Mingwang Sect was originally the direct descendant of Qingzhu Mountain, but after declining for ten thousand years, their Nascent Soul cultivators had become scarce. They relied solely on the lingering prestige of their ancestors to barely maintain their status as a quasi-Nascent Soul force, holding on to Qing Lion Mountain, a fourth-rank spirit land.
So, while the Mingwang Sect's upper echelon had stronger cultivators than typical Golden Core sects, their scale was still smaller compared to true Nascent Soul factions.
"Mingwang Sect poisoned our people, and though they caused damage, they didn't escape unscathed. They used to have seventeen Golden Core cultivators known as the Seventeen Vajras, but now only eleven remain."
"Among those eleven, three are late-stage Golden Core cultivators—powerful and best avoided."
Sun Chixin explained all this one by one.
When he finished, he handed Wei Tu a full dossier on the remaining Golden Core cultivators in Mingwang Sect, along with maps detailing the sect's terrain and structure.
"Impressive, Fellow Daoist Sun. No wonder you're high-ranking in Qingzhu Mountain and a trusted figure of the Fu family."
Wei Tu accepted the jade slip and gave sincere praise the moment he glanced over the details.
Every bit of intel from Sun Chixin was thorough and clearly outlined. He even included an analysis of likely locations where Ancestor Chishe's body might be hidden.
Since Mingwang Sect and Qingzhu Mountain shared the same lineage in techniques…
Ancestor Chishe's corpse wouldn't be treated as just any Nascent Soul corpse—it might even be refined into a powerful secret treasure.
So, it was unlikely any upper elder of Mingwang Sect would selfishly hoard the body in private.
…
A few days later.
Once their plan was finalized, Wei Tu and Sun Chixin moved under the cover of night toward the southeastern corner of Qing Lion Mountain.
"Go!" Sun Chixin took out a green orb from his sleeve and tossed it onto the sect's barrier.
The orb spun in the air, casting a ripple of green light that began slowly corroding the barrier.
Wei Tu recognized this item—it was a Barrier-Breaking Pearl, similar in function to his own Tai Miao Treasure Mirror. Both were used for breaking through formations and restrictions.
But the difference was clear.
The Barrier-Breaking Pearl was a one-use item.
The Tai Miao Treasure Mirror, on the other hand, could be used repeatedly and was a fourth-rank treasure with much higher tier.
"Looks shiny on the outside, but..."
"Mingwang Sect's defensive array looks like a pseudo-fourth-rank formation, but inside, it's just an ordinary mid-grade third-rank array."
Seeing the pearl work, Sun Chixin let out a breath of relief and finally relaxed.
Barrier-Breaking Pearls were technically forbidden by Xiao Kingdom law and could only be traded internally within sects—not sold publicly.
Getting his hands on this third-rank pearl had taken Sun Chixin considerable time and resources. If the very first step of their plan failed, he wouldn't even know how to continue.
Watching the scene, Wei Tu wasn't surprised.
For sects like Mingwang that had been declining for years, financial strain was often their first visible crack.
Though defensive arrays were vital to a sect's survival, they were expensive to maintain and often the first to get budget cuts. Most just scraped by day to day.
If Mingwang Sect really kept their pseudo-fourth-rank formation fully powered year-round, even the most frugal leadership couldn't afford to keep up.
After about the time it took to burn half a stick of incense, a fist-sized hole was corroded in the barrier.
Seeing that, Wei Tu and Sun Chixin exchanged glances and simultaneously activated their movement techniques, slipping through the gap.
Compared to the bleakness outside Qing Lion Mountain, the inside of Mingwang Sect showed more signs of life. Still, only a few people could be seen walking around—not at all the lively scene of more prosperous sects.
Once inside, the two split up immediately.
Because of the toxin in his body, Sun Chixin's cultivation was sealed. He could only rely on secret arts to temporarily summon Golden Core strength and couldn't sustain a long fight.
And even then, his combat level was at the very weakest end of the mid-Golden Core stage.
So brute force wasn't an option for either of them.
Their goal was to gather intel on two things—the location of the Great Ming Tiger-Subduing Skill and the Nascent Infant Pill.
The pill would be harder to find.
But the technique? Snatching a few Foundation Establishment disciples might be enough to get the whole manual.
Sun Chixin leaned toward caution. He preferred quiet methods and didn't want to take unnecessary risks.
After separating from Sun Chixin, Wei Tu didn't rush into action right away. On the road, he casually captured a Foundation Establishment disciple of Mingwang Sect and used the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth's illusion talent to pull information directly from the man's mind. Seeing that the details matched what Sun Chixin had told him, he moved on to the next step.
"Thousand Faces Phantom Art!" Wei Tu chanted silently. His appearance instantly changed, becoming exactly like the captured disciple—no difference at all.
Next, using the Greenwood Concealment Technique, he suppressed his aura to match the Foundation Establishment stage.
After setting everything in place, Wei Tu flew at low altitude toward Silver Moon Pool, the place listed in the intel.
Silver Moon Pool sat in the back mountain of Qing Lion Mountain. It was a secluded cultivation site reserved for Mingwang Sect's upper elders.
According to Sun Chixin, it was the most likely location where Ancestor Chishe's corpse was being hidden.
First, the body was more valuable for research, not display. It wouldn't be placed in a central hall like Thunder Sound Hall as some kind of sect mascot.
Second, Silver Moon Pool was a spirit pool. The water there could nourish and preserve the flesh, making it perfect to store a body like Ancestor Chishe's without it decaying—optimal for study.
Wei Tu was lucky. The identity he'd assumed, the disciple Yan Qing, just happened to be the steward of the back mountain. He had the right to access that area for handling sect duties.
"Steward Yan, back to tending the herb gardens again? With your diligence, Elder Yuan's favor is all but guaranteed!"
As he neared Silver Moon Pool, a Foundation Establishment guard called out with a friendly tease.
Hearing that, Wei Tu instantly recalled the relevant intel on this "Elder Yuan."
Elder Yuan's full name was Yuan Chunhe, a newly advanced early-stage Golden Core cultivator in the past hundred years. He also happened to be in charge of Silver Moon Pool, one of the sect's key spiritual sites.
More importantly, Yuan Chunhe's uncle, Yuan Zhifeng, was one of only three remaining late-stage Golden Core cultivators in Mingwang Sect. He was known as "Elder Yuan the Supreme" and was one of only two supreme elders still left in the sect.
Back when Mingwang Sect was a full Nascent Soul force, only Nascent Soul cultivators could hold that title. But now that they had dropped to Golden Core rank, the rules had shifted with their decline.
"Elder Yuan is like a dragon—seen only in glimpses. We humble disciples are just glad not to be scolded."
Wei Tu, playing his role as Yan Qing, responded with a bitter smile.
Before coming here, he had already memorized every detail about Yan Qing's speech and behavior. His performance didn't raise the slightest suspicion.
He passed through the guards easily and entered the grounds of Silver Moon Pool without much resistance.
Soon, he stood before the glittering spirit pool, its surface glowing with a faint silver light like moonlight.
"A restriction?" Wei Tu sent out his divine sense into the water. Not long after, he felt a thin crystalline-blue barrier beneath the surface.
Though the restriction wasn't particularly advanced, it was very effective at blocking divine sense.
Seeing this, Wei Tu's eyes lit up.
The pool water was just regular spirit liquid. There was no reason to ward it with a restriction—unless something was hidden at the bottom. The effort to set this up suggested something important was being concealed.
"I'll leave it to you, Fellow Daoist Bai."
With a flick of his sleeve, Wei Tu released Bai Zhi, who had been hiding within.
Ever since she shifted to the ghost path, Bai Zhi's ghostly body had become even more agile and flexible than a regular cultivator's body—perfect for sneaking into the pool and probing its depths.
"Fellow Daoist Wei and I share a linked fate. There's no such thing as dragging each other down. And if you reach Nascent Soul soon, I may have a chance to reclaim my own path."
Bai Zhi smiled. Her body shimmered and shrank down to the size of a small child's fist.
—Ghost cultivators of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Yin Spirit path couldn't easily ascend. Only by relying on Wei Tu could she hope to continue further down her road.
Wei Tu gave a small nod, flipped his palm, and handed her the Tai Miao Treasure Mirror.
"I'll be right back." Bai Zhi flicked her sleeve. Ghostly qi wrapped around the treasure mirror, and she slipped into the water like a whisper.
A moment later, a flash of red light flitted across the pool bottom. Then her figure completely vanished.
About half a quarter-hour passed.
A stream of black mist silently rose from the water and floated beside Wei Tu.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, there's definitely something strange below the surface. There are three hidden chambers. One is used for cultivation. Another holds a piece of water-attribute fourth-rank spirit wood. The last one… is completely empty."
"But based on the aura that lingers in that room, I'd say Ancestor Chishe's body was placed there just a few days ago."
Bai Zhi re-entered Wei Tu's sleeve and whispered into his ear with a sound-transmitting spell.
"A few days ago?"
Wei Tu sighed inwardly. Bad timing.
If he had come just a little earlier, Ancestor Chishe's body might already be in his hands.
"Silver Moon Pool has a nourishing effect on Ancestor Chishe's corpse. It helps preserve its spiritual essence. Mingwang Sect likely won't keep it away from here for long…"
Wei Tu decided to continue using Yan Qing's identity and linger around Silver Moon Pool for a few more days.
At the same time, he also made up his mind to lock onto a suspect who might be holding Ancestor Chishe's body. If necessary, he'd just steal it by force.
With his body cultivation, Wei Tu wasn't afraid of any single cultivator in Mingwang Sect. He only worried about the entire sect swarming him like ants overwhelming an elephant.
Two days later, Elder Yuan Chunhe, who oversaw Silver Moon Pool, came by to inspect the herb garden managed by Yan Qing.
Wei Tu noticed that Yuan Chunhe lingered near the poolside for more than half a day.
"These spirit herbs are well-tended. Looks like you've been putting in the effort. In a few days, I'll recommend you to my uncle. Maybe we'll even find a Yuan family girl to marry you."
After inspecting the herbs, Yuan Chunhe looked pleased. He gave Wei Tu a once-over and nodded approvingly.
Someone with skill and the smarts to curry favor—why would the Yuan family ever turn such a person away?
"Many thanks for Elder Yuan's praise."
Wei Tu put on a face of excitement, thanking him again and again.
While acting the part, he sighed inwardly. If he hadn't intervened, this Foundation Establishment cultivator named Yan Qing might've genuinely become an influential steward in Mingwang Sect within a few decades. Someone just beneath the Golden Core elites.
His herb-tending skills were genuinely impressive—even Wei Tu, a third-rank alchemist, could appreciate them.
Seeing how sincere "Yan Qing" looked, Yuan Chunhe felt satisfied. He stroked his beard, offered a few words of encouragement, then flew off from the herb garden.
Little did he know, this "junior" he thought so highly of could have killed him in an instant.
He'd been walking beside a tiger this whole time.
Wei Tu had been keeping an eye on Yuan Chunhe all along. During his brief stay near the herb garden, there hadn't been a chance for him to sneak into Silver Moon Pool.
Wei Tu now suspected that Yuan Chunhe's uncle, Yuan Zhifeng, might be the current holder of Ancestor Chishe's body.
Yuan Chunhe's half-day stay near the pool was probably to check whether another sect leader had returned the corpse.
After all, that body needed Silver Moon Pool's spirit water to stay preserved. It made sense if it had been temporarily borrowed and just returned.
More than ten days quickly passed.
Wei Tu wasn't in a hurry. He waited patiently.
During that time, he stayed in contact with Sun Chixin through secret methods, sharing updates.
Over the span of half a month, the experienced Sun Chixin had narrowed down the likely holder of the Great Ming Tiger-Subduing Skill. All that remained was to seize the right moment to steal it.
His target was another Golden Core cultivator in the sect, same level as Yuan Chunhe, but with a different role—as the steward of Thunder Sound Hall.
This person wouldn't be easy to kill. Sun Chixin would need Wei Tu's help to pull it off.
Wei Tu agreed to help, but only on one condition—Sun Chixin wasn't allowed to act until he had Ancestor Chishe's body in hand.
Persistence paid off.
After a month of staking out Silver Moon Pool, Wei Tu finally saw the day when Mingwang Sect's higher-ups returned Ancestor Chishe's body to the pool's bottom.
Just like before, Wei Tu sent out Bai Zhi. Using the Tai Miao Treasure Mirror, she broke through the restriction at the bottom of the pool and retrieved Ancestor Chishe's corpse—along with a few other hidden treasures.
"So this is Ancestor Chishe?"
In the herb garden steward's quarters, Wei Tu stared at the skinny old man before him. His eyes were shut. No breath. No presence of life.
Wei Tu felt a mix of joy and a strange sorrow.
A mighty Nascent Soul cultivator, someone who could stand at the top of nations and sects, had died in such a pathetic, unsuspecting trap set by junior Golden Core cultivators…
What a humiliating end.
Even in death, the body wasn't left in peace. Mingwang Sect's juniors kept hauling it out to study.
"Power is always relative. Even Nascent Soul cultivators can die to Golden Core juniors if caught off guard. Let alone those at the same level…"
In that moment, the arrogance Wei Tu had felt after defeating Situ Yang disappeared completely.