Outside Mirror Water Pavilion.
When Shen Yunqiu stopped her breakthrough, Ning Xuefeng and several Golden Core True Lords of Mirror Water Pavilion instantly looked grim.
Especially Ning Xuefeng. Her face was so cold it looked like ice that could drip water.
Even though she'd suspected earlier that Shen Yunqiu's breakthrough might be fake, suspecting was one thing—seeing it happen was another.
She had faced no small amount of pressure from Wei Tu's questioning because of this!
'Maybe Shen Yunqiu's hatred isn't just for Qin Yuling's line, but for the sect itself!' Ning Xuefeng's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
If that guess was true, Mirror Water Pavilion absolutely couldn't keep Shen Yunqiu around, let alone watch her advance to Nascent Soul.
…
Half a month later.
The spiritual vortex around Wei Yan finally dissipated.
Right after that, a talisman message shot out from Wei Yan's cave.
"Yan'er has formed her core."
Wei Tu reached out, caught the talisman, read it, and a relaxed smile spread across his face.
Now, Wei Yan's breakthrough to Golden Core was certain.
All that was left was for her to stabilize her power before coming out of seclusion.
"This time, I owe you three Dao friends a great debt."
He tucked the talisman into his sleeve, then bowed deeply to Yu Gongshou and his two companions, thanking them.
Half a year ago, after parting ways with Yu Gongshou's group at the Moon Condensation Palace border, his plan was to send them off first, then stay behind at the palace to wait for Wei Yan's breakthrough.
After all, the three of them had families to return to and couldn't linger too long in Kang Kingdom.
Unexpectedly, after learning that Wei Yan was about to break through, Yu Gongshou's group chose to stay at the palace border, insisting they'd wait until Wei Yan succeeded before leaving.
Wei Tu hadn't anticipated it then, but that thoughtful gesture half a year ago turned out to be a massive help today.
Without them, he wouldn't have been able to gather the five late-stage Golden Core cultivators needed for the Five Immortals Spirit-Gathering Array in time.
"Palace Master Cao, I'd like to use your palace's spirit land to hold a spirit banquet to thank Elders Gongshou and his companions. Would that be possible?"
After giving his thanks, Wei Tu turned to the Moon Condensation Palace Master Cao Mi, cupping his hands in a respectful salute.
"Of course, I'll cover all the costs myself," Wei Tu added.
"The main palace isn't appropriate for hosting Elder Gongshou and his friends," Cao Mi replied with a small smile. "But the nearby side palace, Xianfeng Palace, can be used for welcoming guests."
After all this, she, too, wanted to form ties with Yu Gongshou's powerful Guangyuan Yu Clan from Chu Kingdom. Wei Tu's request was the perfect opportunity to build that bridge.
Half a day later.
Inside the main hall of Xianfeng Palace.
Wei Tu and Cao Mi sat at the main table, hosting Yu Gongshou and his two companions who were seated below.
Accompanying them were Frost Fairy and other Golden Core cultivators of Moon Condensation Palace, as well as many cultivators of the Wei Clan.
"Is this… a Golden Core banquet?" Tao Ping'er, sitting next to Wei Changshou, felt dizzy just looking at the sea of Golden Core True Lords.
She'd heard from elders like Tao Fangde about the Hanshan Tao Clan's glorious past as a Golden Core family, but never once had their stories described a scene like this.
"Marrying into the Wei Clan was so worth it!" Tao Ping'er secretly rejoiced.
At first, she'd resisted the family's plan to marry her to Wei Changshou.
But now, every last bit of that reluctance had vanished.
The spirit banquet lasted two days and three nights.
When Yu Gongshou's group was finally satisfied with food and drink, Wei Tu got up to see them off personally, escorting them all the way to the Moon Condensation Palace's border—almost a thousand miles away.
"Alchemist Wei, let's stop here. If you keep going, we'll look like your bodyguards, but you'll look like ours!" Yu Gongshou slowed his light and cracked a joke as he looked at Wei Tu.
"Haha, Elder Gongshou, you jest."
Wei Tu paused his steps and chuckled.
They chatted a bit longer before, as the moment felt right, Yu Gongshou's group finally bid farewell.
Once they'd flown far enough that Wei Tu was out of sight, Yu Gongshou paused mid-air. He looked back for a moment, sighed, and said, "Let's hope we've bet on the right person… and that Wei Tu remembers this favor, giving our juniors a shot at Golden Core in the future."
Their real reason for accompanying Wei Tu right to the end was simple—they wanted him to remember their support so that when their families needed Mortal Shedding Pills in the future, he'd have a favorable word.
It was exactly because of this that they'd chosen to stay in Kang Kingdom when they learned Wei Yan was about to reach Golden Core, waiting for her success before leaving.
Their goal was straightforward.
Today, they helped protect Wei Tu's child's path to Golden Core.
In the future, Wei Tu should help their children reach Golden Core as well.
A favor returned for a favor given.
"These days, I've been asking around about Alchemist Wei's reputation in Kang Kingdom. He's known for repaying kindness."
"This time, since we've safeguarded Wei Yan's breakthrough, Alchemist Wei will surely return the favor one day…" one of the Yu family's Golden Core cultivators said with a smile.
Hearing this, Yu Gongshou and the other Yu family elder both nodded quietly, finally feeling reassured.
If Wei Tu wasn't the type to repay favors, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of escorting them for a thousand miles just to see them off.
After sending off Yu Gongshou and his companions, Wei Tu returned to Xianfeng Palace, where the spirit banquet had been held, to meet with Cao Mi, Palace Master of Moon Condensation Palace.
As soon as they met, Wei Tu asked about the cost of the banquet and the fees for renting Xianfeng Palace.
"As expected! Alchemist Wei, you're just like the rumors say—clear about interests, never greedy, easy to work with." Cao Mi covered her mouth with her sleeve and let out a few light laughs. "Our Moon Condensation Palace is wealthy enough that this small expense is nothing."
She waved her hand, signaling that Wei Tu didn't need to pay, lest money sour their rapport.
Hearing that, Wei Tu's eyes narrowed slightly. He couldn't help wondering what this Palace Master really wanted.
After all, it was Cao Mi who had suggested helping Shen Yunqiu using the Five Immortals Spirit-Gathering Array.
"I have enough wealth myself. Palace Master Cao already did me and my daughter a great favor—how could I take advantage of Moon Condensation Palace today?" Wei Tu thought for a moment about the cost, then took out a spirit stone pouch from his sleeve and placed it on a nearby table.
Inside the pouch were 5,000 spirit stones—enough to cover the banquet expenses several times over.
But to Wei Tu, this excess was nothing. As an old hand, he knew well that free favors often cost the most in the long run.
He wasn't about to accept such a favor so lightly.
"If Alchemist Wei insists, then I won't decline. After all, these costs were supposed to come out of our sect's public funds anyway." Cao Mi stepped up to the table, weighed the pouch in her hand, and a glint of sly amusement flashed in her eyes.
Seeing that, Wei Tu was briefly stunned. For a moment, this Palace Master of a powerful Nascent Soul sect looked less like a dignified leader and more like a mischievous young girl.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
Wei Tu knew all too well that "unsolicited kindness comes with strings attached." He wasn't interested in getting too close to Cao Mi.
As for the favor she'd done him, he'd find a way to repay it in the future.
"Alchemist Wei, wait."
Just as Wei Tu was about to leave, Cao Mi called out in a hurry. As Wei Tu had guessed, she did have important matters she wanted to discuss.
"Half a month ago, I proposed using the Five Immortals Spirit-Gathering Array to help Shen Yunqiu. I imagine you must have wondered why."
This time, Cao Mi's demeanor shifted back to the cold, elegant air she wore as Palace Master. Her voice grew much more distant than before.
"Indeed…I did wonder," Wei Tu admitted with a small nod. At Cao Mi's gesture, he sat back down to face the frosty beauty.
He'd been willing to help Shen Yunqiu because, with Bai Zhi's guidance, he could secretly capture a strand of Shen Yunqiu's aura through the array's reverse formation, laying the groundwork for future revenge.
But what about Cao Mi? She seemed to have no reason to help.
"As you know, Shen Yunqiu is already 700 years old. At that age, she should have long since exhausted her potential, with barely any chance left to reach Nascent Soul."
"Yet inside Mirror Water Pavilion, there were rumors that Shen Yunqiu obtained a great opportunity in her youth, giving her hope of advancing."
"But from what I've found, she spent nearly all those centuries holed up in the sect. Where could she have gotten such an opportunity?"
At this, Cao Mi's lips curved into a faintly mocking smile.
"This time, Shen Yunqiu faked her breakthrough to sabotage Wei Yan's path. But what she didn't anticipate was that, while forming her spiritual vortex, she inadvertently exposed a part of her foundation!"
Foundation?
Wei Tu's heart gave a small leap.
He guessed that Cao Mi's original proposal to help Shen Yunqiu with the Five Immortals Spirit-Gathering Array was a ploy to probe Shen Yunqiu's true capabilities and see if she really had the potential to break through.
After all, if Shen Yunqiu did advance, Moon Condensation Palace would suffer most from the resulting shift in power.
But unexpectedly, Cao Mi's investigation uncovered the hidden opportunity Shen Yunqiu possessed for Nascent Soul advancement.
But what exactly was that opportunity? Wei Tu still didn't know.
"What was Shen Yunqiu's foundation?" he asked at the right moment.
"A true spirit essence!" Cao Mi replied without hesitation, shooting him a sidelong glance as she revealed the secret.
Then she explained the history of how Moon Condensation Palace and Mirror Water Pavilion became old allies.
Ten thousand years ago, the founder of Mirror Water Pavilion, Mirror Water Daoist, was still a wandering cultivator who hadn't yet traveled to Zheng Kingdom to establish his sect.
At that time, Mirror Water Daoist was close with Moon Condensation Palace's Nascent Soul ancestor, Phantom Moon Fairy. The two were a celestial couple, and there were hints they'd become Dao companions.
Later, during a righteous-versus-demonic war, they stumbled into a perilous place where an ancient teleportation array took them into a secret realm.
In that realm, they encountered a gravely wounded descendant of a true spirit—the Moonshadow Snow Phoenix.
At first, the pair tried to tame the creature as a spirit pet. But the adult Moonshadow Snow Phoenix fought to the death rather than submit.
Left with no choice, they killed the phoenix. Once it died, they split the spoils.
Mirror Water Daoist took the true spirit essence, while Phantom Moon Fairy took the true spirit's flesh and blood.
That division carried down through their successors: Mirror Water Pavilion inherited the phoenix's essence, while Moon Condensation Palace kept its body.
Hearing this, Wei Tu finally understood how Cao Mi could use the Five Immortals Spirit-Gathering Array to sense the "Moonshadow Snow Phoenix" essence inside Shen Yunqiu. The essence and flesh were deeply connected—they came from the same being. Their link was stronger than any tracking technique.
"If I can get the Moonshadow Snow Phoenix's essence, I'll reach Nascent Soul within 100 years! My talent is far greater than Shen Yunqiu's!" Cao Mi's eyes burned with intensity.
"What does Palace Master mean?" Wei Tu asked, confused about what role she expected him to play. His outward cultivation was just at late Golden Core Realm. Even if she had sensed his true level through the array, he was still only at late Golden Core, hardly enough to help against Shen Yunqiu.
"From your array skills alone, I can tell you're no ordinary cultivator," Cao Mi said with a light laugh.
She'd started suspecting Wei Tu's true identity as soon as she realized he could arrange arrays. In her mind, only an old Nascent Soul monster who had seized a younger body could have such mastery of talismans, pills, and formations before age 400.
After all, no matter how talented a young Golden Core cultivator might be, reaching third-level mastery in all three arts was unheard of. His past also fit: unlike Shen Yunqiu, Wei Tu had faced many life-threatening situations, especially decades ago when he'd been ambushed by two peak Golden Core True Lords, Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu.
"If you have a request, please speak plainly," Wei Tu said after a moment, inviting Cao Mi to explain her intentions directly.
Cao Mi nodded slightly, revealing her plan to seize the true spirit essence from Shen Yunqiu. The plan was simple: she would activate a formation called the "Body-Remolding Spirit-Returning Array" to awaken the true spirit essence inside Shen Yunqiu, then use the array's power to forcefully rip it from her.
"A hundred years ago, when Moon Condensation Palace loaned Yujing Mountain to Mirror Water Pavilion as a spiritual habitat, we built a hidden gate in the mountain's spiritual vein…" Cao Mi added.
This hidden gate was the key to her plan. All she needed now was a capable third-level formation master—and Wei Tu fit perfectly, especially since he had a personal vendetta against Shen Yunqiu.
"What do I get out of this?" Wei Tu asked bluntly, tapping his finger on the table as he looked at the palace master. If all he got was revenge while Cao Mi walked away with all the benefits, he wasn't interested. He wasn't stupid enough to risk everything for nothing.
"After it's done, I'll grant your family part of our spiritual lands, so the Wei clan can establish a Golden Core-level family," Cao Mi said. "And… if that's not enough, I'm willing to marry you and become your Nascent Soul Dao companion."
With those words, she flipped her palm and handed Wei Tu a dark-colored page imbued with spiritual light.
"The Heaven's Nether True Page?" Wei Tu blurted out in surprise, realizing just how serious Cao Mi was.
Heaven's Nether True Page was a rare oath artifact, lost since ancient times. Back then, it was common, but now it was almost unknown. Ordinary soul oaths had little power over Golden Core cultivators, let alone those about to reach Nascent Soul. That's why Wei Tu had refused to swear to Ji Zhang back in Chu Kingdom. But an oath inscribed on the Heaven's Nether True Page was different: even Nascent Soul cultivators couldn't break its bonds.
"A spiritual land and a Nascent Soul Dao companion…" Wei Tu weighed the offer carefully.
If he were a Golden Core cultivator who'd hit his limit, this deal would tempt him. But he wasn't—once he reached Nascent Soul himself, he could easily get his own spiritual land. The only thing he couldn't guarantee was a Nascent Soul Dao companion. Yet that alone wasn't worth the risk. Worse, he suspected the promise of marriage was a trap: Dao companions without genuine bonds often turned on each other, and if Cao Mi achieved Nascent Soul before him, she might strike first. He couldn't rule out the possibility that she had ways to circumvent the Heaven's Nether True Page.
"I'll pass on the Dao companion offer," Wei Tu said calmly. "Aside from the spiritual land, I want some of the true spirit's flesh."
Compared to the empty title of a Dao companion, true spirit flesh was tangible. For a body cultivator like him, it was a powerful resource. His body cultivation had stagnated, but with true spirit flesh, he might break through.
"You don't want a Nascent Soul Dao companion?" Cao Mi's eyes flickered with surprise. Marrying her was the best bargaining chip she had, yet he rejected it outright.
'He really must be an old Nascent Soul monster,' Cao Mi thought. Only a Nascent Soul-level being would value solid benefits over flashy titles.