Chapter 295: Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, Finalizing Golden Sword City

Like magma meeting ice water, the death ray’s touch caused the Yin-Yang Sect Master's phantom to rapidly dissipate, evaporating into a multitude of spiritual particles.

The opponent would naturally not sit idly by; the phantom began to rotate. The Yin-Yang light pillar swept across. Where it passed, there was no cataclysmic explosion, but rather everything dissolved into silent oblivion. The Yin-Yang divine light, seemingly capable of disintegrating all, turned anything it touched into dust-like powder, which was then carried skyward by violent gusts of wind. The scene was terrifying.

Wang Yu's Aurora Escape technique could only be sustained for a few seconds; he hadn't yet mastered it for prolonged use. After gliding a certain distance, he saw the accursed light pillar pursuing him. He suddenly ascended, and the moment he swept past the spiritual phantom's head, his right hand thrust forward decisively. Killing Fist unleashed!

Already severely eroded by the Soul-Destroying Death Ray, the spiritual phantom violently dissipated under the impact of this final blow. It was utterly helpless.

At this moment, a powerful spiritual sense surged from Wang Yu's glabella. This was his countermeasure, as he had detected the opponent's lingering power attempting to mark him. As his lips curled into a smile, the Heaven Soul Sect's advanced spiritual sense technique once again proved invaluable: —Golden Cicada Sheds its Shell! Using his spiritual sense as a decoy, he actively accepted the mark, then swiftly shed the outermost layer of his spiritual sense. This shed layer transformed into a slowly dissipating spiritual arrow, which he directed further to the east. That direction… was towards the Yellow Springs Temple. Given the amount of spiritual sense, it would easily last three or four days, allowing him to further misdirect them.

“Heh heh~”

After his spiritual sense formed a shielding field, ensuring that the spiritual probes from another battlefield wouldn't detect him, Wang Yu unleashed a strike. Yellow Springs Great Hand Seal! A pure Yellow Springs aura surged towards the unconscious Wen Hua. Under the cleansing of the Yellow Springs turbid current, his body, like flesh immersed in a powerful solvent, was completely washed away. Nothing remained but a single, brightly gleaming storage ring. Wang Yu was even more pleased by this sight.

After ensuring only a faint trace of Yellow Springs aura remained, he turned and flew towards the sword cultivator surnamed Qiao. Given the short distance, he reached his destination in no time.

Meanwhile, the two other reinforcements summoned by Wang Yu were already embroiled in battle with two late-stage Core Formation elders. The sword cultivator surnamed Qiao, who had earlier been trapped by the black water jar, had also successfully broken free. Although severely wounded, he was temporarily out of mortal danger.

The moment Wang Yu appeared, the two elders immediately cast ferocious gazes his way, their expressions blustering as they demanded, “What have you done to the Young Sect Master? Where is he?!”

Wang Yu transmitted a message to his three allies via spiritual sense, while simultaneously speaking aloud. “He is, naturally, dead… Attack!”

While the opponents were still reeling, the Soul-Destroying Death Ray shot out, targeting the elder on the left. The ink-black beam carried a will to utterly extinguish all life. Such an overtly direct, yet opportunistic, attack would theoretically be difficult to succeed, but the presence of allies made it an exception.

The elder regained his composure and immediately manipulated the black water jar to defend himself. Unexpectedly, the sword cultivator surnamed Qiao transformed into a streak of sword light and charged out. His Cold Blood Sword rapidly enlarged, and with a single upward slash, he knocked the jar flying, revealing a triumphant smile. “Die, you old cur!”

His companion attempted to lend aid, but was likewise intercepted by the other two. As a result, the elder bathed in the black light could only desperately twist his body, attempting to evade with a sophisticated escape technique. However, the Soul-Destroying Death Ray arrived in the blink of an eye. He only managed a desperate side-step, allowing a mere third of his body to escape the blast. However, the remaining two-thirds, though seemingly unscathed by the death ray's illumination, had in reality lost all sensation, as if they were no longer part of his physical body. No matter how he willed it, he couldn't move them! In truth, the portions of his soul corresponding to these two-thirds of his body had already been infected by the death ray and were progressively vanishing. If he failed to remove this power, he would ultimately die from soul disintegration. With his late Core Formation stage strength, he certainly possessed the ability to resist the Soul-Destroying Death Ray. However, he had no time!

After his strike, Wang Yu rapidly closed in. Divine power coalesced in his feet, and with a thunderous boom that seemed to explode the very air, a Blood Qi-transformed Yin Nether Demonic Dragon roared forth. Hundreds of meters long, the dragon struck the elder and instantly propelled him towards the sword cultivator surnamed Qiao, as if kicking a ball. Now it was Qiao's turn to act. “Hahahaha, glorious!”

Sword aura solidified into a sharp edge, piercing through the elder's back of the head with a sickening sound. With a flick of the blade, his skull instantly split in two. The sword cultivator surnamed Qiao then activated his Core Plucking Hand technique. From behind, he swiftly extracted the elder's golden core. Streams of chilling sword qi swiftly sealed the golden core. In just a few exchanges, under the exquisite cooperation of the two, the elder met his end on the spot. This was the true power of an inner sect Core Formation cultivator from an overlord force.

On the other side, upon witnessing his companion's death, the second elder's first reaction was not vengeance, but escape! This group was too formidable; it was almost certain they were direct descendants of the Nine Peaks of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect. He had only barely broken through to the seventh layer of Core Formation by virtue of his longevity. He had already exhausted his potential, unlike these cultivators who could at least attempt to reach the Nascent Soul stage. The gap in potential was one thing, but the disparity in combat power was even more striking. If they were all at the seventh layer of Core Formation, one of them could easily take on four elders.

Seeing himself about to be encircled by the four, he let out a fierce howl towards the sky. The black water jar spun above his head, spewing forth vast quantities of black water. His own figure, however, merged into the water, attempting to break through in all directions. His deceptive abilities were quite effective.

Unfortunately, he encountered Wang Yu, who once again employed his Spiritual Sense Thread Transformation technique. “Secret Art: Myriad Miles Manifestation!” The unique black-and-white perspective seemed to strip away all worldly interference. The surging black water transformed into hazy white in his sight, and within it, a black human figure was moving rapidly. “Found you.”

This time, Wang Yu did not act personally. Instead, he transmitted the visual to his two companions, who immediately understood and each unleashed their personal magic treasures. “Ice Prison Seal: Ice Seal Across a Myriad Miles!” “Yin Fiend Blade: Nine Fiend Slash!” The former was a personal magic treasure, while the latter was a personal divine ability amplified by the magic treasure's power. A seal engraved with an ice dragon descended from the sky, and the black water below instantly froze solid. The elder, who had been swimming amidst the water, was also trapped in the ice, his face betraying utter despair.

Just then, a black fiend blade struck with a reverse slash, effortlessly slicing the elder's body in half. The blade's aura, charged with intense fiendish energy, spontaneously surged into his golden core. It utterly corroded the Golden Core's inherent indestructibility, eliminating any possibility of the elder's soul surviving. Both these divine abilities were quite impressive.

After confirming no one survived, the four gathered for the first time. The three allies immediately bowed and spoke. “Qiao Yu of Cold Blood Peak, greetings, Candidate Elder.” “Chu Jun of Cold Blood Peak, greetings, Candidate Elder.” “Yang Xiong of Cold Blood Peak, greetings, Candidate Elder.”

Such was the power of authority. He even had Zhuo Shouqing to thank for securing him such a significant title. Of these three, the first two were members of the family faction. Yang Xiong was the one who cultivated the Yin Fiend Blade Art. He belonged to the master-disciple faction, having apprenticed under a peak Core Formation elder. He had since completed his apprenticeship and currently had no Nascent Soul ancestor above him. However, he maintained close ties with the disciples and grand-disciples of the Cold Blood Mountain Lord. Wang Yu nodded in acknowledgment. “I am Wang Yu. You may address me as Elder Wang. This is not the place for discussion; perhaps we can adjourn to Fellow Daoist Qiao Yu's Golden Sword City?”

“That was precisely my thought.”

“Indeed.”

“Then I, Qiao, will take the liberty of hosting you all.”

The cities governed by Qiao Yu, Chu Jun, and Yang Xiong were not far apart, suggesting they were already acquainted. With Wang Yu present, there was no need to fear any conflicts. Given the situation with the Yin-Yang Sect, the four certainly needed to confer. The Yin-Yang Sect was a power in Liuju State, and since these cultivators operated in this region, they would inevitably have dealings with Tianbao City. They were likely quite familiar with the Yin-Yang Sect and most likely recognized them during the battle. Since they hadn't stopped fighting, each of them must have their own objectives. Especially Qiao Yu, who hadn't given up despite his severe injuries. The initial agreement of three hundred thousand spirit stones would likely prove insufficient.

After clearing the battlefield, all spoils of war were temporarily handed over to Wang Yu.

Half a day later, the four temporarily settled in Golden Sword City.

At the Golden Sword City Lord's Manor.

After Wang Yu had inspected the contents of the two elders' storage rings, he pushed them back, untouched, in front of the three. At the same time, he took out nine hundred thousand spirit stones and divided them into three equal portions. He said, “This time, I am indebted to your strong support. This is the compensation we agreed upon earlier. As for the storage rings of these two late-stage Core Formation elders, you may divide them among yourselves.” Among them were at least two high-grade magic treasures. Although they were personal magic items and thus slightly discounted in value, they could still fetch five to six hundred thousand spirit stones. Not to mention the other magic treasures, spiritual items, and various other gains. They had clearly seen that Wang Yu hadn't removed anything from the storage rings after he took them. Such sincerity was truly rare.

Before they could respond, Wang Yu continued. “You must have recognized them as members of the Yin-Yang Sect. Offending them carries certain risks for you all.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Jun hesitated before speaking. “Elder Wang, I previously heard that elder mention a ‘Young Sect Master’... was that him?”

“That’s right.” Wang Yu nodded in affirmation but did not reveal anything about the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng. “I have a personal vendetta against him. Now that I, this elder, have caught him, I will certainly take his life. As for the Yin-Yang Sect Master’s involvement, as long as you remain silent, no one will know it was our doing.”

Qiao Yu, Chu Jun, and Yang Xiong fell silent. The three wore varied expressions. So this was hush money? Having offended a Nascent Soul cultivator, returning to Liuju State was certainly out of the question. They could only hope that what Wang Yu had said was true. Judging from such a generous gesture, individuals like Wang Yu were truly rare within the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect. A willingness to share spoils of war already marked him as an enlightened leader. For now, he could be trusted!

After the spoils were distributed, Wang Yu and the others remained. While Qiao Yu entered seclusion to recover from his injuries, Chu Jun and Yang Xiong separately approached Wang Yu with further requests. Chu Jun, a member of the Chu clan from Cold Blood Peak, had but one objective: to follow Wang Yu once his term as City Lord concluded. Such was the allure of a Candidate Elder! Yang Xiong's intention was quite similar. However, he desired a highly stable cultivation environment. Under a patronage model, he would be provided with a certain amount of cultivation resources, and in return, he would assist with tasks within his capabilities. Furthermore, with only a little over a decade left in Yang Xiong's term, this matter was pressing. Wang Yu naturally agreed and planned to station him in Guiling City.