Chapter 138: Cultivating Influence

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“Binding Spirit Shackles? A ‘nature’ artifact imposed upon the Earth and Heaven Will of the Di Kong cultivator? How do you come to possess such a thing?”

The mysterious man was momentarily taken aback, only now realizing what he was carrying.

“You’re a sixth-level Law Gatherer cultivator—how could you have something so precious that even Foundation Establishment cultivators find hard to obtain?”

The mysterious man’s surprise and anger were evident.

“Heh heh, you have your destiny, I have my fortune. The facts stand as they are; what’s the point of further discussion? Don’t wait until I fully activate the Binding Spirit Shackles, or you’ll truly have no choice left, fellow Daoist.”

Elder Yu steadily closed the distance. Though his pace was not swift, it exerted immense psychological pressure on the mysterious man.

“Wait!”

The mysterious man’s pupils flickered; he took a step back and said, “Fellow Daoist Yu, do you not care about the lives of the two young masters? They are your only family. They have been infected by my Yin Nether Qi; if not cured immediately, they will rot and turn to pus within moments. If you release me, I swear I will immediately detoxify them. How about that?”

“Them? Hah, just two scoundrels—how could they compare to a supreme Nether Spirit Grass? Moreover, the Yin Nether Qi isn’t as difficult to dispel as you imagine. Once I deal with you, I’m sure I’ll find a way. But if you hand over the supreme Nether Spirit Grass, then perhaps we could negotiate.”

Elder Yu didn’t even blink at this threat; using family as leverage was a weak tactic against an old hand like him.

“I truly don’t have the supreme Nether Spirit Grass. How do you expect me to return it if I don’t possess it?”

The mysterious man grew anxious, about to explain when his expression suddenly twisted wildly. He shouted, “Old ghost Yu, you’re cheating! This isn’t a Binding Spirit Shackle at all—it’s Soul-Extracting Silk.”

Though not as famous as the Binding Spirit Shackles, Soul-Extracting Silk was feared throughout the cultivation world. It resembled the Shackles in appearance but had entirely different effects.

It was not especially powerful; if the ensnared could break free quickly, the silk's effect was little stronger than ordinary hemp rope. But if entangled for too long, the silk would infiltrate the victim’s mind, directly linking to their sea of consciousness. Any damage to the silk would cause the victim unbearable pain.

Thus, Soul-Extracting Silk was commonly used for trapping or interrogating enemies. Its grade varied depending on materials and crafting techniques—ranging from low-grade to top-grade, even including supreme-grade versions.

However, it only affected cultivators below Foundation Establishment. Once a cultivator reached that level, their body connected with Heaven and Earth, and their spirit could briefly merge with the cosmos, easily shaking off the silk’s control.

At this moment, the silk had already penetrated the mysterious man’s consciousness, explaining his earlier reaction.

“Recognizing it now isn’t too late? If I truly had Binding Spirit Shackles, would I be wasting time chatting with you? I’d have subdued you already.”

Elder Yu sneered. All his words were merely to buy time, leading the other to believe they were ensnared by the Shackles. Now that the Soul-Extracting Silk had sufficient time to act, the mysterious man’s fate was sealed.

Without hesitation, Elder Yu unleashed the iron ruler. Countless shadowy images whirled around him, forming a long river that seemed slow but struck the mysterious man with great speed.

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“Damn you! Don’t think I’m truly afraid of you.”

The mysterious man roared. Suddenly, a massive jade plaque materialized around him. It was intricately carved with countless flowers, birds, fish, and insects. The moment it left his body, it radiated myriad beams of light.

Within each beam, countless figures either worshiped in reverence or watched silently.

Elder Yu’s full-strength strike collided with these lights, only producing faint black ripples before being entirely dissipated. The endless iron ruler shadows met the myriad beams repeatedly; each time a shadow passed, it was absorbed by a beam, whose countless figures dispersed the attack’s power, nullifying its effect.

“Monument of the Myriad People! You’re not a cultivator—you’re a Force Practitioner?”

Elder Yu frowned, activating his Divine Heart Technique. The Soul-Extracting Silk suspended around the mysterious man responded immediately. The mysterious man bent like a shrimp, screaming in agony. The light from the jade plaque suddenly dimmed, revealing a small gap.

Elder Yu swiftly channeled his energy, directing the iron ruler into that opening.

The countless iron ruler shadows struck the mysterious man, but after impact, it was as if they hit an illusion. The man dissipated like a wisp of smoke.

“Yin Spirit Force Gathering Technique?! You’re Geng Yulou! So that’s who this fellow Daoist is! The ruler of the Nether Spirit Kingdom—I never expected you to dare provoke me. Aren’t you afraid of retaliation from the Wu Ling Sect?”

Elder Yu tugged again on the Soul-Extracting Silk. Suddenly, the mysterious man reappeared in a nearby space, his face pale and trembling violently in pain.

“Well done, Geng Yulou. In just a century, you’ve managed to gather forces in the small Nether Spirit Kingdom to this extent, even mastering the Yin Spirit Illusion Dispelling Technique. I truly can’t help but admire you. I suppose you’re close to breaking through to the seventh level of Force Gathering? No wonder you coveted the supreme Nether Spirit Grass—to push even further.”

The black mist on the mysterious man’s face dispersed, revealing a pale middle-aged man. Perhaps due to years in power, even standing still, he exuded a majestic aura.

“Father!?”

Beside, Madame Yu stood frozen, unable to comprehend what she was witnessing. She never imagined that her father would be here, much less that he was a cultivator.

“Father?”

Elder Yu sneered, a faint smile curling his lips as he looked at the sweat-drenched middle-aged man. “Madam, that’s not your father. If anything, he should be your great-grandfather! The ruler of the Nether Spirit Kingdom has changed many times over these years, but it’s always been him alone. A king mastering the path of Force is far more complex than you imagine.”

The middle-aged man ignored Elder Yu’s mockery. He steadied his spirit, disturbed by the binding silk, and conjured a black long sword. The sword emitted a humming sound, surrounded by eerie figures—the other force weapon he had refined over a century: the King’s Sword!

With a wave of his hand, the sword rose and unleashed countless sword lights, like a rain of light attacking Elder Yu. Each sword rain was accompanied by countless illusions.

When the sword lights reached Elder Yu’s iron ruler shadows, the illusions swiftly pounced, scattering the shadows and allowing the sword lights to strike directly.

With several loud bangs, three or four of Elder Yu’s protective talismans were torn apart.

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Only when the sword lights reached the golden glow covering Elder Yu’s body did the small bell above his head begin to rotate, finally condensing that golden light to deflect the sword rain.

“King’s Sword? I really can’t underestimate you. If you had gone all out from the start, I wouldn’t stand a chance. But now, you’ve lost that opportunity!”

Elder Yu abruptly retreated a step. His face twisted wildly as he flicked his arm, summoning several more colorful defensive talismans.

Realizing his true cultivation was insufficient, Elder Yu no longer wished to toy with his opponent. He simultaneously activated the Soul-Extracting Silk and wielded the black iron ruler with full might.

Although Geng Yulou’s actual cultivation surpassed Elder Yu’s and his two force weapons were formidable, the Soul-Extracting Silk had already invaded his consciousness. Much of his energy was spent resisting it, preventing him from fully exerting his strength. Under Elder Yu’s relentless assault, he was forced steadily backward.

After fifteen minutes, knowing escape was impossible, Geng Yulou suddenly erupted with overwhelming murderous energy. Using the Monument of the Myriad People and King’s Sword, he restrained Elder Yu’s protective bell and attacking iron ruler. Then, with a full-body lunge, he completely embraced Elder Yu.

“You...”

Elder Yu’s face contorted in terror. Auras of profound mystery burst from him, struggling to shake off the clingy Geng Yulou, who was like sticky taffy, but it was too late.

“Let’s die together!”

Madness filled Geng Yulou’s pale face. Countless beastly shadows surged from behind him, leaping onto his body as he ballooned outward, completely enveloping Elder Yu.

A deafening explosion followed, destroying half of the modest-sized island. At its center was a deep, gaping pit nearly dozens of feet deep.

“Father!?”

Nearby, Geng Yuhu, ignoring the falling debris, suddenly snapped back to reality and rushed toward the pit.

But a streak of black light flashed, and Geng Yuhu was instantly crushed into a bloody pulp.

Shortly after, Elder Yu, pale and shimmering with fluctuating spiritual light, slowly crawled out of the pit.

The golden bell that once hovered above his head had vanished—whether it was severely damaged or withdrawn was unclear. The black iron ruler by his side dimmed, obediently floating near him with no more shadows released, seemingly greatly weakened.

Moreover, Elder Yu’s once-neat robes were now tattered and ragged, resembling those of a beggar. Even the white skin on his backside was exposed, bearing several bloodstained scratches.