Chapter 334: Inner Victory, Outer Defeat, Healing in Blood Beast Valley

The blood lake of Drunken Immortal Lake instantly churned with colossal waves. Such a massive meteor crashing down meant that even Zhuo Shouyun could no longer pursue his target; his priority shifted to dodging the attack.

Time passed, and after the aftermath completely subsided, Zhuo Shouyun flew back, with Jian Nanxing close behind him. After a thorough search, they discovered that only two of the five cultivators who had set up the formation remained.

Zhuo Shouyun’s expression grew even grimmer. He had entered the Blood Abyss full of high spirits, proactively seeking out Wang Yu, but this was the outcome—how ironic. His pride would never allow such a crushing defeat!

“Jian Nanxing, if we find Wang Yu again, do you have the confidence to defeat him?”

“This—”

Jian Nanxing hesitated for a moment, the gruesome image of Long Xingyun flashing in his mind. He eventually answered honestly.

“A normal skirmish wouldn’t be a big problem. But if I wanted to take him down, or even further, kill him… I’m afraid I’d be outmatched! Please forgive me, Young Master Yun.”

Zhuo Shouyun’s eyes lowered, not bothering to hide his displeasure. These two were already rare talents in the world, and their abilities, along with Fu Xiao’s, were even more invaluable, especially given the need to avoid family faction members in his rivalry with Zhuo Shouqing. Their talent and aptitude were the reasons he tolerated their free will. But if they couldn’t bring him victory, his leniency would be meaningless, appearing instead as a sign of weakness.

After a moment of silence, he said, “For now, let it be…”

Just as Jian Nanxing thought Zhuo Shouyun might give up the hunt, his body stiffened abruptly. A blood tendril suddenly sprouted from his chest. Dense runes radiated from it, gradually covering his entire body. His self-will receded, and his vision was consumed by a crimson haze.

“You… you…”

Imposing coercive measures on subordinates was a traditional art of the demonic path, and Zhuo Shouyun was no exception, though his methods were more subtle and insidious. Having paid such a heavy price to hunt Wang Yu, how could he possibly give up? The sheer cost incurred could not be easily brushed aside. Not killing Wang Yu would mean a huge loss. Killing Wang Yu would mean a small loss. Trapped in this spiral of thought, Zhuo Shouyun had to muster his forces and try again.

The two late-stage Core Formation cultivators who had miraculously survived immediately knelt, shouting, “We are willing to sacrifice ourselves for you, Young Master! We will make sure Wang Yu dies a miserable death!”

However, Zhuo Shouyun did not respond to them as he had before. The blood secret technique also spread through their bodies. When his strength was insufficient, he needed his subordinates to obey him absolutely and to unite all available power. The hunting lineup had to be stronger than this one to succeed. He could not afford another misstep.

While Zhuo Shouyun was suffering defeat, the situation in the outside world was completely opposite, developing in his favor. This was about eight months prior.

The siege of Cloud City unexpectedly turned into a counter-siege. The successive retreats of Zuo Qiuming and Yu Xing completely neutralized some of Zhuo Shouqing’s trump cards, such as the fourth-tier talisman treasure in Yu Xing’s possession, which was originally intended as a hidden ace for Fu Xiao or other master cultivators.

The three forces surrounding Cloud City had committed all of Zhuo Shouqing’s resources. He had been utterly convinced of the timing of this battle, believing victory was within his grasp!

However, reality dealt him a harsh blow. The interception teams on his rear flanks never supported the main battle, and the encirclement tactic failed completely. Huang Jiu was held back by Fu Xiao’s formation power, and Huang Jiu’s personal loyalists were no match for the legitimate cultivators Zhuo Shouyun had recruited.

Moreover, the appearance of one individual completely plunged Zhuo Shouqing into despair.

“Lu Chenzhou!”

This person, who was supposed to be confined, had somehow appeared in Cloud City. Without relying on formation power, solely on his own cultivation, he fought Huang Jiu, a cultivator in the Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm, to a standstill. This showed that he had hidden a significant amount of his strength during his previous clash with Wang Yu.

When Fu Xiao redirected his efforts to the main battlefield, the advantage expanded further, and Zhuo Shouqing suffered heavy losses, with a casualty rate nearing sixty percent. Ultimately, he was forced to retreat in defeat.

At the Enforcement Hall of the Evil God Workshop, the once splendid and luxurious decor was now shattered, and cracks marred the walls. Zhuo Shouqing, eyes bloodshot and breathing heavily, muttered incessantly, “Why… why… why?!”

He couldn’t understand why the people he trusted most had betrayed him. Even if Wang Yu had left him, he refused to believe that Zuo Qiuming and Yu Xing would betray him. The three of them had forged a deep friendship since the age of six, sharing adversity and prosperity alike.

“Why did it turn out like this…”

“Because of profit! Wake up!”

The disheveled Zhuo Shouqing abruptly turned, seeing Zhuo Yuanshen, who had appeared out of nowhere, and roared in a fit of rage. “Was it you? Was it you who betrayed me?!”

Zhuo Yuanshen’s somewhat gaunt figure stood tall, his demeanor that of a highly respected elder, and his voice carried strong conviction. “Young Master Shouqing, failure isn’t terrible; what’s terrible is being completely crushed. You still have a chance…”

“A chance? What are you talking about?!”

Zhuo Yuanshen shook his head and produced an intelligence jade slip, tossing it before Zhuo Shouqing. “Take a look. This is why your two brothers betrayed you.” Zhuo Shouqing stumbled, his fingers trembling as he picked up the jade slip. As his spiritual sense touched it, a flood of information rushed into his mind.

The information on the slip had been embellished by Zhuo Yuanshen. It detailed Yu Xing’s “unhesitating” betrayal for the Sacred Blood of the Earth Emperor, and Zuo Qiuming “ordering” the killing of Zhuo Shouqing’s loyalists, choosing the secret technique offered by the enemy. Zhuo Shouqing felt a constriction in his throat, and even breathing became difficult. If he were to face such temptation, would he truly refuse?

It was important to remember that this struggle between the two Zhous was essentially about his desire to restore his incomplete Blood Spirit Root. The other party’s objective was unclear, but they had agreed. He believed Zhuo Shouyun wanted the inheritance rights of his lineage. The root of their conflict stemmed from the unwillingness of those with extraordinary backgrounds but ordinary talent to accept their limitations. They possessed unimaginable resources but struggled to advance due to their incomplete spirit roots. How could they tolerate such a situation?

Therefore, regardless of whether the details of this intelligence were flawed, the outcome made it largely authentic and credible. He then recalled Wang Yu’s judgment of Zhuo Yuanshen: “A cunning person full of ambition!”

Before Zhuo Shouqing could recover from his pain, Zhuo Yuanshen continued, “I have another plan. If you use it, you might turn the tide. If not… you’ll just have to wait for Wang Yu to emerge from the Blood Abyss.”

Zhuo Shouqing took a deep breath, like a drowning man grasping at a final straw, and said hoarsely, “Tell me.”

“Yuanshen remembers that Elder Huang Jiu is Young Master Ming’s uncle, a Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm powerhouse. He might leave due to Young Master Ming’s withdrawal. If he leaves, Young Master Qing’s chances of victory will be even lower. Why not use this method… and make the most of his value.”

Zhuo Shouqing hesitated slightly upon hearing this. But he quickly nodded, agreeing to the plan under Zhuo Yuanshen’s emotional and logical persuasion.

“Then… let’s try again.”

In the Blood Abyss Holy Land, near the core Blood Demon Sea, there was a region called the Blood Beast Valley. Wang Yu, wrapped in his Blood Sac Robe, plunged into it. This area teemed with large populations of blood beasts, making it a perfect barrier to give him ample time to heal. At this moment, he was unaware of Zhuo Shouqing’s major defeat in the outside world. If Wang Yu knew that he had trusted Zhuo Yuanshen, he would surely curse him as a useless ally. Even if he were outside and learned of Yu Xing and Zuo Qiuming’s “betrayal,” he would be helpless. After all, with his judgment of character, he had more than once advised Zhuo Shouqing to trust his two brothers. The situation had changed so rapidly that even with his thick skin, he would feel embarrassed. Fortunately, he remained unaware.

Near a den of a thousand Blood Wolves, Wang Yu temporarily opened a cave dwelling. Hidden within, he converted all six of his placement slots into the Corpse Demon Secret Technique. At six times the efficiency, he reformed three “Yin Blood Pills” in just seven days, consuming them again. His two legs recovered rapidly at a visible rate. Only his right arm was still a little short of full recovery. Therefore, he continued to accumulate the Yin Blood Secret Technique, and it took a full half month to restore himself to a complete state.

After readjusting the placement slots, Wang Yu finally relaxed, moving his slightly weakened, newly regrown limbs. He decided that after his trip to the Blood Abyss, he would find time to upgrade the highly effective Corpse Demon Secret Technique to the fourth tier. The functionality of this secret technique was truly impressive. Such severe injuries healed in half a month, and his tolerance for error in combat had significantly increased. It was a top-tier secret technique that could enhance his strength.

He was grateful to Su Yulong. Speaking of which, Su Yulong was not seen in Zhuo Shouyun’s encirclement this time. He wondered what he had been assigned to do. Having suffered such a great loss this time, Wang Yu was certain Zhuo Shouyun would return. Furthermore, he was quite interested in the slumbering Nascent Soul spiritual treasure, the Rakshasa Heavenly Demon Bell, in Zhuo Shouyun’s possession.

He had already read the spiritual sense jade slip given by Ding Ming during this period. The most valuable part was undoubtedly the Nascent Soul section of the *Rakshasa True Demon Scripture*, which required absorbing demon-slaying energy to lay the foundation for the demonic path. However, the foundational method was in the first half. It seemed to be a breakthrough technique used to refine demonic energy when breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm. In other words, this cultivation method could not be practiced without the first half. No wonder Ding Ming felt so disheartened.

As for whether the placement slots could bypass this requirement, Wang Yu thought it was not possible for now, because its cultivation method was conducted through the Nascent Soul. He didn’t even have a Nascent Soul, so no matter how heaven-defying the placement slots were, they couldn’t change this prerequisite. Once he condensed a Nascent Soul, the result would be different.

However, according to ancient records, the origin of the demonic path in this world came from various indescribable—Demons! Refining the demonic energy they overflowed was the best way to enter the demonic path, but one could usually only refine one kind, which also meant choosing a path. The Frozen Demon Qi seemed suitable for Wang Yu, but the Demon-Slaying Qi, representing the path of the heart, was also a power worth coveting. If he truly had to choose… it would be extremely difficult.

Fortunately, there was no rush yet. He would only face this choice when he broke through to the Nascent Soul realm. There would be a way when the time came, as his understanding of demonic energy was too shallow. At this stage, he couldn’t access such secrets. When his cultivation realm was higher, he would naturally learn what he needed to know through the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. There was no need to rush.

Putting away the jade slip containing the *Rakshasa True Demon Scripture*, Wang Yu still needed some time to recover.