Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 396

“Physique, divine sense, mind, Nascent Soul…”“Almost no weaknesses in all four areas. It seems he is an outstanding junior.”

The Heart Beast Tower was one of the retirement grounds of the Northern Lands demon race.

Managing the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain was simply part of their daily routine. They had seen countless talented juniors over the years, yet a fully developed “all-rounded” cultivator like Wang Yu, strong in every aspect, was genuinely rare.

As the old men spoke, Wang Yu cleared the entire eastern mountain path staircase at an extremely fast pace, arriving at the first turning-point rest platform.

At the same moment, the gift from the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain descended in tandem.

Wang Yu stood on the pitch-black stone platform, narrowing his eyes slightly. All around him, blood-colored mist rose from within the platform itself, flowing of its own accord into his body.

The instant it made contact, he could feel his Body Refining cultivation improving.

His qi and blood surged. The Silver Blood Divine Marrow began refining the second bone. For this second Undying Bone, Wang Yu chose the skull. As the total amount of Silver Blood Divine Marrow increased, specks of silver light began to appear across his cranial bone as well.

Unfortunately, this state lasted only a brief moment before ending. The first-layer reward was only this much. Wang Yu could not help becoming even more interested in the rewards ahead.

That blood mist, in essence, was the pure qi-and-blood power left behind by the Beast God. It was absorbed quickly and came with no side effects. Coming to the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain had truly been the right choice.

The intensity of the first layer was held within third-rank limits.

From the second layer onward, the test upon stepping onto the stone stairs no longer had any random characteristics. Instead, all one thousand and eighty stone steps were the same kind of trial.

The higher one climbed, the stronger the intensity became.

The most basic trial was oppression aimed at the physical body, like a full-body gravity restriction. With every step taken, the pressure increased slightly.

Under such tempering, Wang Yu released the Lunar Fiend power he had collected from the Yin Fiend Nurturing Coffin. While refining fiend energy, he also used the power of the restriction in this place to steadily and firmly raise his Body Refinement realm.

The divine force domain formed by Silver Blood divine power also increased in proficiency through this continuous resistance. Wang Yu’s control grew smoother and more effortless.

Thus, when he passed the second layer and reached the turning platform, even more blood mist poured out, helping Wang Yu rapidly increase the total amount of Silver Blood Divine Marrow.

This time, the digestion period was about half again as long.

His Body Refinement realm at early-stage fourth-rank advanced to roughly one-tenth completion. The progress was astonishingly fast.

At this rate, it was possible that with the blessings of the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain, he could raise his Body Refining cultivation all the way to its current peak and attempt to break through the bottleneck of mid-stage fourth-rank.

But in terms of cultivation methods, he would have to achieve a breakthrough first.

With this thought, Wang Yu’s gaze shifted to the Idle Slot. The progress under the Corpse Demon Secret Technique was steadily advancing. Completing it into a full fourth-rank version was, in truth, only a matter of the next twenty years.

The Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Art had been formed through fusion and deduction during the dragon-vein baptism. It had already partially merged with the Corpse Demon Secret Technique. If he continued forward along this path, the likelihood of success was extremely high.

After the second-layer platform’s gift ended, Wang Yu turned from north to west and continued upward to challenge the next layer.

…

…

At the same time, within the aerial battlefield of the Heavenly Roc Clan.

All demon kings from every faction had arrived. It was the liveliest grand occasion the Northern Lands demon race had seen in recent years. Shapeshifted great demons from every path gathered in one place, from the small Gold-Devouring Rat, all the way to the massive Coiling Mountain Giant Python.

All of them descended upon this location. On the temporary high platform built at the center, the Heavenly Roc King wore a golden crown and a royal-feather cloak. His pair of sky-blue eyes carried overwhelming majesty.

His aura had clearly reached the realm of Nascent Soul Great Perfection.

Among all the demons present, only three could compare with him.

The first had five-colored deer antlers atop his head, and hanging from them was a perfectly round emerald orb the size of a chicken egg. The medicinal fragrance was so rich that anyone who drew slightly near would feel their entire body relax and grow comfortable.

This was the king of the Medicine-Horn Deer Clan.

Five-Color Deer: Lu Ming!

Also at Nascent Soul Great Perfection, his pressure was not as intense as the Heavenly Roc King’s. A warm, springlike smile often lingered on his face.

Recognized and supported by many demon clans, he was believed to be a benevolent king. What was rather unusual was that the Medicine-Horn Deer Clan had only sent him alone. He had not even brought a single attendant.

The second came from the Thunder Qilin Clan. This beast resembled a qilin in appearance, yet it was only a descendant of qilin blood rather than a true orthodox lineage. Because it was naturally adept at wielding thunder, it named itself the Thunder Qilin Clan.

The current Thunder Qilin King was a purple-haired, burly middle-aged man.

Delicate scale patterns grew across the surface of his body, spreading like lightning over his entire form. He too was at Nascent Soul Great Perfection. The Thunder Qilin King carried himself with lofty arrogance, standing atop his carriage and not even bothering to come down.

Even so, a group of scaled, armored beast clans still clustered around him, looking eager to be driven and proud to serve as vanguard beneath the royal carriage.

The third was the Fire Crow King!

This lineage carried a highly legendary reputation. According to ancient tales, the Immortals who founded the Ancient Immortal Dynasty arrived riding vast flocks of fire crows. Their ancestors played a tremendous role in transforming the Ice Prison Realm into a normal world, turning immense stretches of frozen tundra and icy plains into fertile soil.

Moreover, this lineage had many branches. One existed in the Southern Severed Boundary Mountains, another within the Nether Mountain Sect, and yet another within the Blazing Sun Sect. Though their bloodline was extraordinary, none of them acknowledged the others.

Fire crows and Heavenly Roc also belonged to the avian category.

In the overall tide of the Holy Lord succession struggle, they were the least favored of the major contenders, but the Fire Crow lineage would absolutely be able to firmly secure a top-three seat among the Nine Great Demon Kings.

The remaining six spots were what the lower eight lineages would have to fight over.

Their strength generally sat at late-stage fourth-rank, comparable to great human cultivators of the same realm. With demonkind being this powerful, the core reason they still kept themselves holed up within the Severed Boundary Mountains ultimately lay elsewhere.

It was because of the Spirit Transformation venerables.

There were simply not many fifth-rank Heavenly Demons. The Heavenly Demon Bone Forest did contain Spirit Transformation poisonous beasts, but they were clearly not part of the same faction as these demon kings.

Meanwhile, in Taihu’s Sword Sect, there were four confirmed Spirit Transformation venerables.

Over on the Crimson Kite side, the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect also had four.

Neither side could do anything to the other, and so the two domains ended up locked in opposition. Once this balance was broken, the war would inevitably continue until one side was completely defeated.

Unless a third party entered the fray and formed a tripod-like standoff.

Everyone knew triangles were stable, and the same applied to factions. If you only had one opponent, you would keep fighting until brains were scattered on the ground.

With two opponents, however, you would be forced to think carefully.

You might even begin forming alliances, playing political games, weaving schemes, and calculating against each other.

The demon race had the potential for that.

Unfortunately, their unity was lacking. They were called one race, but in truth, each tribe drew an extremely clear line between “you are you, and I am me”.

This was precisely what the phrase “a dragon does not live with a snake” meant.

Among the upper four clan lineages, boundaries were sharply drawn. The Heavenly Roc King carried imperial majesty and was supported by the hundred birds. The Five-Color King possessed a sacred heart and enjoyed the greatest backing from ordinary demonkind.

The Thunder Qilin King was arrogant and domineering, surrounded by elite demon troops. The Fire Crow King stood alone. Aside from the fire crows that followed him here, he had almost no subordinates worth mentioning.

The four had entirely different styles, and their strength sat at the same realm. To contend for the position of Northern Lands Demon Race Holy Lord was truly no easy task.

But demons respected only strength.

Just fight. Whoever wins becomes the boss. A harder fist was the only truth!

As time passed, the Demon King Banquet officially began. At the very center, seating was arranged by strength and tribal influence. The Two-Tailed Shadow Cat was placed right in the middle. In front of it sat the Bloodblade Tiger, and behind it sat the Gold-Devouring Rat.

The placement was incredible.

The four seats at the head were on equal footing, arranged in a straight line.

The Heavenly Roc King did not exploit the advantage of being the host to place himself above the others. His equal treatment was also due to the special nature of this banquet.

Once the four great Demon Kings were seated, the atmosphere gradually became lively.

Demon race banquets had fewer elaborate tricks than human gatherings, but they did not lack songs and dances. Every musical art was present, from wind instruments to strings, all expertly performed. Everyone worked their own connections.

Opportunities like this kind of social arena were rare.

All sorts of things happened.

On the raised platform, the four kings looked down on the bustle and clamor below. Their expressions varied. Some felt pleased, some found it noisy, some were utterly indifferent, and some… watched with a kind, almost affectionate gaze.

The Heavenly Roc King glanced at the three old friends beside him, then gave a light cough and said, “Recently, Taihu and Crimson Kite have started fighting again. Do you three have any thoughts?”

The Fire Crow King revealed surprise.

“Heavenly Roc, are you thinking…”

“Fight for it!”

The Thunder Qilin King slammed his palm onto the low table, speaking with overwhelming dominance.

“If I were the Holy Lord, then faced with such a perfect opportunity, I would let the demon race step onto the stage completely. The Severed Boundary Mountains may be rich in resources, but the land is ultimately too small.

“It’s time to expand territory for the demon race!”

At this moment, the Five-Color King withdrew the smile he always wore. He lazily leaned back against a backrest formed from demonic essence, looking extremely relaxed.

He said, “To expand territory requires war. To secure territory requires governance.”

“And you think you can govern it?”

The Five-Color King spoke casually.

“Or are you saying that pack of scaled beasts under your command can manage vast spiritual farmlands and the countless living beings under heaven?”

The Thunder Qilin King said arrogantly,

“What if it’s war? This king will personally carry the banner and serve as general, leading from the front and always charging first!

“As for governance, anyone who refuses can be killed. Kill until they tremble. Kill until they fear. If we wipe out cities and exterminate bloodlines, do you really think they would still dare not submit obediently?”

“A brute.”

Lu Ming was hardly seeing the Thunder Qilin King’s way of thinking for the first time, but every time, he still wanted to hear this fool’s idiocy and watch him embarrass himself.

Sure enough.

Both the Heavenly Roc King and the Fire Crow King secretly laughed, only restraining themselves a little after the Thunder Qilin King glared at them repeatedly.

The Roc King let out a sigh.

“Thunder Qilin King, things are not like they were back then.

“Back then, the demon race was able to flourish and rise to the peak because of the Ice Phoenix Holy Lord’s grand vision and extraordinary talent. The Four Spirit Progenitors were also absolutely meritorious contributors. But now the Four Spirits have vanished completely…

“The Black Tortoise lineage has fled far away to the Chaotic Ancient Sea. I heard they’ve gotten involved with the Ancient Heavenly Sea Sect, and they long since forgot about us poor relatives.

“The Vermilion Bird lineage moved into the Vermilion Bird Divine Mountain in the south of the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain. In recent years, they’ve declined to the extreme. The youngest generation’s inheritor of the title ‘Vermilion Bird Child’ is only at the Core Formation realm.

“The White Tiger lineage is in the Southern Severed Boundary Mountains, and they want nothing to do with us even unto death. As for the Azure Dragon lineage… the Azure Dragon Venerable is still in seclusion, healing his injuries.

“Do you think that’s normal?”

The Roc King spoke at length in one breath, leaving the Thunder Qilin King completely speechless before he finally slowed down.

The Azure Dragon Venerable, known by the title “Master Azure Dragon”, was a blue flood dragon who had attained the Dao.

He was also the only Spirit Transformation Heavenly Demon among the northern demon race.

Over four hundred years ago, after returning from the last righteous–demonic war, he announced that he would enter indefinite closed-door seclusion. Unless the very survival of the race was at stake, no one was permitted to disturb him.

They had no idea what Master Azure Dragon had gone out to do.

But one thing was certain: it was definitely tied to a Spirit Transformation human venerable. In the past, with Master Azure Dragon in power, even if conflicts broke out among the various demon clans, they could still be suppressed, and peace was maintained.

In recent years, friction had steadily deepened, and with no one left to arbitrate, that was the true reason the Demon King Banquet was being held: there was no one in charge.

However, the struggle for the position of Holy Lord could only go so far. They had to stop short of a true life-and-death battle, while still displaying an overwhelming, invincible might to intimidate the many shapeshifted demon kings. That way, it would be far easier to carry out “Holy Judgment” in the future.

By explaining the demon race’s current state, he was in fact reminding everyone to understand their situation. Internal strife… would not end well.

The Thunder Qilin King’s brows were tightly furrowed.

After holding it in for a long while, he finally spoke.

“So you mean… we’re not fighting this time?”

“Hmph!”

Before the Roc King could respond, the Five-Colored King snorted with a sneer, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

“I didn’t expect you to have that kind of brain. Heavenly Roc spoke so vaguely and you still managed to figure it out?”

“Lu Ming! You’re deliberately trying to pick a fight with me, aren’t you?”

The Five-Colored King slammed the table and stood up as well, pointing at the Thunder Qilin King as he cursed.

“You have the worst management skills of all. If not for those gluttonous things under your command, eating the Spirit Fat Sheep clan’s lambs every single day, would they have brought the complaint to me?

“You idiots are eating the damn lambs to extinction and still don’t know when to stop. The Roc Clan likes dragon-bloodline prey too, you don’t see them going out to catch dragon pythons, do you?!”

The Roc King, who had suddenly been dragged into it, opened his mouth. The words of mediation rose to his lips, but he forcibly swallowed them back down.

He wanted to see just how long they could keep arguing.

These two demon kings had accumulated grudges for a long time. It was not just this one incident.

It was the result of countless petty matters over the years, gradually piling up until they became major conflicts. The territories under the two kings were fairly close, and the Five-Colored King was known for possessing a “benevolent heart.”

Any ordinary demon clans that came to seek refuge were welcomed without exception. He even had a habit of recruiting wild demons. Among the demon race, he truly deserved the title of Benevolent King.

When your subordinates are being stolen and eaten every day by the neighbor next door, who could possibly tolerate it?

On this point, the Thunder Qilin King had plenty to say as well.

“Then why did you take in those pieces of trash? Forget that they can’t fight, every last one of them dresses up all fragrant and pretty. Forget my subordinates, even I would want to grab a few and snack on them when I see them.”

“How outrageous.”

Just as the two were about to go from verbal sparring to an actual fight, the Fire Crow King finally spoke. Aside from his first sentence earlier, he had been silent the entire time.

“If you want to sit at the table and eat, it’s not like there’s no way.”

The two who were arguing, along with the Roc King who had been watching the show, immediately turned their eyes toward him.

This old friend had always been used to walking alone, and his relationship with all of them was only average.

But because of the legends surrounding him, the Fire Crow’s origins were vaguely considered a notch higher than those of other demons. Now that he said he had a way, it naturally stirred everyone’s interest.

The Five-Colored King became serious as well, straightening his posture.

“The human race is multiplying and growing stronger. The demon race is the same. The carrying capacity of the Severed Boundary Mountains has already reached its limit. Expanding outward to claim more living space is inevitable.”

The Roc King continued.

“Now the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain is in civil chaos, and the Taihu forces are taking advantage of the opening. Perhaps we can also get involved, but only if the venerable on the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect’s side gives tacit approval.”

His words were exactly what the others were thinking.

Compared to Taihu’s ten billion population, the vast and sparsely populated Crimson Kite Demonic Domain was far more suited for the demon race to “rule the mountains as kings.”

The opportunity was right. Expansion would be easy. The real question was whether they could hold what they took.

Such a chance was exceedingly rare. If they missed it, there was no telling when the next one would come.

The expectant looks from the other three placed considerable pressure on the Fire Crow King.

He gritted his teeth and said,

“Here’s the thing…”