He just couldn't tell if Sun Chixin was telling the truth or not.
If you want a Qi Refinement cultivator to do something, the best reward is a Foundation Establishment Pill. If you want a Foundation Establishment cultivator to do something, the best reward is a Mortal Shedding Pill. By this logic, if you want a Golden Core cultivator to take action, what really moves them is a Nascent Transformation Pill.
"I wonder how Fellow Daoist Sun can prove that your sect really has a Nascent Transformation Pill?"
Wei Tu narrowed his eyes.
If Qingzhu Mountain really had a Nascent Transformation Pill, then why did True Lord Wanhai and his senior brother risk everything in the Great Void Realm, instead of seeking the pill from their own sect? In terms of status within the sect, Golden Core peak Wanhai True Lord was far above mid-Golden Core Sun Chixin. They weren't even in the same league.
Besides, when Wanhai True Lord went to the Great Void Realm, it was already the time when Qingzhu Mountain was about to migrate. Any sect, at such a critical moment, would use all their reserves to boost their own strength, rather than hold onto treasures and let outsiders benefit. Take the Heshan Huang Clan for example—after losing more than half their Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Cloud Ze Secret Realm, they immediately invited Alchemist Shu to refine pills for the clan and boost their numbers.
As for why Sun Chixin had singled him out...
Wei Tu wasn't surprised by this. He had leverage on Sun Chixin, who'd been involved in black market dealings and betraying the Fu Clan. At the same time, Sun Chixin also held his secret—that he was Yi Yun. With such dirt on each other, neither of them needed to fear the other leaking anything about today's conversation.
Seeing Sun Chixin hesitate, Wei Tu gave a cold snort and said, "If Fellow Daoist Sun won't talk, I'm not going to risk my life for some made-up Nascent Transformation Pill." As soon as he finished, he turned to leave.
"Don't go, Fellow Daoist Wei."
Sun Chixin hurried forward and blocked Wei Tu's path. He gave a bitter smile, then took out a few jade slips and some letters from his storage pouch, laying them out in front of Wei Tu.
"The Nascent Transformation Pill—I heard about it from Ancestor Chishe. These are all proof that the pill really exists."
He explained.
"Proof?" Wei Tu raised his eyebrows and stepped closer to look at the letters and jade slips.
These letters and jade slips were correspondence between a cultivator named Liu Wang from Qingzhu Mountain and Sun Chixin, exchanged over several decades. The contents were mostly the two of them plotting to win the favor of True Lord Chishe, so that he would grant Liu Wang the Nascent Transformation Pill and help him break through to Nascent Soul.
Wei Tu had never met Liu Wang in Zheng Kingdom, but as a Zheng cultivator, the name was still familiar to him. Liu Wang's Daoist name was True Lord Changlu, and like True Lord Wanhai, he was at the peak of the Golden Core stage.
After reading through the letters and jade slips, Sun Chixin took a deep breath, his tone complicated. "Because of my family's relationship with Ancestor Chishe, I was closer to him than the other Golden Core cultivators in the sect. True Lord Changlu and I secretly worked together, trying to get the Nascent Transformation Pill from the old ancestor… To avoid being backstabbed by Changlu, I kept all this correspondence as evidence, just in case. Never thought, after so many years, this evidence would become my bargaining chip now."
Wei Tu now believed most of what Sun Chixin said. Sure, letters and jade slips could be faked just like those anti-forgery tickets for the Ascending Cloud Flying Boat, but forging them wasn't any easier. The traces of age, the faint fluctuations of spiritual power—without the passing of decades or even a hundred years, it would be hard to replicate.
That's why Sun Chixin dared to claim these as real proof.
"Wanhai True Lord... even though his cultivation was high, Ancestor Chishe never trusted him..."
At that moment, Bai Zhi, hidden in Wei Tu's sleeve, secretly sent him a message to clear up his doubts.
"So that's how it is."
Wei Tu relaxed. High cultivation didn't always mean trust from the sect, and sometimes you'd be sidelined or suppressed by the inner circle. Wanhai True Lord was obviously such a case. He might not have even known there was an ownerless Nascent Transformation Pill left in Qingzhu Mountain.
"So what do I have to do to get that Nascent Transformation Pill?"
Wei Tu asked in a straightforward tone.
Now that the proof was convincing, if there was a real chance, he definitely wouldn't pass up on Qingzhu Mountain's Nascent Transformation Pill.
"Even though Mingwang Sect managed to trap Qingzhu Mountain and kill Ancestor Chishe with their background, their own strength dropped sharply too. They won't recover anytime soon."
"With your strength, Fellow Daoist Wei, and my help... we could sneak into the Mingwang Sect's back mountain and take back the treasures left by Qingzhu Mountain..."
"Once we're there, I'll tell you how to find the Nascent Transformation Pill."
Sun Chixin spoke slowly.
Although his cultivation had been suppressed by the toxic curse, with secret arts he could still unleash his real power for a short time. That wasn't a problem.
Wei Tu paused, a bit speechless. To be honest, Sun Chixin's plan was rough, pretty much just charging in with no real scheme.
But after thinking about it, he realized it might actually work. Right now, the Mingwang Sect was just a slightly stronger Golden Core power. They'd be operating from the shadows and have the element of surprise. Plus, even if Sun Chixin was foolish, he wouldn't risk his own life for nothing.
"When are we doing this?"
Wei Tu asked, getting down to the details.
Sun Chixin had already been the apothecary manager for the Fu Clan for more than thirty years, so there was no way he'd just toss aside that position so easily. Wei Tu figured that besides recovering from his injuries in the Fu Clan, Sun Chixin probably had other plans in Peach Immortal City as well.
"Within three years."
Sun Chixin thought for a moment and gave Wei Tu a rough timeframe.
"Three years?" Wei Tu's eyes flickered, and he smiled. "If you need anything from me while you're here, Fellow Daoist Sun, just say the word."
After saying that, Wei Tu cupped his hands in farewell, ready to leave Peach Immortal City while he had the chance. The Fu Clan's wanted notice was still a threat hanging over his head.
Wei Tu had just finished saying goodbye and was about to step out of the Wansheng Trading Company when Fu Dalü, who'd just left earlier, showed up at the door again.
"I didn't expect that Master Fang would turn out to be a famous third-rank alchemist from Kang Kingdom. I apologize for not recognizing you sooner, please forgive me," Fu Dalü greeted with a polite smile.
Just half a quarter-hour earlier, after seeing Wei Tu's real face, Fu Dalü had rushed back to the Fu Clan to deliver the bad news to his sister—Yi Yun, the one they were hunting, had slipped away right under their noses. But when Fu Linglong saw Wei Tu's face, she didn't get angry. In fact, she was delighted, and told her brother that they'd stumbled on a real treasure.
Right after that, Fu Linglong told him about Wei Tu's identity as a third-rank, mid-grade alchemist from Kang Kingdom.
Xiao Kingdom might have plenty of third-rank alchemists, but Liao Prefecture was different. The immortal cultivation world in Liao Prefecture developed a bit lopsided. All the big sects had elite disciples, and they were especially famous for their body refinement, but when it came to alchemy, crafting, talismans, or formations, skilled people were hard to find.
And third-rank alchemists were usually trained and raised by big sects. It was almost unheard of for a rogue cultivator to reach that level of mastery through self-study alone. So even though other areas of Xiao Kingdom had quite a few third-rank alchemists, almost none of them made their way to Liao Prefecture. At most, they'd just sell their pills there.
Once he knew who Wei Tu was, Fu Dalü instantly understood why Wei Tu was hiding his identity. There was no other reason—if anyone with bad intentions found out he was a third-rank alchemist, it'd be way too dangerous. Assassination, robbery, being captured and forced into slavery as an alchemist—these things happened all the time in the cultivation world.
"Master Fang, the Fu Clan would like to invite you to stay in Peach Immortal City for a while. The pay is absolutely generous," Fu Dalü said with a smile.
The truth was, he and his sister were exactly the type of people with "bad intentions." Of course, the Fu siblings didn't plan to imprison Wei Tu for good. They just wanted him to stay for a bit, use his status to boost business, and help the Fu Clan expand their operations.
'Truly a bunch of bandits,' Wei Tu thought, frowning.
He couldn't miss the hidden threat in Fu Dalü's words. "Young Master Fu, I've never even heard of your Fu Clan outside Peach Immortal City," Wei Tu replied coldly, his eyes frosty in warning.
Times had changed. Before, he was hiding from the Fu Clan because he didn't want the Jinglian Convent getting involved, especially since the whole mess started with Fu Linglong "crying wolf" first. He couldn't explain himself, nor did he have any room to argue. But now things were different.
His background was spotless. If Fu Dalü blocked him, it was Fu Dalü who was in the wrong. Even the Jinglian Convent, no matter how overbearing, wouldn't publicly take sides for the Fu siblings. After all, every big family had their own old Nascent Soul monster, and no matter how much importance they put on Fu Linglong as a "Buddhist Maiden," the Jinglian Convent didn't exist for the Fu Clan alone.
"The Fu Clan sincerely wants to cooperate. I hope Master Fang doesn't misunderstand us," Fu Dalü said, pressing his palms together in a solemn gesture.
Just as he finished, golden Buddhist light suddenly burst from his body, and a radiant golden sun appeared behind his head, like a living Buddha descending to the world. The sheer force of it made everyone around break into a cold sweat, their legs shaking uncontrollably.
"Cheap tricks," Wei Tu sneered.
With a flick of his sleeve, he took a step back. Instantly, twelve brilliant golden talismans floated in front of him, all pointed at Fu Dalü. These twelve talismans linked together, their spiritual power flashing, conjuring up a massive thundercloud.
Boom! Boom!
Streaks of blue lightning crackled from the cloud, striking straight at Fu Dalü, with no mercy.
"Mid-grade, premium third-rank talismans?" Fu Dalü's face changed.
Before he came, his sister had only told him that Wei Tu was a third-rank alchemist—she never mentioned he also had so many powerful talismans, enough to threaten even a late-stage Golden Core. Seeing the lightning bearing down, Fu Dalü didn't hesitate. He quickly formed a hand seal, channeling Buddhist light to create a thick golden bell as a shield.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Fu Dalü was forced back several steps. The golden bell shield now had finger-thick cracks, and his face looked much worse for wear.
That attack from Wei Tu was easily on par with a full-strength strike from a late-stage Golden Core. Even if Fu Dalü was at the same level, blocking that move on the fly wasn't easy.
"Young Master Fu, I've got plenty more tricks like that," Wei Tu said calmly.
The look on Fu Dalü's face got even uglier after that.