Tuoba Lei's fury erupted. His glare toward the Guan Clan head was like that of a betrayed beast.
But when he turned to the Azure Dragon Gang Leader, his expression froze.
A gaping wound had split the man's chest wide open. Flesh hung in tatters, exposing pale bone and the faint rhythm of beating organs within.
"H-how… how is this possible?!"
The gang leader was even more horrified. This was the difference between rogue cultivators and disciples of major sects. To defy a higher realm with a lower one—Wang Yu made it look effortless. And he was only one layer below.
It was practically no difference at all.
Wang Yu's perfected Iceblade Sword Qi could rival a full-force strike from a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Combined with his second-tier body refinement strength, and the environmental amplification from Freezing Rain Technique and Snowfall Technique, his ordinary attacks surpassed even the gang leader's trump cards.
Had Wang Yu used a proper magic artifact, the gang leader would've died without even seeing a full-powered strike.
The crowd was stunned. Their minds flashed back to a century ago, when Zhuo Kuangsheng had fought the Core Formation master of Violet Dragon Mountain with peak Foundation Establishment cultivation—and won, suffering only minor injuries.
Though today's shock wasn't as legendary, it still shattered their expectations.
The minor factions of the northern district began to waver, some already inching toward the "safe zone." Tuoba Lei roared in defiance.
"So what if you can fight across realms? I refuse to believe you can beat someone at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment!"
With that, he summoned a massive saber and charged low toward Wang Yu. His momentum was fierce—but Wang Yu had run out of patience.
He activated the command token in his storage pouch.
The entire City Lord's Manor trembled. A third-tier, mid-grade formation powered by the underground spiritual vein surged to life.
Golden chains burst from the ground, binding everyone except the Fragrant Doctrine envoy and her group. Tuoba Lei, the Bai Clan head, and others struggled desperately—
But their spiritual energy refused to respond.
This was the [Spirit-Sealing Execution Array], a formation that combined binding, sealing, killing, and defense. Only a peak Core Formation cultivator could break it.
"Gulp—"
The Bai Clan head swallowed hard and pleaded.
"City Lord! Lord Wang! I've been wronged! It's all that brute's fault—he threatened me in secret! I would've stood on your side otherwise! I'm a loyal subject!"
Wang Yu laughed heartily.
"Good. Since you're loyal, this City Lord shall reward you—with death. Are you pleased?"
The Bai Clan head, who had just begun to relax, shuddered violently.
"You little bastard! You dare toy with me?! If you kill me, my ancestor won't spare you! So what if you have a formation? You think you'll never leave this manor for the rest of your life?!"
"No."
Wang Yu shook his head.
"Your Bai Clan ancestor will come to me in shame, bearing gifts. You, however, will be branded a traitor to Spiritridge City. Eighty percent of your treasures and spirit stones will be surrendered. Then I'll spare your clan. Satisfied?"
"You—"
"You've gone too far! General Tuoba, I remember your token can control the formation!"
Tuoba Lei's face flushed red. Like a drowning man grasping at reeds, he muttered, "Yes… I have a token. I modified the formation…"
But no matter how he activated it, the authority remained in Wang Yu's hands.
In truth, Tuoba Lei held a steward's token.
It granted partial access—but nowhere near the control of Wang Yu's City Lord Token. Under Wang Yu's command, Tuoba couldn't tap into even a sliver of the formation's power.
During Zhuo Kuangsheng's rule, the manor's formation had never been activated. For the century that the Tuoba Clan occupied the manor, Tuoba Lei knew the Holy Sect had installed a formation here.
He believed his token could control it. He'd hired numerous formation masters to inspect it, hoping to convert it into one under his full command.
By all logic, it should've worked.
Had he been deceived?
Those bastard formation masters—taking advantage of his ignorance of formation glyphs! They'd treated him like a fool and swindled him out of countless spirit stones.
The realization made Tuoba Lei spit blood skyward.
He was furious to the point of collapse.
Wang Yu watched with quiet reflection. Tuoba Lei had clawed his way up from the bottom—he had ruthlessness, but lacked insight and vision.
Back when Zhuo Kuangsheng was alive, Tuoba Lei's arrogance was tolerated only because he had the Zhuo Clan backing him. Over time, he mistook borrowed prestige for his own.
To bare his fangs at Wang Yu, the Holy Sect's appointed City Lord, and summon everyone for a confrontation—foolish and wicked. But it made Wang Yu's job easier.
The formation roared to life. Golden chains whipped through the air, binding every member of the Tuoba Clan residing in the manor.
All were dragged to the blue stone plaza.
There were over five hundred people in total, including many rogue cultivators who had accepted recruitment. Most were at the Qi Refining stage. Only one middle-aged man had reached the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.
He was the Tuoba Clan's second pillar.
Wang Yu stepped forward. Behind him, a pair of frost-moon wings unfolded—three meters wide, forged from crystalline ice. Cold mist flowed like smoke, and his speed was lightning-fast.
In a flash, he hovered above the City Lord's Manor. His voice thundered across the sky.
"I am Wang Yu, appointed by the Holy Sect as the new City Lord of Spiritridge City. Upon arrival, I find the city occupied by the Tuoba Clan—vile dogs who defile sacred ground. They must be purged!"
"My judgment: the Tuoba Clan—exterminated!"
"The northern district's criminals, led by the Azure Dragon Gang Leader—beheaded and soul-devoured!"
"Among them, the Bai Clan head—executed, his corpse hung at the city gate for one month, a warning to all who serve the Holy Sect: do not harbor treacherous thoughts!"
His words, amplified by a simple sound technique refined through his mastery of musical arts, echoed across the entire city.
An uproar erupted.
The group aligned with Inkveil Gate and Fragrant Doctrine was stunned. The Violet Dragon Mountain elder and Guan Clan head exchanged glances, cold sweat dripping down their backs.
Only the Jiang Clan head stared at Wang Yu with a complicated expression, as if seeing the shadow of Zhuo Kuangsheng from a hundred years ago.
Once the shock passed, the Guan Clan head whispered.
"This man… is he insane? He really dares kill so many? The Tuoba Clan, fine—but even the Bai Clan head?"
Before he could finish, Wang Yu raised his hand.
The golden chains unleashed their execution power.
All five hundred captives were shredded into pulp. Blood and flesh rained down in torrents. And it wasn't over—Wang Yu inhaled deeply.
"Soul Devour!"
A demonic technique activated. Every soul was drawn out, transformed into gray streams of light, and absorbed into Wang Yu's body.
The Black Fiend Armor formed automatically. Once a small piece of black armor etched with wailing faces, it now surged with living souls. Its aura was monstrous—like the return of a Demon Lord.
This soul-devouring armor technique was one Wang Yu always used with caution. Absorbing too many souls risked triggering the Ghostbite Curse—a backlash from vengeful spirits.
But this opportunity was too rare. Seven Foundation Establishment cultivators, five hundred Qi Refining—enough to push the armor's power to its peak.
Previously, he'd cultivated the technique using soul fragments, suffering only minor backlash. But after today, the ghosts could strike at any time.
Which suited him perfectly.
His Ancient Soul Codex, paired with Nethermoon Eyes, had made his cultivation too smooth. His spiritual sense grew daily, swelling without bottlenecks.
Now, he could use these evil spirits to temper his soul, solidify his foundation, and prepare for the towering heights ahead.
He didn't just want speed—he wanted stability. If not to defy an entire realm, then at least to stand at the forefront of his own.
After thunder comes grace.
The carrot and the stick—an eternal method for taming intelligent beings.
With order established and dignity secured, it was time to show his gentler side. As the Black Fiend Armor faded, Wang Yu descended before the crowd.
Behind him lay a plaza paved with mangled limbs and blood. The stench alone could break a trained man's composure. Yet his pale, handsome face wore a warm smile.
As if the soul-devouring purge had nothing to do with him.
"Fellow Daoists, the traitors have been purged. From now on, Spiritridge City will be governed by the old rules. I'll need your help to manage it together."
Of course, anyone who believed that was a fool.
The Guan Clan head rushed forward and bowed deeply "City Lord's divine might—Guan is in awe. From now on, I shall follow your lead without question."
Wang Yu cast him a sidelong glance. This man was the very definition of a fence-sitter—whoever fed him was his master. He had no bottom line. But this time, his eagerness to take the lead was useful.
"Rise. All of you here possess cultivation far above mine. There's no need for such formality."
The Fragrant Doctrine envoy stepped forward, her voice calm and respectful. "Though this is Spiritridge City, it remains under the rule of the Blood Reversal Sect. The City Lord represents the face of the Holy Sect. Etiquette must not be neglected."
Well said.
Wang Yu was quite pleased with her response, though he waved his hand modestly. Her words prompted the others to join in, offering their own gestures of respect.
After the customary three refusals and three acceptances, the formalities were complete. Wang Yu now stood as the rightful City Lord.
He paused for a moment, then spoke again.
"Half a month from now, we will hold this year's spiritual root testing ceremony ahead of schedule. The City Lord's Manor is in disrepair. We must recruit new personnel, and the current city guard will be replaced.
"Additionally, I intend to select disciples from the Guan and Jiang Clans. If the three sects have surplus manpower, I ask that you lend them to me temporarily."
The crowd's expressions brightened.
With the Tuoba Clan eliminated and the Bai Clan cast out of the power circle, it was the perfect time to divide the spoils and establish new alliances.
Wang Yu's cultivation might not be high, but he was a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator. Taking disciples was well within his rights.
Of course, this wasn't truly about taking disciples—it was akin to political marriage among noble clans. A gesture of goodwill toward the Guan and Jiang families. In truth, it was an invitation to form an alliance.
A golden opportunity. No one would refuse.
Spiritridge City was a fertile land. Wang Yu didn't yet have the strength to claim it all, so he needed a coalition of vested interests. At first, loyalties might waver and foundations remain unstable.
But once the framework was in place, he could slowly consolidate power. Eventually, he would build a faction with himself at the center.
In the short term, as long as he remained within Spiritridge City, he was safe.
In fact, the three major clans would now do everything in their power to protect his life. If he died within the city, the Blood Reversal Sect would descend—and the resulting purge would be catastrophic.
(End of Chapter)