Over a dozen days later.
Through the Wind-Cleaving Eagleâs sight, Wei Tu saw the towering border fortress between Zheng and Kang KingdomsâChishui Pass.
This pass stretched for several hundred li, entirely crystal yellow, like a giant dragon coiled along the land, shining brightly under the sun and stars.
Chishui Pass wasnât just the border between Zheng and Kangâit was also the only path through the perilous âBlack Blood Marshâ at the frontier of both kingdoms.
In the Dacang Immortal Realm, the righteous and demonic sides used the Demon Wolf Mountain Range as their dividing line.
Zheng Kingdom, Jing Kingdom, and a few others were all near that range.
Among these righteous territories, the borders between kingdoms were usually defined by dangerous lands or spiritless zones.
Normally, these border passes were open and unchecked.
But during the righteous-demonic wars, these borders were closed to all cultivators.
Zheng Kingdomâs cultivators could avoid these passes and flee to neighboring kingdoms, but theyâd have to traverse perilous lands like the Black Blood Marsh and carve out a path themselves.
However, surviving these dangers wasnât something even a Golden Core True Lord could guarantee.
It was exactly because of these natural defenses and fortified borders that the righteous sects of the Dacang Immortal Realm had withstood wave after wave of demonic invasions.
"Theyâve entered Chishui Pass."
"Now, I just need to wait for Yanâerâs letter."
After watching the Wind-Cleaving Eagleâs memory, Wei Tu breathed a sigh of relief and began to patiently wait at the Tao family for good news from the smuggling party.
Two months later.
The Tao family elder leading the group, Tao Fangde, returned safely and delivered Wei Yanâs letter to Wei Tu.
Wei Tu carefully opened it and read the hidden message inside. After reading it, he finally felt a heavy burden lifted.
"After arriving in Kang Kingdom, I settled Wei Daoistâs family along with our Tao family cultivators in the Zama Tribe."
"Zama Tribe is inland in Kang, quite a distance from Chishui Pass."
After Wei Tu finished reading, Tao Fangde stroked his beard and smiled.
Every ten li the dialect changes, every hundred li customs shift.
The customs in Kang Kingdom were vastly different from those in Zheng. Other than the farming areas near the border, the rest of Kang Kingdom was dominated by nomadic tribal communities.
Zama Tribe was one of those tribal powers.
Hearing this, Wei Tu immediately expressed his gratitude and, without hesitation, took out the agreed five thousand spirit stones and handed them to Tao Fangde.
Seeing how straightforward Wei Tu was, Tao Fangde and the Tao family cultivators nodded in approval, respecting his trustworthiness a bit more.
After all, Wei Tuâs family was already safely out of Zheng Kingdom. If heâd chosen to go back on his word, the Tao family wouldâve had no way to retaliate.
To the Immortal Sects, the Loose Immortal Alliance was a small power, but to the Tao family, it was something they couldnât afford to offend.
"The remaining two spotsâso long as my Tao familyâs smuggling route to Kang Kingdom stands, Wei Daoist can come arrange them anytime."
Tao Shisheng raised his hand and swore to the heavens.
Smuggling routes were no trivial matter. One mistake could doom an entire clan.
So, the Tao family hadnât signed any spirit contracts with Wei Tu over this, leaving no weaknesses exposed.
Thatâs why his oath of assurance now was so necessary.
"The other two spots?" Wei Tuâs heart stirred, his gaze drifting into the distance.
Fu Zhizhou had parted ways with him.
Wei Fei and Kou Hongying, tied by family and sect, couldnât easily leave either to smuggle into Kang.
Those two spotsâhe didnât know when heâd use them.
...
Now that he had Wei Yanâs letter.
Wei Tu had no more reason to stay with the Tao family.
"With my family gone, Iâve got nothing holding me back in Zheng Kingdom. Itâs time to focus everything on advancing my cultivation and breaking through to Golden Core."
Back at Cloudsmoke Residence, Wei Tu began counting his assets, preparing for Core Formation.
Now, his cultivation had reached Foundation Establishment Late Stage at Major Accomplishment. Reaching the peak was just a matter of time.
With some pills, that time could even be cut in half.
So now, it was time to prepare for Core Formation.
In half a day.
Wei Tu finished sorting through all his possessions.
He had seventeen thousand spirit stones left.
Over two hundred second-grade talismansâabout thirty were low-grade, fifty mid-grade, and the rest high-grade.
"As for treasures, Alchemist Shuâs been dead for nearly twenty years. Other than his signature items, the rest of his low-grade stuff can be sold off..."
Wei Tu calculated.
In the time he had left to push his cultivation to the peak of Foundation Establishment, he planned to buy some pills for boosting his cultivation and do everything he could to gather "body refinement treasures" to form the third Blood Pellet for the Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art.
...
This time, for his Core Formation preparations, Wei Tu had two main trading options: Mirror Water Pavilion, where Kou Hongying was based, and the reputable Jiu Yun Merchant Guild.
As for the official channels of the Loose Immortal Alliance, Wei Tu didnât plan to use themâhe couldnât risk exposing his cultivation progress just yet.
Right now, Red River Mountain Marketplace was one of the largest markets in Zheng Kingdom, and Jiu Yun Merchant Guild had a branch there.
Wei Tu was the kind to act decisively. Once he made up his mind, he didnât hesitate. He immediately set off for the Jiu Yun Merchant Guildâs branch in Red River Mountain.
This time, the cultivator who received him was a shopkeeper from the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild, surnamed Ji.
"Wei Daoist wants to gather rare body refinement treasures? Thatâs no easy task."
"The righteous-demonic war has lasted for so many years. Not only have the prices of spiritual items in Zheng Kingdom skyrocketed, but their numbers have also become increasingly scarce."
"If you had come a few decades earlier, the situation wouldâve been completely different."
Shopkeeper Ji shook his head like a rattle drum, looking troubled as he took a sip of spirit tea after hearing Wei Tuâs request.
Afraid that Wei Tu might not believe him, he explained, "Wei Daoist, have you heard of cornering the market? Under normal conditions, ten parts of goods can be sold to ten buyers. But after the war, not only has the demand for spiritual items grown daily, but many cultivators have been stockpiling as well..."
"In other words, now those ten parts of goods can only be sold to three buyers at mostâsometimes even just one."
"The rest has been hoarded by sects, clans, and big merchant guilds."
Wei Tu nodded slightly at these words, not doubting Shopkeeper Jiâs explanation.
Just like himâif it werenât for the war throwing everything into chaos, he wouldnât be rushing to prepare for Core Formation now.
He mightâve delayed it a few more decades.
With troubled times already here, most cultivators, not being misers, would do everything they could to increase their strength.
So, over time, the supply and demand in Zheng Kingdom naturally became unbalanced.
Still, Wei Tu knew that Shopkeeper Ji was mostly trying to raise the price of the body refinement treasures.
"From what Shopkeeper Ji is saying, the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild does have body refinement treasures? Please, name your price. As long as itâs reasonable, I do have some wealth to spare," Wei Tu said, cupping his hands sincerely.
Unexpectedly, Shopkeeper Ji shook his head and didnât name a price.
He said, "If Wei Daoist wants to buy other spiritual items, spirit stones will do. But for body refinement treasures, itâs different."
"You should know how valuable body refinement is on the battlefield."
"Then, what exactly are you suggesting?" Wei Tu was stunned, not knowing what game Shopkeeper Ji was playing.
"Body refinement treasures must be paid for with high-grade talismans," Shopkeeper Ji smiled, taking another sip of tea, his eyes fixed on Wei Tu.
The Jiu Yun Merchant Guild had been eyeing Wei Tu, a second-grade high-grade talisman master, for a long time.
If he hadnât been conscripted to Cicada Cry Cliff, they wouldâve roped him in as a permanent supplier more than ten years ago.
As soon as the words fell.
Wei Tu breathed a sigh of relief.
He thought the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild was going to make some harsh demands, but it turned out they just wanted a barterâtrading body refinement treasures for his high-grade talismans.
Second-grade high-grade talismans were hard for others, but for him, they were quite simple.
"High-grade talismans arenât easy to draw, and I donât have many on hand," Wei Tu kept a low profile, planning to release them gradually.
Unlike spirit stones, second-grade high-grade talismans were strategic resources. If he sold too many at once, not only would it arouse suspicion, but it might also attract unwanted attention.
Over the years, Wei Tu had heard of peers being imprisoned by powerful forces, forced to become âtalisman slaves.â
If it werenât for his decent connections.
He mightâve ended up like that too.
Several hours later.
Wei Tu traded forty second-grade talismans and added one thousand spirit stones to receive two body refinement treasures from the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild.
At the same time.
Wei Tu was secretly amazed at the current strength of the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild.
Decades ago, âEarth Dragon Fleshâ was one of their underground auction items.
But now, the guild could casually produce two body refinement treasures from one of its branches.
A power on the verge of becoming a Golden Core force wouldnât normally have such wealth.
After leaving the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild, Wei Tu gave it some thought and quietly asked around.
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A few days later, he got the intel and learned why the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild had grown so strong.
At the underground auction two terms ago.
The Jiu Yun Merchant Guild auctioned off the âBlood Butchering Bannerâ seized by True Lord Queyue on the battlefield.
Wei Tu had been there at that auction, witnessing with his own eyes how that damaged treasure failed to sell, causing the guild to suffer a major loss.
But sometimes, a loss can turn into a gain.
Through that incident, the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild managed to curry favor with True Lord Queyue.
A little over ten years ago, the guildâs head, Chai Ping, through True Lord Queyueâs introduction, married into her family as the second wife of her younger brother Song True Lordâs son, Song He.
Song True Lord was a Golden Core True Lord from Tai Xuan Sect.
So, with the support of Tai Xuan Sect and Mirror Water Pavilionâs True Lords, the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild found a chance to rise.
In a short time, it became one of the top ten merchant guilds in Zheng Kingdom.
"Shaky foundations will bring ruin." Wei Tu didnât think much of Chai Pingâs future.
In fact, he doubted whether the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild was still under Chai Ping and her original groupâs control.
Lack of power was a fatal flaw.
Wei Tu figured the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild mightâve already become a tool for True Lord Queyue and Song True Lord.
"But for me, thatâs a good thing." Wei Tuâs eyes flickered.
The old Jiu Yun Merchant Guild wouldnât have had the means to provide him with two body refinement treasures.
Three years later.
Honghe Mountain Market, Cloudsmoke Residence.
With the help of two body refinement treasures, Wei Tuâs body refinement cultivation finally broke through.
Inside the secret chamber, Wei Tuâs skin was glowing red, and his blood surged like molten lava through his meridians.
This state continued for half a month before something changed.
A suction force suddenly emerged from Wei Tuâs dantian, pulling in all the "blood light" around his body.
The gathered blood light condensed into a blood-colored pill the size of a longan.
This longan-sized blood pill resonated with the other two egg-sized blood pills, the three pills circling Wei Tuâs dantian continuously.
With each rotation, the longan-sized blood pill shone brighter and grew a little larger.
"Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art (84/100): Practice once every five days, completion in one hundred fifty years."
Seeing the words on his Golden Purple Destiny, Wei Tu slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath, "With a few more decades of hard work, this body refinement cultivation can also reach the peak."
With the boost from these two body refinement treasures, he had taken a crucial step, breaking through from mid-stage second-grade body refinement to late-stage second-grade.
From now on, he could rely on the slow, grinding effort of the "Ninefold Golden Lock Art" to steadily improve his cultivation without needing to purchase more body refinement treasures.
But Wei Tu didnât want to wait decades.
His wealth was enough to support buying more body refinement treasures.
Then, Wei Tu stood up, reaching for a talisman letter marked with "Mirror Water Pavilion."
Three years ago, on his way to purchase body refinement treasures from the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild, he had also sent a letter to Kou Hongying, asking her to help contact fellow disciples in Mirror Water Pavilion to buy cultivation-enhancing pills and body refinement treasures.
Not long after.
Kou Hongying replied.
She told Wei Tu that body refinement treasures were controlled spiritual items within Mirror Water Pavilion, and no sect cultivators dared to exchange them and sell them outside.
Of course, pills for enhancing Foundation Establishment cultivation were also considered controlled items now.
However, Mirror Water Pavilion was an old sect with reliable pill quality and a large external demand, so quite a few sect cultivators risked selling them outside.
After all, the law cannot punish the masses.
...
A few days later.
Wei Tu arrived at Baishi Lake Marketplace and bought two "White Dew Pills" and two "Phoenix Blood Pills" from Kou Hongyingâs senior sister.
These two types of pills were both specifically for boosting late Foundation Establishment cultivation.
"Rest assured, Uncle Wei, I kept an eye on her while she exchanged them at the pill hall. No one else handled them, thereâs no mistake."
Kou Hongying secretly sent a voice transmission.
She knew Wei Tu was still wary about Shen Yunqiuâs attempt to harm her master with a Mortal Shedding Pill.
Hearing this, Wei Tu quietly relaxed, nodded, and took the pills.
"Hongying, I have one more favor to ask. Itâs about body refinement treasures..."
After Kou Hongyingâs senior sister left, Wei Tu chose his words carefully and spoke.
He had already bought two body refinement treasures from the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild. Buying more himself would draw too much attention.
So, he planned to have Kou Hongying go to the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild or other guilds on his behalf to purchase more body refinement treasures.
As an experienced cultivator.
Wei Tu knew well that some guilds might seem like competitors, but were actually under the same control.
If he bought too many body refinement treasures at once, someone might notice. After all, these treasures were now controlled items across major guilds.
"Itâs no trouble at all." Kou Hongying smiled and agreed.
"Avoid using talismans for the trade."
Wei Tu reminded her, handing over a pouch of spirit stones.
"Eight thousand spirit stones? That much?" Kou Hongying was startled as she looked inside.
In her mind, Wei Tu had always seemed like a kind and modest man.
A second-grade talisman master having eight thousand spirit stones was reasonable... but adding the cost of those pills just now, it didnât quite add up...
And clearly, Wei Tuâs wealth didnât stop at just eight thousand.
Still, Kou Hongying didnât question Wei Tu about the source of his "huge wealth," just like she didnât ask why he needed late Foundation Establishment pills... She quietly nodded, disguised herself as the "Jade Rakshasa," and left Baishi Lake Marketplace.
Wei Tu stayed at Kou Hongyingâs residence in the marketplace, waiting for her news.
A few days later.
Kou Hongying returned.
"Luckily, I didnât fail you, Uncle Wei. I managed to buy a piece of 'Jade Marrow Gold'." Kou Hongying smiled as she handed over a jade box about seven feet long and a pouch of spirit stones.
Jade Marrow Gold was a grade higher than "Earth Dragon Flesh" as a body refinement treasure.
"Four thousand two hundred spirit stones left?"
Wei Tu counted the remaining stones in the pouch and gained a clear understanding of Kou Hongyingâs status as a sect Golden Core disciple.
He remembered how, when he approached the Jiu Yun Merchant Guild, they had only agreed to exchange body refinement treasures for second-grade high-grade talismans.
"This Jade Marrow Gold came from the Yunlai Merchant Guild." Kou Hongying paused and explained, "The Yunlai Merchant Guild is run by the family of one of my junior sisters... she did me a favor."
"I see."
Wei Tu nodded.
Sect cultivators not only had stronger foundations and techniques than rogue cultivators but also had connections far beyond what most could hope for.
"Oh right, Uncle Wei, one of my junior sisters wants to meet you. A few days ago, I left in a hurry and forgot to mention it."
Suddenly, Kou Hongying seemed to remember something, looking at Wei Tu as she spoke.