After his conversation with Tantai Chan, Wang Yu entrenched himself completely within the Enforcement Hall of the Maleficent God Quarter. The Reverse Spirit Triad now moved to and from the Green Luan Pavilion as a single unit, occasionally even bringing select courtesans and celebrated flower queens back to the Enforcement Hall for their private entertainments. Wang Yu observed it all with an air of detached indifference. Moreover, the occasions for conversation among the four of them became infrequent and meticulously staggered.
This was not an indication of estrangement, but rather a deliberate performance, a carefully maintained facade for external observers. The intent was to solidify Wang Yu's image as a mere fortunate upstart and to propagate the notion that the Triad's support was nothing more than a matter of convenience—finding a capable hand to manage mundane affairs. After all, the prevailing rumor was that he had established his Foundation using the Foundation Seizing Art, thereby limiting his potential and perfectly suiting him for such trivial duties.
Thus, during daylight hours, he patrolled the Maleficent God Quarter with his enforcement team, his arrogant and overbearing demeanor a perfect echo of Zhuo Shouqing in his prime. Any establishment operating within the quarter could expect a monthly visit where he would inevitably unearth some pretext for complaint. Only after every enforcement officer under his command had been sufficiently "satiated" would he depart. The schedule was fixed, the exactions predictable.
Occasionally, he encountered individuals foolhardy enough to voice disrespect. These were immediately apprehended and cast into the dungeons beneath the Enforcement Hall, from which there was no return—either they would languish there indefinitely, or, more often, be torn asunder and consumed shortly after arrival.
In the span of a mere four months, he had managed to effect a remarkable transformation in the Maleficent God Quarter; its very essence and atmosphere were renewed.
In the past, Zhuo Shouqing had seldom engaged in such systematic extortion, primarily considering it a waste of valuable time. Furthermore, one could not be too excessive with any single shop, lest they simply relocate their business to another market district. There was, after all, cultivation to attend to and pleasures to be sought at the Green Luan Pavilion! Time was a finite commodity.
Wang Yu, however, willingly sacrificed sleep.
His mornings were spent patrolling the streets with his men. Outwardly, it appeared that the repercussions of the Foundation Seizing Art had stripped him of the drive for serious cultivation, leaving him with little to do but inspect the streets, offer protection to the shops that had paid their dues, and seek amusement wherever possible. In reality, his mind was a crucible of constant activity, ceaselessly deducing the principles and intricacies of Foundation Establishment spells and techniques. The Freezing Rain Technique was a particular focus; although graded as inferior, its ability to alter the natural environment and create combat conditions overwhelmingly favorable to him made its perfection an absolute necessity. Techniques like the Ice Wheel Art, the Frost Sword Aura, the Ice Coffin Seal, and other upper-second-grade spells and secret arts complementary to his core cultivation method were likewise subjects of his relentless mental refinement.
The afternoons were reserved for his本体 (běntǐ - true body/main body) cultivation. While the Placement Columns labored diligently, he himself could not afford any lapse in diligence.
His evenings were even more demanding. Harnessing the power of celestial timing and aided by the Heaven's Enlightenment Meditation Cushion, he dedicated himself to the cultivation of the Ancient Soul Mantra. Once the midnight hour passed, he would then practice and ponder soul and sound-path techniques such as the Soul Shattering Finger, the Celestial Soul Unified Breath, the Ghost Crow Soul-Devouring Sound, the Heart-Controlling Demonic Tone, the Heart-Severing Lamentation Blade, and others.
He utilized every moment of the day, all twelve traditional hours, to its absolute limit.
In the earlier part of the night, every few days, he would practice musical instruments. Flutes, xiaos, zithers, and zhengs—he handled them all with effortless familiarity. With the support of the Placement Columns, a few days spent on such purely technical knowledge was sufficient for basic mastery. Leaving a skill placed for ten days or a fortnight could elevate him to the pinnacle of mortal technical prowess, granting a masterful, almost instinctive command that allowed him to express technique to its utmost. However, in terms of genuine emotional conveyance, his playing could only be described as unremarkable.
Nevertheless, it was music of rare quality in the mortal realm. Initially, Zhuo Shouqing and the others found it quite agreeable; having elegant melodies accompany their bedchamber activities even seemed to lend a certain vigor to their exertions. But after repeated exposure, a degree of weariness set in, forcing them to activate sound-proofing barriers.
However, once Wang Yu's technical skill reached a mature level, he began experiments in fusing the Ghost Crow Soul-Devouring Sound into the musical notes. The resulting cacophony... was comparable to the most discordant of funeral wails! The grating, raucous cries of the Yin Crows, formed from his true essence, were unbearably shrill! And they carried the terrifying effect of shaking the soul and shattering the spirit. Before the Zi hour (midnight), this demonic music would invade their ears; even the sound-proofing barriers proved ineffective. For a considerable length of time, they nursed a profound resentment towards Wang Yu because of this. On occasion, even the madams of the Green Luan Pavilion misinterpreted the source of the dreadful noise, leading to significant misunderstandings. Eventually, even Qiu Ming came to regret allowing Wang Yu to reside within the Enforcement Hall.
This state of affairs persisted for a full four months.
Once he had achieved initial mastery in those various techniques, he began to select one or two of particular importance upon which to concentrate his efforts. The secret art "Breathless Curse" was one such; Wang Yu felt an urgent need for it to replace the effects of the Night Concealment Charm. Without a concealment art at his disposal, he felt exposed, as if walking naked—profoundly ill at ease wherever he went.
At the end of the sixth month of Wang Yu's tenure as Steward, within his residence, seated upon the Heaven's Enlightenment Meditation Cushion, Wang Yu opened his eyes, a glimmer of satisfaction within them.
"Worthy of a treasure that boosts comprehension by thirty percent," he murmured to himself. "To achieve initial mastery in so many methods and legacies within just four short months."
Although his understanding remained elementary, barely reaching the level of practical application, and would be difficult to deploy effectively in the frantic, split-second decisions of mortal combat, it nonetheless signified that Wang Yu had grasped their foundational principles. If he could maintain this momentum, within five years, he could achieve his set goals even without the assistance of the Placement Columns!
Having completed a cycle of cultivation, Wang Yu stepped outside, leaping lightly onto the roof. His gaze lifted towards the Great Yin Star, the moon.
Ever since he commenced the second stage of cultivating the Great Yin Nether Pupil, the quantity of Great Yin Moon Essence he could draw upon each night had increased dramatically. Furthermore, after obtaining the "Ancient Soul Mantra," a technique specifically designed to enhance the soul and expand divine sense, the Great Yin Moon Essence transformed from a passive baptism into an actively absorbed and utilized resource. This indirectly lowered the difficulty of cultivating this soul art.
His divine sense power had now more than doubled compared to when he first broke through. He could now, with considerable effort, manage to execute the second-stage ability, [Illusory Moon Realm]. It was evident his strength had undergone a comprehensive enhancement. The accumulation of his true essence had also formally reached a minor milestone of thirty drops.
Everything was proceeding steadily along the intended path.
"The next phase involves resolving the issue of alchemical proficiency," he contemplated inwardly.
Since attaining aptitude rivaling a Dual Spiritual Root, even if the pills he consumed were not of the highest grade, he could refine them perfectly, significantly reducing his dependence on pill quality. Nevertheless, consuming superior products was always preferable, especially considering every type of pill had its limit of effective consumption.
According to the records within the pill formulae, a single high-grade Ice Spirit Pill could increase the true essence of an ice-attribute cultivation technique by ten drops, while a top-grade Ice Spirit Pill could provide thirty drops, though the refinement time would extend to two years. The consumption limit remained around twelve pills. The sooner he could produce them, the sooner he could reap the benefits, and the faster his cultivation progress would be.
However, the material components were exorbitantly expensive. If he attempted to acquire them using contribution points, the mere thousand-plus points he possessed would not even suffice for a single batch of materials. His only recourse was alternative channels, purchasing them at high prices with spirit stones—a significantly costlier endeavor. The optimal method, undoubtedly, was to complete the Icy Qilin Alchemy Art to the second grade.
With this thought, Wang Yu raised his hand, and a plume of icy blue flame—the Cold Flame—sprang to life above his palm. Its color had deepened noticeably; the greyish-white tones had nearly vanished, replaced by a lustrous, profound ice-blue. The Cold Flame had automatically advanced to the second grade following his breakthrough. Its next evolution would require the aid of a third-grade ice-attribute demon core.
Yet, his alchemical skill remained stalled.
[Placement Column 3: Icy Qilin Alchemy Art (Under Deduction)]
『Icy Qilin Alchemy Art (0/100): Thirty-two refinements per day. Completion in fifteen years.』
Initially, during his Qi Refining stage, completing this art to the second grade would have required a full thirty years. Now it demanded only half that time—a fundamental shift brought about by his elevated realm. Still, the required duration was excessively long. Previously, he had failed to acquire a third-grade corpse arm; otherwise, he could have reluctantly prioritized the alchemy art over the Corpse Demon Secret Art. Having failed to secure any resource that could serve as a definitive trump card, restoring his arm sooner was preferable. Remaining in this state indefinitely was detrimental to both body and mind. What if it led to a psychological impediment? Although the likelihood was admittedly low~
"There is nothing for it but to wait…" Wang Yu sighed, conceding his lack of a better solution for the moment. However, just when one feels utterly helpless regarding a matter, the timely assistance of a friend can arrive like an unexpected gust of wind.
On this day, the sunlight was gentle. The warm breezes of late spring and early summer carried a comfort that could lull the body into blissful relaxation. Wang Yu, for once, felt a yawn escape him as drowsiness clouded his mind.
"Steward Wang, Steward Wang… There is someone named Situ here to see you."
"Hmm—?" Startled from his reverie, Wang Yu instantly became alert. "Show him in."
The visitor was none other than Situ Hong.
Apart from their encounter six months prior, the two had had no further interaction. Yet today, the other man arrived bearing a surprise capable of resolving Wang Yu's predicament.
"Senior Brother Wang, I trust you have been well. This Enforcement Hall is truly imposing; even the living quarters are so opulent, hardly inferior to my own humble master's cave abode," Situ Hong remarked, his eyes sweeping the surroundings as he offered repeated sighs of admiration.
It was true. This place had been meticulously crafted by the Reverse Spirit Triad for the sole purpose of luxury and enjoyment. The landscape design was equally impressive; even someone of Wang Yu's disposition occasionally felt the stirrings of a refined desire to play music here.
"Enough of such talk, please take a seat," Wang Yu urged.
"No, no, this junior brother came specifically to deliver something to Senior Brother Wang today."
"Oh?" Wang Yu regarded him with curiosity.
Under Wang Yu's inquiring gaze, Situ Hong, his expression grave, carefully withdrew a jade vial from within his robes and placed it gently upon the table. "That treasure you entrusted me to find back on Spider Mountain, eight or nine years ago… I have located it."
Wang Yu's eyes brightened. "Yin Marrow Liquid?!"
"Precisely this item!"
"Excellent." Wang Yu picked up the vial and inhaled its essence deeply, confirming it was indeed the supreme treasure for cultivating the Profound Yin Hand.
Years ago, he had utilized this very substance to master the upper-second-grade Profound Yin Hand technique while still in the mid Qi Refining stage, a testament to its profound assistance in cultivating that art.
As Yin Marrow Liquid formed from the accumulated soul fragments of vast numbers of perished Yin spirits, deposited deep underground over years and decades, it required a specific geographical formation—an "Extreme Yin Land." The Five Yin Peaks specialized in ghostly paths, nurturing Yin spirits by the countless millions. Utilizing arcane feng shui principles, they had established numerous such Extreme Yin Lands specifically for nurturing ghosts. This treasure logically possessed a regular, if limited, output, which was why Wang Yu had originally commissioned Situ Hong to procure it. Yet, in the blink of an eye, nearly a decade had passed without a single word.
Now, it had arrived unbidden at his doorstep.
As he smiled, Wang Yu understood inwardly that the few top-grade Nether Heart Pills he had gifted during their last meeting had likely borne fruit. Otherwise, Situ Hong might not have exerted such effort on his behalf.
In interpersonal dealings, one must give to receive. Without the occasional exchange of gifts, how could mutual affection and obligation accumulate? Previously, he had been the one indebted to Situ Hong, often the petitioner. Now, however, the disparity in their cultivation realms meant the other party was the one likely seeking favors. The subject was almost certainly top-grade pills once more.
By rights, Wang Yu still owed Situ Hong a favor. Had the other arrived empty-handed and made a direct request, Wang Yu would have complied, but the reservoir of goodwill between them would have drained. Given Situ Hong's cultivation level, obtaining the "Yin Marrow Liquid" would have presented considerable difficulty; he had likely invested significant effort. Wang Yu could acquiesce to his implied request.
His decision made, Wang Yu did not stand on ceremony. After safely storing the vial, he retrieved some of the top-grade Cold Blood Pills he had refined earlier. He had consumed many of these himself and refined numerous batches, thus a small reserve remained. As a fellow cultivator of Yin-attributed arts, the Cold Blood Pills would be effective for Situ Hong as well.
Before Wang Yu could even offer an explanation, Situ Hong's face lit up with delighted surprise as he picked up the pill bottle. The quantity within was modest, merely three pills, yet it sufficed for his needs.
"Senior Brother Wang truly comprehends the human heart."
(End of Chapter)