Chapter 101
Thus, another three months passed.
At the end of December, a heavy snowfall blanketed the area around Spider Mountain. Everything was wrapped in silver and white, breathtakingly beautiful yet tinged with desolation. The vast expanse of white seemed to make heaven and earth appear even more bleak.
It is often said that autumn brings sorrow and spring brings joy. This winter also carried a sense of loneliness, a flavor of all things falling into silence.
Wang Yu had already been studying Foundation Establishment spiritual materials for some time.
He discovered that what that scheming disciple had mentioned that day, aside from the final fragment map opportunity, was indeed true. With the help of Situ Hong, it was verified.
Although in the ancient records of the Blood Reversal Sect, there had never been a precedent of someone with Wasted Spiritual Roots achieving Foundation Establishment, there were still many tales of determined individuals defying fate and changing their destiny.
Just like the Supreme Foundation Establishment Pill, the kind of Foundation Establishment spiritual material suitable for Wang Yu was equally rare and difficult to obtain.
Treasures such as the Ice Spiritual Spring were not sufficient. Only rare wonders like the Heavenfrost Cold Qi could work. But he had no leads. Other than bitter cultivation, Wang Yu had no other method.
Day after day, due to the side effects of the Corpse Demon Secret Arts, his second brother remained unresponsive all year round, with nowhere to release his frustrations.
To a certain extent, Wang Yu had almost lost his desires. Under such conditions, his obsession became terrifying. He was capable of staying shut inside his room for an entire year without moving. He could do it. Others could not.
For example, the group that had been watching him for a long time.
In a stone house convenient for surveillance, seven or eight people sat together, harshly criticizing Wang Yu.
“Damn, does this man have no desires?”
“He never goes out at all. His endurance is insane.”
Not far from Spider Mountain was Heart-Erosion City. Although it was not a prefecture city or a large-scale spiritual land, it was still bustling.
Whether disciples of Cold Blood Peak or Five Yin Peak, once off duty they would go into the city to visit brothels and seek pleasure. Even the spirit stones earned at Spider Mountain needed channels for spending.
“Wait a little longer. If he still does not move in the last half month, we will think of a way to lure him out.”
“That’s all we can do.”
“How do we lure him?”
“Like this… like this… it should work.”
“Good, then it’s decided.”
The leader gave the final word. Naturally, the others had no objections.
Ten days later.
At someone’s fingertips, spiritual light flickered. A transparent gray liquid followed the motion of his wrist and fell precisely onto the root of a Spiderheart Grass, soaking into the soil and forming a small depression.
It was Wang Yu watering it with Ghost-Eye Spider Blood. Afterward, he would mix the excrement with spider silk and limb remains to cover the entire spirit field, achieving the effect of fertilization.
Just at that moment, two figures flew in from the horizon on flying swords. They quickly landed near the spiritual fields Wang Yu managed. The two of them walked onto the ridges, speaking softly.
Wang Yu glanced over, his ears twitching slightly.
“Hurry, go, go, go. Inform the boss. There is an auction in Heart-Erosion City.”
“I heard they are auctioning a Foundation Establishment spiritual material. The boss has been waiting a long time. I never thought Heart-Erosion City would have one too.”
Just those two sentences struck directly at Wang Yu’s heart. Watching them walk away, he could not help but sigh.
Such an attempt at enticement was indeed clumsy. But after probing his storage pouch with divine sense, Wang Yu realized he had accumulated nearly fifty thousand spirit stones. It was time to spend some.
Now that he possessed the Cold Flame, he no longer needed earthly fire for alchemy. A suitable pill furnace was indeed something he ought to purchase.
On the other hand, auctions varied depending on the powers behind them. Many had entry requirements. Even the lowest-tier auction required verification.
For example, verifying funds or verifying identity.
Having stayed indoors for so long, this was a good chance to visit Heart-Erosion City. Not only could he resolve the group of stalkers, but he might also find ways to improve his cultivation speed. Furthermore, if he could buy dragon-blood essence from a draconic beast,
He could free up an Idle Slot and use it to make up for his deficiencies in spell arts.
“Then let it come.”
…
…
Heart-Erosion City was located three hundred li east of Spider Mountain, built upon a second-rank low-grade spiritual vein, with an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed within the city.
Outside the city was a spiritual spring. The cold and clear spring water it produced was a highly versatile spiritual material, useful in tea brewing, pill refining, artifact forging, talisman ink, and more.
To guard this place, a marketplace had been established with the spiritual spring at its center, called Mountain Spring Market.
Nearby itinerant cultivators or disciples of other sects could all purchase property here.
Inside the city there was also an inner market veiled with concealment formation. Compared to Mountain Spring Market, it was far more prosperous, mainly serving sect cultivators who managed nearby resource points such as Spider Mountain, Spirit Peach Mountain, and so forth.
Centered around a city like this, there were at least two to three large-scale resource points in the vicinity, along with several small-scale ones.
Mountain Spring Market belonged solely to the stationed cultivator himself. It was his personal method of gathering wealth during his tenure. After his inspection, those who met his requirements were naturally allowed entry into the inner market.
Thus, a single city was already extremely complicated.
Wang Yu’s goal was precisely the inner market of the city. Many other forces had also set up businesses there, and satisfying the needs of a Qi Refining cultivator was easily done.
Leisurely riding his flying artifact, the Black Silk, Wang Yu traveled alone. His speed was not even faster than if he had gone on foot.
When he was halfway along his journey, flying across a gorge—
Swish, swish, swish. A group of black-robed men surrounded him tightly. Four in front, three behind, and another five or six above and below.
In total there were more than ten. The leader radiated the aura of Qi Refining ninth layer. There was also one at Qi Refining eighth layer, three at Qi Refining seventh layer, the rest at Qi Refining sixth layer, and only one at Qi Refining fifth layer.
“Brat, hand over the storage bags on you, and we will spare your life.”
Hearing this, Wang Yu seemed somewhat surprised.
“Only robbing wealth without killing?”
As he spoke, he pulled open his robe, revealing over a dozen storage bags sewn on the inside, and asked with amusement.
“Which one do you want?”
The bearded strongman was first startled, but then greed filled his eyes. With a large wave of his hand, he laughed savagely.
“All of them.”
“Achoo—”
At this moment, someone suddenly sneezed, his whole body shivering. He whispered to his companion.
“Don’t you feel the weather has turned cold, the temperature dropping so quickly?”
“How could it… Wait! Boss, this kid is using a technique.”
“Then attack him!!!”
Too late.
This group had not immediately attacked, instead choosing to threaten with words. This was somewhat unexpected to Wang Yu. For people making a living from robbery, they were still hesitating.
So he deliberately delayed them, preparing his technique.
In direct combat, he was confident he could win, but wiping them all out was difficult. If even one escaped, it would expose his information. To eradicate them entirely was the best plan.
Centered on Wang Yu, the temperature suddenly dropped.
Outside the encirclement, layer upon layer of ice crystals rapidly condensed. It was the Ice Coffin Spell.
Today was different from the past. With cultivation at Qi Refining eighth layer and mastery of perfected spell techniques, improving the technique came with ease.
Walls of ice, each over ten meters tall, swiftly closed in.
In the blink of an eye, an icy cage formed over the gorge, resembling a beast-fighting arena.
He quickly swallowed a supreme-grade Spirit Recovery Pill.
Wang Yu raised his right hand, leveling it and grasping at the void toward one of them.
Whoosh—