Chapter 392: Swallowing Thunder and Spitting Electricity, News of the Demon King's Feast

Lei Yao chuckled and shook her head.

"This person just achieved Nascent Soul recently. Brother Dao, just hand me the Thunderfire Patriarch Token. As for the rest of his possessions, consider it payment for his title as Demon Subduing General."

Wang Yu nodded approvingly. Lei Yao's words were morally sound and aligned perfectly with his own thoughts. What a kindred spirit!

With a sweep of his mid-fourth-tier divine sense, the imprint on Zidian's storage ring was quickly erased. The treasures within were more numerous than those of Qingyi and Yunyan combined. After taking out the Thunderfire Patriarch Token and returning it to Lei Yao, Wang Yu was surprised to find something else.

"It's a Fourth-Tier spiritual item—the Jade Void Thunder Kirin Fruit!" This item was immensely useful to him, perfectly suited for his Thunder Corpse to use for breakthrough. Given the Thunder Corpse's inherent compatibility, after fully digesting the two Nascent Soul remnants, it would surely be able to break through to the Fourth Tier with this item. It wouldn't even fear the lightning tribulation, as it was already a unique corpse of the thunder path.

"What a treasure," he exclaimed silently once more. The storage ring also contained twenty-seven high-grade spirit stones, seven of which were empty, bringing Wang Yu's current total of high-grade spirit stones to eighty. This wealth was enough to bid on a high-grade Fourth-Tier magic treasure at a large auction, representing a significant surge in his total assets. He himself only needed fifty for recycling. There were no magic treasures, however, as Nascent Soul cultivators typically kept usable ones within their Qi Sea for nurturing and immediate use.

As for secret techniques, Wang Yu found an unexpected gain during his inspection: a thunder-path secret technique called "Thunder Devour, Lightning Spout!" Upon comprehending it, one could refine a form of lightning power from nature. This power would transform into a thunder seed, rooted within the body, granting a Thunder Spirit Root and the ability to wield this specific thunder against enemies. Its true value lay in this Thunder Spirit Root. The stronger the devoured lightning, the more powerful the resulting Thunder Spirit Root. After reading this, Wang Yu immediately thought of lightning tribulations, which were also a form of heavenly lightning. As one's cultivation progressed through Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Spirit Transformation stages, the tribulations became increasingly formidable. If one could refine a Spirit Transformation lightning tribulation into a seed, they might even gain a Thunder Spirit Root comparable to a spirit body's aptitude.

"'Thunder Devour, Lightning Spout' is a typical unranked secret technique."

Wang Yu was thoroughly satisfied with this haul. Counting carefully, he had acquired the entire fortunes of three Nascent Soul cultivators in a short period—his luck was astonishing. He only transferred a portion of what he could use, leaving a large quantity of spiritual items and miscellaneous goods that, once sorted, could easily fetch at least a hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones. His current wealth was immense; few early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators could rival his affluence. Plundering the accumulations of others was indeed the fastest way to get rich. However, he had been a little too reckless. He would need to exercise more restraint depending on the circumstances moving forward.

Sharing a ride with Lei Yao on her giant eagle beast, Wang Yu noted that even as a mount, it was a Third-Tier creature. This eagle demon seemed to follow the path of ancient beasts, cultivating its physical body alone. The path of ancient beasts prioritized physical strength; they did not transform into human forms even at the Fourth Tier. Their intelligence tended to be simpler, and their demon 'personality' matured later. This path was once popular, but unfortunately, like body cultivators, their numbers were now very scarce. For Lei Yao to possess such a mount indicated her significant standing.

The journey northward was rather uneventful. The two began to chat, primarily with Wang Yu asking questions and Lei Yao providing answers.

"Miss Lei, what do you intend to do with the Demonic Luo Cult members on this northern journey? Is it solely about 'saving' mortals?"

Lei Yao nodded, then shook her head, her red lips parting slightly. "This is my senior sister's wish, and it's also my intention. Beyond that, I want to establish a firm foothold in Maple Province and form alliances with more demon tribes."

Was she implying she wanted to operate independently of the Thunderfire Temple? Wang Yu pondered this, his brows furrowing slightly. Was this another second-generation's path to proving themselves? He currently felt a bit aimless. While simple meditation and spirit refinement were typical for Nascent Soul cultivation, Wang Yu was clearly not content with just that. Now with eighty high-grade spirit stones, he also desired pills that could increase demonic essence upon refinement. Both human pill alchemy and orthodox alchemy were viable paths. His Cold螭 Alchemy was also not far from advancement. Once a successful deduction was made, it would directly become perfect Fourth-Tier alchemy. At that point, he could then deduce the Guanghan pill formula; he would certainly refine proper spiritual pills. For now, the main ingredient was only confirmed to be a rare Fourth-Tier spiritual item with yin-cold properties, but there was no clear direction for collecting it in advance.

The Inverse Spirit Blood Sect was blockaded by Sword Lord Nine Evils; he dared not venture to Blood Abyss Province before the latter revealed himself. His original target, the Celestial Palace of the Saint Lord, was still over 170 years away from opening, and Yan Ling's direct disciple was an indispensable core figure for that journey. All these plans were still far in the future. But playing house with Lei Yao was not what he wanted to do either. Could it be that he truly had no choice but to find a major city with a Fourth-Tier spirit vein and cultivate in seclusion?

Seeing Wang Yu fall silent, Lei Yao could roughly guess what he was thinking. After a moment's thought, she said, "Deep within the Northern Divide Mountain Range is a gathering place for demon tribes. There's a grand event the demons will be holding soon. If you're interested, Brother Dao, I can help you gain eligibility to participate."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Wang Yu's interest was indeed piqued. As a demonic cultivator, he was all about causing trouble. Who would still be a demonic cultivator if they could honestly cultivate their way up? This path was inherently one of impatience and quick gains. There were countless secret techniques to accelerate cultivation. Taking shortcuts was the nature of demonic cultivators. Wang Yu was unwilling to seclude himself for arduous cultivation, having grown accustomed to the sensation of rapid cultivation progress; he simply couldn't tolerate a slow pace.

"Miss Lei, could you elaborate?"

Seeing his interest, Lei Yao quietly gave a few instructions to the giant eagle, then simply sat cross-legged and began discussing with Wang Yu.

"This demon grand event is called the 'Demon King Feast.' All the Demon Kings in the Northern Divide Mountain Range will participate, and every demon tribe possessing an Awakening Spirit legacy will also send a representative." A 'Demon King' referred to a transformed great demon, a being who had condensed a Demon Nascent Soul, placing them at the same cultivation stage as human Nascent Soul cultivators.

"At the Demon King Feast, the contemporary Saint Lord of the Northern Demon Race and the nine King seats will be selected, usually through competitive battles. Following that, there will be a treasure exchange event during the banquet. Rare Fourth-Tier treasures, seldom seen by outsiders, will appear. You, Brother Dao, can also participate in this segment; just prepare some spiritual items that are rare to the demon race."

While participating in a high-end treasure exchange was interesting to Wang Yu, it wasn't a must. Therefore, he continued to ask, "Besides the treasure exchange, are there any other benefits?"

"Certainly," Lei Yao smiled. "In the combat segment, you, Brother Dao, can also participate. If you can help a Demon King secure one of the nine King seats, you will receive a boon from the original demon soul of the Northern Demon Race's ancestral land, which is greatly beneficial for the divine soul. Additionally, there's a portion of Ancient Beast Ancestor blood, which can enhance your body cultivation."

Benefits for both the divine soul and the physical body. This immediately sparked Wang Yu's interest: "What cultivation levels were the nine King seats in previous years?"

"Late Nascent Soul."

"Are there other ways to obtain these two benefits?"

"Yes, there are," Lei Yao said. Since she had brought it up, she wouldn't joke with Wang Yu. Helping to secure a King seat was merely a shortcut; there were also regular ways to obtain them, and the demon race even welcomed participation from external cultivators.

"Climbing to the peak of the Ancient Beast Ancestor Sacred Mountain," she quickly stated the proper method, explaining. "The Ancient Beast Ancestor Sacred Mountain is a legendary land of inheritance left by the Beast God, conveniently located within the core territory of the Northern Demon Race. It is said to have been a Celestial's mount, but also the deity who helped beasts in this realm gain sentience and form tribes. In ancient times, after the Immortal Dynasty was established, the Beast God departed this realm with the Celestial, leaving behind only this Ancient Beast Ancestor Sacred Mountain. The better your performance, Brother Dao, the more and better boons you will receive. The demon soul gift and the refining of ancestor blood are all within the scope of the offerings, disbursed by the Sacred Mountain itself, so there's no need to worry about being deceived. Furthermore, any Beast God legacy you acquire will belong to you."

With such abundant benefits, Wang Yu didn't believe in free lunches and immediately asked the crucial question, "So... what's the cost?"

"Sharing the acquired legacy."

"That's to be expected. And then?"

"A favor."

A favor owed is the hardest to repay. To be able to enter the Northern Demon Race territory and challenge the Ancient Beast Ancestor Sacred Mountain through a connection inherently means becoming an ally. As the introducer, Lei Yao would also be responsible for this favor, implicitly vouching for his trustworthiness. Leaving other aspects aside, Wang Yu's integrity was well-known. After a brief consideration, he readily agreed.

"When does the Demon King Feast begin?"

"It's soon. With the resurgence of the righteous-demonic war, the Northern Demon Race urgently needs to elect their contemporary Saint Lord. If we go now, we'll likely wait only a few years for the feast to commence."

This amount of time was no longer a concern for Wang Yu. A few years were merely enough for a short seclusion, not a long duration at all.

"Then let's go. Thank you for your trouble, Miss Lei. If the Demonic Luo Cult has any matters, you can always find me, Wang. Within my capabilities, I will certainly lend a hand."

"Then I thank you, Brother Dao," Lei Yao smiled calmly, seemingly content that she could help him, showing no anger at all that Wang Yu did not wish to travel with her. This kind of personality, however, made Wang Yu feel a bit ashamed. Befriending someone with such high moral standards had this downside: it was easy to feel inferior, as if being compared to mud.

His divine sense touched the Third-Tier Human Cultivation Pills in his Sea Heart Ring. After cultivating to the peak of Core Formation, he still had sixty to seventy pills left. He had initially thought of giving some to Lei Yao as thanks, but then decided against it. Given Lei Yao's high moral standards, she certainly wouldn't value or even like Human Pills. They could only be used to feed Xue Yu. He could always repay her in other ways in the future.

Furthermore, considering that Lei Yao knew his true identity, he simply released his Five-Tailed Snow Fox, who hadn't been out for a while. Since they were entering the Northern Demon Race territory this time, having her accompany him could also broaden her horizons. Perhaps there might even be unexpected gains.

As soon as the adorable little fox appeared, it immediately caught Lei Yao's eye. "What a beautiful spirit fox! Brother Dao, have you raised her since she was young?"

"Yes, I've put quite a bit of effort into it." He gently stroked Xue Yu's head. She was enjoying her master's petting, but upon noticing Lei Yao's eager movements, she immediately jumped into Wang Yu's arms. She let out a small whine, seemingly signaling she didn't want to be touched. Wang Yu lightly tapped the fox's head, chuckling as he chided her. "Playing dumb, you're the smartest one here."

Lei Yao looked on with envy. "You two have such a good bond."

Wang Yu sighed with emotion. Although Xue Yu had never played a crucial role in combat, she was, after all, his spirit pet who had been with him since the Qi Condensation stage. She had witnessed his rise all along and served as a spiritual anchor, preventing him from completely falling into the abyss. In the past, whenever he felt immense pressure or was frustrated and depressed, he would confide in Xue Yu, who hadn't yet gained full sentience. Petting the fox would alleviate his mood. Over time, Xue Yu became the being Wang Yu trusted most, regardless of whether she had any practical use. Even if she were useless, he would continue to raise her. Man and fox gazed at each other; their silent understanding was a testament to their spiritual bond. Xue Yu leaped from Wang Yu's embrace, proudly tilting her head back. Although she didn't speak aloud in front of Lei Yao, she gave a clear hint.

—"You can pet me!" This favor was for her master!

Ten days later.

As the Demon King Feast had not yet begun and required a wait of several years, Lei Yao and Wang Yu temporarily resided in the territory of the Cat Demon tribe, which served as Lei Yao's transit point. Her alliance with the Cat Demon tribe was very close. She decided to stay here for a while too, only departing after escorting Wang Yu into the heart of the Northern Demon Race territory. For now, she remotely coordinated the actions of the Demonic Luo Cult members in Maple Province.

While she was busy, Wang Yu explored the Cat Demon tribe's territory with Xue Yu perched on his shoulder. During this time, Xue Yu could also consume Human Cultivation Pills to improve her cultivation. By finishing all the remaining pills, she could break through to the mid-Third Tier. It was a good way to put them to full use. Even with a low-grade Earth-tier bloodline, Xue Yu had the potential to reach the Nascent Soul stage; the Third-Tier dragon vein baptism she received back then was meant for this very potential. Wang Yu also had Nascent Soul Transformation Pills; he could keep one for Xue Yu, and the remaining two could be sold, perhaps proving useful at the treasure exchange during the Demon King Feast.

That day, Lei Yao went to arrange for the mortals brought by the Demonic Luo Cult, who arrived in tens of thousands at a time. Their eating, drinking, excretion, and sleeping were all problematic, far more difficult to manage than cultivators. The issue of waste disposal, in particular, was a major problem area. They could excrete a mountain of waste in just a few days. It was said that the Yellow Springs Temple possessed a filthy object legacy, which utilized mortals' unclean waste. Its destructive power might be average, but it specialized in disgusting people and defiling magic treasures. They seemed to have a grudge against magic treasures; they weren't satisfied unless they ruined others' property, truly an oddity in the Scarlet Kite cultivation world.

Wang Yu didn't head in those directions. Instead, he mainly wanted to see what demons truly looked like. Frankly, he had never seen a proper demon before. Demonic beasts and spirit beasts didn't count! Although individual Third-Tier demonic beasts had gained intelligence, they were far from forming organized, legacy-inheriting tribes, and thus couldn't be considered true demons. Spirit beasts were even less so.

The architecture here was quite distinctive. Built by the Cat Demon tribe according to their habits and demon characteristics, the most prominent feature was their sheer size! When demons were weak, their bodies would grow significantly with increased cultivation. Only upon reaching the Third Tier could they control their physical size and transform freely. Tribes also required large, mysterious buildings to maintain their image. Wang Yu's second impression was that they were small yet exquisite, tall and imposing! This did not conflict with their overall largeness. The style was consistent; demon buildings of various sizes were scattered artfully according to the terrain by the Cat Demon Mountain Lake, with one side facing the mountain and the other facing the lake. Thousands of rough, scratch-marked stone pillars, each a kilometer tall, stood in the backyards of the houses, numbering at least ten thousand. They were all training tools for young cat demons.

As he ventured deeper, Wang Yu even saw a school. The clear sound of reading echoed from within, like babbling children. Although their speech was indistinct, he could roughly understand what they were saying. It was a human primer—the *Thousand Character Classic*! Wang Yu grew even more curious: What exactly was an Awakening Spirit legacy? Could it really enable First-Tier demons to speak? This truly defied common sense!