“Profound Nether Yin Fire?” Wei Tu guessed that the icy blue flame was the flame seed of the Profound Nether Yin Fire recorded in the black finger bone’s bone scroll.

This wasn’t just a wild guess without basis.

Bone scrolls left behind by high-level demonic cultivators were often created from their own flesh and bones, and it was totally normal for such scrolls to contain the flame seed of a demonic divine ability like Profound Nether Yin Fire.

“I left that black finger bone inside the Wind-Cleaving Eagle for so many years, and only now has the flame seed of Profound Nether Yin Fire emerged…” Wei Tu rubbed his chin, recalling the Immortal Spirit Dew he had been feeding the eagle all these years.

Immortal Spirit Dew was secreted from the flesh-type artifact known as the Myriad Spirits Demon Infant.

And that artifact was one of the treasures of the Wanling Cult, one of the Five Great Demonic Sects.

In other words, it was likely that this demonic spirit item, Immortal Spirit Dew, nourished the black finger bone inside the Wind-Cleaving Eagle, leading to the birth of the Profound Nether Yin Fire’s flame seed.

“Profound Nether Yin Fire is a wicked flame of extreme cold and yin among the demonic paths. Even the slightest trace of its flame seed isn’t something ordinary cultivators can endure.” Wei Tu suddenly thought of this and sent his divine sense into the Wind-Cleaving Eagle again.

Once he confirmed that the blue ghostly flame wasn’t harming the eagle, he let out a sigh of relief.

At this point, the Wind-Cleaving Eagle had reached mid-stage second rank—it was one of his key combat forces.

If anything happened to it, the consequences would be significant.

But Wei Tu didn’t regret his decision back then. If he hadn’t fed the eagle that black finger bone, there was no way he’d have waited long enough to witness the emergence of the Profound Nether Yin Fire’s flame seed.

The eagle shared the same Foundation Establishment cultivation realm as him. Only by doing it this way could he keep observing the black finger bone’s mutation and have enough time to react accordingly.

To him, the black finger bone’s bone scroll was worth far more than a second-rank spirit beast with limited potential.

Afterward, Wei Tu used his divine sense again to examine the red vertical mark that had appeared on the eagle’s brow.

But this time, he couldn’t see anything strange about it—it seemed to just be a change in the eagle’s appearance.

…

After finishing his check of the Wind-Cleaving Eagle, Wei Tu picked up the two letters it had just brought over.

One letter was from Wei Fei, the other from Kou Hongying.

Wei Tu opened Wei Fei’s letter first.

“After more than thirty years of struggle, Second Brother has finally reached Foundation Establishment.” Wei Tu felt a wave of emotion after reading the first line.

It had been over thirty years since Wei Fei failed to break through from the tenth layer of Qi Refinement.

Those thirty years passed in a flash, yet also felt like a lifetime.

In that time, the stable political landscape of Zheng Kingdom had turned chaotic, and the members of their Yi Society had been scattered across different places, each walking their own path.

Next.

Wei Tu saw words of gratitude from Wei Fei for the talismans he’d given him before parting.

Wei Fei wrote: if it hadn’t been for Wei Tu’s parting gift—several second-rank talismans hidden in the secret compartment of the jade box—he likely would’ve died in the attempt.

Seeing this, Wei Tu chuckled.

He’d known Wei Fei wouldn’t accept those talismans directly, so he had hidden them inside the jade box containing the Foundation Establishment item.

Reading further.

Wei Fei described the life-and-death situation he had faced during his breakthrough attempt.

Just like what he told Wei Tu in person—

After acquiring a Foundation Establishment item, he immediately headed to the Red Cloud Mountain market where the Rogue Immortal Alliance was based, and pooled resources with others to hire Alchemist Song for pill refinement.

Everything went smoothly.

But on his way out of the market after receiving the Foundation Establishment Pill, he was ambushed by a group of cultivator bandits.

The group included one early Foundation Establishment cultivator and two late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.

Under normal circumstances, this would’ve been a death sentence for Wei Fei.

Fortunately, he used the second-rank talismans Wei Tu had given him to kill all three attackers.

In the letter, Wei Fei admitted it was sheer luck—the Foundation Establishment cultivator had grown complacent. Without that mistake, even talismans wouldn’t have saved him.

“Second Brother still lacks experience.” Wei Tu shook his head after reading the letter.

If it were him, the moment he got the Foundation Establishment Pill from Alchemist Song, he would’ve established his Foundation right in the market, no matter the cost—never would he leave and give bandits a chance to strike.

But soon, Wei Tu dismissed that thought.

This kind of logic wasn’t something Wei Fei didn’t understand.

The issue was—

Even a penny could bring down a hero.

In the Red Cloud Mountain market, Wei Fei likely had no spirit stones left to rent a cave residence. And the ones near second-rank spirit veins were incredibly expensive.

Without extra funds, he had no choice but to leave and find a place elsewhere to break through.

And that made him the perfect target for bandits.

…

After writing a reply to Wei Fei, Wei Tu opened Kou Hongying’s letter.

“No wonder…” Wei Tu sighed and placed the letter on the table.

This wasn’t a casual greeting from Kou Hongying—it was her explanation of Qin Zhenren’s “strange” behavior three years ago.

After Qin Zhenren lost her memory, although her behavior seemed unchanged to outsiders, to Kou Hongying, her disciple who had lived by her side for years, the difference was stark.

At first, Kou Hongying thought the personality shift came from the shock of a major breakthrough. That wasn’t uncommon.

But after the Golden Core celebration—

She changed her mind.

In the letter, Kou Hongying put forth a theory: Qin Zhenren’s strange behavior might have been caused by Shen Yunqiu’s sabotage. He could have tampered with the “Mortal Shedding Pill,” giving her an inferior one.

The evidence was that shortly after Qin Zhenren went into closed-door cultivation, one of Shen Yunqiu’s juniors also conveniently entered seclusion to attempt breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

And that junior’s secluded location wasn’t within Mirror Water Pavilion, but rather in a third-rank spirit land outside the sect.

“Shen Yunqiu?” Wei Tu’s brows lifted slightly when he saw that name.

Shen Yunqiu was one of the twelve Golden Core True Lords of Mirror Water Pavilion, and already at late-stage Golden Core. He was also the one who had secretly orchestrated Kou Hongying’s deployment to the front lines while Qin Zhenren was still in closed-door cultivation.

Wei Tu had heard this from Kou Hongying before.

What he hadn’t expected was that Shen Yunqiu would have the audacity to tamper with the Mortal Shedding Pill issued to Qin Zhenren by the sect—switching it out right under their noses.

“If Shen Yunqiu really did this, then Qin Zhenren’s memory loss makes sense.”

“It also explains why he dared send Kou Hongying to die at the frontlines even when Qin Zhenren was on the verge of forming a core.”

Wei Tu thought silently.

The life-or-death tribulation during core formation could indeed result in memory loss, but that probability was extremely low—less than one in a hundred.

However—

If she had taken a defective Mortal Shedding Pill…

Then the fact that Qin Zhenren managed to succeed at forming her core with only minor memory loss could be considered extremely fortunate.

“Still, what Shen Yunqiu did helped me a great deal. If Qin Zhenren had successfully formed her core without memory loss, she’d definitely have come probing.”

After leaving Mirror Water Pavilion, Wei Tu had carefully considered why Qin Zhenren had fixated on him. Was it due to the Twin Resonance Jade, or was it driven by greed?

In the end, he came to a conclusion.

Eight or nine out of ten—it was greed.

Otherwise, how could he explain why Qin Zhenren hadn’t retrieved the “secondary jade” of the Twin Resonance Jade after leaving the Cloud Ze Secret Realm?

The Twin Resonance Jade could sense the location of the other piece within a hundred li.

Clearly, Qin Zhenren had planned to wait until she formed her core, then use the jade to locate him and “settle accounts.”

…

Walking out of the cave residence.

Wei Tu saw the side wing of his dwelling tightly shut and couldn’t help but chuckle.

After bringing his concubine Qi Feng into the Mei Clan’s territory at Xiaya Cliff, she initially tried to engage with him more, hoping to establish a stronger presence.

But after witnessing him retreat into closed-door cultivation again and again, fully focused on cultivation, she gradually gave up.

Perhaps influenced by him, Qi Feng adopted the same austere attitude. She spent eight or nine months a year in seclusion.

Wei Tu didn’t linger outside the side residence. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned into a stream of light and left the Mei Clan.

…

A few days later.

In a market near the Mei Clan territory.

Wei Tu, using the alias “Liu Ao” and wearing a disguise, entered the Baibao Pavilion managed by the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild.

Out of caution, he didn’t reveal his true cultivation level. With the Thousand Faces Phantom Art and a Concealment Talisman, he suppressed his visible aura down to mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

After the previous transaction with Qin Zhenren, Wei Tu had less than one thousand spirit stones left.

This time, he came to the Baibao Pavilion to follow through on the arrangement he had previously discussed with Manager Fan—to sell talismans.

After the war between righteous and demonic forces started, high-grade talismans became extremely sought-after.

However, just as Wei Tu completed his talisman transaction, Manager Fan unexpectedly called out to stop him.

“Please wait, Daoist Wei.” Manager Fan smiled as she spoke. “I have a business proposition that might interest you. If it goes well, you could gain a Golden Core opportunity.”

“A Golden Core opportunity?” Wei Tu paused, looking at her with interest, waiting for her explanation.

For Foundation Establishment cultivators, breaking through to the Golden Core stage was their lifelong pursuit.

Forming a core would bring a significant boost in status, power, and lifespan.

Although Wei Tu already possessed a complete Golden Core opportunity and had no need to chase others, if he walked away too abruptly now, he’d surely arouse Manager Fan’s suspicion.

“Daoist Wei, you’re not with the Heshan Huang Clan anymore, right?” Manager Fan said with a smile, as if she had complete confidence in this fact.

Wei Tu’s expression darkened slightly. “How did Manager Fan know this? Did Jiu Yun Merchant Guild investigate me?”

He wasn’t surprised if they had.

Being hired as a guest elder, only to be investigated afterward, wasn’t unheard of.

Still, it was necessary to show the proper attitude. Otherwise, he’d be seen as easy to manipulate.

“Don’t be angry, Daoist Wei. It was our fault.” Manager Fan gave a respectful curtsey and apologized, confirming that the merchant guild had indeed looked into his background.

Hearing her apology, Wei Tu’s expression softened. Still puzzled by her earlier comment, he asked, “Manager Fan, you brought up my current status, then mentioned a Golden Core opportunity. Are these two matters related?”

“Do you know who the new guest elder of the Heshan Huang Clan is?” she asked in return.

“New guest elder?” Wei Tu’s brows rose. He immediately thought of Alchemist Shu and Yang Xiang.

“What, does it have to do with the two of them?” he asked, surprised.

“It certainly does with Alchemist Shu,” Manager Fan smiled. “A few years ago, he won a third-rank demon core at an underground auction. I’m sure you were present as well.”

She knew that Wei Tu had been at the scene and had watched as Alchemist Shu acquired the core.

“That demon core was the main ingredient for refining the Azure Flame Pill. After obtaining it, Alchemist Shu immediately returned to Yunhe Mountain and began refining.”

“Once he succeeded, he went into seclusion to attempt core formation.”

“Unfortunately, the Azure Flame Pill isn’t as effective as the Mortal Shedding Pill. Its success rate is too low, and Alchemist Shu failed—resulting in a false core.”

Manager Fan explained slowly.

“Alchemist Shu’s failure to form a core—what does that have to do with me?” Wei Tu frowned.

“It has everything to do with you.”

Manager Fan seemed amused by something and couldn’t help covering her mouth as she laughed softly. Still, that laughter carried a hint of coldness.

“Daoist Wei should know that the lifespan of a false core cultivator is no different from that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. ‘False Core’ is simply a euphemism used after one fails to form a proper Golden Core.”

“Of course, compared to high-level Foundation Establishment cultivators, those with false cores are indeed stronger.”

At this point, Wei Tu had already begun to guess where this was going, but he wasn’t yet sure if his speculation was correct.

So, he continued listening patiently.

“After Alchemist Shu failed to form a core, he had less than ten years of life left—practically on death’s doorstep.”

“At that point, the Heshan Huang Clan’s attitude toward him took a sharp turn, and even his benefits were cut in half.”

“There are even rumors that the Huang Clan planned to send Alchemist Shu to the front lines as cannon fodder—a substitute to die in place of their own disciples…”

Manager Fan said each word slowly and clearly.

Then she looked at Wei Tu with a half-smile. “The reason Daoist Wei left the Heshan Huang Clan likely wasn’t so simple, was it? Just look at what happened to Alchemist Shu, and everything becomes clear.”

Wei Tu said nothing.

Just as he had suspected—Alchemist Shu had been discarded by the Huang Clan after being used up, ending up just like him.

Back when he was still at the Huang Clan, he had already thought that taking in Alchemist Shu and Yang Xiang as guest elders was inviting wolves into the house. Sooner or later, the clan would suffer for it.

However, during the underground auction, Alchemist Shu had given him a subtle warning out of goodwill. That had made Wei Tu reevaluate his judgment—maybe Alchemist Shu wasn’t a good person, but he wasn’t some irredeemable villain either.

Now, Alchemist Shu and Yang Xiang had spent ten years with the Heshan Huang Clan, and in all that time, there hadn’t been any major incidents.

Maybe the two of them had their own plans brewing in secret—schemes that Wei Tu couldn’t possibly know about. But the fact that the Huang Clan treated them this poorly without understanding the full picture just proved one thing: they were even more loathsome than Alchemist Shu.

—After leaving the Huang Clan, Wei Tu had exchanged letters with Zhao Qingluo. Through her, he learned that the Huang Clan’s ally, the Qiyue Zhao Clan, had never told them about Shuyun Alliance’s previous dealings with the Chisong Jia Clan.

Zhao Qingluo had written: the Chisong Jia Clan was one of the Seven Great Golden Core Families in Zheng Kingdom. They had countless ties with many forces. If the Zhao Clan had warned the Huang Clan, not only would they have gone unappreciated, but they might’ve been accused of sowing discord.

…

After a brief silence.

Wei Tu signaled for Manager Fan to continue explaining what Alchemist Shu’s failed core formation had to do with the Golden Core opportunity.

“Alchemist Shu didn’t just refine one Azure Flame Pill—he made three in total. He took one himself, and still has two left.”

“And right now, the Huang Clan’s patriarch Huang Xinglie is on the front lines…” Manager Fan said with deep implication.

By this point, it was obvious what she meant.

If Wei Tu didn’t express a stance, this conversation couldn’t go any further.

“The Huang Clan and I already have our differences. If Alchemist Shu is offering Azure Flame Pills as his wager, I’d be willing to lend a hand,” Wei Tu said with a faint smile.

He didn’t care about Alchemist Shu’s personal feud with the Huang Clan and had no intention of getting involved. But there was no harm in understanding the situation better.

And besides, Manager Fan had already led the conversation this far—if he outright refused now, it would only cause unnecessary complications.

Refusing flat-out would only make Alchemist Shu see him as an obstacle and act against him first.

After all, going up against the Huang Clan meant risking their lives. It wasn’t a request one could easily walk away from.

“This time, in addition to those two Azure Flame Pills, Alchemist Shu is also offering his years of accumulated wealth and his second-rank alchemist inheritance.”

Manager Fan smiled.

Wei Tu hadn’t mentioned anything about Shuyun Alliance’s ties to the Chisong Jia Clan, and he certainly wasn’t about to spill Alchemist Shu’s secrets for the sake of the Huang Clan.

Right now, he and Alchemist Shu naturally stood on the same side.

“This is Shuyun Alliance’s communication talisman.”

As she spoke, Manager Fan took out a talisman and handed it to Wei Tu.

“Sometime within this year, Shuyun Alliance is expected to make a move against the Huang Clan. When the time comes, this talisman will notify Daoist Wei of the precise timing and location of the operation.”

Her tone grew serious.

“Manager Fan seems to know a great deal about Shuyun Alliance—even has one of their communication talismans. Don’t tell me… you’re part of the alliance yourself?” Wei Tu took the talisman and raised an eyebrow, asking with deliberate casualness.

Hearing this, a flicker of displeasure passed across Manager Fan’s face. But she didn’t lash out at him for the impertinent question.

“I’m merely a friend of Alchemist Shu’s. I’ve bought pills from him in the past, but I’m not a member of Shuyun Alliance.”

“Then why is Manager Fan so intent on bringing me in?”

“If all the other participants are Shuyun Alliance members, what use would an outsider like me have?”

Wei Tu pressed on.

Hearing this, Manager Fan’s expression softened. His questions showed he was seriously considering the matter, not just brushing her off.

“There are four other invitees besides Daoist Wei—and none of them are from Shuyun Alliance either,” she revealed.

“The reason we want Daoist Wei involved isn’t just to add another fighter, but also because you’re familiar with Yunhe Mountain and the Huang Clan’s cultivators.”

She added this explanation.

Having asked all he needed to, Wei Tu stood and prepared to leave.

“Allow me to walk you out,” Manager Fan offered politely.

“That won’t be necessary.”

Wei Tu waved her off.

As he reached the door of the private room, he gave his sleeve a subtle flick—and a thumb-sized moth flew out.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep