The route drawn on the talisman paper was crooked and uneven, but it was basically recognizable. The destination pointed toward a desolate area in Maple Prefecture in the northern lands of the Exalted Sect.

Wang Yu did not doubt its authenticity.

Blood Axe had clearly seen that he was stuck at the peak of third rank body refinement. This meant that the place indicated by the talisman paper might very well be an opportunity to break through his realm.

It was absolutely a great gift.

“Hahahaha. The two elder brothers also think highly of you. I just happen to like doing things this way. Go on then, and do not spread word of Xie Xie’an and myself.”

“Wang Yu will remember this.”

Naturally, he knew better than to speak of it everywhere. When a senior teaches you how to act, you listen obediently. It was also a way of showing respect to the old ancestor.

Sure enough.

After Blood Axe Demonic Lord nodded in satisfaction, his massive figure vanished on the spot. Wang Yu then bowed from afar toward the sky before charging into the passageway and disappearing.

Blood Cloud Forbidden Hall.

Blood Origin and Blood Spring looked helplessly at their third brother and said after some deliberation, “Blood Axe, are you deliberately doing this for us to see?”

“How could that be.”

Blood Axe produced another jar of aged wine, took several deep gulps, and only then said, “Isn’t it the same as the two of you, believing in that kid’s potential?”

“But I am more straightforward. Only with giving does one receive in return. Judging by that Wang kid’s style of conduct, he will definitely remember this matter.”

The other two looked at each other and could only say helplessly, “Your things are yours to decide their ownership. Even if he does not disappoint you, it will take at least several hundred years to see any effect.”

“We will talk about it later.”

…

…

Outside the Blood Abyss Sacred Land, a large number of sect cultivators were still lingering about, along with subordinates sent by various peak factions.

When the passageway opened and people began to emerge.

Some quickly sensed that something was wrong.

“Why are there so few people coming out. It looks like the numbers are very small. Could it be that the contest over the Blood Infant Fruit has not yet been decided?”

“That should not be the case…”

“Hey, fellow Daoist from the Chen clan. Did something happen inside the Blood Abyss?”

Unexpectedly, that person stared at him with hatred written all over his face.

“Bastards of Evil God Peak, just wait.”

With that said.

His figure swiftly flew off toward the sect. Aside from the teams of the Nine Peaks direct disciples, almost everyone who came out afterward remained silent.

After leaving the Blood Abyss, they rushed straight back home. They were likely going back to report and relay information. Only the Lords of Heavenly Corpse Mountain and Evil God Mountain looked somewhat stunned.

Because neither of them saw their own disciples.

Could it be that…

“Whoosh.”

Wang Yu emerged from the passageway. His gaze swept around quickly, and from afar he saw Zhuo Shouyun waving at him, except there were many more people by his side.

This immediately made Wang Yu think that Zhuo Shouqing’s extermination plan had gone badly.

But why.

Zhuo Shouyun had only left a single talisman owl outside, while Zhuo Shouqing had accumulated a foundation of more than a hundred years, nearly two hundred years. There was no reason he could not capture the talisman owl.

A sense of foreboding rose in his heart, making him even ignore the relaxed feeling that came with the end of the contract.

He gave a junior’s salute toward the Nine Peaks mountain lords, then immediately turned into a streak of auroral light and fled toward the Sect mountain gate.

His speed was so fast that it drew the attention of many.

Wang Yu was the last person to come out. The passageway was maintained by an ancient spirit treasure of the Nine Peaks mountain lords. When the Lord of Cold Blood Mountain saw that no one else was emerging, he could not help but look toward Yan Ling and ask.

“Disciple, what happened inside?”

“It was like this…”

Yan Ling roughly recounted what had occurred inside. Most of the other mountain lords were also questioning their own disciples. In just a short moment, the Lord of Heavenly Corpse Mountain flicked his sleeve and left.

He did not care at all about how long the Blood Abyss passageway still needed to remain open. By convention, maintaining it for about three days had long been an unspoken rule.

Now that such shocking news had come out, as a Nine Peaks mountain lord, he not only had to deal with the death of his direct disciple, but also had to appease the family behind that disciple.

A single direct disciple, if nothing unexpected happened.

The family behind them would at the very least hold power for two hundred years. If they broke through to the Nascent Soul realm, they would even become a candidate for the next mountain lord, with their authority lasting even longer.

As for how Jiang Mingxin, someone from a family faction, became a core member of the master disciple faction, this involved issues of interest exchange and power complementarity.

The Twelve Elders Council of the peaks, which formed the core of the family factions.

Also had many members of the master disciple faction placed within it. After all, internal disputes were the art of compromise. Even if one was unwilling in their heart, there would always be other allies to help agree.

These messy and sordid matters were things Wang Yu should care about to some extent. If not for Xie Xie’an’s appearance, the person regarded as the core of the problem would have been him.

Right now, he was more concerned about the outcome of the struggle between the Two Zhuo.

Not long after.

After racing several hundred li, Wang Yu plunged straight into the Ten Inverted Blood Wards and quickly entered the residence behind the Enforcement Hall of Evil God Market.

“Zhuo Shouqing?”

However, the scene inside was utter disarray. Even the sitting cushions were covered in dust, showing that no one had lived there for many years. After sweeping the Enforcement Hall with his divine sense, he turned toward the front hall.

Wang Yu casually grabbed an Enforcement Hall cultivator.

“Where is your Enforcer Zhuo?”

“Well… my lord, we do not know. He has not shown his face for a very long time. Now the Enforcement Hall of Evil God Market is under Enforcer Zuoqiu’s control.”

“Zuo Qiuming?”

“No, it is Enforcer Zuoqiu Yi.”

Wang Yu revealed a puzzled look, yet his divine sense was unable to detect that Foundation Establishment cultivator, so he directly gave an order.

“Where did he go?”

“This… I truly do not know.” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Just as Wang Yu was troubled over how to find someone knowledgeable to ask about the matter, a cultivator with white hair streaked with gray and a slightly aged appearance took the initiative to approach.

It was precisely Situ Hong.

The other party was not much older than him and had even broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, yet his appearance was far more aged than the last time they met. Even so, Wang Yu recognized him at a glance.

“Situ? The matter of the Peach Blossom Ghost Mother has already been properly handled. You can be considered free now.”

“I know.”

Situ Hong’s emotions fluctuated greatly. There was excitement from being liberated, along with sighing regret, and even a trace of bleak sorrow, sorrow for his own fate.

“Not long after Senior Wang entered the Blood Abyss, the soul lamp of the Peach Blossom Ghost Mother was extinguished. Among those of us kept as male attendants, this was no secret.

“I came this time to resolve Senior Wang’s doubts. I have been deliberately paying attention to the matter of the Two Zhuo struggle, waiting for you to come out to see whether you might need this information.”

Hearing this, Wang Yu also let out a long sigh.

Situ Hong was a capable person, methodical in his actions. To age to death due to the depletion of life essence was, after all, somewhat of a pity.

Being a Core Formation cultivator’s male attendant was no better than being a spirit slave. One could only borrow another’s authority and put on an act. Once the protection and the advantage of appearance were gone, one became nothing at all.

“You came at just the right time. Let us change locations and talk.”

Wang Yu brought him to the cave residence on Cold Blood Peak. They passed by Xue Ying’s cave residence, which had been built for no more than thirty years. Wang Yu glanced at it briefly before entering his own main hall.

“Speak. What exactly happened?”

Knowing the importance and urgency of the matter, Situ Hong immediately recounted the battle at Cloud Ascension City from an observer’s perspective. This battle was the turning point of the Two Zhuo struggle.

It was extremely important.

A whole series of subsequent events could not be separated from the influence of this battle. After patiently listening to everything, Wang Yu could not help but ask.

“The battle at Cloud Ascension City was lost?”

“Yes. According to what I have learned, there should have been a rift among the Three Young Masters of Blood Reversal. Yu Xing and Zuo Qiuming did not appear, and they even secretly killed a group of Zhuo Shouqing’s death warriors.

“Zhuo Shouqing, who regarded his brothers as his trump cards, was then ambushed by Lu Chenzhou. Over a hundred years of accumulation vanished in a single stroke. After repeated blows, he returned to Ghost Fang together with Zhuo Yuanshen and did not remain in the sect.”

Situ Hong did not voice his own judgments or speculations, merely recounting the information he had gathered.

“There may be inaccuracies in the details, but there is absolutely no error in the overall direction.”

After hearing this, Wang Yu felt his vision darken.

Such a favorable situation, how could it end up like this. No matter how incompetent or useless Zhuo Shouqing was, it should not have come to this. Brothers turning against one another was simply a joke.

Ridiculous to the extreme.

He had little contact with Yu Xing, but he could judge that he was a rational person. To abandon old brothers at a critical moment, Wang Yu could not determine whether it was sincere or done under coercion.

But Zuo Qiuming. He was certain that something had gone wrong.

That was why he had no choice but to leave.

Wang Yu was firmly confident in his own judgment of people. Back then, he had even envied the bond among the three brothers, closer than blood siblings.

Looking back now, did it not turn him into a laughingstock.

They must have fallen into Zhuo Shouyun’s trap.

With this conviction in mind, Wang Yu then thought about Zhuo Shouqing and Zhuo Yuanshen. After Wang Yu’s earlier reminder, the second brother should have known that there was something wrong with Zhuo Yuanshen, and that he even harbored ambitions and plans of his own.

If he put himself in Zhuo Shouqing’s position.

With his elite forces and foundation completely exhausted, and with no way to confirm Wang Yu’s results in the Blood Abyss.

He would definitely take the risk and carry out Zhuo Yuanshen’s plan.

This had nothing to do with being foolish. It was the last straw for a drowning man. Even if the straw was not strong enough, one could only grab it blindly.

Scheming against an unprepared opponent, it was worth the risk.

Once hostilities began, the promise of the Ancestor Liezu of the Zhuo clan would lose its effect. If he did not want to die at Zhuo Shouyun’s hands, he could only do this, especially after suffering both physical and mental blows.

Two old brothers had betrayed him without a word.

If he searched his conscience, would he still dare to trust Wang Yu. Moreover, the second Nether River contract only lasted until Wang Yu left the Blood Abyss. He had no reason to continue serving Zhuo Shouqing.

Considering all these factors, seeking gain from a tiger became the only choice. Zhuo Shouqing truly had no other option.

Inside the grand hall, Wang Yu stood quietly by the window.

Silently pondering.

At the moment, the urgent priority was not to think about turning the situation around, but to focus on preserving himself. Fu Xiao was Zhuo Shouyun’s man, and if no other changes occurred.

The struggle between the two Zhuo factions would likely end with Zhuo Shouyun’s victory.

Considering Fu Xiao’s record of meritorious service, Wang Yu was eighty percent certain that the other party would bring people to trouble him, the possessor of the Demonic Embryo. While staying on Cold Blood Peak was still fine.

The real concern was being targeted the moment he went out.

As the saying goes, it is not the thief stealing that is frightening, but the thief thinking about you. Once the Nine Peaks Mountain Lord returned, the Blood Pool Baptism would become the top priority, and it would also be time to decide the final outcome with Fu Xiao.

As for this person he had never met, yet whose fate was closely tied to his own.

Wang Yu had long been filled with anticipation.

“So… before Zhuo Shouyun can influence the clan’s internal support, I should first secure the position of Twelfth Elder of Cold Blood Peak.

“With this identity, I will truly be at the table. At the very least, I will have entered the core of power on Cold Blood Peak and become one of its high level figures.”

He pondered silently.

Since Zhuo Shouqing had not intended to truly trust him.

Wang Yu simply regarded him as having already failed. With no contract binding him, he could jump ship at any time and seek survival on his own. In the Blood Abyss, he had sold Zhuo Shouyun a favor, which at least eased their relationship somewhat.

Now that the other party had emerged, his first target would definitely be Zhuo Shouqing. In the short term, he would not come looking for trouble with Wang Yu.

On the other hand, the candidacy for the Twelfth Elder position had been finalized with Zhuo Shouqing’s help, so naturally he had to take this opportunity and push it to the extreme.

There was also Jade Spirit City on that side. Its sovereignty might also undergo changes.

After a round of intense brainstorming.

Wang Yu immediately listed what needed to be done next. After some thought, he asked Situ Hong, “Situ, are you willing to help me with something?”

Situ Hong immediately prostrated himself.

“Hong will not fail your trust.”

“There is no need for this.”

Wang Yu reached out to lift him up. His spiritual power surged and steadied Situ Hong. The idea had come to him suddenly. The loss of life essence was a major problem for most people.

But at its core, it was simply damage caused by excessive dual cultivation extraction.

For a quasi fourth rank alchemist, there were many ways to resolve such a problem. The simplest was to use the human pill method to replenish it in reverse.

This person was also an old acquaintance, with many ties of goodwill.

He could be used with confidence.

“Like this.

“Take this token and make a trip for me to Jade Spirit City in Cloud Ridge Prefecture. The acting city lord there, Daoist Qingyang, and the city guard commander, Xu Ruozhou, are both my people.

“Have them spare no cost to squeeze out the value of Jade Spirit City as quickly as possible. Do not worry about long term development. Once it is done, go to Tianbao City and stay there temporarily. Wait for me to come find you.”

“Hong accepts the order.”

Wang Yu did not place any direct restriction on him. He merely planted a demonic seed on him in secret. Once the distance reached a certain range, he would be able to determine Situ Hong’s location.

It was simply for convenience in finding him later, not because he coveted his so called three spiritual roots.

After sending him off.

Wang Yu headed toward the summit of Cold Blood Peak. He intended to wait for the Cold Blood Mountain Lord to return from the Blood Abyss and ask him for help in initiating the position exchange battle for the Twelfth Elder.

He also planned to visit Elder Yushu. The main purpose was to inform him about Song Yun. His beloved grandson had died without leaving even bones behind because of the Blood Infant Fruit. Perhaps this would stimulate him.

If he could successfully form a Nascent Soul, Wang Yu was confident he could establish a good cooperative relationship with him. This would count as strengthening his own standing on Cold Blood Peak.

There was no other way.

With the support of the three clans gone, setting other things aside.

Would Black Heaven Talisman Lord come looking for trouble with him. Would the family faction and the master disciple faction marginalize his position within the peak. Even cooperation with the four Cold Blood clans would have to be marked with a question mark.

If things truly became impossible, he could only go serve under Yu Tangtang’s father and completely solidify his identity as an exclusive alchemist.

“In the end, it all comes down to insufficient strength. If I had Nascent Soul cultivation, the position of Twelfth Elder would be nothing more than an extra title, and there would be no need to run around just to protect myself…”

As for Yu Xing and Zuo Qiuming.

The former needed no mention. The latter likely already knew that he had emerged from the Blood Abyss today and might send someone to contact him.

Therefore, Wang Yu kept constant attention on his sound transmission jade talisman.

He felt genuine gratitude toward Zuo Qiuming. Yu Xing and Zhuo Shouqing could be ignored, but Zuo Qiuming could not. This was Wang Yu’s bottom line in how he conducted himself.

In other words, sincerity should be met with sincerity.

Even without a contract binding them, he was willing to lend Zuo Qiuming a hand.

To a certain extent, among the early attempts by the three young masters faction to bind Wang Yu through friendship, only the third had truly succeeded, and only he had been the most unfortunate.