Chapter 96: Taking the Spirit Nourishing Medicine

What was called an ‘Enshrouded Dragon’ was actually a lizard possessing a dragon-seed bloodline, or as Wang Yu would have called it in his previous life, a chameleon.

“No wonder these spiders gained the ability to become invisible; it seems they comprehended this bone art from this treasured bone.”

He picked up the treasured bone and held it in his palm. It still emanated a faint dragon-seed aura, indicating a remarkably potent bloodline.

Lizards, snakes, fish, insects, birds... virtually all creatures in the world could potentially possess a dragon bloodline, which is linked to their ancestry. However, dragon blood also comes in various grades. From lowest to highest, they are categorized as: Dragon-seed, Dragon-blood, Flood Dragon, and True Dragon.

These four tiers constitute a classification system distinct from that of other demonic beasts, highlighting the immense power of the dragon bloodline.

The Enshrouded Dragon, owner of this treasured bone, was likely a Rank 2, early-stage dragon-seed demonic beast with a relatively concentrated bloodline, just shy of ascending to the Dragon-blood tier. Wang Yu couldn't decipher the runes inscribed on it, yet he could effortlessly comprehend their meaning through his spiritual sense—this was the power of the treasured bone.

“A low-grade Rank 2 Invisibility Art. What a treasure!”

Treasured bones are akin to human inheritance jade slips, capable of multiple uses. The Invisibility Art itself is uncommon, even rare, making it valuable enough to be listed at even the lowest-tier auctions.

“It's worth at least ten thousand spirit stones, and if the right buyer comes along, the price could even double.”

Contentedly, he placed it into his storage bag. Wang Yu was not in a hurry to sell it, as the Invisibility Art, when combined with his Night Concealment Charm, would make his methods of self-concealment even more potent. He would only consider selling it when he ran low on spirit stones.

This trip had certainly been worthwhile. After estimating the time and carefully checking his surroundings multiple times, Wang Yu ascended, ready to leave the Ghost Eye Cave. Along the way, he occasionally hunted a few peak Rank 1 Ghost Spiders, gathering just enough. After all, each person could only refine ten Ghost Eyes; any surplus would serve as a resource reserve, to be sold at a high price to fellow disciples in the future.

When he emerged from the cave, Situ Hong was already waiting for him, and he grumbled:

“Ugh, I chose the wrong path and was nearly devoured by the Spider Queen! How was your haul, Junior Brother Wang? Did you uncover the reason for those spiders’ unusual behavior?”

Wang Yu calmly shook his head. “I killed quite a few Ghost Spiders, but found nothing else. I thought the source might be with the Spider Queen.”

Situ Hong stroked his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. “That makes sense. Since it’s the strongest, it must be the cause. We’ll search again in seven days.”

Seeing this, Wang Yu waved his hand. “Senior Brother Situ, I plan to refine a Ghost Eye to test its effects. If I miss the time... could I trouble you to cover for me once?”

“No problem at all, just once is fine.”

“Thank you. This junior brother will take his leave now.”

“Hmm.”

As Wang Yu headed down the mountain, Situ Hong initially noticed nothing amiss. But then, a sudden realization struck him, and he quickly chased after Wang Yu, calling out:

“Junior Brother, Junior Brother... we haven’t submitted the task yet! Wait for me!”

After they had submitted the task, Wang Yu returned to his detached stone house by the spirit field and set up his formation flags, finally feeling a sense of security. This hunting trip had yielded a considerable number of Ghost Eyes. He had eleven peak Rank 1 Ghost Eyes, eight high-grade, and twenty-six medium-grade ones. He decided to use only the best quality ones.

Sitting cross-legged in meditation, he completed a grand cycle of his cultivation technique and regulated his breathing. Then, he decisively swallowed a Ghost Eye. It tasted somewhat fishy, with a faint astringent and salty flavor. About the size of a longan fruit, it differed from elixirs in that it didn't dissolve immediately upon consumption; instead, it required slow digestion.

Noticing its sluggish absorption, Wang Yu frowned and changed his hand seal: his middle and ring fingers folded into his palm, while his index and little fingers remained straight, pointing to his Dantian Qi Sea. Instantly, cold flames surged from within, engulfing his entire body. Subtle changes occurred within his body; as the cold flames joined, his spiritual energy seemed to ignite as it flowed through his meridians, significantly accelerating the refinement of the Ghost Eye.

Theoretically, a high-grade Ghost Eye has a three-month refinement period, providing 4 to 5 units of spiritual energy cultivation per eye. As the yield from a peak Rank 1 Ghost Spider, its efficacy was naturally at its maximum!

After several cycles, Wang Yu abruptly opened his eyes, a look of delight on his face. While refining the improved Cold Blood Elixir previously, he hadn't noticed the cold flames’ auxiliary effect on refinement. Yet, when refining the Ghost Eye now, he found the speed to be astonishingly quick. This might be related to the nature of both.

While Situ Hong needed three months, Wang Yu could refine a Ghost Eye in just one month at most, meaning he could reach the cultivation limit within the current year. Gaining an additional 50 units of spiritual energy cultivation would save him almost two years. If he continued at this pace, he could break through to the eighth layer of Qi Condensation by this time next year, catching up to Situ Hong.

It's worth noting that Situ Hong was almost two cycles older than Wang Yu, a young man approaching fifty. The earliest he could attempt Foundation Establishment was sixty, and if he failed, he could still make a second attempt within his lifetime. This highlights the significant difference between disciples of Nascent Soul sects and other cultivators: their success rate for Foundation Establishment is considerably higher.

Regarding the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect alone, Wang Yu knew there were at least tens of thousands. A single peak's lineage would have at least a thousand Foundation Establishment cultivators, and it wouldn't be surprising for leading peaks to have two or three thousand—yet even this was insufficient. The Reverse Spirit Blood Sect's territory spans four vast and boundless states, bordering the Broken World Mountain Range. The development of resources in this region requires a significant workforce. Across these four states, there are tens of thousands of cities with Rank 2 spirit veins; even assigning one cultivator to each city wouldn't be enough. Moreover, Rank 3 and Rank 4 spirit vein locations also require personnel. Overall, there are many vacancies, ample resources, and excellent opportunities for advancement.

Since the Demonic Path began long-term resource development in their territories, conflicts in the broader environment have significantly decreased, and there's a growing trend of cultivators becoming more engrossed and addicted to their pursuits. This, of course, is also related to the war between the righteous and demonic forces that occurred three hundred years ago. It hasn't been long since that conflict, which depleted a large portion of the cultivation world's population.

Returning to the main point: The Ghost Eye acted like a potent spiritual medicine, its efficacy not conflicting with the accumulated power of the Cold Blood Elixirs within Wang Yu's body, thus significantly boosting his cultivation speed. As for the low-grade Rank 2 Invisibility Art, he simply had no available slot for it. Even the Profound Yin Hand, an art he could rely on as a trump card, he was comprehending and cultivating on his own. The Cold Blood Arts in slots 1 and 2 were close to advancing, so Wang Yu wouldn't alter them, as his cultivation progress primarily relied on them. The Demonic Embryo Secret Charm and Flood Dragon Strength, occupying slots 3 and 4 respectively, would also remain untouched. The former was crucial for his future aptitude and wouldn't be disturbed for a decade, while the latter, vital for his Foundation Establishment success rate, would not be altered until it reached perfection.

From that day forward, Wang Yu adopted a secluded and solitary lifestyle. Apart from entering the Ghost Eye Cave with Situ Hong every seven days to hunt spiders, he frenetically squeezed his time, completely immersing himself in the whirlpool of self-improvement, unable to extricate himself. Occasionally, fellow disciples from Cold Blood Peak responsible for managing spirit fields would seek him out to purchase Ghost Eyes.