Chapter 283: False Infant Theory, Black Sky Talisman Lord

The next day.

Becoming a candidate for the Twelve Elders did not cause much stir in Wang Yu's life. Cold Blood Peak remained as quiet as ever, with hardly anyone visible from top to bottom.

Only one or two Core Formation cultivators guarded each palace.

A rough estimate suggested at least thirty to forty powerful Core Formation cultivators were permanently stationed there. Early that morning, Wang Yu left his residence and went to the main hall responsible for managing cave dwellings within the peak to delegate a construction task.

The elder there was quite amenable, and Wang Yu didn't think much of it.

He couldn't immediately go into seclusion for cultivation yet. His top priority remained dealing with the aftermath of killing Luo Chen.

Yesterday was his first day back in the sect, and the news had not yet spread.

Even with the Thunder Lord Token for protection, he couldn't completely disregard the Dark Sky Talisman Lord. The other party would eventually investigate why the Thunder Lord Token had appeared.

He wasn't entirely sure about the character of Thunder Roar Lord.

However, when dealing with Nascent Soul cultivators of the Demonic Path, one must always consider the worst-case scenario.

Before the incident of repelling the Evil Sword Peak elder fully spread, he needed to visit and offer an apology.

—Face!

From his experience in cultivation, this was something patriarchs and grand cultivators all valued greatly.

Going early might allow for some leeway, but if he waited until the news spread widely within the sect, his treatment would be vastly different—he could even be crushed to death with no one saying a word.

Luo Chen's death wasn't the main issue. He had to give the Dark Sky Talisman Lord due respect, regardless of whether there was a reason or not; he still needed to offer an explanation to the principal party.

The Thunder Lord Token had provided a forceful suppression. Now, by also involving Zhuo Shouqing as a connection, the subsequent development of the matter could be entirely different.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Wang Yu left in a hurry at the end of the Yin hour (around 5 AM).

He headed straight for the Azure Maiden Tower. At this hour, the streets were quiet, save for places of pleasure that operated throughout the night.

The restrictions that once prevented him from flying were now as good as nonexistent.

“Madam, the Qu Shui Liu Shang private room.”

The beautiful female cultivator, who was still calculating the previous day's earnings in the hall, looked at him with surprise.

“Fellow Daoist, all the private rooms are occupied by guests…”

“Shh, give me the jade key for the private room's restrictions.”

Wang Yu extended his hand, revealing his Cold Blood Ring. The madam chuckled awkwardly, took out a key, handed it to him, and said cautiously:

“Please be gentle, esteemed guest.”

“Don't worry, my friend is inside.”

He knew instinctively that Zhuo Shouqing was almost certainly here every night for amusement. Coming to catch him now was a sure thing.

“Creak—”

On the large bed, covered with thick silk quilts that were being used as a mattress, five or six naked figures lay sprawled, covered only by thin veils.

In the dim light, hints of spring were faintly visible.

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, his right hand brushing over several shapely bottoms. He dragged the groggy Zhuo Shouqing out from amidst them, and opened his mouth to exhale a puff of cold air.

“Hiss—ahhh—”

“What... are you sick? That's disgusting!”

Seeing the other's hazy eyes instantly clear, Wang Yu burst into laughter. “Is that all the vigilance you have? Aren't you afraid your younger brother will slit your throat?”

Zhuo Shouqing's teeth chattered from the cold. His clothes flew to him from a distance of their own accord. “You... you've formed your Core?”

He paused while dressing, then continued to put on his clothes somewhat stiffly. “No wonder you could just walk in; Mama Yan didn't dare stop you. Are you here to ask about that ancient burial pit?”

“No.”

Wang Yu spread his hands and narrowed his eyes.

“Haven't you been keeping up with my news? Luo Chen is dead. I killed him. Now, I'll trouble you to take me, Wang, to see your uncle, the Dark Sky Talisman Lord, and help me choose an apology gift while we're at it.”

“Huh?”

Zhuo Shouqing's movements became even more rigid, his features contorted as if he had donned a mask of pain.

“You moved against him, why didn't you tell me in advance?”

“That idiot brought it upon himself. Originally, I just meant to teach him a lesson; I didn't intend to kill him. But he was the one who first harbored murderous intent.”

After hearing this, Zhuo Shouqing's face darkened further, like a changing mask.

“You've already gone to his door to confront him; he'll surely think you're here for revenge.”

“It *is* revenge.”

“The most direct form of revenge is surely to pay with a life!”

“Makes sense.”

Seeing Wang Yu's thoughtful and seemingly enlightened expression, Zhuo Shouqing suddenly felt drained of all energy and didn't bother to argue further.

“Tell me what happened. Honestly! You've formed your Core, and I still have to clean up your mess.”

“The more capable, the more they work, Second Brother.”

“Heh—”

Zhuo Shouqing still seemed dismissive, but in reality, this attitude indicated he was ready to help; otherwise, he wouldn't have said more than a few words.

Next, Wang Yu recounted the events and took out the Thunder Lord Token for Zhuo Shouqing to see, which greatly astonished him.

“You're truly fortunate! The Profound Essence Demonic Embryo... has its potential extended to Heavenly Spirit Root?”

“Yes.”

“That's truly good.”

Zhuo Shouqing grew increasingly envious, but the dangers of cultivating the Demonic Embryo Profound Essence Secret Spell far surpassed those of the Blood Spring Evil Art. He didn't believe he possessed the talent for it.

Perhaps only individuals like Wang Yu and Fu Xiao, who started with a useless spiritual root, would have the resolve to cultivate such a perilous secret method for a chance.

Once he regained his composure, the two left the Azure Maiden Tower and flew directly towards Evil Sword Peak, conversing along the way.

“Is Luo Chen's Qiankun Ring still intact? Nothing inside has been touched, has it?”

“I checked it. I only took one Dark Sky Talisman.”

“Put it back.” “Alright.”

Wang Yu didn't hesitate. Zhuo Shouqing took the ring, then pulled out a communication jade slip. Before long, a person flew to meet them halfway. He explained:

“This is Senior Huang Jiu, the elder brother of Third Brother's mother. He can be trusted.”

“Wang Yu greets Senior.”

Huang Jiu was a gaunt-faced middle-aged man. Half of his face was pallid, as if plastered with putty, and his eye was pure black with a single white dot.

His aura was terrifying, like that of a malevolent ghost, and his true strength was hard to discern.

Upon hearing his greeting, Huang Jiu merely nodded, while Zhuo Shouqing leaned in and said with a mischievous grin:

“Uncle Huang, if anything unexpected happens on Evil Sword Peak this time, we're relying on you to help me and Fourth Brother escape.”

“I know, you imp. You're really good at ordering your elders around; it's always these life-threatening tasks.”

“Heh heh, next time I'll bring you a few more pots of good wine.”

“Alright, leave it to me.”

After a few more words, Zhuo Shouqing secretly transmitted a message to him:

“Uncle Huang is a Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm expert. He's not as strong as a true Nascent Soul, but if anything unexpected happens, with his Five Ghosts Transportation divine ability, the Dark Sky Talisman Lord won't be able to stop us.”

“Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm?”

“Yes.”

Zhuo Shouqing explained to Wang Yu:

“The step of shattering the Core and forming the Nascent Soul is a point of no return. Some fail at the Core-shattering stage, thus gaining a second chance to attempt to form a Nascent Soul.

“Others encounter problems during the Nascent Soul formation: the Heavenly Nascent Soul doesn't form, the Dharma Nascent Soul doesn't manifest, and they end up with a 'dead infant'—this is what's called the Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm.

“Pseudo-Nascent Soul experts are considered the weakest form of Nascent Soul cultivators. Although their strength is many times greater than when they were at the peak of Core Formation, they are ultimately inferior to true Nascent Soul cultivators and can never progress further in their lifetime.

“The cultivation world does not recognize such beings as true Nascent Soul cultivators.”

So that's how it is.

“If there are Pseudo-Nascent Souls, are there also Pseudo-Cores?”

“There's no concept of 'true' or 'false' for Core Formation. What you're referring to is an 'External Core,' which can be achieved through artifact-path methods, pill-path methods, or special secret techniques, merely forcibly raising one's cultivation realm.

“Some suicidal cultivators use these methods to advance. As long as the materials are sufficient, they are all quick-success products, but their strength can be comparable to rogue cultivators.”

Hearing this, Wang Yu finally understood why Jin Lin had so many peak Core Formation death warriors at his command—it turns out they were mass-produced using External Core methods.

It was surprising that second-generation cultivators like Zhuo Shouqing hadn't thought of using External Core methods to gain the longevity of Core Formation cultivators.

While it was understandable for Zhuo Shouqing, who still harbored hopes of changing his fate, why Zuo Qiu Ming and Yu Xing didn't do so remained unknown.

As they were about to reach Evil Sword Peak, Wang Yu asked one last question.

“The Dark Sky Talisman Lord is your uncle, isn't he? Why are you still worried he might kill you? The reason I asked you to come was because…”

Before he could finish, Zhuo Shouqing knew what he wanted to say.

“What else could it be? It's simply that Zhuo Shouyun is more outstanding than I am. With Great Ancestor issuing the command, none of the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Zhuo clan are allowed to intervene.

“Though Luo Chen didn't say it, I know very well what he truly thought in his heart!

“In any case, now that I'm here, I'm confident we can resolve this. Has the Thunder Lord Token been shown?”

“The elders of Evil Sword Peak saw it yesterday.”

“That's good. The matter might even be simpler than expected.”

Evil Sword Peak, reached!

This peak's appearance was identical to the other eight, but its rocky slopes were studded with various sword artifacts emitting black smoke, shrouding the entire mountain in an ominous mist.

The closer they got, the clearer they could hear the clang and hum of swords.

“Let's go.”

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Senior Huang Jiu's body gradually turned transparent, transforming into a ghost-face imprint on Zhuo Shouqing's left palm.

“He will likely detect my presence, so you two should also be extra cautious.”

“Understood.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Senior.”

Outwardly, only Wang Yu and Zhuo Shouqing remained, ascending the steps. With every distance they climbed, several pairs of eyes would light up from the buildings hidden in the mist on either side of the staircase.

They silently observed the two of them.

These were all Core Formation cultivators qualified to open cave dwellings on the main peak, and they did not appear to stop them.

Soon.

At the main hall on the peak, the Evil Sword Mountain Lord's dojo, the Dark Sky Talisman Lord shared the main peak's spiritual leyline with him, while cultivators like the Nine Evil Sword Lord established their dojos in the outer regions.

When the two arrived outside the dojo at the peak, Wang Yu stepped forward and announced loudly:

“Wang Yu, candidate elder of Cold Blood Peak, has come specifically to pay respects to the Dark Sky Talisman Lord.”

The dojo remained silent, with no response.

However, the oppressive aura pervading the air quietly dissipated considerably.

“Let's go, straight inside.”

When the two entered the main hall at the peak, a figure in a black robe with flowing hair, his body wreathed in black runes, sat cross-legged on a high platform, his back to them.

Zhuo Shouqing stepped forward, bowed, and said respectfully:

“Shouqing greets uncle. This time, it's about...”

“Silence. Let him speak for himself.”

Seeing this, Wang Yu exchanged a glance with Zhuo Shouqing.

Just as he was about to speak, he felt an invisible force press down on him, holding him so tightly that he couldn't even move his feet, let alone utter a word.

Zhuo Shouqing's expression shifted slightly, and his palm involuntarily trembled, but he managed to compose himself.

(End of Chapter)