Chapter 318: Blood Abyss Awakens, Situ Hong's Favor

“Hey, you, have you forgotten Guiling City?”

Zuoqiu Ming punched Wang Yu the moment they met.

It wasn’t a hard punch, just a way to vent his frustration. Wang Yu had been gone for over six years, which genuinely bewildered Zuoqiu Ming. No matter how prosperous Guiling City was, it was nowhere near as convenient as the Sacred Sect mountain gate.

Not only had he waited anxiously with no news, but he also learned from Zhuo Shouqing that Wang Yu was going into the Blood Abyss for thirty years. By the time Wang Yu returned, he would be two hundred years old.

How could he tolerate that?

Wang Yu chuckled awkwardly, spreading his hands as he explained.

“Isn’t this to help Zhuo Shouqing? You wouldn’t want Second Brother to die at Zhuo Shouyun’s hands, would you? Among his people, only I am capable of handling this.”

Zuoqiu Ming opened his mouth, then finally let out a long sigh.

He said dejectedly, “You’re right. Here’s this storage bag; all the spirit stones earned by Guiling City during this time are in it.”

“Thank you.”

Wang Yu accepted it without hesitation. In just six short years, over 1.3 million spirit stones had been earned again. It truly lived up to its name as a spirit-producing mechanism, highly prolific.

This amount hadn't reached its limit yet; once the alchemists and Core Formation experts he’d sent over began to operate effectively, the spirit stones earned could still increase further.

Seeing the two so familiar with each other, Zhuo Shouqing quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

As for Yu Xing, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, his relationship with Wang Yu had always been ordinary. He mostly followed the two brothers’ lead, not wanting to be left behind. In the developments over the years, he was also the one who contributed the least. “Wang Yu,” he said, “your reputation has grown considerably these past few years. You’ve done well.”

Though seemingly a compliment, the words carried a distinct air of superiority. Wang Yu’s brows furrowed slightly, but he tolerated it.

“Brother Yu, you flatter me,” Wang Yu replied. “Since everyone is here, let’s have a proper discussion.”

Zhuo Shouqing nodded and led the two into the cave dwelling.

In the reception hall, after activating the array, Zhuo Shouqing recounted everything that had happened recently, explaining their plan.

The three brothers had shared joys and sorrows for many years, their bond being something ordinary people could hardly imagine. Even though Wang Yu had nominally joined them, in reality, he still couldn’t compare to any of them.

This was human nature, and there was nothing to be dissatisfied about.

“So, that’s roughly the situation, Old Yu, Third Brother,” Zhuo Shouqing said. “What do you two think?”

Zuoqiu Ming was as straightforward as ever.

“I have no objections, Fourth Brother,” he stated. “Regardless of any contract, I certainly recognize you as a friend.”

“That’s great then.”

Wang Yu chuckled, raising his cup in a toast.

He knew Zuoqiu Ming wouldn’t refuse. It was Yu Xing’s choice that was uncertain, and he was crucial to this four-person negotiation.

The Styx Contract would not be dissolved if even one person disagreed. Coercion and inducements were useless; consent had to come from the heart.

After a moment of silence, Yu Xing spoke cautiously, “Shouqing, can you tell me about the new contract you plan to sign afterward? It’s not that I distrust Wang Yu, but as brothers, we don’t want to see you suffer a loss.”

Outwardly, there seemed to be nothing wrong with his words.

However, both Wang Yu and Zhuo Shouqing felt a pang in their chests. Given the recent string of schemes from Zhuo Shouyun, it was impossible for their relationship to be exactly as it was before.

Huang Jiu’s constant presence as his escort was proof of this!

Wang Yu understood him, and he understood Wang Yu.

Without the binding of contracts and shared interests, parting ways would be the best outcome. He had failed to uphold the initial principle of opening his heart to Wang Yu, whereas Zuoqiu Ming and Wang Yu had a very strong bond.

Old Ming and Wang Yu could trust each other even without a contract.

He couldn't!

Yu Xing’s words seemed to put the rift back out in the open; that was just his character.

Zhuo Shouqing said with a hint of helplessness, “Wang Yu only made one condition: once inside the Blood Abyss, my needs would be the primary guiding principle for his actions. When we emerge from the Blood Abyss, the new contract will terminate.”

“Zhuo Shouyun and I will also decisively settle our dispute, whether it’s life or death. Regardless of the outcome, everything should come to a definite conclusion.”

“Very well then.”

After hearing his explanation, Yu Xing eventually nodded. He had to consider Zhuo Shouqing to some extent.

Next, regarding the new contract, Yu Xing subtly modified some clauses, turning lenient conditions and ambiguous phrasing into mandatory terms.

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, staring at Yu Xing for a moment. As the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, he still nodded. This was the last time he would settle a debt!

Once the new contract was signed, both Zhuo Shouqing and he simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

“Happy cooperation.”

“Mhm.”

That night, a banquet was held as usual. Aside from the lack of special services from courtesans, it was no different from before.

Zuoqiu Ming specifically sought him out to discuss the arrangements for Guiling City. He had left a few trusted subordinates there for oversight, while the main authority was handed over to True Master Qingyang.

Wang Yu had no objections to this; he still had some trust in Qingyang.

“Oh, and by the way, the Blood Abyss trial is extremely dangerous. This is my Zuoqiu clan’s intelligence on the Blood Abyss. Study it carefully and don’t be careless.”

“Thank you, Brother Ming is always reliable,” Wang Yu said.

Wang Yu, with a wide smile, took the intelligence jade slip, which slightly annoyed Zuoqiu Ming. “You rascal,” he grumbled, “it’s always ‘Brother Ming’ when you need something, but you’re nowhere to be seen when everything’s fine.”

With a playful shove, Zuoqiu Ming then took out a black talisman with blood-red patterns and handed it to him, instructing seriously, “This is a Blood Abyss Sacred Talisman. Nascent Soul disciples and their descendants who participate will each be given one. If you encounter a fatal crisis, you can instantly teleport out of the Blood Abyss with this item.”

“After activation, there’s about a three-breath activation time. You must seize the moment to use it, prioritizing your life above all else.”

“This—”

Wang Yu hesitated. He hadn’t expected Zuoqiu Ming to prepare something like this for him. Yu Xing wanted him to fight desperately, but Zuoqiu Ming wanted him to live.

Comparing the two, their personality differences were immediately apparent.

Patting his shoulder, he concluded, “The Blood Abyss Sacred Talisman’s effect has been verified by many people. Even if the Blood Abyss closes, it can still forcibly teleport you out, appearing randomly at the entrance of the rift passage. Be mindful of that.”

“I understand.”

“Everything that needed to be said has been said. I hope we’ll meet again.”

“Don’t worry, we definitely will.”

Not long after seeing Zuoqiu Ming off, Wang Yu sat down cross-legged to prepare for cultivation, when unexpectedly, Zhuo Shouqing stealthily came over as well.

“Wang Yu, there are some things you need to prepare before entering the Blood Abyss. I’ve prepared them all for you.”

“Come in and tell me.”

“Alright.”

After entering the room, Zhuo Shouqing started taking items out one by one, explaining each as he did.

“This is the Zhuo clan’s intelligence on the Blood Abyss. You need to study it carefully; I’ve marked all the particularly important areas.”

It was a similar intelligence jade slip, with some differences in the information recorded, but generally the same. Wang Yu was quite satisfied.

Next was the second spiritual item.

As Zhuo Shouqing introduced it, his voice grew somber.

“This is the Heaven-and-Earth Sealing Talisman. It can seal spatial displacement abilities, including those of the Fourth Tier. If you encounter Zhuo Shouyun and are confident you can capture him alive, don’t hesitate; act decisively.”

“Good!”

This talisman was different from the Blood Abyss Sacred Talisman; it had a purple base with silver patterns. Just holding it gave a sense of heaviness and strong spatial fluctuations. It was a single-use spiritual item.

Wang Yu couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

As expected of the Three Great Clans; even a ‘good-for-nothing’ young master could possess treasures of this caliber. They truly couldn’t be underestimated. Zhuo Shouqing must have paid a considerable price to obtain this item.

If it hadn’t been for the battle at Evil God’s Workshop, which revealed his true strength, he certainly wouldn’t have produced it so easily.

After these two items were presented, it was time for the final one.

Wang Yu had expected it to be another Blood Abyss Sacred Talisman, but it wasn’t. His eyebrow subtly arched, and he regarded the spiritual item with interest.

He thought to himself, it seemed Zhuo Shouqing and Yu Xing had the same idea: they both wanted him to fight desperately against Zhuo Shouyun in the Blood Abyss, and for that, they wished him to have no escape route.

Although he had anticipated this, he still felt a degree of disappointment.

Getting back to the transaction itself, “This is the Blood Sack Robe!”

“In the Blood Abyss, ordinary concealment techniques are largely ineffective. The blood beasts and blood slaves there possess extremely potent sensory instincts.”

“Once you enter, it will mean battle after battle.”

“If you’re accidentally injured, the very ground there will forcibly drain your blood, not only making wounds difficult to heal but also attracting a large number of blood-path creatures.”

“This robe is made from the skin of a blood-path creature. It can buy you time to rest and recover, but it can only be activated with blood-path magic power.”

“Once inside, you must quickly obtain blood crystals from blood beasts to serve as the Blood Sack Robe’s energy source. Be extremely careful not to damage this robe, or you might not be able to last thirty years.”

The Blood Sack Robe appeared to be crafted from human skin, pale red in color, adorned with numerous wailing grey human faces. It felt incredibly slick to the touch, with a faint warmth.

It was profoundly sinister.

However, Zhuo Shouqing’s preparations were quite thorough. Aside from not providing Wang Yu with a retreat, everything else he needed had been prepared.

At this moment, he thought of Zuoqiu Ming. Zuoqiu Ming had given him a Blood Abyss Sacred Talisman, likely guessing that Zhuo Shouqing would act this way.

After the explanations, the two chatted briefly before taking their leave.

Wang Yu then began studying the intelligence from both clans. As the latter half of the night approached dawn, seeing no sign of Yu Xing, he finally let go of his expectations.

He sat down diligently to cultivate, continuing to refine the high-grade Guanghan Pill within his body. The refinement of this pill had quietly taken quite some time.

With the Blood Abyss about to open, he had no plans to go out again. He focused primarily on cultivation, intensely pushing the progress of his Minor Asura Killing Fist. Ever since his last battle with Lu Chenzhou, and his accidental comprehension of Blood Killing Intent, his cultivation of divine abilities had entered a fast lane, much like when he previously meditated on the Tablet of Killing Intent. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before he truly reached the perfected realm.

Its power would once again ascend to a new level.

And so, as the three young masters of the Rebellious Spirit Blood Sect left one after another, the entire sect entered a state of preparation for the Blood Abyss. The return of numerous direct lineage experts made the mountain gate increasingly lively.

Two years passed in a flash.

During this period, Situ Hong, whom he hadn’t seen for some time, actively came to visit. Wang Yu had owed him two favors when he was weaker, and now Situ Hong sought him out regarding the Blood Abyss.

More precisely, it was about the Peach Ghost Matron!

The Peach Ghost Matron would be participating in this Blood Abyss trial, and Situ Hong hoped Wang Yu could help him slay this fiend, thus helping him escape his status as a Star Slave.

Situ Hong now also possessed a cultivation base at the third level of Foundation Establishment, though his hair had considerably whitened.