C554 Spider City!

Inside the cauldron, Yu Yuan sat as still as a pine, his skin aglow with a supernatural light that danced like electricity.

A speck of blood light flared suddenly within the Dantian acupoint in his chest.

With a hiss, strands of blood as fine as hair shot out from his Dantian, piercing the body of the Fifth Level Moon Swallowing Ape.

The once formidable Moon Swallowing Ape, already dead from the soul-shattering cold and towering over Yu Yuan, began to wither at a visibly rapid pace as the blood threads penetrated its flesh.

Through these threads, the pure essence of the ape's blood was siphoned away.

Within the small world of Qi and blood inside Yu Yuan, a blood-red altar pulsed with a luminous glow. Deep within the translucent, glistening blood crystals, flecks of light twinkled like stars.

These glimmers were the purified essence of the Moon Swallowing Ape's blood and Qi, refined by the altar of blood sacrifice.

Hours passed.

The once towering and formidable Moon Swallowing Ape had withered to a husk, resembling a wolf starved for years. Shrunken to a fraction of its size, it was utterly devoid of vitality.

Without its vital blood and Qi essence, the demonic beast would have decayed rapidly if not contained within the cauldron.

With eyes tightly shut, Yu Yuan let out a growl, channeling the tumultuous energy from the Evil Cauldron to scour his meridians and organs, intent on obliterating his physical form in short order.

Invisible to the eye, blood vessels within the depths of his flesh and organs ruptured, and bones showed hairline fractures.

"Heh!"

It was then that he began to draw upon the essence of the Moon Swallowing Ape's blood from the Blood Sacrificial Altar within his own microcosm of blood.

Specks of deep crimson light, like stars from a distant red galaxy, burst forth and surged into his limbs and body. The regenerative power within them fortified his bones, retempered his meridians, and bolstered his flesh.

Thus, he simultaneously wielded the destructive energy of the Evil Cauldron to ravage his form, while the essence harvested from the Blood Sacrificial Altar rapidly mended and nurtured his wounds, leaving his flesh and organs more resilient and robust than ever.

Two days later.

Yu Yuan emerged from the dark cauldron with a triumphant roar, feeling invigorated and brimming with vitality. His blood pulsed through the veins in his arms with the force of a mighty river.

"Congratulations, Young Master!"

Qin Yun, clad in the garb of an old scholar, beamed as he offered his felicitations.

His own cultivation at the late Yin God Stage allowed him to discern the subtle shifts within the Evil Cauldron with clarity.

"Shouldn't be long now before you reach the middle Profound Break Stage, right?" Qin Yun mused, his surprise evident. "The vigor of your blood far surpasses that of your peers. The Evil Sect's Body Refining Skill truly lives up to its reputation."

He attributed Yu Yuan's robust vitality to the Evil Body Refining Skill.

"Just three more beasts at the fifth level, akin to the Moon Swallowing Ape, and I should make the leap forward," Yu Yuan said with a smile, not bothering to clarify that the richness of his Qi and blood wasn't solely due to the Evil Body Refining Skill. Perhaps the true credit belonged to the Blood Sacrificial Altar hidden within his microcosm of Qi and blood.

"Old Cash, what brings you back here?"

He eyed the plump official, whose forced smile couldn't hide his distress, and inquired, "Once Yu Zhu returns, a simple greeting from me would legitimize your cultivation at the former site of the Absence Relic. Why not head there earlier? Reforging the Jade Tower at Yellow Mountain should be well within your means."

"Yellow Mountain has been claimed by another," Qin Yun interjected.

"Who?" Yu Yuan's brow furrowed.

"Liang Jingyin," Old Cash replied, his face etched with bitterness. "He's the master of that Su Che we encountered in the city, and we're evenly matched in cultivation, both in the late Soul Wandering Stage. Had my Jade Tower not been severely damaged in the Crack Archipelago, I might have stood a chance against him."

"But now..."

Old Cash heaved a deep sigh.

"A rogue cultivator, Liang Jingyin," Qin Yun added, familiar with the man's history. "Young Master, Liang Jingyin made a name for himself in the Absence Relic a century ago. When he learned that the Spirit Void Sect intended to construct a space teleportation array there, he sensed trouble and withdrew from the area ahead of time."

Liang Jingyin once wreaked havoc in the Desolate Swamp and ventured to the Quietus Continent. He even served the royal family in the Kingdom of Rewia for a time before vanishing without a trace.

To my surprise, with the resurgence of spiritual energy in the ruins, he's returned and forcefully claimed Yellow Mountain for himself.

Liang Jingyin is notoriously ruthless and a master of stealth and assassination. His prowess at the late Soul Wandering Stage is formidable indeed.

Qin Yun, formerly the leader of the Seven Divine Sect, regards him with a mix of fear and envy.

For a solitary cultivator to achieve what Liang Jingyin has is no small feat.

A step further, once he refines his Yang God, even as a solitary cultivator, Liang Jingyin could be welcomed by any of the three upper sects, the Demon Palace, or the Devil Palace as a guest elder.

This is a common path for rogue cultivators seeking status and recognition.

Becoming a guest elder in a major sect, despite certain constraints, means access to a generous supply of Spirit Stones, the opportunity to join the sect's elite in battles beyond their borders, hunting Heavenly Devils and Galaxy Alien Races, and gathering rare spiritual materials—all essential for continued advancement.

For a rogue cultivator to become a Yang God is a monumental achievement, a leap into the celestial ranks, and a step into orthodoxy.

"Liang Jingyin's bold return, openly seizing Yellow Mountain, suggests he has powerful backing, especially since he knows of the Jade Tower's destruction and your ties to Yu Zhu," Old Cash observed with keen insight. "There must be another source of confidence behind his audacity."

Qin Yun was taken aback. "What are you suggesting?"

"It's likely that he's struck a covert deal with a major sect, which promises him a guest elder position once he manifests his Yang God," Old Cash deduced. "The strength of this sect must be remarkable within the Absence Relic. If Liang Jingyin ascends to Yang God, all will be well, and the sect will surely honor him greatly."

"After giving it some thought, I suspect the Spirit Void Sect is backing Liang Jingyin."

"The Spirit Void Sect, with its unique space teleportation array in the Absence Relic, has ample confidence. They would naturally respect Master Yu Zhu and abide by the rules."

"But at the same time, Master Yu Zhu must also rely on the Spirit Void Sect in many respects."

Old Cash shared his insight.

"Spirit Void Sect!" Yu Yuan exclaimed.

"Young Master, Wong Jinlin was a direct disciple of Taoist Chongxiao," Qin Yun interjected, "and his death..."

"Both the Spirit Void Sect and the Cold Yin Sect have been quite conspicuous in the current relic lands," Yu Yuan huffed, "but I have a plan."

Subsequently, he wielded the Evil Cauldron, hunting Demonic Beasts near the mid-lake island to empower himself.

Simultaneously, he discreetly scattered the medicinal seeds he had acquired from the Babel Chamber of Commerce across the lush areas of the swamp and lake, tending to them in silence.

Then, one day.

While continuing his herb cultivation in the mountainous region south of the mid-lake island, he spotted three massive Roam Ships soaring under the sun towards him.

Adorned with the Babel Chamber of Commerce's banners, the three Roam Ships flew in formation, making their way to the burgeoning city.

The Roam Ship and Pirate Ship were both types of flying artifacts used by the Babel Chamber of Commerce for transporting spiritual materials. The Roam Ship, though smaller and with a more limited carrying capacity than the Pirate Ship, was paradoxically the more expensive of the two.

The activity of the three Roam Ships heading to the new city led Yu Yuan to realize something significant.

The Babel Chamber of Commerce was planning to establish a branch in that new city!

The space teleportation array could transport cultivators at the Profound Break Stage, but not all objects could be sent from Babel Island or the company's headquarters.

The forces of distortion and tearing during space transfer could reduce many rare herbs to dust.

Likewise, many precious metals and ores from beyond the skies could not be teleported through the array.

Hence, the existence of Roam Ships that sailed the seas and those that traversed the skies, enabling the company to deliver its spiritual materials to branches across the continent.

"Young Master, the new city has officially been named Spider City!"

Qin Yun rushed in, bringing the latest tidings, "Named after Miss Yu Zhu herself. Before the three Roam Ships set off for Spider City, the company has appointed Zhu Peining from Babel Island to oversee the construction of the new branch."

"A familiar face," Yu Yuan remarked in astonishment.

...