**Chapter 111: Returning to the Sect, Technique Advancement**
The next day.
Wang Yu had packed his belongings early. In truth, apart from the set of **[Blood Mist Spirit Concealment Array]** flags, there wasn't much to pack—just a few pieces of furniture at most.
At the end of the Yin hour, the time when night and day交替 (alternate).
Nearly half of the original disciples, reduced by a third, gathered in the square at the edge of the spirit fields. They had come with over eight hundred people; now, only slightly over five hundred remained. Most had died in the Ghost Eye Caves, adding a morsel of flavor for the young spiders. A smaller number had simply vanished, disappearing on the road to Eroding Heart City.
"Junior Brother Wang."
"Senior Brother Situ."
After exchanging greetings, they fell into casual conversation—or, more accurately, a mix of flattery and probing.
"It's only been a short while, yet Junior Brother Wang's cultivation progress is so rapid. Back when I went to Profound Bone Mountain, it took me nearly six years after returning to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining."
Wang Yu's face showed a pained expression.
"Senior Brother, why say such things? You have a Three Spiritual Root aptitude; I have a Crippled Spiritual Root. You have hope for Foundation Establishment; I have a lifespan deficit. Don't even mention Foundation Establishment; whether I can live to fifty is a question. How can we compare?"
Situ Hong gave an awkward laugh and immediately changed the subject.
"Is there any particular reason for returning early this time? Do you need me to help you find another suitable mission?"
"No need. I can't trouble Senior Brother for help every single time."
"Helping once is helping; helping twice or thrice is still helping. No need to stand on ceremony. Didn't you help me as well? Efficient and decisive. This Senior Brother will likely need your support in many places in the future."
Wang Yu still shook his head.
"Let's repay the owed favors first before talking about that. It's crowded here; Senior Brother should最好不要 (best not) stay too close to me."
With that, he had already turned and walked to the edge of the crowd, making himself inconspicuous.
Situ Hong was momentarily stunned, but a glance out of the corner of his eye at the disciple of the Vermilion Mist Adept brought understanding. So *that* guy had arrived.
Ever since being severely beaten by Situ Hong (with his head covered), this person had become somewhat paranoid, often suspecting those around him. He knew Situ Hong was behind it, but the other person—the one with unfathomably high cultivation and ruthless methods—had almost become a nightmare. Every time he thought of him, he felt the phantom pain of his limbs being shattered; his will had been completely broken.
When the Chen hour began and a medium-sized artifact airship appeared on the horizon, the veiled female cultivator from the Cold Blood Peak side finally appeared. The low third-tier **[Land Traversing Boat]** she released confirmed her identity as Yan Ling. Even ordinary Core Formation elders typically didn't possess such items; their owners were either extremely wealthy or noble. Narrowing it down to the powerful on Cold Blood Peak, Yan Ling was the most likely candidate.
To be honest, Wang Yu felt a bit of a craving for her Heaven-grade Water Spirit Root. If he could devour it using the Profound Origin Demon Embryo Secret Curse, the benefits... *tsk tsk*. Unfortunately, they weren't blood relatives.
"Everyone, board the boat. After the handover, we depart for the sect."
"Yes!"
Yan Ling's voice was still aloof, but Wang Yu detected a note of triumph and high spirits in it.
......
......
One month later.
"Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, I'm back!"
On his first day back, after submitting the mission at the relevant hall and receiving the reduced reward (forty percent less), Wang Yu didn't linger. He first went to the Alchemy Hall to exchange contribution points for a pill recipe that could enhance spirit beasts.
It was called **[Spirit Beast Nurturing Pill]**, a first-tier recipe. It would reach perfection after three months in a placement slot. To refine the top-grade version, Wang Yu swapped out the Profound Yin Hand for the recipe in his slots. Slot 4 was now used for whatever needed placing; if nothing specific was needed, the Profound Yin Hand went in—that was never wrong.
The reasons for nurturing the Snow Jade Fox were, first, its Ice attribute, which could complement Wang Yu's own, producing a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts. Second, the Snow Jade Fox's bloodline seemed noteworthy; even in its juvenile stage, it could use a bloodline secret art called **[Ice Snow Art]**, capable of causing snowfall in an area. As it matured, it would surely awaken more bloodline secret arts. He planned to find time to research it at the Scripture Lecture Hall.
Later that same day, he contacted Huang Kai.
This man had co-founded the Alchemist Association with him years ago. Among the four founders, only he and Wang Yu had survived. Huang Kai had now cultivated to the sixth level of Qi Refining—progress that wasn't considered slow. Wang Yu judged that this person might have the potential for Foundation Establishment and began to strengthen their connection. After commissioning him to help purchase a batch of spirit herbs for refining the **[Spirit Beast Nurturing Pill]**, Wang Yu hurried back to his cave dwelling in the Corpse Rest坊 (district).
An important matter needed handling.
Over a decade ago, the first-tier **Cold Blood Art** had reached perfection. Now, over ten years later, this technique was about to advance.
In fact, this technique should have advanced faster, but its progress slowed down the further it went. His initial assumption of doubled efficiency with two placement slots was disproven. It was like crafting a precise Luban lock: preparing the parts was faster with two people, but the final assembly was faster with one. He had encountered this very problem.
The placement slots were essentially equivalent to another 'him' cultivating the placed knowledge, with the same basic conditions. This had given him the illusion of doubled efficiency in the short term. But what ultimately determined the speed was his own comprehension, which set the upper limit. It was profoundly mysterious!
He needed more time to research and verify the nature of the placement slots, striving to develop the most efficient usage methods.
Now, the prediction he made a month ago came true right at the end of the month.
He didn't have to wait long. The information for Placement Slots 1 and 2 changed simultaneously.
**[Placement Slot 1: Cold Blood Spirit Ascension Art (Derivation Exhausted)]**
* **Cold Blood Spirit Ascension Art (0/100): Forty-eight practices per day. Completion in ten years.**
It was unexpected.
After the technique advanced, there was no subsequent information display. The words 'Derivation Exhausted' indicated that the placement slot could no longer derive further. No, it would be more accurate to say this technique had reached its limit. There was no longer sufficient foundational theory to support ascending it further.
When he closed his eyes to sense it, there was almost no pause. The path of spiritual power circulation within his meridians had changed! It all happened so naturally, as if it had become instinct. It felt as if he had been operating this technique day and night without stop for twenty years, allowing him to complete the technique transition with ease.
Its grade had also reached high second-tier, sufficient to support his entire cultivation journey through the Foundation Establishment stage. He wouldn't need to consider changing techniques until after breaking through to Core Formation.
What did it feel like to use a perfected, high second-tier technique for Qi Refining stage cultivation? Wang Yu felt like he was flying!
A rough estimate showed that previously, one placement slot yielded "2 strands/day". Now, it was "4 strands/day". With two slots working simultaneously, that was "8 strands/day".
Efficiency had doubled, an achievement no less significant than improving his aptitude.
Furthermore, as he cultivated the new **"Cold Blood Spirit Ascension Art"**, once he broke through to Foundation Establishment, the rebirth brought by the leap in life level, combined with the technique's inherent aptitude-enhancing effects, meant that even without the **[Profound Origin Demon Embryo Secret Curse]**, he could evolve his mutated Yin and Ice spiritual roots from four inches to nine inches, reaching a level comparable to a Three Spiritual Root.
All roads lead to Rome. He had now successfully paved two paths, completely eliminating any future worries.
Encountering such joyous news right after returning to the sect made him feel refreshed and invigorated, with a sense of exhilarating relief.
With the increased efficiency of the placement slots, his breakthrough timeline needed recalculation. Also, the top-grade Cold Blood Pills would cause pill resistance at most by the ninth level of Qi Refining, after which he'd have to switch to **[Nether Heart Pills]**.
Nevertheless, this would still save him a lot of time.
"10 years... With pills, maybe 7 or even 6 years. The breakthrough time is halved. Excellent!" he murmured to himself.
The changes brought by the technique advancement were immediate. It would be difficult to enjoy such a boost again in the short term.
After this day, Wang Yu rested for three days. Once Huang Kai delivered the spirit herbs for the Spirit Beast Nurturing Pills, he began running around, mainly to inquire about suitable candidates for recommendation into the Inner Sect. He also needed to tie up loose ends at the Frost Pavilion, severing any remaining connection to Former True Heir Su.
**(End of Chapter)**