Chapter 409: Ice Flame Empress Butterfly Emerges, Returning to Fengzhou

The Monster Refining Art for Artifacts allows one to conjure magic treasures at will. As long as the material properties are suitable, the finished product largely conforms to the wielder's intent. The only limitation is that demon corpses must be used in their refinement.

This convenience is generations ahead of current artifact-refining traditions!

However, it is not without its drawbacks.The precision is insufficient!

Today's artificers strive for perfection, often taking several years to refine a single qualified magic treasure. The higher the grade, the longer it takes, and the power naturally increases in parallel.

The artifact cultivation methods within the Monster Refining Art are convenient, but a treasure of the same grade might be half a step weaker. There are ways to compensate for this, such as incorporating more and stronger demon corpses.

These flesh-and-blood monster treasures are quite valuable.

At least Wang Yu was highly satisfied. Although he had only progressed one-third of the way towards promoting the artifact cultivation section to the fourth stage, he already felt greatly benefited. The fourth stage might not even be the limit of the Monster Refining Art.

He deeply suspected that this ancient tradition, from before the distant past, was very likely one of the seventy-two legacies imparted by the first immortal to descend to the lower realm via the Heavenly Enlightenment Platform.

As the appointed time approached, he pondered over the Ghost Cry Flute for a while. Not having decided how to modify this handy item, he temporarily set it aside.

He needed to hurry to Fengzhou to resolve the matter of Sword Lord Nine Evils.

Afterward, he would be much more relaxed. He was not the main force in this battle, but by fully utilizing his alchemy skills and network to summon allies, success was possible.

In the future, there would be many more opportunities to leverage his skills. Pill-making, artifact-refining, talisman-drawing, and formation-arranging are known as the foremost of the hundred arts for a reason. The abilities he demonstrated now fully highlighted the importance of mastering a craft.

Furthermore, despite his main body neglecting cultivation for the past six years, his idle cultivation slots continued to work diligently. With three primary slots running non-stop for twenty-four hours a day, his demonic essence surged again by 1080 drops.

The accumulation for the second layer of Nascent Soul is between 2,000 and 6,000 drops, and he had just passed the halfway mark. Another twenty years would allow him to naturally break through to the third layer of Nascent Soul.

Although this speed was not as explosive as his Core Formation stage, it was still among the fastest in the world. In a century, he could become a powerhouse among Nascent Soul cultivators.

Moreover, before breaking through to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, there was no need to worry about the demonic infant's strength; simply accumulating demonic essence was the direct path to advancement!

"Speaking of which, there hasn't been much significant progress in body refinement and spiritual sense recently."

Ultimately, the idle cultivation slots were insufficient.

He wanted to comprehend Law Intent, cultivate techniques for free, advance various divine abilities, and also needed suitable magic treasures.

Upon closer inspection, he realized he hadn't yet reached the standard configuration of a mature Nascent Soul cultivator, even though his cultivation level was soaring.

He couldn't help but fantasize.

"Perhaps one day, I, Wang, will also have the chance to suppress others with my cultivation level. Demonic cultivation methods are indeed fast, all thanks to my unparalleled talent!"

With a justified thought, he tidied up his attire.

Just as he was about to transform into a streak of light and depart, Wang Yu's body suddenly halted. He took out the Human Seed Bag and shook it. The first to emerge was Xueyu, in a bewildered state, drooling over a high-grade spirit stone.

Her aura intensity barely reached Core Formation Level 5, still in the mid-third stage. Her pink, wave-like fox eyes showed a human-like moment of embarrassment, and she quickly leaped onto Wang Yu's shoulder.

"Master."

"From now on, you'll stay outside and be my mount."

Xueyu was not the main focus. It was the cocoon that followed closely behind, burning with ice flames. Its state was highly unstable, having reached the critical moment of transforming into a butterfly.

The innate flame of the Ice Flame Butterfly was almost identical in nature to the Ice Flood Dragon Pill Flame, but there was still a fundamental difference. The Royal Butterfly Gu was about to be born.

Wang Yu decided to give it a push.

He used the Ice Flood Dragon Pill Flame to burn the cocoon. This fourth-grade spiritual flame, with its perfectly compatible power, immediately caused the cocoon to melt. A palm-sized, beautiful butterfly with ice flames for wings emerged.

Having devoured the Pure Jade Toad, its bloodline power had evolved.

This was no less significant than the Dragon Vein Baptism Xueyu had once received. According to the Ancient Strange Insect Rankings, it could move up at least five more spots.

The strength of Gu-worms cannot be classified by normal grades. They are somewhat different from ordinary insects; they are difficult to be born naturally and can often only increase their strength through a cultivator's refinement. Their sentience is also hard to develop.

Although the Ice Flame Butterfly was a Gu-worm, it was naturally born.

It was rare and possessed both qualities.

If used as a Gu-worm, it could be refined into the body to gain ice flame divine abilities. As an insect-controlling method, it could achieve the same spectacle seen by the old scavenger: Ice Flames Burning the Sky!

Wang Yu had collected a thousand pairs of high-quality male and female individuals that day with the second idea in mind. However, refining it into his body was not out of the question either. He felt that the innate flame of the Ice Flame Royal Butterfly might be the opportunity for the Ice Flood Dragon Pill Flame to advance to the fifth stage.

It was too early to discuss such things. Activating the Insect Gu Secret Art from the Five Poisons Scripture, Wang Yu easily gained control of this newly born Ice Flame Royal Butterfly.

He simply transferred all the Ice Flame Butterflies bred over the years into the newly refined magic treasure, the Ice Bone Gu Pot. The environment inside was most suitable for cultivating them.

It was custom-made, so to speak.

As for the Royal Butterfly, it was still weak, having just been born. It would require long-term cultivation to reach fourth-stage combat strength. For this, Wang Yu could feed it demonic essence and ice-attribute heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

Its growth speed would be astonishingly fast, which was also a characteristic of Gu-worms and insects, making them exceptionally gifted.

Given his current wealth, cultivating it for five to ten years should make it useful, without requiring too much effort.

Dealing with this small interlude took only half a day.

He ordered Xueyu to enlarge so he could ride her. Man and fox then sped towards Fengzhou. This time, he intended to completely overturn the oppressive burden above his head.

He would demand an explanation from Sword Lord Nine Evils!

Fengzhou Prefecture City.

Ever since Lord Leihou was transferred from other battlefields, a large number of Heavenly Corpse Peak elders, disciples, and forces from their subordinate clans followed.

Their manpower increased severalfold.

Furthermore, Fengzhou now had someone who could decisively influence matters with a single word.

With the assistance of two Nascent Soul cultivators, Talisman Lord Heitian and Old Ancestor Dimao, the situation should have quickly stabilized. However, Fengzhou's situation was simply too chaotic.

Various forces entered the fray. The Azure Cloud Sect and Yellow Springs Temple intensified their assaults. Recently, demon race spies and Underworld Mountain Cult members even appeared, causing Lord Leihou to only be able to secure an area of about three thousand li around the prefecture city.

Even if he went out to sweep the area, as soon as he returned to Fengzhou Prefecture City, chaos would immediately erupt again. It was as if he hadn't swept at all. This was the disadvantage of lacking sufficient powerhouses.

Other areas remained chaotic. Although each city had grand formations relying on spiritual veins, at least fifty percent of them were dilapidated and their power greatly diminished.

Formations, once set up, also required maintenance. In the past, Fengzhou was poor and lacked powerful cultivators, and there were few who attacked and plundered cities. Such "unnecessary" expenses were naturally pocketed by successive city lords. In terms of accumulating wealth, Chiyuan might not have been the most proficient, but he was certainly the most brazen and shameless.

He dared to profit from anything, constantly squeezing the resources of a city to support himself—this was his norm.

Now, Fengzhou had gathered forces from all sides.

The Yellow Springs Temple and the Underworld Mountain Cult allied, expanding their border by over a thousand li, completely occupying the original eastern part of Fengzhou.

The Azure Cloud Sect and Moon-Gazing Palace from Taihu, both among the Seven Orthodox Sects, joined forces with the Thunderfire Temple to capture Ice River Pass.

The northwest of Fengzhou and most of its northern parts, including the Black Bone Mountain area and the paths leading to the Endless Ice Plains, were all occupied by them.

Afterward, the Thunderfire Temple forces returned south to resist the Joyful Demonic Sect, leaving only a small number of strong cultivators to divide the spoils of war, with the Azure Cloud Sect primarily leading.

There was no helping it; proximity simply offered an advantage.

Weaker organizations like the Moluo Horde were not unique, but they lacked Nascent Soul cultivators and could not fully control a city, focusing on guerrilla warfare instead.

Over the years, Fengzhou's mortal population suffered devastating losses. Ten households out of nine were empty, and thousands of li lay desolate—these were common sights. Only a minority died; half were inexplicably abducted by various organizations.

Another half were gathered into cities. Beyond that, only a small portion of mortals were caught in the crossfire and died, roughly equivalent to the number of cultivators who perished in battle.

Local powerful clans also closed their gates for self-preservation or migrated to safer locations.

In short, Fengzhou had devolved into utter chaos.

Furthermore, the situation was particularly unfavorable for the Rebellious Spirit Blood Sect. Betrayed by the demonic path and forced by its geographical location to withstand attacks from Taihu, it faced the danger of collapse unless it abandoned regions like Fengzhou, Yeqiong Province, and Yunling Province to concentrate its forces on defending Xueyuan Province.

Fortunately, it hadn't escalated to the stage of Nascent Soul cultivators clashing amongst themselves.

This meant the war had not yet reached its peak; it was still in the appetizer phase. At this point, it depended on how the three clans of the Sacred Sect would respond.

They held the highest authority and had to contribute in times of crisis. With such a dire situation, it would be best to seek assistance from the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect, the leader of the demonic path.

Of course, this was merely Wang Yu's personal view. Regarding the overall situation, he still lacked a sufficiently clear perspective. He would first deal with the immediate matters before joining the conflict.

Fengzhou Prefecture City.

Wang Residence.

Wang Zhenghong, as usual, summoned two intelligence officers. A lingering melancholy was etched on his aged brows. He poured wine for the two unfortunate souls who shared his plight.

He said, "The situation in Fengzhou is getting increasingly strange. Even with Lord Leihou stationed here, he is ultimately just one person. Do you know why Daoist Three Corpses, who previously led the southern battlefield, didn't come?"

The two intelligence officers exchanged a bitter glance.

If Fengzhou had been disregarded before, with only processed intelligence being transmitted, now Lord Leihou was qualified to receive real intelligence.

However, they themselves had lost the privilege of viewing it firsthand.

Sometimes, they weren't even allowed to see it, which was incredibly frustrating.

Therefore, facing Wang Zhenghong's inquiry, they could only sigh and shake their heads: "We don't know how Senior Ice Demon is doing. The blood pills he bestowed upon us have all been consumed..."

Detecting the hint in their words, Wang Zhenghong scoffed.

"I can't contact him either."

"What about Madam Tao?"

At the mention of her, Wang Zhenghong's expression grew even colder.

"That woman seems to be practicing poison techniques, and her cultivation is progressing by leaps and bounds, but she also has no way of contacting Ice Demon."

When Wang Yu left back then, he gave Tao Sixuan many human pills refined from Golden Cores to quickly boost her cultivation. His intention was to help her rapidly form a Core and gain combat strength.

Given her aptitude, a Nascent Soul was out of the question; she would remain at the Core Formation stage her whole life. She was merely a temporary pawn, useful for carnal pleasures.

He generously bestowed the Five Poisons Scripture upon her, which was also a form of empty promise, making it seem as if he had given her everything she needed, and if she failed, it was her own fault.

The intelligence she provided over the years indeed helped Wang Yu keep real-time track of external changes, making the gift worthwhile.

The conversation in the Wang Residence continued. All three of them had the demonic thoughts of the Innate Demonic Embryo planted within them. Unless a Grand Cultivator proficient in the soul path personally removed it for them, they would be utterly unable to escape Wang Yu's control.

"Let's not talk about that woman, she's bad luck."

"I heard the Yu Clan disciples intend to head north recently. Have you inquired about which powerhouses are among them?"

"Currently, we've only heard of Demonic Lord Ghost Blade. Apparently, he's not coming for Fengzhou, but for the eastern border of Yeqiong Province."

At these words, the atmosphere fell silent once more.

Although they lacked a global perspective, the situation in Fengzhou alone indicated that the Rebellious Spirit Blood Sect was in turmoil, and the outcome was not optimistic. It became crucial to consider their fallback options.

Wang Zhenghong was about to utter something rebellious when his body suddenly chilled. A familiar icy aura washed over him, turning half the courtyard into frozen earth.

"Senior Ice Demon!"

The visitor was indeed Wang Yu. Xueyu's speed was decent, which also allowed him to retrieve accumulated intelligence jade slips. Verifying them along the way, he gained a clearer understanding of Fengzhou's situation.

A bit of chaos was good; it increased the chances of ambushing and killing Sword Lord Nine Evils, and most importantly, it helped cover up the incident.

He still had Lord Lei's Command Medallion. He briefly considered using it to ask Lord Leihou to kill Nine Evils, but immediately dismissed the thought.

It was unrealistic, after all, they were fellow disciples.

Killing each other when great disaster loomed, the other party might not be willing, as the medallion was a token of favor, not a superior's command to a subordinate.

Strictly speaking, they had only met once and couldn't be easily trusted.

On the other hand, Nine Evils was also incredibly well-hidden. Wang Yu even suspected that the Rebellious Spirit Blood Sect might not know Nine Evils had broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage; otherwise, he would have been dispatched to the war long ago.

He wouldn't have disappeared as completely as he had now.

Now that he was here, the use of these few "nails" was almost nil. Perhaps he could let them play one last role. A glint flickered in Wang Yu's eyes, and he said softly,

"Look up."

Wang Zhenghong and the two intelligence officers cautiously looked up, only to realize that the former "little one" had grown into an adult, with a white fox perched on his shoulder.

They didn't know what this distinct appearance from the past signified, only that the silhouette looked familiar, and the face was remarkably handsome.

Wang Yu's lips curved into a smile.

"You've done very well during this time."

He snapped his fingers, and three wisps of black smoke simultaneously flew out from their bodies. The mental relief was like having a headband removed after decades.

It felt relaxed, comfortable, exhilarating...

"Is... is the control lifted?" Wang Zhenghong looked at his two colleagues, and the same information was conveyed through their three pairs of eyes.

Immediately, they were filled with disbelief.

Had they truly encountered a benevolent being?!!

"Thank you for your mercy, esteemed Senior."

"Indeed. You have worked diligently, and I will naturally give you unexpected rewards. These are human pills, capable of increasing cultivation."

He continued to distribute wealth, building his persona.

At the same time, he was devising a trap for Sword Lord Nine Evils. In Wang Yu's eyes, without restraints, their betrayal was only a matter of time.

"I need you to do something for me..."