With the intel in hand, Fu Linglong had no more reason to stay. She gathered her sleeves and bid farewell to Wei Tu.
"Alchemist Wei, you've lived alone for quite some time. Why not find a suitable Dao companion to ease the loneliness of the cultivation path?"
At the entrance of the cave, Fu Linglong smiled faintly, leaving a hint with her words.
Compared to mortals, cultivators simply added the pursuit of the Dao to their desires. When it came to wealth, power, and lust, they were hardly different. Some were even more indulgent than mortals.
From the Mind-Reading technique, Fu Linglong's assessment of Wei Tu was: a little guarded, but secretly infatuated with her.
And with the fish in her pond, Fu Linglong naturally needed to give some bait to keep them swimming and to soothe her own mind.
"Wei Tu looks average. I wouldn't dare hope for the favor of a Daoist fairy like you."
Wei Tu replied casually.
"So that's the reason..."
Though Fu Linglong agreed inwardly, she feigned a touch of regret.
"But Alchemist Wei should give it a try. If it were me, encountering such a talented young alchemist—even if I wasn't fond of his looks—I might still be moved by him..."
With those words, she turned and walked off under the moonlight, leaving only her graceful figure behind.
She understood well the art of knowing when to stop.
But—
What she didn't see was that as soon as she left, a cold sneer appeared on Wei Tu's face, with not a trace of infatuation.
"This bald nun is really full of herself. She doesn't even realize she's been affected by Fellow Daoist Wei's Illusory Soul Incense... and actually thinks he's fallen for her."
A black-robed Bai Zhi appeared beside him, casting a contemptuous glance in Fu Linglong's direction.
From the moment Fu Linglong stepped into the cave, she had already been caught by Wei Tu's incense trap.
The incense came from a jade slip inheritance left behind by Yujisanren. It had no poison or scent. Its only effect was to amplify the desires in a cultivator's heart and create an illusory effect.
—The Illusory Soul Incense had been mixed with the pill fragrance.
So her so-called test, in the eyes of Wei Tu and Bai Zhi, was no different from a monkey act.
"This girl's Mind-Reading is quite powerful. If you hadn't passed me the Lotus Embrace Technique more than twenty years ago, I might not have been able to get out of this unscathed today."
Wei Tu shook his head, giving some credit to Fu Linglong's strength.
While the Fu siblings each had clear character flaws, that didn't mean they were easy to deal with. Without real strength, he'd have been in danger long ago.
They looked foolish before him now only because he had the upper hand. Against others, it might've been a completely different story.
Or rather, their so-called foolishness came from overconfidence in their own abilities.
The first time, the Yi Yun incident.
Wei Tu relied on his alchemy, talisman knowledge, and Bai Zhi's array skills to fake a ticket for the Ascending Cloud Flying Boat and deceive the Fu siblings.
The second time, he let Fu Dalu take the fall, provoking the Tianyi Jiao Clan, using him as a shield.
That wasn't something Wei Tu had planned in detail, but without Shengya Mountain's support and information, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
The third time—this current attempt by Fu Linglong.
From start to finish, it was only because of Wei Tu's strength that he pulled it off. That's what tricked her and kept her from suspecting him.
"This woman's Mind-Reading is that strong?"
Bai Zhi was surprised.
Back in the Great Void Realm, even when facing the Ghost Demon Lord Jiuchuan's Mind-Reading, Wei Tu hadn't made such a comment.
And Jiuchuan was a real Nascent Soul avatar.
"It's probably her physique."
Wei Tu thought for a moment and replied.
He recalled Gong Shulan in the Stone Demon Tower.
Her puppet wasn't ordinary.
Normally, a puppet could only use the physical power it had in life. That was already impressive.
But Gong Shulan's Nascent Soul puppet could use divine abilities from its previous life.
Wei Tu had suspected then that it was due to Gong Shulan's unique Ghost Spirit Body.
Now, Fu Linglong's Mind-Reading, in his view, likely worked the same way—amplified by her special body.
The same divine ability used by different people would produce very different effects.
Those with special physiques could draw out the full potential of techniques suited to them, while others could only manage eight or nine parts at best.
"Still, getting rid of Fu Linglong means the Fu siblings won't bother you again anytime soon."
Bai Zhi smiled.
A year and a half ago, Wei Tu had already reached the Major Accomplishment stage of third-rank body refinement. Only one step remained to reach the peak.
Had he stayed in the Kang Kingdom and cultivated the standard way, it would've taken at least a dozen years to get there.
But here in Liao Prefecture of the Xiao Kingdom—widely known as the number one body refinement region in the Great Cang Immortal Realm—
And with all the herbs the Fu siblings had provided—
Wei Tu had already hit the peak of the middle stage months ago.
"If I can reach the late stage of third-rank body refinement, I'll have a better chance when I head to Mingwang Sect a year from now."
Wei Tu nodded slightly.
If it weren't for the draw of their Nascent Infant Pill, he'd rather wait ten or so years and break through naturally.
—Taking too many pills could weaken a cultivator's potential.
But compared to that, what little potential he might lose was nothing next to the value of that Nascent Infant Pill.
Half a stick of incense later, Fu Linglong returned to the Fu residence.
She shared everything she had discovered using Mind-Reading with her brother Fu Dalu.
"Looks like I was just being paranoid," Fu Dalu scratched his bald head, finally letting out a breath of relief.
What he feared most was being sold out without even realizing it. That would've been way too embarrassing.
"Zhao Qingluo and Wei Tu are just regular old friends from the former kingdom. As for Jiao Zihua stirring up trouble at Lingyan Island, he probably had some other reason."
Fu Linglong smiled smugly.
Though she had never met Zhao Qingluo in person, the fact that Wei Tu had thought of her while seeing Zhao Qingluo—such a beauty—made her feel proud.
After all, Zhao Qingluo wasn't just anyone. She was the personal disciple of Shengya Mountain, the top orthodox Dao sect.
"Wei Tu's looks are average at best. A mountain hen can't pair with a phoenix. How could Zhao Qingluo ever fall for someone like him and make a secret vow? Jiao Zihua probably had a different motive when he went to Lingyan Island to stir things up."
Fu Linglong added.
"You're right. Looks like I got myself into this mess, not Wei Tu…" Fu Dalu nodded in agreement.
With that matter settled, the Fu siblings started discussing how to handle the Tianyi Jiao Clan's resentment and any revenge that might follow.
Although the Fu Clan had the Nascent Soul-backed Jinglian Convent behind them, Fu Dalu's extortion of Jiao Zihua put them in the wrong. Any retaliation from the Tianyi Jiao Clan would be reasonable and hard to challenge.
More importantly, the Tianyi Jiao Clan wasn't just any Nascent Soul family. They were part of the Tianyi Sect's old bloodlines. The power they could leverage came from that top-tier sect itself, far beyond what the Jinglian Convent could compare to.
"We'll have to rely on Big Brother to smooth this over."
Mentioning Ji Zhang, Fu Linglong's eyes softened with admiration.
She had never lacked resources since childhood. Her decision to join the Six Desires Sect was largely due to Ji Zhang.
Fu Dalu, seeing his sister acting all tender like a little girl, wasn't surprised anymore.
Beauty and heroes had always gone hand in hand. Ji Zhang just happened to be someone he admired as well.
…
Time passed.
Before long, another year came and went.
Inside the secret chamber of the cave, pill bottles lay scattered across the floor.
"Three hundred and three years old, late stage of third-rank body refinement."
On the jade bed, Wei Tu clenched his fists lightly, feeling the surging strength within.
His entire body was covered in dense jade-like scales. As his muscles bulged and twisted, the scales solidified into a layer of jade-colored armor that gleamed with metallic light.
"Now, finally, True Demonic Refinement Art has reached perfection, thanks to this breakthrough in body refinement."
Wei Tu studied the divine armor that had formed over his body after completing the cultivation technique.
Before this, the True Demonic Armor had weak points and could be broken by someone at the same level.
But now, with it fully mastered, as long as his core energy didn't run dry, those weaknesses no longer existed.
"Body refinement cultivators fear binding-type artifacts and divine abilities the most… My physical realm has broken through, but I also need to quickly improve my Qi cultivation."
Wei Tu mused to himself.
Body refinement did make him stronger than ordinary cultivators of the same level, but it wasn't overwhelming. There was only an edge—not dominance.
True strength lay in dual cultivation of body and Qi. Push forward or fall back as needed.
But currently, his physical realm was clearly ahead, while his Qi cultivation had yet to catch up.
And the Nascent Infant Pill was meant for breakthroughs in the Qi cultivation path to the Nascent Soul stage.
"No matter the path, if it boosts my strength, it's worth taking."
Wei Tu withdrew his power and dismissed the scales from his body.
With a flick of his sleeve, he opened the stone door of the secret chamber and drew in the message talisman from the entrance.
"Three years are nearly up. It's time to head to Mingwang Sect, as agreed with Sun Chixin."
He opened the talisman and saw the secret code Sun Chixin had sent, urging him to move.
…
Half a day later.
Outside the oasis of Peach Immortal City.
A yellow-skinned burly man and a pockmarked old man met. Their eyes locked briefly before they each used their spiritual power to pass a jade slip to the other.
The first was Wei Tu in disguise.
The second was Sun Chixin, also disguised.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, we'll need to add another term to the heart-devil oath. Once the job's done, I want three more Nine Elephant Pills."
Sun Chixin said after some thought.
The jade slips they had just exchanged weren't anything else but the prepared oaths for their cooperation.
Each side had written their own version.
"Nine Elephant Pills?" Wei Tu's eyes narrowed. This sudden change was going against the spirit of their agreement.
Previously, the deal had been: he would obtain the Nascent Infant Pill, and Sun Chixin would acquire the Great Ming Tiger-Subduing Skill from Mingwang Sect to cure the fiendish poison in his body.
The Nine Elephant Pill was a second-rank pill used by second-rank body cultivators to break into the third rank. Any pill that had to do with breakthroughs was bound to be expensive.
On the market, three Nine Elephant Pills would go for around forty thousand spirit stones. Even at cost price, Wei Tu would need to shell out at least eighteen thousand.
Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and extended his divine sense to probe Sun Chixin's cultivation. As expected.
Sun Chixin wasn't just a Foundation Establishment cultivator—he also had a rather strong body refinement level, at the late stage of second-rank.
Clearly, he wanted the Nine Elephant Pills to help break through to the next rank.
"I've been stalled by this fiendish poison. My Qi cultivation's stuck, so I had no choice but to switch to the body path. I hope Fellow Daoist Wei doesn't blame me for the sudden price hike…"
Sun Chixin sighed.
"It's fine."
Wei Tu smiled and nodded, agreeing to the demand like it was nothing.
Compared to the Nascent Infant Pill, three Nine Elephant Pills really weren't a big deal.
Wei Tu took out a fresh blank jade slip, added the new clause to the previous oath, and then passed it to Sun Chixin using a surge of spiritual power.
"You're refreshingly straightforward, Fellow Daoist Wei!"
After reviewing the updated oath and confirming there were no loopholes, Sun Chixin laughed heartily and raised his hand to swear the heart-devil oath.
Wei Tu followed suit, also swearing his part.
Wei Tu hadn't planted any hidden tricks in the oath.
—If Sun Chixin stuck to the agreement and helped him acquire the Nascent Infant Pill, Wei Tu didn't mind giving him three Nine Elephant Pills afterward.
…
Wei Tu's departure didn't raise any alarm from the Fu siblings.
First, he had been in seclusion for quite some time. A brief absence wasn't likely to get noticed.
Second, Sun Chixin's sudden disappearance had drawn most of their attention, which relaxed their watch over Wei Tu for the moment.
"Could it be retaliation from the Tianyi Jiao Clan?"
Fu Dalu was deeply worried.
The Wansheng Trading Company was a core industry of the Fu Clan, and Sun Chixin, as its manager, was a pillar of support. Without him, the business was bound to hit operational snags.
The Tianyi Jiao Clan might not be able to take revenge on two Golden Core cultivators right away, but going after a mere shopkeeper was nothing.
"Let's ask Big Brother to act as mediator and offer a formal apology to Jiao Zihua. That should settle this karmic debt."
Fu Linglong suggested.
Fighting the Tianyi Jiao Clan head-on with the Fu Clan's strength would be like an egg smashing into a rock.
The best option was to settle things peacefully.
"That might work, but… how are we supposed to explain how we know Big Brother?"
Fu Dalu looked troubled.
"And besides, he's got his own problems. That ambush from the Shenjia Sect three years ago nearly exposed his identity. Now within the Tianyi Sect, the attacks on him just keep coming..."
"He's barely staying afloat himself."
Fu Dalu spoke in a heavy tone.
While the matter with Jiao Zihua was serious, if Ji Zhang could step in, it could all be resolved quietly.
But Ji Zhang himself was already in hot water. He'd been stripped of most of his authority in the Tianyi Sect, and even the intelligence he sent last time was obtained by asking a fellow disciple to take the risk.
If they added more pressure now, it might expose Ji Zhang's role as the Six Desires Sect's leader.
"Alchemist Wei is close with the Shengya Zhao Clan. He could be the mediator instead..."
Suddenly, a spark lit up in Fu Dalu's mind.
The Tianyi Jiao Clan was tied by marriage to the Shengya Zhao Clan, and Wei Tu had strong ties with the Zhaos. If he could speak on their behalf... better yet, he was directly involved in the incident. That made him the perfect go-between to help smooth things over.
"I'll go ask him myself when he comes out of seclusion..."
Fu Linglong's eyes lit up.
She was confident she already had a good hold on Wei Tu. Convincing him to help wouldn't be hard.
…
Mingwang Sect was located in Fengzhou.
This province sat in central Xiao Kingdom, right next to Liao Prefecture's Wanfo Temple, another Buddhist sect stronghold.
For unknown reasons, Mingwang Sect had sealed its mountain and closed itself off from the outside world over seventy years ago.
So, when Wei Tu and Sun Chixin arrived at Qing Lion Mountain where the sect was based, they were met with a desolate, barren scene. Not a single cultivator was in sight.
"The Nascent Infant Pill is hidden inside the flesh sac of Ancestor Chishe. When I left, it still hadn't been taken by any of the Mingwang Sect cultivators… but over thirty years have passed. I can't guarantee they haven't cracked the secret technique and taken it by now..."
At the foot of Qing Lion Mountain, Sun Chixin kept his end of the bargain and told Wei Tu where the Nascent Infant Pill was stashed.
"So what you're saying is… whether the pill is there or not, it's all down to luck?"
Wei Tu was clearly annoyed.
According to Sun Chixin, Wei Tu had to sneak into the sect, find Ancestor Chishe's corpse, and then somehow locate the pill inside it.
Without solid intel, even finding the body would be a challenge, never mind the pill, which might not even be there anymore.
"No need to worry, Fellow Daoist. The concealment method used by Ancestor Chishe was a secret art from Qingzhu Mountain, known as the One Qi Illusion Pouch."
"With this technique, any item hidden becomes nearly undetectable unless someone is more than three minor realms higher in cultivation…"
"My earlier warning was just to cover all bases, so you wouldn't blame this old man if you came up empty-handed."
Sun Chixin smiled wryly.
The Fu siblings might underestimate Wei Tu, but as someone on the same cultivation level, he dared not take Wei Tu lightly.
Hearing that, Wei Tu's expression eased slightly.
"This is the technique for the One Qi Illusion Pouch."
As he spoke, Sun Chixin pulled out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Wei Tu.
"This method looks a lot like the One Qi Pouch..."
After skimming the contents, Wei Tu realized that the One Qi Illusion Pouch was essentially an upgraded version of the One Qi Pouch.
But there was a difference.
The One Qi Pouch was a blood-and-flesh-based artifact, mostly used by Qi Refinement or Foundation Establishment cultivators to store spiritual energy.
The One Qi Illusion Pouch, on the other hand, opened up a small space inside the body's acupoints to hide actual items.
"How convenient… this might actually be a lost legacy from the Hongri Sect." Wei Tu raised a brow.
He even suspected Qingzhu Mountain might have destroyed the Hongri Sect ages ago and then absorbed its inheritance. That could explain where this secret technique came from.
Otherwise, if Mingwang Sect and Qingzhu Mountain came from the same lineage, how could the former not know how to undo the latter's techniques?
"Doesn't concern me." Wei Tu shook his head and didn't dwell on it.
The Immortal Master Wu he once knew was a descendant of the Hongri Sect, but that grudge was from ten thousand years ago. Who knew how many generations had passed? There was no point digging into it.