Chapter 466

The Taihu Spiritual Domain had a highly developed water system. Rivers and lakes crisscrossed like a chessboard. Convenient waterway transportation greatly promoted commercial prosperity.

The Azure Cloud Sect was one of the Seven Righteous Sects. It was located west of the Northern Severed Boundary Mountain Range and south of the Endless Ice Plains, controlling a total of five prefectures.

Water Cloud Prefecture was the largest prefecture with the richest water veins.

For six months of the year it was shrouded in clouds and mist, with water vapor filling the air. It looked like a dreamlike immortal realm, hence its other name: “Cloud Dream Marsh.”

And the capital of the prefecture was called:

Water Cloud Immortal Capital!

The city spanned over a hundred kilometers in both length and width, with a permanent population close to ten million. This was a typical “Taihu scale.” In comparison, even a city with several hundred thousand people on the Crimson Kite side would be considered a major city.

The population difference between the two sides was huge, and many aspects differed as well.

Especially the way of life.

The people of Water Cloud were always in a hurry, whether coming or going. From peddlers to high officials, everyone looked busy with endless affairs. Even street vendors shouted at the top of their lungs.

They were afraid passersby wouldn’t hear them. The market was quite chaotic due to the heavy foot traffic, yet it also carried a thick, lively mortal-world atmosphere. It developed in an orderly chaos, not a complete mess.

If the cities of the Crimson Kite had only begun mixing immortals and mortals by imitating Taihu, with the goal of cultivating more spirit-rooted seeds of suitable age.

After all, places with spirit veins had abundant spiritual energy.

They could be described as “outstanding people and miraculous land.” Children born after ten months of pregnancy in such places had a much higher chance of possessing spiritual roots than those born in places without spiritual veins.

Over time, the number of cultivators naturally skyrocketed.

If the mortals of Water Cloud City could be described as busy, then the cultivators here could be called innate workhorse sacred bodies. Almost everyone had heavy dark circles under their eyes.

They looked mentally and physically exhausted, as if they hadn’t rested for a very long time.

Qi Refining cultivators were at the bottom, heavily exploited. Core Formation cultivators were slightly better, but in “Water Cloud Immortal Capital” they were still middle-to-lower class. Only Nascent Soul cultivators lived relatively well.

They were the ones who could truly establish themselves here.

Upon arriving in a new place, the most important thing was to understand the number of powerhouses present. Wang Yu followed the principle of “the greatest concealment is to hide among the crowd.” He immersed himself in the mortal world to avoid losing his original heart after staying aloof for too long.

Water Cloud Immortal Capital was divided into four districts: Core Zone, Inner City, Outer City, and Slum District.

The grade of each district could be judged by the spirit vein environment.

The Core Zone had multiple fourth-rank spiritual veins. The City Lord’s Mansion was located there and had three Nascent Soul experts stationed long-term, all from the Azure Cloud Sect.

The Inner City had around twenty third-rank spirit veins. Core Formation cultivators could establish themselves here.

The Outer City’s spirit veins were more scattered. Due to the large population, the area each vein could radiate was quite limited.

Most Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators lived within the radiation range of spirit veins, forming circular tiered zones of high to low spiritual energy concentration.

The Slum District was mostly inhabited by mortals, or Qi Refining bottom-tier cultivators who had offended someone. It was also the poorest and most miserable area.

At this moment.

Wang Yu entered the city through the southern gate and was momentarily stunned.

The so-called smoke and fire of the mortal world most soothed the hearts of ordinary people.

Cultivators were also mortals. They had not yet reached the point of detachment from the mortal world. They could neither live in seclusion away from the world nor achieve eternal life.

In the end, they too were just mortals.

As the first rays of morning sunlight fell, the market became even livelier. Steaming hot steamed buns, rich and fragrant soy milk, snow-white tofu pudding, and savory mutton vermicelli.

Wang Yu, who had forgotten when he last ate, suddenly felt a surge of appetite.

He rubbed his Seaheart Ring and searched through his countless treasures for quite a while, but still couldn’t find ordinary silver or gold coins. He felt a moment of regret.

It was not embarrassing to say it out loud.

A dignified Demon Lord who couldn’t even afford a mortal meal. This precisely showed that Wang Yu held extremely strong moral principles toward mortals. Why add frost to snow on people who were already struggling?

On the other hand, if it was a shop run by cultivators.

Even if he ate a few bites, he wouldn’t bankrupt them, right?

Just as Wang Yu was about to turn and leave, a clear and crisp voice suddenly rang out.

“Hey, I see you’re dressed quite decently. How come you don’t have money for breakfast? I’ll treat you!”

Wang Yu turned his head.

Among the flowing crowd stood a girl wearing an azure-pink cloud-patterned thousand-water skirt, with her hair in a cross-hanging cloud bun. Her features were gorgeous, and her eyes were clear and bright, leaving a deep impression at first glance.

If this face belonged to a top courtesan, it would definitely stun everyone.

But on an unmarried young girl, it gave off a somewhat improper, seductive feeling. Wang Yu immediately showed a curious gaze.

“Treat me? Really?”

“Of course.”

Two maidservants with delicate features followed the girl. Wang Yu could sense their spiritual energy. They were likely mid-stage Foundation Establishment martial maids.

She was probably at least the daughter of a wealthy Core Formation family.

Since he had just arrived, although he was here to recuperate in seclusion, Wang Yu would not mistreat himself. He also had no social anxiety.

Let's Eat then!

“First, one bowl of mutton vermicelli. Three beef pancakes from over there. Tofu pudding — sweet, salty, and spicy versions, one of each. Ten meat-filled steamed buns, and that glutinous rice chicken… this red date cake… and that one…”

The girl looked somewhat displeased. It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it, but the other party seemed to be treating her like a generous pig to slaughter. It was too much.

She immediately walked up to Wang Yu and poked his arm with her finger.

“Hey, you’re as skinny as a bamboo pole. Are you sure you can finish ordering so much?”

“Just tasting. If you made me eat this every day, I couldn’t do it.”

Soon after, the food was served one after another.

The small square table on the street was completely covered. Wang Yu ate with both hands, devouring the steamed buns like a starving ghost. His speed was astonishing.

Unbeknownst to her, he was reminiscing about the meals he had as a spirit slave.

The steamed buns of Water Cloud Immortal Capital… were not as good as those from Cold Blood Peak.

Then.

When eating the other foods, his speed slowed down considerably. It was clear he was genuinely tasting them. However, after a few bites, Wang Yu furrowed his brows.

His senses were too sharp. He could feel all the “defects” in the food in his mouth. If he truly wanted to satisfy his appetite, he would still need proper spiritual food.

This time, however, he was experiencing the smoke and fire of the mortal world. In no time at all, he had eaten everything clean.

The girl watched with wide eyes.

“You eat so much, yet you’re so skinny. How do you do it?”

“Constitution issue. Miss, do you have something to do?”

“No… nothing.”

“Then I’ll take my leave. Thank you for the treat.”

Seeing Wang Yu about to leave, she quickly asked.

“What is your name?”

“Since we met by chance, there’s no need to dwell on names. If we are fated, I’ll tell you next time.”

With that, Wang Yu’s white-robed figure, pure as snow, disappeared into the crowd.

The two martial maids beside her spoke with some resentment:

“Miss, that person is so arrogant.”

“Exactly. Why treat him to food? We still haven’t done the things at the shop.”

The girl furrowed her delicate brows.

“You two don’t understand. This person’s temperament is completely out of place with the people of Water Cloud. He must be from out of town, and very likely a cultivator.”

“What does it matter if he’s a cultivator? There are over a million cultivators in Water Cloud.”

“Our Dou Family isn’t weak either. We have more than ten Core Formation cultivators.”

“Aiya, forget it. I’m not talking to you two anymore.”

…

…

“West Mountain Dou Clan?”

In the crowd, Wang Yu fell into thought.

He had not expected to run into the main family so quickly. Could it be that he and the Dou Clan were fated? As for what he had told Yin Gui about slaughtering the Dou Clan to vent his anger, that was merely a joke.

It could not be taken seriously. The other party had mostly wanted him to pay respects at the ancestral tomb on his behalf. Yin Gui naturally had parents and relatives, so he indeed should take a look.

Of course, Wang Yu’s main priority was recuperating from his injuries.

After all, Water Cloud Immortal Capital was a righteous-path city. As a demonic cultivator with an extremely shady background, it was not wise to casually expose his power. Moreover, he now needed a large amount of time to digest the resources he had accumulated during this period.

While pondering, Wang Yu first exchanged some low-rank spirit stones for mortal currency. He then walked into a custom clothing shop, preparing to purchase some ordinary garments for disguise.

When the shopkeeper heard that Wang Yu wanted full sets of clothes, and not just one set, he shook his head repeatedly, saying Wang Yu was completely unrealistic.

The delivery time would not be that fast. It would take at least seven days.

Wang Yu said nothing. He took out a lump of gold. The shopkeeper immediately shook his head again, admitting he was the one who was unrealistic. The clothes could be ready before nightfall.

He spent the entire afternoon looking for a house with a broker. Finally, at the edge of the Outer City, he found a decent two-courtyard small residence. It was adjacent to the Slum District, and the security conditions were average.

If a major incident occurred, the protective formation of Water Cloud Immortal Capital would not reach this area either. This was a disadvantage for ordinary citizens or cultivators.

For Wang Yu, however, it was a rare advantage.

It was perfect for him to escape at any time and convenient for leaving the city to do certain things.

After disguising himself as a mortal, Wang Yu moved in that same day.

Considering that there were extremely many cultivators in Water Cloud Immortal Capital and most of them likely had the habit of digging underground meditation rooms, Wang Yu did not dig one. Instead, he set up a feng shui mystic formation in one of the side rooms.

The main focus was to conceal his aura and demonic essence fluctuations. After all, his cultivation did not rely on the external environment. He could slowly advance his demonic essence growth using the Idle Slots.

His energy was first directed toward comprehending divine abilities and secret arts.

The Zhoutian Stars Arrow Condensation Art, Thunder Fire Heavenly Pivot Secret Art, and Return-to-the-Void Concealing Heaven Incantation.

These three divine abilities and secret arts could be quickly mastered and had advantages in cultivation. The others, such as the Dragon Emperor Fist, Ice Prison Demonic Seal, and Immortal Spiritual Body, all required a large amount of time to comprehend.

Spending time on those techniques would not be worth it.

The Prajna Heart Sutra was also moved to the front of Wang Yu’s cultivation plan. His mind realm had been stuck at the “Third Realm: Flawless Realm” for a very long time.

After fusing the killing intent he had accumulated over many years, his Asura Dao intent was currently at the small accomplishment stage. To reach perfection, a mere seven Idle Slots would not be enough.

He could only arrange them according to priority.

The three fundamental technique slots could not be changed. The Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Art and Ancient Soul Art occupied two slots. The remaining two empty slots were first used to satisfy the needs of his secret arts.

Wang Yu directly placed the Return-to-the-Void Concealing Heaven Incantation and the Lock of Heaven.

He began comprehending two Void Dao arts at the same time.

This day marked the 18th year and 2nd month of Wang Yu’s life as an ancestor. It was quite surprising that he had left the Blood Reversal Sect in less than twenty years after becoming an ancestor.

Before entering seclusion, his demonic essence amount was twelve thousand two hundred drops.

At this cultivation speed, it would take around sixty-five years to advance to the fifth layer of Nascent Soul. This speed was already considered fast compared to other Nascent Souls who often took centuries to break through.

Moreover, he still had many Nascent Souls in reserve.

He could refine them into Longevity Blood Nascent Pills using fourth-rank human pill techniques at any time. Swallowing Nascent Souls for cultivation was a thorough demonic path practice.

He had to be extremely careful when doing this in Water Cloud Immortal Capital.

As long as he did not interact with the external spiritual energy, hiding his existence was still very easy.

After cultivating like this for several days, Wang Yu recited the Prajna Heart Sutra daily, trying his best to eliminate the influence of the Heaven-Refining concept and weaken the demonic flames proportionally.

Although his condition was recovering slowly, it was steadily progressing.

He also unexpectedly discovered one benefit.

His physical body being locked in a constant struggle with the demonic flames actually put it in a unique state of continuous destruction and recovery. The effect was similar to when he used fiendish qi to refine his body in the Burial Pit secret realm back then.

The only thing he needed to watch out for was excess.

Once his physical body fully recovered in the future, Wang Yu would need to supplement a large amount of life essence. Otherwise, there would be a risk of shortened lifespan.

The Body-refining effect of the Heaven-Refining Demonic Flames was merely an unexpected bonus.

It was better to resolve it as soon as possible.

On this day.

Several thugs dressed in a sloppy and arrogant manner knocked on the door of Wang Yu, the new homeowner. Wang Yu, who was in seclusion in the meditation room, sensed these people with clear intentions before they even spoke.

He instantly understood the reason.

“I showed off my wealth when buying the house…”

He shook his head and laughed. When one’s cultivation realm was high, it was easy to overlook such things. Those yellow and white objects meant nothing in his eyes, but to mortals they were a huge fortune.

“It seems my mindset also needs to adjust at the right time. Otherwise, hiding in the city would become a joke.”

Moments later.

Two jujube trees appeared in the small courtyard. Wang Yu unusually did not use the Ice Chi Pill Flame. Instead, he personally patted the soil firm and muttered to himself.

“I hope next year you can bear fruit sweet enough~”

The small days passed one by one.

Since Wang Yu’s cultivation did not require sitting in meditation and he could practice the Prajna Heart Sutra anytime and anywhere, and since he had nothing better to do, in order to better integrate into life, Wang Yu specially rented another shop nearby.

He started a wine business. He casually pulled some thatch from outside the city, infused it with some low-rank spirit stones or ordinary spirit pills, and it became excellent wine.

It also had the effect of strengthening the body. Even though he sold it at a rather high price, business was extremely good. He quickly gained many regular customers. In just three months, he earned several nicknames on this street.

Boss Wang, Wang the Pole, Wine Brother… and so on.

Occasionally, people who came looking for trouble also appeared. The two increasingly lush jujube trees in his courtyard proved the fate of those people.

A bit of mortal flesh and blood, he would even find it lacking in spiritual energy to feed to zombies.

Over time, the reputation that Boss Wang had a cultivator backing him also spread. After all, those missing local thugs and ruffians could not possibly have been dealt with by an ordinary skinny bamboo pole.

He must have a powerful backer!

Three years later.

Wang’s Herbal Wine Shop.

Wang Yu, now sporting a beard and with a much sturdier build, no longer looked like a frail willow that would fall in the wind. His handsome appearance and considerable wealth attracted quite a few matchmakers to his door.

No parents, no family, yet possessing vast wealth.

Wasn’t he the perfect catch?

Wang Yu politely refused them all. He was here to recuperate in seclusion, not truly entering the mortal world. By now, the wine shop already had two assistants helping to sell and bottle the wine for customers.

Wang Yu lay on a large wooden chair, holding a small pot of wine in his hands, basking in the warm spring sunlight, leisurely enjoying life.