Late at night, Wang Yu politely declined the beautiful woman’s invitation to enter her cave. He knew he did not yet have the ability to eat the grass at his doorstep and would need at least ten years before he could release his masculine vigor.
He returned to his own Flying Cloud Boat, sailing side by side with Chao Yunniang’s Rouge Boat.
When the great sun rose.
A vast plain ca into view, filled with heavy rice crops. The fragrance of rice drifted for hundreds of miles. Under the morning light, Jade Spirit City looked like a giant tortoise.
The ground was bustling with noise, constant hawking and selling. In the sky, multicolored streaks of light flashed as cultivators’ escape lights and flying boats entered the city one after another.
It was still a place where mortals and cultivators mixed, but unlike Heart-Erosion City, there were no standing pillars here. Mortals lived outside the city, scattered across the farmlands in villages.
Only the middle class and wealthy households could live in the outer-city rings that surrounded the five main districts. Their bodies were nourished by spiritual veins, increasing the chance of giving birth to children with spiritual roots.
Their health was also better, and illness was rare.
In the outer city, there were many child-bearing palaces, which produced special dicinal powder refined by alchemists of the Blood Reversal Sect. This powder increased the chance of pregnancy. Professional midwives were also present, and newborn deaths were almost nonexistent.
It was said this policy had been learned from the Taihu Spiritual Domain.
After all, they had a population of tens of billions, while Crimson Kite’s territory was not smaller yet had only over ten billion.
This was because the sins of demonic cultivators in ancient tis had been too severe. The present demonic cultivators now paid attention to sustainable developnt and had changed many bad practices.
For example, in ancient tis, demonic cultivators liked to use mortals for sacrificial refining of magic treasures. But how much spirituality could a mortal have? Killing thousands of mortals was not equal to the value of a single cultivator.
Only a wisp of soul was of so use.
Later, after growing more calculating, demonic cultivators discovered that rather than killing countless mortals, it was better to let them reproduce, so that children with spiritual roots would be born. They could raise them and then kill them.
The profit multiplied dozens of tis. This opened a new door for demonic cultivators.
For nearly a thousand years, whenever the Taihu Spiritual Domain introduced new policies, Crimson Kite simply copied them. This was the only reason the population reached over ten billion. Otherwise, in the ancient and primordial eras, even a million people was considered much.
It had all depended on righteous cultivators falling into depravity or risking their lives to abduct people to maintain their sects.
No wonder in history the righteous path often lost to the demonic path in their wars, and lineages were frequently cut off. Only in recent years had the situation balanced out, with victories for the righteous becoming more common.
The strategy of taking the enemy as teacher had been a great success.
At the sa ti.
While Wang Yu secretly entered the city.
A major event was happening in the City Lord’s Mansion.
The Tuoba Clan, in the na of acting city lord, summoned the three great families Bai, Guan, and Jiang, as well as the heads of the small factions in the north district and representatives of outside forces, to discuss urgent matters.
In the council hall of the City Lord’s Mansion.
A group of people were seated according to their rank. At the head sat a tall and fierce-looking man, Tuoba Lei, who had occupied the mansion for nearly a hundred years.
A century ago, he was only a general under Zhuo Kuangsheng.
Now he was the master of the City Lord’s Mansion, with Foundation Establishnt eighth-layer cultivation, standing proudly above all.
The three great family heads were generally at Foundation Establishnt sixth layer. The representatives from Ink-Water Sect, Purple Dragon Mountain, and Scent-Hearing Cult were between Foundation Establishnt seventh and ninth layer.
Once everyone arrived, Tuoba Lei imdiately presented a notice scroll. It stated that the Blood Reversal Sect had appointed a new city lord who would soon arrive.
After everyone finished reading, Tuoba Lei’s deep voice grew heavy. “Fellow daoists, after a hundred years, just as the new generation of your clans are maturing, the higher-ups are sending down a new city lord. This is not good news.”
The Bai family head secretly disliked this but outwardly retorted. “General Tuoba, this is your problem. My Bai Clan has always been loyal to the Exalted Sect. Our yearly tribute has never fallen short.”
“Heh.”
Before Tuoba Lei could respond, the Guan family head spoke. “You indeed paid, but the Exalted Sect’s rule is twenty percent every year. Your family’s wealth has grown richer year after year, yet you never reported the increase.”
The Bai family head’s face instantly darkened. Tuoba Lei secretly rejoiced, knowing that helping the Guan Clan with tax evasion had been the right move. At least in tis like this, he had an ally.
The Jiang family head, however, remained silent. Their clan had stagnated for a hundred years. The Foundation Establishnt peak ancestor was close to sitting in death ditation.
At this ti, observing quietly was best. They would not easily join disputes.
The others did not care either. In their eyes, within fifty years the Jiang Clan would be expelled from the three great clans of Guiling. Instead, the incoming Core Formation forces in the north district were far more important to watch.
“What do the three of you say?”
The Ink-Water Sect representative lowered his head to sip tea.
The Purple Dragon Mountain representative, an old man with a red face, wished to join the discussion and grinned. “What cultivation does the new city lord have? Is he from a famous place?”
The notice did not say, only that his na was Wang Yu, a young man.
“Surnad Wang… I have never heard of such a branch in the Exalted Sect.”
The Scent-Hearing Cult representative was a refined woman, exuding faint fragrance, with deep and calm eyes that betrayed her age.
She said, “Do not forget, the previous city lord was surnad Zhuo, of the Ghostfang Zhuo Clan. Do you think they would hand Jade Spirit City to an ordinary cultivator?”
The old man from Purple Dragon Mountain also lowered his head to drink tea.
The hall fell silent.
Tuoba Lei’s gaze shifted to the Azure Dragon Gang Leader, a Foundation Establishnt third-layer cultivator from the north district, forrly a robber, later recruited by him to do shady work.
This kind of man had little knowledge but fierce ruthlessness. As long as he was paid enough spirit stones, he dared to do anything.
As expected, receiving Tuoba Lei’s hint.
The Azure Dragon Gang Leader shouted loudly.
“I can strike down this man. But since his cultivation is unknown, why not let fellow daoists also send so n, temporarily join the Azure Dragon Gang.”
Tuoba Lei imdiately revealed a satisfied expression.
“The ssenger has only just arrived. Presumably, that person also needs to make thorough preparations before setting out. I do not know how many people he will bring. I will send n to scout around the Reed Marsh. As for support, the other Foundation Establishnt cultivator of the Tuoba clan will follow Brother Qinglong in action.”
He absolutely did not expect that Wang Yu would depart only a few days later, even slightly faster than the ssenger. It was pure coincidence.
The conflict between Tuoba Lei and the new City Lord was unavoidable, so he did not mind letting everyone know. Precisely because of this, it was easier to drag them all into the water.
But so people only dared to act secretly.
The council hall seed silent, yet many secretly transmitted their voices to Tuoba Lei, intending to send n to ddle. As long as no one died in Jade Spirit City, there were always excuses to shirk responsibility.
Cloud Ridge Prefecture was full of barren mountains and treacherous rivers, and the external environnt was extrely dangerous.
Using Yellow Spring Monastery as an excuse was perfectly suitable.
The dealings between the Bai clan and Yellow Springs Monastery were not known on the surface, but in fact everyone understood well in their hearts. In voice transmissions, Tuoba Lei took the initiative to bring it up.
“We can make use of the experts of Yellow Spring Monastery. They certainly would not want Jade Spirit City, which they have managed for many years, to fall back into the hands of the Blood Reversal Sect.”
“That makes sense.”
After half an hour of discussion, Tuoba Lei rose with satisfaction and called out.
“Little sister, see our honored guests off for .”
...
...
“The City Lord’s manor is a restricted area. Idlers are not allowed to enter.”
“Swish.”
Looking at the battle halberd pressed against his neck, Wang Yu sighed helplessly.
“You are far too discourteous.”
The squad of armored guards at the gate, hearing this, tried to seize Wang Yu’s collar. But with a single step back, he dodged them, which only made their faces more furious.
“Boy, putting on airs at the City Lord’s gate. Do you not know this is General Tuoba’s residence? Attack, cut down this whelp.”
Yet as seven or eight guards rushed forward, only a few slashes of light flashed through the air. The next instant, the gate was sared with bloody corpses and scattered entrails.
Sensing the powerful auras within the manor, Wang Yu smiled happily.
Coming early was not as good as coming at the right ti.
He was both early and tily, a heaven-sent opportunity not to be missed.
His figure flickered and vanished from the gate. Only then did passersby cry out in terror. “Murder! The City Lord’s guards have all been hacked into pieces! Murder!”
The chaos spread in disorder.
Inside the council hall.
Tuoba Lei’s laughter did not last long. Just as his younger sister entered to escort the guests, all the doors suddenly blew open in the cold wind.
The sky was dark with rain. Freezing rain and snow enveloped the entire City Lord’s manor. On the steps stood a silver-haired, handso youth, ascending step by step.
“This visitor cos with ill intent.”
A female cultivator of the Scent-Hearing Cult raised her head toward the sky and spoke in a low voice.
“The heavenly signs are abnormal. It must be the result of a spell. Tuoba Lei, is the new City Lord from the Exalted Sect’s Cold Blood Peak?”
“I do not know.”
Tuoba Lei pushed past the others and stood in the front. With his keen perception, he discovered the mystery on Wang Yu’s body: the aura of Foundation Establishnt second layer, but the divine sense of Foundation Establishnt sixth layer.
“Boy, you must be the new City Lord? You ca very quickly, catching off guard. But as for cultivation… far too immature.”
Wang Yu did not answer. Sweeping his gaze across the room, he noted the features of those present, which matched perfectly with the intelligence given by Lady Chaoyun.
“I will say only one thing.
Those who stand over there will live. Those who stand beside Tuoba Lei will die. You have ten breaths of ti to choose.”
“One.”
“Arrogant.”
“Impudent.”
“Two.”
The Azure Dragon Gang Leader stepped forward. By nature he bullied the weak and feared the strong. He had thought the person sent from above would be powerful, yet this was rely Foundation Establishnt second layer, even weaker than himself.
“Heh, let teach you a lesson.”
“Three.”
The representative of the Ink-Water Sect, the female cultivator of the Scent-Hearing Sect, and the Jiang clan head—all three without hesitation ran to the place Wang Yu had indicated earlier. When they moved, several of the small factions from the northern city also followed, such as Cloud Dream Pavilion, Blood Saber Gang, and Misty Rain Tower.
But more remained behind, no less than four minor faction leaders, each at early Foundation Establishnt.
Added to the still-hesitating red-faced elder of Purple Dragon Mountain, the Azure Dragon Gang Leader, the Bai and Guan clan heads, and Tuoba Lei himself, there were nine Foundation Establishnt cultivators standing opposed to Wang Yu.
“Swish.”
The instant the Azure Dragon Gang Leader attacked, a twenty-ter-long icy sword aura swept out. Wang Yu, who had been lightly counting, skipped from three straight to ten.
“Ten.”
This sudden change seed to shock the opposition.
The Guan clan head and the Purple Dragon Mountain elder imdiately used escape techniques to run to the Scent-Hearing Sect’s side. From nine, two left in an instant.
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