Two years later.

After returning to Yunhe Mountain, Wei Tu had just emerged from seclusion when he received news of Wei Fei’s marriage and the birth of his child.

The wedding was not a grand affair. Much like Helian Xiong’s wedding, it was a simple gathering of close friends and family.

Wei Fei’s wife was a branch member of the Qiyue Zhao Clan, named Zhao Ting, a cultivator at the fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm.

Because of his seclusion, Wei Tu had missed both Wei Fei’s wedding and his child’s full-month celebration.

“Wei Xian’er.”

Wei Tu opened the letter and saw the name Wei Fei had given his daughter, shaking his head slightly.

The character “Xian” (仙) clearly reflected Wei Fei’s aspirations for his daughter’s future cultivation path.

However, such names were too common in the cultivation world, almost everywhere one looked.

After carefully storing the letter inside a jade box for safekeeping, Wei Tu looked up just in time to see a Wind-Cleaving Eagle bringing another letter to him.

“A letter from Fourth Brother?”

Seeing the signature on the envelope, Wei Tu’s expression brightened. He quickly opened the letter and read its contents.

“Fortunate! Fortunate indeed!”

After finishing the letter, Wei Tu repeated the word “fortunate” several times, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Fu Zhizhou’s letter was filled with the joyous news of his successful Foundation Establishment, not the tragic failure that Wei Tu had feared.

Turning the letter over, he checked the date and saw that it had been sent half a month ago.

After thinking for a moment, he decided to make a trip to Danqiu Mountain.

Back when he had successfully reached Foundation Establishment, Kou Hongying had helped him plan for his future and advised him to join a cultivation clan.

Now that Fu Zhizhou had also reached Foundation Establishment, it was Wei Tu’s turn to assist him in planning his path forward.

Whether Fu Zhizhou would accept his advice or not was another matter.

It was simply a duty Wei Tu felt he had to fulfill.

Additionally, during this trip, Wei Tu intended to search for Iron Magnetic Spirit Wood.

The Geomagnetic Yuan Light within his body could absorb Iron Magnetic Spirit Wood, evolving into Yuan Gravity Light, which not only had combat applications but could also be used to refine and purify his spiritual energy.

With this in mind, Wei Tu returned to his cultivation chamber, gathering a stack of talismans and retrieving a floating silver short sword emanating a cold aura.

This silver sword was a prototype he had forged based on the Ice Jiao Sword talisman sword technique.

Of course, at this stage, it was far from the level of a true spiritual treasure. Based on Wei Tu’s estimation, its power was roughly equivalent to a full-force strike from a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

With his various talismans and this half-finished Ice Jiao Sword, Wei Tu believed he had enough strength to escape from an advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator if necessary.

Since his strength was sufficient, there was no reason to delay his search for Iron Magnetic Spirit Wood any longer.

The leads he had obtained from Master Yu Kui and others all pointed to locations deep within the Demon Wolf Mountain Range.

Wei Tu arrived at Danqiu Mountain.

The small courtyard on Yunque Street, where he had once stayed, had been rented out to Fu Zhizhou decades ago.

Even after all these years, Fu Zhizhou had never changed residences. He had remained in the same courtyard, living alongside Helian Xiong and others.

Sensing Wei Tu’s presence drawing near, several cultivators stepped out of the courtyard to greet him.

Wei Tu scanned the group and saw that, besides Fu Zhizhou, there were Helian Xiong and his wife, Ren Yifeng, and several other well-known Foundation Establishment cultivators of Danqiu Mountain.

“It has been many years, yet Wei Daoist remains as impressive as ever,” Helian Xiong was the first to speak, greeting Wei Tu with a nod.

Unlike the last time they had met, when he had been somewhat nervous, Helian Xiong now appeared much more composed.

“Wei Daoist.”

Ren Yifeng also cupped his hands in greeting, though he did not seem to recognize that Wei Tu was the same cultivator he had met at Helian Xiong’s wedding all those years ago.

The others followed suit, offering polite salutations.

Fu Zhizhou, waiting for the formalities to conclude, suddenly stepped forward and pulled Wei Tu into a firm embrace.

This gesture, though wordless, made its meaning abundantly clear—no matter how much time passed, their brotherly bond remained unshaken.

“Since Wei Daoist has come, we shall take our leave and allow Fu Daoist to reunite with his old friend.”

Ren Yifeng and the others exchanged glances before bowing once more to Fu Zhizhou.

“As for what we discussed earlier, we hope Fu Daoist will consider it carefully and give us a reply soon.”

With that, the group took their leave, leaving behind only Wei Tu, Fu Zhizhou, and Helian Xiong’s family in the courtyard.

“What business did Ren Yifeng and the others have with you?”

Wei Tu found it a bit odd that those cultivators had gathered here.

He distinctly remembered that back at Helian Xiong’s wedding, Ren Yifeng had simply gifted a Foundation Establishment Pill before departing, showing little interest in deepening ties.

Now that Helian Xiong had reached Foundation Establishment, the fact that Ren Yifeng was visiting again suggested a more complex relationship.

Noticing Wei Tu’s curiosity, Helian Xiong gave a slight smile and said,

“Wei Daoist may not be aware, but for independent Foundation Establishment cultivators, there are more options beyond joining a cultivation clan. One such path is forming or joining a ‘Rogue Cultivator Alliance.’”

Wei Tu nodded slightly, signaling for him to continue.

“The group that Ren Yifeng belongs to is called the ‘Shuyun Alliance.’ The alliance is led by a Foundation Establishment alchemist, Master Shu, and a False Core cultivator…”

Wei Tu remained silent as he listened to Helian Xiong explain the situation regarding the Shuyun Alliance.

He had indeed heard of rogue cultivator alliances before but had not expected that Danqiu Mountain had one operating within it.

“Then why has this ‘Shuyun Alliance’ never extended an invitation to me?” Wei Tu frowned slightly.

After reaching Foundation Establishment, he had never received any word from the Shuyun Alliance.

He had always been cautious in Danqiu Mountain, never making enemies or causing unnecessary trouble, let alone offending a powerful force like the Shuyun Alliance.

As for his past enmity with Geng Wen, Master Shu and the others shouldn’t have known that Wei Tu was the one who killed him. There was no obvious grudge between them that would explain why he wasn’t invited.

“Shuyun Alliance already has a Tier-2 talisman master.” Fu Zhizhou answered.

Wei Tu immediately understood.

So that was the reason.

The alliance already had a talisman master, so they had no need for another, making it unnecessary to recruit him.

As the conversation continued, the three of them entered the courtyard on Yunque Street.

Tong Peipei poured tea for them, and the group sat down.

“Cultivators like Wei Daoist, who possess a specialized craft, are easily recruited by cultivation clans as guest elders.”

“But for those of us who fight for a living, it’s different. We can only join rogue cultivator alliances to seek protection and support.”

Helian Xiong’s voice carried a hint of bitterness.

No matter how one looked at it, joining an established cultivation clan was far better than joining a rogue cultivator alliance.

In Zheng Kingdom’s cultivation world, the three great sects and seven Golden Core clans held absolute dominance, while groups like the Shuyun Alliance merely survived by picking up whatever scraps these great powers left behind.

Wei Tu, however, didn’t express any opinions in front of Helian Xiong. He merely nodded in agreement and did not comment further.

Instead, he waited until evening, when he was alone with Fu Zhizhou, to finally bring up the subject.

“I came to Danqiu Mountain not only to congratulate you, but also to discuss your future plans.”

Wei Tu said frankly.

“Joining the Shuyun Alliance might seem beneficial at first—you’d gain access to Master Shu’s pills and the alliance’s resources—but in the end, we’re just being used as stepping stones for their own advancement to Golden Core.”

Fu Zhizhou sneered coldly.

His previous hesitation, shown in front of Helian Xiong, had vanished.

Now, his expression carried nothing but contempt.

Over time, he had come to understand Helian Xiong’s true nature.

He wasn’t a villain, but he also wasn’t someone who treated Fu Zhizhou with genuine sincerity.

Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou continued discussing the matter late into the night.

Ultimately, they decided to wait for Kou Hongying to arrive before making any final decisions.

As things stood, Fu Zhizhou’s future was not as limited as Helian Xiong made it seem.

Aside from the Shuyun Alliance, he could also consider joining a Golden Core clan.

Both Chisong Jia Clan and Qiyue Zhao Clan actively recruited battle-oriented cultivators like Fu Zhizhou—not just talisman masters or alchemists.

Compared to the Shuyun Alliance, joining a Golden Core clan would offer far greater opportunities.

Of course, there was one major risk—the two clans were currently at war.

If Fu Zhizhou joined, he would undoubtedly be dragged into the conflict, making him far more likely to perish in battle.

Kou Hongying arrived in Danqiu Mountain.

She listened carefully as the two of them explained the situation.

“Joining a Golden Core clan is dangerous, but it also comes with greater opportunities…”

“This is a matter of life and death, and I cannot make this decision for you, Fu Zhizhou. It’s something only you can decide.”

“If you succeed, you will rise to great heights.”

“If you fail, you will have no one to blame but yourself.”

Her voice was calm and analytical.

Hearing this, Fu Zhizhou hesitated.

Back when he was in Qi Refinement Realm, he had no other choice but to become a hired blade.

Now that he had reached Foundation Establishment, he had hoped to enjoy some level of freedom—but reality had given him a harsh awakening.

If he retreated, he might find himself stuck in the same predicament as Wei Fei.

If he advanced, he would be risking his life in a battle that was far more dangerous than fighting spirit beasts in the Demon Wolf Mountain.

Fu Zhizhou looked up at the sky, his voice filled with bitterness.

“The path of immortality is truly cruel.”

At this moment, he felt like a caged bird.

He had thought that he had finally escaped his prison, only to realize that he had merely entered a larger cage.

Wei Tu and Kou Hongying exchanged a knowing glance.

They both let out a silent sigh.

Among the four sworn brothers, Fu Zhizhou’s path had been the most difficult.

No spiritual roots, no innate talent, no background—he had made it this far relying solely on his own swordsmanship and sheer willpower.

Yet, even after reaching Foundation Establishment, he still found himself trapped in a deadlock.

“Looks like Fu Zhizhou is giving up.”

Kou Hongying saw the same despair in Fu Zhizhou’s eyes that Wei Fei had shown years ago.

That was the look of someone losing faith in the immortal path.

She sighed softly and prepared to take her leave, intending to give Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou space to talk privately.

But just as she was about to stand—

Fu Zhizhou suddenly spoke.

His voice was exhausted, but firm.

“I have cultivated for so many years. I will not give up so easily.”

Kou Hongying paused mid-step, turning back to look at him.

Fu Zhizhou let out a crazed laugh, his eyes filled with madness.

With a wave of his sleeve, he released a surge of spiritual power, shattering the window in front of him.

He gazed coldly at the sky beyond and spoke four words with unwavering determination:

“If I die, so be it!”

These words were resolute.

There was no hesitation in his tone.

At that moment, Fu Zhizhou had made his decision.

No matter the risk.

No matter the consequences.

He would not back down.

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