Chapter 479: Demon Clan's Seclusion and Heart-to-Heart Talk

After entrusting Xueyu and his young apprentice to the care of the old Bird Demon, Wang Yu did not linger on Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain. Instead, he headed directly to the current Northern Demon Lord's palace.

This was a colossal palace complex built in recent years. Given the size of the demons' true forms, the structures were often exceptionally tall and imposing.

At its heart lay a smaller palace, accessible only to Fourth-Tier Transformed Demons. It was characterized by exquisite craftsmanship and luxury, exhibiting a strong human architectural style.

As Wang Yu descended in his escape light, several demon attendants, possessing the bloodline of medicinal antler deer, had already been waiting for some time.

These attendants were special beings created from human bodies combined with secret demonic bloodline techniques. The original intention was to forge an inexpensive and versatile living weapon.

Ultimately, the project failed to achieve its primary goal and instead resulted in a means to serve external guests.

Their appearances had therefore been specifically altered.

Aesthetically, they conformed well to human sensibilities, though they were somewhat rigid, akin to flesh-and-blood puppets, yet possessing a degree of sentience.

“Lord Extreme Law Demon Monarch, our master has been waiting for a long time.”

“Lead the way.”

They traversed covered bridges, gardens, and halls, heading straight to the core area where the Five-Colored Sacred Lord, with whom Wang Yu had distantly interacted years ago at a treasure exchange event, awaited.

He was seated high on his sacred throne, awaiting Wang Yu's arrival.

Years had passed, yet time had brought very few changes to him. He cordially greeted Wang Yu and then descended from his sacred seat.

He said with a broad smile,

“Fellow Daoist Wang,

“It’s been many years, and your demeanor is even more impressive than before.”

Addressing him as ‘Fellow Daoist’ was clearly an elevated form of address for Wang Yu. After all, considering his age and strength, calling him ‘Young Friend’ would have been polite enough.

Elevating him to ‘Fellow Daoist’ indicated an awareness of his breakthrough in alchemy.

“Your Holiness exaggerates,” Wang Yu replied. “These are but minor achievements, hardly worth mentioning before you.”

Wang Yu was thick-skinned, with praise readily flowing from his lips.

As for what merits the other party had? That was irrelevant. Such discerning mutual flattery was undoubtedly a sign of friendly deference.

Both felt more confident about the impending conversation.

“Please, have a seat. King Roc, the Monkey, and Old Dog will be here shortly.”

The Monkey and Old Dog referred to King Verity and King Gloom Mastiff.

Both were members of the Eight Great Northern Demon Clans. King Roc had previously sent them to assist in hunting down the Nine Evil Sword Monarch, so their relationship with Wang Yu was quite good.

There had been no mishaps during their cooperation, and the outcome had been satisfactory. The Five-Colored Sacred Lord inviting them clearly intended to leverage this camaraderie.

Wang Yu suspected it was related to his alchemy promise.

It didn't matter, though.

His reclusive cultivation among the demons was merely one objective. Alchemy cooperation was a second, easily achievable goal. There was also a third objective: the Transformation God Demon Venerable behind the Northern Demon Race.

If possible, he hoped to meet them in person.

However, the old Bird Demon's previous attitude made him realize it was best not to bring up this topic rashly, lest he mess things up.

He didn't want to end up without a patron and in conflict with the Northern Demon Race.

Their inability to appear publicly suggested either a personal issue.

Or some unspeakable hidden ailment. In any case, it wasn't a topic to be casually broached. As for his grievance with Venerable Chitian,

He still felt some apprehension, though the pressure was far less than the existential threat he faced when confronting the Spirit Slave Manager. Hence, he was unhurried.

As time passed,

A demon-style banquet swiftly commenced. Dishes taller than a human were placed in the hall, among them an extremely rare and delicious demonic beast: the Alluring Fragrance Pig!

Its skin was crispy and fragrant, its meat tender and juicy.

The vibrant red color and rising hot steam were inviting.

Paired with dipping sauces and fine wine, and with demon attendants skilled in music playing, singing, and providing a full range of services, the sheer enjoyment was no less than a human banquet.

However, one type of service was absent, which didn't quite align with human customs. Wang Yu casually took a few bites, his mind already focused on the upcoming conversation.

He didn't have to wait long. The Old Monkey and King Mastiff, having received the news, hurried over. Their eyes lit up upon seeing Wang Yu, but they first greeted the Five-Colored Sacred Lord before approaching him.

“Brother Wang, you are truly formidable! Among the cultivators of Vermilion Kite, those who can stand shoulder to shoulder with you are probably no more than a handful,”

This was, of course, spoken by the Old Monkey. King Mastiff's personality was more reserved, or rather, a cool and inwardly passionate type who preferred to be praised rather than praise others.

After their pleasantries concluded, the Five-Colored Sacred Lord waited a moment longer.

Then he clapped his hands, signaling for the extraneous personnel to withdraw.

They proceeded directly to the main topic of the meeting. With a glance, he indicated,

for the Old Monkey to initiate the probing.

“Brother Wang,” the Old Monkey began, “when we hunted down that Nascent Soul Demon Monarch, you promised to refine elixirs for me and King Mastiff once, free of charge. I wonder if that promise is still valid?”

“Of course,” Wang Yu readily affirmed. “I always keep my word. My reputation for integrity is well-known throughout Vermilion Kite; how could I go back on it?”

Wang Yu agreed without hesitation, fully understanding the underlying intention.

The Five-Colored Sacred Lord likely wanted to use this opportunity to test whether his alchemy skills truly reached the peak Fourth-Tier level, as Old Man San had claimed.

Direct verbal probing would be too blunt and somewhat embarrassing.

So, he had the Old Monkey use a favor to probe. If future cooperation was established, he would naturally compensate the Old Monkey for this free alchemy opportunity.

King Verity took out an ancient scroll and said,

“This elixir formula is called the Nine-Revolution Word Spirit Elixir, a Fourth-Tier grade. It can greatly assist my cultivation. The necessary materials have already been gathered, Brother Wang…”

“Rest assured, leave it to me.”

Wang Yu accepted the challenge and turned to King Mastiff.

“How about King Mastiff joins as well? I can settle both favors at once.”

“Very well.”

King Gloom Mastiff also produced an ancient scroll detailing an elixir formula. Such formulas not only described ingredient combinations, heat control, and pharmacological principles but also precisely recorded the timing for adding each spiritual herb.

They were easier to comprehend than ‘common formulas’ that merely listed ingredient ratios, but they also contained a significant amount of specialized terminology.

For example, the processing method for a certain spiritual herb was recorded as: 'Roll thrice in fire, as fireflies dance and merge with the heavens, assisted by earthly spirits, then it can be used in the elixir.'

This referred to a specific technique within the alchemy incantations.

Named 'Heaven and Earth Grinding Form,' it was specifically for melting spiritual herbs with hard shells.

The elixir King Mastiff desired was also Fourth-Tier.

It was called the Nether Sky Demon Elixir.

Wang Yu intended to showcase his alchemy skills to gain more leverage and set a standard for future alchemy fees in their upcoming cooperation.

After borrowing an alchemy chamber, he immediately entered seclusion to refine the elixirs.

True to his nature, he wouldn't dedicate all his time solely to alchemy. Once all procedures were complete, he would simply supervise the process using his divine sense clones.

He would place them in the Grand Harmony Blood Cauldron, slowly nurturing them with the Ice Dragon Pill Flame. Refining one batch per year was sufficient; any more would affect his cultivation.

Even with the Fire Forging method, known for its speed, the time required to refine high-tier spirit elixirs was constantly increasing, unlike before when it took only a few days or a dozen days.

In contrast, when Wang Yu refined Second- or Third-Tier spirit elixirs,

he could actually produce them in large quantities. Especially the Blood Pill Dao's refining method, which was most suitable for mass production.

During the ambush of the Azure Cloud Sect's party, he had originally intended to refine all those elite cultivators into blood pills, which he could then exchange for military merits upon returning to Vermilion Kite, and then acquire a Blood Demon Medicine King to test its effects.

Unfortunately, this plan didn't materialize, but it had little impact.

He could still accumulate high-end resources through other means. Furthermore, the eight Cosmos Rings he acquired from that event were all high-grade items.

They contained over a thousand top-grade spirit stones combined.

This greatly expanded Wang Yu's resource reserves. It was worth noting that the Fourth-Tier top-grade magical treasure, the Blood Skull Demonic Sword, auctioned at the Yama Ghost Market back then, only cost fifty spirit stones.

Although prices at the Ghost Market were somewhat lower than through regular channels,

it still indicated that the resources Wang Yu possessed already surpassed those of most late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators, even enough to purchase a Fifth-Tier spirit treasure.

Combined with his already substantial personal wealth,

his total resource value was conservatively estimated to be close to over two thousand top-grade spirit stones. However, Wang Yu's demand for high-tier Yin-cold natural treasures was also immense.

His consumption across various fronts was significant; earning and spending concurrently was the optimal approach.

While he was in seclusion refining elixirs,

at the location where the banquet had just been held, the Five-Colored Sacred Lord was conversing with King Verity and King Mastiff.

“Do you think this person can be trusted?”

Upon hearing this, the Old Monkey glanced at the rigid King Mastiff,

and nodded,

“He can be trusted. News recently arrived from the Endless Ice Plains that the Sacred Lord's Celestial Palace will open in a century. The Southern Demons should be preparing to collect Sacred Tokens.

“With Wang Yu's assistance, our Northern Demon strength can significantly improve over the next century, making us more competitive when entering the Celestial Palace.”

King Verity not only chose to trust Wang Yu but also enumerated the benefits, effectively helping Wang Yu gain more leverage.

Before becoming the King of the Northern Demons, the Five-Colored Sacred Lord already had a considerable reputation for sanctity.

He commanded numerous demon cultivators with weaker bloodlines, but it would be a grave mistake to assume he sympathized with the weak because of this.

The intensity of internal competition among demons was no less fierce than that of the Vermilion Kite Demonic Path.

There were hidden circumstances behind the struggle for the Sacred Lord position back then. Otherwise, King Roc, who had the most popular support, did not succeed, nor did King Thunder-Scale, who wielded destructive lightning.

Although King Fire Crow was an exotic species, his failure was within the demons' understanding. Yet, it was the Five-Colored Deer King, known only for his 'benevolent reputation,' who ascended to the Sacred Lord position.

The public explanation was that the Five-Colored Deer's sacred reputation would benefit demonic unity and change the old tendency of bullying the weak and fearing the strong. However, demons were even more pragmatic than demonic cultivators.

They were not like the hypocrites of the righteous path who gained fame by deception.

For demons, 'reputation' was too abstract and insubstantial. The Sacred Lord position would surely be determined by a battle.

Reality did not lie; the true nature of the Five-Colored Sacred Lord was not the benevolence praised by both humans and demons, but rather an abyssal ruthlessness and coldness.

King Mastiff's reaction was also part of the evidence.

“Is that so…”

Hearing King Verity's words, the Five-Colored Sacred Lord smiled gently: “Since he is valuable, when the Azure Cloud Sect envoy arrives, Old Monkey, you will stall him.

“When the Sacred Lord's Celestial Palace opens this time, I will personally enter to welcome back Venerable Azure Dragon!”

The information revealed by the Five-Colored Sacred Lord was astonishing.

The Northern Demon Race's foundational powerhouse was not secluded deep within their territory recovering from injuries, but had instead gone to the Celestial Palace treasury established by the Ice Phoenix Sacred Lord.

No wonder, over the years, the demon kings of the Four Upper Clans and Eight Lower Clans had never received a response from Venerable Azure Dragon.

The Five-Colored Deer's ascension to the Sacred Lord position was partly due to other demon kings suspecting that Venerable Azure Dragon had died from severe injuries, which made them urgently want to elect a new leader.

In the hall, King Verity and King Mastiff hastily lowered their heads.

They pretended not to hear the Five-Colored Sacred Lord's shocking words. Soon after, about half a month later,

a Seventh-level Nascent Soul cultivator from the Azure Cloud Sect, with white eyes and purple hair, exuding an aura of malevolence, officially arrived at the core territory of the Northern Demon Race.

He was none other than Soul Spirit Monarch, whom Old Ancestor Huangyun had mentioned!

He cultivated pure divine soul techniques, not focusing on spiritual power but soul force. His entire strength was built upon a formidable soul, allowing him to instantly transform into a ghost cultivator even after death.

This ghost path differed from the Ghost Enslavement and Ghost Devouring techniques of Five Yin Peak.

Instead, it involved transforming oneself into a soul body, abandoning the physical body to cultivate soul force exclusively. Legend had it that a divine general by the side of an immortal in ancient times was a pure soul body.

Yet, they could eat, drink, run, and jump.

Their physiological responses were indistinguishable from a living body, a manifestation of profound cultivation in the Ghost Immortal Dao. Compared to the branching cultivation paths of body refiners,

the Ghost Immortal Dao was a niche among niches. Unless one had congenital physical defects, normal individuals would never choose this path.

The Ghost Immortal Dao had worrying combat power in its early stages and clear weaknesses.

Only after condensing a Soul Nascent Soul did it improve somewhat.

However, its combat ability still lagged behind cultivators of other paths. Only in terms of perception did it excel universally, able to sense all abnormal fluctuations, including those in space.

Soul Spirit Monarch's arrival was clearly to demand Wang Yu.

He and King Verity, who was receiving him, quickly engaged in a 'heated' argument. This 'heated' mostly involved Soul Spirit Monarch's cursing, while King Verity seemed to have cultivated a silent meditation.

He would only utter a few words back and forth, and very slowly at that.

It was nothing short of mental torture.

This would be a long-standing, unsolvable cycle until Soul Spirit Monarch gave up.

And so… two years later.

From Wang Yu's secluded alchemy chamber, an extraordinarily fragrant, misty elixir cloud drifted out. Under his deliberate guidance, it created a series of continuous phenomena.

Nearly half of the central palace complex was enveloped by the elixir cloud.

Numerous transformed great demons emerged from their dwellings, gazing in utter astonishment at the source of the elixir cloud. Upon realizing that the Five-Colored Sacred Lord was standing there, they all turned away, no longer looking.

After merely inhaling a few breaths of the intoxicating elixir fragrance, they felt refreshed and invigorated.

“Your Holiness.”

Wang Yu pushed open the large door and immediately saw the waiting Five-Colored Sacred Lord. Not seeing the Old Monkey or King Mastiff nearby, he handed over two small elixir bottles to him.

These were Fourth-Tier supreme-grade spirit elixirs, three per bottle, almost perfectly refined.

He had also largely calmed the side effects of the Blood Infant Elixir.

In another year or two, he could begin his breakthrough to the Sixth Level of Nascent Soul, his strength steadily advancing at a visible rate. After the Five-Colored Sacred Lord examined the state of the elixirs,

his expression grew even more sincere. He enthusiastically took Wang Yu's hand.

“You've worked hard, Alchemist Wang,” he said. “King Roc has prepared a banquet, and incidentally, I, on behalf of the Northern Demon Race, also have a business matter I'd like to discuss with you.”

Wang Yu naturally acquiesced.

“Given our friendship, Your Holiness, there's no need to be polite. My alchemy rates are always fair: one natural treasure of the same tier and quality per refining session, with the attribute specified by me.”