Chapter 232: The Moon-Chasing State Pact, Jinman Building Reopens

Given Su Yulong's temper, he would likely clash with Yan Ling again, but Wang Yu couldn't guess how it would unfold. After all, Yan Ling had already been accepted as a disciple by the Coldblood Mountain Lord, which significantly elevated her status. Su Yulong's options were limited; he would most likely be assigned to govern an outer city or perhaps remain within the sect as an inner elder, possibly undertaking missions related to exploring hidden areas.

In any case, Wei Hao's visit provided Wang Yu with a great deal of information, indicating that the Yunling Province region was likely to have a direct conflict with the Yellow Spring Temple. Based on past experience, such conflicts were highly probable to be confined to the younger generation, with Nascent Soul cultivators not participating. Otherwise, Wei Hao wouldn't have used phrases like "misfortune and fortune are unpredictable." It was both a crisis and an opportunity.

According to the tradition of Heavenly Corpse Peak, after failing the competition, the nine true disciples would become subordinates to the victor. Once the victor succeeded as the Mountain Lord, these disciples would become their most capable aides, naturally uniting the forces behind them. Perhaps the True Disciple Jiang genuinely pointed out a clear path. However, this was also a test for Wei Hao; if he failed, he would simply die in this border region of Yunling.

The inheritance of Heavenly Corpse Peak differed from the other eight peaks. The victor of the Corpse Battle Assembly, due to the unique nature of the Corpse Fiend Ritual, would plunder the essences of nine other powerful zombies to forge a "Corpse King" with immensely strong potential. Even if True Disciple Jiang couldn't break through to the Nascent Soul stage, this Corpse King certainly could! The Nascent Soul Seed of Heavenly Corpse Peak held a more stable position because it symbolized a certain inevitability. This made it easier to view them as successors compared to the Nascent Soul Seeds of other peaks. Of course, the position of Mountain Lord also carried an inherited title, such as Coldblood, Heavenly Corpse, or Savage Ghost. It was both power and a constraint.

As far as he knew, the Heavenly Corpse Mountain Lord was an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. All nine Mountain Lords, except for the Blood冥 Mountain Lord, were at this level. Looking at Heavenly Corpse Peak's other Nascent Soul cultivators, Daoist Three Corpses and Lord Lei Hou were both late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators. Just these two alone, even if their number of Nascent Soul cultivators was fewer than Coldblood Peak or Five Yin Peak, still made Heavenly Corpse Peak the second most powerful peak in the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect! Their sheer combat power was overwhelming.

Information about the powerful cultivators of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, apart from the Blood Demon Hall of the Sect Master's lineage, was generally public. The known number of Nascent Soul cultivators across the nine peaks was not large, only a little over fifty, with most being in the early stage. The five Demonic Sects generally had this scale, with the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect being the most powerful, reportedly having over a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators and even a Spirit Transformation Venerable overseeing it. Compared to first-tier forces like the Scarlet Kite, which might only have one or two Nascent Soul cultivators, the five Demonic Sects were overwhelmingly powerful. Compared to the Taihu Lake region, except for the Heavenly Void Sword Sect, none of the seven major orthodox sects of Taihu Lake could match any single Demonic Sect. Their strength lay in the Sword Sect's power and their collective unity.

After sending off Wei Hao and his party, Wang Yu sat alone on a high platform, gazing down at the entire Guiling City. He felt a sense of loneliness at the top, perhaps a sign of his growing arrogance. Fighting over territory was a tactic even street gangs employed. When applied to hegemonic forces, it was essentially a localized conflict, though on a slightly larger scale, capable of giving rise to numerous powerful individuals. "A storm is brewing..."

Over the next three months, true disciples from the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect visited successively. Some names Wang Yu had heard before, others were new to him. Five of the newly appointed nine city lords arrived, each bringing a large contingent of elite subordinates, clearly prepared, unlike Wang Yu who had arrived alone when taking office in Guiling. They were all more or less connected to the families of the Spirit Reversal's Three Young Lords. City Lord Wang had always been amicable, so nearly everyone had a copy of the intelligence. The four new city lords who didn't come were irrelevant; it was their loss.

Guiling City's geographical location was crucial. The new nine cities were east of Dongjijing, and Guiling City could only be reached by bypassing an ancient ruin. Once a conflict broke out, the nine cities would face immense pressure. Only Guiling could provide immediate support; the other two directions, north or south, were too far, as the territory of the nine cities was shaped like a crescent moon, enveloping Dongjijing. Guiling was symmetrically positioned at the two tips of the crescent, making it unavoidable for support, logistics, or communication. Given its strategic importance, Wang Yu found it hard to imagine what those four non-arriving individuals were doing. Did they have other transport channels or wilderness outpost nodes?

However, none of that mattered anymore. All Wang Yu could do was continue to increase spending on the city guard, stocking up on consumable talismans and magic artifacts. In this regard, the migrating population from Sanmao City played a significant role. Everyone knew how to make talisman paper, and there were many first-tier talisman masters, which almost multiplied talisman production several times over. There were subtle signs of Guiling becoming second only to Sanmao City in this area.

That day, Jin Miaoshan, who had been absent for some time, sent him a message. Besides compensating for the losses caused by Master Tianshui, she also told him about the deep-sea sunken silver ore deposit. The conflict had erupted! Jinman Tower and the Yellow Spring Temple had confronted each other, and the truth had come to light, predictably enraging the Yellow Spring Temple, who felt greatly humiliated by being tricked. They vowed to reclaim the nine ceded cities. The Nascent Soul powerhouses of Yunling Province and You Province engaged in a fierce battle, but after the confrontation, there were no casualties. Thus, the younger generation's struggle began. A twenty-year period was set for an intense contest centered around the nine cities, and this crescent-shaped territory was designated as a war zone, renamed "Moon Pursuit Province"!

Anyone entering Moon Pursuit Province could engage in arbitrary killing and conquest. After the twenty-year period, whoever occupied the nine cities would have ultimate ownership. Both factions promised that the final victor would be exempt from five hundred years of sacred tribute and would possess supreme autonomy. This was equivalent to an enfeoffment. After delivering this news, Jin Miaoshan also informed him that Jinman Tower would reopen in Guiling, also with a third-tier cultivation limit, and she would personally oversee it.

Unsurprisingly, she was there to profit from the war. Due to the restricted scope of conflict in Moon Pursuit Province, Guiling's already excellent strategic position was further enhanced. Nearly all the newly appointed city lords of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect would need to pass through him as a transit point. However, City Lord Wang's enthusiasm for participating remained low. How much profit could be made depended entirely on Guiling's production capacity. Moreover, true disciples with powerful backgrounds would undoubtedly prefer to mobilize resources from within their clans. Using Guiling's route was like using an overt channel. It would be better for Core Formation cultivators to carry large-capacity spatial equipment and use covert channels, making them less susceptible to attack and allowing strategic resources to be used more securely. Therefore, while the struggle for Moon Pursuit Province seemed like a chance to make a fortune, it would actually only yield small profits. With the intervention of Heavenly Treasure Pavilion and Jinman Tower, Guiling would earn even less. After all, this was the cultivation world, not something to be viewed with a worldly perspective; Guiling didn't even qualify to enter the main conflict, so how could Wang Yu be excited?

Instead, he should consider how to ensure his efforts weren't destroyed. Jin Miaoshan's arrival had both pros and cons. The good aspect was naturally the impending revitalization of the market, which would lead to a second round of competition with Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. One of the many downsides, however, was Jin Lin! He was certain that as soon as Jin Miaoshan arrived, this persistent nuisance would cause trouble in his Guiling City again, requiring vigilance.

As the news spread, Guiling City went on high alert. Han Jia also frequently visited the City Lord's residence, hoping to receive some policy assistance from Wang Yu. After all, this time he was up against Jin Miaoshan, not a nobody like Ye Qing. Wang Yu flatly refused; friendship was one thing, but he never interfered in such healthy competition, as it only benefited Guiling.

Another month passed. Wang Yu, True Master Qingyang, and Granny Jin, who guarded the Guiling Market, along with a group of majestically armored city guards, all arrived at Wangjing Gate, one of the eastern city gates! At Jin Miaoshan's request, and for a large sum of spirit stones, she asked City Lord Wang to help her build momentum for Jinman Tower, so he came to greet her.

Covertly, Han Jia of Heavenly Treasure Pavilion complained to Wang Yu via spiritual transmission. "City Lord Wang, didn't you say you wouldn't interfere in our competition...?" Wang Yu gave an awkward smile. After locating Han Jia, he transmitted back, "Brother Han Jia, this Daoist Jin gave me 300,000 spirit stones just to give her a welcome reception. How profitable is that deal?"

Han Jia replied, "What a fool!" Wang Yu chuckled, "How about you give it a try too, Brother? 300,000 spirit stones, and you can also enter through Wangjing Gate; I'll welcome you personally." Han Jia fell silent. Such an expense was truly unnecessary, so he refused, saying, "Heavenly Treasure Pavilion has been established in Guiling for so long. Doing something like that would make others laugh at us." "How could that be?!" Wang Yu thumped his chest. "Just say you're returning with goods from outside, and the Guiling City Lord personally welcomed you—how prestigious would that be?" Han Jia sighed faintly and didn't reply.

Wang Yu felt no regret over the failed transaction and continued to stand by the city gate as if nothing had happened. The gathering of their group naturally attracted more onlookers, with at least a thousand cultivators assembling and discussing among themselves.

"Is that... the Guiling City Lord?""Looks like it.""Who are they waiting for with such a grand display? Even True Master Jin, the Core Formation cultivator from the market, is here.""And True Master Qingyang, Guiling's chief enforcer, is also here. Could they be waiting for a major figure from the Sacred Sect? So many strangers have arrived in Guiling recently.""Ah, you wouldn't know. I heard that a Nine Cities Alliance of the Sacred Sect was formed in the east, and the region has even been renamed Moon Pursuit Province.""Are they going to fight the Yellow Spring Temple?""Probably. I heard they made a twenty-year pact, and at the end of it, whoever holds the cities will own them.""Is that true?! If I were to occupy...""—It would be yours!""Even rogue cultivators?""Naturally."

Wang Yu listened intently. He hadn't known some of this information; he was surprised how well-informed these bystanders were, even knowing that rogue cultivators could compete. This situation might become tricky. While rogue cultivators were generally weak, there were powerful individuals among them, though their numbers were extremely small.

Just then, in the distant sky, a magnificent, golden canopy carriage approached, pulled by four golden-scaled, single-horned, four-legged beasts resembling qilin. These were Jinlin Beasts! Legends said they possessed a trace of the true spirit qilin bloodline, but it was too diluted for them to revert to their ancestral form.

"Raise your guard."