Next, the Wind Cleaving Eagle demonstrated its control over another divine ability, "Xuanming Yin Fire," which had also improved after its breakthrough.
Xuanming Yin Fire was originally a high-level demonic technique that Wei Tu had obtained in the Cloud Ze Secret Realm. By a twist of fate, a trace of this fire's seed had taken root in the Wind Cleaving Eagle's body, eventually allowing it to master this demonic flame.
And with the eagle's bloodline mutation, Xuanming Yin Fire even showed signs of evolving into one of its innate divine abilities.
"Shriek, shriek!" The Wind Cleaving Eagle let out several screeches, then opened its beak and spat out a deep blue flame, instantly transforming the secluded chamber into a land of frost.
"Compared to its escape speed, this Xuanming Yin Fire is far less impressive—only about mid-stage Golden Core level in power."
"But the Wind Cleaving Eagle's strength has always been in speed. Its weaker offense isn't a big deal."
Wei Tu stretched out his right hand, feeling the chill of the flame, and thought to himself.
In truth, the eagle's offensive power was already first or second tier among mid-stage Golden Core cultivators. It wasn't weak.
It only seemed that way because Wei Tu himself had advanced so quickly. At his current peak Golden Core level, the Wind Cleaving Eagle was starting to fall behind in battle.
…
About three to four months after the eagle's breakthrough, Yu Wencheng, who Wei Tu had been monitoring, finally left his rented cave and flew out of White Phoenix Immortal City.
Seizing the opportunity, Wei Tu didn't waste time. He disguised himself as a dark-skinned old man and quietly followed Yu Wencheng.
'Did he notice me?'
Halfway through the chase, Wei Tu saw Yu Wencheng slow down and start veering toward a remote area.
Narrowing his eyes, Wei Tu paused briefly, hesitation flashing across his face.
But after thinking it over, he decided to keep pursuing.
'Boldness comes with skill.'
With so many treasures protecting him, as long as his opponent wasn't a Nascent Soul cultivator, he was confident he could escape unscathed.
And if Yu Wencheng really did have a Nascent Soul ally, he would've made a move long ago. There'd be no need to lure him into the wilderness.
Plus, from all his surveillance so far, Yu Wencheng had shown no signs of contacting other cultivators. He'd been operating solo this whole time.
That meant this "bait" tactic of Yu Wencheng's was likely just a bluff.
If Wei Tu gave up now and let him go, he might never get another shot at killing him.
"I don't know what grudge you have with me, Daoist friend, but why have you been following me so closely?"
At a secluded forest, Yu Wencheng stopped flying. His light dimmed as he turned to glare coldly at the shadow tailing him.
He had already noticed the man trailing him when they left White Phoenix Immortal City.
At first, he assumed it was just a robber targeting him and didn't think much of it.
But as the man kept following, showing no hesitation or fear even when led into a remote area, Yu Wencheng began to doubt the stranger's identity.
'Robbers are usually cautious. They don't make a move unless they're sure they'll win.'
"Grudge? I'm just here for your money. In our Six Desires Sect, we don't owe anyone explanations."
Wei Tu masked his identity and made up a casual lie.
"Six Desires Sect? Surname Ji?"
Hearing this, Yu Wencheng's face darkened.
A member of the Six Desires Sect with the surname Ji? Wei Tu was clearly claiming to be "Ji Zhang."
How could that be?
Everyone in White Phoenix Immortal City knew that Ji Zhang had been imprisoned by Tianyi Sect and wasn't allowed outside.
And with all the merchant guilds watching, even if Tianyi Sect did release him, they wouldn't let him act so brazenly.
'Could this guy have been sent by the merchant guilds, deliberately pretending to be Ji Zhang to smear his name and pressure Tianyi Sect further?'
Yu Wencheng raised his brow slightly, considering the possibility.
It wasn't far-fetched.
The guilds had already turned into bandits on other trade routes, paralyzing cross-border commerce between Xiao Kingdom and neighboring nations.
Doing something like this again wouldn't surprise anyone.
"Daoist Ji, how much would I need to pay to spare my life?"
Yu Wencheng didn't call out Wei Tu's bluff. He calmly probed, trying to get more information out of him.
The guild disguise theory was just one possibility. He was worried Wei Tu might have other motives.
"100,000 spirit stones."
Wei Tu's tone was clearly impatient.
"100,000 spirit stones?" Yu Wencheng's expression turned ugly.
He did have that much, but it would require selling off many of his assets.
"Looks like you're not planning to let this go peacefully!"
A fierce light flashed in Yu Wencheng's eyes as he flipped his palm and summoned a golden saber.
If Wei Tu had only asked for 10,000 or 20,000 spirit stones, he might've endured the humiliation and handed over the money for the sake of staying alive in a foreign land.
But the price was just too high.
With a flick of his wrist, Yu Wencheng sent the golden saber flying, slashing through the air and unleashing a wave of saber energy toward Wei Tu.
The slash split the sky. The surrounding forest fell silent. Even the howling wind stopped for a moment.
Heaven and earth lost their color.
It was as if the only thing left in the world was that brilliant golden blade, hanging in the air.
"Mid-stage Golden Core? I was giving you face, but you clearly don't want it!"
Yu Wencheng's eyes glinted gold as he looked at Wei Tu with mockery.
The She Ri Tribe's "Sun-Gazing Golden Eyes" was a top-tier secret art. With them, he could see Wei Tu's cultivation level clearly.
Since they were equals…
As the top genius of the She Ri Tribe—and one of the three great tribes—Yu Wencheng had full confidence in his strength.
He didn't believe he would lose to Wei Tu. That earlier talk about negotiating was just him giving face, not wanting to make a big scene.
But—
In less than a moment, the mockery on Yu Wencheng's face froze. His expression turned serious.
Right as the dazzling blade aura slashed toward him, Wei Tu didn't dodge. Instead, he flipped his palm, and a bright red talisman appeared in his hand. He slapped it onto his forehead.
In an instant, Wei Tu's eyes and hair turned crimson. Silver wings sprouted from under his ribs, and his skin darkened to a strange bluish-green.
With this transformation, he spread his silver wings forward to shield himself. They easily blocked the golden saber's strike.
At the same time, he flicked his hand and knocked the saber out of the air. Its glow dimmed instantly.
"Flying Yaksha?!" Yu Wencheng was shocked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
The Flying Yaksha was one of the most terrifying beings in corpse cultivation, second only to the Drought Demon. Even the weakest were at Nascent Soul level.
"What kind of talisman is that? That power... it's on par with a late-stage Golden Core cultivator!"
Yu Wencheng started to feel uneasy. He was seriously considering retreating.
He knew nothing about Wei Tu. Right now, he was exposed, while Wei Tu was hidden.
And Wei Tu's methods were way too strange.
"Trying to run?"
Suddenly, a black-robed ghostly figure appeared behind Yu Wencheng.
This figure also had Golden Core-level power. It formed a huge ghostly hand, about ten feet wide, to block Yu Wencheng's escape route.
With his path blocked—
The next moment, bright blue beams of light rose from the ground. They formed an interlocking array above and created a solid barrier, sealing Wei Tu, Yu Wencheng, and the ghost figure inside.
"A third-rank trapping array?!"
Yu Wencheng's back went cold. He felt the breath of death.
Now he understood why Wei Tu had wasted time talking earlier. It wasn't because he was clever and Wei Tu was dumb. Wei Tu had been buying time for the ghost figure to set up the array, cutting off every path of escape.
'Too careless.'
Yu Wencheng regretted it deeply. If only he'd been more cautious and turned back to White Phoenix Immortal City when he first noticed Wei Tu, he wouldn't be in this mess.
Even if he somehow survived today, it would likely be at the cost of his entire fortune.
'I've got no choice. Gotta fight.'
Gritting his teeth, Yu Wencheng summoned a jade umbrella magic item to block attacks from Wei Tu and the ghost figure.
As soon as it appeared, the jade umbrella released a hazy yellow mist that formed a solid shield around him.
"No wonder he's the She Ri Tribe's first prince and a top-tier genius—he's got a top-grade third-rank defensive artifact."
Wei Tu, now transformed into a Flying Yaksha by the Spirit Transformation Talisman, looked surprised when his attacks failed to break through.
Top-grade third-rank artifacts were rare. In all his cultivation years, he'd only seen the "Yellow Cloud Pouch" and "Azure Flood Banner" used by Yuan Ying.
And Yuan Ying only had those because he was on a mission to assassinate Yuan Jie. His rank and background weren't enough to own them otherwise.
But Yu Wencheng's jade umbrella was clearly different.
This was something the She Ri Tribe had prepared specifically to protect their top genius.
The tribe clearly valued Yu Wencheng highly.
"Wei Tu, end this quickly. That guy probably still has more powerful tricks up his sleeve."
The ghost figure spoke to Wei Tu via spiritual transmission.
This black-robed figure was none other than Bai Zhi, who had been following Wei Tu for over a century.
"I know. But without using talismans, it's hard to break through that yellow shield fast…"
Wei Tu replied after a pause.
The reason he used the Spirit Transformation Talisman to become a Flying Yaksha was to avoid revealing his usual techniques. He didn't want to expose his identity to Yu Wencheng.
Besides physical strength, most of his combat power came from the talismans he carried.
With talismans and body refinement, he could often win with just one strike.
There was no need to rely on other methods.
—But talismans had unique traits. Using too many of them could give away who he really was.
"Forget it. Aside from talismans, the rest of my gear is basically useless now…"
Wei Tu's expression turned ruthless. He slapped his storage pouch and summoned three magical artifacts, each glowing with different light.
They were: a giant calligraphy brush about ten feet long, an ancient inkstone, and a silver ring.
All three radiated mid-grade third-rank power.
He had obtained them from opponents in previous battles. They were their bonded life artifacts.
The calligraphy brush came from Daoist Wolfslayer. The other two—from Liang Tu and Liang Yijiang of Qingming Sect.
"Go!"
Wei Tu shouted and sent the three artifacts hurtling toward Yu Wencheng, detonating them just before impact.
With a deafening blast, a massive explosion of light erupted above Yu Wencheng's head. The blinding brightness made it impossible to see anything clearly.