**Chapter 109: Six Years of Change and Cultivation Progress (Part 1)**
Upon reflection, it made sense. As rogue cultivators, they essentially wandered from city to city, searching for opportunities. Rented temporary cave dwellings were insecure; keeping their assets on their person was undoubtedly safer.
"Second-tier, high-grade cultivation method: **[Beast Taming True Art]**, includes the beast-control technique **[Spirit Taming Seal]**."
"Burst secret technique: **[Savage Spirit Empowerment]**."
"Second-tier, low-grade spell art: **[Golden Light Shield]**."
There were also several first-tier spell arts meant to be used in concert with spirit beasts. Wang Yu merely skimmed through them, with no intention of practicing them.
"This is a complete Beast Taming Path inheritance. I wonder whose cave dwelling they looted to get it. A second-tier, high-grade method is enough to support their cultivation all the way to Core Formation."
Wang Yu had no plans to switch to the Beast Taming Path. However, the beast-control technique **[Spirit Taming Seal]**, which came with the method, could be separated and learned on its own.
Cultivators raising spirit pets faced no inherent numerical limit. As long as one's spiritual sense was powerful enough, the number one could control was almost boundless. But resources were finite. For a cultivator like Wang Yu, who didn't follow the Beast Taming Path, raising even one was a burden.
Thinking of this, he promptly retrieved the man's corpse. After a more thorough search, he indeed found a new prize.
"A second-tier **Spirit Beast Pouch**, capable of holding up to four Foundation Establishment level spirit beasts. Aside from the slots for the Horned Flame Leopards, there are indeed three other spirit beasts inside."
* Late First-Tier, Shadow Wolf.
* Late First-Tier, Ironfeather Eagle.
* Early First-Tier, Snow Jade Fox.
The first two were clearly nurtured during his Qi Refining days, lacking the resources to support their breakthrough to Foundation Establishment. The third, the Snow Jade Fox, seemed to have been captured not long ago; it was obviously still a juvenile.
A demon beast's potential could be judged by its bloodline strength. Those possessing bloodline secret arts almost always had the potential to reach Foundation Establishment. Significant effort had clearly been spent on this Snow Jade Fox.
"I'll try raising this one. The others can be sold."
"I recall the inheritance of the Fierce Nether Peak is related to the Beast Taming Path. Perhaps I can also sell copies of these manuals and knowledge."
Thoughts flew rapidly through his mind.
It took a while for the mental storm to settle. After sitting quietly for a moment longer, Wang Yu spent a good amount of time observing the Flood Dragon inner core before finally sealing it inside a jade box using a core-preservation technique.
Although it was a heavy treasure, he had no use for it in the short term. Proper storage was sufficient.
With his gains processed, Wang Yu enjoyed a rare night of sleep.
The next day, he returned to his routine as if the trip to Eroding Heart City had never happened. The few remaining individuals with ill intentions gradually vanished from his periphery.
After all, one group had already fallen victim. For others to repeat the mistake would be sheer foolishness, and such people wouldn't have survived this long in the Demonic Path.
......
......
"Ahhh~ It's still most comfortable here with you."
After not seeing him for a period, Situ Hong seemed to let his guard down around Wang Yu, showing a tendency towards becoming a candid friend—though the likelihood of that was practically zero. They both understood the environment didn't permit it.
"Ah, sometimes I even envy you, being able to steel yourself to burn so much lifespan. I see your appearance isn't inferior to mine. Should this senior brother introduce you to a... shortcut?"
"Enough of that. Get to the point if you have one." Wang Yu was rendered speechless. Before they became familiar, this man was quite serious, all about benefits. Now his true colors were showing.
"It's a long story. The Five Yin Peak Foundation Establishment deacon leading the team this time has gone missing. Rumor says he went to Eroding Heart City, but they claim he left long ago."
"Some among the subordinates under his command are worried about their own interests and want to return to the mountain sect early. What do you think?"
The worry was normal.
A Foundation Establishment senior would inevitably have juniors he was closer to or valued more among his subordinates. When taking them on missions, he would certainly grant multiple benefits and support. But the total resources were fixed. If you took more, others got less.
Among the several hundred disciples of Five Yin Peak, with the lead goat gone, the unwilling ones would certainly try to reclaim their share of the benefits, or even seize more.
These were normal shifts, nothing worth commenting on. Since Situ Hong brought it up to him, it definitely wasn't that simple.
As he pondered, his brows also furrowed.
"Someone wants to cause trouble for you? Who's backing them?"
"Ahem..." Situ Hong choked on his tea at the blunt words. "Must you phrase it so harshly? An old rival."
"Peach Blossom Ghost Mother seduced several Core Formation elders in the past; some of them had Dao companions. The one causing trouble for me this time is the disciple of a... rather formidable woman from the Artifact Refining Hall, titled **Vermilion Mist Adept**."
"Here at Spider Mountain, there are probably five or six at the late Qi Refining stage."
"Ninth level?"
"Mostly eighth level, only one is ninth level."
"I'll help you this once. It counts as repaying one favor. I'll still owe you one."
"Deal." Situ Hong agreed through gritted teeth.
Trouble of this level wasn't even worth mentioning in Wang Yu's eyes. Moreover, he was ultimately the one who triggered this incident. Getting to repay a favor early wasn't a bad thing.
Once they had finished their tea, the two chose a night of pitch darkness and high wind, and jointly dealt with that group.
Except for the disciple of the Vermilion Mist Adept, who only had his limbs broken and all his possessions confiscated as a lesson, the others were simply killed. Wang Yu didn't show his face, acting as Situ Hong's enforcer throughout. He had no desire to draw that hatred onto himself. Of course, he still took his share of the spoils.
After earning a few thousand spirit stones and some miscellaneous spiritual materials...
Time seemed to press the fast-forward button, flowing away like water.
After that Foundation Establishment deacon's death...
In Wang Yu's fourth year stationed at Spider Mountain, Five Yin Peak finally sent a new Foundation Establishment deacon to take over. Everything returned to calm.
Wang Yu's life returned to its track, steadily improving his cultivation step by step.
Thus, ten years didn't seem so long; they would pass quickly.
But after Wang Yu and Situ Hong joined forces for that operation, the disciple of the Vermilion Mist Adept was clearly frightened and kept clamoring to return.
When the new Foundation Establishment cultivator arrived to take charge—the two likely had some connection—he took the initiative to discuss matters with the veiled female cultivator from the Cold Blood Peak side. Both parties reached a decision: they could end the mission early.
If they couldn't last ten years, then six years would do.
This action clearly violated sect rules. Sometimes rules were important, but other times, rules were meant to be trampled.
This unusual decision made Wang Yu wary; he wasn't stupid.
Combining this with the sect news he'd gotten from Situ Hong last time, and the veiled female cultivator's changed demeanor—her joy had been almost overflowing—he could deduce her identity based on the core information.
— **Yan Ling!**
The legendary Heaven-grade Water Spirit Root true传 (heir).
Tracing the events from start to finish, her situation had been awkward from the beginning. The Demonic Path believed in the strong ruling. Even if you were younger and had cultivated for a shorter time, you were still considered the same generation of true heirs as Su Yulong and Wei Zhong, competing with each other.
While those two clashed, the other true heirs still had the ability to get involved, but she couldn't, as she was only at the mid Foundation Establishment stage at the time, having just recently broken through to late Foundation Establishment.
Therefore, her purpose in coming to Spider Mountain was obvious: to avoid the conflict, to stay away from the eye of the storm and wait for the situation to change.
This aligned perfectly with the advice Wang Yu had once given Su Yulong.
**(End of Chapter)**