Chapter 483

No matter how the outside world changed, he remained unmoved.

Wang Yu’s life in seclusion within the demon race territory was extremely disciplined. Either he refined pills, comprehended Dao intent, or cultivated divine abilities and secret arts, filling his schedule completely.

Occasionally, he would visit Kuangmei Mountain to catch up with Ice Soul Fairy.

After the first unsuccessful attempt at dual cultivation, the second time did not go smoothly either. But on his third visit, when he spoke a little more forcefully, she finally agreed.

This realization enlightened Wang Yu.

It turned out she did not truly refuse; she was simply too proud and unwilling to lose face as a great cultivator senior. That was why she had been so reserved and restrained—not because she genuinely did not want it.

As long as Wang Yu showed a greedy and overbearing attitude.

Ice Soul Fairy would half-heartedly comply. Clearly, she had gained considerable benefits from the dual cultivation process and had become somewhat addicted.

Their relationship grew increasingly intimate.

In the blink of an eye.

Three years passed. Not long after Wang Yu had refined his second Blood Nascent Pill, with his total demonic essence accumulating to 70,300 drops—still in the process of stabilizing his Qi sea—a piece of trouble quietly arrived at his door.

An old acquaintance from the Heavenly Roc Clan, Peng Qing, spoke rapidly:

“Pill Master Wang, this time the visitors are from the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect. They specifically named you and wish to meet you in person.”

Wang Yu’s heart skipped a beat, and his brows immediately furrowed.

“The Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect has sent people to find me directly?”

His offense against Crimson Heaven was known throughout the world.

As long as the Five-Colors Holy Lord wanted to make use of his pill-refining skills, he would find ways to protect him. He would not expose him to such risks, nor would he publicly announce his location.

From this perspective, the greatest suspect was the envoy from the Azure Cloud Sect several years ago—Soul Spirit Origin Lord.

“So… they realized the Azure Cloud Sect could no longer suppress the Northern Demons, and simply chose to leak the information, letting the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect apply pressure? To vent their anger? Or to take revenge…”

Such thoughts flashed through his mind, but Wang Yu quickly felt something was off.

In truth, as long as one was clever enough, combining the incident of the ambush on the Azure Cloud Sect’s support team, there were only a few possible hiding places for Wang Yu.

Deducting his location was perfectly reasonable.

What truly puzzled him was the Five-Colors Holy Lord’s attitude. It was genuinely strange.

“No need to say more. Let’s go meet this envoy together.”

“This—”

Peng Qing was stunned, then continued to earnestly persuade:

“The Holy Lord has gone on a long journey. The Heavenly Roc King went with him. Currently, only the Nine Great Demon Kings remain in the Northern Demon territory. The Great King instructed me to keep an eye on you and absolutely not let you act rashly.”

“Oh? Did the Five-Colors Holy Lord leave any message for you to pass on?”

“This… yes, he did. He said to follow your instructions.”

“That’s enough. Let’s go.”

Hearing this reply, Wang Yu relaxed considerably.

He knew the Five-Colors Holy Lord was no simple character—an old schemer with deep cunning. But when they were on the same side, such an ally was truly reassuring.

He still trusted the Five-Colors Holy Lord’s judgment.

With no other choice, Peng Qing led Wang Yu toward the reception hall in the front palace. The so-called envoy from the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect turned out to be someone Wang Yu had “long admired”—a familiar face.

He had even met him after the full emergence of the Eastern Extreme Capital ruins: a late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator—Blood Pill Master!

One of the pinnacles of human pill techniques.

He had mastered the fifth-rank human pill technique passed down by the Wuji Demon Venerable. He had extremely wide connections in the demonic path. It could be said that very few Nascent Soul cultivators who had reached the late stage in the Crimson Kite had never tasted Blood Pill Master’s handiwork.

“So it is Senior Blood Pill Master. Long time no see, truly an honor.”

Wang Yu greeted him politely and courteously. He did not treat the entire Heaven-Refining Demon Sect as enemies just because of his conflict with Crimson Heaven.

Blood Pill Master’s features showed clear signs of old age, covered in many age spots.

His gray-white hair hung loosely. He had no eyebrows and no pupils. He wore a faceless robe refined from countless human faces. His entire body exuded a thick, bloody aura.

Just looking at him was enough to inspire fear.

He was a true demonic fiend whose hands had been stained with endless blood. His first half of life could be compared to a horror story. After meeting Wang Yu, he unexpectedly sniffed the air.

“The scent of Blood Nascent Pills… You ambushed the Azure Cloud Sect’s team to take their Nascent Souls? Tsk tsk, truly a natural demonic cultivator.

“Your human pill technique is cultivated quite well. Are you interested in exchanging insights with this old man?”

Blood Pill Master did not mention the purpose of his visit. Instead, he wanted to discuss alchemy.

This proposal was completely unexpected. Meanwhile, Wang Yu was still trying to figure out whether there was any hidden implication in his words. Dealing with these old monsters, especially a powerful enemy—required constant vigilance.

“Exchanging insights can wait. Since Senior Blood Pill Master has come on behalf of the Heaven-Refining Demon Sect, why not speak plainly… What does Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable wish to say to this junior?”

“Smart.”

Blood Pill Master sized him up, pacing a few steps in place before saying,

“Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable prepared two sets of explanations for this lord. Now it seems you do indeed have some skill, to be protected so thoroughly by the Northern Demon Race. Is it because of your alchemy technique?”

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. His divine sense also detected something.

His mindset relaxed considerably.

Thunder Qilin King and Fire Crow King had arrived. They did not barge in to eavesdrop directly, but deliberately revealed their auras from a distance, away from the hall where the two were talking.

Their intention could not be more obvious.

To serve as deterrence! To intimidate Blood Pill Master and make him dare not act rashly.

“My alchemy skills are still somewhat presentable, not limited to human pill techniques alone. If Senior Blood Pill Master is willing to exchange your fifth-rank human pill technique, anything can be discussed.”

Blood Pill Master immediately burst into laughter.

He had not even proposed such an unequal trade yet, but the other party’s probing tactics using borrowed power were already incredibly proficient.

He stopped beating around the bush.

“To be honest with you, the message you had the Blood Reversal Sect deliver was taken very seriously by Lord Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable. Both the Northern Suppression Tower and the Ice Race are hidden dangers in this war.

“And with the methods of our Demonic sect, we have already learned that in a few days, an elite team from the Northern Suppression Tower will arrive at Ice River Pass to assist the Blazing Sun Sect and Azure Cloud Sect in completely driving you all out.

“Lord Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable personally promises: If you can ambush and annihilate this Northern Suppression Tower support team the same way you ambushed the Azure Cloud Sect cultivators, then the grudge between you and him will be wiped clean.”

Only now did Wang Yu understand what they were truly after.

Agree? Impossible!

Leaving aside whether Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable had any credibility, he had thoroughly offended him in Eastern Extreme Capital. If not for the sudden descent of the Heaven-Refining Demon Venerable, Crimson Heaven would truly have faced the risk of falling.

A threat to life and limb—how could it be forgiven so easily?

This did not match Crimson Heaven’s character at all.

Secondly, without a second Heavenly Yin Water Pool’s spatial domain to completely separate the enemy’s powerhouses, forget replicating the ambush on the Azure Cloud Sect.

Even doing it again, he had no guarantee of victory.

The combined might of cultivators could not be underestimated. One could talk big and call the enemy rotten oranges or stinking eggs, but in one’s heart, they had to take them seriously.

Thirdly, they had given him absolutely no information about the Northern Suppression Tower team—not numbers, not strength, not special techniques or secret arts, not their route, not their trump cards. Yet they expected him to risk his life for some vague promise. Utter nonsense.

For all these reasons, Wang Yu had no intention of agreeing at all.

There must be an even deeper conspiracy behind this.

“To speak frankly, this kind of empty pie-in-the-sky tactic—I encountered it in my very first year of cultivation. Crimson Heaven shows zero sincerity.

“If there is nothing else, please allow Daoist Blood Pill Master to return.”

Blood Pill Master was stunned and said in shock,

“Are you insane? This is a step offered personally by Lord Demon Venerable, and you’re not even willing to try? Do you truly want to become an enemy of a Venerable?”

Whether enemy or not was irrelevant.

The main issue was that even if this task were entrusted to Wang Yu, he saw no sincerity whatsoever. Thus, he sneered coldly.

“How many people? How many powerhouses? What divine abilities and secret arts do they specialize in? What route will they take? What trump cards do they have? You give zero information and call this sincerity?

“Are you treating me like a reckless fool, luring me to my death? You truly underestimate me.”

Blood Pill Master was immediately speechless.

To be fair, when he accepted Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable’s commission to come negotiate with the Northern Demon Race, he had not thought too deeply about it.

After all, according to “normal person” thinking, when a Demon Venerable personally offers you a way out, all you have to do is take one step and the grudge is resolved. No more hiding and sneaking around.

Who could refuse?

But in Wang Yu’s eyes, this was no step at all—it was clearly a deliberate murder trap! The “step” was only surface-level; beneath it lay an abyss ten thousand zhang deep.

Crimson Heaven was far from as magnanimous as he appeared. His greed and malice had been on full display in Eastern Extreme Capital. How could Wang Yu be swayed by a few words from Blood Pill Master?

Just as their conversation reached a deadlock and showed signs of breaking up unhappily, a streak of five-colored escape light suddenly appeared on the horizon.

It flashed into the hall in an instant.

“Holy Lord.”

After greeting him, Wang Yu naturally positioned himself slightly behind and to the side of the Five-Colors Holy Lord—a clear show of borrowing power. This left Blood Pill Master somewhat powerless. He could only bow and say, “Blood Pill Child greets Five-Colors Holy Lord.”

“Daoist need not stand on ceremony. Please, take a seat.”

The conversation entered its second phase. After the Five-Colors Holy Lord understood the situation, he spoke.

“Why don’t the two of you listen to this Holy Lord’s proposal… how about it?”

This face naturally had to be given.

Wang Yu nodded: “Holy Lord, please speak freely.”

Blood Pill Master felt the same.

The Holy Lord said, “The difficulty of ambushing the Northern Suppression Tower’s team is far too high. With the Azure Cloud Sect’s precedent, from a tactical perspective, it can be done once but not repeated.

“And the core demand of Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable is actually to take Ice River Pass, cooperating with the Crimson Kite main force in the south to completely devour the Azure Cloud Sect and catch the Sword Sect off guard.”

Blood Pill Master thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.

He nodded: “What does Holy Lord mean?”

“Our Northern Demon Race has received considerable help from Daoist Profound Pill. Why not let him and our Northern Demon powerhouses take full responsibility for completely capturing Ice River Pass, allowing the demonic path cultivators to advance unimpeded?”

The moment these words were spoken, Wang Yu immediately understood the Five-Colors Holy Lord’s true intention: using himself as an excuse to openly intervene in the war!

Previously.

Their cooperation with the Azure Cloud Sect had been limited to auxiliary support, providing the Fire Crow Clan’s True Flame Demonic Fire to resist the cold tide disaster.

This time, they wanted to become the main force.

The implications were completely different. As the main force, they would naturally claim a share of the spoils, but this would break the unspoken tacit agreement between the Sword Sect and the Demon Sect:

To keep the demon race suppressed within the Severed Boundary Mountain Range!

Seeing Blood Pill Master fall into deep thought, unsure if he had noticed the issue—Wang Yu deliberately displayed very strong resistance, providing an assist.

“This is inappropriate. This is my personal matter. How can I let the Northern Demon Race’s powerhouses pay the price for it? It is not worth it, Holy Lord!

“Let them attack Ice River Pass themselves. The Heaven-Refining Demon Sect has deep foundations; sending another Nascent Soul team would be easy. There is no need for such compromise.”

Wang Yu framed the Holy Lord’s proposal as a compromise.

This gave Blood Pill Master the feeling of gaining free military strength—why not use it? Moreover, after capturing Ice River Pass, the Five-Colors Holy Lord had already stated it would be made available for demonic path use.

Ensuring this strategic objective would perfectly fulfill Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable’s core demand. He immediately felt the urge to agree.

Blood Pill Master in this state was not stupid.

He simply lacked the higher perspective to see the bigger picture of the world’s grand trends, nor did he view this as a conflict between races.

He only thought about pleasing Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable and completing the entrusted task. For a subordinate, this mindset was perfectly normal—so it could not be called wrong.

Meanwhile, Wang Yu had long ago come into contact with the truth of the Ice Prison Realm.

He preferred to think from the perspective of grand trends, moving from the surface to the details, then considering countermeasures. It was simply a difference in thinking patterns.

After long hesitation, Blood Pill Master finally agreed.

“Then as Holy Lord says. The demonic sect side will await good news from the Northern Demon Race.”

The Five-Colors Holy Lord also showed a gentle, spring-breeze-like smile.

“Of course.”

After sending the envoy off, the Five-Colors Holy Lord turned to Wang Yu and said: “You have the potential to become a chess player, while someone like Blood Pill Master—no matter how capable, remains nothing more than a usable chess piece.”

“Holy Lord flatters me. This one is merely an ordinary cultivator. How could I be called a chess player?”

The Holy Lord shook his head.

“Excessive humility is not always a virtue. Sometimes it resembles showing off.”

Hearing this, Wang Yu gave an awkward laugh.

He fell silent.

Then he heard the Five-Colors Holy Lord continue: “As for the arrangement to attack Ice River Pass, Daoist Profound Pill need not contribute. Leave it entirely to the Northern Demon Race.

“After this is over, Crimson Heaven will publicly forgive your previous offense. In this way, Daoist can safely return to your sect, and your reputation will soar!

“However, it may be a trap. Given Crimson Heaven’s personality, he might very well lie in wait outside the Blood Reversal Sect’s mountain gate. You must be extremely careful not to expose your travel route.”

Demonic cultivators—no matter what realm they reached.

Going back on their word was the norm. Otherwise, Wang Yu’s old title of “honest and reliable little gentleman” would not have spread so far and wide.

Precisely because such people were rare, Wang Yu’s reputation made him the first choice for many collaborations.

It also helped him complete his first major accumulation of resources after leaving the three clans. Otherwise, how could the four clans of Cold Blood Peak have trusted him so readily to refine pills?

Reputation really mattered. It always brought many subtle, hidden benefits.

Of course.

It also had downsides. Wang Yu had not yet experienced them fully—largely because he always acted alone.

Ten days later.

A war that swept across Ice Plains Prefecture officially began!