The two "tortures" struck together.
In just a short while, the white-robed scholarâs soul had grown at least 50% weaker than before. The pain on his face also became increasingly intense.
What surprised Wei Tu, however, was that even at this point, the white-robed scholar still refused to give in. It seemed like he had already accepted the worst outcomeâcomplete soul annihilation.
'This guy's temperament is nothing like Bai Zhi. He might really be set on dying,' Wei Tu thought to himself.
In the cultivation world, cultivators came in all kinds. There was no single mold.
Cowards like Bai Zhi, who would rather live in humiliation than die, werenât uncommon. But that didnât mean every cultivator was like himâwilling to endure servitude just to survive.
"Fellow Daoist Zhu, youâve cultivated to this point. Who knows how many years you've lived. Are you really willing to die here and throw away any chance at rebirth?"
Since threats didnât work, Wei Tu smoothly changed tactics and used persuasion instead. He let out a few hearty laughs, acting like he meant no harm, and tried to sway the white-robed scholar with tempting words.
First, he proposed changing the "master-servant soul contract" to an "equal soul contract."
Second, he promised that once he reached the white-robed scholarâs former cultivation realm, he would set him free.
And, he even offered to help find him a better host body than Sun Chixinâsomeone with far greater potential.
Wei Tu wasnât backing down because he desperately needed this scholar.
It was because he had already experienced firsthand how helpful Bai Zhi was during the Golden Core stage. So now, at the Nascent Soul stage, he certainly wouldnât give up the chance to gain another assistant of that level.
"Set me free?" The white-robed scholar sneered. Wei Tuâs smiley face meant nothing to him.
He didnât believe that Wei Tu could reach his previous cultivation level before his own remaining lifespan ran out.
And even if Wei Tu somehow did reach it, by then heâd probably only have a few years left to live anyway.
So, instead of suffering through humiliating servitude with no hope of freedom, heâd rather have his soul scattered and be done with it.
But just thenâ
When he heard Wei Tuâs next sentence, the resolve in his heart wavered a little.
"What? Youâre not even 400 years old? A Nascent Soul cultivator under 400?"
The white-robed scholar blurted out in shock.
He had met plenty of so-called geniuses in his life. But a Nascent Soul cultivator under 400 years old? That was almost unheard of.
After all, for ordinary cultivators, it usually took at least 100 years of effort to get through Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core.
Especially the Golden Core stageâit typically required over 200 years of solid cultivation just to reach its peak.
Sure, rare resources could shorten training time, but there was no escaping the foundational effort required. Rushing it too fast would lead to unstable cultivation, impure spiritual power, and failure to condense a proper Nascent Soul.
Bottom lineâ
New Nascent Soul cultivators in their 500s or 600s were common. But trimming even more years off that? The difficulty and rarity skyrocketed.
"Please donât laugh, Fellow Daoist Zhu," Wei Tu said modestly. "Back when I was still in the Foundation Establishment stage, I developed the secret technique âYuan Gravity Law Seal.â Then, at the Golden Core stage, I refined it further into the divine ability âYuan Gravity Divine Light.â Afterward, I used Iceheart Spirit Dew to purify my body and spiritâŠ"
"Besides that, Iâm also a third-rank top-grade alchemist."
Wei Tu smiled slightly as he explained, "For those three reasons, I didnât waste much time at the Golden Core stage before advancing to the Nascent Soul realm."
As he spoke, he flipped his palm, summoning a ray of gray-golden light, which hovered in front of the white-robed scholar.
"Yuan Gravity Divine Light?"
"This is definitely Yuan Gravity Divine Light!"
At first, the white-robed scholar was stunned. But when he saw the gray-golden glow before him, his face immediately lit up with excitement.
However, as if remembering something, the excitement on his face faded. He quickly returned to his usual aloof expression, like a stranger keeping others at armâs length.
Wei Tu was curious, but he didnât press the issue. His priority now was persuading this white-robed scholar to sign an equal soul contract, so he didnât steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Yuan Gravity Divine Light is a supreme divine ability for purifying magic power. With this, and Fellow Daoist Zhuâs guidance, I figure I can reach your peak cultivation realm in a relatively short time."
"By then, maybe I can help you take revenge for your death too."
Wei Tu threw out another tempting offer.
He didnât know exactly why the white-robed scholar had ended up hiding inside the Longli Pearl, but it was easy enough to guessâthere was no way he did it willingly. Most likely, it involved a powerful enemy.
"Revenge for my deathâŠ" At those words, a flicker of emotion crossed the white-robed scholarâs face.
âŠ
Half a day laterâ
Hard work paid off.
After enduring both threats and bribes, the white-robed scholar finally agreed to sign an equal soul contract with Wei Tu.
However, during the actual contract signing, Wei Tu made one thing clear, which hadnât been discussed earlier: once he reached the white-robed scholarâs former cultivation levelâlate Nascent Soulâhe would decide whether or not to help him get revenge.
When asked about this clause, Wei Tuâs explanation was blunt and pragmatic.
"I donât even know what you can offer me yet. Getting myself tangled in your vendetta for no reason? Youâd have to be an idiot to do that."
His message was simpleâif the scholar wanted revenge, heâd have to prove his worth first.
The white-robed scholar couldnât do much about it. Aside from silently cursing Wei Tu for being sly, he had no other choice.
After all, signing this soul contract was the only way he could come back to life and have even a sliver of hope for revenge.
And the terms of this âequal soul contractâ werenât entirely unacceptable to him either.
Once the soul contract was completed, Wei Tu finally asked the question that had been on his mind: who exactly was this white-robed scholar, and why had he appeared inside the Zunwang Palace?
"Hah, typical youngster. You donât even know what the Zunwang Palace is."
The white-robed scholar let out a scornful laugh.
But right after, he noticed the coldness on Wei Tuâs face and the frost in his eyes.
He instantly remembered the earlier tortures. A chill ran down his spine, and he quickly corrected his attitude.
"The Zunwang Palace isnât just that little island Sun Chixin stumbled into. That place was only an entry point⊠The Zunwang Palace is actually the only high-level secret realm in this barren land of the Great Cang Cultivation World."
"Every single Divine Transformation cultivator in our Great Cang Cultivation World, without exception, obtained their breakthroughs thanks to the opportunities found in the Zunwang Palace."