After watching his reliable disciple depart, Wang Yu began to reflect. Spiritridge City truly needed a Core Formation cultivator to hold the seat of City Lord. Though he had some skill, he was still lacking.
He could manage affairs within the city, but anything beyond—even opportunities just outside his reach—he couldn't grasp. That was the difference in strength.
If he were powerful enough, the Guan Clan's opportunity would be his. After all, they couldn't protect it.
In the short term, the only way he could gain the strength to confront Core Formation cultivators head-on was through corpse refinement. The living corpse he possessed was late-stage Core Formation.
With the right method, even if imperfect, he could refine it into a tier-three Fiend corpse. As for Grade-A corpses… that elder clearly hadn't practiced any body-tempering techniques.
Wrong specialization. Fiend corpses had many techniques and weren't necessarily inferior. Tier-three Fiend corpses corresponded to flying zombies—capable of absorbing blood from a distance, far more versatile.
He glanced at the placement panel.
The Ice Spirit Pill recipe had now been replaced by the [Ancient Soul Chant]. With this technique, plus passive absorption of Lunar Essence, and the relentless tempering from "Soul-Eating Curse," his spiritual sense had surged.
Wang Yu's spiritual sense was approaching peak Foundation Establishment.
If he could master the Ancient Soul Chant and awaken the [Ancient Soul] trait, he might gain Core Formation-level spiritual sense early—enough to wield seven or eight soul-based combat techniques.
He might even stand a chance against early Core Formation cultivators. Killing them was unlikely, but he had options now.
His paths to power were multiplying.
Still plenty to play with.
"Oh right—I forgot to ask about treasures that aid the breakthrough to mid-Foundation Establishment."
With dual spiritual roots, this bottleneck wouldn't stop him. But it could still delay him for months. If there was a shortcut, why not take it?
Wang Yu had plenty of spirit stones!
He ordered the City Lord's Manor to search the city for relevant treasures. Goldfull Pavilion sent agents as well.
Meanwhile, Wang Yu entered the scripture vault to research regional specialty treasures.
—
Three thousand kilometers east of Spiritridge — Eastern Polaris Ancient Ruins
Above and below ground, Core Formation cultivators traveled in style. Flying boats, palaces, towers, bone mountains, shadowy clouds—treasure light scattered everywhere.
Powerful auras were everywhere. Every few steps, one could sense another Core Formation expert.
A rough estimate put the number of Core Formation cultivators at over a hundred—and that was just outside. Many more had already entered the ruins.
Foundation Establishment cultivators were countless. You could point at anyone and they'd be one.
This was thanks to Eastern Polaris's scale.
As one of the four capitals of an ancient immortal dynasty, it was a major site. Just the surface-level residential districts could house tens of millions.
And the dynasty's methods were far from simple.
Underground, people had encountered inverted floating mountain ranges, sprawling royal estates the size of half a city, and the central imperial palace.
Due to the subterranean layout, it was hard to gauge the full scale.
Without a bird's-eye view, the earliest discoveries—like a single government street—turned out to be just fragments. More treasures and inheritances were being found daily.
The fighting grew fiercer. Corpses piled up.
—
Underground
A group emerged from a site labeled [Capital District Demon-Suppressing Prison], grinning with satisfaction. Each had acquired a blood-red shackle—an ancient treasure.
These shackles reeked of blood and had powerful sealing abilities. They could suppress both true essence and physical strength.
The engraved runes even contained traces of spatial power—effective up to Core Formation level. Their value was undeniable.
"Say, these shackles and manacles must be part of a set, right? Used by the ancient dynasty to restrain prisoners?"
"Obviously!"
The middle-aged leader pointed to the plaque behind them. "This is a prison. These were probably freshly forged and stored in the vault. Preserved well."
"Yeah, too bad we didn't find the torture tools. Those probably had real offensive power. Sealing treasures are useful, but not as exciting."
"Still, this is a tier-three ancient treasure. We've never explored this area before. All thanks to Spiritridge's intel."
"Exactly! Hahaha!"
This sect-based team was surprisingly harmonious. No backstabbing, no scheming. They even openly displayed their gains.
In the demonic path, this was… suspiciously wholesome.
It didn't feel real.
And on their way out, they hadn't encountered any ancient monsters. They simply walked to the edge of the ruins.
"Just a bit farther and we'll reach the surface. Lots of cultivators around here."
Suddenly, a female cultivator blurted out.
"Yeah, tons of people."
Someone's eyes flashed red. He abruptly pulled out his blood-red shackle and said loudly:
"Capital District Demon-Suppressing Prison had so many treasures. After a rest, I'm going back for that blood-red sword."
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Nearby cultivators using concealment techniques leapt away. An ambush was instantly defused. The would-be attackers stared in shock.
Something was off. This trap was… sloppy.
A Core Formation cultivator snorted. "What are you trying to pull?"
The team pulled out more blood-red shackles. Their bodies began to glow with blood light. Their eyes turned crimson, pupils vanished, and strange fluids dripped from their mouths.
In an instant, murderous intent and blood fiend aura erupted.
This mostly Foundation Establishment team, led by one Core Formation cultivator, launched an attack on all nearby lifeforms.
"Madmen."
"They've been corrupted by some anomaly in the ruins. Kill them."
"I'll handle it."
A Core Formation expert summoned a lightning sword and swept through the crazed Foundation Establishment cultivators like weeds.
Then he struck down the deranged Core Formation leader with a single blow.
His strength was clearly late-stage Core Formation. The opponent, having lost his mind, couldn't use treasures or techniques—easy kill.
The lightning sword wielder casually picked up several storage bags and scoffed.
"Ants are easier to kill when they're insane."
Then, without thinking, he snatched a blood-red shackle from the corpse and fastened it around his neck. The crowd recoiled in horror.
"Senior Thunderfiend…"
"What?"
He removed the shackle. Seemed unaffected. The crowd watched in silence. Seeing no change, they relaxed.
Everyone began casting retrieval spells, snatching up shackles and corpses, then vanishing.
Normally, such looting would provoke Thunderfiend's wrath. But he didn't move. Instead, he murmured softly:
"Capital District Demon-Suppressing Prison… what a place. Blood-red sword… gather allies… seize the treasure! Seize the treasure! Seize the treasure!"
—
Spiritridge City
It had been some time since Wang Yu left seclusion. He continued monitoring Eastern Polaris and had received news about Essence Condensation aids.
His true essence had surpassed 400 drops. Even without fully digesting the supreme Ice Spirit Pill, he was nearing the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment.
Essence Condensation meant transforming scattered true essence into a unified [True Essence Spring].
Currently, Wang Yu had three streams of true essence—accumulated drop by drop.
Fusion wasn't hard. The challenge was opening the spring itself—creating a true essence well.
Once formed, it would autonomously absorb spiritual energy from the world, producing a drop of true essence at intervals. Auto-cultivation.
Though slower than active cultivation, it doubled efficiency.
Better spiritual roots shortened the time to cross this threshold. Many treasures could help.
Locally, only a few options were available:
One-Stripe Essence Condensation Pill: Opens the spring. Costs 38,000 spirit stones. Out of stock at Goldfull Pavilion—needs to be ordered. Water Essence Extract: Tier-two spiritual item. Suitable for first-time Essence Condensation. Costs 20,000. In stock. Less effective. Spring Surge Grounds: Tier-two treasure site. Single-use per person. Entry fee 12,000. No guaranteed success. Controlled by Demon Valley and Locustwood Sect.
Wang Yu preferred the first. He wasn't short on money.
Essence Condensation Pills came in a series.
Two-Stripe Pills: Help break through late Foundation Establishment—second condensation. Most commonly sold. Expensive. Three-Stripe Pills: Aid in forming the [True Essence Sea]. Once achieved, one is half a step from Core Formation—just shy of forming a golden core and unlocking spell power.
However, these pills couldn't be used with Core Formation pills.
Compared to true breakthrough pills, Three-Stripe Pills only affect true essence—somewhat niche. Hence, lower sales.
Core Formation required passing three trials—similar to Foundation Establishment, but harder. After forming the golden core, one faced lightning tribulation.
At that point, a tribulation treasure helped immensely. With it, success was 80% likely.
Major factions had tribulation arrays. Cold Blood Peak had one. Spend contribution points to rent it. Rumor says Wei Zhong broke through this way.
Still a bit far off. Wang Yu shook his head.
He took out his Goldfull Pavilion VIP token and submitted his request. The pills would arrive within three months. A perk of having Jin Miaoshan's backing.
That day, while Wang Yu was immersed in studying the secret art [Wind and Thunder Spirit Pattern], he was caught off guard when Guan Yingdong and Guan Yingxue brought a demonic cultivator into the hall. His pupils flickered with the mark of the [Lunar Nether Eyes], a trait that granted him the [Moon-Gazing Sight]—a vision that could pierce illusions and reveal the soul's inner fire.
The man they brought was none other than the patriarch of the Guan Clan, shackled at the wrists and ankles.
But what Wang Yu saw through his Moon-Gazing Sight was not a man.
It was a seething, crimson soul flame—dense and oppressive, like a reflection of an ancient battlefield. It radiated endless killing intent and blood-soaked malice, a force that could erode the mind.
This was a power that struck not at the soul, but at the heart.
The heart—unlike spiritual sense—was tied to will and mental clarity. While spiritual sense and soul were two sides of the same coin, growing in tandem, the heart was something else entirely. It was a metaphysical concept, rooted in one's inner world and convictions.
Cultivating the heart was notoriously difficult.
And once the Dao heart shattered, one would fall into an abyss of no return. All the painstakingly cultivated heart-force would collapse.
This… Wang Yu dared not touch.
His gaze shifted to the eerie shackles binding the Guan patriarch.
(End of Chapter)