Chapter 67: Four

After a brief calculation, Wang Yu didn't dwell on it further. He then began observing the changes in the placement slots. According to previous patterns, new developments were expected now that he had broken through to the late Qi Condensation stage.

Placement Slot 1: Cold Blood Art"Cold Blood Art ↑ (55/100): Seventy-two practices a day; can be mastered in ten years."

Placement Slot 2: Cold Blood Art"Cold Blood Art ↑ (55/100): Seventy-two practices a day; can be mastered in ten years."

Placement Slot 3: Corpse Demon Secret Art (Completing)"Corpse Demon Secret Art (10/100): One thousand four hundred and forty practices a day; can be mastered in eighteen years."

Placement Slot 4: None---

“There it is!” Wang Yu looked at the fourth slot with a touch of excitement. The pattern of the placement slots was now largely clear; he estimated another one would appear once he broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage. With this, there would be no obstacle to achieving the grand path.

Furthermore, the Cold Blood Art was already halfway through its progression. With two placement slots operating simultaneously, the efficiency had indeed doubled, and he would obtain a second-tier cultivation technique in just a few more years. Moreover, thanks to the continuous infusion of insights from the placement slots, everything felt instinctive, as if he had cultivated it himself. It was as if the technique was directly perfected. This would be immensely beneficial for his future cultivation.

Currently, each placement slot had an efficiency of '2 wisps/day.' If all four were used for cultivation techniques, it would be '8 wisps/day,' allowing him to break through to the eighth level of Qi Condensation in approximately seven years. That's twice as fast.

While pondering, Wang Yu felt he couldn't use the slots solely for cultivation techniques. Currently, he didn't have many items that needed placing. The Corpse Demon Secret Art was a long-term endeavor, best left steadily in place, as he would eventually have a need for it. Suffering for a short period didn't mean suffering for a lifetime; he wasn't the type to endure unnecessary hardships.

He then considered the priorities. The second-tier, top-grade spell, Profound Yin Hand, ranked first. This technique could significantly raise his combat power ceiling and also help him handle challenges at the Foundation Establishment stage. It was quite important.

Secondly, the third-tier incomplete alchemy method, Cold Dragon Alchemy Art, had been perfected for some time. Based on past observations of the placement slots' effectiveness, completing a method was easier and took less time than inferring its upper limits. Currently, his various configurations had reached their limits. To further accelerate his progress, there were only two avenues: first, to research a pill more suitable for improving cultivation than the top-grade Cold Blood Pill; and second, to acquire a demonic secret art that could enhance his aptitude. Additionally, the pill formula for the Cold Dragon Pill could also be considered for placement, as this alchemy art truly displayed its unique characteristics only with the assistance of 'Cold Flame.' If he wished to make significant progress in elixirs, Wang Yu felt that refining the Cold Dragon Pill would be crucial.

It was difficult to decide what to place in this fourth slot at the moment.

After much consideration,

Placement Slot 4: Profound Yin Hand"Profound Yin Hand (20/100): Nine practices a day; can be mastered in eight years."

Combat power first! The materials for the Cold Dragon Pill hadn't been fully gathered yet. He still hadn't acquired the demon core of a second-tier, ice-attribute python-type demonic beast, estimating he would only have a chance to obtain it upon returning to the sect. Furthermore, while out in the world, it was always best to prioritize combat power. His cultivation realm couldn't be immediately elevated, but spells could still enhance his strength. He had used two of the three portions of 'Yin Marrow Liquid,' achieving 20 points of progress on his own and saving two years of time. So, he would leave it like that for now.

Thus, another three months passed, bringing the time to mid-December of the fifth year. Wang Yu’s spiritual power had fully liquefied, and the Profound Essence Flower no longer had any effect on him. The quality of his spiritual power had nearly reached the limit achievable at the Qi Condensation stage. This represented a significant increase in strength, though it wasn't immediately obvious.

In this manner, nearly three years had passed since he left home. He had progressed directly from the fifth level of Qi Condensation to the seventh, marking a significant personal transformation.

As the saying goes, 'extreme stillness breeds movement.' His restless heart began to stir, desiring some action, particularly concerning the underground palace beneath Profound Bone Mountain. Situ Hong and the other two had not divulged any specific information about it. At this moment, greed arose within him. After all, the Grand Yin Nether Pupil secret art had been acquired from that very palace, and a Nascent Soul inheritance was priceless. He also recalled the demonic script stele in the Scripture Pavilion. Perhaps Liu Jinxian understood the blood runes of the ancient demonic script. If he could consult her, he might not only decipher the stele's content but also find a use for the mysterious silk book he had obtained from Xu Jiaojiao.

“Blood runes shouldn't be hard to understand. After all, if Xu Jiaojiao could figure them out, there’s no reason I can’t.”

Therefore, after settling down in his temporary cave dwelling for some time, Wang Yu ventured out again to sound out Liu Jinxian.

“Junior Brother Wang, please return,” came a voice. “I am currently perfecting a bee-gu and don’t have time for a heart-to-heart chat with you.”

Hearing these words through a stone door, Wang Yu uncomfortably shuffled his boots. A 'heart-to-heart chat' was indeed a bit too intimate for him. From their previous interactions, it seemed that without a large contingent of Gu Poison Peak disciples backing her, Senior Sister Liu’s demeanor could indeed soften. Since the other party was unwilling to communicate, Wang Yu didn't press the matter. He exchanged a polite greeting and took his leave.

His second option was Gu Zhengshun. Unfortunately, Senior Brother Gu was even more resistant. No matter how Wang Yu called from outside the formation, he received no response, clearly fearing capture or death at Wang Yu's hands.

“Strange,” he muttered to himself. “I’m not a murderous person, so why are they all so afraid of me?” He grumbled inwardly.

Just as he was about to head towards Situ Hong, his third option, Wang Yu's steps faltered. Could it be that they had guessed his recent actions? That seemed unlikely; the internal strife between Five Yin Peak and Gu Poison Peak had nothing to do with him. At most, he had simply taken advantage of the situation; he hadn't actively participated or maliciously instigated anything.

Soon after, outside a temporary cave dwelling at the edge of Profound Bone Mountain, Wang Yu called out loudly, “Senior Brother Situ, I have come to visit.”

Silence!

Not here? Wang Yu frowned deeply. Currently, one of the three Profound Bone Mountains was occupied by a second-tier Fierce Bone Lion, so they rarely resided there, let alone gathered Profound Essence Flowers and Bone Wood. As for the Foundation Establishment Corpse Demon, it had never emerged from the underground palace, so there wasn't much to worry about regarding it. Liu Jinxian lived far away, and Gu Zhengshun was protected by a formation. Only Situ Hong had opened a temporary cave dwelling at the edge of the Right Profound Bone Mountain, making it convenient for him to raise ghosts.

Five Yin Peak's ghost-controlling art was not an exclusive technique, but they typically cultivated only 'main ghosts': one for the Qi Condensation stage, one for the Foundation Establishment stage, one for the Core Formation stage, and so on. This shared similarities with cultivators of the beast-taming faction. This method of raising ghosts followed an elite path, offering significant advantages even in small-scale group attacks. With the aid of soul-summoning banners and similar magical artifacts, they could gain a considerable edge in almost any battle. Their ranking within the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect consistently placed them among the top four.

Repeated calls yielded no response. Wang Yu was about to leave and find another opportunity to visit when the corner of his mouth slightly turned up, forming a subtle, knowing smile.

“Grand Yin Nether Pupil, activate!”

A pair of crescent moons appeared in his eyes. Through the concealment of stone and formation, he could glimpse a vibrant soul flame belonging to a living person. It seemed they were all hiding from him.

His voice abruptly grew several times louder.

“Senior Brother Situ, why won’t you show yourself?!”