Chapter 278: Lei Commands Enemy Retreat, Inner Gate Elder

After a brief moment of observation, Wang Yu understood.

The mountain gate of the Blood Spirit Sect indeed featured a geomantic formation, one that had been adjusted by a geomancer. After human modification, it transformed into a 'human formation,' yet its essence was not weakened; instead, it was somewhat enhanced. In the mystical art of Feng Shui, a 'human formation' is not necessarily inferior to a geomantic one; its effectiveness entirely depends on the geomancer's skill.

The core of this formation lay within the nine-thousand-foot blood pool waterfall behind the Blood Demon Hall. It was intricately linked to the floating celestial orb, all of which had been altered by human effort. Wang Yu could discern that the original formation was likely the thirty-second ranked geomantic formation: The Nine Palaces Demonic Star Flying Formation! The original purpose of this formation was to draw blood from the earth's meridians in nine directions. Combined with the power of demonic stars from the celestial constellations, it would undergo a profound transformation, becoming a true demonic blood pool capable of nourishing demonic spirits. Simply put, it was a resource-generating Feng Shui formation that could produce materials for Nascent Soul demonic cultivators' training.

He couldn't tell what effect it had after the modification. His mastery of the mystical art of Feng Shui was not yet complete. But he was certain that a spatial secret realm was hidden within the Blood Demon Hall; he couldn't be mistaken about this.

After observing the mountain gate for a while, Wang Yu came back to his senses and immediately descended towards its entrance. As expected, the gate-keeping disciples did not recognize him. However, on his way back, Wang Yu had put on his beloved Xiezhi crown, donned his enforcement robe, and wore a jade token at his waist. He strode with such a commanding presence that naturally, no one was shortsighted enough to stop him.

During his Foundation Establishment stage, he had viewed all of this with some trepidation. Now, after forming his Golden Core, Wang Yu realized for the first time just how prosperous the Blood Spirit Sect's mountain gate truly was. Setting aside the faint scent of blood in the nooks and crannies, it was infinitely more flourishing than Guiling. After all, it had over 200,000 permanent residents, all of whom were cultivators. The desire for promotion lingered in his heart.

Wang Yu set his sights and flew towards Cold Blood Peak. This was his third ascent of the peak: the first was to meet Su Yulong, and the second was to be recorded in the Foundation Establishment Jade Scroll. This third time was for his promotion to inner sect elder. He could now ascend directly to the summit of Cold Blood Peak, to the palace complex next to the Nascent Soul Ancestor's cultivation grounds. This was a rare fourth-tier spiritual vein location, rarely seen anywhere. It was the residence of the Cold Blood Mountain Lord. As for the other Nascent Soul Ancestors of this peak, they had mostly chosen a nearby mountain for their residences. The sect would naturally draw in corresponding spiritual veins for the Ancestors to use. While one per person was a bit exaggerated, providing one for every two was certainly achievable. As a formidable hegemonic force, it was naturally impossible for the sect's territory to consist of only nine peaks. All the high mountains and majestic ridges nearby were within the sect's domain. Disciples were not allowed to trespass into the Nascent Soul Ancestors' cultivation grounds without permission.

However, Wang Yu didn't notice that his ascent towards Cold Blood Peak had been observed by someone with ulterior motives, and the news was immediately relayed to Evil Sword Peak. Not long after, a group of Golden Core experts, acting on their own initiative, set out with a noticeably hostile aura, their intentions self-evident.

The person concerned was temporarily unaware, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care. While Golden Core cultivators might still include hot-headed individuals who fight to the death, Nascent Soul cultivators practiced the art of compromise. Frankly speaking, Lord Heitian Talisman and Luo Chen were unlikely to have been as close as father and son. Such relationships were rare in the demonic path; it was more often a relationship of master and 'spare vessel.' Disciples were often regarded as personal property by their masters, much like Situ Hong and his 'Peach Mother'; the relationship was more one of ownership than emotional connection. It cannot be denied that some were indeed true inheritors of their masters' legacies. However, it would never be someone like Luo Chen. Demonic cultivators generally disliked those who were similar to themselves and rarely appreciated individuals with principles or gratitude. If they truly sought disciples, they would more often choose to abduct people from the Taihu Spirit Domain. It is said that slave-catching teams sometimes brought back young children with high aptitudes specifically for this purpose, though such instances were quite rare.

At the summit of Cold Blood Peak, Wang Yu retracted his Frost Moon Wings and landed on the steps at the entrance of the Jade Scroll Hall. There were very few people around, not even guards. After ascending several hundred steps, the Jade Scroll Hall, filled with soul tokens and soul lanterns, came into view. Near the hall's entrance, an extremely old late-stage Golden Core cultivator was lying on an ice chair.

As Wang Yu approached, the old man squinted at him and mumbled, "Did you form your core outside?"

"Yes, Senior," Wang Yu replied. "My name is Wang Yu, and I am the City Lord of Guiling. I just returned today."

"City Lord of Guiling?!?" The old man immediately perked up. "I was just wondering why there's been no activity at Tribulation Crossing Cliff recently. So you ran back from Cloud Ridge, kid! Impressive! Truly impressive! You've got guts!"

Wang Yu smiled "shyly." "Does Senior mean that the matter of the Young Talisman Lord has already spread throughout the sect?"

"Of course." Stroking his beard, the old man continued, "Just call me Elder Yushu. You've already killed him, so why still call him 'Young Talisman Lord'? You're just putting on an act."

"No, no, no," Wang Yu quickly explained. "It was the Young Talisman Lord who insisted on making trouble for me. I merely made an accidental mistake and inadvertently killed him. It wasn't my intention."

Elder Yushu chuckled. "Explaining to me is useless. Look, they're here."

Wang Yu turned to look and saw six streaks of gray sword light land on the steps of the Jade Scroll Hall, their cultivation levels brazenly on display. Three were late-stage Golden Core cultivators, and three were mid-stage. Their aura quickly locked onto Wang Yu, and sword hums resonated into the sky. The leader spoke unceremoniously, "Are you Wang Yu? Come with us."

"Go? Why should I go with you?"

This attitude immediately angered the newcomers. They shouted, "Wang Yu, you killed Young Talisman Lord Luo Chen! Are you not going to Evil Sword Peak to beg for forgiveness? Do you expect Lord Heitian Talisman to personally invite you?"

"Isn't Lord Heitian Talisman not here?" Wang Yu retorted. "Why are you in such a hurry? Is Luo Chen your father or something?" The person immediately turned red, breathing heavily. He reached out, intending to draw his sword, but was stopped by a companion who grabbed his wrist and subtly gestured towards Elder Yushu, who was serenely resting on the ice chair. The atmosphere immediately sobered.

It was clear they still had their wits about them, knowing this was not the place for a confrontation. But Wang Yu was unrelenting with his words, feigning surprise as he spoke, "So Luo Chen is your father after all! My mistake, my mistake!"

"You—" The person was exasperated, and his voice grew sharp. "Wang Yu, you're finished! You've offended Lord Heitian Talisman, so don't even think about continuing to cultivate in the Sacred Sect. Prepare to have someone collect your corpse!"

Wang Yu scoffed at this. "As for Lord Heitian Talisman, I will naturally explain the full story. As for you fools, you probably rushed out impatiently after being egged on by someone, and don't even realize you've become cannon fodder."

"What do you mean?" one of them challenged. "You're still boasting at a time like this."

To reach the Golden Core stage in the Blood Spirit Sect, one's aptitude couldn't be poor, nor could one be too foolish; they still possessed basic judgment. Hearing Wang Yu say this, they immediately felt that something was amiss. The opponent was so composed, even daring to return to the sect; it was clear he had already prepared for this matter. Lord Heitian Talisman's other disciples hadn't come, yet these outsiders had. Could it be that...?

Wang Yu took out the Lightning Lord's Token and displayed it. "Go back where you came from. If you come seeking trouble again, you won't live."

As late-stage Golden Core sect elders, these people were much more formidable than the old man surnamed Qiao. They hailed from the inner sect, each with their own background, and their status was not superior or inferior to that of true disciples. In fact, due to their cultivation realm, they were subtly a notch higher, and even true disciples from other peaks had to show them junior deference. When Luo Chen was alive, due to considerations of face and hierarchical status, it was impossible for them to humble themselves and curry favor with him. However, they were very concerned about Lord Heitian Talisman's opinion. After all, they all operated within Evil Sword Peak, where "human relations and social etiquette" were paramount. Both emotionally and logically, they ought to make an appearance. They could demand an explanation for Luo Chen's death. After all, this was tantamount to currying favor with Lord Heitian Talisman! However, if it involved another Nascent Soul Ancestor, especially the late-stage Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator who was the most unapproachable among them, they would flee as far as possible. Let alone if they harbored any grievances. Having cultivated to this level, with only Nascent Soul cultivators above them, how could they not be familiar with their superiors? It could be said that no one understood the aura and strength of the sect's Nascent Soul Ancestors better than them!

The Lightning Lord's Token was like a bolt from the blue. The six men's faces turned as pale as corpses. After respectfully bowing and apologizing to Wang Yu, they bowed to Elder Yushu and silently took their leave. This left many who were observing Cold Blood Peak and waiting for a spectacle somewhat confused. "Seriously, guys," some thought, "you went there with such fanfare and came back so dispiritedly, without even a single curse word. That's just too cowardly."

Who exactly was this Wang Yu? Many people grew curious and went to inquire; they were immediately startled by what they learned. "Born a spirit slave, he achieved Foundation Establishment through the Foundation Seizing Grand Art. And now, you're saying he formed a Golden Core before even a hundred years old? He even slew Young Talisman Lord Luo Chen and three Outer Sect Golden Core cultivators." "Are you sure this isn't just a storybook?" As more people became interested, Wang Yu's deeds in Cloud Ridge were also uncovered. Those with connections and capabilities even learned the cause of the dispute in Crescent Moon State: It was all because City Lord Wang's sacred tribute had been robbed!

Returning to Cold Blood Peak, Elder Yushu glanced at the Lightning Lord's Token in Wang Yu's hand and gracefully stood up. "I thought you were going to beat them up," he said. "Come with me."

As Wang Yu moved to follow him, he replied, "Elder Yushu, you overestimate me. They are all long-established seniors; how could I, a mere junior who just recently advanced, possibly defeat them?"

"You're quite modest," Elder Yushu said, handing him something. "Engrave your spiritual imprint into this." He tossed over a jade token whose shape was quite different from those displayed in the grand hall. Seeing his confusion, Elder Yushu chuckled and explained, "This is a special benefit for prodigies. Ordinary soul tokens, if you're more than a thousand kilometers away, take half a day to shatter. But with this jade soul token, as long as you are within the Crimson Kite territory, should you die, I will know immediately. And the image of the culprit will be transmitted here," he continued, "and Cold Blood Peak will avenge you."

"Uh, thank you for your kindness, Elder Yushu," Wang Yu responded. Wang Yu pondered as he imprinted his spiritual sense into it. "Help me get revenge after death? Seems pretty good. But Luo Chen should have had the same treatment, right?" As for disciples fighting among themselves, it was certainly a violation of rules. But since his master didn't pursue the matter, the sect wouldn't meddle in it either. If not for some cultivators fleeing from Sanmao City, the spread of this news would have been much slower. Of course, the best method was still to not let anyone witness such things. Then if he killed someone, he killed them; no laws or rules could touch him. With the Lightning Lord's Token protecting him, Lord Heitian Talisman wouldn't lay a hand on him. At most, they would pressure him using sect rules. And for that... Wang Yu could clear the offense by paying some spirit stones, which was of little significance.

"Congratulations," Elder Yushu said. "From now on, you are a member of Cold Blood Peak's inner sect elders."