin Seal, it needed no further elaboration.