Chapter 311: Visitors to the Alchemy Hall

The slave contract had always been a thorn in Tantai Chan's side. She hadn't expected Wang Yu to ask the Blood-Eyed Demonic Dragon for it on her behalf and was speechless for a moment.

Wang Yu merely looked at her with a light smile. "I didn't ask for it," he said. "Senior Yu insisted on giving it to me. Don't think too much into it."

Tantai Chan couldn't help but throw herself at him, embracing him tightly. Her head buried into Wang Yu's neck. Though silent, he felt a warm, wet sensation on his neck. Was she crying?

Once her emotions had settled, Wang Yu took her to Cold Blood Peak, primarily because there were some matters to discuss.

Of course, Little Chan'er's gratitude was something he couldn't help but savor. This time, perhaps with her emotional burden lifted, Tantai Chan was radiant, as if transformed. Her wholehearted devotion made Wang Yu gasp in pleasure, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. The pleasure was so immense, he forgot all his worries.

After their desires were sated, they lay on the familiar bed, but Tantai Chan was entirely different. The cool demeanor she usually wore on her face was completely gone. Her entire being seemed to come alive. This shift in her mindset was purely beneficial; if she could maintain this state, her chances of forming a Golden Core would significantly increase.

"Wang Yu… how should I thank you?"

"Keep going," Wang Yu shifted his body and made a suggestive gesture with his hand, immediately causing a blush to spread across her fair skin. She obediently lowered her head, moving with serpentine grace. Wang Yu, however, continued to speak. "After gaining your freedom, I won't restrict you. You can continue as you were before… though it would be best if you maintained your master-servant relationship with Tangtang."

"Mm..." Tantai Chan raised her head, exhaling a warm breath, and asked worriedly, "If that's the case, Senior Yu... won't she have an issue with it? Or misunderstand your intentions?"

"You're overthinking it, Little Chan'er." Pinching her fair, delicate face, Wang Yu chuckled. "The past is the past, and now is now. Tangtang is a Core Formation cultivator. If not for your strong bond with her, you would have left her side long ago. What, do you think you can threaten her?"

"No... I couldn't!" Tantai Chan slapped away his mischievous hand, and while lost in thought, quickly lowered her head once more.

"Ah!"

"Slow down."

She clearly understood the underlying intention of his suggestion. It was all for the opportunity to form a Golden Core. While she could accumulate the necessary wealth herself by relying on her skills as a high-grade second-tier alchemist, the crucial element was access. Both the Core-forming Elixir and Core Formation spiritual items were exceptionally rare resources, demanding not just spirit stones but also extensive connections. She was born over a century after the Righteous-Demonic War. She was now over two hundred years old, her cultivation having reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, and she was stuck, lacking the necessary spiritual items for Core Formation. Yu Tangtang could help her resolve this, and Wang Yu was confident that Tangtang would indeed assist.

After a moment of silence, Wang Yu continued, "After you form your Core, you'll become an Elder of Cold Blood Peak. You can do as you please, and if you miss me, you're welcome to visit anytime."

Tantai Chan paused her movements upon hearing this. Though deeply moved, she mumbled, "The way you put it, it sounds like I'm just a guest and you're the host."

"Hahahaha!"

Gaining freedom was her deepest desire, so she wouldn't feel obligated to follow Wang Yu and become his maid just because he helped her. Such an outcome was usually reserved for protagonists with a "kingly aura." She had her own thoughts and feelings and wouldn't simply attach herself to him; striving for self-improvement was her true pursuit.

However, she was willing to maintain this kind of relationship with him.

He ran his right hand over his Sea Heart Ring and tossed a jade slip containing information towards her. "When you go back, please give this to Tangtang for me."

"Mm..." Tantai Chan raised her head, put the item away, then rolled over and gave him a flirtatious glance.

Wang Yu said, sighing, "Don't push yourself. Get some good rest."

With that, he turned and left the sleeping chambers. At this point, he couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship of Cold Blood Peak's construction team; their arrangements for daily living were truly first-rate.

As for the spiritual jade slip he had given to Tantai Chan, it contained information about high-grade puppet materials. He planned to refine a "Grudge Puppet." A fourth-tier Yellow Spring Demonic Bone, whose power had significantly waned, was nowhere near enough; he needed more top-tier materials to assist. Starting the collection early would save time when the actual refining began.

The Grudge Puppet Master scripture would take twenty years to fully comprehend using the "placement slot." Wang Yu intended to primarily study it on his own, only relying on the placement slot's power to overcome bottlenecks or difficulties. While this method would be much slower, it was estimated that full mastery wasn't required before beginning the refining; reaching the "Great Accomplishment" realm would suffice. Ideally, he would complete it before the decisive battle with Zhuo Shouqing, as it would be his ultimate trump card for victory!

However, since he hadn't cultivated puppet path techniques, controlling it, like his two variant zombies, would require immense spiritual sense. It would be ideal if his spiritual sense could break through to the fourth tier. If not, a peak third-tier spiritual sense would be barely enough to control an initial fourth-tier puppet. While these methods were fundamental for cultivators of the Corpse Path and Puppet Path, for him, they were secondary tools—useful but not to be solely relied upon. One must be strong oneself to achieve great things!

Therefore, after the Grudge Puppet, his focus would be on mastering various divine abilities. After this batch of elixirs was delivered at the end of the year, he would need a large quantity of ice-attribute spiritual items to cultivate abilities like the Ice Soul Divine Light, the Glazed Ice Heart Pagoda, and the Twelve Aspects of Guanghan. His need for ice-attribute spiritual items was immense; he would accept virtually anything.

In the future, after forming his Nascent Soul, he would undoubtedly journey to the Endless Ice Plains to seek opportunities. While there, he would also gather high-grade silkworm silk to find a way to repair the Three-Foot Snow, a top-tier magical robe. There was still much to do; merely refining the supreme-grade Guanghan Pill would consume a significant amount of his time. He was still too young!

After that day, no further disturbances occurred, and he cultivated peacefully for two months. When Yan Ling and the Qiao Clan arrived, he finally received the supreme-grade spiritual elixirs he had been anticipating. They then provided two types of third-tier ice-attribute spiritual materials and agreed upon next year's delivery time before leaving contentedly. Only then did they truly confirm that Wang Yu's alchemy skills had reached the supreme-grade third-tier level, and this news began to spread among interested parties.

By the end of January the following year, the Xue clan also came calling. Shamelessly, they received the Frost Snow Pill enhanced with demonic seeds, similarly delivering an ice-attribute spiritual item in return.

After this, the Chu and Ji clans of Cold Blood Peak could no longer sit idly by. They sent representatives to inquire about the situation and, incidentally, to ask if Wang Yu had the capacity to take on more orders. Wang Yu naturally accepted all requests. Cold Blood Peak was his base, and fostering many allies while minimizing enemies was his absolute top priority. Thus, even though there was competition among these clans, he agreed readily. He was no longer short on cultivation resources. However, the spiritual items required for cultivating divine abilities and magical treasures were a bottomless pit, and only Cold Blood Peak could meet his demands for ice-attribute spiritual items.

During this time, after consuming the numerous fiend-qi beads from the Burial Pit Secret Realm, the Fiend Dragon Armor successfully advanced to a mid-grade Bloodline True Artifact and made a firm stride towards becoming a high-grade one. It's worth noting that regardless of whether it's a natal magical treasure or a Bloodline True Artifact, its quality can actually surpass the owner's cultivation realm. While it cannot cross major realm barriers, reaching high-grade or even supreme-grade is possible.

Mid-February of Wang Yu's sixth year as an Elder, a group of unexpected visitors surprised Wang Yu slightly: members of the Alchemy Hall. He wondered why they were here, as he thought the Blood-Eyed Demonic Dragon had dealt with the issue. Though puzzled, Wang Yu didn't foolishly ask outright. He invited the three rather elderly alchemists into the reception hall.

"I am Chixin, currently the Ninth Elder of the Alchemy Hall."

"I am Qingsong, Thirty-fourth Elder of the Alchemy Hall."

"I am Ziyun, Thirty-sixth Elder of the Alchemy Hall."

Wang Yu greeted each of the three. The Alchemy Hall had far fewer members than a single peak, especially high-tier alchemists who reached the third tier; their numbers were quite scarce. Therefore, elder positions were ranked directly by alchemy skill. The two ranked in the thirties were unremarkable, but Chixin, ranked ninth, had at least reached high-grade third-tier mastery.

"Fellow Daoist Wang Yu, we apologize for the disturbance."

"Three elders, there's no need for formalities. Just state your business." Seeing their polite demeanor, Wang Yu suppressed his impatience and treated them with courtesy.

The three exchanged glances. Elder Ziyun, the lowest-ranking among them, spoke first. "It's like this: we've recently heard that Fellow Daoist is privately selling spiritual elixirs. Are you aware that this violates the rules established by the Alchemy Hall?"

Seeing Wang Yu frown with displeasure, Elder Ziyun quickly added, "Of course, ignorance is no offense. Fellow Daoist Wang Yu is an alchemist, and selling spiritual elixirs is perfectly natural. However, one must join our Alchemy Hall to accept private commissions..."

Wang Yu waved a hand, signaling them to stop speaking. Judging by their demeanor, he realized the Blood-Eyed Demonic Dragon must have already contacted the Alchemy Hall; otherwise, they wouldn't be so amicable. But their continued persistence genuinely puzzled him.

"Let's be direct, elders. I've risen from humble beginnings, and anyone outside can tell you my history if you simply ask. So tell me, what are the obligations of joining the Alchemy Hall, and what are the benefits?"

"Well—" Both Ziyun and Qingsong frowned.

Elder Chixin, who led the group, took the initiative to speak. "There are many benefits. After joining the Alchemy Hall, no one would dare to default on your payments. You should know that many alchemists within the sect have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous clients who later refused to pay."

"That's it?" Wang Yu replied, speechless. "When I refine elixirs, I collect payment before I even begin. So, that benefit is useless to me."

Chixin continued, "The Alchemy Hall is the most renowned among the Nine Peaks and receives countless alchemy commissions. If you join, Fellow Daoist, you would receive a share of them."

Wang Yu shook his head at this. "My energy is limited, and my priority right now is cultivation. I don't have time to refine more commissions, no matter how many there are. Even just the current requests from a few friends are already my limit."

Elder Chixin gritted his teeth, recalling the instructions from his superiors. "The Alchemy Hall possesses countless elixir formulas, and over ten ancient fourth-tier alchemy inheritances, with one even reaching the fifth tier. With your skill, Fellow Daoist, you would gain access to a fourth-tier inheritance upon joining!"