Inverse Spirit Blood Sect

"Rob? That price is already more than fair."

The Stone Lake City Lord retorted.

"So what if they have Useless Spiritual Roots? Toss them some quick-and-dirty demonic cultivation art, squeeze them dry for Twenty Years, and the value they create will amount to at least a thousand Spirit Stones. If you can't afford them, don't buy them. Plenty of demonic sects want them."

At this, the Black Robe Figure suddenly revealed a fawning smile.

"Don't be hasty, City Lord. It's our first transaction; surely you should let me feel out the bottom price first.

"How about this? Five Spirit Stones for Useless Spiritual Roots, forty Spirit Stones for Mixed Spiritual Roots. However many Stone Lake City has, I'll take them all. What do you say?"

The Stone Lake City Lord hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Fine, but sell me one Inverse Blood Pill from your Inverse Spirit Blood Sect."

"Easy enough. If the City Lord can pay the price, I'll bring one next time."

"How much?"

"Five thousand Spirit Stones."

"We'll trade again during next year's spirit testing."

The Stone Lake City Lord was a Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator. If Stone Lake City had not possessed only a first-rank low-grade Spirit Vein, it would not have been his turn to serve as City Lord. Qi Refining Stage cultivators lived One Hundred Fifty years.

He was already over ninety. If he waited until after a hundred to seek Foundation Establishment, he would have virtually no hope of breaking through.

For a Qi Refining Cultivator to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, they needed the aid of a Foundation Establishment Pill. The finest Foundation Establishment Pills sold for more than ten thousand Spirit Stones; they were priceless and unavailable, and almost never fell into the hands of someone like him.

The Inverse Blood Pill was also a type of Foundation Establishment Pill, though of relatively low grade and offering far less help. At most, it could increase the odds by twenty percent. Once one failed, the result was death and the dissipation of one's Dao.

He still wanted to make one last gamble.

Of course, even without a Foundation Establishment Pill, cultivators could attempt to break through on their own. But successful cases were few and far between, so over time, anyone with the means would obtain a Foundation Establishment spiritual pill to assist them.

After the two reached an agreement, the dozen or so Qi Refining Cultivators from the City Lord's Mansion poured out in full force, capturing every seedling who had met the transaction's conditions during today's spirit testing.

Night.

The wheels rolled over muddy, uneven ground, making the prison carts jolt violently. Whenever they went over stones, they nearly tipped over. The gaps between the cast-iron bars were so narrow that only fingers could be stretched through.

To the chirping of cicadas and croaking of frogs, to the chatter of insects and kingfishers.

Wang Yu awoke from his unconsciousness. He vaguely remembered that after leaving the Wang Clan, he had been stopped at the city gate. A black shadow had blown a breath at him, and then he had passed out.

"This—"

Wang Wu? No, the spirit testing had not even ended yet. How could he possibly command cultivators from the Vulture Peak Sect?

Looking around, Wang Yu discovered beneath the moonlight that several people beside him had also taken part in the spirit testing during the day. Those with Useless Spiritual Roots and Mixed Spiritual Roots were all here.

There were ten prison carts in total, holding more than a hundred captives. Their limbs were weak and powerless, as though they had been drugged with some kind of sleeping powder.

He was very familiar with the scenery outside. It was precisely the origin of Stone Lake City's name—Stone Lake.

A fine destination where the city's clans and nobles often came to enjoy spring outings.

The prison carts were linked together by iron chains. At the very front stood a Black Robe Figure, using a demon horse with scaled horns to pull the carts.

When they reached the lakeside, a peculiar whistle sounded—three long notes and one short. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen Black Robe Figures leaped out from beneath the water and instantly surrounded the prison carts.

Some people who had awakened like Wang Yu spoke in trembling voices, their fear unmistakable.

"Who are you people? This is Vulture Peak Sect territory! Abducting cultivation seedlings is against the law!"

"Ha ha ha ha, idiot."

"Now that you've fallen into the hands of our Inverse Spirit Blood Sect, you still dare use the Vulture Peak Sect to threaten us? Stupid beyond measure."

Something stirred in Wang Yu's heart. As far as he knew, the Vulture Peak Sect was located within the [Great Lake Spirit Domain]. Its waterways were abundant, its fertile lands plentiful, and its mortal population numbered in the tens of billions.

The entire [Great Lake Spirit Domain] was Righteous Dao territory, ruled by sects, with their domains planned around Spirit Veins.

The Demonic Path, meanwhile, lay in the neighboring region, known as the [Red Kite Demon Domain]. It sounded somewhat sinister, but in truth, it too was a fine land of mountains and waters, with fertile soil stretching on without end.

Beyond that, it was no longer something he could learn merely from books.

Just from its name, the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect was clearly a Demonic Path sect. Heaven knew what they intended to do after abducting this batch of people. They certainly had not captured them to make them disciples.

Two words—unworthy!

Even demonic sects would not cultivate cultivators with Useless Spiritual Roots. He saw this point very clearly.

No one spoke again. Once the black-robed demonic cultivators had gathered, they released Flying Magical Artifacts one after another. Sheets of black cloth rapidly expanded under the reinforcement of spiritual power, lifting all the prison carts into the air.

The sudden change made many people cry out in fright. Like startled rabbits, they curled into balls and trembled.

This was the Great Lake Spirit Domain, with Righteous Dao Cultivators everywhere. Flying through the sky so ostentatiously was no different from a drop of thick ink falling onto white paper.

The two domains were separated by numerous border passes and perilous regions, forming an isolation belt that vast numbers of cultivators could not cross. Flying straight through like this was absolutely impossible.

The Vulture Peak Sect lay on the eastern edge of the Great Lake Spirit Domain, right beside the Red Kite Demon Domain. The nearest border pass was named—[Black Mountain Pass].

To the left lay the perilous region, Withered Leaf Swamp.

To the right lay a demon land—the Black Mountain Demon Forest.

The cultivators responsible for guarding Black Mountain Pass came from various righteous sects in eastern Tai Lake. The Vulture Peak Sect was merely the most inconspicuous among them.

There were also many First-rate Forces—the Thunder Fire Temple, Azure Cloud Sect, and Moon Gazing Palace, three formidable sects with Nascent Soul True Lords.

Core Formation True Persons were stationed at the border year-round as well.

Yet the prisoners witnessed an utterly horrifying scene: the leader of this group of demonic cultivators from the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect was merely at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

After being stopped by the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Black Mountain Pass, he smilingly produced a token, then offered up a bag of Spirit Stones. Everyone stationed there acted as though they could see nothing.

They simply let them through!

They let them through!

Through!

No matter how the Little White Rabbits wept and screamed, there was no response whatsoever. Wang Yu's heart sank heavily, and he felt as though the wind sighed bleakly while the Yi River ran cold.

The past sixteen years had not exactly been smooth sailing, but he had often been in good spirits. Now that he had been abducted to the Red Kite Demon Domain, he had no idea what fate awaited him. He could only pray that he would not become stored blood-food for some evil thing.

Once they left Black Mountain Pass and fully entered the Red Kite Demon Domain, everyone fell silent, their hearts heavy, with nothing left to say.

The demonic cultivators escorting them handed out three flatbreads and a bag of water each day, ensuring they would not starve to death. Whenever they stopped to recover spiritual power, they were watched as they relieved themselves.

They were not allowed to leave their guards' line of sight. Several people tried to escape along the way, only to have their legs broken and be thrown into the prison cart, never to get down again.

They could only relieve themselves in the cart. Seeing this, Wang Yu helplessly abandoned his own little thoughts of escape. They flew on like this for an entire month.

The Inverse Spirit Blood Sect had arrived!

Wang Yu had never heard of this sect, but merely seeing the scale of its Mountain Gate made his heart go cold. Nine enormous mountains sprawled like the roots of ancient trees, endlessly winding and rising straight into the heavens.

Vast spaces separated each mountain, connected by plank paths, iron chains, and cloud bridges. Pavilions, waterside terraces, towers, and halls were scattered in orderly layers across every part of the twisted peaks.

The center of the Nine Peaks was hollow, where something resembling a gigantic ritual array floated.