Chapter 155: Four Months of Various Inheritances Introduction

After his conversation with Tantai Chan, Wang Yu fully settled into his role at the Law Enforcement Hall in Evil God Market. The Three Rebellious Youths now moved around in a group, often bringing enchanting women and courtesans back to the hall for enjoyment.

He completely ignored them. The four of them rarely spoke to each other, and their schedules were entirely staggered.

This wasn't because their relationship had become distant. It was an act, a performance for others, designed to portray Wang Yu as a lucky upstart, someone they were simply grooming to handle odd jobs. After all, outside rumors claimed he had achieved Foundation Establishment through the Great Foundation Seizing Technique, limiting his potential and making him perfectly suited for such mundane tasks.

Thus, during the day, he led the enforcement team in patrols throughout Evil God Market, acting as arrogantly and domineeringly as Zhuo Shouqing used to. He would visit every shop in the market once a month, looking for trouble. He wouldn't leave until every law enforcement officer was fully 'fed' – a fixed amount at a fixed time. If he encountered anyone who spoke disrespectfully, he would immediately arrest them and throw them into the Law Enforcement Hall's prison, from which they would never emerge—or, more accurately, they would be devoured shortly after entering.

In just four months, Evil God Market was completely transformed under his governance, its very spirit and atmosphere renewed.

Previously, Zhuo Shouqing rarely led people to extort protection fees in this manner, primarily because it was time-consuming. They also couldn't take too much from each business, or else shops would simply relocate to other markets. Moreover, Zhuo Shouqing had to cultivate and seek pleasure at the Qingji Tower; his time was already limited.

Wang Yu, however, forwent sleep. In the mornings, he would stroll through the streets with his team, seemingly lacking the motivation to cultivate due to his 'Foundation Seizing' background. He appeared to be merely patrolling and protecting the shops that had paid their spirit stones, amusing himself. In reality, his mind was constantly immersed in comprehending Foundation Establishment-level spells.

Specifically, he focused on the Freezing Rain spell. Although it was a low-grade spell, it could alter the natural environment, creating battle conditions highly favorable to him, so mastering it was essential. He was also studying the complementary second-tier high-grade spells and secret arts associated with his cultivation methods, such as Ice Wheel Art, Frigid Sword Aura, and Ice Coffin Seal.

Afternoons were dedicated to his main cultivation, as his 'Placement Slots' were diligently working, and he couldn't afford to slack off either. Evenings were even busier. He used the power of the heavens and the Heavenly Enlightenment Cushion to aid his cultivation of the Ancient Soul Manual. After midnight, he would practice soul- and sound-based spells like Soul-Shattering Finger, Heavenly Soul Qi, Ghost Crow Soul Devourer, Mind-Controlling Demonic Sound, and Lamenting Heart-Rending Blade. He was fully utilizing all twenty-four hours of the day.

In the first half of the night, he would occasionally practice musical instruments, effortlessly playing the flute, xiao, guzheng, and guqin. With his 'Placement Slots,' such pure knowledge was easily mastered in just a few days. After ten to fifteen days, he could reach the pinnacle of human artistry, quickly achieving unique ingenuity and extreme technical skill. However, his emotional expression through music was rather unremarkable.

Nevertheless, his music produced rare and beautiful melodies. Initially, Zhuo Shouqing and the others found it quite pleasant, even enjoying the accompaniment of his music during their intimate moments, which seemed to invigorate them. But after listening for a long time, they grew somewhat tired of it and had to activate sound-proofing enchantments.

However, once Wang Yu's skills matured, he began to incorporate the Ghost Crow Soul Devourer into his melodies. The sound was… akin to a wailing funeral, with the cacophonous and unpleasant shrieks of shadow crows formed from true essence! It also carried a terrifying soul-shaking and spirit-destroying effect. Before midnight, the demonic sounds would pierce their ears, even rendering sound-proofing enchantments useless, causing them to harbor deep resentment towards Wang Yu for a long time. Sometimes, even the managers of Qingji Tower misunderstood, which led to significant complications. Eventually, even Zuo Qiuming regretted letting Wang Yu reside in the Law Enforcement Hall.

These days continued for a full four months. After he had gradually mastered these spells, he would select one or two important ones to focus on, such as the secret art 'Breathless Charm.' Wang Yu urgently needed it to replace the effect of the Night Concealment Charm. Without a stealth spell, he felt as exposed as if he were naked, uncomfortable everywhere.

By the end of Wang Yu's sixth month as an enforcer...

Inside his residence, Wang Yu, who was seated on the Heavenly Enlightenment Cushion, opened his eyes with a hint of joy. He muttered to himself, "It truly lives up to its reputation as a treasure that boosts comprehension by thirty percent. In just four months, I've managed to grasp the basics of most of these numerous cultivation methods." Although his understanding was still superficial, barely enough to cast the spells, making them difficult to apply in critical, high-stakes combat situations, it nonetheless meant he had a foundational grasp of them. If he could maintain this momentum, he could achieve his objectives within five years, even without the aid of his 'Placement Slots'!

After completing a cultivation cycle, Wang Yu stepped out, climbed onto the rooftop, and gazed towards the Lunar Star.

Ever since he began cultivating the second stage of the Lunar Shadow Eye, the amount of lunar essence he absorbed each night had surged. Furthermore, with the Ancient Soul Manual—a cultivation method specifically designed to strengthen the soul and expand divine sense—the lunar essence transformed from a passive purification agent into something he could actively absorb and utilize, indirectly reducing the difficulty of cultivating this technique. His divine sense had more than doubled since his breakthrough, and he could now exert the second stage's Moon Illusion Realm, indicating an all-around improvement in his strength. His true essence accumulation also officially reached the milestone of thirty drops. Everything was now on track.

He mused, "The next phase should involve addressing the alchemy issue."

Since acquiring a talent comparable to dual spirit roots, he could perfectly refine even non-premium elixirs, significantly lowering his demands on elixir quality. However, it was still better to consume higher-quality elixirs when possible, as each type had its consumption limit. According to the elixir recipe, one high-grade Ice Spirit Elixir could increase true essence for ice-attribute cultivation by 10 drops, while a top-grade one yielded 30 drops, with a refinement time of two years. The consumption limit remained around 12 pills. The sooner he produced them, the sooner he could benefit and accelerate his cultivation progress.

However, the materials were expensive. If he were to exchange them using his thousand-plus contribution points, he wouldn't even be able to acquire enough for a single batch. He could only acquire them through other channels, buying them at high prices with spirit stones, which would be very costly. The best method, of course, was to fully upgrade the Frigid Serpent Alchemy to the second tier.

At this thought, Wang Yu raised his hand, conjuring a sheet of ice-blue flame—his Frigid Flame. Its color had deepened significantly, the grayish-white nearly gone, replaced by a magnificent ice-blue. The Frigid Flame had automatically advanced to the second tier with his breakthrough. Its next evolution would require the aid of a third-tier ice-attribute demon core.

However, his alchemy was stuck.Placement Slot 3: Frigid Serpent Alchemy (Deducing)'Frigid Serpent Alchemy (0/100): 32 refinements per day, achievable in 15 years.'

Originally, it would have taken him thirty years to fully upgrade this art to the second tier during his Qi Condensation period. Now, it only required half that time, a fundamental change brought about by his elevated cultivation realm. The time required was a bit too long, and he hadn't managed to acquire a third-tier corpse arm last time. Otherwise, he could have 'inconvenienced' the Corpse Demon Secret Art and prioritized alchemy. Since he hadn't found anything suitable to be a trump card, the sooner his arm recovered, the better. Maintaining this state for too long wasn't good for his physical or mental well-being, as it could potentially lead to psychological issues, though the likelihood was low.

"I can only wait..." Wang Yu was resigned, having no better solution. However, just when he felt utterly helpless about a matter, a friend's timely assistance brought an unexpected surprise.

That day, the sun shone brightly, and a warm breeze, characteristic of late spring and early summer, made one feel entirely comfortable. Wang Yu, uncharacteristically, yawned as sleepiness crept in.

"My Lord, Lord Wang… someone named Situ wishes to see you."

"Hmm?" Wang Yu immediately snapped awake, surprised. "Show him in."

The visitor was Situ Hong.

Apart from their encounter six months prior, the two had no further contact, yet today Situ Hong delivered a pleasant surprise that could resolve Wang Yu's current predicament.

"Brother Wang, how have you been?" Situ Hong looked around, exclaiming repeatedly, "This Law Enforcement Hall is truly grand. Even the living quarters are so luxurious, comparable to my master’s modest cave dwelling."

Indeed, this place was custom-built by the Three Rebellious Youths for their exclusive enjoyment. The scenery and layout were exceptionally well done, even inspiring someone like Wang Yu to occasionally play music.

"Never mind that, please have a seat," Wang Yu said.

"No, no, Brother," Situ Hong replied, "I came specifically to deliver something to you."

"Oh?" With a curious glance from Wang Yu, Situ Hong, his expression serious, carefully took an jade bottle from his robes and placed it on the table.

"Eight or nine years ago, when you were at Spider Mountain, Brother, you asked me to find a certain treasure. I've found it."

Wang Yu's eyes lit up. "Yin Marrow Liquid?!"

"That's right!"

"Excellent," Wang Yu said, picking up the item and inhaling deeply. There was no doubt; this was indeed the supreme treasure for cultivating the Profound Yin Hand. Years ago, he had used this very item to master the second-tier high-grade Profound Yin Hand technique while still in the mid-Qi Condensation stage, demonstrating its immense aid in cultivating the skill.

Yin Marrow Liquid forms gradually over countless years from the soul fragments of numerous deceased Yin spirits accumulating deep underground, requiring an 'Extremely Yin Location' geological formation. Five Yin Peak, specializing in the Ghost Dao, nurtured tens of thousands of Yin spirits. Using feng shui and mystical arts, they had set up many such Extremely Yin Locations specifically for raising ghosts, so this treasure should have had some yield. That's why Wang Yu had entrusted Situ Hong with its purchase back then.

However, nearly a decade had passed without any news. Yet now, it was delivered to his doorstep.

Wang Yu smiled, understanding in his heart that the few top-grade Netherheart Elixirs he had given Situ Hong during their last meeting must have had an effect. Otherwise, Situ Hong might not have bothered to help him. In social interactions, one must give to receive; without exchanging gifts, how could relationships deepen?

Previously, he had owed Situ Hong favors, relying on him for many things. But now, their differing cultivation realms meant that Situ Hong would be the one seeking his help, most likely regarding top-grade elixirs. Logically, Wang Yu still owed Situ Hong a favor. If Situ Hong had come empty-handed and simply asked, Wang Yu would have given it, but their friendship would have dissolved. Given Situ Hong's cultivation, acquiring 'Yin Marrow Liquid' would have been somewhat difficult for him and likely required a significant outlay, so Wang Yu could agree to a reciprocal exchange.

Having made his decision, Wang Yu put away the item without ceremony and then took out some of the top-grade Cold Blood Elixirs he had refined earlier. He had consumed and refined many of these, so he still had a small reserve. As a fellow Yin-attribute cultivator, the Cold Blood Elixirs would also be effective for Situ Hong.

Before Wang Yu could explain, Situ Hong picked up the elixir bottle with a look of pleasant surprise. Although there were only three pills inside, it was enough for him.

"Brother Wang truly understands people's hearts."