"Greetings, Senior Brother."
"Mhm."
Wang Yu waved his hand, signaling the gate-keeping disciples to step aside. He was clad in the inner disciple robes, the Purple Blood Disciple Token properly fastened at his front waist, clearly displaying his orthodox status.
Now that he was back, his first stop was Cold Blood Peak to report on the slave-catching mission. Even though he was the only one returning, the mission still needed to be formally concluded. It was a pity he couldn't claim a hefty reward. What? The people were all in his storage pouch? *That* was the reward! You can't have your fish and eat it too. Maybe he could try that maneuver again next time there was an opportunity.
Just as he was about to head to Cold Blood Peak, Wang Yu suddenly slapped his forehead. Having been outside for so long, he had almost forgotten the internal scheming and power struggles within the sect.
Donning a black cloak, he first entered the territory of the Five Yin Market and used a messenger talisman to contact Situ Hong. *Intelligence first!*
Soon, Junior Brother Situ, still at the ninth level of Qi Refining but with an increasingly vigorous aura, arrived for the meeting. His voice preceded him.
"I say, Brother Wang, you disappear for another five-plus years? This junior thought you were dead! What on earth have you…"
*Squeak—*
As the tavern door was pushed open, all sound ceased. Since he was here for intelligence, Wang Yu naturally had to put his cultivation progress on full display. This way, the other party would be sure to give their full effort.
"You…" Situ Hong's throat felt dry as he looked at the familiar yet陌生 (mòshēng - unfamiliar) man before him. Silver hair, a dark ceremonial cap, a single jade hairpin holding it all together, with two locks of hair framing his temples, accentuating that handsome face, making it even more striking.
He quickly regained his composure, even finding the mood to joke, "It's been so long since I've seen you, Senior Brother. Even someone with a face like mine is feeling a little moved."
"Oh? Junior Brother Situ isn't afraid of trouble following behind?"
"Heh, this humble Situ's only value lies in this face. If Senior Brother fancies it, you can just peel it off. A small matter."
Seeing Wang Yu banter with him, Situ Hong felt slightly more at ease, though his mind was racing furiously. He truly hadn't expected that Wang Yu, who was only at the eighth level of Qi Refining during their last meeting, would have reached Foundation Establishment upon their reunion. And his aura was stable, his foundation deep, and most importantly, he radiated a vibrant sense of vitality, indicating his lifespan had been greatly replenished. This represented a thick, sturdy thigh! If he didn't cling to it now, when would he?! Perhaps, in another hundred-some years, there might be a glimmer of hope to escape the exploitation of the Peach Blossom Ghost Mother.
"Take a seat. Has anything major happened within the sect these past few years?"
Sitting down opposite Wang Yu, Situ Hong immediately understood the purpose of this meeting. Judging by the inner disciple robes, he clearly hadn't yet registered his return with the sect. Guessing what Wang Yu wanted to know, Situ Hong thought for a moment and spoke.
"Several things have happened, but nothing truly major. However, if we're talking about Cold Blood Peak specifically, there have been a few significant events."
"First, a few days ago, the Heaven Spiritual Root True Disciple, Yan Ling, broke through to the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment and officially announced her bid for the Nascent Soul Seed nomination. These past few days, she has been challenging the other seven Cold Blood True Disciples. Four matches in two days, all won with overwhelming force."
"Second, the two True Disciples from this cohort who were stripped of their status, Su Yulong and Wei Zhong, have been released from confinement at the Sacred Demon Cliff. Su Yulong went to the Xiangshan Duan Clan to continue his confinement. Wei Zhong... he entered the Blood Abyss."
Upon hearing this, Wang Yu's eyes narrowed.
Su Yulong's 'change of location for confinement' was essentially a release after serving his sentence. With his connections, once the heat died down, he was out. Those in the know, knew.
As for Wei Zhong entering the Blood Abyss, while it seemed fiercely determined, it was actually an act of desperation, a last stand with his back against the river.
The Pushan Wei Clan was a prosperous and powerful Foundation Establishment family, with over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators in their clan. Logically, having produced a Core Formation expert like Wei Zhong should have elevated them to Golden Core family status. But being forcibly framed by Su Yulong, resulting in the massacre of his entire clan, and having no backing... what could he do?
The **[Blood Abyss]** was a cultivation holy land of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. Inner disciples who reached the Foundation Establishment stage could spend 100,000 contribution points to exchange for an entry quota. Specific intelligence was prohibited from being disclosed by the sect, but based on past records, a thousand years ago, the current Blood Sect Master, now the ruler of the Blood Demon Sect, entered the Blood Abyss for a hundred years during his early Foundation Establishment stage. When he emerged, he was already at the peak of Core Formation. All his magical treasures, supernatural powers, and secret curses came from the Blood Abyss, catching the attention of the Blood Demon Hall lineage, which passed on the Ancient Blood Demon Scripture to him. He broke through to the Nascent Soul stage in just fifty short years. This showed the immense benefits of the 'Blood Abyss' for cultivation; it seemed to contain all types of opportunities.
Entering the Blood Abyss was Wei Zhong's only chance to turn the tables.
If Wang Yu remembered correctly, Zhao Shang, with whom he had mutually held leverage back then, also used a third-grade Void Escape Talisman to forcibly flee into the Blood Abyss—and he entered while still at the Qi Refining stage. There had been no news of him for all these years, making death highly probable. However, Wang Yu felt the other man wasn't reckless; his meticulousness was no less than his own. He must have learned some secret, confident in his ability to survive, even gain great benefits, before making such a choice.
Both pieces of information from Situ Hong were very useful to him.
Thanks to his connection with Tantai Chan, he was now a "staunch" supporter of True Disciple Yan Ling. He didn't need to worry about being severely punished for the failed spirit slave mission. Currently on Cold Blood Peak, True Disciple Yan Ling had stepped into the forefront, openly competing with the other True Disciples and holding a significant advantage. This meant he didn't have to fear being purged. Coupled with Su Yulong's return to the Xiangshan Duan Clan, his future path seemed clear!
"Excellent. Any other noteworthy news?"
Situ Hong thought for a moment. "Does Liu Jinxian reaching Foundation Establishment count?"
Calculating the time, Liu Jinxian was already at the ninth level of Qi Refining during the Profound Bone Mountain period. It was indeed time for her to establish her foundation. However, Wang Yu had no intention of further associating with that madwoman. He planned to stay in the sect for a while, acquire all the standard Foundation Establishment level assets, and then leave the sect to establish his own manor.
If possible, he wanted to acquire a third-grade corpse arm.
"What about Gu Zhengshun? How has he been lately? Is he in the sect?"
"He is. But his situation isn't great. Rumor has it he was beaten up by the True Disciple he reports to for selling a large quantity of Mysterious Essence Flowers. His situation hasn't been good since."
"Uh..." Wang Yu's expression turned strange. He remembered selling a large batch of Mysterious Essence Flowers to Gu Zhengshun for disposal. He hadn't expected there to be后续 (hòuxù - follow-up) consequences.
Having asked enough questions, it was time to report to Cold Blood Peak. After a moment's thought, Wang Yu tossed out a pill bottle.
"Inside are three Nether Heart Pills leftover from an opportunity I encountered. Consider them payment for the information. Until we meet again." With that, he directly flew out through the window and departed.
Foundation Establishment cultivators had the privilege to fly within the Ten Reverse Blood Markets, no longer needing to laboriously run on the ground. He naturally enjoyed this privilege as well.
Situ Hong stared blankly at Wang Yu's departure. The jade bottle in his hand actually contained top-grade Nether Heart Pills, and cultivation-type pills at that! "No wonder his cultivation progressed so rapidly. He must have encountered an opportunity related to pills... and top-grade ones unaffected by spiritual root aptitude... Such great kindness needs no grand words of thanks. Hong will remember this."
With the aid of these pills, he too was confident of stepping into Foundation Establishment within three years. From then on, the world would be vastly different!
***
On the other end, flying was naturally much faster than running.
In just half an hour, Cold Blood Peak was already in sight.
(End of Chapter)