**Chapter 117: Slaughtering the Pig**
Wang Yu's desire to kill him wasn't a one-time or two-time thought.
He was like a dead weight, dragging Wang Yu down. After gaining power, he even tried to steal Wang Yu's credit. Back then, Wang Yu had paid the price of an arm to earn the qualification for Outer Sect promotion. And Duan Ping? He did nothing, even schemed against Wang Yu several times, yet reaped the greatest benefit. Su Yulong had rewarded him with three thousand contribution points—a fact Wang Yu had investigated and knew perfectly well.
Truly deserving of death!
Wang Yu watched Duan Ping all the way out of the sect, deliberately spooking him a few times. After secretly leaving a spiritual sense mark, he didn't continue the mean-spirited teasing.
Thinking about it, this was the first time he left the sect without a proper flight artifact. The bone boat during the Profound Bone Mountain trip and the Land Traversing Boat during the Spider Mountain trip were both fine treasures. This time, heading to the distant Taihu Spiritual Domain, there was none. Based on previous experience, there would be multiple stops along the way, taking at least three months to arrive. Last time was the return journey, dragging a line of prisoner carts filled with spirit slaves. This time, traveling light, the speed should be much faster.
Once outside the sect, Wang Yu proactively approached Old Man Ning to chat. Perhaps worried Wang Yu held a grudge, before Wang Yu could speak, Old Man Ning initiated:
"It's been a long time, Fellow Daoist Wang. You've already been promoted to the Inner Sect. The matter of capturing you back then was absolutely not this old man's original intention. I apologize to you here."
"If you feel wronged, after we return, let Fellow Daoist land a few slaps or even stab me a few times. It's fine, as long as you vent your anger and leave this old man his wretched life."
Him saying this made it difficult to pursue the matter further.
But it couldn't just be dropped. As his thoughts churned, Wang Yu concealed his killing intent, his expression softening considerably, as if genuinely moved by the other's sincerity.
However, Old Man Ning's words seemed to imply something. He pressed further:
"What does Fellow Daoist Ning mean by 'not your original intention'?"
"Ai..." Old Man Ning sighed.
"When outside, especially in a place like the Taihu Spiritual Domain, avoid fighting if possible. Staying at peak condition is the strategy for survival."
"Back then, on the day of your spirit root test, this old man made a deal with the Stone Lake City Lord. He was responsible for capturing seedlings tested to have four or five spiritual roots and selling them to this old man at a low price."
So that was the reason. Wang Yu was stunned for a moment. He never imagined he had been sold out by the Stone Lake City Lord. Their Wang family offered considerable tribute in gold, silver, and treasures every year, even including aged medicinal herbs. Judging with his current knowledge, those were actually low-grade spiritual herbs of some tier, each worth at least seven or eight spirit stones.
"So that's how it was..." Wang Yu's face turned icy cold, anger simmering but not erupting.
Seeing his expression darken, Old Man Ning quickly added:
"Back then, he begged me to bring him a Reverse Blood Pill in our next transaction to attempt a breakthrough. He failed. Now, he's living out his days in Stone Lake City, his cultivation fallen to the fifth level of Qi Refining. He doesn't have many years left."
"If Fellow Daoist wishes for revenge, this old man can guide you."
"Good. Then I'll trouble Fellow Daoist Ning."
"It's a mere举手之劳 (effortless task)."
After the conversation, Wang Yu observed Old Man Ning from a distance. This man was definitely not simple. Having no background and serving in a slave-catching team, yet surviving in the Demonic Path to this age... He was absolutely not as timid as he appeared.
One month later, the team exited the **Blood Abyss Province**, completely leaving the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect's territory. The road ahead became dangerous. It was time for Wang Yu to settle accounts.
"Duan Ping!"
The plump figure trembled. Without a word, he plummeted headfirst downwards, into the deep, dense forest below.
Wang Yu naturally wouldn't let him escape. Activating the Swift Wind spiritual patterns on his magical garment, the Blue Butterfly Sword beneath his feet surged in speed. In less than a few breaths, he caught up.
A sudden change.
The team halted in unison. Someone looked at Old Man Ning.
"Boss, this..."
"Don't mind it. Wang Yu has True Heir Yan backing him. We can't afford to offend him. Just wait for him to return."
"Understood."
Through years of management and leading, this team of over a dozen late Qi Refining cultivators was clearly Old Man Ning's sole authority. If Wang Yu insisted on killing him, these people would all be threats.
Elsewhere.
Duan Ping, having jumped from mid-air, had just reached the canopy level when he saw dozens of ice swords shooting towards him. He hurriedly took out a bowl-shaped artifact.
The artifact flew above his head, shedding a bronze light that acted like a spiritual shield, blocking all the ice swords.
"A top-grade first-tier artifact?" Wang Yu's eyes narrowed. In the cultivation world, top-grade artifacts of any tier were quite rare, related to their crafting conditions. 'Top-grade' represented perfect utilization of the material's potential, something only a master artifact smith could achieve, requiring pinnacle mastery in this path. Just like alchemy, Wang Yu could consistently produce top-grade pills because his skill and comprehension of the recipes had reached perfection—a condition that was actually extremely difficult to meet. The principles of medicine were complex, particularly abstruse and hard to grasp, mixed with many theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, reaching an extreme level of complexity.
To his knowledge, the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect had no master artifact smiths. He wondered where this fatty had obtained it.
Now, it was his!
*Swish—*
Just as Duan Ping blocked the volley of ice swords, he found a long whip, resembling golden blade segments, suddenly coiling around him. The other end was unmistakably in Wang Yu's hand.
His face instantly turned grim.
"Don't push people too far! This Duan has methods too!"
"Oh?"
Without further words, a light flick of the wrist sent Fatty Duan describing an arc through the air, swinging back in panic.
Wang Yu's left arm swelled several times its size. Peerless divine strength erupted violently. Even the top-grade artifact's defense only held for three breaths before abruptly shattering between the two of them.
The bronze bowl instantly dimmed. Wang Yu used spiritual sense manipulation to seize it from a distance and directly stuffed it into his storage pouch.
"You... you... No, spare me!"
"I'm from the Xiangshan Duan Clan! I have spirit stones! I have resources! I can give them all to you! Wang Yu—"
"Foolish. Kill you, and it's all mine anyway."
The next moment.
Fatty Duan's head exploded like a watermelon. A bit of blood splattered over. Wang Yu didn't use spiritual power to block it, instead allowing it to stain his cheek.
The warm blood reminded him of events from over a decade ago.
*Refreshing. So refreshing!*
The pent-up frustration in his heart released in an instant, giving him a heady rush of satisfaction.
It was just a pity this Fatty Duan had failed his Foundation Establishment attempt. Killing him posed little difficulty, as the backlash from the failed breakthrough had long since reduced him from his former ninth-level Qi Refining prowess. Of course, if Su Yulong had won, Duan Ping might have also obtained a high-grade Foundation Establishment Pill. Then, the outcome would have been hard to say.
He stored the corpse properly and gave the storage pouch a cursory check.
Very poor.
He estimated all his resources had been used to grease palms. Excluding this top-grade artifact, the contents were worth at most a thousand spirit stones.
At least there was the gain of a top-grade artifact.
Not long after, Old Man Ning arrived with the team, smiling.
"Taken care of?"
"A bit of personal恩怨 (grudge). My apologies for delaying everyone. Let's continue."
"Very well. We'll reach Black Mountain Pass in a few days."
**(End of Chapter)**