Chapter 190: Fragrance Tasting Event

According to the secret art's description, the optimal form of a fully developed Profound Yuan Demonic Embryo is faceless. If the demonic embryo develops facial features, it signifies corruption by the malevolent thoughts of heavenly demons. His demonic embryo spirit root was precisely in this perfect state!

Wang Yu didn't dwell on this matter for long. After all, the Nascent Soul stage was still a distant prospect; his focus remained on the present. The return to peace in the Eastern Capital Ruins was welcome news. His long-planned operational strategy could finally be put into motion.

Wang Yu planned to utilize the Wenxiang Sect's unique skills to host a "Fragrance Gathering" in Guiling City. This gathering was not intended for the exchange of spirit stones, but rather to bring together the circle of powerful cultivators from Guiling City and the surrounding areas. With Lord Wang at its core, it would serve as a platform for exchange. Once the timing was right, he could establish his own treasure exchange event, with the ultimate goal of attracting cultivators possessing Core Formation spiritual treasures.

This was a promising path forward. It required him to maintain a stellar reputation, unwavering integrity, and ample strength to prevent any foul play during the exchange. To that end, he devised an excellent plan.

He had a three-story palatial building constructed on the edge of the City Lord’s Mansion, spanning approximately eight hundred mu, with exactly half of its area covered by a defensive formation. That half was meticulously prepared as the venue for the treasure exchange. The other half, situated outside the formation, was designated for entertainment and social interaction. He spared no expense, leveraging Zhuo Shouqing's connections to hire a formation master who installed a deceptive hidden formation designed to disorient visitors. This formation could draw people inside while making them believe they were still outside, ensuring the treasure exchange event's security without any hidden malicious intent.

Using the Fragrance Gathering as a foundation, he would offer some rare benefits. Once a sufficient number of participants gathered, he would then introduce the treasure exchange. He already had a strong base for this, as the Guan and Jiang families, the Ink-Wash Sect, Purple Dragon Mountain, and the Wenxiang Sect were all prepared to send representatives. This was partly due to his previous acts of concessions. Working with him allowed them to earn more spirit stones than before, and these small gains had garnered a significant level of trust, making it a worthwhile investment. Naturally, at the time, his intention was to "fish," paying the cost of bait with the aim of a substantial harvest when his term concluded and he departed. Later, the incident involving Jin Miaoshan seamlessly integrated with his treasure exchange plan.

Furthermore, Guiling's North District was also home to numerous powerful cultivators, including many at the Foundation Establishment stage, such as the Purple Gold Chamber of Commerce and Cloud Dream Pavilion, among others. This would be a long-term endeavor, and once established, Wang Yu would find it much easier to acquire any treasures he desired.

Even if it failed, it wouldn't be a significant setback, as it would still help establish Guiling City as the regional hub. Neighboring cities like Sanmao, Moshi, and Yunyan also harbored many powerful cultivators. Numerous scattered sects and families existed, along with powerful rogue cultivators, all potential candidates to be drawn into the Fragrance Gathering. Had Jin Miaoshan not already secured her fortune and departed, utilizing the Golden Full Building's venue would have been more secure, but now it was irrelevant.

While everyone was still absorbed in the aftermath of the Eastern Capital events, Wang Yu secretly arranged a meeting with the Wenxiang Sect's second strongest cultivator, a Core Formation early-stage cultivator known as "True Monarch Jin."

"Senior Jin, it's an honor to finally meet you," Wang Yu began.

She was quite advanced in years, destined not to break through to a higher cultivation realm in this lifetime, and had not consumed any appearance-preserving elixirs—a rather uncommon sight among female cultivators. Thus, True Monarch Jin appeared as an elderly woman nearing the end of her life, with a head of greying hair styled into an upward-pointing topknot, adorned with a few gold and jade ornaments. Her frame was slightly stooped, yet her face bore a gentle, benevolent expression, exuding warmth and approachability.

"City Lord Wang, please don't humble this old woman so. Your reputation precedes even that of the Wenxiang Sect; there's no need for such formality." After all, she was someone who had safely navigated the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain into her twilight years. As the saying goes, the older, the more cunning. While she couldn't immediately decipher Wang Yu's intentions, she knew it wasn't for a simple chat.

Wang Yu smiled and spoke only after inviting her to be seated. "In the Crimson Kite region, strength commands respect. Senior Jin, your cultivation far surpasses mine, and you are a highly esteemed elder. You naturally deserve such courtesy. My invitation today is to discuss a beneficial matter with your esteemed sect."

Upon hearing this, True Monarch Jin sighed inwardly. Operating on another's territory often left one with little choice, and there was no way to avoid responding to such a statement. "City Lord, please speak your mind."

"Very well. Since the conclusion of the ruins incident, I've been keen to further expand Guiling City, and to that end, I wish to host a Fragrance Gathering..." Wang Yu spoke at length, explaining his intentions in full.

The Fragrance Gathering would serve as an enticing prelude to the treasure exchange segment. Every participant must benefit, and this fragrance was the key. Named after it, the Wenxiang Sect's specialty was perfect for collective inhalation and appreciation, fully meeting Wang Yu's requirements.

After explaining, Wang Yu took a sip of tea to clear his throat, then revealed his true intentions.

"I've heard the Wenxiang Sect possesses a unique skill called 'Fragrant Cloud Twelve Rubs,' a rare third-tier incense crafting technique. The 'Pure Source Marvelous Dao Incense' produced by your esteemed sect is said to possess four marvelous effects: aiding enlightenment, cleansing the heart, nourishing the spirit, and condensing essence. When a Foundation Establishment cultivator lights a stick to break through a bottleneck, it can increase their success rate by thirty percent. Even Core Formation cultivators, when cultivating daily, can gain an additional half-percent in their efforts by continuously burning this incense. Its reputation is well-known within a ten-thousand-kilometer radius."

True Monarch Jin offered a wry smile. "City Lord Wang speaks too highly of its marvels. This incense merely has a reputation; it hardly possesses such profound capabilities."

She clearly understood that Wang Yu's objective was to establish the Fragrance Gathering's reputation, which was why he immediately set his sights on the "Pure Source Marvelous Dao Incense," a product extremely rare within their sect. Providing the incense itself wasn't a major issue, but the concern was that Wang Yu would wholeheartedly promote this item to expand the treasure exchange. Failure wouldn't be an issue, but the immense fame a success would bring would overwhelm the Wenxiang Sect! Only she and the Sect Master were Core Formation cultivators, and neither of them was at the pinnacle of the stage; even the Sect Master was only at the mid-Core Formation level.

She hesitated for a moment before probing, "The production of this incense might not meet the City Lord's demands. Perhaps we could substitute it with the slightly inferior 'Pure Source Incense'?"

"Absolutely not!" Wang Yu was unwilling to let such an opportunity pass. Roughly guessing True Monarch Jin's reservations, he proposed, "How about this: Senior Jin joins the Guiling City Lord's Mansion as an honored patron and produces this incense under the name of Guiling City?"

True Monarch Jin immediately fell silent. This solution, however, was superficial. Anyone with discernment could easily tell the true origin of the incense. In truth, any skill reaching the third tier would inevitably attract covetous eyes. Among the myriad cultivation arts, the foremost—alchemy, artifact forging, talismans, and formations—were exceptions. Their preeminence meant their masters possessed influential networks and resources incomparable to those of lesser paths.

She understood Wang Yu's veiled suggestion: to transmit the "Marvelous Cloud Twelve Rubs" technique to someone from the City Lord's Mansion, for her to personally train and nurture them, so that in a century or so, they could naturally assume the role of the Wenxiang Sect. If Wang Yu had known her thoughts, he would undoubtedly have cried foul; he genuinely had no such intention. In his plan, the Fragrance Gathering needed to establish its reputation within its first three events. Subsequently, the treasure exchange would run alongside it for thirty or forty years, naturally maturing. Cultivating a new incense master? It was too time-consuming and yielded low returns, making it completely unnecessary. Furthermore, rashly intruding upon another's core means of wealth accumulation was akin to fatally offending them. He genuinely harbored no such designs.

After a long pause, perhaps she recalled Wang Yu's remarkably brilliant achievements since arriving in Guiling just over a decade ago, which were still fresh in her memory. He had destroyed Tuoba, pacified Bai Mansion, and extorted Treasure Tower! Any one of these feats would have been monumental in the past. Yet, this man, leveraging his identity within the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, lived an incredibly comfortable life. True Monarch Jin's expression grew even more complex.

"Alas..." she sighed. "The Wenxiang Sect is not adept at combat; our survival and lineage in this region have been sustained by our ability to adapt and flow with nature. Given the City Lord's words, this old woman has no grounds for refusal."

Wang Yu was somewhat surprised to see True Monarch Jin agree so readily. He had prepared two fallback options, ready to offer substantial benefits in exchange for the Wenxiang Sect's support. He hadn't expected such an easy agreement.

"Regarding the supply of incense, aside from standard transactions, this old woman has one additional condition."

"Please, speak your mind!"

"City Lord, please change the name of this incense and claim it was acquired from the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. Would that be agreeable?"

Wang Yu paused in surprise upon hearing this, then agreed. "Certainly. Senior Jin, are you certain? Risk is often accompanied by opportunity, and a good reputation can sometimes be a significant advantage. Perhaps this is the very chance for the Wenxiang Sect to advance. If you back away, you will only secure the minimum gain."

True Monarch Jin decisively shook her head. "It is better to retreat and cast a net than to merely envy fish in the deep. We have our own way of survival, City Lord Wang... Wielding a blade to cut through thorns isn't a unique courage reserved for your brilliant foresight; many others have broken their spears trying."

This was the wisdom of experience, and Wang Yu selectively heeded it. Such treasure exchange events had undoubtedly been attempted by predecessors. Small ventures were harmless, but expanding the scale might attract fierce, bloodthirsty sharks, and there was no telling when things might go awry. But in this Crimson Kite Demonic Domain, what endeavor wasn't dangerous? In the initial stages, formations would provide security. Mid-term, once his Grand Yin Fiend Corpse was refined, he would naturally have more methods to maintain order. In the later stages, he would be self-sufficient. A little risk was far outweighed by the potential benefits of this undertaking. He possessed an abundance of spirit stones but lacked avenues to convert them into exotic treasures. Deepening his relationship with Zhuo Shouqing was also an option; a multi-pronged approach was indeed the optimal strategy.

After finalizing the next steps, Wang Yu personally escorted True Monarch Jin from the City Lord's Mansion.

Everything was in place, awaiting only the opportune moment. And so, City Lord Wang quelled his thoughts and continued his routine of cultivation, alchemy, and fox-rearing. Even with five auxiliary slots, his main body was exceptionally busy. He needed to refine spiritual energy to accumulate true essence, practice the Obscure Demonic Dragon Art, continuously refine the new version of the Dragon Blood Secret Elixir, and gradually condense more vital blood. Moreover, at sunrise, midday, and midnight, he had to cultivate the Ancient Soul Art. Afterward, he would visit a secret chamber to expel a mouthful of Grand Yin Moon Fiend to nurture his zombies. Any brief moments of leisure were spent on documents from the City Lord's Mansion requiring his personal confirmation—a substantial workload he was now attempting to delegate partially to Xu Ruozhou.

Beyond these, there was an even more critical matter: During the exploration of the Eastern Capital, many resource extraction points belonging to the Guiling City Lord's Mansion had been seized by cultivators from other states, a problem he still needed to address.