The third-tier demonic body-refining technique, "True Demonic Refinement Art," was something Wei Tu got back during Foundation Establishment Realm through Gong Suzhen, trading with a Mirror Water Pavilion cultivator. After cultivating it all the way until now, "True Demonic Refinement Art" was getting harder and harder to improve. He was nearly at its limit. But higher-level body-refining techniques were tough to find. So, the appearance of the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture" was a real lifesaver.
"I'll switch to the new technique first. After I finish switching to the 'Dao Immortal Source Scripture,' I'll head to Xiao Kingdom," Wei Tu decided to hold off on his trip for now. Your cultivation technique is the root of everything. The sooner you switch over, the better it is for all your future cultivation. Besides, while dual-cultivating both righteous and demonic paths is common among rogue cultivators, there are very few who have such deep attainments in demonic body-refining as he does.
Among the four inland kingdoms, the farther south you go, the more rigid people are about the difference between righteous and demonic. Xiao Kingdom is the heartland of the righteous path. Many righteous sects in other kingdoms originally started in Xiao Kingdom. For Wei Tu, going to Xiao Kingdom with demonic cultivation would definitely stir up trouble. So since he now had this "Dao Immortal Source Scripture" body-refining method, it was best to switch over before traveling to Xiao Kingdom. At least, there's no harm in switching first.
"To switch to this method, I need to take a Dao-Forging Pill to lay the foundation... Could this pill in the blue pill cauldron be the Dao-Forging Pill?" Wei Tu's eyes lit up. He slapped his storage pouch and took out the blue pill cauldron that came from the same cave as the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture."
High-tier techniques aren't easy to cultivate like lower-tier ones. They demand more from your aptitude, bloodline, and foundation. For this scripture, you just need a Dao-Forging Pill to build your base, which is pretty easy compared to most high-level techniques. For example, Ancient Sword Mountain's advanced techniques require you to first temper your sword bones and use that as your foundation. And Kou Hongying once mentioned that Mirror Water Pavilion's core technique, "Water Moon Dao Scripture," is so strict that it requires special water-attribute or yin-cold spirit bodies to cultivate.
Compared to those, the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture," which only needs a special pill for the foundation, is way more user-friendly.
"Open!" Wei Tu formed a series of hand seals, breaking the seals and restrictions on the blue pill cauldron one by one.
After more than ten breaths, the pill cauldron opened, and a white pill floated out, neither entirely qi nor pure essence, with its light hidden deep inside. Within the pill, a dazzling, pure energy shimmered, weaving and flowing—clearly extraordinary.
"Looks like a fourth-tier spirit pill?" Wei Tu was surprised and pleased. Both pills and artifacts hit a watershed at fourth tier. Pills at or above fourth tier usually have some level of spiritual awareness. A spirit pill with this much presence had to be at least fourth tier. Wei Tu admitted to himself that, even at his best as a third-tier alchemist, he couldn't have refined a pill like this.
Just as he was inspecting the white pill, it suddenly transformed into a brilliant white carp-dragon and tried to escape.
"A pill with spiritual awareness that knows how to run—definitely a fourth-tier spirit pill." Instead of panicking, Wei Tu was delighted. With all the restrictions and formations he had in his cave, even a cultivator at the same level would have a hard time escaping quickly, let alone a single pill.
In the next moment, the white pill that turned into a carp-dragon was trapped by the cave's restriction. Wei Tu reached out and caught it in his palm.
"Stone Demon Sect wasn't just good at Qi cultivation—their body-refining was on par with Desolate Mountain Sect. This 'Dao Immortal Source Scripture' might actually be Stone Demon Sect's core body-refining method," Wei Tu thought as he looked at the white pill.
Of course, that didn't mean the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture" was definitely a demonic technique. The line between righteous and demonic methods isn't that simple. Some demonic techniques are more righteous than the so-called righteous ones. Besides, the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture" was written in Chiming Script, an ancient immortal script. Back then, in the old Great Cang cultivation world, there wasn't even a distinction between righteous and demonic.
If his guess was right, then the techniques and pills left behind in the Nascent Soul cave in Stone Demon Tower were Stone Demon Sect's Nascent Soul ancestor's core sect inheritance. The white pill in the blue cauldron must be the Dao-Forging Pill described in the technique.
...
Even though he believed it was the Dao-Forging Pill, Wei Tu didn't rush to swallow it. He used all the standard alchemical methods to test and check it carefully. Once he was sure it was harmless, he finally swallowed it with some boldness.
Once the pill entered his stomach, a warm and slightly itchy feeling rose from his dantian. The warmth spread from his dantian through all his limbs and bones, making him feel like he was bathing in sunlight. Deep within his ribs, Wei Tu saw drops of milky white spirit liquid slowly condense inside his bone marrow.
"This really is the Dao-Forging Pill!" Wei Tu was overjoyed. This milky spirit liquid was the "Immortal Source" mentioned in the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture." According to the scripture, as you keep refining, these "Immortal Sources" gradually transform, step by step, into the true foundation of becoming an immortal. Of course, getting to that point would require an almost-immortal realm. At his current level, the "Immortal Source" was simply the refined spirit energy and Dao-Forging Pill essence combining to form this liquid.
With the Dao-Forging Pill's help, Wei Tu switched to the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture" smoothly. Without much effort, he transformed all the power he'd gained from practicing "True Demonic Refinement Art" and "Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art," condensing it into visible drops of Immortal Source spirit liquid.
However, because the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture" was a higher-tier technique, his body-refining realm inevitably dropped a bit during the transition. Fortunately, Wei Tu still had a Golden Marrow Pill he'd gotten from Situ You. After swallowing that pill, he managed to push his body-refining realm back up to the mid-stage of third tier.
Four years later—
Inside the closed cultivation chamber at Lark Residence, Wei Tu suddenly opened his eyes while sitting cross-legged on his mat. A sudden surge of power leaked out without him meaning to, shattering his robe and leaving pieces scattered on the floor. A wave of energy and blood burst from his body like an ancient beast awakening. At the same time, as he ran his technique, white jade-like scales appeared all over his skin, beautiful and mysterious, each one like a fish scale.
These white jade scales were the "True Demonic Armor" he had formed through "True Demonic Refinement Art." Now, after switching to the "Dao Immortal Source Scripture," this body-refining divine ability didn't disappear but got fully absorbed into the new technique. That was the frightening thing about "Dao Immortal Source Scripture." Every step of cultivation was a process of forging the Dao. It could absorb and incorporate abilities from lower-level techniques, blending them all together—until finally a true immortal foundation was formed. Even the three Blood Pills condensed through the second-tier "Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art" were preserved within him.
"My body's at least thirty percent stronger than before—almost at the late stage of ordinary third-tier body-refining techniques." Wei Tu squeezed his fist and felt the unprecedented strength throughout his body. This was more than just physical power. His Dao foundation, every inch and every part of him, had been enhanced. It felt like a true evolution.
He could even sense that his ability to absorb heaven and earth spiritual qi had increased a lot—almost reaching the level of a superior spiritual root. Before, even with the "Late Bloomer" destiny, when he broke through to the Golden Core, his spiritual root aptitude was only mid-grade, and the improvement was nowhere near this obvious.
"Whether I break through to late-stage Golden Core in qi refining, or break through in body-refining, my spiritual root aptitude will advance to superior grade," Wei Tu thought to himself. Superior-grade spiritual root isn't as game-changing for forming the Nascent Soul as it is for Foundation Establishment or Golden Core, but it still helps. It's always better to have superior-grade roots before forming Nascent Soul than after.
...
After half a year of stabilizing his realm, Wei Tu finally left seclusion. Just like last time, there was already a Golden Core cultivator waiting in the shop for Wei Tu to open the furnace and refine pills. That was the effect of his growing reputation over the past decade or so. Over the next half a month, Wei Tu finished off all the accumulated orders from his years in seclusion.
With those handled, Wei Tu patted his spirit beast pouch, summoned the Wind-Cleaving Eagle, and headed south on the huge dark blue eagle. His first stop was the Rogue Cultivator Alliance.
Since returning to the Kang Kingdom, except for the time he chased after Princess Yuan Ying and left the Ying Ding Tribe, he'd basically stayed holed up in the safe house, rarely going out. That meant his original plan to return the "Golden Flame Pearl" talisman treasure had been delayed. But for a Golden Core True Lord, a delay of more than ten years is about the same as a few months for a mortal. In other words, Wei Tu wasn't actually late in returning the treasure.
When Che Gongwei learned that Wei Tu had come all this way just to return the Golden Flame Pearl, he was both surprised and deeply pleased. Che Gongwei knew exactly how valuable a talisman treasure with the power to rival a Nascent Soul attack really was. If it were him, after getting his hands on such a treasure, he'd never give it back.
"There's a rumor out there that you returned the remains of Ancestor Tao Chongzhou from the Han Mountain Tao family without even keeping his storage pouch for yourself..." Che Gongwei stroked his beard and smiled. "At first, I didn't believe it. I figured it was just a trick to boost your reputation. But now, I believe it."
"As for this Golden Flame Pearl..." Che Gongwei paused for a moment, then used his magic power to slide it back across the table to Wei Tu. "Since you're my disciple, whether this ancestor's treasure stays with me or with you, it's all the same. I'm not going to make any more progress in cultivation and will probably spend the rest of my days here in this little Golden Long Valley. Keeping this treasure here with me would just be a waste." He shook his head and sighed.
It was true that Wei Tu had joined his sect as a skilled outsider and wasn't as close to Che Gongwei as disciples like Gao Chen who had been with him since childhood. But that was the past, not the present. After the Tai Xu Realm trip, Che Gongwei had a deep understanding of both Wei Tu's character and strength. Among all his disciples, only Wei Tu had what it took to inherit his legacy. In fact, in Che Gongwei's eyes, Wei Tu was already his true heir. He'd even surpassed his master in some respects. In the Dao of Talismans, Wei Tu's foundation might not be as deep, but his level already matched Che Gongwei.
"Thank you, Master." Wei Tu didn't hesitate. Hearing Che Gongwei's words, he cupped his hands and gratefully accepted the Golden Flame Pearl. Che Gongwei was right—with all the trouble Wei Tu faced, he needed this treasure far more. As for Che Gongwei, living quietly in Golden Long Valley, he'd probably never need it.
"Master, you don't have to say there's no hope for progress. I still have a few third-tier spirit pills..." Wei Tu replied, then turned his hand over and took out a pill bottle.
Inside the pill bottle was nothing ordinary—it held the "Blood-Draining Pill" that Lou Sanhua had asked him to refine over a decade ago. The Blood-Draining Pill is a common type of pill. While it can't directly boost cultivation, it's perfect for older Golden Core cultivators stuck at a bottleneck for years. Its main effect is to temporarily raise your vitality and loosen up your own bottleneck. That's why this pill is almost useless for body-refining cultivators like Wei Tu, but it's ideal for someone like Che Gongwei. Body-refining cultivators always have way more energy and blood than Qi cultivators at the same level.
"Blood-Draining Pill?" Che Gongwei was genuinely moved. He could afford to buy this pill, but this was the first time a disciple had ever given it to him as a gift. 'Wei Tu really is the right disciple to have,' he thought, suddenly remembering how he once complained about Wei Tu secretly breaking through to the Golden Core back at Red River Mountain.
...
After saying goodbye to Che Gongwei, Wei Tu left the rear hall of the Che residence, ready to leave Golden Long Valley. This time, he didn't plan to see Su Bing'er. As her senior brother, he could tell that Su Bing'er had special feelings for him. Wei Tu didn't avoid women, but he didn't just take anyone who had feelings for him either. For someone like Qi Feng, who offered treasure and wanted to be his concubine in exchange for a safe place to cultivate, Wei Tu was happy to accept. He wouldn't refuse for no reason.
But for those like Qiu Huaisu or Su Bing'er, women who truly admired him, he had to gently turn them down. Simply put, Dao companions and concubines are different. Both are Golden Core True Lords and senior brother-senior sister. With Su Bing'er's pride in her spiritual body, could she ever accept being just a concubine? Wei Tu knew himself well enough. He was a widower, which is part of why some female cultivators were interested in him. But unless it was for money, most women wouldn't choose to humble themselves for him.
"In the front hall of the Che residence?" Wei Tu sensed Su Bing'er and Mu Die together, walking through a courtyard a few hundred steps ahead. Su Bing'er looked around as if searching for him. Seeing this, Wei Tu stopped, hid his presence, and used the Greenwood Concealment Technique to blend into the courtyard, disguised as a spiritual tree.
"Senior Sister Su, why did you rush here as soon as you heard Wei Tu had arrived at Golden Long Valley? Are you really into that 'smiling tiger'?" Mu Die grabbed Su Bing'er's arm, sounding annoyed. She knew Wei Tu had saved Su Bing'er twice, but saving someone's life isn't the same as falling in love—there's a difference.
"Smiling tiger?" Wei Tu's eyebrow twitched. He hadn't realized that was how Mu Die saw him. But thinking back, it made sense. Over a hundred years ago, when he was still Foundation Establishment, Mu Die wanted his help with the troublesome Hua Xianlong, but he'd turned her down out of caution while preparing to reach Golden Core. That had left some bad blood between them. No wonder she'd call him 'smiling tiger.'
"Well..." Su Bing'er hesitated, unable to explain to Mu Die. Before, she and Mu Die were united in disliking Wei Tu. Now, suddenly developing feelings for him felt like a kind of betrayal.
"Senior Sister Su, there are so many male cultivators in the world—why fixate on Senior Brother Wei?" Mu Die saw Su Bing'er hesitate and thought she was convincing her. She held Su Bing'er's arm and tried to talk her out of it.
"I know, but to me, Senior Brother Wei is different..." Su Bing'er's face turned a little red and she spoke quietly.
"Different?" Mu Die frowned, feeling more and more frustrated. She couldn't figure out what made Su Bing'er better than her, other than slightly higher cultivation. Wei Tu could save Su Bing'er, but why hadn't he saved her over a hundred years ago? If Wei Tu had helped her back then... Thinking of Wei Tu's current achievements, Mu Die felt a bit aggrieved. She was the one who'd first asked Wei Tu for help, so why was Su Bing'er the one getting all the benefits now?
The two talked and walked, sometimes stopping, until they reached the back hall of the Che residence. "What? Senior Brother Wei just left?" Su Bing'er was immediately disappointed. She thought Wei Tu was deliberately avoiding her. Otherwise, with her coming this far, they surely would have met along the way. 'I have feelings for him, but he's not interested in me.'
"Senior Sister Su, don't—" Mu Die saw her like that and felt a little better herself, but just as she was about to say something harsh, she stopped. After all, Su Bing'er had once helped her deal with Hua Xianlong. There was no need to go too far.
"Junior Sister Mu, maybe... maybe you're right..." Su Bing'er sighed and looked up at the sky, watching the dark blue eagle soaring away in the distance.
...
Golden Long Valley was the first stop Wei Tu picked before leaving Kang Kingdom. The second stop was Moon Condensation Palace. More than a decade ago, when he was kidnapped by Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu, Kou Hongying arrived just in time at the Ying Ding Tribe to pick up Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen, as well as Wei Xiuwen's only son, Wei Changshou. Later, when Wei Tu returned to Kang Kingdom, the situation in the Ying Ding Tribe was still unstable, so he didn't bring Wei Yan and the others back, leaving them in the Moon Condensation Palace area for the time being.
"Father, you're here?" "Grandfather..." Outside Mirror Water Pavilion, Wei Yan, Wei Xiuwen, and Wei Changshou waited at the mountain foot. When they saw Wei Tu flying over from the distance, all three showed excitement on their faces.
"Grandfather." Wei Changshou, who looked a lot like Wei Xiuwen, was now a young cultivator. He looked at Wei Tu with happiness, but also a hint of unfamiliarity. After all, in all these decades, Wei Tu hadn't spent much time with him. Most of his memories of this grandfather were from when he was little, escaping Zheng Kingdom together.