Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 394

For demonic beasts to awaken intelligence at a low realm, they needed the support and guidance of their clan, or they had to be born with at least earth-grade bloodline heritage or higher. Even then, learning to speak was still extraordinarily difficult.Wang Yu grew curious for a moment and moved closer.

Peering inside through the window lattice, he saw little kittens sitting upright on cushions. Each had a sheet of white paper placed in front of it, and they were slowly reading aloud along with the words written on it.

Black, white, yellow, gray, blue. Tabby patterns, tiger stripes, solid coats… there were all kinds. Wang Yu glanced a few times, and the kittens looked over as well. Several of the more lively ones immediately hopped off their cushions, and started shouting “Aah! Aah! Aah!” at him.

At the front of the classroom, the one teaching was actually a shapeshifted cat demon. Although it had taken human form, there were still a few demonic features left on the surface of its body.

After meeting its gaze from a distance, Wang Yu nodded and withdrew.

He was rather curious about the inheritance used to awaken spiritual intelligence, but it was of little use to him. There was no need to dig to the bottom of it. A quick look was enough.

After leaving the cat demon school, he wandered around for a while longer. Once he had fully familiarized himself with the terrain, Wang Yu finally returned to the residence arranged for him.

He would be living in the cat demon clan’s territory for several years, waiting for the start of the Demon King Banquet. During this time, aside from going into secluded cultivation, his main focus would be on Thunder Corpse.

The Yin Fiend Corpse Refinement Art was only a third-rank corpse-refining secret method.

He had long since cultivated it to perfection.

If he did not learn a new one, then the only option was to place it into an Idle Slot and deduce it upward. Given the current queue situation in his Idle Slot, learning a new corpse-refining method would be the more reasonable choice.

But he could not obtain one anytime soon.

Using it to assist Thunder Corpse in breaking through would have only a weak effect, but it could still be used. The world was one enormous slapdash troupe, and cultivation was no different.

As long as it barely worked, it was good enough. In the short term, there was no need to think about whether it could continue advancing. Wang Yu planned to set up a small feng shui formation here that would benefit corpse refinement.

That night, he sought out Lei Yao again and asked whether there were any heavenly materials and earthly treasures within the Northern Severed Boundary Mountains that could increase comprehension. And surprisingly enough… there really were!

Dao Comprehension Tea Leaves!

A top-tier Dao comprehension treasure renowned across many regions. With a single cup, one could resolve a large number of difficult problems that had accumulated in the mind. The price was also extremely expensive.

It was traded by the leaf, and demand far outstripped supply.

Deep within the Northern Severed Boundary Mountains, there were several Dao Comprehension Tea Trees. They were tributes reserved for Demon Kings, and any surplus was sold to the Heaven Treasure Pavilion and Golden Abundance Tower.

The odds of an individual buying them were not high.

If he could obtain the Celestial Dao Enlightenment Platform, it would actually be even more suitable for Wang Yu’s secluded cultivation. After experiencing it at the hands of the Blood-Eyed Demonic Flood Dragon, he had become somewhat addicted.

Besides that, Lei Yao also told him something else.

The dragon python clan of the Northern Demon Race possessed several damaged Celestial Dao Enlightenment Platforms. If he could purchase one, it would still be decent. Lei Yao passed along a message for him the next day.

However, after several days of effort, the news sank like a stone into the sea. There was no response at all. Not even a message refusing him. They clearly looked down on him completely.

It was infuriating.

With no reliable lead on any comprehension-enhancing auxiliary item, Wang Yu still began his secluded cultivation. Before entering seclusion, he deliberately gathered information from the cat demon clan and prepared to refine a batch of pills meant for trading.

The pills the demon race needed were quite broad in scope. Spirit pills of practically any effect were widely welcomed, and this was related to the traits of their various clans.

The output of cultivation side professions was far too scarce, so naturally, they took whatever they could get. But if he wanted to achieve a satisfactory outcome at the treasure-exchange gathering during the Demon King Banquet, Wang Yu would be best off refining spirit pills that strengthened qi and blood and physique, or pills that enhanced demonic essence. Pills in these categories had never lacked a market.

The higher the grade, the more expensive the price. Even if they were priced above average, they would still be snapped up. They were more popular than single spiritual items.

As an alchemy grandmaster, he also possessed the most ancient inheritance, the Demon Refining Art. Based on the spiritual items he already had, and by cooperating with the cat demon clan, he could also purchase some rare spiritual items from them.

Once he refined them into spirit pills, he would prioritize selling a portion back to them.

It was a win-win situation.

After preparing everything properly, Wang Yu officially entered secluded cultivation. The growth rate of the demonic essence within his body was not slow, but in only a few short years it would not increase to any absurd extent.

Reaching a few hundred drops would already be good enough. There was also the secret art, Lock of Heaven. With spatial silver patterns forming, segments of spatial chains continued to grow within him.

As the spatial power fed back from the Idle Slot gradually strengthened, Wang Yu’s strength was steadily rising the whole time!

…

…

Four years later.

Halfway up a spiritual mountain within the cat demon clan’s territory, rich pill fragrance gathered into hazy, multicolored clouds of mist, forming one pill cloud after another that drifted into the air. Just taking a single breath was enough to make one feel refreshed and energized.

Three shapeshifted cat demons stood not far away, their faces filled with intoxicated admiration.

“Fellow Daoist Wang’s alchemy attainment is actually this profound. Refining pills continuously for years, and not a single failure.”

A male cat demon at mid-stage fourth-rank nodded deeply in agreement, sighing with heartfelt emotion.

“Every time it produces such pill fragrance, condensing into clouds. That shows the pill quality is not low. There should be many high-grade pills. This time, we truly owe Lei Yao and Fellow Daoist Wang a great favor.”

The last cat demon was a seductive female demon with orange hair and cat ears. She was also the head instructor of the school.

She said, “I wonder if the dragon-python clan will regret it once they find out. A fourth-rank alchemist, and they could not even be bothered to send a reply. This Demon King Banquet is going to be quite a show.”

The demon race lacked these cultivation-support items far too much.

Directly swallowing spiritual herbs could still bring a fair amount of benefit, but it was clearly not as effective as refining them into spirit pills. The overall increase, and the more targeted improvements, were simply superior.

Since fourth-rank resources were unbelievably scarce, it was only natural to make perfect use of every ounce of their power. Simply swallowing them whole would be an unforgivable waste.

Not long after, amid pill fragrance and drifting mist, the doors of Wang Yu’s cave abode swung fully open. He strode out, and the first thing he saw was three transformed great demons waiting outside.

He cupped his hands from afar in greeting, his confidence evident as he declared,

“I have not failed the trust placed in me.”

“Fellow Daoist, you’re too polite. Refining a great pill consumes both spirit and vitality. Come quickly, come quickly. Join us in the Faint Fragrance Hall for a talk. Our demon race’s specialty cuisine will definitely make you never want to leave.”

“Hahahaha! Since Brother Hei is inviting me, I must experience it properly.”

“Come, come, come.”

This warm, escort-like welcome gently lifted him up and put him on a pedestal. Wang Yu had expected as much, yet when it truly happened, he still felt a wave of satisfaction.

The four of them headed together toward the Faint Fragrance Hall.

This hall was divided into a front and back section, one large and one small. Both were constructed by first drying Spirit Rhino Mint, then grinding it into powder and mixing it into refined gold-and-iron stone materials, finally forming an entire palace from it.

The four entered the smaller hall.

It was only suitable for transformed great demons and young cat demons. The moment Wang Yu stepped inside, he felt his mind cool instantly. A fresh fragrance rushed into his nose, and his spirits immediately cleared.

Several cat demons also revealed intoxicated expressions.

“This was built through the clever craftsmanship of your human artisans. The children of our clan love playing in the Faint Fragrance Hall the most. They often hide inside and even sleep here overnight.”

Wang Yu immediately understood and nodded. A special strain of catnip, then. No wonder the scent was so addictive.

By the time they went deeper inside, the banquet had already been set.

Mountain delicacies and sea delicacies, spiritual dishes and rare delicacies, everything was present. Even spiritual wine had been prepared. Seeing his gaze land straight on the wine pot, the cat demon instructor explained.

“This is fruit wine brewed by the White-Furred Spirit Monkey clan. It is also called monkey wine. It is rich in spiritual qi and counts as a fine third-rank spiritual wine.”

Hearing that, Wang Yu reached into his Seaheart Ring.

He pulled out a wine gourd as well, but it was blood-colored. It was none other than the Blood Fiend One-Origin Gourd. Ever since leaving the Blood Abyss Sacred Land, he rarely had opportunities to use it for its original purpose.

So he had simply turned it into a wine gourd.

The third-rank Blood Brew Wine Stone he had fished up from Drunken Immortal Lake last time had been tossed into the Blood Fiend Gourd, and he had poured in plenty of purified liquor distilled from spirit grains.

He had made the preparations after leaving Blood Abyss.

Counting the time, it had already been several decades, which made it perfect to take out and taste. Blood-brewed wine had its own unique flavor, and it was even more suited to the demon race’s palate.

Because it truly carried a bloody scent.

“Come, let’s taste and evaluate together.”

“Fellow Daoist, please.”

“Let’s do it together.”

They exchanged polite words back and forth. As the Nascent Soul cultivators raised cups and toasted, their relationship drew much closer.

The dishes were perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Many of the demon beast meats from various races suited Wang Yu’s palate quite well. In particular, there was one called Jade Cup Bullfrog, and its meat was unbelievably tender, springy, and smooth.

Fragrant, spicy, and savory, it made one want to swallow their tongue.

After eating it, it could even cleanse impurities and whiten the skin. He devoured an entire plate of Jade Cup Red Moon Roast. It had been a long time since Wang Yu had eaten so freely and so happily.

The last time he had eaten like this was back when he was the City Lord of Jade Spirit City.

He truly missed those days.

Once they had gone through three rounds of wine and sampled five flavors of dishes, they finally brought up the real matter at hand.

It was the black cat who spoke first. His cultivation was the highest among them. Wang Yu called him Brother Hei. There was also a white cat who was his partner, whom he addressed as Sister-in-law Cat. The last was Instructor Ju.

It had to be said, the cat demon tribe’s names were all very interesting.

And their way of thinking was fundamentally different from humans. They did not care at all that such names might make them lose the dignity of Nascent Soul cultivators.

Toward their juniors and toward outsiders, their attitudes were completely different.

At the moment, Wang Yu was someone they were trying to curry favor with, so even when the black cat spoke, he weighed his words again and again, afraid of offending Wang Yu and severing this valuable connection.

Among such a massive northern demon tribe, there were practically no alchemists at all.

Everything depended on a few relatives who worked as gatekeepers for major sects. From time to time, they would sell off some high-end resources to provide relief. As for how seriously they treated distribution channels, the Demon Cat clan placed immense importance on them.

This kind of experience might even have come from Golden Abundance Tower.

“Fellow Daoist Wang, may I ask how many spirit pills you refined during this closed-door session… and how many were high-grade?”

At the mention of this, Wang Yu became even more spirited.

“Limited by the materials, and because I still haven’t mastered some pill formulas perfectly, I only produced eighteen pills. Six of them can be traded to you.”

Although some of the ingredients came from the Demon Cat treasury, Wang Yu had paid real spirit stones for them. There was no way he would give them away for free. At most, he could offer a small discount.

The reason he could take out six pills was because for this batch, the Demon Cat clan had sold him a rare fourth-rank main ingredient spiritual herb, treating it as an experiment.

Now that he was selling pills back to them, the price would be at least triple.

Even so, the three of them were overjoyed.

“Two pills of the fourth-rank high-grade Sacred Abyss Demonic Essense Pill. The remaining four are mid-grade. Each increases demonic essense by over two hundred drops, and the refinement time is about one year.”

Consuming pills was itself a cultivation method. A refining period of a full year would not cause problems such as unstable demonic essense. As for what the remaining twelve pills did, the three shapeshifted great demons tactfully did not ask.

After the trade was concluded, Wang Yu found himself with even more supreme-grade spirit stones.

At this moment, Instructor Ju said, “Fellow Daoist Wang, after this Demon King Banquet ends, will you return to us again? Could we commission you to open the cauldron and refine more pills… the payment is negotiable!”

Six pills was not a small amount, but once they were divided up, it was nowhere near enough.

Wang Yu thought for a moment.

“I will challenge the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain. I don’t know how long it will take. I will probably only participate in the final treasure exchange at the Demon King Banquet.

“As for whether I’ll come back… we’ll have to see when the time comes. By the way, when do we depart?”

Brother Hei replied, “Once Miss Lei returns, we’ll set off. The chaos over in Maple Prefecture has been escalating recently. I’ve even heard there’s a mysterious force causing trouble.”

The situation in Maple Prefecture had already been a complete mess.

After Ice River Pass was breached, Taihu cultivators invaded on a massive scale. It even temporarily affected the business of the two great merchant firms. Wars were erupting everywhere, with countless casualties.

The latest news was related to the Blood Reversal Sect’s Sect Master.

It was said that he had appeared on the Blood Abyss Prefecture battlefield and fought the Mortal Dust Old Demon of the Joyous Union Demonic Sect, stabilizing the Blood Abyss Prefecture front quite a bit. If this trend continued, it would not be long before a late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator headed north to suppress the Maple Prefecture turmoil. If Taihu wanted to respond, they would have no choice but to dispatch a powerhouse of the same level to meet them.

At this stage, it was nothing more than an appetizer.

The war had not yet fully unfolded and was still only at the level of minor skirmishes. Once a Great Formation Master was deployed to bind dragons and shift spirit veins, it would truly become a meat grinder, devouring endless lives.

What Wang Yu was more curious about was that with the Young Sect Master’s disappearance, Lu Chenzhou had a ninety percent chance of being devoured by the Sect Master. In that case, had the Blood Demon Body coveted by Zhuo Shouyun been successfully reconstructed, and had it also been devoured by the Sect Master?

That could be what allowed him to appear on the Blood Abyss Prefecture battlefield.

All of this remained unknown. There was also Xie Xie’an. After obtaining the complete Rakshasa True Demon Scripture, this person’s cultivation skyrocketed the moment he left Blood Abyss, rising all the way to Core Formation peak.

The final piece of news was that he had headed to the Desolate Ancient Plains.

It was clearly aimed at the sealed land of the Ancient Demon “Slaughter”, intending to use Slaughter Demonic Qi to condense a Nascent Soul. This man’s movements were directly related to whether the path to Spirit Transformation remained smooth.

Wang Yu also paid close attention to it. If necessary, he would have to rely on his own deductions to chart a Spirit Transformation path, on the condition that he could obtain a Nascent Soul level main cultivation technique.

In this regard, the Ice Soul Holy Demonic Scripture could serve for now. After pushing its deductions through an advancement, it would be enough for him to cultivate to Nascent Soul peak. As for a Spirit Transformation method, he had not yet grasped it.

However, even if it could support Nascent Soul cultivation, from a long-term perspective, it still needed to be replaced sooner or later. If the Spirit Transformation inheritance left by the ancient demon had no issues, Wang Yu could even use it to deduce a sixth-rank cultivation method.

For now, the results on that front still required waiting.

He had no intention of becoming deeply involved in the early stage of the war. Maple Prefecture had three spies he left behind. If things truly reached a critical moment, he would definitely know.

So there was no hurry.

Instead, he was brimming with interest in Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain. With such a rare opportunity, not giving it a try would be a real pity.

At dusk, as Lei Yao returned, the group of four set out together aboard the Demon Cat clan’s aerial war chariot. The black cat couple went to attend the Demon King Banquet.

Although they had no intention of competing for the Northern Demon Clan’s Nine Great Demon Kings or the Holy Lord position, it did not stop them from joining the excitement. They could also acknowledge a powerful backer while they were at it, which would make future dealings smoother.

A new dynasty brought new rules. Living here meant you had to involve yourself, otherwise it was easy to end up offending both sides and pleasing neither.

Lei Yao accompanied Wang Yu, using her connections to help him obtain the qualifications to challenge Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain.

This flight lasted a full half month.

On this day, a precipitous, majestic mountain range came into view. Wang Yu immediately understood, realizing that ahead lay none other than Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain!