After checking Old Man Ning's storage pouch once more and finding nothing else of note, Wang Yu began inspecting the rest of the spoils.
The combined liquid assets of the seven late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were less than Old Man Ning's savings, totaling only around eighteen thousand spirit stones. However, the variety of artifacts, pills, and talismans for various situations was immense, numbering over a hundred items in total. The combined value of these physical items reached twenty thousand spirit stones.
It seemed like a lot, but it was actually quite average.
After all, these were seven elite late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. In theory, they should have been accumulating resources for their Foundation Establishment breakthrough. But being in the Taihu Spiritual Domain was simply too dangerous. Wang Yu estimated that most of their actual wealth was likely hidden somewhere back in the sect, with at most a third carried on their persons.
Additionally, there were some technique manuals they had acquired during missions. Many were duplicates, suggesting they had been shared among the group. Roughly categorized, there were five types, but only some were useful to him.
* **"Thousand-Mile Divine Movement"**
* **"Levitation Art"**
* **"Aura Concealment Art"**
* **"Turtle Breathing Secret Technique"**
* **"Five Elements Art Path - Qi Refining"**
The high-grade art **Thousand-Mile Divine Movement** was a superior method for traveling, perfectly making up for his shortcomings in long-distance movement. Generally, cultivators needed to reach Foundation Establishment to learn proper flight arts, which were true aerial combat techniques used throughout a cultivator's life.
Of the others, the **Turtle Breathing Secret Technique** might prove useful someday. The **Levitation Art** and **Aura Concealment Art** were of little use to him. As for the **Five Elements Art Path**, it recorded minor arts related to the five elements. They were all low-grade, first-tier minor arts, offering almost no boost to combat strength, but they could make daily life much more convenient. It was essentially a compendium of low-grade arts. If placed separately, perfecting one art would take fifteen days; the entire book couldn't be placed at once. Wang Yu planned to select a few with high practicality to learn.
After all, he had a Five Element spiritual root, making him quite versatile. Cultivating and using Five Element arts was at a standard efficiency for him; he neither gained bonuses from his spiritual root nor faced increased difficulty due to mismatched elements. It was perfectly average.
Sometimes he wondered if a Heaven-grade Five Element spiritual root might result in a natural Five Element spiritual body. Unfortunately, his spiritual roots were too short, even shorter than those of a low-grade spiritual root.
"That's about enough."
Gathering his thoughts, Wang Yu set up the Eight Directions Spirit Confusion Array again near Stone Lake. He hadn't forgotten that six people from the team had headed north and disappeared when they first entered the Taihu Spiritual Domain. They might return, or they might not. But it was necessary to be prepared. Caution ensured a long life.
Next, he would lie low and cultivate quietly at Stone Lake, waiting for the day Wang Wu returned. He had made preparations at the Wang Residence. The moment those two first-level Qi Refining cultivators made contact with Wang Wu, he would know immediately.
Sifting through the numerous storage pouches, Wang Yu found a few bottles of pills containing a spiritual pill called **[Water Avoidance Pill]**. Its effect was simple: it granted the ability to breathe underwater. If remaining still, the effect could last for ten days.
He used alchemical techniques and spirit seals to verify the pills were non-toxic before swallowing one and sinking silently to the bottom of the lake.
Little did he know, this wait would last three months.
......
......
Stone Lake City, City Lord's Residence.
Ever since the incident three months ago where late-stage Qi Refining cultivators clashed within the city, the entire City Lord's residence had been placed under strict martial law, reaching a state of extreme vigilance where every sound seemed suspicious. Cultivators skilled in detection arts were hidden at the four city gates, trying to identify the troublemakers.
The new City Lord's surname was Yuan. He was relatively young, having just passed his sixtieth birthday. He came from the same branch as the old City Lord and was somewhat well-known within the Lingsong Sect. His cultivation had recently reached the sixth level of Qi Refining. While this level might seem low, it was actually quite decent, especially considering the Lingsong Sect was only a minor sect with a peak cultivation of Foundation Establishment. With a desperate effort, he might have a chance to attempt Foundation Establishment around a hundred years of age.
To achieve that goal, he needed a massive supply of resources. A small city like Stone Lake City was completely insufficient. The resources generated by the local spiritual vein were far from enough for his rapid breakthrough. Therefore, it was an obvious conclusion to turn his attention to "people."
Thus, a covert trade spanning two domains officially began. Selling low-potential seedlings was just one aspect; greater profits lay in a deeper plan. He was working for the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, specifically, one could say, for a certain senior from Cold Blood Peak. Other demonic sects might also be involved, dragging the entire Lingsong Sect down with them.
This time, shortly after Old Man Ning concluded his deal with him, a fight broke out in the city. Aside from some residual bloodstains, almost no clues were left. Even the lingering spiritual energy in the air had been deliberately dispersed.
Yuan Qu was very worried he had been discovered. On the lands of the Taihu Spiritual Domain, there were seven Nascent Soul-level orthodoxies. Besides the Green Cloud Sect, Thunderfire Temple, and Moonwatch Palace临近 (adjacent to) the Demon Domain, there were also Crane Return Valley, Blazing Sun Sect, **Heavenly Void Sword Sect**, and the Northern Guardian Pagoda. Among these seven powers, the **[Heavenly Void Sword Sect]** stood supreme, the leader of the righteous path. It boasted over twenty Nascent Soul cultivators, had an orderly inheritance, and produced geniuses and prodigies endlessly. It had stood firm on this land for over ten thousand years, a true ancient orthodoxy!
And what Yuan Qu feared were precisely the disciples of the Sword Sect. Within the Heavenly Void Sword Sect, there was a special institution called the **[Hall of Righteous Qi]**. Only exceptionally outstanding cultivators could enter—whether in comprehension, aptitude, temperament,机缘 (fate/opportunity), etc. Anyone with transcendent talent in any aspect could gain entry.
After completing a twenty-year course of study, they would become **[Roamers Under Heaven]**. Their exact numbers were not fixed. It was said they had an internal currency system called "Dao Merits." These Roamers traveled across the Taihu Spiritual Domain, vanquishing demons and upholding justice, sweeping away all injustices in the world. When they accumulated enough Dao Merits, they could return to the sect, be listed as True Disciples, and directly become disciples of a Nascent Soul elder.
From this perspective, the True Disciples of the Heavenly Void Sword Sect carried more weight and were more outstanding than the True Disciples of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect.
In short, the Sword Sect Roamers were like a blade of judgment. They could appear anywhere, and their numbers were constantly growing.
The incident in Stone Lake City closely resembled the modus operandi of a Sword Sect Roamer. Once they discovered someone violating the righteous path's rules, they showed no mercy.
Now, with Old Man Ning's fate unknown, Yuan Qu worried he had been captured alive. If more information was tortured out of him, Yuan Qu would also be in trouble. But he also held onto a sliver of hope.
"What if... what if it was just demons fighting amongst themselves?"
"Or perhaps something else happened."
Internal strife was a normal phenomenon in the demonic path, as commonplace as mortals needing to eat and drink every day, nothing to be surprised about.
Now, three months had passed with no further developments. The likelihood of it being a Sword Sect Roamer grew smaller. It was time to continue advancing the plan.
It seemed the Lingsong Sect felt the same way.
Thus, today, a group of people secretly entered the city.
**(End of Chapter)**