With Su Yulong’s temper, he would likely clash with Yan Ling once again, but as to how things would unfold, Wang Yu could not predict.
After all, Yan Ling had already beco a disciple of the Cold Blood Mountain Lord. Her status was now completely different, and Su Yulong’s options were limited. The most likely outco would be his reassignnt to manage another city.
Or perhaps, he might simply remain within the sect, becoming one of the Inner Elders and handling so secret exploration missions.
In any case, the arrival of Wei Hao’s group brought a wealth of new information to Wang Yu. It also signaled that the Cloud Ridge Prefecture region was likely on the brink of a genuine confrontation with the Yellow Spring Monastery.
Based on past experience, such conflicts would most likely be restricted to battles between the younger generation. At the very least, Nascent Soul cultivators would not participate. Otherwise, Wei Hao would not have said “fortune and calamity are both uncertain.”
It was both a crisis and an opportunity.
According to the traditions of Heavenly Corpse Peak, after each round of internal competition, the nine true disciples would beco subordinates of the victor.
When that victor eventually inherited the title of Mountain Lord, those sa disciples would beco his most trusted aides. Naturally, this unity extended to the powers backing them. That True Disciple Jiang had likely hinted at this very path.
However, this would also serve as a test for Wei Hao. If he failed, then his only fate would be death on the Cloud Ridge frontier.
The inheritance of Heavenly Corpse Peak differed from the other eight peaks. The victor of the Corpse Fighting Tournant, due to the special nature of the Corpse King Ritual, would seize the essence of nine powerful corpses. By refining them, he would forge a “Corpse King” with astonishing potential.
Even if True Disciple Jiang failed to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, his Corpse King certainly could.
The Nascent Soul seed of Heavenly Corpse Peak thus held greater significance, symbolizing inevitability itself.
Compared to the Nascent Soul seeds of other peaks, they were more easily recognized as successors. Naturally, the position of Mountain Lord ca with a hereditary title such as “Cold Blood,” “Heavenly Corpse,” or “Barbarian Ghost.”
It was both a privilege and a chain.
From what Wang Yu knew, the Heavenly Corpse Mountain Lord was a Nascent Soul early-stage cultivator. Among the nine peak lords, all except the Blood Underworld Mountain Lord were of this level.
As for the other Nascent Soul cultivators on Heavenly Corpse Peak, the Three Corpse Daoist and Lord Thunder Howl were both late-stage Nascent Soul experts. With just the two of them, even though the number of Nascent Soul cultivators on their peak was fewer than that of Cold Blood Peak or Five Yin Peak, Heavenly Corpse Peak still ranked as the second strongest peak of the Blood Reversal Sect. Pure, overwhelming battle strength.
Information about the experts of the Blood Reversal Sect, aside from the sect master’s own Blood Demon Hall lineage—was mostly public. The nine peaks had only about fifty Nascent Soul cultivators in total, most of them in the early stage.
Each of the Five Great Demonic Sects had similar power. Among them, the Heaven Refining Demon Sect stood at the top, boasting over a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators and even a Spirit Transformation Venerable.
Compared to first-rate sects like the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain, which had only one or two Nascent Soul cultivators, the Five Great Demonic Sects were on an entirely different level.
Even when compared with the sects around Taihu Spiritual Domain, only the Heavenly Void Sword Sect could rival them. The Seven Great Righteous Sects of Taihu, when taken individually, could not compare to any one of the Demonic Five Sects. Their only advantage lay in the strength and unity of the Sword Sect.
After sending off Wei Hao and his group, Wang Yu sat alone atop a high platform overlooking the entirety of Jade Spirit City. A feeling of loneliness at great height washed over him—it seed his ambitions had grown lofty.
Fighting for territory was sothing even street gangs did.
When done by hegemonic powers, it was rely conflict on a larger scale. Still, such wars often gave rise to countless new experts.
“The storm is coming...” he murmured.
…
Over the next three months, various True Disciples of the Blood Reversal Sect arrived one after another. So were nas Wang Yu had heard before, while others were entirely new to him.
Five of the newly appointed Nine City Lords ca in person, each leading an elite retinue—clearly prepared, unlike Wang Yu, who had arrived alone when he took over Jade Spirit City.
Most of them had familial ties with the Three Young Masters of the Blood Reversal Sect. As Lord Wang was known for his amiability, intelligence reports spread among all of them without resistance.
The remaining four new city lords did not co—but that did not matter. Their absence was their loss.
The location of Jade Spirit City was strategically crucial. The nine new cities lay to the east of the Eastern Extre Capital. To reach Jade Spirit City, one had to circle around this ancient ruin.
Once conflict broke out, the nine cities would face imnse pressure.
Only Jade Spirit City could provide imdiate reinforcents. The other two directions, north and south—were far too distant. The territory of the Nine Cities ford a crescent shape encircling the Eastern Extre Capital, with Jade Spirit City sitting at one of the two pointed ends. Whether for support, logistics, or communication, it could not be bypassed.
Given such a vital position, Wang Yu could not fathom what those four absent lords were doing. Did they have so alternative supply routes or hidden outposts?
Regardless, those details no longer mattered.
What Wang Yu could do was simple, continue increasing the city guard’s budget, and stockpile more consumable talismans and magical tools.
In this regard, the influx of migrants from Sanmo City had been imnsely helpful. Many of them were skilled in crafting talisman paper, and quite a few were first-rank Talisman Masters. Under their efforts, talisman production had multiplied several tis over.
The city now faintly resembled a second Sanmo City.
That day, Jin Miaoshan, who had been missing for so ti—sent him a ssage. In addition to compensating Master Tianshui for prior losses, she also ntioned sothing important about the Deep Sea Silver mine.
Sothing had happened.
The Golden Abundance Tower had co face to face with the Yellow Spring Monastery. The matter was fully exposed, and as expected, the encounter ignited the other side’s fury. Feeling humiliated after being tricked, they swore to reclaim the nine cities they had previously ceded.
Thus, the Nascent Soul experts of Cloud Ridge Prefecture and You Prefecture fought a fierce battle.
Though no one was killed, the real conflict had just begun—one that belonged to the younger generation.
With a twenty-year term, a fierce competition began around the nine cities. The crescent-shaped territory was designated as a war zone and renad Chasing Moon Prefecture.
Anyone who entered Chasing Moon Prefecture could freely engage in killing and conquest. When the twenty-year term ended, whoever occupied the nine cities would gain the final ownership.
Both sides made a solemn pledge: whoever erged as the ultimate victor would be exempted from five hundred years of sacred tribute and gain the highest level of autonomy.
It was practically a form of enfeoffnt.
After bringing this news, Jin Miaoshan also inford him that Golden Abundance Tower would reopen in Jade Spirit City, capped at third-rank business permits, and that she herself would personally oversee it.
As expected, she was coming to profit from the war.
Because the area of conflict was limited to Chasing Moon Prefecture, Jade Spirit’s already excellent strategic position rose even higher. The newly appointed city lords of the Blood Reversal Sect had to pass through his city as a transit point.
However, City Lord Wang’s enthusiasm remained low.
Whether profits were large or small depended entirely on Jade Spirit’s production capacity. Those true disciples with clan backgrounds would clearly prefer to mobilize internal resources instead.
Doing business openly through Jade Spirit was a bright path.
It was far safer for Core Formation cultivators to carry large-capacity spatial treasures and move along hidden routes in stealth, reducing the risk of ambush and allowing strategic resources to be used freely.
Thus, though the Chasing Moon Prefecture war appeared to promise vast fortune, in reality, one could only earn modest profits. After Heaven Treasure Pavilion and Golden Abundance Tower intervened, Jade Spirit’s share would beco even smaller.
After all, this was the cultivation world. One could not judge matters with mortal eyes. Jade Spirit did not even have the qualifications to formally enter the competition, so how could Wang Yu be excited?
It was better to think about how to protect his hard-built foundations. Jin Miaoshan’s arrival brought both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was that the market would soon beco lively again, giving him a second chance to compete with Heaven Treasure Pavilion.
One of the many disadvantages, however, was Jin Lin.
He was certain that with Jin Miaoshan’s arrival, that persistent troublemaker would once again stir up chaos in Jade Spirit’s City. He needed to stay vigilant.
As the news spread, Jade Spirit City went into lockdown.
Han Jia frequently visited the City Lord’s Mansion, seeking policy support from Wang Yu. After all, this ti his opponent was Jin Miaoshan, not so insignificant figures like Ye Qing and his ilk.
Wang Yu refused him outright. Friendship was one thing, but he never interfered in fair competition. Such matters only benefited Jade Spirit.
A month later.
Wang Yu, True Personage Qingyang, Granny Golden Flower at Jade Spirit Market, and a squad of armored city guards arrived together at one of the eastern gates, Wangjing Gate.
At Jin Miaoshan’s request, she had paid a large number of spirit stones so that City Lord Wang would cooperate in building montum for Golden Abundance Tower’s reopening. Thus, they ca to greet her.
In the shadows.
Han Jia secretly transmitted his voice to Wang Yu, grumbling.
“City Lord Wang, didn’t you say you wouldn’t interfere in our competition...”
Wang Yu gave an awkward smile. After locating Han Jia’s position, he replied via voice transmission. “Brother Han, Fellow Daoist Jin offered three hundred thousand spirit stones just for to welco her. Such an easy deal.”
Han Jia responded, “...What a wasteful fool.”
Wang Yu chuckled. “How about you do the sa, brother? Three hundred thousand spirit stones, enter from Wangjing Gate, and I’ll greet you personally.”
Han Jia fell silent. That kind of expense was unnecessary. He refused. “Heaven Treasure Pavilion has already been in Jade Spirit for so long. Doing that would only make us a laughingstock.”
“Impossible.” Wang Yu pounded his chest. “Just say you returned from an external supply run. The City Lord himself greeting you at the gate—how prestigious.”
Han Jia sighed faintly and stopped replying.
Wang Yu did not mind. He stood at the gate as if nothing had happened.
Because of their presence, the crowd grew quickly. Over a thousand cultivators gathered, whispering among themselves.
“That one... is the City Lord of Jade Spirit, right?”
“Seems so.”
“Who are they waiting for, such a grand display? Even the Core Formation-level Granny Golden Flower of the market is here.”
“And the first-ranked Consecrate, True Personage Qingyang, is present too. Could they be waiting for soone important from the Exalted Sect? There have been many strangers in Jade Spirit lately.”
“Heh, you don’t know? I heard a Exalted Sect alliance was ford in the east—nine cities united under the na Chasing Moon Prefecture.”
“They’re going to battle Yellow Springs Monastery?”
“Most likely. Word is they made a twenty-year agreent. When it ends, whoever holds the cities keeps them.”
“For real? If I captured one...”
“It would belong to you.”
“Even rogue cultivators?”
“Of course.”
Wang Yu listened closely. So of this information he hadn’t even heard before. He hadn’t expected random passersby to be so well-inford—apparently, even rogue cultivators could join the struggle.
That would make things difficult. Rogue cultivators were usually unreliable, but there were always a few formidable individuals among them, albeit rare.
At that mont, in the distant sky, a magnificent golden carriage approached, radiating dazzling light.
At its front were four golden-scaled unicorn-like beasts pulling it through the air.
They were Golden Scale Beasts, said to possess a trace of true qilin blood, though now far too diluted to ever revert to their ancestral form.
“Raise your vigilance.”
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