Chapter 360: Blood Pool Baptism

Wang Yu temporarily cleared out slots 5, 6, and 7, as both the Human Pill Arts and Blood Pill Arts are third-tier alchemy inheritances. Achieving full mastery would normally take forty years. However, by artificially refining their content to a second-tier level of profundity, it would only take three years.

Wang Yu still valued these inheritances. After all, they were indispensable for him to perfectly utilize the five Heavenly Demons, so he could only take his time with them. Within ten years at most, they could be improved to a usable level. Furthermore, even if they were only at first or second-tier proficiency, he could still make use of them. Wang Yu possessed an immense number of Golden Cores, certainly dozens, possibly close to a hundred. They were all excellent primary ingredients, and perhaps the method to enhance his magical power would still rely on the Human Pill Arts.

In the following days, Wang Yu also placed the Cold Dragon Alchemy Art into the placement slots. He paused his focus on combat-related divine abilities, prioritizing the enhancement of his crafting and technical skills.

More than half a month later, the Coldblood Peak Elder Council meeting began as scheduled!

The meeting's purpose was naturally the Blood Pool Baptism. As per tradition, the baptism site was located near the Nine-Thousand-Foot Blood Pool behind the Blood Demon Hall, drawing a portion of the Blood Dao's essence as a catalyst. Supplemented by Blood Beast Cores hunted by cultivators, it formed blood pools of various sizes. The extent of benefits one could gain depended entirely on how many cores a cultivator could obtain.

The meeting was actually convened to discuss the upper limit for participation. After all, this wasn't the first time cultivators had entered the Blood Abyss Holy Land. Members of various family and master-disciple factions had accumulated a significant number of Blood Beast Cores. Some were from the last trial, some from the one before, and even earlier ones. The cores accumulated over time represented an astronomical figure. Therefore, it was crucial to discuss the upper limit for the Blood Pool Baptism, as it was impossible to simply drain the Nine-Thousand-Foot Blood Pool dry. That was a treasure belonging to the sect's ancestors; being able to share even a sliver of it was already quite good.

Coldblood Peak, Elder Hall.

Seated in the highest hall of power on the peak, Wang Yu once again saw the Grand Elder and other key figures. This time, the Coldblood Mountain Lord and the Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch were also present. The Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch's appearance was somewhat beyond Wang Yu's expectations. This was an extremely gaunt, almost skeletal being, over two meters tall, who walked in as if a fiend had crawled out of the underworld. The exposed parts of his body were covered in blue demonic patterns. His eyes were like ice crystals, with pupils like white dots; an unintentional glance from him could send shivers down one's spine, making him truly eerie.

As soon as the Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch entered, his gaze naturally settled on Wang Yu. When he reached Wang Yu's side, he deliberately paused. His voice was hoarse, as if carrying an endless chill. Yet, the words he spoke were thought-provoking.

"Seventh Elder, you are quite good," he rasped. "This Monarch believes we can increase the quantity of our pill cooperation with the Ji family. Otherwise, how can we truly distinguish the hierarchy among the four Coldblood clans? What are your thoughts?"

Though his words sounded like a discussion, they actually carried a hint of unchallengeable authority. At this crucial moment of discussion in the Elder Hall, Wang Yu's response—whether he yielded, resisted, or remained unyielding to either approach—would be very telling. It would determine if his title of Seventh Elder would truly be worthy of its name in the future. Especially with the Coldblood Mountain Lord also present, how to respond required careful consideration.

Wang Yu was no stranger to the domineering nature of Nascent Soul cultivators, having experienced it from Elder Xuanyan in the Thunderfall Pit years ago to the Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch now. They almost always spoke with an unquestionable tone. Their authoritative stance was clearly asserted.

While contemplating, Wang Yu quickly responded, "Since the Demon Monarch has spoken, Wang Yu is naturally willing to deepen cooperation with the Ji family, but..." Midway through his sentence, Wang Yu changed his tone. "It's just that I still have a commission from Senior Blood-Eyed Demonic Flood Dragon, which will likely take over ten years to complete before I can accept any further alchemy commissions."

Stating his position while leveraging his powerful backing from the "back mountain" was his usual negotiation tactic. Even if there was dissatisfaction, it was difficult to express. After all, you couldn't expect a powerful grand cultivator to queue up behind you. The principle of "first come, first served" still held sway.

Seeing the Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch frustrated, the Coldblood Mountain Lord felt much more at ease. Since Wang Yu had not sided with either party, he was even less anxious. "Heavenly Frost, let's start the meeting first," he interjected. "We can discuss these private matters later."

"Hmph—"

The conference table was rectangular, with the two Nascent Soul cultivators seated at either end, and Wang Yu along with the other twelve elders seated along the sides. He blended into the ranks of the Zuoqiu clan elders, paying no mind to the gazes of others.

The Grand Elder initiated the discussion. "Regarding the Blood Pool Baptism," he began, "the Blood Demon Hall has scheduled it for seven days from now. According to the ranking of the nine peaks, the upper limit set for Coldblood Peak can only be below that of Blood Underworld Peak and Heavenly Corpse Peak. Blood Underworld Peak set a limit of 10,000 Blood Beast Cores per person, with no fixed quality. Heavenly Corpse Peak set a limit of 9,000 Blood Beast Cores per person. Following this pattern, by the time it reaches Evil God Peak, only a limit of 2,000 cores remains. Should we suggest raising it, or perhaps lowering it further?"

This meeting seemed to be unnecessary. However, Coldblood Peak was ranked third internally, which significantly influenced the peaks below it. If their limit was set higher, the subsequent peaks would receive more benefits. If it was set lower, the more severe the impact would be on those further down the rankings. This was also a game of exchanging benefits and negotiation.

And so, Wang Yu then observed the eleven elders, each performing their duties, beginning to contact the fourth-ranked Evil Sword Peak using transmission jade slips, thus commencing a fierce debate. For every hundred cores the limit was raised, benefits had to be extracted from Evil Sword Peak, which perfectly aligned with his stereotypical view of demon sects.

As he was new, he knew few people from the other peaks. Even fewer were in high positions. He sat idly for a full hour. After the other elders finished their discussions, they then fiddled with their transmission jade slips again, initiating arguments with the sect's fifth-ranked Gu Poison Peak. Judging by this stance, they intended to extort every peak ranked below them.

However, this type of influence always meant that the higher-ranked peak held the most power; the further down the list, the fewer benefits and resources Coldblood Peak could extract. There were still so many peaks in between them. There would definitely be dissatisfied parties wanting to transfer their losses to the next in line. The elder councils of each peak were not fools, which meant they would gain the most benefits from Evil Sword Peak! In the end, the unluckiest and most heavily impacted would be Evil God Peak. No wonder it grew weaker with each development. This was only one of the exploitation methods Wang Yu had witnessed; there were many more he hadn't seen. This year, Xie Xie'an had offended everyone again. He would probably lose so much that he'd spit blood just to maintain the quality of the Blood Pool Baptism. Of course, Evil God Peak could also choose to fight to the death, depending on whether they could control the extent of it.

While others were busy with their verbal battles, Wang Yu leaned boredly on his high chair. Occasionally, the Zuoqiu clan elders would speak to him, asking for his opinion. What could Wang Yu do? He simply nodded, saying "Yes, yes, yes!" and that was that.

It took a full day and night to nearly finalize the "tributes" from each peak. Only then did the Grand Elder address the Mountain Lord and Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch. "Our peak will set the upper limit at 8,999. What do you two think?"

"Acceptable."

Evidently, what Evil Sword Peak offered was worth the price.

The meeting concluded. Wang Yu greeted everyone and withdrew; such meetings were a true waste of his time, and experiencing one was quite enough. In a blink of an eye, the day of the Blood Pool Baptism arrived as scheduled.

Behind the Blood Demon Hall, the Nine-Thousand-Foot Blood Pool cascaded from high above, forming a pure blood lake on the ground. It was Wang Yu's first time observing the Nine Palaces Demonic Star Flying Array here from such close proximity. It drew in the power of demonic stars descending from the celestial constellations. This formed meteorite-like orbs, about the size of an egg, but the pure demonic energy contained within was startling. These were indispensable cultivation resources for Demonic Nascent Soul cultivators.

During Nascent Soul formation, Demonic Nascent Soul cultivators required source demonic energy corresponding to their cultivation method to combine with their magic power, giving birth to a more advanced, higher-quality Demonic Essence! To strengthen the Demonic Essence, however, there were no specific requirements regarding the type of demonic energy. Demonic energy was a form of assimilation of the world's spiritual energy, caused by the power of ancient demons. This was due to the sealed grounds of various ancient demons being spread throughout this world. Thus, there was actually sparse demonic energy in the air, but it was too dilute to satisfy the daily cultivation needs of Demonic Nascent Soul cultivators. Therefore, most had arranged Heaven-Earth Demonic Essence arrays within their cave dwellings!

The star cores formed by condensed demonic star power were considered one of the common resources among Demonic Nascent Soul cultivators, their value comparable to top-grade spirit stones. The catalyst used for the Blood Pool Baptism was, in fact, the consumption of star cores to activate the latent Blood Dao power within Blood Beast Cores, ultimately creating a baptism opportunity. Only Core Formation cultivators could withstand it; any weaker and there was a risk of demonization and loss of sanity.

When all the cultivators from the nine peaks had gathered, the total number of people was just over three hundred. Xie Xie'an, Zhuo Shouyun, Ding Ming, Yan Ling, Wei Hao, and others had all arrived, forming a majestic crowd around the base of the waterfall. Those who knew each other naturally formed small circles to converse. From a distance, Wang Yu exchanged a glance with Zhuo Shouyun. There was no tension; the other party even nodded and smiled at him in a friendly manner, which left Wang Yu somewhat puzzled. Fu Xiao had helped Zhuo Shouyun so significantly; it seemed impossible that Zhuo Shouyun wouldn't help Fu Xiao cause trouble for him. Could it be that his identity as Seventh Elder was already having an effect? After much thought, however, with too little information, he couldn't deduce anything conclusive.

Nevertheless, after the Blood Pool Baptism, Zhuo Shouyun would definitely have to return to the Ghost Fang Zhuo clan. With Zhuo Shouqing and Zhuo Yuanshen planning something unknown, he would certainly have to go back to truly resolve this matter. According to the oral decree of the Zhuo clan's Fiery Ancestor, one of the two parties had to die for the conflict to end, a fate that neither could avoid.

Wang Yu withdrew his gaze.

The more than three hundred people stood for almost half an hour before someone descended from the Blood Demon Hall. He was clad in full golden-red armor, with even his head completely covered. A blood-red cape billowed behind him in the wind. His entire body emanated the terrifying oppressive aura of a late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivator. The expressions of those present changed dramatically, and most immediately knelt down. It was a great embarrassment, but fortunately, the oppressive aura was released and withdrawn instantly. It only lasted for a brief moment, but the effect was remarkable. Everyone quieted down, looking at this domineering figure.

"I am the Grand Captain of the Blood God Guard," he announced. "Now... you are to stand according to the ranking of your nine peaks. Do not stand with people from other peaks."

The deterrent effect was significant, and all three hundred-plus people became obedient.

The Blood God Guard was an elite force under the Blood Demon Hall's command, or rather, an army controlled by the Sect Master, and also the strongest force in the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. It had played crucial roles multiple times in the Righteous-Demonic War. Their exact numbers were unknown, but rumors claimed it could easily wipe out one of the nine peaks, serving as an important leverage for the Sect Master to maintain his rule and the sharpest sword in his hand. Generally, they were only deployed for significant battle achievements or in times of life-or-death crisis. They typically cultivated in the secret realm within the Blood Demon Hall, rarely venturing out. For the time being, this information was not important.

As everyone lined up, the Grand Captain of the Blood God Guard waved his hand, and empty pools appeared both in the sky and on the ground, divided into nine directions. The pools for each peak were separate and arranged from largest to smallest. An empty pool also appeared before Wang Yu, intended for his baptism.

"Now, throw in all the Blood Beast Cores you've prepared."

The cores he had accumulated in the Blood Abyss numbered well over tens of thousands. Given the set upper limit, he could only try to use the highest-tier cores he possessed, such as a fourth-tier Blood Scorpion King's core and a large number of peak third-tier cores. Even with 8,999 cores, Wang Yu could only partially fill his pool; the remaining gap had to be filled with ordinary third-tier cores. Even so, he wasn't the most extravagant. Almost every member of the Blood Pavilion from Blood Underworld Peak had a fourth-tier Blood Beast Core, and their leader even produced three, drawing sidelong glances from everyone.

"Damn rich bastards!" He cursed inwardly, certain that these cores were provided by their backing families. Indeed, having powerful connections allowed them to do as they pleased. Fortunately, his own cores were not inferior.

Once everyone had finished depositing their Blood Beast Cores, the Grand Captain of the Blood God Guard drew a demonic star core from the blood lake, and streams of energy, like stellar ribbons, flowed into the various pools. The Blood Dao power rapidly increased, filling the pools in the blink of an eye.

"—Enter!"

The moment he jumped into the blood pool, Wang Yu felt an overwhelmingly domineering force surge into his body. His Ice Soul Sacred Demonic Scripture and Underworld Demonic Dragon Art spontaneously began to circulate wildly. The power contained within the Blood Pool Baptism continuously flushed through his body, enhancing his flesh, muscles, bones, and meridian strength. Even more profound was the vitality within it. It could repair hidden injuries within a cultivator's body, nourish life essence, and compensate for unnaturally depleted lifespan. This reminded Wang Yu of the mysteries of Blood Pill Arts.

Both involved the use of Blood Dao power. The Blood Pool Baptism was clearly more advanced; it penetrated every minute part of the body, helping the recipient complete deficiencies. It even strengthened physical potential, forcibly elevating Wang Yu's already peak third-tier physique, which had reached its limit, by another level. This was a foundational-level enhancement. It was definitely a rare and great opportunity! It might not be as good as a Dragon Vein Baptism, but the difference wasn't significant.

In addition, there were also great benefits to his magical power; his cultivation rapidly improved, with strands of magical power growing every minute and second, enhancing his cultivation level. His mind was deeply immersed in it, completely forgetting the passage of time.

A month passed in a flash. Upon awakening from the Blood Pool Baptism, Wang Yu immediately sensed that his magical power had increased by nearly eight hundred strands, equivalent to decades of arduous cultivation. The upper limit of his physical strength increased by thirty percent. This meant he could continue to improve his physique without necessarily needing to break through to the fourth tier of body refinement first. This was a good thing. Details like meridian strength and enhanced vitality seemed less significant in comparison.

"Truly worthy of its name as a great opportunity!"

After exiting the blood pool, Wang Yu found that most people had already awakened and left. Only those from the Blood Pavilion were still undergoing the baptism, clearly because the blood pool's energy had not yet been exhausted for them. Without further delay, he returned directly to his cave dwelling. He still had many things to do.