Regarding the Idle Slots, Wang Yu temporarily left slots five, six, and seven empty. The Human Pill Art and Blood Pill Art were both third-rank pill path inheritances.

To place them to completion required forty years.

However, by artificially filtering them and controlling the profundity of their contents to the second-rank level, only three years were needed. Wang Yu still placed considerable importance on these inheritances.

After all, if he wanted to perfectly make use of the five Heavenly Demons, they were indispensable, so this could only be done slowly.

At most ten years would be enough to raise them to a usable level.

Moreover.

Even if they were only at first-rank or second-rank, he could still make use of them. The number of Golden Cores in Wang Yu’s possession was absurdly large. Dozens or even close to a hundred were available.

They were all excellent main ingredients. It was very possible that methods to increase mana would ultimately have to rely on the Human Pill Art.

In the following days.

The Cold Chi Alchemy Art was also placed into an Idle Slot by Wang Yu. Divine abilities related to combat strength were put on hold for the time being, with priority given to improving technical skills.

More than half a month later.

The Cold Blood Peak elders’ meeting was convened as scheduled.

Naturally, it was for the matter of the Blood Pool Baptism. According to convention, the baptism site was located near the nine thousand foot Blood Abyss behind the Blood Demon Hall, using a portion of blood dao essence power drawn from it as a catalyst.

This was supplemented by blood beast crystal cores hunted by cultivators, forming blood pools of varying sizes. How much benefit one could obtain depended entirely on how many crystal cores one could contribute.

The purpose of convening the meeting was actually to discuss the upper limit.

After all, this was not the first time entering the Blood Abyss Sacred Land. Members of these family factions and master disciple factions had accumulated a considerable number of blood beast crystal cores.

Some were from the previous trial, some from the one before that, and even earlier ones.

Accumulated over time, the number of crystal cores reached an astronomical figure. Therefore, discussing the upper limit of the Blood Pool Baptism was extremely important. It was impossible to drain the power of the nine thousand foot Blood Abyss dry.

That was the treasured resource of the sect ancestors. Being able to share even a trace of it was already quite good.

Cold Blood Peak, Elders Hall.

Seated within the highest seat of authority of the peak, Wang Yu once again saw the Grand Elder and the others. This time, the Cold Blood Mountain Lord and the Heavenly Frost Demon Lord were also present.

The appearance of the latter exceeded Wang Yu’s expectations somewhat.

This was a being so gaunt as to be almost skin and bones, over two meters tall. When he walked in, he looked like an evil ghost crawling out of the underworld.

The exposed parts of his body were covered in blue demonic patterns.

His eyes were like ice crystals, with pupils resembling white dots. Even an unintentional exchange of glances could make one feel a chill down the spine. It was extremely unsettling.

As soon as the Heavenly Frost Demon Lord entered, his gaze naturally fell on Wang Yu. When he walked to Wang Yu’s side, he deliberately stopped.

His voice was hoarse, as if carrying endless cold.

Yet the words he spoke were thought provoking.

“Seventh Elder, you are quite good.

“I think the pill cooperation with the Ji family can increase the quantity a bit more. Otherwise, how can the hierarchy among the four Cold Blood clans be distinguished. What do you think?”

These words sounded like a discussion, but they carried a meaning that left little room for refusal.

At a critical moment of deliberation in the Elders Hall, whether Wang Yu yielded to softness, force, or neither carried significant implications. It would determine whether his position as Seventh Elder would truly live up to its name in the future.

Especially with the Cold Blood Mountain Lord present, how he responded required caution.

Wang Yu was not experiencing the domineering nature of Nascent Soul cultivators for the first time. From the Elder Xuan Yan he encountered years ago in the Thunderfall Abyss, to the Heavenly Frost Demon Lord before him now.

They almost always spoke in a tone that brooked no doubt.

The posture of those in power was fully displayed.

As these thoughts passed through his mind.

Wang Yu spoke swiftly.

“Since the Demon Lord has spoken, Wang Yu is naturally willing to deepen cooperation with the Ji family, but…”

Midway through his sentence, Wang Yu changed his tone.

“But I still have a commission from Senior Blood Eyed Demonic Flood Dragon on hand. I estimate it will take more than ten years to deal with it before I can accept more alchemy commissions.”

Stating his position while bringing up the back mountain was also one of his habitual negotiation tactics.

Even if there was dissatisfaction, nothing could really be said. One could not very well make a great cultivator go line up behind others. The principle of first come first served still had to be observed.

Seeing the Heavenly Frost Demon Lord suffer a setback, the Cold Blood Mountain Lord felt much more at ease. Since Wang Yu was not joining either side, there was even less reason for him to be anxious.

“Heavenly Frost, let us start the meeting first. These private matters can be discussed later.”

“Hmph.”

The meeting table was rectangular. The two Nascent Soul cultivators sat at opposite ends, while Wang Yu and the other twelve elders sat along the sides. He was mixed in among the elders of the Zuoqiu clan and paid no attention to the gazes of others.

The Grand Elder took the initiative to speak.

“Regarding the Blood Pool Baptism, the Blood Demon Hall has scheduled it for seven days later. According to the ranking of the nine peaks, the upper limit set for Cold Blood Peak can only be below Blood Nether Peak and Heavenly Corpse Peak.

“Blood Nether Peak has set its limit at ten thousand blood beast crystal cores per person, with no restriction on grade.

“Heavenly Corpse Peak has set its limit at nine thousand blood beast crystal cores per person.

“By this logic, by the time it reaches Evil God Peak, only an upper limit of two thousand remains. Should we raise ours a bit, or lower it further.”

This meeting actually seemed unnecessary.

However, Cold Blood Peak ranked third internally, which had a significant impact on the peaks that followed. Setting the limit higher meant greater benefits for those behind them.

Setting it lower meant that the further back one went, the more severe the impact would be.

This was also an exchange of interests and a contest of power.

Thus.

Wang Yu watched as the eleven elders each performed their roles, beginning to contact the fourth ranked Evil Sword Peak using transmission jade talismans. A war of words immediately erupted.

For every additional increase of one hundred crystal cores in the limit, benefits had to be squeezed out of Evil Sword Peak, perfectly matching his stereotypical impression of a demonic sect.

As a newcomer, he did not know many people from the other peaks.

Those in high positions were nonexistent.

He sat there doing nothing for a full hour. After the other elders finished their discussion, they once again activated their transmission jade talismans and began arguing with the fifth ranked Gu Poison Peak.

Judging by this posture, they intended to extort every peak behind them.

However.

Such influence always favored the one directly ahead the most. The further back it went, the fewer interest resources Cold Blood Peak could extract.

There were still so many mountain peaks in between.

There would definitely be dissatisfied parties who wanted to shift their losses onto the next in line. The elders councils of the various peaks were not fools either, so the peak that could extract the greatest benefits from was Evil Sword Peak. In the end, the unluckiest one that suffered the heaviest losses was still Evil God Peak.

No wonder it grew weaker and weaker as time went on. This was only one of the exploitation methods Wang Yu had personally witnessed. There were even more that he had never seen.

This year, Xie Xie'an had offended everyone again.

He would probably have to bleed money until he vomited blood just to preserve the quality of the Blood Pool Baptism. Of course, Evil God Peak could also choose mutual destruction. It all depended on whether they could grasp the proper limit.

While the others were busy arguing verbally, Wang Yu leaned lazily against a tall chair. Occasionally, members of the Zuoqiu clan elders council would say a few words to him and ask for his opinion.

What could Wang Yu do.

Agree, agree, agree, and be done with it.

It took a full day and night to roughly settle the discussion of the various peaks offerings. Only then did the Grand Elder say to the Mountain Lord and Heavenly Frost Demon Lord.

“Our peak will set the upper limit at eight thousand nine hundred ninety nine.

“What do the two of you think.”

“Agreed.”

Clearly, what Evil Sword Peak offered was worth that price.

The meeting ended.

Wang Yu exchanged brief greetings with everyone and then withdrew. This kind of meeting was truly a waste of his time. Seeing it once was more than enough.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the Blood Pool Baptism arrived as scheduled.

Behind the Blood Demon Hall.

A blood pool nine thousand feet high cascaded down from the sky, forming a pure blood lake on the ground. This was the first time he had observed the Nine Palaces Demonic Star Ascension Formation from such close range.

It drew in the demonic star power descending from the celestial constellations.

This power condensed into meteor like spheres, only about the size of chicken eggs. Yet the pure demonic Qi contained within was enough to make one feel alarmed. This was an indispensable cultivation resource for demonic Nascent Soul cultivators.

Aside from the moment of forming the Nascent Soul, when demonic cultivators required origin demonic Qi corresponding to their cultivation method to merge with their spiritual power and give birth to a further refined and higher quality form known as demonic essence, strengthening demonic essence itself did not require specific types of demonic Qi.

Demonic Qi was a form of energy produced by the influence of ancient demons, causing a kind of assimilation within the spiritual workings of heaven and earth. Because the sealing grounds of various ancient demons were scattered throughout this world, the air itself actually contained faint traces of demonic Qi. It was simply far too thin to satisfy the daily cultivation needs of demonic Nascent Soul cultivators.

Thus, most of them set up Heaven and Earth Demonic Essence Formations within their cave abodes.

These star cores formed from condensed demonic star power were considered one of the universal resources among demonic Nascent Soul cultivators, with value comparable to supreme grade spirit stones.

As for the catalyst used in the Blood Pool Baptism, it actually consumed star cores to trigger the latent blood dao power within blood beast crystal cores, ultimately forming a baptism opportunity.

Only Core Formation cultivators could withstand it. Anyone weaker risked demonic corruption and loss of sanity.

When the people from the nine peaks had all arrived.

The total number was only slightly over three hundred. Xie Xie'an, Zhuo Shouyun, Ding Ming, Yan Ling, Wei Hao, and others were all present, forming a vast crowd gathered beneath the waterfall.

Those who were familiar with one another naturally formed small circles to converse.

From afar, Wang Yu exchanged a glance with Zhuo Shouyun.

There was no sword drawn tension. The other party even nodded and smiled at him in a friendly manner, which left Wang Yu somewhat puzzled.

With how much Fu Xiao had helped Zhuo Shouyun, would he really not help Fu Xiao cause trouble for him. No matter how one thought about it, that seemed impossible.

Could it be that his status as the Seventh Elder had already begun to take effect.

After thinking it over.

With too little information, he could not infer the true reason.

However.

After the Blood Pool Baptism, Zhuo Shouyun would definitely return to the Ghost Fang Zhuo clan. Zhuo Shouqing and Zhuo Yuanshen did not know what they were plotting, but he would certainly return to bring this matter to a true conclusion.

According to the final command of the Ancestor Liezu of the Zhuo clan.

One side had to die for it to end. This was something no one could avoid.

He withdrew his gaze.

More than three hundred people stood there for nearly half an hour before someone descended from the Blood Demon Hall. This person wore full body golden red armor that completely wrapped even the head.

A blood red cloak billowed behind him in the wind.

An overwhelming pressure belonging to a late stage Nascent Soul great cultivator radiated outward. The expressions of everyone present changed, and the vast majority immediately dropped to their knees.

They made a complete spectacle of themselves, but fortunately the pressure was released and withdrawn.

It lasted only a brief instant, yet the effect was remarkable. Everyone fell silent and looked toward that domineering figure.

“I am the Grand Commander of the Blood God Guards.

“Now, all of you stand according to the ranking of the nine peaks. Do not stand together with people from other peaks.”

The deterrent effect was obvious. More than three hundred people instantly became obedient.

The Blood God Guards were an elite force held by the Blood Demon Hall, or rather a military force directly controlled by the Sect Master, and they were the strongest unit of the Blood Reversal Sect.

They had played crucial roles many times during the war between righteous and demonic factions.

The exact number is unknown.

However, it is rumored that they can easily annihilate one of the Nine Peaks. They are an important bargaining chip for the sect master to maintain his rule, and also the sharpest sword in his hand.

They are generally deployed only for major gains, or at moments of life and death. They cultivate year round within the internal secret realm of the Blood Demon Hall, and rarely go out.

At present, this information was not important.

As everyone lined up in formation, the Grand Commander of the Blood God Guards waved his hand, and empty pools opened both in the sky and on the ground, divided into nine directions.

Each peak had its own separate pool, arranged from large to small.

An empty pool also appeared in front of Wang Yu. This one was meant for his baptism.

“Now, put in all the blood beast crystal cores you have prepared.”

The crystal cores he had accumulated in the Blood Abyss numbered far more than several tens of thousands.

With an upper limit imposed, he could only take out the highest grade ones possible, such as a fourth-rank Blood Scorpion King crystal core, along with a large number of peak third-rank crystal cores.

Eight thousand nine hundred ninety nine pieces. Even Wang Yu could only fill part of the pool. The remaining gap could only be filled with ordinary third-rank crystal cores.

Even so, he was not the most exaggerated.

The members of the Blood Pavilion from Blood Nether Peak almost each had a fourth-rank blood beast crystal core. The leader even took out three, drawing astonished looks from everyone.

“Damn rich bastard.”

He cursed inwardly. He was certain these came from the families backing them. With background support, one really could act without restraint. Fortunately, his own situation was not bad either.

After everyone finished putting in their blood beast crystal cores.

The Grand Commander of the Blood God Guards drew a demonic star core from the blood lake, and strands of energy like drifting stellar ribbons flowed into the pools in all directions.

The power of the blood path surged violently, filling the pools in the blink of an eye.

“Enter.”

At the instant he jumped into the blood pool, Wang Yu felt an extremely domineering force surge into his body. The Ice Soul Holy Demon Scripture and the Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Art began to circulate madly on their own.

The power contained in the blood pool baptism continuously scoured his body, strengthening his flesh, muscles, bones, and meridians.

Even more profound was that surge of life force.

It could repair hidden injuries within a cultivator’s body, nourish life essence, and restore lifespan lost through abnormal consumption. This could not help but remind Wang Yu of the profundities of the Blood Pill Art.

Both were applications of blood path power.

The blood pool baptism was clearly more advanced. It penetrated every minutiae corner of the limbs and bones, helping the baptised individual mend flaws.

It even strengthened bodily potential, forcibly raising Wang Yu’s already limit reached peak third-rank physique by another step. This was a foundation level increase.

It absolutely counted as a rare great opportunity.

It might not compare to a dragon vein baptism, but the difference was not large.

In addition to this.

His mana also received great benefits. His cultivation advanced rapidly, with wisps of mana constantly being generated every moment, increasing his cultivation.

His mind immersed itself completely within, entirely forgetting the passage of time.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

When he awoke from the blood pool baptism, Wang Yu immediately sensed that his mana had increased by nearly eight hundred strands, equivalent to decades of bitter cultivation.

The upper limit of his physical strength had increased by thirty percent.

This meant that he could continue improving, rather than being unable to enhance his physique without breaking through to Body Refining fourth rank.

This was a good thing.

As for strengthened meridians, enhanced vitality, and other such details, they seemed far less eye catching.

“Truly worthy of being called an opportunity.”

After leaving the blood pool.

Wang Yu discovered that most people had already regained consciousness and left. Only those fellows from the Blood Pavilion were still undergoing baptism, clearly because the energy of their blood pools had not yet been exhausted.

Without lingering, he directly returned to his cave dwelling.

He still had many things to do.