Turtling Up**
"Burying corpses..."
After much thought, if there were no other covert actions, this step was the only one that might conceal additional arrangements.
But for Heavenly Corpse Peak disciples, burying corpses was actually quite normal.
After all, this place had a second-grade Yin Vein. Burying the corpses in the ground provided far more benefit than carrying them on their backs. Absorbing more Earth Yin energy was beneficial for the growth of refined corpses.
"Could it be that there's a secret hidden underground at Profound Bone Mountain?"
After all, the formation Gu Zhengshun set up only concealed the bottom thirty levels of the mountain, the complete opposite of Liu Jinxian and Si Tu Hong, who covered the top fifty levels with their formations.
"That bastard—
"He's still scheming against me!"
He didn't believe Gu Zhengshun had no other plans. The fact that he had no reaction facing this crisis, even willing to give up the primary benefit of Profound Bone Mountain, the Profound Essence Flowers, meant there had to be a greater interest occupying him.
Looking at it with this premise, it felt perfectly normal to suspect Gu Zhengshun was up to something.
Only...
Should he really switch sides and join Liu Jinxian?
For Wang Yu, this option was the worst possible strategy. All because Liu Jinxian was too powerful! As a mere fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator, how could he receive significant regard or equal treatment from her side?
Never mind more benefits; the two levels he currently held and the third he was about to take might all be snatched away. After all, that Liu woman had many late-stage Qi Refining followers.
He couldn't win against that!
The thought alone gave Wang Yu a headache. He immediately abandoned his plan to secure the third level, deciding to only defend the two he already held, especially those nine second-grade Bonewood trees about to bloom. Anyone who dared take them would become his mortal enemy!
"Time to get ruthless—"
And so, three more days passed.
Nearly three hundred cultivators, led by Liu Jinxian and accompanied by twenty late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, arrived together. Among them was one person who made Wang Yu's eye twitch as he observed from the shadows.
It was Su Qingshan, the one with whom he had a personal grudge. When they departed, the crowd was large and chaotic, and his attention was mostly on the two Mountain Masters, so he hadn't noticed him.
Discovering him now was somewhat unexpected, but he quickly realized that if this man said a few bad words about him to Liu Jinxian, his situation would worsen.
"Trouble—"
Outside the black mist, Liu Jinxian fully displayed her aura and called out loudly, "Junior Brother Gu, I've come as agreed to help you clear the troubles of Profound Bone Mountain. Why not come out and meet me?"
From within the black mist, Gu Zhengshun's voice rang out, dripping with feigned simplicity and foolishness: "Senior Sister Liu is most generous. I am not a stingy man either. Apart from these lower thirty levels, feel free to take the rest. Whoever occupies a spot, it's theirs."
With such consent, Liu Jinxian wouldn't need to appear too greedy. What second-grade Bonewood could possibly be in the lower thirty levels? A look of disdain involuntarily appeared on her fearsome face.
But on the surface, she remained amiable.
"As fellow Mountain Masters, that's not entirely necessary. It's true I have many followers, but they are risking their lives to help you clear Profound Bone Mountain. They deserve compensation.
"How about this: the territories they secure will be theirs to hold for four years before returning to you. How does that sound?"
Four years? Four years from now, the flowering season would be over, and their five-year guard duty would be ending. She was a ruthless one, not planning to leave even a scrap for others.
"I've said, Senior Sister Liu should feel free to act as she wishes. Even if you occupy it for ten years, I have no objection. It is only right."
His intention to turtle up was now obvious. This made not only Liu Jinxian but also her followers think Gu Zhengshun was worthless—the disciple of a Core Formation elder was actually a weakling.
Su Qingshan's heart also burned with excitement. Having followed Zhao Shang's advice and learned of the many benefits of Profound Bone Mountain, he was already deeply tempted.
Failing to secure a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, these second-grade Profound Essence Flowers were a good alternative, able to increase his chances by at least twenty percent. Using a Reverse Blood Pill for Foundation Establishment would then have a high probability of success.
The second-grade Profound Essence Flowers on Liu Jinxian's mountain all belonged to her alone. On Gu Zhengshun's mountain, it was every man for himself. Su Qingshan was very confident in his combat skills to secure one level.
"Heh."
Having intimidated one mountain without any pressure, Liu Jinxian turned to her followers, her tone turning cold and severe.
"What I have promised, I will deliver.
"But you must also abide by our agreement. All wasp swarms must be captured for me! If even one nest is missed, don't blame me for stripping you of your harvest."
A collective shiver ran through the crowd as they bowed their heads.
"We will definitely capture all the Rot-Poison Wasp swarms for Senior Sister Liu."
"Good. Go."
Nearly three hundred Qi Refining cultivators mounted their Black Silks and entered the Profound Bone Mountain, heading to different levels based on their own assessments.
The top twenty levels were almost exclusively visited by late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, clearly indicating an internal allocation had already taken place.
Wang Yu withdrew his gaze from below and focused on the two disciples flying towards the 290th and 291st levels. Both were at the seventh level of Qi Refining!
With a flick of his sleeve, the high-grade magical instrument, the Nether Spirit Iron Chains, burrowed into the ground, lying in wait for the moment Wang Yu's spiritual sense would activate them.
Soon.
The two cultivators arrived together. Being adjacent levels, they quickly noticed the peculiar state of these two levels—no Direbone Lions, no wasp swarms, seemingly already cleared.
"Fifth level of Qi Refining? A Heavenly Corpse Peak disciple?"
Wang Yu had long since put away his outer disciple waist token from the Coldblood Peak, wearing only the standard Reverse Spirit Blood Sect outer disciple attire, intending to hide his origin. There was no use for contribution points outside the sect anyway.
"Yes, yes."
Wang Yu replied and then said:
"According to the agreement, whoever secures a level owns it. I must ask you two Senior Brothers to find another level."
Hearing this, the questioning cultivator revealed a strange smile.
"You're saying these two levels are both yours?"
"Naturally."
"Heh—
"How arrogant! Gu Zhengshun only mentioned the lower thirty levels. The remaining two hundred and seventy levels are not covered by Senior Sister Liu's promise. If you leave now, we might spare your life."
Most of these nearly three hundred people were disciples of the Gu Poison Peak, with only a few from other peaks. These two were demonic cultivators who primarily practiced gu techniques.
The loophole Gu Zhengshun left in his statement was intentional.
Feigning weakness, playing the fool—Wang Yu had seen through it early. It was nothing more than pushing him into the open, using Liu Jinxian's hand to eliminate him.
After all, they had come together, making it hard for the other to determine if Wang Yu could deduce something from the clues. Using another to kill was a clever plan.
He was also betting that Wang Yu couldn't bear to part with these nearly blooming Profound Essence Flowers.
But who was Wang Yu?
Even as a spirit slave, he dared to take dangerous gambits, publicly severing three hands and three legs of an enemy. Although he lost an arm afterwards, proving the act impulsive and foolish,
that was because he lacked a higher perspective, unable to see the博弈 (game) and shifting dynamics between True Disciples, not due to a lack of capability.
When it was time to turtle up, he was more thorough than a turtle.
When it was time to be ruthless, he was more arrogant than anyone!
"Bragging without shame!"
Wang Yu struck first. His figure split into five, and a sky-full of ice swords shot forth. The two men were startled for a moment but also employed their own methods.
One took out a bowl, placing it in front of him to block the ice swords.
The other had the skin on his forehead split open, a small golden snake emerging. With a surge of spiritual power, it instantly condensed into a massive golden serpent phantom, coiling around his body like a golden bell!
**(End of Chapter)**