Chapter 176: The Aftermath

Repeatedly thwarted, Jin Miaoshan was not to be trifled with. She immediately retorted, "I have already conceded a lot. If you don't agree, I will use the information about Dongjijing to negotiate with these cultivators."

"Then go ahead," Wang Yu scoffed, "Why are you still asking me?"

Wang Yu sneered. He had dared to directly state the only possible way to resolve the situation because he was certain Jin Miaoshan's side couldn't achieve it. Just look at the sky; those murderous visages are still being broadcast. Who would dare to trust you? After all, some individuals, truly reckless, had already begun attacking Jinman Building's formation. Having already offended them, the cultivators dared not trust. This was the difference between the two: having credibility and having none allowed for entirely different outcomes.

Jin Miaoshan now utterly detested Old Man Liu. If not for him, everything would have been peaceful, and she could have explored the Dongjijing ruins with peace of mind, seeking opportunities for good fortune.

Wang Yu offered another reminder. "This is your last chance. Once the Core Formation cultivators in the crowd start to act, this plan won't work."

"I... but I truly can't produce high-grade Core Formation spiritual treasures with Yin or Ice attributes. Will other attributes work?" Jin Miaoshan's tone now carried a hint of pleading, making it seem she wasn't lying.

Seeing this, Wang Yu could only frown deeply. Upon reflection, although Jin Miaoshan was a successor candidate, her status was akin to that of a true disciple: she could mobilize certain resources, but she wasn't the actual master wielding great power. Following the convention of Nascent Soul forces, she would be allocated a limited amount of resources, whether for her own cultivation or for rewarding subordinates. Two high-grade Core Formation spiritual treasures, even if he couldn't use them himself, were still valuable. There was an eighty percent chance he could trade them for what he wanted in the future.

Jin Miaoshan's status as a successor candidate was actually a step above that of a true disciple in a Nascent Soul sect, considering she could mobilize precious Core Formation resources. It was also possible this was due to Jinman Building's immense wealth. His thoughts raced, and Wang Yu quickly made a decision.

"Use the Stygian Contract. Don't forget to include my two Tier 3 ice-attribute spiritual materials. And… that old man's corpse too. All of these are my compensation. Add one more condition: you are not allowed to use any means to trouble me within a hundred years. Make it quick."

Their conversation didn't take long, only about a minute or two. The cultivators outside Jinman Building had been agonizing and debating for far longer than that. However, some time had already passed before their discussion even began. There truly was no time to wait any longer.

Jin Miaoshan was a businesswoman, and her spatial ring always contained various contracts. Naturally, she also possessed top-tier contract treasures like the Stygian Contract. If it had been a Heavenly Dao oath, it would have been easier, as there were methods to bypass it by deceiving one's own heart. But the Stygian Contract was different. This contract was extremely overbearing, a rule that transcended the very world. Once violated, death was absolute, with no escape or room for luck.

"Take it."

The Tier 3 top-grade magical treasure, the Void Expansion Orb, could transmit items. While the trade goods still needed time to be prepared, the contract and the information about Dongjijing were sent immediately. Wang Yu carefully inspected it, confirming there were no omissions, strange patterns, or miniscule characters before dripping his blood onto it. The contract was complete!

"Buzz—"

A familiar buzzing sound resonated in everyone's ears—it was the City Lord's Manor's emergency sound transmission method. Wang Yu's cheerful voice rang out.

"Everyone, allow me to apologize first. Everything that just happened, including the images in the sky, was false. It was the work of a temporary contractor of the City Lord's Manor. This was a madman, and I, your City Lord, have already eradicated his soul. His animated corpse is now hanging at the entrance of the City Lord's Manor for all to examine. My previous promises are no longer valid. If any of you offend Jinman Building, you must bear the responsibility yourselves. Jiang and Guan families, return at once!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in towering fury.

"Who the hell are you? How dare you order your grandpa around!"

"Exactly! We only obey City Lord Wang Yu's commands. Who are you, daring to act so brazenly in the City Lord's Manor?"

"I think *your* current orders are the fake ones."

"Brothers, let's charge Jinman Building first, then go to the City Lord's Manor to rescue City Lord Wang Yu!"

"That's right! Charge Jinman Building, then charge the City Lord's Manor!"

"They're abusing their power and bullying our beloved City Lord! We must teach them a lesson!"

"Yes, exactly!"

See? This was the human nature of demonic cultivators. The clever ones spoke eloquently, cornering Wang Yu. The less intelligent ones, still greedy, knew to cling to the prevailing sentiment, constantly echoing. In the short time he spoke, waves of condemnation from tens of thousands of cultivators rose, one after another. The din was dizzying and overwhelming, completely unmanageable.

"Everyone—"

"As I said, there was a scoundrel at work just now, attempting to incite conflict between the Sacred Sect and Jinman Building. If you truly raze the Guiling Branch, I guarantee that both the Sacred Sect and Jinman Building will hunt you to the ends of the earth. Now—as an apology, I am willing to offer another opportunity: I will provide all information regarding the Dongjijing ruins gathered by successive Guiling City Lords, along with corresponding intelligence from Jinman Building and the Ink Sect. Even the weakest among them, the Ink Sect, once obtained clues about Nascent Soul inheritances within the ruins, which are far more valuable than a mere Guiling Branch building. How's that for sincerity?"

Daoist Qingyang had already departed, so whether the information was shared or not mattered little. At most, it would incite the Ink Sect's anger, but they were far easier to handle than the current enraged multitude of cultivators. Secondly, Guiling City was, after all, Wang Yu's territory. He was confident he could appease the personnel from the Guan and Jiang families, the various Foundation Establishment forces in the North City District, and the three Core Formation sects. This way, only outsiders would remain at the Foundation Establishment level, reducing their numbers by a third. By leveraging the formidable power of the two Nascent Soul overlord forces, he could suppress a portion of them. Thirdly, and most importantly, were the external Core Formation cultivators, whose numbers were unknown. Wang Yu wasn't sure if he could persuade them; he could only appeal to their emotions, reason with them, and tempt them with benefits!

"Cough, cough—"

"I know that Core Formation cultivators who came for the Dongjijing ruins are still hidden among you. I offer you a piece of advice. The Guiling Branch is only at the Tier 2 level; there are almost no Tier 3 spiritual treasures useful to you. Even if there are, you'll find at most one or two. The information about Dongjijing that I possess is worth far more than one or two Tier 3 spiritual treasures. Are you willing to offend the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect and Jinman Building for mere Foundation Establishment treasures… or abandon this plan, obtain the intelligence about the ancient ruins, where the quantity and grade of treasures far exceed what's here, and the risks are even lower? What will you choose?"

As his voice faded, an amplification method, similar to a formation, reappeared. But this time, it wasn't controlled by Wang Yu. A disguised voice echoed from all directions, clearly belonging to an unknown Core Formation cultivator.

"City Lord Wang, what eloquence! You've had us all spinning in circles. When you needed us, you incited righteous indignation, making everyone eager to die for you. Now that you don't need us, you just casually toss us some information to dismiss us. Do you think we are beggars? Furthermore, that projection method you just used… hehe."

The Everlasting Treasure Branch! A top-grade Core Formation spiritual treasure, rarely seen even in ancient records. Just like the Celestial Frost Qi Wang Yu had once fantasized about, this was a heaven-defying item that could help those with weak spiritual roots achieve Foundation Establishment. And a top-grade Core Formation spiritual treasure meant that even if one was on the verge of death, heavily wounded, and three seconds from perishing, this treasure could still ensure 100% success in Core Formation. This was the effect of a top-grade breakthrough spiritual treasure. It could only be described as heaven-defying, a miraculous treasure!

The research value alone of a treasure of this caliber surpassed that of ordinary Core Formation spiritual treasures, far exceeding what common cultivators could imagine. This was also why Jin Miaoshan had been so utterly unwilling to produce it: its significance to major forces far outweighed its value to individual cultivators. Setting aside other uses, if one could cultivate a true Ancient Tree of Life through grafting and various secret methods, its fruits alone could extend the lifespan of Soul Transformation cultivators by five hundred years. It could also serve as a breakthrough spiritual treasure for forming a Nascent Soul.

How this item was acquired, how it ended up in Qian Zhong's hands via Jin Lin, why he wanted to harm Jin Miaoshan, and how he could bear to give it up... all these questions were no longer important. The question now was whether the Core Formation cultivators present could let it go! To them, it was merely a rather rare, top-grade breakthrough spiritual treasure, usable only by cultivators practicing wood-attribute techniques. For cultivators who had already reached Core Formation, its practical use was limited, but its market value was exceptionally high. If someone realized its true potential, seized it, and offered it to the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect, there was a high probability of being immediately elevated to a true disciple. After all, the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect had always been seeking spiritual artifacts related to vitality. Three hundred years ago, the great war between the righteous and demonic factions had also been fought over the ancient demon named "Life" that the Sword Sect had sealed.

With the negotiations at their critical final stage, Wang Yu quickly gestured for Jin Miaoshan to step forward and speak. "Display your identity, display your power... Quickly! Don't let them continue speaking!"

Jin Miaoshan was certainly not foolish; she knew Wang Yu's plan to resolve the situation had largely succeeded. What they needed now was deterrence! Demonic cultivators feared power and held no gratitude.

"Whoosh—"

"I am Jin Miaoshan, successor candidate of Jinman Building! Do you truly wish to be my enemy?"

A slender golden figure, she held a jade talisman high in her right hand. The terrifying aura of a Nascent Soul Grandmaster suddenly descended. In that instant, everyone's expressions changed, and the Qi Condensation cultivators who had been trying to fish in troubled waters immediately turned and fled. Wang Yu secretly transmitted a message for his own people to slip away quickly. This immediate retreat created a domino effect, especially since Qi Condensation cultivators made up ninety percent of the surrounding crowd. Once they left, half of the Foundation Establishment cultivators also departed.

The external Core Formation cultivators found it harder to hide. Even if they concealed their figures, without seeing like-minded individuals, who would dare to provoke Jin Miaoshan? What if they were the only ones left? They clearly weren't tired of living! That jade talisman evidently sealed a single strike from a Nascent Soul cultivator. In this strange prisoner's dilemma, where they had to hide themselves but couldn't identify others, everyone worried they were fighting alone. Yet, leaving like this felt unsatisfying.

At that moment, Wang Yu, seizing the opportune moment, activated several intelligence jade slips in his hand with his spiritual sense. He then mimicked characters and branded them onto a massive stone tablet using his true essence. This tablet was then placed near the North City District gate of Guiling City.

"The information is inscribed on the stone tablet. All who wish to view it may do so, but do not take or destroy it."

Done.