The arm was grayish-white, entwined with black blood vessels, and covered in the mountain-ridge-like Corpse Armor unique to Iron Armored Corpses. Its color distinctly differed from Wang Yu's right hand.
"What is this?"
Wang Yu spoke frankly and without reservation:
"The arm of a second-grade Armored Corpse. The reason Gu Zhengshun sought my help was precisely because of this object and the secret art needed to attach it.
"However, he was disloyal and betrayed me first. I, Wang, naturally will no longer assist him. Is Senior Sister Liu now interested in the secret he's hiding?"
Lying posed no pressure for Wang Yu. In the current situation, speaking like this placed him in a more advantageous position. Gu Zhengshun wouldn't be able to explain it away.
Hearing this, Liu Jinxian's eyes lowered slightly, then she suddenly smiled again.
"With a talented gem like Junior Brother Wang assisting me now, the next five years will surely see my wishes fulfilled and everything proceed smoothly, correct?"
"Naturally."
Wang Yu took the offered台阶 (way out; chance to back down). Appropriate firmness demonstrated strength; excessive arrogance would be called not knowing one's place. If this Liu woman turned around and called in a large group to gang up on him, even if he didn't die,
he would miss out on the Profound Essence Flower opportunity.
While he could find opportunities for killing within the sect, outside its walls, the dangers increased. He absolutely could not be careless or underestimate the enemy.
Seeing Wang Yu adopt a submissive posture, Liu Jinxian also breathed a sigh of relief, pretending to be magnanimous:
"Since this place was secured early by Junior Brother Wang, it shall belong to you from now on. Regarding Gu Zhengshun's activities below, do you have any further information?"
"I do not know." Wang Yu shook his head, speaking bluntly. "Gu Zhengshun was wary of me. He didn't even let me enter his formation. You can see for yourself, Senior Sister."
True enough.
All the Heavenly Corpse Peak people were hiding inside the formation, with Wang Yu as the lone wolf outside. All signs pointed to their discord, which made Liu Jinxian feel more at ease.
"In that case, Junior Brother Wang, are you willing to accompany me in breaking this useless formation of his?"
"After you, Senior Sister."
Having successfully navigated the danger, Wang Yu followed behind Liu Jinxian as they flew down from the 290th level. He happened to see Su Qingshan standing at the edge of the 294th level, looking down.
Su Qingshan's expression shifted with surprise, but upon seeing Liu Jinxian's amiable attitude towards Wang Yu, he said nothing, merely offering a distant bow without approaching.
Such discretion further confirmed Wang Yu's assessment of Su Qingshan: an opportunistic, scheming villain who was good at ingratiating himself. He just needed to be guarded against.
A short while later.
At the base of Profound Bone Mountain, facing the vast black mist, Liu Jinxian took out a wooden seal. Under her spiritual power, it instantly enlarged—it was a high-grade magical instrument!
The seal, now the size of a rockery, smashed down.
The black mist rapidly condensed and gathered, but was scattered by the first strike. On the second strike, a sound of something cutting through the air was heard. Three Bronze Armored Corpses leaped out simultaneously, using their bodies to forcefully repel the seal. Afterwards, they retreated back into the black mist, disappearing from sight.
Liu Jinxian was visibly startled, exclaiming in surprise:
"The Earth Yin Corpse Puppet Formation!"
Wang Yu's mind stirred. "Senior Sister is familiar with this formation?"
"Yes."
Choosing not to hide it, Liu Jinxian now fully subscribed to the theory that Gu Zhengshun was hiding a greater secret. Her greed inflamed, she said:
"Gu Zhengshun's master's master calls himself 'Earth Yinzi'. He once obtained the inheritance of an Earth Grade Formation Master. Among it was a formation considered top-tier even among the Foundation Establishment realm—this very formation!"
Top-tier even among second-grade formations?
Wang Yu became thoughtful. For Gu Zhengshun to be so willing to use it showed the exceptional value of the secret he was hiding. Wang Yu wanted it too.
Formation Masters were ranked by their inheritance; even those of the same grade had distinctions, with Heaven Grade Formation Masters at the top, Earth Grade next, and ordinary Formation Masters being the most common.
The Earth Yin Corpse Puppet Formation used refined corpses as its formation eyes, connecting to the Earth Yin, granting it an endless supply of power. Nourished by the formation's power over time, the corpses could even grow and potentially mutate.
With such a sturdy formation, unless one possessed specialized formation-breaking instruments or talismans, no one could get in.
He was prepared not to come out. Unless it involved the "True Essence Barrier" of the three Foundation Establishment barriers, first-grade Profound Essence Flowers were actually sufficient for Qi Refining cultivators' cultivation needs.
Thinking about it this way, it was more likely he was biding his time for a realm breakthrough, waiting for the right moment!
What Wang Yu thought of, Liu Jinxian could also deduce. She looked at Wang Yu and said, "I will contact Si Tu Hong and ask if he has any treasure for breaking formations. If you think of a method, you can come find me."
"Understood—"
Finally seeing Liu Jinxian off, he breathed a sigh of relief internally. Looking at the silent black mist, he shook his head and sighed, flying straight back to the 290th level. He needed to guard the flowers and had no time to mess around further.
Returning to the protection of the [Blood Mist Spirit Concealment Formation], Wang Yu took out the two storage pouches he had acquired.
Over two thousand spirit stones, eight Direbone Lion corpses, and an assortment of pills and miscellaneous items. Wang Yu generally didn't consume pills of unknown origin, so their value to him was limited.
Only the object resembling a bronze bell was a high-grade magical instrument, primarily defensive in nature, with a sonic wave area-of-effect attack capability. It was fairly good.
After refining it, it would add another method to his arsenal.
"Pity, the spells and secret curses these sect disciples learn are obtained directly from spiritual sense jade slips and are never passed on externally, unless the knowledge comes from opportunities found outside the sect."
Obtaining harvests like cultivation methods or secret arts was basically impossible in the short term; the probability was vanishingly low.
He was actually somewhat interested in the Gu techniques of the Gu Poison Peak.
Logically, among the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect's nine peaks and ten inheritances, aside from the core Nascent Soul inheritance, they should be able to teach each other. But the sect rules prohibiting it were baffling, and he didn't understand them.
Perhaps he would only comprehend the intricacies later.
After the day's events, Wang Yu rarely left his residence,老老实实 (honestly and steadily) guarding his small plot of land. He sustained himself solely on Fasting Pills, living like an ascetic, daily refining the efficacy of the top-grade Coldblooded Pills.
Six months had passed since he broke through to the fifth level of Qi Refining.
The placement slots had increased his spiritual power by seventy-two strands. The top-grade Coldblooded Pills had increased it by fifty strands. His own cultivation had increased it by one strand.
His current spiritual power had accumulated to 423 strands. The progress was remarkable, the effect significant, far exceeding the speed expected of a Waste Spiritual Root, not inferior even to a Dual Spiritual Root.
But he knew his own situation. Even if he cultivated daily to the limit his meridians could bear, the improvement was meager. Aptitude was a vast chasm he was determined to find a way to cross.
The Coldblooded Art and the Corpse Demon Secret Art had limited effects. Even if the techniques advanced to the second grade, it would be difficult to raise his aptitude to a mid-grade spiritual root, unless he sought out demonic techniques or secret arts in this specific area.
Stealing another's foundation was something demonic cultivators excelled at.
The demonic path had a long history. Certainly, there were powerful figures whose descendants struggled with cultivation due to aptitude issues. The demonic path produced overlords; there must be supreme secret arts capable of defying heaven to change one's aptitude.
The Reverse Spirit Blood Sect was his opportunity. Climbing higher would eventually give him the capital to reach them. But before that, he needed to establish a foundation first, to gain higher status and a stronger voice.
"Profound Essence Flowers... I hope you can help me advance a hundred feet further from the top of the pole!"
After Liu Jinxian seized most of Gu Zhengshun's Profound Bone Mountain without any inquiry from Si Tu Hong, time passed like white clouds changing into a gray dog—in the blink of an eye.
By the end of May the following year, at the turn of late spring and early summer,
the Profound Essence Flowers bloomed in sequence. The fragrance they released attracted more Rot-Poison Wasp swarms and Direbone Lions. Wang Yu, having prepared long ago, discovered that most of these invading demonic beasts and exotic insects emerged from desolate caves.
**(End of Chapter)**