Chapter 471: Flattening the City Lord's Mansion, Seizing Life Essence, Breaking Late Stage Fourth Level Body Refinement

The weather was fair and sunny, with clear skies, and a blinding sunlight poured into the magnificent Shuiyun Immortal City, casting it in stark contrasts of light and shadow.

In a common hall of the City Lord's Mansion.

Dou Zhao lowered her head, nervously answering City Lord Yuan's questions. Twenty years had passed, and even without particularly diligent cultivation, given her Fire-element Heavenly Spiritual Root aptitude, she had long reached the peak of the Qi Condensation stage, just one step away from Foundation Establishment. She should have been busy with Foundation Establishment matters during this time.

However, she was suddenly summoned by the City Lord's Mansion. Although she was thinking about Wang Yu, who had disappeared for twenty years, no matter how they questioned her, she truly couldn't contact him. She could only explain herself in the humblest way possible.

"Lord City Lord, Dou Zhao and that senior merely met by chance. At best, there was the goodwill of a shared meal."

Dou Zhao then plainly recounted the entire sequence of events, deliberately portraying the Dou clan as shameless sycophants who had brazenly ingratiated themselves, rather than having a relationship as old friends of ancestors.

Every word of her account was true, and it indirectly served to prove Wang Yu's good character, helping to clear him of any suspicion of being a demonic cultivator.

Of course, verification would not rely solely on hearsay.

Upon hearing this, City Lord Yuan still chuckled. "If that's the case, then your Dou Mansion has no other relationship with that mysterious cultivator?"

"Yes..." Dou Zhao forced herself to answer. This was also true, as Wang Yu had a personal connection with her, not the entire West Mountain Dou clan. As for the true value of this connection, she had no idea.

"Very good!" City Lord Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The vast difference in their cultivation allowed him to subtly observe Dou Zhao's expression with his divine sense, essentially confirming whether she was lying.

On another note, there was a mythical beast in Taihu called Xiezhi, which possessed the ability to distinguish truth from illusion. Simply put, it could discern lies. The Enforcement Elders of the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect each had a Xiezhi Crown, symbolizing this very ability. This beast lived in Taihu, and City Lord Yuan possessed a headband crafted from a shed horn of a Xiezhi, which also had the ability to detect lies. It was effective only against cultivators of Tier 3 and below, and he was currently wearing it.

This double authentication assured him that Dou Zhao was not lying. In that case, there was nothing to worry about concerning the Dou clan. Just as he was about to dismiss Dou Zhao, a steward suddenly walked in from outside the door.

"Does the Third Young Master need something?" This steward was precisely his third son's personal attendant, both a manager and a protector. His sudden appearance made the City Lord wonder if his son had gotten into trouble again.

The old steward, who was in charge, then transmitted a message, glancing at Dou Zhao occasionally. A bad premonition immediately arose in her heart.

A moment later, "Miss Dou Zhao, the Third Young Master requests your presence."

After the old steward finished communicating, he invited Dou Zhao to the City Lord's Mansion's back garden in front of City Lord Yuan. Naturally, her face was full of vigilance, and her reluctance was clearly evident.

"Dou Zhao's father and uncles are waiting outside the mansion. I currently have no time. Perhaps the Third Young Master could schedule another meeting for a different day?"

The old steward immediately sneered. "Since you have no relation to that senior, Miss Dou doesn't need to feign ignorance. Today, whether you want to go or not, you must. Please don't make it difficult for this old servant."

Dou Zhao's expression remained calm as she turned to look at City Lord Yuan. She said coldly, "Under everyone's watchful eyes, Dou Zhao entered the City Lord's Mansion for questioning. If anything were to happen, when that senior returns in the future, he might very well take action. Does the City Lord truly intend to let his son commit evil deeds with impunity?"

City Lord Yuan cast a contemptuous glance at her. "Little girl, this entire Shuiyun Immortal City belongs to my Yuan family, and so does your life. Do you think this City Lord can't handle such a trivial matter..."

Before his words had even finished, a furious shout echoed from the sky. "You dog! How dare you insult someone under my protection?!"

With a thunderous crash, the City Lord's Mansion, which had no time to react, directly collapsed by half. Countless dazzling blue-winged butterflies, carrying an boundless sea of ice flames, descended suddenly like celestial fire engulfing the world.

Wang Yu unleashed his peak Tier 4 divine sense without reservation, immediately making knowledgeable cultivators feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy. The flame power of the Ice Flame Butterflies was different from the Ice Chi Pill Flame. Although their manifested properties were similar, one was a Gu fire, and the other was an alchemical flame. In terms of offensive power, the Ice Flame of the Gu fire even surpassed the Ice Chi Pill Flame.

The destructive scene formed by the butterflies and flames was shockingly beautiful. Dou Zhao watched all of this with hazy eyes until that familiar white-robed figure appeared before her. White robes, silver hair, handsome beyond mortal description, he stared defiantly at City Lord Yuan.

The other party's face was ashen: "Fellow Daoist, why go to such an extent? Are you not afraid of the Azure Cloud Sect's retribution?!"

"Retribution? Today, I shall be the one to punish you!"

Boom. Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and lightning gathered. A dark lightning bolt suddenly struck. City Lord Yuan flew backward, conjuring a small yellow-green cauldron-shaped personal magic treasure to withstand a single black demonic lightning bolt. He tried to call for help to Uncle Red Sea, but his voice caught in his throat. Before he could utter a sound, he felt everything go black.

In an boundless sea of blood, corpses piled up like mountains. A Blood Sea Asura rose from within, delivering a heavy blow directly to his mind. Asura's Intent – Blood Slaughter Heart Sword!

A streak of red light suddenly cut out, like a flesh-and-blood demonic sword composed of bones, emitting an extremely terrifying bloody aura. City Lord Yuan was terrified to the core. How could he, a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, possibly withstand a triple-layered attack of a Tier 4 high-grade magic treasure, martial intent, and a perfected Tier 4 divine ability?!

The bloodline flashed past, and City Lord Yuan's body stiffened. The sword light seemed to cleave the entire Shuiyun Immortal City in half. As the primary target, City Lord Yuan's physical body was split in two. His mind suffered a devastating blow, falling completely silent. Wang Yu seized the opportunity to step forward. Demonic thoughts surged out, instantly allowing his body to be controlled by them. He opened his mouth and lightly inhaled.

City Lord Yuan's plump, rounded body quickly shriveled like a balloon. His Nascent Soul silently perished, and the vast life force quickly made Wang Yu's complexion ruddy. His bones crackled, and the Immortal Spirit Body subtly showed signs of initial mastery. In fact, as long as he replenished his life force, the nourished Immortal Spirit Bones would naturally complete the initial training of the Spirit Body, helping him smoothly advance into the late stage of Body Tempering Tier 4!

City Lord Yuan's life force was good, but it was still a bit short. The void left by the Heaven Refining Demonic Flame was truly terrifying; it was only a little short of damaging his foundation. This was also why Wang Yu had already consumed velvet antler pearls to supplement it twice; otherwise, his lifespan might have been greatly diminished.

In the field, City Lord Yuan fell too quickly. Before others could react, Wang Yu finished them off in a few moves, even using extremely demonic methods—draining them dry. Beside him, Dou Zhao's expression was solemn; she said nothing. The old steward directly fell to the ground. Before he could even open his mouth to beg for mercy, he was burned into a pile of ice powder by the Ice Flame Butterflies.

At this moment, Dou Zhao finally spoke, her voice laced with caution. "Wang... Senior Wang... you..."

Wang Yu looked back at her. "Haven't you always wanted to know your ancestor's true identity? With your intelligence, you've probably already guessed: he became a demonic cultivator. By now, he should have broken through to the late Nascent Soul stage, known as the Yin Gui Demonic Monarch. I am his only true confidant. The so-called righteous path is full of petty, despicable individuals who engage in nothing but underhanded dealings. Demonic cultivators are even more so; they don't even bother to pretend. The most fundamental thing in this world is power. Only power can dominate everything and control oneself!"

Wang Yu's string of words left Dou Zhao speechless. With her talent, reaching the Core Formation stage was a certainty, and with effort, even the Nascent Soul stage held promise. Dou Xiong's ascension to family patriarch was partly due to her birth. As for her father's past threats about marrying her off, it was merely an excuse to scare her into cultivating diligently. Otherwise, they would have at least chosen a suitable husband, not just randomly forced her into marriage.

The current situation was not suitable for a heart-to-heart talk, nor for discussing such topics. She quickly said, "You should leave quickly. The City Lord's Mansion has a Tier 4 formation, and there's also a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. There's also an ancient teleportation array near Shuiyun Immortal City, so the Azure Cloud Sect's reinforcements will arrive soon."

"No matter," Wang Yu waved his hand. "Today, I will teach you a lesson: ants are lowly, but to a true expert, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator... is also an ant!"

With that, he soared into the sky. The Yellow Spring Great Hand Seal suddenly extended, and the ground beneath abruptly transformed into a vast Yellow Spring swamp. The Yellow Spring Earth Grudge Puppet, which hadn't appeared for a long time, delivered a kick, sending Old Daoist Red Sea, who was rushing towards the formation's core, flying into the air. He came into contact with Wang Yu's outstretched Yellow Spring Hand. This type of limb-extending divine ability could be combined with the strength of a body cultivator, especially since Wang Yu compressed the boundless brute force of his Silver Blood Divine Marrow into a small space using a field of force.

Even though the Yellow Spring Great Hand Seal had not yet advanced to Tier 4, it still displayed extremely formidable power. As Old Daoist Red Sea cried out in alarm, the magic treasure he conjured was, surprisingly, a Fiery Spear. Despite his thin and weak appearance, he was proficient in close-quarters combat. Fiery red flames surged from the spear, attempting to burn away the Yellow Spring Hand. However, the Ice Flame Butterflies met the attack head-on. The ice flames and red flames clashed evenly. Wang Yu then opened his mouth and exhaled, using the Ice Chi Pill Flame to cast the Ice Dragon Art, directly suppressing the red sea of fire released by the Fiery Spear.

The Yellow Spring Hand successfully grabbed Old Daoist Red Sea, turning him into a shriveled husk of a man in the blink of an eye.

"Fellow Daoist, please calm your anger! This matter was entirely caused by City Lord Yuan; it is not this old Daoist's fault!"

"So what? I just want to kill you."

Aurora flashed. Wang Yu suddenly appeared before Old Daoist Red Sea. He used his Asura's Intent again, this time one of its killing techniques: Eye Kill Sword! The sword light was chilling and bloody, emphasizing extreme swiftness. His mind was shocked by the killing intent, and Asura's Intent was specifically designed to shatter the mind. After Old Daoist Red Sea fell silent, demonic thoughts replicated the previous operation against City Lord Yuan. Wang Yu opened his mouth and lightly inhaled, his slightly pale complexion instantly becoming incredibly ruddy. His life force was fully replenished, and he felt all the bones in his body stirring, a sensation of unbearable itchiness. This was a sign that the Immortal Spirit Body was about to reach initial mastery.

Having slain the two Nascent Soul cultivators of Shuiyun Immortal City consecutively, the Azure Cloud Sect should have reacted by now. Wang Yu needed to leave quickly and find a place to break through his Body Tempering realm. He had already designated Taihu as his hunting ground. Combining the Blood Pill Dao and Human Pill Dao with the placement bar would be his fast track to quickly accumulate resources in the Nascent Soul stage. Since it was feasible, there was no reason not to try. These vermin were merely wasting air by being alive; they might as well contribute to his Great Dao!

In the pursuit of power, Wang Yu was the most ruthless and merciless demonic behemoth. The title "Extreme Law Profound Pill Demonic Monarch" would quickly spread from Scarlet Kite to Taihu.

He had newly acquired two Nascent Soul storage rings. Wang Yu landed in front of Dou Zhao and said concisely, "Will you come with me?"

Dou Zhao was puzzled for a moment, then immediately understood. "You mean the West Mountain Dou clan will face collective punishment?"

"Of course, things have escalated," Wang Yu nodded, then added. "Later, I will use great magical power to erect an ice monument, publicly revealing the full story of the cold snap disaster and the City Lord's Mansion's act of making local influential families scapegoats. If the Azure Cloud Sect still wishes to maintain its moral high ground, they will inevitably re-investigate this matter. These two individuals who died by my hand will be branded as criminals. While the West Mountain Dou clan won't be annihilated, your extensive contact with me will be a vulnerability. Once the situation is exposed, the entire clan will certainly be implicated and judged!"

There were some things Wang Yu didn't elaborate on, namely, the internal strife among the Azure Cloud Sect's Seven Rainbow Cloud Branches. The rivals of the Red Cloud branch would not miss this opportunity to worsen their situation. However, the circumstances he faced were equally perilous.

Suddenly facing such a situation, Dou Zhao was forced to make a quick decision. She promptly said, "I'll go with you. Please let me say a few more words to my father; they are just outside the City Lord's Mansion."

"Alright." With a wave of his hand, Wang Yu sent Dou Zhao to Dou Xiong and the others outside the City Lord's Mansion. A thousand-zhang ice monument rapidly rose from the ruins.

Although Dou Xiong and the others had witnessed the entire process, given their cultivation and sensory abilities, they were actually quite bewildered and hadn't quite grasped what had truly happened. Dou Zhao suddenly appeared.

Dou Xiong was a little bewildered. "Zhao... Zhaoner? Why did you suddenly come out? What exactly happened inside?"

"Senior Wang arrived. The situation is urgent, so I can only tell you the most important things. Both the City Lord and the Inspector died by Senior Wang's hand. High-ranking individuals from the Azure Cloud Sect will soon arrive via the ancient teleportation array. I will leave with Senior Wang. In the future, the Dou family might face some difficulties. Endure what you can. When your daughter returns from her studies, I will surely restore the Dou family's prestige!"

She actually knew clearly in her heart that leaving with Wang Yu was also extremely perilous. After all, the dangers they would face were at the Nascent Soul level, and an ant like her could easily perish in the aftermath. So she could only use the excuse of "studying" to temporarily appease her family and friends.

Having witnessed Wang Yu's demeanor, the Dou family members believed her without hesitation, even thinking that Wang Yu had killed the City Lord and Inspector because of Dou Zhao. After all, it was no secret that the City Lord's dissolute son had his eye on her, and there had been many public insults.

"Then, Zhaoner, is there a set date for your return?"

Upon hearing this, Dou Zhao, who had been emotionally stable, instantly felt her eyes well up. There aren't many emotions in this world that can truly touch one's heart. Familial affection is one of them. And this departure... might very well be without return. Dou Zhao couldn't voice these words. She could only choke back a few sobs, trying to put on the brightest smile.

"Don't worry, Zhaoner will return. She will!"

Zzzzt~ Black demonic lightning streaked with dark electric light. Wang Yu suddenly appeared, nodded to everyone, grabbed Dou Zhao's shoulder with one hand, and then transformed into a beam of light, soaring into the sky.

Not long after, an ice mountain crashed down fiercely, completely leveling the City Lord's Mansion in Shuiyun Immortal City. A terrifying cold current spread, freezing all moisture in the air. It was as if countless ice flowers bloomed in the sky, with extreme cold power brewing within them, causing even the frozen ice flowers to turn black. The City Lord's Mansion lineage was thus annihilated, leaving only the ice crystal monument standing. Its colossal characters ensured that people within several kilometers could clearly see it.

Wang Yu had deliberately created the Ice Prison Demonic Seal, leaving behind a very strong demonic essence aura, as well as the extraordinary power of a Tier 5 divine ability. Although the first layer, 'Ice Prison Suppresses Qiankun,' primarily focused on control, its power was far beyond what an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator could withstand. The sheer low temperature alone could cause the Nascent Soul's physical body to completely necrotize. He deliberately left this trace mainly for deterrence, and at the same time, it forced the Azure Cloud Sect to guess the identity of the demonic Nascent Soul who had 'infiltrated' the Taihu Spirit Realm.

After this, Wang Yu traveled northward with Dou Zhao, heading towards Bingyuan State, with the goal of hunting Azure Cloud Sect Nascent Soul cultivators to continue accumulating the main ingredients for refining Blood Infant Pills. Having experienced the wondrous effects of the Blood Dao Spirit Pills, the sluggish speed of ordinary spirit pills was indeed a bit inefficient. "It's easy to go from simple to extravagant, but hard to go from extravagant to simple." This proverb perfectly described the situation.

Along the way, the peculiar sensation of the combined escape light made Dou Zhao feel as if her entire body was being caressed. A mere Qi Condensation cultivator, even using a flying magic artifact, would mostly travel in a standing posture. Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed the ability to levitate, but only Core Formation cultivators who had mastered escape techniques could afford to soar with escape light. The unprecedented experience made her unable to resist speaking, to prevent herself from getting lost in the moment and making a fool of herself.

"Senior Wang, where are we... going?"

"Bingyuan State, to cooperate with the Cold Blood Peak cultivators in a pincer attack to breach Glacier Pass." Wang Yu did not conceal his purpose in the slightest. Although it seemed like he escaped, he actually predicted that the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure from the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect and would be "forced" to hand him over. By leaving on his own, he saved everyone's face and provided the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect with a plausible excuse for not being able to hand Wang Yu over. Otherwise, when he entered the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect's mountain gate, while others might not have noticed, the Sect Master, who controlled the sect's Demonic Star Formation, would definitely have discovered him. Wang Yu's condition at that time was not good; he was just a lone head wandering about, seemingly seeking death. This tacit understanding also led to the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect keeping silent about Wang Yu's affairs. They neither explicitly stated that he had defected nor declared him innocent and welcomed him back. He could stay outside; he was still a member of the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect. The death of Proud Sun was also a secret. The blame was pinned on the Scarlet Sky Demonic Venerable, which the Yellow Spring Abbot could attest to, as he personally witnessed Scarlet Sky destroying Proud Sun's physical body. Only his rapidly perishing Nascent Soul managed to escape. Therefore, Wang Yu's current alignment with Cold Blood Peak's strategic objective, and using it to hunt Taihu Nascent Soul cultivators, was a normal course of action.

However, his blunt honesty left Dou Zhao bewildered. "Senior, are you perhaps too trusting of Dou Zhao?"

"Trust? You're just a little burden right now. Who else can you rely on besides me?" His words were exceptionally blunt, leaving Dou Zhao speechless.

After a moment of silence, Wang Yu said, "I heard everything you said outside the City Lord's Mansion. From now on, would you be willing to cultivate demonic arts?"

To Dou Zhao's surprise, joy filled her heart. "Your disciple greets Master!"

Wang Yu seemed not to have expected her answer; his escape light stiffened for a moment, then he casually said, "We'll discuss the master-disciple ceremony once we reach our destination."

"Mhm."

Unlike the two clan disciples he casually took in at Guiling City for personal gain, that was purely a matter of connection; Wang Yu didn't even touch the sisters who offered themselves to him. This showed his clear intentions. Taking Dou Zhao as a disciple now was different. She was a descendant of the Yin Gui lineage, already having a connection. Coupled with her words, which reminded Wang Yu of his own turbulent days, he intended to teach her genuine skills.

Dou Zhao had a Heavenly Fire Spiritual Root, which didn't align with his cultivation path. However, after acquiring the Innate Demonic Embryo Body, ice-element cultivation methods were no longer Wang Yu's only option. He could even switch to cultivating the latter half of the 'Rakshasa True Demonic Scripture' once his cultivation reached the required level! The Demonic Embryo Body was all-encompassing; any demonic cultivation method would progress by leaps and bounds, no longer restricted by elemental attributes. The reason he continued to cultivate the 'Ice Soul Sacred Demonic Scripture' was that his entire foundation was built upon it. Cultivating the ice path for so many years meant he had absorbed an astronomical number of ice spiritual treasures. This resulted in his Frozen Demonic Essence being extremely potent, possessing cold power no less than that of the Ice Soul Fairy. To abandon it just like that would be truly regrettable.

As for Dou Zhao's cultivation path, he still needed to consider it carefully. Regarding fire-element demonic arts, the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect had the most authority. Perhaps he could find a way to acquire some in the future. Before she broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, Dou Zhao's demonic foundation hadn't fully solidified, so there was no need to rush.

After several days of continuous flight, the two crossed from Shuiyun State into the territory of Bingyuan State. Wang Yu decided to find a blessed land with a Tier 2 spiritual vein to first help Dou Zhao achieve Foundation Establishment. Another reason was to inquire about the war situation and find a suitable time to act.

Thus, more than a month passed in the blink of an eye.

In the eastern part of Bingyuan State, the area near Glacier Pass had been completely controlled. Mortals were relocated to cities further back, and all front-line areas were occupied by Azure Cloud Sect cultivators. Half of these areas were temporarily taken over by the Blazing Sun Sect, who had come as reinforcements. Officially, they were supposed to be commanded by the Azure Cloud Sect's supreme war commander, but in reality, they only set broad objectives, and the details of the battles were still decided by the Blazing Sun Sect themselves.

On this day, in Hansong City, at the Starfall Inn. Wang Yu used a human skin as a medium to change his appearance, venturing alone into the city to gather information. Dou Zhao had already been settled by him within a Tier 2 spiritual vein of a small family in the wilderness, protected closely by the Yellow Spring Earth Grudge Puppet, so she would not encounter any major problems.

At that time, several Blazing Sun Sect disciples, dressed in crimson raven-patterned Daoist robes, were getting drunk. After just a few drinks, they were already slurring their words and blurting out anything that came to mind. This was naturally Wang Yu's doing. After the Grand Yin Nether Pupil completely refined that lunar core fragment, it had reached perfection. This resulted in the four eye techniques—'Moon Gaze,' 'Illusory Moon,' 'Falling Moon,' and 'Void Moon'—all simultaneously reaching Tier 4. Under the derived effects of the Illusory Moon technique, with just a tiny bit of force, he could make these cultivators, none higher than Foundation Establishment, divulge everything Wang Yu wanted to know.

"I heard those bastards from the Azure Cloud Sect have recently been put in a difficult position by a new demonic cultivator."

"Oh? Do tell more~" Wang Yu hadn't expected that the first thing that impressed them would be his exploits in Shuiyun Immortal City. His expression immediately grew somewhat peculiar.

"That person calls himself the Extreme Law Demonic Monarch – the pinnacle of dharma, how arrogant! But what he did was indeed fierce. His sword light cleaved Shuiyun Immortal City in half, and the City Lord's Mansion was leveled into a barren ruin. The Yuan clan of the Red Cloud lineage was directly wiped out by half, suffering immense losses. He also exposed the horrible deeds these people committed to the world. The Azure Cloud Sect is in a mess right now!"

Another person exclaimed in shock, "Such a thing actually happened? Was that Extreme Law Demonic Monarch apprehended?"

"No, he vanished, I hear. No tracking secret art can find a trace of him."

At this point, the third person was full of worry. "What if he comes to Glacier Pass, you think?"

The others immediately fell silent for a long time. A moment later, someone finally spoke weakly, "The Yin beasts of the Underworld Mountain Sect are countered by the Fire Crow clan. Our sect's Dao Monarch Jin Yan has even mastered the Golden Crow Divine Ability, so he should not fear this Extreme Law Demonic Monarch."

"One thing at a time, wasn't Demonic Monarch Yin Jiao also making Old Daoist Huang Yun howl in agony, with half his kidney bitten off? They're both late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators. Excluding factors of counter-techniques, it's hard to say who would win or lose."

After listening for a while, he finally got some decent intelligence. "Jin Yan and Yin Jiao, then." These two were quite famous. After all, at the grand cultivator level, they were generally well-known figures in both regions, with the exception of a few who had just broken through and hadn't yet established a reputation, like Green Water.

"Ah, these powerful figures are too far from us. Let's talk about something closer. Half a year ago, most of my brothers died in that battle; only a few of you good-for-nothing friends are left. I wonder if Kuangmei Mountain can continue to hold out."

Hearing the name "Kuangmei Mountain," Wang Yu's heart stirred. Glacier Pass was built above the Azure Jade River. There were three ways to break through it. The first was a frontal assault, with a rather low success rate. Strategic passes in the cultivation world were not only difficult due to terrain, but also special environments, formations and restrictions accumulated over years of management—all served as insurmountable barriers to attack! The second was an underwater attack. The Azure Jade River's depth was unimaginable; it was the most famous great river in the Ice Prison Realm, leading directly to Taihu, with its basin spanning more than half of the Ice Prison Realm.

The third was "Kuangmei Mountain." Its elevation was unparalleled in the Ice Prison Realm, even surpassing the high-altitude strong wind layer. Following this path to the summit, one could bypass the limits of Glacier Pass's anti-flight restrictions, directly take the cloud path, and invade the Taihu Spirit Realm by skipping Glacier Pass.

This strategy also had two flaws: firstly, it was difficult to attack; secondly, after invasion, the retreat route was hard to secure, posing a risk of being encircled. Moreover, only Core Formation cultivators could withstand re-entering the high-altitude strong wind layer. Therefore, it had to be combined with the carrying capacity of war airships.

Wang Yu had read the million books in the Scripture-Explaining Hall, so these topographical maps were already deeply ingrained in his mind. For low-level cultivators, however, these were obscure secrets. Knowing that the focus of the Glacier Pass battle was on Kuangmei Mountain, he knew what to do.

He quietly left the inn and returned to the small family he had temporarily controlled in the wilderness. Dou Zhao's Foundation Establishment spiritual items were provided by him. Such trivial items, when he was looking for them himself back then, he suffered quite a bit to find, but for the current him, he had as many as he needed. As Dou Zhao was breaking through, Wang Yu also prepared to cultivate to fully achieve initial mastery of the Immortal Spirit Body. He would naturally break through to late-stage Body Tempering Tier 4. All the barriers on this path had vanished, making the breakthrough effortless.

Once successful, he could indeed comfortably bear the title of Grand Cultivator. He also needed to refine some new magic treasures for use. Most of his gains from the Human Emperor's Secret Vault were not particularly remarkable, but a few items were quite good, such as the damaged three-pointed, double-edged spear. After refining it into a flesh-and-blood true artifact using the Demonic Artifact Refining Art, it would be perfectly suited as a weapon for his Body Tempering cultivation to exert its power. After all, the Fiend Demon Dragon Armor was a defensive enhancement treasure. He still lacked a handy close-combat true artifact. As the saying goes, 'one force can defeat ten skills.' Soon, Wang Yu would enter this stage, demonstrating the unmatched divine strength talent of a body cultivator in close combat.

Though this path consumed many resources, reaching this stage, in terms of physical strength alone, there was truly no cultivator in the Ice Prison Realm at the same level who could compare to him, especially after his Immortal Spiritual Bones completed their integration and he cultivated the Tier 5 Immortal Spirit Body. It would be difficult even if he wanted to die!

Harboring expectations for the future, Wang Yu began his breakthrough near Dou Zhao's secluded cultivation spot. Another year passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, in the cave dwelling piled with hundreds of top-grade spirit stones, Wang Yu's seated body suddenly erupted with a terrifying suction force. Pure spiritual energy gathered into a funnel shape. All of it was drawn into his body. Under the washing of massive spiritual energy, his Immortal Spirit Bones immediately shone with brilliant light, making his physical body appear like a transparent cicada's shell, with all his bones connecting even more tightly. Resilience and hardness increased linearly.

By this day, the Body Tempering path he had cultivated for many years finally broke through to the late stage of Tier 4. Immediately following was his Silver Blood Divine Marrow becoming even more viscous, with faint golden threads intermingled within. The immortal spiritual light emanating from his bones formed an invisible bone membrane. This membrane offered no defensive capability against offensive divine abilities, but possessed an extremely special effect: it could resist the erosion of time. Even after thousands, tens of thousands of years, even if Wang Yu had perished for many years, his Immortal Spirit Bones would not decay, remaining as bright and clean as ever. The 'Immortal Body' described this very form of immortality.

Should he encounter a desperate situation, this immortal bone membrane could also become a lifeline, preserving his last wisp of vital essence, allowing him to revive again under suitable circumstances. Of course, there were preconditions: Wang Yu's own lifespan had not yet been exhausted. Revival within this period would have no adverse effects. However, if it occurred beyond his natural lifespan, it would lead to rapid aging and other conditions—until death from old age!

Someone once said: so-called methods of longevity are simply ways to stubbornly refuse to die. As long as one finds the right direction, many dharma lineages actually offer pathways. This immortal bone membrane, unique to body cultivators, was not without this potential: to expand it from the bones to the entire physical body, and then truly affect the flow of time, hiding outside the river of time, unaffected by its passage. It was not impossible! However, the realm required for this was beyond even Wang Yu's current reach. The path of cultivation had many divergent roads, strewn with thorns, making progress difficult.

"Still much effort needed..." With these four words, he concluded his evaluation of this period.

Wang Yu hastily left his temporary cave dwelling and indeed found Dou Zhao, who had broken through to the first layer of Foundation Establishment. The Dou Mansion's inherited cultivation methods were few in number, and the highest only reached Tier 3. In terms of power, they were at most mid-grade Tier 3 cultivation methods. Her divine ability was only the most basic Three Pills Spitting Flame technique, which was a bit too rudimentary.

"Congratulations, Master, on emerging from seclusion!"

Seeing this, Wang Yu deliberately patted Dou Zhao's head. "I will first transmit a secret technique to you. Begin by comprehending it. If you don't understand anything, ask directly, but remember to inform me when you cultivate." The method he transmitted was naturally the foundation of Wang Yu's rise to power: The Demonic Embryo Profound Yuan Secret Method! The death rate for cultivating this secret method was too high, so Wang Yu came up with a compromise: let Dou Zhao absorb the heavenly demonic thoughts from his body to nourish her demonic embryo. Isn't this just exploiting a bug!