“The market price for a single Jade Marrow Pill is 700 spirit stones. This bottle contains four pills, making the total price 2,800 spirit stones.”

“Talisman Master Wei, if you take the entire bottle, I can offer a discount of 300 spirit stones.”

Qin Zhenren smiled as she spoke.

Wei Tu’s request to purchase Foundation Establishment-stage pills was perfectly timed for her.

The Cloud Ze Secret Realm entry slot cost 2,000 spirit stones. Although she could afford it, making the purchase would significantly drain her funds.

By selling the Jade Marrow Pills, she could recover the spent spirit stones and even earn a bit extra.

“2,500 spirit stones?” Wei Tu nodded in approval.

In recent years, after successfully cultivating the Yuan Gravity Technique, he had researched the market price of early Foundation Establishment pills.

Qin Zhenren’s offer was even cheaper than what rogue alchemists charged, showing that she was acknowledging the favor he had done by sharing insider information.

“2,500 spirit stones is too much. I don’t have that much on hand at the moment. Would Daoist Qin be willing to accept some second-rank talismans to offset the cost?”

Wei Tu took out a talisman box, offering to barter using the talismans he had recently crafted.

The truth was, after attending the Golden Moon Cliff exchange event, his wealth had grown significantly. Thanks to a spike in talisman sales, he had earned a large sum.

Currently, he had over 3,000 spirit stones, making the purchase easily affordable.

However, as a talisman master, it was more cost-effective to trade talismans rather than spend spirit stones directly.

“Second-rank talismans?” Qin Zhenren shook her head. “Ordinary second-rank low-grade talismans are of little use to me.”

As a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could cast spells on her own that were just as powerful as second-rank low-grade talismans.

For her, these talismans were hardly useful. Only mid-grade second-rank talismans held real value.

“Daoist Qin, please take a look at these two talismans.” Wei Tu smiled slightly and retrieved two premium talismans from his talisman box, handing them over.

“Premium talismans?”

Qin Zhenren accepted the talismans and briefly examined them using her spiritual sense. Instantly, she felt a powerful surge of energy, equivalent to a peak mid-stage Foundation Establishment spell.

—Talismans of the same rank were stronger than spells of the same level.

Additionally, unlike spells that required incantations and casting time, talismans could be activated instantly, catching opponents off guard.

“These two premium talismans will be useful to me. I can accept them as part of the payment.”

Qin Zhenren’s attitude shifted as she looked at Wei Tu. Her initial casual acknowledgment turned into genuine interest—she now considered him worth befriending.

Being able to craft premium-grade talismans meant that Wei Tu was already on the verge of mastering mid-grade second-rank talismans.

His only limitation now was his cultivation level.

Even among second-rank mid-grade talisman masters, very few could consistently craft premium-grade low-rank talismans.

Premium-grade talismans could only be drawn by talisman masters who had perfected the technique to its peak.

Seeing Qin Zhenren’s attitude change once again, Wei Tu felt pleased.

After all, he had approached Qin Zhenren for collaboration, not to become a follower in the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.

His second purpose in offering talismans, besides reducing his spending, was to demonstrate his value to Qin Zhenren.

Without a doubt, this strategy worked.

The two negotiated further.

In the end, Wei Tu paid 1,500 spirit stones plus three premium-grade talismans in exchange for Qin Zhenren’s bottle of Jade Marrow Pills.

Additionally—

Wei Tu placed an order with Qin Zhenren for a Gold Essence Pill, a pill required for beasts to break into the second rank.

The Gold Essence Pill was similar to the Foundation Establishment Pill used by cultivators—it was a breakthrough aid for spirit beasts.

This specific pill was meant for his Wind-Cleaving Eagle, a battle companion he had nurtured for decades.

Although he had obtained Mysterious Nether Grass from the Scarlet-Eyed Python, he worried that it might not be enough to help his eagle successfully break through.

Through years of experience raising a spirit beast, he deeply understood their rarity and value.

A few days later.

The Huang Yan Boat arrived at Cloud Crane Mountain.

When the Hengshan Huang Clan learned that Qin Zhenren from Mirror Water Pavilion had arrived, their patriarch, Huang Changshun, along with several influential elders, personally came out to greet her.

“So, this is why Wei Tu seemed so indifferent toward me… because of Qin Zhenren and her disciple.”

Huang Caiyu, the second miss of the Hengshan Huang Clan, followed behind the clan patriarch.

When she saw Wei Tu engaging in lively conversation with Qin Zhenren and Kou Hongying, she raised an eyebrow slightly, deep in thought.

“After all, female cultivators from Mirror Water Pavilion are far more sought after than ordinary female cultivators.”

Standing near Qin Zhenren and her disciple, she could feel the stark contrast between them and herself—let alone how others might perceive it.

Meanwhile, Huang Changshun and the elders also began to reassess Wei Tu’s background.

When they had invited Wei Tu to join the clan as an honored guest, they had investigated his past and knew that he had a Foundation Establishment-stage niece.

But they hadn’t expected Wei Tu and Qin Zhenren to get along so well, nor had they anticipated the familiarity in Qin Zhenren’s tone when speaking to Wei Tu.

That alone was enough to show that their relationship was anything but ordinary.

The group entered the clan’s main hall.

Once seated, Qin Zhenren spoke directly, stating that she was here based on Wei Tu’s suggestion and that she wished to reserve a slot for the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.

“If Fairy Qin wishes to enter the Cloud Ze Secret Realm, there is no issue. However, before entering, you must sign a spiritual contract to ensure that, should any danger arise, it will not implicate our Hengshan Huang Clan…”

Clan Leader Huang Changshun did not immediately agree to her request. Instead, he hesitated for a moment before taking out a spiritual contract from his storage bag. Infusing it with spiritual energy, he sent it toward Qin Zhenren.

Compared to Wei Tu, a mere honored guest, Qin Zhenren’s identity was far more prestigious. If anything happened to her in the Cloud Ze Secret Realm and Mirror Water Pavilion came to hold the Hengshan Huang Clan accountable, the consequences would be severe.

Therefore, having her sign a spiritual contract beforehand to eliminate any future liability was necessary.

Qin Zhenren took the contract and examined it. Seeing that it was a simple life-and-death contract without any unreasonable conditions, she nodded slightly, signed her name, and pricked her finger, letting a drop of blood essence fuse into the contract.

“Now that Qin Zhenren has agreed, what about Talisman Master Wei? Are you willing to join this expedition into the Cloud Ze Secret Realm?”

Clan Leader Huang Changshun retrieved the contract, satisfied, and turned to look at Wei Tu.

“I am willing.”

Wei Tu did not hesitate. He immediately agreed.

Previously, during the Foundation Establishment Assembly, Clan Leader Huang Changshun had given him five years to make a decision.

Now, barely a month had passed—far from the given time limit.

But Wei Tu was worried that if he waited too long, circumstances might change.

If the Hengshan Huang Clan became aware of the Demonic Dao invasion, they might withdraw the offer or increase the price for entry slots.

“Clan Leader, do you have a spiritual contract for honored guests?” Wei Tu asked.

Verbal agreements were too unreliable. If the Hengshan Huang Clan decided to renege on their promise, there would be nothing he could do.

However, if he signed a contract, then no matter what happened, the clan would be bound by law—breaking the agreement would cost them far more than just losing a single Foundation Establishment guest elder.

Although Clan Leader Huang Changshun did not understand why Wei Tu insisted on signing a contract, he didn’t mind. With a casual motion, he flipped his palm and retrieved a contract identical to the one Qin Zhenren had signed, passing it over.

Wei Tu signed the contract without hesitation.

At that moment, he felt a wave of relief—by entering the Cloud Ze Secret Realm, he had effectively avoided becoming cannon fodder in the impending war between the Righteous and Demonic Sects.

Next—

Kou Hongying also requested a contract from Clan Leader Huang Changshun and signed her name.

After paying the entry fee in spirit stones, Qin Zhenren and her disciple left the main hall along with Wei Tu.

As they walked away, Wei Tu mentioned something important to Qin Zhenren—that Yu Kui had expressed interest in joining their team.

Previously, when Fu Zhizhou was part of the group, their close-combat capabilities were well covered.

But now, due to the “Three-Clan Agreement,” Fu Zhizhou was unable to enter the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.

Thus, their team required a replacement.

And Yu Kui’s puppets could perfectly fill Fu Zhizhou’s role—perhaps even surpass him in usefulness.

However, since Yu Kui was an outsider, trust would inevitably be an issue. Unlike Fu Zhizhou, whom they had known for years, Yu Kui was still a stranger.

“Let’s meet him first.”

Qin Zhenren thought for a moment before making a decision.

Puppet Masters were extremely valuable in secret realm expeditions. Their ability to deploy combat puppets provided a huge advantage over regular cultivators.

The three of them headed toward the honored guest quarters.

Before long, Yu Kui emerged from the formation surrounding his courtyard, inviting them inside.

“Puppet Masters do hold significant advantages in the Cloud Ze Secret Realm, but if Yu Kui’s puppets are only low-grade second-rank, then it would be a waste.”

Qin Zhenren made her stance clear.

If Yu Kui wished to join their group, he had to prove himself. Otherwise, they would rather go without him.

Qin Zhenren’s thoughts aligned perfectly with Wei Tu’s.

If Yu Kui’s strength was lacking, there was no reason to drag along a burden into the secret realm.

—After all, low-grade second-rank puppets could be purchased with spirit stones. They were nothing special.

“Please, come to the courtyard.”

Yu Kui led them to the open training area.

Then, he slapped his storage bag, releasing a massive puppet resembling a great ape and another sword-wielding puppet.

“Fairy Qin, please test them.”

He gestured politely.

Qin Zhenren nodded and casually drew her sword, releasing a light blue blade arc toward the great ape puppet.

The puppet lifted its arms in defense.

A moment later, a deep gash appeared on its dark iron arm, cutting three inches deep.

Seeing the result, Yu Kui’s expression brightened.

“Fairy Qin, does this prove my qualifications to join the team?”

“Not enough.”

Qin Zhenren shook her head.

“Just now, I only used an attack at the early Foundation Establishment level. If your great ape puppet can withstand my full power, then I will acknowledge its strength.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Zhenren no longer held back.

This time, the blue sword arc she unleashed was several times faster than before, and its power increased significantly.

A loud “boom” resounded through the courtyard.

The previously intact giant ape puppet instantly shattered into a pile of broken parts, scattered across the training ground.

“What a pity, Daoist Yu.”

Qin Zhenren cupped her hands in courtesy to Yu Kui, then subtly signaled Kou Hongying with her eyes before leading her out of the small courtyard.

“My apologies, Daoist Yu.”

Wei Tu sighed and cupped his hands toward Yu Kui in a gesture of comfort.

“It can’t be helped. My strength simply isn’t enough.”

Yu Kui shook his head, his expression complicated.

For the first time, he gained a clear understanding of his own abilities.

“If I could reach the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, perhaps the puppets I refine would be strong enough to withstand an attack from a late-Foundation Establishment cultivator…”

Watching Wei Tu’s departing figure, Yu Kui’s eyes flashed with unwillingness, but after a deep sigh, he dismissed the thought of rushing to break through.

He had only reached Foundation Establishment at one hundred and fifty years old—his potential was already exhausted.

Without another hundred to two hundred years, there was no hope of breaking into mid-Foundation Establishment.

After escorting Qin Zhenren and her disciple away, Wei Tu tightened his grip on the Jade Essence Pill, preparing for seclusion cultivation.

There were still over ten years before the Cloud Ze Secret Realm opened.

He intended to break through to mid-Foundation Establishment before then.

Upon reaching mid-Foundation Establishment, he would not be completely helpless against late-Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Today, Qin Zhenren’s single sword strike had not only shaken Yu Kui, but had also delivered a wake-up call to Wei Tu.

“Paper strength is ultimately meaningless.”

Only through actual combat could one truly determine who was superior.

Inside his cultivation chamber, Wei Tu sat cross-legged, opening the pill bottle and pouring out a Jade Essence Pill, about the size of a dragon’s eye fruit, its surface gleaming with a smooth jade-like luster.

He swallowed the pill and immediately wrapped it in his spiritual energy, beginning to refine its medicinal properties.

The Jade Essence Pill dissolved into pure liquid essence, flowing into his dantian. Under his careful absorption, the liquid gradually shrank as its essence fused into his body.

After two months, Wei Tu finished refining the first pill.

He noticed that his spiritual energy had increased by about fifteen percent, and he could faintly sense the barrier between early and mid-Foundation Establishment.

Although this sensation was brief, Wei Tu understood—

This was the bottleneck he needed to overcome to reach mid-Foundation Establishment.

Unlike Qi Refinement, each stage of Foundation Establishment came with its own bottleneck.

However, these bottlenecks varied—

For cultivators with highly refined spiritual energy, the barrier was as thin as paper.

As long as their spiritual energy reached a sufficient level, they could effortlessly break through.

Wei Tu did not rush to consume the next pill.

Instead, he activated his Yuan Gravity Law Seal, beginning the process of purifying his spiritual energy.

Within his dantian, the five-colored radiance of the Yuan Gravity Law Seal operated like a sieve, precisely filtering out impurities from his newly refined spiritual energy.

Tiny specks of medicinal residue—traces of pill toxins—were systematically expelled from his body.

The Yuan Gravity Law Seal’s gravitational effect made it easy to separate spiritual energy from impurities.

After half a month, Wei Tu had successfully expelled all traces of pill toxins.

His spiritual energy returned to its previous level of purity, no longer mixed with impurities.

However, compared to before, his total energy reserves had slightly decreased.

In other words, of the fifteen percent spiritual energy gain from the first Jade Essence Pill, about five percent was lost along with the impurities.

Wei Tu was not concerned about this loss.

“Pills can be purchased with spirit stones, but once a foundation is damaged, no amount of spirit stones can restore it.”

During his purification process, he noticed that the barrier to mid-Foundation Establishment had weakened slightly.

He took out another Jade Essence Pill and swallowed it.

Just like before, he refined its medicinal power, then purified his energy.

Half a year passed.

Wei Tu’s spiritual energy had once again increased.

He was now closer than ever to breaking through.

“I should take a break and focus on talisman crafting to stabilize my cultivation. After some time, I’ll take the last two pills.”

“Breakthroughs should happen naturally.”

With that thought, Wei Tu stood up and left his seclusion chamber.

As soon as he emerged, Wind-Cleaving Eagle flew over and delivered a letter into his hand.

“A letter from Second Brother?”

Wei Tu was momentarily surprised.

He couldn’t think of any reason why Wei Fei would write to him at this time.

Opening the letter, he read it carefully.

After finishing, he let out a deep sigh.

“After nearly a century of companionship, this day has finally come.”

In the letter, Wei Fei mentioned only one thing—

The “Ten-Year Pact” was officially over.

Wei Fei stated that he had reached the peak of Qi Refinement but was unable to step into Foundation Establishment.

He no longer saw any hope of advancement.

Thus, he chose to withdraw from Righteous Society.

From now on, he would not attend any more of their ten-year gatherings.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep