Chapter 239: Taihu Noble Lady, Heavenly Thunder Talisman Treasure

However, due to its overly sensitive perception, it was struck by intense pain and instinctively paused. Wang Yu seized the opportunity, flew out, and in the blink of an eye, reached Snow Jade, who was a thousand meters away. Just as he picked up his beloved pet and put it into his spirit beast pouch, he brushed past a pair of astonished eyes.

An unfamiliar observer! The commotion from fighting the Poison Fire Toad was too great, so it was perfectly normal for it to attract other cultivators exploring the Skyfiend Bone Forest. There was no need to worry too much about attracting other third-tier fiend beasts. Once fiend beasts develop intelligence, they possess an extremely strong sense of territoriality. It’s common knowledge that there wouldn’t be a second third-tier fiend beast within a thousand li of the Poison Fire Toad. Of course, nothing is absolute; sometimes, things beyond common sense do occur.

Among Foundation Establishment cultivators, Wang Yu's speed, while perhaps not unparalleled, was certainly top-tier, as his Frost Moon Wings had long since reached perfection. He could cover several kilometers in a single sweep, and a fiend beast like the Poison Fire Toad, which wasn't skilled in evasion techniques, would eventually be shaken off. The large toad hopped along, its back spewing a special toxic and fiery bodily fluid, leaving a trail of burning destruction.

A quarter of an hour later, Wang Yu hid behind a giant rock. With his spells layered and enhanced by the Earth Luo Ghost Mask, he appeared like an inconspicuous boulder in the forest. He waited for a while. The Poison Fire Toad croaked as it passed by him, continuing its pursuit into the distance. “Phew... I shook it off,” he murmured.

After this battle, he realized that a regular third-tier fiend beast like the Poison Fire Toad was weaker than an Outer Sect Core Formation cultivator from the Yellow Springs Sect. However, it hadn't used its innate fiend treasure, and he wasn't sure if that large-scale fire ring spell was its innate divine ability. Therefore, this battle could only serve as a reference. If those factors were added, and the influence of the Yin Corpse Malevolent Curse were removed, it was very likely that the toad would be even stronger than an Outer Sect Core Formation cultivator from a major power. Third-tier fiend beasts were indeed difficult to deal with. While his Lunar Malevolent Corpse was sufficient for entanglement in a killing attempt, he still lacked a decisive finishing move!

After waiting for a moment and confirming that the Poison Fire Toad had no intention of turning back, he relaxed considerably. The Scarlet Flame Red Stone, worth over a million spirit stones, was more profitable than two or three years of honest management in Guiling. Indeed, it was better to venture out more; opportunities wouldn't just come knocking.

Just as he was about to continue towards his target depression, a figure flashed beside Wang Yu. A girl, dressed in a tightly belted long dress that revealed no skin except her face, suddenly appeared three meters away from him. Her features were delicate and small, her cheeks rosy and flawless, making her seem very cute and lively. Her eyes glimmered like glazed jade, and a sense of being scrutinized arose within him.

Wang Yu let out a cold snort. His eyes glowed with the crescent moon mark, and he glared back, directly activating the Moon Illusion technique. As his hands clasped together, countless ice shards were about to erupt from the ground, the delicate girl exclaimed, “Wait—” She swiftly broke free of his Moon Illusion Eye Technique, stepping with profound footwork as if traversing space, appearing fifty meters away without any visible sign of movement. Wang Yu's movements paused.

Back then, he had read a vast number of ancient texts in the Scripture Hall, a significant portion of which contained detailed information about the Five Demonic Sects and Seven Orthodox Sects. The unique footwork the girl used was precisely the top-tier evasion divine ability, Shrinking Ground into Inches, from the Thunderflame Monastery in the Lake Tai Spirit Domain! Judging by her outward aura, she was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. However, her mastery of this divine ability had already reached the minor accomplishment stage, surpassing even his Yellow Springs Great Hand Seal, which he had cultivated using the placement slot. It was on par with his Minor Asura Killing Fist, which he had cultivated for many years.

After a moment of silence, he spoke first. “Someone from Thunderflame Monastery?” The girl paused, then quickly shook her head. “No, I’m not. I obtained this evasion technique in an ancient secret realm.” “Oh? I didn't say your evasion technique was what gave you away.” Her clumsy acting and feigned innocence were repulsive, not to mention her immediate attempt to probe his background. Fortunately, he was wearing the Earth Luo Ghost Mask, so he didn't have to worry about revealing his true identity. He was here to seek opportunities. The presence of someone from Thunderflame Monastery here had little to do with him, and he rarely interacted with cultivators from Lake Tai. “Regarding your earlier transgression, if you leave now, I, Zhuo, will let bygones be bygones.”

“I didn’t mean to, I apologize.” Saying this, the girl actually apologized. She stared at Wang Yu's mask and said, “I wanted to ask, Fellow Daoist Zhuo, where did you get that mask?” This was a killer organization that had perished many years ago—the Mara Collective! This kind of information shouldn't be of concern to those from Lake Tai, after all, it was merely a third-rate Core Formation organization. Even if all thirty-six killers possessed Core Formation cultivation, they shouldn't be the focus of investigations for a hegemonic force like theirs. Their priority should be to keep a close eye on the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Five Demonic Sects. It was like a great nation in his previous life staring at a small tribe in Africa and asking if they had changed their chief yesterday. Absurd!

Puzzled, Wang Yu countered, “How is that relevant to Fellow Daoist?” Perhaps feeling guilty about her earlier offense, the girl actually began to explain: “Many years ago, someone very important to me came to Cloud Ridge Province wearing the same mask that Fellow Daoist Zhuo has on your face. I want to find her.”

A story quickly pieced together in Wang Yu's mind. The girl before him was from the Thunderflame Monastery, and an extremely important core figure at that. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to have received a top-tier divine ability inheritance while still in the Foundation Establishment stage. There was no doubt about this, but... was she really here to find someone? Individuals of extraordinary background often possessed trump cards beyond conventional limits. Unwilling to cause trouble, Wang Yu said,

“The person you’re looking for should be one of the Mara Collective’s assassins.” “The Mara Collective? Assassins? Please, Fellow Daoist, tell me how to contact this organization.” Wang Yu's gaze was strange; she truly seemed to know nothing, rushing out to search for someone like this. This didn't align with his understanding of cultivators from Lake Tai. The impression he had of the Moonlight Immortal Changxi was simply too profound, and later, Lan Botting completely shattered his idealized view of orthodox cultivators. It seemed she wasn't just a noble lady; she had probably lived under the protection of her elders since birth, which had shaped her current personality. If Thunderflame Monastery couldn't find her soon, no matter what trump cards she possessed, it was likely she wouldn't escape death. The rogue cultivators in Scarlet Kite came in waves. As long as you possessed the qualities of a little lamb, trouble would never cease. Those people had sharp eyes and specialized in squeezing the 'soft persimmets' until they broke. No matter how many trump cards one had, there would always be a time when they were exhausted.

After a long pause, he deliberated before speaking. “I, Zhuo, can tell Fellow Daoist everything I know, but what... can you offer in exchange?” Only then did the other party realize, but she wasn't foolish enough to pull out all her treasures for Wang Yu to choose from. Instead, she cautiously asked, “How many spirit stones?” This feigned act of frugality was truly naive. He directly shook his head: “This is the Skyfiend Bone Forest. What use would spirit stones be to me, Zhuo? Do you have any powerful single-use treasures? Preferably third-tier.” The girl's heart fluttered. The people of Scarlet Kite were indeed as her master said: cunning and insidious. He must be testing whether she had any trump cards. Since that was the case, it wouldn't hurt to give him a little show of force and make him trade honestly!

“I have several Talisman Treasures here. I can only use one at most to purchase this information from Fellow Daoist Zhuo.” Wang Yu's eyes lit up. As expected of a noble lady. Talisman Treasures were at least third-tier. They could only be crafted by extracting the essence from a Core Formation cultivator's innate magic treasure. A complete Talisman Treasure could be used a maximum of three times. She actually had several!

“May I ask what's the highest tier of Talisman Treasure Fellow Daoist possesses?” “That’s irrelevant to Fellow Daoist Zhuo.” She then displayed: The Immeasurable Talisman Treasure, mid-grade third-tier, contained three uses of area-of-effect attacks. The Heavenly Thunder Talisman Treasure, mid-grade third-tier, contained three uses of Heavenly Thunder Baptism, with extremely strong single-target power. The Mo Que Talisman Treasure, mid-grade third-tier, contained three uses of the Mo Que Seal, capable of suppressing a Great Fiend for the duration of an incense stick. These three were the Talisman Treasures presented by this noble lady from Lake Tai. They had never been used and were all neatly mid-grade third-tier, indicating she possessed even more powerful Talisman Treasures. These... she probably wouldn't even bother using them normally. While coveting them, Wang Yu felt a little regret. He knew that this was the limit of what the other party could offer; asking for more would imply she was a fool.

“I want the Heavenly Thunder Talisman Treasure.” “Agreed.” With that, the girl sent the Heavenly Thunder Talisman Treasure to Wang Yu's hand with a wisp of clear wind. She didn't even make him sign a contract... Such honest and genuine behavior felt like a world away! He had forgotten when he last encountered such a person.

“Fellow Daoist Zhuo, please speak.” Watching her suspicious gaze, Wang Yu suddenly smiled, not reneging on the deal: “One hundred years ago, the thirty-six assassins of the Mara Collective collaborated to assassinate the only son of a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Joyous Union Sect. After succeeding, they were reduced to dust and ashes by his father, the Yin-Yang Demon Lord. The thirty-six Earth Luo Ghost Masks began circulating in Scarlet Kite at that time. The one on my face was acquired through auction.”

“Impossible!” Before Wang Yu even finished speaking, the girl became agitated, clearly disbelieving. “Sister Mu... she told me she came to Cloud Ridge Province. How could she have gone to assassinate someone from the Joyous Union Sect? Your information is wrong!” “It’s not wrong,” Wang Yu said, spreading his hands. “Others in Scarlet Kite might lie, but I, Zhuo, value credibility above all. Even if you are a cultivator from Lake Tai, since a transaction has been made, I will not deceive you. The information came from the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. If you wish to verify it, it shouldn't be difficult.” Wang Yu deliberately obscured the truth. The information was given to him by Jin Miaoshan, but he couldn't let her verify it at the Jinman Tower, lest it expose his presence in the Skyfiend Bone Forest. Although the other party might guess, he still had to try to keep it secret. With this extra layer of unspoken understanding, she wouldn't actively try to contact him. If there were any slip-ups, Wang Yu would definitely become suspicious. Upon hearing Wang Yu tell her to verify it at the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the girl's heart was already more than half convinced. She dazedly walked out of the mountains, evidently to verify the information.

Seeing this, Wang Yu reminded her, “In your current state, it's best not to enter Myriad Poison Town. You can go to a nearby large city to verify.” She didn't reply, and her figure gradually disappeared into the shadows of the dense forest.

In this transaction, Wang Yu had certainly been benevolent and righteous. It could be considered a good karma connection formed. Purely because this trip to the Skyfiend Bone Forest, first encountering the Ruan family team, and then this noble lady from Lake Tai, had stirred a hidden emotion deep within him. How long it would last, he wasn't sure. Shaking his head, he continued towards his destination.

A thousand people cultivating demonic arts would yield a thousand types of demons: selfishness is demonic, taking pleasure in revenge is demonic, slaughtering all living beings is demonic, and acting entirely as one pleases is also demonic. He, this demonic cultivator, was also starting to lose sight of his own heart.