Wasted Spiritual Root to Embark on Demonic Cultivation Chapter 3

At the peak where nine giant mountains twisted and collided, there was a blood pool, from which a nine-thousand-foot-tall waterfall of blood poured down onto a formation array, completely filling the hollowed-out engravings. At the center of the array stood a violet-red palace.

It was magnificently grand. At the base of the nine peaks lay a vast expanse of open ground filled with ancient-style buildings. Almost none of them were built with ordinary bluestone or timber.

The ground was paved with golden bricks, walls white as snow, decorated with dragons and phoenixes, everything looked exquisitely refined. It was nothing like the gloomy and terrifying image Wang Yu had imagined.

Even the City Lord’s Manor of Stone Lake City would just be an ordinary building here.

Only the streaks of escape light across the sky matched Wang Yu’s preconceived notions, if not for the roiling black mist and the overwhelming blood light.

The flying magical artifacts came in many strange forms, skull heads, spinal bone swords, ghost corpse clouds, paper servants carrying sedan chairs, coffin caskets, and more. A large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators moved back and forth in the sky.

Qi Refining cultivators had much simpler methods. Most of them flew using a piece of black cloth, which seemed to be a standard-issue artifact distributed by the Blood Reversal Sect.

Wang Yu’s heart burned with excitement. As long as he could gain access to cultivation techniques, so what if it was demonic cultivation? He had no prejudice toward power—whether righteous or evil, as long as it was useful, it made no difference to him.

Since the demonic cultivators had bribed the garrison cultivators at Black Mountain Pass, he believed they wouldn’t kill them outright. At the very least, they would be made to generate some value.

“Brother Xu, you’re finally back. Only a hundred people this time?”

Hearing this, the leader in black finally removed his hood, revealing a deeply wrinkled old face.

“No choice. The spiritual vein in Stone Lake City is too poor. Naturally, fewer cultivable seeds are born. If it were in Qianqiu City, there would be at least five hundred Spirit Slaves.”

“Count them. Take them all down.”

Spirit Slaves?

Before he could hear more, Wang Yu’s cart was pulled in front of a cluster of stone houses. After their shackles were removed, they were let out.

A plump, round-bellied middle-aged man spoke with a sinister tone.

“My surname is Duan. You may call me Steward Duan.

“From today onward, you are Spirit Slaves of the Blood Reversal Sect. Until you pay off your ‘purchase debt,’ you are not allowed to take a single step outside.

“If your performance is good, it's not impossible to shed your Spirit Slave status and become an outer disciple of the Blood Reversal Sect. Work hard.”

After delivering this speech without explaining anything else, Steward Duan left. This group of mortals who hadn’t even stepped into cultivation had no ability to resist.

Wang Yu was assigned to stone house number eighty-three.

The room was furnished with a bed, table, chairs, and stools—everything was complete. There was even a small lavatory compartment. The bedding and square pillow were made from fine brocade, not inferior to the Wang family’s standard of living.

Though the windows and doors could be opened, they were lined with iron bars. One could only stretch out a hand, just like in a prison.

Not long after, a disciple of the Blood Reversal Sect walked past, tossing a cloth sack about the size of a basketball into each stone house along the way. When he reached house eighty-three, he handed Wang Yu the same sack without saying a word.

Opening the bag, the first things he saw were food and a water pouch. Twenty steamed buns were still faintly warm. Having not eaten all day, Wang Yu was famished and devoured five in one go.

The filling was both meat and vegetable—savory and rich in flavor. Each bun had thin skin and plenty of filling, even better than the pastries made by chefs in Stone Lake City.

This level of treatment made Wang Yu develop greater hope toward the status of Spirit Slave. After all, these were cultivators—even if they were demonic cultivators, they weren’t the bloodthirsty monsters described in novels and tales. Stereotypes were best discarded.

As long as one is human, there will be desire. Demonic cultivators, to put it bluntly, are simply cultivators who walk extreme paths and shortcuts. Their desires are even stronger, and their pursuit of material pleasure is more pronounced than those of the righteous path. They feel no shame in expressing it.

Even the treatment of Spirit Slaves is better than that of most commoners in the mortal world.

Besides today's meal, there were also two books, one thin and one thick.

The thinner book recorded a large amount of common knowledge about the cultivation world, explaining the rules here and the tasks Spirit Slaves are expected to perform.

It also listed each person's “redemption price,” and upon reaching this target, one could be promoted to an outer sect disciple of the Blood Reversal Sect.

Wang Yu carefully studied each rule and firmly committed them to memory.

First were the rules of the Stone Hut District.

One: From the hour of Mao to Si (5 AM to 9 AM), two hours daily, twenty Qi Refining cultivators are assigned to answer questions.

Whether it's doubts about cultivation or illiteracy, they can be addressed. This is also the only time each day Spirit Slaves are allowed to leave the stone huts.

Two: After breaking through to the first level of Qi Refining, Spirit Slaves must sacrifice their own cultivation and condense one or two taels of Spirit Sand every month, to be handed over to any steward in the Stone Hut District.

This is the true value of people like Wang Yu.

Spirit Stones are the essence of heaven and earth, naturally formed through the condensation of spiritual energy at spiritual veins. The higher the grade of the spiritual vein, the more likely it is to produce a Spirit Stone mine.

They are divided into four grades: low, middle, high, and peak-grade. Spirit Stones are the most widely circulated currency in the cultivation world, but due to heavy consumption, natural production from mines is far from sufficient.

Thus, the role of Spirit Slaves came into existence.

If a cultivator is willing to harm their own cultivation, they too can "handcraft" Spirit Stones—essentially printing money themselves.

Early-stage Qi Refining cultivators can only produce Spirit Sand. Each tael of Spirit Sand is worth the same as one low-grade Spirit Stone.

The spiritual energy contained in Spirit Sand, while extremely pure for Qi Refining cultivators, appears mixed and impure to Foundation Establishment cultivators. Therefore, the higher the cultivation level, the more valuable Spirit Stones become.

Three: Once a Spirit Slave repays 100 low-grade Spirit Stones as their "redemption price," they can apply at the steward’s office to become an outer sect disciple of the Blood Reversal Sect.

Naturally, the Spirit Stones mentioned here refer to low-grade ones.

Based on the value of one tael of Spirit Sand equaling one Spirit Stone, the most ideal scenario would require 100 months to repay—over 8 years. Adding the time spent on study and breakthroughs, it would take at least 10 years.

“Only at 26 years old will I finish paying it off…”

Closing the booklet filled with cultivation world knowledge, Wang Yu took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Although the living conditions were not bad, when it came to matters involving Spirit Stones and wealth, he didn’t believe the Blood Reversal Sect would be so kind. In theory, ten years—realistically, it could take twenty.

As for the thicker book, it was a Qi Refining technique manual provided by the Blood Reversal Sect, generously offering all nine layers, enough to cultivate to the peak of Qi Refining.

It gave every Spirit Slave a false sense of comfort—as if they were truly valued.

The thing he desired most was right before his eyes. Wang Yu gave up all unrealistic fantasies. This was the stronghold of the Blood Reversal Sect, their main mountain gate. Even though the Stone Hut District was remote, there were many cultivators stationed here.

The odds of escape were almost zero. The only path to survival was to follow the sect’s rules and become an outer sect disciple. Only then was there a chance at freedom.

Even if it was just a distant reward, one had to work and push forward for it—there was no other way.