Thanks to the placement panel, Wang Yu had grown accustomed to relying on perfected-level spell techniques. Their power often exceeded that of magical artifacts and could be adapted into multiple variants.
They were versatile in nearly every situation. In contrast, artifacts that significantly boosted his combat strength were rare. Most of his gear came from battle spoils.
And the number of artifacts he'd broken in his hands? Too many to count.
Currently, two magical artifacts were still in transit.
The first was a coffin for the Moonfiend corpse—a low-grade auxiliary artifact worth 180,000 spirit stones, being shipped from Golden Toad City. Estimated arrival: three months.
The second was a custom pill furnace. Its grade was still unknown, but it used the [Meteorite Cold Iron] and a tier-three [Cold Moon Pearl]. Missing materials would be supplied by Goldfull Pavilion. The initial forging fee alone was 100,000 spirit stones, and it would take up to five years to complete—thanks to Ye Qing's connections and a channel through Jin Miaoshan.
Once completed, these items wouldn't drastically boost his raw power—but his auxiliary capabilities would improve significantly.
In addition, he was acquiring a tier-three ice-type serpent demon core. Expected arrival: within six months. His development was accelerating rapidly.
Currently in his possession were seven tier-three spiritual materials:
[Soulblood Gold] [Earthheart Spirit Milk] [Millennium Ice Marrow Jade] [Golden Qi Root] [Dragonblood Essence] (half piece) [Nether Spirit Iron] [Wraithstone]
Four of these were intended for his future life-bound artifact. Though he hadn't yet found a suitable forging method, he was leaning toward yin or ice attributes.
Planning ahead never hurt. As for his spirit stone reserves—after funding the treasure exchange and other expenses, he was down to about 2 million.
Now—
With two golden cores harvested, he'd gained at least a million spirit stones in value. Normally, Core Formation breakthrough materials cost that much. A Core Formation cultivator should be worth more—but it wasn't that simple.
At this point, Wang Yu had been back in Spiritridge for three days. Qingyang had delivered the copied inheritance texts.
With two Core Formation threats eliminated, Wang Yu's reputation soared. Qingyang publicly announced his appointment as Spiritridge's First Retainer.
He remained Inkveil Sect's deputy master, but transferred a dozen trusted disciples to serve under Wang Yu—his personal inner circle.
This move enraged Inkveil's sect master, who canceled Qingyang's Core Formation celebration in protest. Wang Yu stepped in and took over the hosting duties.
The event was held in the palace used for the Fragrance Gathering—and drew more guests than Inkveil had expected.
Friends of Qingyang and allies of Spiritridge all attended.
The celebration lasted seven days, with open banquets for the entire city.
Meanwhile, Wang Yu reviewed the inheritance gains.
Two tier-three foundational techniques—fairly standard. But the attached spell techniques and artifact forging methods were decent. He also gained three life-bound artifact blueprints:
[Crimson Chain Sword] [Fivefire Ring] [Flamecloud Cauldron]
Somewhat valuable, though Wang Yu had no intention of switching to fire-path cultivation. Still, the fire-control techniques were useful.
As for divine abilities—[Three-Core Flame Spit] and [Flame Dragon Heavenburn] were both Fire Demon Sect inheritances. He could use them, but lacked the transmission jade slips.
They'd help fill out the City Lord's archive—but were otherwise of limited use.
—
Three months later—
"Congratulations, City Lord Wang!"
"Manager Ye, what brings you here? Please, come in."
Ye Qing entered with a smile, handed over the item, and prepared to leave.
He said:
"The artifact you ordered has arrived from Golden Toad City. Shipping cost: 10,000 spirit stones."
Wang Yu didn't mind the fee. Efficiency and safety were worth it.
Golden Toad City lay within Underworld Mountain Sect's territory, just outside the Heavenly Pool Grotto—home to Goldfull Pavilion's headquarters. It was comparable to Tianbao City in status.
The Heavenly Pool Grotto was the Jin Clan's ancestral land—a top-tier cultivation sanctuary. From south to north, it spanned half of Crimson Kite Territory. If Wang Yu flew there himself, it would take a year or two.
Given his complex requirements, only the headquarters had the inventory to fulfill the order. They shipped it across thousands of miles.
The item was the coffin for his Moonfiend corpse. It came with a jade slip detailing its functions:
[Moonfiend Corpse-Nurturing Coffin] — Tier-three low-grade artifact, forged by rogue cultivator "True Lord Evilscourge." Functions: corpse nurturing, corpse refining, size manipulation, lunar energy attraction.
Moonfiend energy was rare, but not exclusive to the [Lunar Nether Eye]. Wang Yu knew this—hence the request.
The coffin's lunar absorption wasn't as efficient as his own body's, but its true value lay in corpse refinement and nurturing.
For example, the Moonfiend corpse he'd spent years refining—placed inside the coffin, it could be completed in under a year.
It was essentially a corpse-path cultivator's pill furnace.
Its nurturing ability was even more impressive: it could amplify a single strand of corpse qi into a hundred—including Moonfiend energy.
This allowed rare corpse qi to be scaled up—perfect for corpse cultivation and corpse-path divine abilities. A top-tier auxiliary tool.
Well worth the 180,000 spirit stones. Wang Yu made a note of Evilscourge's name.
Size manipulation: maximum 100 meters, minimum fingernail-sized. Even at thread-length, it could hold a hundred corpses—extremely portable.
After refining the artifact, Wang Yu shrank it and hung it from his hairpin.
With that settled, Spiritridge returned to peace. The number of teams entering Eastern Polaris dropped sharply. Core Formation cultivators were scarce.
Perhaps the previous years had been too bloody—too many deaths. The ruins now felt desolate.
Yet—
Secret teams under the City Lord's Manor continued exploring the outskirts, feeding intelligence to Wang Yu.
Yes—during this lull, before the next wave of interest, Wang Yu planned to enter the ruins himself. Most deaths last time were caused by other cultivators.
The actual dangers of the ruins were well documented:
Six-Eyed Corpse Infant Temptation Bloodvine Corpse Demon Corpse Ghoul
Traps, seals, and formations were thoroughly mapped—thanks to collective efforts.
Though the two Soul Formation inheritances had been claimed, Eastern Polaris still held immense value. Now was the best time to enter.
Once Yunling Province recovered, the ruins would be crowded again. Wang Yu kept his plans secret.
—
City Lord's prison.
The once-plump Guan Clan patriarch had withered into a stick-thin figure. Only Guan Yingdong and Guan Yingsnow still visited.
Even the Guan Clan seemed to have forgotten their former leader.
"Brother Guan… poor soul. Not even ten years, and most have forgotten you. Tragic.
"Today, I'll give you peace."
Wang Yu had tried to save him—using [Clear Mind Curse], even [Heart-Demon Melody]. All failed.
If left alone, the bloodstained shackles would drain his life essence within six months. They were clearly a cursed artifact.
Wang Yu approached cautiously.
His spiritual sense filled the edge of his Niwan Palace. He activated the [Celestial Soul One Qi] technique.
With a flick of his finger, a frost sword beam pierced Guan's heart. His body trembled. The red haze faded from his eyes.
Those bloodshot eyes held complex emotion. In his final moment, he regained clarity. His voice was faint:
"Tha…nk…you…"
"You're welcome."
Wang Yu sent guards to notify the Guan sisters. He wrapped the shackles in cold true essence and returned to his residence.
The artifact clearly related to Rakshasa and Asura inheritances.
If he entered Eastern Polaris, he'd definitely visit the [Capital Suppression Prison]. The core inheritance was gone, and the site likely destroyed. The danger had probably been triggered.
If any benefits remained, he'd take them.
Just a side trip.
His primary target was the [Craftsman's Institute]—once explored by Inkveil's founder. It lay close to the imperial city. Locals didn't understand imperial systems, but Wang Yu did.
Though the two worlds were different, the feudal dynasty model he knew offered useful parallels.
Direct application was impossible—but the logic helped.
This kind of archaeology was half excavation, half speculation—mostly speculation.
With plans in place—
Wang Yu began preparing supplies. Escape tools were a priority.
Just as he was ready to depart—
Ye Qing sent another message.
The tier-three ice-type demon core had arrived. It was en route from the Northern Severance Mountains—due within a month.
Also, a rare spiritual herb for mental cultivation had been found.
Wang Yu had once acquired a soul-nourishing pill recipe—[Soul Origin Pill], a companion formula to the [Ancient Soul Chant]. One key ingredient was nearly extinct.
He'd commissioned Goldfull Pavilion to search for it—offering premium prices.
The herb had arrived in Spiritridge. Only one stalk.
To learn more, he'd need to contact Jin Miaoshan directly.
"What scheme is she up to now…"
Wang Yu pondered briefly, then decided to explore the ruins' outskirts first. He wouldn't go deep—just wanted to locate the matching shackles for the bloodstained manacles.
That was his true goal.
The manacles clearly had ties to the Rakshasa and Asura inheritances. If he could find the corresponding restraints—perhaps a collar, anklets, or a binding array—he might uncover the full mechanism behind their curse or even a method to repurpose them.
He wasn't planning to delve deep into the ruins just yet. This was reconnaissance—an initial sweep of the outer perimeter. He would avoid the core zones for now.
The timing was perfect.
The major sects were still recovering. The ruins were quiet. The most dangerous threats had already been triggered or cleared. The remaining opportunities were scattered, but still valuable.
And Wang Yu was no longer the same man who had first watched the Eastern Polaris chaos unfold from afar.
He had a Moonfiend corpse, a tier-three auxiliary coffin, a growing network of allies, and a placement panel that accelerated his cultivation beyond reason.
He was ready.
(End of Chapter)