Chapter 173: Endless Vitality Branch

The reception hall.

“Are you really not going, my esteemed brother?”

“No, I'm not going. I have no need for a legacy. The only appealing aspect of Dongji City is its legacy. What treasures from ancient times could possibly still remain in those ruins?”

Wang Yu shook his head like a rattle-drum, making Patriarch Guan, who had been tirelessly trying to persuade him, feel somewhat awkward.

The female cultivator from the Scented Incense Sect, who had been observing from the side, finally spoke. She was not the representative from the North City branch but a guest who had come from the sect's mountain gate outside the city.

She had only heard Wang Yu's name before but was meeting him for the first time. Like Hermit Qingyang, she was a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, holding a high position within the sect.

She was, in essence, second only to one person and above thousands.

“City Lord Wang, you misunderstand. The ruins contain more than just legacies. Dongji City has numerous residences of imperial family members, known as 'Princely Mansions,' and these contain various meticulously preserved treasures.

“Pills, magical artifacts, talismans, formation flags, spirit herbs, spirit materials… everything imaginable! Our Scented Incense Sect once acquired an ancient remnant incense from an incense shop there.”

Wang Yu intended to retort, but swallowed his words before they could leave his mouth.

It had only been sixty or seventy thousand years, and Spirit Transformation cultivators lived for over three thousand years. As long as the lineage was maintained and successors were in place, passing down for more than twenty generations should not have been an issue.

Thinking this way, it made perfect sense that some means of preservation could have existed.

“No, I’m not going. I don’t like things of unknown origin. Please feel free to do as you wish, honored guests. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

“Wait.”

This time, several people spoke up simultaneously to stop him. They exchanged glances, then turned back to Wang Yu: “City Lord, if you are not going, could you perhaps share the information regarding the past generations of Guiling City’s…”

“Five thousand!”

Wang Yu’s eyes lit up.

“Five thousand spirit stones per person for the seven of you, and you can review all the intelligence known to the City Lord’s mansion.”

The Guan and Jiang families, the Scented Incense Sect, and Purple Dragon Mountain made up four of the factions.

Additionally, there were Cloud Dream Pavilion, the Tiger Demon Gang (new), and Zijin Commerce, three Foundation Establishment forces from the North City District.

Zijin Commerce was a local business in Guiling City, far smaller in scale than Golden Full Pavilion; the two were incomparable.

However, it was more easily influenced and controlled by the City Lord’s mansion. Wang Yu had intentionally kept it within this alliance of interests to help him sell illicit goods and establish a connection with the Yanluo Ghost Market.

He couldn't possibly go to such a distant and dangerous place himself; he could only send others to see if any resources he needed were available.

As for the Tiger Demon Gang, it was a new Foundation Establishment force established on the remains of the Azure Dragon Gang and numerous smaller gangs, and Wang Yu had a hand in its formation.

In short,

his control over Guiling City was deepening.

The price of five thousand spirit stones for the intelligence was not expensive, and everyone could afford it. Given Wang Yu’s resolute attitude, no one wanted to press the issue, so they all agreed.

After they each paid, Wang Yu had someone lead them to the archives.

After they left,

Hermit Qingyang, who had been hidden in the shadows, emerged. He had observed the entire exchange and said, “City Lord, I’ll also pay five thousand spirit stones.”

“No need, no need. We’re exchanging intelligence.”

Wang Yu, beaming, put an arm around Hermit Qingyang and pressed him into a chair. “Brother Daoist, you’re being too polite saying such things. Of course, the intelligence from the City Lord’s mansion is indeed a bit more valuable than that of your Inkstone Sect.”

“Indeed.”

Regarding this point, Hermit Qingyang did not deny it.

Throughout generations, members of the Inkstone Sect had died in the ruins, exploring to find a relatively safe route. In contrast, the intelligence from the Guiling City Lord’s mansion was so comprehensive it was as if they had mapped out the entire Dongji City.

It not only marked the location of the imperial city but also the 108 districts, and recorded the palaces, princely mansions, and imperial city gates within the capital. A small portion was based on actual visits, while the majority was speculative.

Given the origins of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect, their understanding of the ancient Immortal Dynasty naturally far surpassed that of others. Their judgments and conjectures were well-reasoned, making the information highly credible.

The things he sought were, first, the Artisan Institute and the legacy of the Imperial Painters; second, the remains of the Inkstone Sect’s founder; and third, a suitable Core Formation spiritual item.

With this intelligence, he felt that the royal treasury mentioned within it very likely contained what he needed. It was far better than blindly stumbling around like a headless fly; at least now he had a goal.

He naturally had to remember this favor.

Wang Yu then stated his true purpose.

“The relationship between you and me is not comparable to that with those outsiders. It’s merely an exchange of information. What I can do, Brother Daoist, you can certainly do as well.”

“…Indeed.”

Hermit Qingyang felt a bit hesitant. They had only known each other for a few days; it seemed too soon for such an intimate talk.

“Very well then, I shall await Brother Daoist Qingyang’s return from the ruins. At that time, we can have a good talk about the situation inside and the stories of your experiences, and we won’t stop until we’re drunk.”

So that was his intention. Hermit Qingyang’s tense body finally relaxed.

“———No problem at all.”

What an honest person. How rare, truly rare!

Guiling City, Golden Full Pavilion.

Half a month after seeing off Hermit Qingyang and the others, Wang Yu finally received news from Golden Full Pavilion and came over almost immediately.

Over the past decade, his wealth had skyrocketed to three or four million spirit stones, but he had also spent a considerable amount. Third-tier spirit materials were one major expense, and another was Core Formation spiritual items.

Core Formation spiritual items were rare treasures, difficult to come by. Most originated from various secret realms, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was denser, making them more suitable for such rare treasures to grow, and there were few external threats.

Once they sprouted, nearly eighty percent of them would grow to maturity.

Of course, this wasn't to say that the spiritual energy outside was inferior to that within the secret realms; rather, it was a matter of scope. Secret realms had limited space, leading to a high concentration of spiritual energy, which made them appear more infused with vitality than the outside world. In reality, this was due to spatial constraints.

After the execution of the Bai family years ago, Wang Yu had begun searching for Core Formation spiritual items at the Golden Full Pavilion in Guiling.

Although he had a contract with the Three Young Masters of Inverse Spirit, which would grant him a quota to enter the Profound Heaven Secret Realm after reaching peak Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation spiritual items were produced there,

why take the risk?

If he could buy it with spirit stones, why risk engaging in combat with others to seize it?

However, even Golden Full Pavilion didn't constantly stock a batch of Core Formation spiritual items for buyers. Such rare treasures, once acquired, would be put up for auction and sold at a high price.

After Wang Yu had conducted numerous transactions for third-tier spirit materials with the steward, their relationship had stabilized. Only then did the steward agree to help him procure one, with a starting price of a million spirit stones, and no guarantee of compatibility.

Whether it was compatible or not was irrelevant to Wang Yu, as he was still far from reaching Core Formation.

The reason he insisted on acquiring it was for exchange.

The higher a cultivator's realm, the greater their demand for various rare and exotic treasures. Sometimes, a valuable item obtained after much hardship might prove useless to them.

Selling it for spirit stones often felt like a loss.

At such times, various treasure exchange gatherings emerged. These were usually hosted by venerable old cultivators and held within their respective small circles.

This allowed them to exchange for treasures they urgently needed from others.

A win-win situation.

This method had also originated from the Taihu Spirit Domain. In recent years, the number of extreme demonic cultivators had been decreasing, as they discovered that profiting from slaughter was inefficient and unsustainable in the long run.

Naturally, they became wiser, and various treasure exchange gatherings flourished, forming distinct social circles.

In the future, if the opportunity arose, Wang Yu could use one Core Formation spiritual item to exchange for another, a win-win situation. Why not seize such an opportunity?

This was also a way for him to utilize his excessive spirit stones.

In the heart of the Central City District, not far from the City Lord’s mansion, stood the renowned Golden Full Pavilion. This commercial guild's influence extended beyond the Scarlet Kite Demonic Domain; it was a giant even in the Taihu region!

Wang Yu rushed over, and the master of the Guiling branch personally received him.

“Brother Wang, shall we go inside to talk?”

“Of course, Brother Qian. Thank you for your trouble.”

Golden Full Pavilion was considered the second largest building in Guiling City, constructed in the style of a high-rise with a central courtyard. The first floor featured counters on both sides with a central aisle.

This layout allowed cultivators to enter, browse from the left, and exit on the right, primarily offering Qi Cultivation-tier spiritual items.

The second floor and above featured premium counters, dealing with Foundation Establishment treasures.

Starting from the third floor were private rooms, serving as both windows for acquiring spiritual items from rogue cultivators and platforms for hosting various treasure exchange gatherings.

Occasionally, when Golden Full Pavilion held auctions, these rooms also served as private bidding chambers for esteemed guests.

The central courtyard was perfectly suited for hosting auctions.

Overlooking the auction items from above gave participants a sense of control, often leading to impulsive bidding.

Golden Full Pavilions across the Scarlet Kite region generally followed this design.

Only the uses of the higher floors varied slightly; for example, in various prefectural cities, the third floor dealt with Core Formation tier treasures, while the fourth floor was reserved for private rooms.

Cultivators who had patronized Golden Full Pavilion would feel familiar with the layout no matter where they went. Male cultivators particularly appreciated this sense of ‘being home.’

As long as they didn’t encounter issues like stock shortages, they wouldn’t easily switch to another establishment.

This branch in Guiling City only dealt with items up to the Foundation Establishment tier.

However, third-tier spiritual items occasionally appeared. As a major client, Wang Yu's network of connections within the pavilion grew, from the steward all the way up to the branch master, providing significant performance metrics for them.

On the top floor, Branch Master Qian had already prepared a feast of rare delicacies.

“Thanks to you, Brother Wang, I will soon be transferred to the You Province branch. You’ve helped me immensely; you alone fulfilled fifty years of my performance goals.”

Wang Yu: “…Congratulations… congratulations!”

He had something to say but didn't know if he should.

If you leave, won’t all my efforts in building this relationship be wasted? A massive loss!

Branch Master Qian appeared to be a middle-aged man with a walrus mustache. His attire perfectly matched Golden Full Pavilion’s opulent style: a wide-sleeved robe woven with gold threads and inlaid with gems, and a dazzling golden toad crown on his head.

Both his hands were adorned with spatial rings, which were standard equipment for Core Formation cultivators. And the ones Branch Master Qian wore were not even entry-level.

Just this outfit alone,

it wouldn’t be surprising if he were robbed by an old Nascent Soul demon while out.

At this moment, Branch Master Qian raised his wine cup in a toast and said,

“Brother Wang, do not worry. The person taking over as the Guiling branch master is my sister-in-law, a direct descendant of the Jin family. I’ve already spoken to her about you, and she will certainly continue to help you search for spiritual items.”

Wang Yu nodded upon hearing this. It was good that there would be a successor; his efforts wouldn’t be in vain. As for the Jin family, they were the true owners of Golden Full Pavilion.

It seemed Branch Master Qian had married well.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, they finally got down to business.

“Brother Wang, please see this—”

“Third-tier spiritual material: Thousand-Year Ice Marrow Jade; Third-tier spiritual material: Cold Moon Treasure Pearl. These two alone are worth five hundred thousand spirit stones.”

Wang Yu felt a slight stir within him, but he was more eager for the next item.

“Core Formation spiritual item: Ever-Flowing Treasure Branch.”

A valuable treasure worth over a million spirit stones!