Chapter 2: Reverse Spirit Blood Clan

"Robbery? This price is already quite generous," retorted the Lord of Shihu City.

"So what if they have waste spiritual roots? Just give them a quick-mastering demonic cultivation method, exploit them for twenty years, and they'll generate at least a thousand spirit stones in value. If you can't afford it, don't buy it; plenty of demonic sects are eager to."

Upon hearing this, the black-robed man suddenly revealed a fawning smile. "City Lord, please don't be so hasty. It's our first transaction; you should at least let me gauge the bottom price. How about this: five spirit stones for waste spiritual roots, and forty for mixed spiritual roots. I'll take as many as Shihu City has. What do you say?"

The Lord of Shihu City hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, but your Reverse Spirit Blood Sect must sell me one Reverse Blood Pill."

"That can be arranged. If the City Lord can afford the price, I'll bring it next time."

"What is the price?"

"Five thousand spirit stones."

"Let's conclude this deal after next year's spiritual root assessment."

The Lord of Shihu City was a cultivator at the perfected Qi Condensation stage. If Shihu City hadn't possessed only a first-tier, low-grade spiritual vein, it wouldn't have been his turn to serve as City Lord. Qi Condensation cultivators typically lived for 150 years. He was already over ninety years old; if he attempted Foundation Establishment after reaching a hundred, there would be almost no hope of breaking through.

Qi Condensation cultivators seeking to reach the Foundation Establishment stage required a Foundation Establishment Pill. The highest-grade Foundation Establishment Pills cost over ten thousand spirit stones and were virtually impossible for someone like him to acquire, being extremely rare on the market. The Reverse Blood Pill was also a type of Foundation Establishment Pill, though of a lower grade, offering significantly less assistance—at most increasing the chance of success by 20%. Failure, however, would result in immediate death and the dissipation of one's cultivation. He still wanted to give it one more try. Of course, cultivators could attempt to break through without a Foundation Establishment Pill, but successful cases were exceedingly rare. Over time, those with the means would invariably procure a Foundation Establishment Pill to aid their breakthrough.

After the two reached an agreement, over a dozen Qi Condensation cultivators from the City Lord's mansion swarmed out, apprehending all the candidates from that day's spiritual root assessment who met the trade conditions.

The wheels rolled over the muddy, uneven ground, causing the prison cart to shake violently. It nearly overturned when it hit a stone. The gaps in the iron bars were so narrow that only fingers could fit through.

The sounds of cicadas, croaking frogs, and chirping insects and kingfishers filled the air. Wang Yu awoke from his coma, vaguely remembering that after leaving the Wang family, he was stopped at the city gate. A black shadow blew a breath at him, and then he fell unconscious.

"This—"

Wang Wu? No, the spiritual root assessment hadn't even concluded. How could he possibly command cultivators from the Spirit Vulture Sect? Looking around in the moonlight, Wang Yu realized that several of the people around him had participated in the assessment earlier that day – those with waste spiritual roots and mixed spiritual roots were all here. There were ten prison carts in total, holding over a hundred people, all feeling weak and listless, as if they had been drugged.

He was very familiar with the external scenery; it was none other than the Stone Lake, the namesake of Shihu City. It was a popular spot for the city's noble families to enjoy leisurely outings.

The procession of prison carts was linked by iron chains. At the very front, a black-robed man led the way, pulling the carts with a scaled, horned demonic horse.

Upon reaching the lakeside, a distinctive whistle — three long blasts followed by one short — pierced the air. In a blink, over a dozen black-robed figures leaped from the water, instantly surrounding the prison carts.

Some people, who had woken up like Wang Yu, spoke with trembling voices, showing clear signs of fear. "Who are you? This is the Spirit Vulture Sect's territory; abducting cultivators is illegal!"

"Hahahaha, idiots."

"You've fallen into the hands of my Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, and you still try to threaten us with the Spirit Vulture Sect? You're truly foolish."

Wang Yu's heart stirred. As far as he knew, the Spirit Vulture Sect was located within the Taihu Spiritual Domain, an area with a highly developed water system, vast fertile lands, and a population of billions of mortals. The entire Taihu Spiritual Domain was orthodox territory, governed by various sects, with regions demarcated around spiritual veins. The demonic path, conversely, resided in an adjacent region known as the Scarlet Kite Demonic Domain. While the name sounded somewhat sinister, it was, in fact, a beautiful place with mountains, rivers, and continuous fertile lands. Further beyond that, he couldn't learn from books.

The Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, by its very name, was clearly a demonic sect. Who knew what they intended to do with this abducted group? Surely not to take them as disciples. Unworthy! He understood this perfectly: even demonic sects wouldn't bother cultivating individuals with waste spiritual roots.

No one spoke anymore. After these black-robed demonic cultivators gathered, they all released their flying artifacts. Large pieces of black cloth, empowered by spiritual energy, rapidly expanded, lifting all the prison carts into the air. The sudden change startled many, each like a frightened rabbit, huddling together and trembling.

This was the Taihu Spiritual Domain, a place teeming with orthodox cultivators. Flying so conspicuously through the sky was akin to a drop of dark ink on white paper. The two domains were separated by numerous frontier passes and perilous lands, forming a barrier that was difficult for most cultivators to cross. A direct flight like this was absolutely impossible.

The Spirit Vulture Sect was located on the eastern edge of the Taihu Spiritual Domain, right next to the Scarlet Kite Demonic Domain. The closest frontier pass was Black Mountain Pass. To its left lay the perilous Withered Leaf Swamp. And to its right, the demonic territory of the Black Mountain Demon Forest. The cultivators stationed at Black Mountain Pass hailed from various orthodox sects throughout the eastern Taihu region, with the Spirit Vulture Sect being merely one of the lesser known among them. Also present were numerous first-rate powers: the Thunderfire Monastery, the Azure Cloud Sect, and the Moon-Gazing Palace—three formidable sects each possessing Nascent Soul True Monarchs. Moreover, Core Formation True Persons were permanently stationed within the frontier pass.

However, the prisoners witnessed an utterly horrifying scene: the leading black-robed figure among these Reverse Spirit Blood Sect demonic cultivators possessed only a ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivation. After being stopped by a Foundation Establishment cultivator from Black Mountain Pass, he calmly displayed a token and offered a bag of spirit stones. All the stationed personnel seemed to avert their gaze. They just let them pass! Let them pass! Passed!

No matter how the terrified prisoners cried and screamed, there was no reaction. Wang Yu's heart grew heavy, overcome by a chilling sense of impending doom, like the wind sighing over the Yi River. For the past sixteen years, while not entirely smooth sailing, he had often experienced moments of joy. Now, having been abducted to the Scarlet Kite Demonic Domain, he had no idea what his fate would be. He could only pray he wasn't destined to become a blood sacrifice for some malevolent entity.

After leaving Black Mountain Pass and fully entering the Scarlet Kite Demonic Domain, everyone fell silent, their hearts profoundly heavy, with nothing left to say. The demonic cultivators escorting them distributed three large flatbreads and a bag of water daily, ensuring they wouldn't starve. As for relieving themselves, they were supervised during stops when the cultivators rested to recover their spiritual energy. They were never allowed out of sight. A few individuals who attempted to escape mid-journey had their legs broken and were thrown back into the prison cart, unable to get down again. They were forced to relieve themselves inside the carts. Witnessing this, Wang Yu reluctantly abandoned his own desperate thoughts of escape. They continued flying like this for a full month.

They had arrived at the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect!

Wang Yu had never heard of this sect's name, but just by looking at the sheer scale of its mountain gate, his heart already sank. Nine colossal mountains, like gnarled old trees, twisted and rose endlessly, piercing the clouds. Large spaces separated each mountain, connected by plank roads, iron chains, and cloud bridges. Pavilions, waterside structures, towers, and palaces were artfully distributed across various parts of the twisted peaks. The center of the nine peaks was hollow, with a gigantic, ritualistic apparatus suspended within.