Half a day later.
Wei Tu returned to Cloud Crane Mountain with Huang Juzhi.
With a wave of his sleeve, he opened the secret chamber door and sent a message to summon Ni Shihuang and the Ni family's old ancestor waiting in the guest hall.
The old ancestor entered first. As soon as he saw Huang Juzhi inside the chamber, sitting there with a dazed expression, he immediately had some guesses.
He couldn't help but wonder—did Wei Tu fail in the soul search? Was he unable to find the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl's location? Maybe Huang Juzhi's soul got damaged in the process… Otherwise, a simple soul search wouldn't take this long.
That suspicion wasn't because he doubted the abilities of a Nascent Soul Venerable Master. It was just that Wei Tu was newly advanced. Compared to long-established Nascent Soul cultivators, he might still be lacking.
"The Ni family isn't too eager for this secret-realm medicinal garden opportunity. A bit of delay isn't a big deal..."
The Ni family's old ancestor quickly weighed his words and inserted himself into the conversation, trying to cover up Wei Tu's supposed "failure."
"Old Ancestor is right. Huang Juzhi isn't some kind soul. Even if Senior Fu is strong, it's understandable that he might have overlooked something at first."
Ni Shihuang immediately caught on and helped smooth things over with the old ancestor's comment.
At this point, both Ni Shihuang and the old ancestor knew very well—compared to provoking the wrath of a Nascent Soul cultivator, the loss of an opportunity like this was nothing.
If they could just keep Wei Tu happy and send this plague god away peacefully, that alone would be a victory.
After all, Wei Tu had the power to decide their life or death.
However—
Just as they finished speaking, they suddenly saw a smooth, star-stone-like pearl appear in Wei Tu's hand.
"The Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl?"
Seeing that, Ni Shihuang and the old ancestor exchanged a look, their eyes wide with disbelief. They hadn't expected that Wei Tu had truly, just as he claimed, extracted the treasure's location from Huang Juzhi's soul—and even brought it back here to Cloud Crane Mountain without them realizing.
"You two really underestimated me? Did you actually think a mere Nascent Soul cultivator could stump me?" Wei Tu suddenly spoke up, glancing at the two with a half-smile.
"Wouldn't dare, wouldn't dare."
That sentence alone made both of them pale. They shook their heads frantically, denying it with panic in their voices.
But after the fear faded, both of them were overcome with joy.
Now that the Nine-Yuan Flying Star Pearl was in hand, all that remained was to fix the coordinates of the secret-realm medicinal garden. Then the Cloud Crane Mountain Ni family could claim this huge opportunity.
Their only lingering concern was whether Wei Tu would change his mind, kill them, and take the treasure for himself.
Judging by how Wei Tu was acting now, that didn't seem likely.
Even so, the old ancestor decided to play it safe and add a layer of insurance.
He probed, "To cooperate with Senior Fu is the Ni family's honor. As for the treasures in the medicinal garden, we're more than happy to offer them all to Senior Fu. All we ask… is that you leave us a little benefit."
His logic was simple.
Let Wei Tu take the really valuable stuff. Those items were likely trouble for the Ni family anyway. They weren't beneficial to the clan in the long run.
Instead, it would be smarter to aim for something practical—like the Core Formation-grade spiritual items, similar to those in the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
Wei Tu didn't reject the request. Seeing the sincerity, he nodded slightly and replied with just one word, "Okay."
"But I do have one thing I need to make clear." Wei Tu added.
"Please speak, Senior Fu. We're all ears."
Though the old ancestor felt a slight unease at the unexpected statement, his years of cunning didn't allow a single crack to show on his face. He stayed calm, bowed, and respectfully invited Wei Tu to continue.
"Three years ago, I formed my Nascent Soul in the Great Void Realm. Fairy Ni witnessed it firsthand."
"Which means, at present… I still need time to stabilize my realm and grow stronger."
"So, going to the secret-realm medicinal garden can't be rushed. It'll have to wait at least a few decades."
Wei Tu paused and said slowly.
He had already decided not to mess with the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
Naturally, he was just as wary of this other secret-realm medicinal garden. He wouldn't enter it casually.
If he truly planned to explore it, he figured he'd need to meet two conditions:
1. His strength had to be on par with the Old Man Zhongming—that is, reach the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.
2. He needed to learn a technique like the one used by Master Jiuli to parasitize Madame Lan with a clone.
If he couldn't meet those two conditions, then no matter how much he feared for Bai Zhi's safety or craved the treasures inside, he wouldn't step foot into the medicinal garden in his lifetime.
"This matter will be handled entirely at Senior Fu's discretion. We wouldn't dare interfere."
Ni Shihuang stepped forward with a smile, answering before the old ancestor could.
She didn't know why Wei Tu wanted to delay the exploration of a medicinal garden left behind by the Nanhua Sect just to stabilize his realm and expand his abilities, but one thing was clear—this delay worked in the Ni family's favor.
The later it happened, the better prepared they could be.
By then, even if Wei Tu tried to go back on his word and monopolize the treasure, they'd have ways to respond.
"In that case, since Fairy Ni agrees, we'll leave it at that."
Wei Tu seemed unaware of Ni Shihuang's hidden thoughts. He glanced at her and the old ancestor and nodded.
With those words, Wei Tu didn't demand any soul oath from Ni Shihuang or the Ni family's old ancestor. He simply swept his sleeve, took Huang Juzhi, and left straight away.
Seeing that, Ni Shihuang and the old ancestor exchanged looks, unsure what to say.
If one said Wei Tu was sentimental and cared about Ni Shihuang and Ni Meixian, then why didn't he even say goodbye?
But if one said he didn't care…
His polite behavior this time really didn't resemble that of a demonic cultivator at all.
"Maybe he had urgent matters to attend to."
Ni Shihuang consoled herself, pushing down the faint disappointment in her heart.
Compared to her, the old ancestor was far more pragmatic. He looked at Ni Shihuang and asked if they should report this matter to the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
After all, without the Heavenly Maiden Sect backing them, their little Golden Core family from Cloud Crane Mountain would struggle to go up against a Nascent Soul cultivator like Wei Tu.
"No need to rush."
Ni Shihuang shook her head and said, "It takes decades to stabilize a Nascent Soul realm and grow one's divine abilities. That might not even be enough."
Given how Wei Tu delayed action despite such a great opportunity, she didn't even need to guess—there was definitely another reason behind it.
Most likely, it had to do with some unknown danger hidden inside that secret-realm medicinal garden.
She couldn't think of any other reason that would stop someone like Wei Tu from acting on his greed and seizing the treasure immediately.
Shortly after, once she and the old ancestor had discussed and settled on a common plan, the two of them left the cave one after the other in flight.
As for Huang Juzhi…
Neither Ni Shihuang nor the old ancestor gave him another thought. They just assumed Wei Tu had already refined his soul and turned him into a servant.
Such things were common in the demonic path.
After all, even a Golden Core cultivator was still worth quite a bit.
…
Half a day later.
On the Zheng Kingdom border, near the Black Blood Marsh.
Wei Tu came to a stop mid-flight and released Huang Juzhi from the spell that bound him.
"Fellow Daoist Huang, this is where we part ways."
Wei Tu kept his word from the day before and spoke calmly.
Letting Huang Juzhi go now did come with the risk of his true identity being exposed, but… he wasn't really worried about that.
First of all, Huang Juzhi and the Ni family already had a life-and-death grudge. The chances of him leaking anything were very slim.
Besides, given his current cultivation level, even if the Ni family found out he was Wei Tu, they wouldn't dare make trouble.
Now that he was in the Nascent Soul realm, the grudge with the Heavenly Maiden Sect wasn't necessarily hostile anymore—it could even turn into cooperation.
In the end, he never had a deep blood feud with them. Back when he was weak, he killed one of their Foundation Establishment disciples and took the Heaven-Mending Bowl, that's all.
And if he ever really did go into the medicinal garden, by then he'd be mid-stage Nascent Soul. At that level, even if the Heavenly Maiden herself showed up, he could still come and go as he pleased—there'd be nothing to worry about.
What's more—
When he left Cloud Crane Mountain without making them swear soul oaths, his real intention was to let them leak the matter to the Heavenly Maiden Sect. That way, he could form an alliance with them to search for treasure together.
After all, if the medicinal garden had dangers like those in the Cloud Ze Secret Realm, it would be better to bring another group along to share the risk.
"You're letting me go?"
Huang Juzhi didn't look too happy when he heard that. His face was full of confusion.
Decades ago, he used Nascent Soul to risk everything in search of vengeance against Qi Chengchu for the extermination of his clan.
But now, after all that, he was far from his former peak. His essence had been heavily depleted. Just keeping his strength at late-stage Golden Core was already impressive.
At this point, how was he supposed to take revenge on Qi Chengchu?
Yet… if he didn't seek revenge, Huang Juzhi didn't know what else to do with himself.
Now, after Nascent Soul, the road of cultivation was closed to him. His lifespan was running out too.
Wei Tu, seeing this, didn't show much sympathy.
He shook his head, swept his sleeve, and flew off, crossing over the Black Blood Marsh on his way back to the Kang Kingdom.
After all, he had no emotional ties with the Cloud Crane Mountain Huang family. Agreeing to take revenge for them and letting Huang Juzhi go was already the most he was willing to do.
Anything beyond that—was impossible.
"Back then, if the Huang family had treated this man well, maybe they wouldn't have suffered this fate."
Watching Wei Tu's silhouette fade into the distance, Huang Juzhi stood still for a long time. That thought inevitably surfaced in his mind.
Several days later, still wandering near the Black Blood Marsh, Huang Juzhi finally made up his mind. He locked onto a direction and flew toward Cuiping Valley as he remembered it.
He had decided...
To grow old and die there.