Chapter 149: Three Bitter Melons Invest in a Cold-Blooded Kid

Outside the hall.

Wang Yu voluntarily left for the residential area in the third district, finding an empty, unoccupied small palace to settle into. He planned to speak with the three men again tomorrow.

Today marked his first day as a deacon, allowing him to start a new career log, signifying the beginning of a new life.

Outside.

Yu Xing spoke with a serious tone.

"We've been friends since childhood, so I'll be direct. This Wang Yu is clearly ambitious. He chose to come to the Law Enforcement Hall of Evil God's Workshop. His purpose is self-evident. What he desires most right now is likely to use our connections to establish a manor and a city in a fertile region. What are your thoughts?"

Zuoqiu Ming crossed his arms, his demeanor becoming much more serious. When discussing profits, he was naturally confident.

"Old Yu, do you think I'm too foolish, or Wang Yu is too clever? He has never concealed his intentions, nor have I hidden my high regard for him. Let me put it this way: since he has mastered the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation, it signifies potential. In my opinion, Wang Yu reaching the peak of Core Formation in the future is not an issue. As for the Nascent Soul stage, that's harder to say; it depends more on personal destiny. My initial investment has already succeeded. You want me to stop now? Don't be absurd."

Zhuo Shouqing nodded in agreement, stroking his intentionally grown "beauty beard," and said:

"Old Ming's point is my point. I've had more contact with Wang Yu and a deeper relationship, so I have a good understanding of what kind of person he is. Interest is the primary factor in binding him, but emotional favor is also key. It's a dual bind of interest and emotion; we're not worried he won't be useful to us in the future."

Yu Xing sighed deeply.

"Have you forgotten the requirements for casting the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation? Wang Yu's spiritual root aptitude has significantly improved, and he has broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage. How many targets can he acquire in just five years?"

Zuoqiu Ming snorted.

"He just consumed his own blood relatives with better talent, so what? If I could do it, I would consume them too!"

As he said this, Zuoqiu Ming's expression was utterly cold.

Being a direct descendant of a prominent family has its pros and cons. For those with exceptional talent, it's a stepping stone on their path to success; for those with inferior talent, it's a whirlpool constantly drawing them closer to death. Although the three of them were direct descendants, their talent was only a three-spirit root, and of the most inferior kind, very close to a four-spirit root aptitude. Were it not for the resources provided by their family, at their age, they would probably still be lingering in the late Qi Condensation stage. Even so, they had failed Foundation Establishment once. The number of clan brothers who coveted their status was countless. If it weren't for the favoritism of their top ancestor, they would have long since died in dark gutters. But the danger wouldn't disappear; it would only become more severe with age. The three of them were in similar situations, except for Yu Xing, who was relatively safe because his exceptionally talented elder sister drew more of the negative attention.

At this point, Yu Xing's expression also grew somewhat dim.

"Back then, among that group of direct descendants with inferior aptitudes, only our three Blood Spring Evil Arts failed. This method can only be attempted once. Are you suggesting we also cultivate the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation?"

Bringing this up, Zhuo Shouqing's face grew even gloomier.

Zuoqiu Ming and Yu Xing's Blood Spring Evil Art failed because they couldn't withstand the impact of the blood essence during the forty-nine days of cocooned rebirth. Ultimately, it was a personal problem: their will wasn't firm enough, and they felt pity for the consumed "expendables" of their generation, which led to imperfect integration. Their innate Blood Spirit Root failed to form.

And what about him? He was secretly harmed by others. Among the materials he gathered, one person's birth information was off by an hour compared to his, causing his cocooned rebirth to fail and leaving him severely injured. He almost died, wasting ten years of his prime cultivation time. Although the true culprit was caught afterward, he was powerless to retaliate, and even his parents told him to bide his time.

Recalling the past, all three wore bitter expressions.

After a long time, Yu Xing was the first to return to the main topic.

"It's no use talking about that now. Let's get back to Wang Yu. This person is not only ambitious but also a ruthless individual who is difficult to rein in. A temporary collaboration is fine, but subjugate him? Don't waste your effort."

Hearing this, Zuoqiu Ming couldn't help but laugh.

"Old Yu, when did I say I wanted to subjugate him?"

"You—"

"I even told him to change his name to Wang Si. Isn't my intention obvious?"

"This—"

Zhuo Shouqing interjected, "That's what I mean too. Our situation isn't good, and in the future, we'll need powerful helpers. We don't want him as a slave or servant; he should at least save our lives."

Zuoqiu Ming nodded repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly. If he can break through to the Nascent Soul stage, that would be ideal. We'd all be able to rest easy. In fact, ever since we came to Evil God's Workshop, Old Zhuo and I have been scouting for people worth cultivating, and Wang Yu isn't the only one. If, in the future, Old Yu, you find yourself without anyone, you can always come and ask your big brothers for help, hahahaha~"

"You... you two!"

Yu Xing felt his scalp tingle. When did these two boneheaded second-generation heirs become so astute? Was he the only clown? He couldn't help but ask:

"You spend every day at the Azure Maiden Tower. How do you find the time to scout for talented individuals lacking resources?"

Zhuo Shouqing raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't understand this. This is all for show, you see. The Azure Maiden Tower receives thousands of guests daily, making it very discreet."

As the saying goes, "The greatest recluses hide in the city." That's the principle. To develop their influence under enemy surveillance, they could only choose to invest in first-generation cultivators who had potential but lacked resources and connections. They decentralized their efforts, having no daily interactions. They only met at the Azure Maiden Tower when the other party had a request. Of course, their standards were also very strict; they not only looked at natural talent but, most importantly, at character and moral integrity.

Wang Yu was a cold-blooded and trustworthy collaborator, difficult to subjugate. So, they would give him the influence and connections he most desired, ensuring he would help them if they encountered trouble in the future. After all, they were his Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother! "So, Fourth Brother, are you going to help us or not?"

And for geniuses with different personalities, their approaches varied. They would try to subjugate those who could be subjugated and even invest in cultivators with other talents. This included training death warriors and nurturing masters of the Four Cultivation Arts in places far from the sect, among other things.

"Only by living purposefully can one find peace throughout life."

"Sigh—"

Yu Xing didn't know how many times he had sighed that day. He looked at his two old friends as if seeing them for the first time, his gaze incredibly complex. He said, feeling dispirited and lost.

"I understand. I will fully cooperate with you."

Zuoqiu Ming suddenly put an arm around Yu Xing and said with a grin.

"Don't mind it. Your sister truly cares for you and can keep you safe. If Old Zhuo and I failed, you wouldn't be implicated if you remained unaware. But now it's different. Since you've heard this much, do you still not want to be involved?"

Zhuo Shouqing gave a sinister smile, feigning a dark tone.

"Then don't blame us for being ruthless."

Yu Xing paused in surprise, then burst into laughter.

"You're forcing my hand. I'm not willing at all."

"Hahahahaha~"

The laughter of the three men echoed long into the quiet night. Who says there's no true camaraderie in the demonic path?!

The next day.

The sky was bright. Having finally slept in, Wang Yu was still a little dazed upon waking, sitting motionless for a while as if his soul had left his body before finally getting up. It was just past noon. Despite resting all night, his cultivation continued to leap forward. Four months had passed since his Foundation Establishment; his internal True Essence had increased by 6 drops from passive accumulation and 1 drop from active cultivation. This made a total of 10 drops. His progress was incredibly fast, and it wouldn't take long to accumulate one hundred drops.

He sent someone to inquire about the three "brothers." However, he found they were still asleep, so he had no choice but to cultivate on his own to avoid wasting time, and also to ponder the various overflowing inheritances he possessed.

And so, that night.

The four sat around the brazier, beginning to discuss investment matters. After just one night, Wang Yu noticed they had become much more serious, communicating with him in a business-like tone. And they laid out the potential returns on the table.

Zuoqiu Ming spoke first: "Fourth Brother, let me make things clear first, so there are no misunderstandings."

Wang Yu nodded, indicating he was open to anything they had to say.

"Well, we discussed some things yesterday and decided to tell you about certain situations."

"I'd be delighted. Please proceed."

"The families behind the three of us all have multiple Nascent Soul ancestors. However, there are degrees of closeness in bloodlines and relationships, and internal family struggles are quite severe. The older and more powerful a family is, the more direct the conflicts become. What appears to be friction among the younger generation is secretly the Nascent Soul ancestors vying for power. If you align with us, our enemies will naturally become hostile towards you. Be mentally prepared for that."

Wang Yu, of course, was aware of this. Everything came at a cost, and the resources and channels the three could provide would save him countless hours of effort and struggle. A little targeting was nothing worth mentioning. After all, sects have rules, and families naturally have rules too. If his guess wasn't wrong, these conflicts were confined to the younger generation. What was there to fear from such opponents? Moreover, he was just a small fry, a "premature baby" of the Foundation Seizing Grand Art. If word got out, it would only bring shame to the three of them and wouldn't attract the attention of any truly formidable figures.

"Before this, we won't discuss the Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation; consider it a reward for your contribution to the Alchemist Society. What we're about to discuss will greatly benefit your future cultivation, and you will need to agree to our conditions."

"Reasonable."

It seemed that after a night of thought, they intended to be direct. Wang Yu appreciated this "resource-showering" approach. He was—the Saint Sect's most trustworthy person!

"First, there's a cultivation treasure land on Cold Blood Peak called the Spirit Spring Cold Pond. A baptism in it can greatly enhance a cultivator's ice-attributed talent and improve spiritual root aptitude. Even if you've mastered the Profound Origin Demonic Embryo, this will still be highly beneficial to you, and it also improves the talent of ice-attributed demonic beasts. I'll grant you a spot, which can be redeemed at any time."

Zhuo Shouqing continued immediately.

"Second, in Feng Province, there's a Profound Heaven Secret Realm. It's said to contain other inheritances related to the Demonic Embryo Secret Incantation and also produces a large number of Core Formation spiritual items. When you break through to the peak of Foundation Establishment, you'll be granted a spot there."

It was Yu Xing's turn.

"Third, and this is what you desire most: we'll give you a highly promising and fertile territory with three hundred years of ownership. Unless a Nascent Soul expert intervenes, no one can challenge it."