This level of exploitation was quite harsh—a full sixty percent of the earnings had to be given away, meaning only 200 contribution points would ultimately end up in his hands.
Even so, it was still profitable. After all, this was just a short-term task lasting six months. Tasks at the Mission Hall started at a minimum of one year, with a standard reward of 300 spirit stones.
The longer the duration, the higher the reward, which also correlated somewhat with the task's difficulty.
What Wang Yu valued more was being able to avoid trouble for six months. Over the past few days, the outer disciples of Coldblood Peak he had encountered had been very hostile. As time passed, he, the "lucky spirit slave," would likely become a target.
The Coldblood Peak outer disciples who had pledged allegiance under True Disciple Su wouldn't let it go easily. Their goal was simply to replace Wang Yu and obtain his residency qualification within the Ice Snow Pavilion.
Forcing him to withdraw voluntarily was one method; killing him was another.
The Ten Reverse Blood Markets at the base of the nine peaks housed all the inner and outer disciples of the Reverse Blood Sect, as well as numerous businesses owned by Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators for disciple consumption.
The number of inner disciples from each peak alone exceeded ten thousand. Combined across the nine peaks, it approached one hundred thousand. Adding the even larger number of outer disciples, the Reverse Blood Sect had at least several hundred thousand disciples.
Superficially, sect rules forbade disciples from killing each other. But if no one discovered it, no one cared if a disciple disappeared.
If done cleanly, even the Enforcement Hall disciples couldn't be bothered to investigate.
During this period, Wang Yu tried to avoid remote and secluded places to prevent accidents. After taking his leave from Zhao Shang, he went out directly, planning to go to the Alchemy Hall to purchase texts on spiritual herb maintenance.
Such texts were relatively low-priced, and there were many demonic cultivators engaged in reselling. Each market belonging to the nine peaks had specially set up trading streets for sect disciples' use.
Every few years, there was a joint event organized by the nine peaks—the [True Disciple Auction]!
There were plenty of good items, and even high-quality Foundation Establishment Pills were available.
But these were still far from Wang Yu's reach; he needed time to accumulate wealth and improve his cultivation.
After spending all the Spirit Sand he had, he only managed to buy a text describing various first-grade spiritual herbs and maintenance methods, titled "Compendium of Herbs · Qi Refining Chapter".
This item could greatly broaden Wang Yu's knowledge, teaching him about identifying, nurturing, and recognizing herbs, which would be very useful for his future livelihood.
The Four Cultivation Arts: Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Talismans, and Formations!
There was no strict ranking, but in terms of burning money, alchemy undoubtedly took first place. Once some achievement was made, the money-making speed was also the fastest.
He had his eye on this skill. The Placement Rack was perfectly suited for such technique-dependent arts.
He could grind his way up through sheer persistence, without consuming too many materials for practice. The Placement Rack would develop the muscle memory, as if another version of him was training in an unknown space.
**[Slot 2: Compendium of Herbs · Qi Refining Chapter]**
**[Compendium of Herbs (0/100): Twelve practices per day. Mastery achievable in four days.]**
Indeed, purely knowledge-based content could be forcefully memorized, and very quickly at that.
Knowledge poured into his mind almost constantly, giving him a feeling of being fortified by knowledge—wonderful and pleasant~
After accepting the "Herb Garden Maintenance" task, the scroll with detailed information also came into his possession. Just as he was about to check the specific location,
a cold wind assailed him.
Wang Yu looked up sharply, startled to find he had unknowingly walked into a dark alley.
Had he been mentally confused?
One person emerged both in front and behind him, openly revealing their faces, less than three zhang (ten meters) away from him. A colorful butterfly rested on the shoulder of the cultivator in front.
"Wang Yu, how do you find the effect of my Mind-Confusing Butterfly?"
Without answering, he began mobilizing the spiritual power within his body. Judging by their auras, the cultivator behind was at the third layer of Qi Refining, and the one controlling the butterfly in front was at the fourth layer—a bit troublesome.
"What are your intentions?"
"Hah—"
The other party suddenly moved, stepping with ghostly shadows, and arrived beside Wang Yu in an instant. His fingers formed a sword gesture, slashing forward.
The technique closely resembled Steward Liu's hand blade from that day!
Wang Yu, who had originally planned to stall for time and seize an opportunity to counterattack, didn't expect the other party to act so decisively and with lethal intent. Fortunately, he was prepared.
Lightly tapping the ground with his toes, he bent his waist like an iron board and shifted backward to evade. His hands formed seals, and an eight-foot-plus hiltless ice sword rapidly condensed.
*Shoom—*
The ice sword collided with the energy blade, both dissipating.
The mid-Qi Refining cultivator was surprised by Wang Yu's spell proficiency. Forming the spell with one seal was a sign of spell perfection. As far as he knew, this spirit slave had only been cultivating for less than half a year yet possessed such comprehension.
No wonder he caught True Disciple Su's eye. Pity he encountered him.
He shouted, "Chen Sanshi, act!"
The one who responded was precisely the outer disciple at the third layer of Qi Refining behind Wang Yu. Wang Yu's backward shifting posture was like actively throwing himself into this person's arms.
"Perfect timing."
This person drew a long sword, enhanced it with spiritual power, and slashed down. Wang Yu pushed off the ground again, his body flipping over. But then, dense, finger-length ice swords shot out in volleys.
At least twenty or thirty. Chen Sanshi's eyes widened. With danger imminent, his strength inevitably decreased considerably. The blade struck Wang Yu's back, leaving a bleeding wound.
But Chen Sanshi himself was thoroughly pierced by numerous ice swords, dead with unseeing eyes!
With his tactic successful, Wang Yu hooked his hand and pulled Chen Sanshi's storage pouch into his embrace. With no obstructions behind him, he could rush out of the dark alley into the main street at any time.
The exchange with the mid-Qi Refining cultivator was actually a feint.
His target had always been the cultivator behind him, who was at the same stage. Only by quickly killing one could he secure an invincible position, capable of both attack and retreat.
"You, a mere spirit slave, dare to kill a fellow disciple!"
"Ridiculous."
Wang Yu snorted disdainfully. "Should I, Wang, stretch out my neck and let you cattle and horses slaughter me?!!"
After the taunt, Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, examining the man's features, and said coldly, "I was personally appointed by True Disciple Su to enter the Ice Snow Pavilion. Even if you kill me, what assurance do you have that you can enter the pavilion and get a room?"
The man retreated several steps, glaring at him fiercely. "However Su Qingshan entered, that's how I'll enter. What's it to you?"
None of my business? Wang Yu almost laughed in anger.
As for Su Qingshan, he was the other cultivator residing in the Ice Snow Pavilion as an outer disciple.
The reason he could enter was that during the previous Nine Peaks Outer Disciple Competition, he, at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, killed a disciple at the eighth layer.
Later, True Disciple Su took notice of him, recruited him, and he moved into the Ice Snow Pavilion.
The core reason was combat power surpassing his level!
Wang Yu frowned. "You are at the fourth layer of Qi Refining, I am at the third layer. What does killing me prove? You don't even know why I was valued by True Disciple Su, yet you recklessly attack. How do you know you aren't being used?"
After some thought, Wang Yu believed there were few who had reason to target him. Duan Ping, Fatty Duan, was one. The missing Steward Liu also counted. And Zhao Shang—his suspicion was relatively low.
Barraged with these counterquestions, the assassin's expression shifted uncertainly; he was clearly thinking it over too.
(End of Chapter)