Chapter 451: Taking the Initiative, Cao Mi Steps Forward

A few days later.

Wei Tu returned to the Kang Kingdom’s Ying Ding Tribe, bringing Fu Zhizhou, Fu Lin, and Qiao Gao with him.

Although Fu Zhizhou, Fu Lin, and Qiao Gao were all “demonic cultivators,” with Wei Tu’s personal guarantee, the two Divine Masters stationed in Hu Jie Immortal City—Du Long and He Di—didn’t make things too difficult for them. They allowed the three to temporarily stay in the Ying Ding Tribe.

However, during the negotiations with Du Long and He Di, Wei Tu also told them about the trouble he had stirred up at the Hehuan Sect.

After all, he was no longer a rogue cultivator. Any trouble he caused, whether he liked it or not, would implicate the power behind him.

So giving advance notice to the Ying Ding Tribe was part of his duty as one of its Divine Masters.

Of course, Wei Tu wasn’t foolish enough to reveal everything at once.

When explaining what had happened, he left out the fact that he had taken Liu Yu Daoist’s “Yin-Yang Demon Corpse.” He only mentioned that he had deeply offended the man during his escape.

"You managed to escape from Liu Yu Daoist? Is that true?"

This piece of news threw both Divine Master Du Long and Divine Master He Di into turmoil.

The two exchanged a glance, then their expressions turned serious as they looked at Wei Tu and asked gravely.

If they didn’t know that Wei Tu was always cautious and never made wild or exaggerated claims, they might’ve thought he was talking nonsense.

To Ancestor Chilong, Liu Yu Daoist might still count as a junior, but in their eyes, he was undoubtedly a senior-level figure.

Both Du Long and He Di thought to themselves: if they ever encountered Liu Yu Daoist, even if they were lucky enough to survive, they definitely wouldn’t come out as unscathed as Wei Tu—calm, uninjured, and completely unharmed.

"It’s absolutely true," Wei Tu nodded and replied plainly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the guest hall of the cave residence went completely silent. At the same time, faint sounds of people sharply inhaling could be heard.

"Liu Yu Daoist..."

Once they confirmed the story was true, both Divine Masters Du Long and He Di felt both joy and concern.

They were happy because Wei Tu’s strength had undergone a huge leap in just over ten short years—enough to handle a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

They were all Divine Masters.

Glory and shame were shared.

Wei Tu’s growth was the foundation for Ying Ding Tribe’s future prosperity.

But what worried them was the massive trouble Wei Tu had dragged onto their division this time.

Sure, it was unlikely that Liu Yu Daoist would risk entering righteous territory just to take revenge on Wei Tu and the Ying Ding Tribe.

Still, having such a powerful enemy hanging over them posed a real threat to their safety and their tribe’s development.

"This can happen once—but not again."

After a long silence, the senior-most Divine Master Du Long finally spoke, putting a period on the matter.

That one sentence made things clear.

Minor trouble was tolerable for the Ying Ding Tribe. They could even turn a blind eye to it.

But something this serious—like what Wei Tu had just stirred up—couldn’t be ignored.

If Liu Yu Daoist decided to act recklessly, maybe the few Divine Masters would be fine, but the rest of the Ying Ding cultivators might end up like how Wei Tu dealt with Yao Chongshan and his wife—nearly wiped out.

It was a foreseeable outcome.

Still, given Wei Tu’s current strength and his promising future, Du Long and He Di had no choice but to swallow their frustrations and accept it, saying nothing too harsh.

—If this had happened with some other junior, like Divine Master Donglai, Du Long and He Di would’ve already been screaming at him by now.

As for what Du Long said, Wei Tu didn’t take it personally at all.

‘Helping is a kindness. Not helping is their right.’

There was no way it made sense for him to cause trouble, then just pat his butt and leave, dumping all the consequences on the Ying Ding Tribe.

Sure, it was true the Ying Ding Tribe had invited him to be a Divine Master.

But that didn’t mean he could go around stirring up trouble however he pleased just because of that.

This time, it was only because Fu Zhizhou and his son had fallen into danger at the Hehuan Sect branch. He had no other choice and had to make the decision that was most beneficial to him.

If it had been any other situation, Wei Tu would never have brought this kind of trouble to the Ying Ding Tribe so lightly.

"This time, it was my lack of caution that put the division and you two Daoist friends at risk. I’ll definitely repay this favor someday," Wei Tu promised.

It sounded a bit distant, like he was treating himself as an outsider. But Wei Tu knew exactly what Du Long and He Di wanted to hear in this moment.

After all, taking on a threat for nothing in return—who wouldn’t feel pissed?

"No harm done, no harm done. These are just small matters."

"We’re all cultivators, not immortals. How can we avoid trouble on the road to the Dao?"

Hearing his words, both Du Long and He Di were secretly relieved. Still, they kept up appearances and responded politely.

...

After handling the division’s matters, Wei Tu didn’t linger in Ying Ding Tribe.

Once his escape light lifted off, he headed straight toward Moon Condensation Palace alone.

He had already learned the Curse Ghost Blood Escape Art and currently had three "Curse Ghosts" in hand—enough to last him a while.

Now, before heading off to the overseas cultivation world, there was only one last thing to do: refine the Yin-Yang Demon Corpse, his key defensive treasure.

Once that was done, Wei Tu’s confidence in going abroad would soar.

By then, even if Hong Jing betrayed him, he wouldn't be afraid in the slightest.

A few days later.

Wei Tu arrived at Moon Condensation Palace.

As soon as they saw who it was, the disciples of Moon Condensation Palace didn’t even bother with routine questioning. After confirming his identity, they opened the formation gate and respectfully welcomed him in.

"Uncle-Master Wei, please follow me," Fairy Shuang saluted and stepped forward to lead the way.

Seeing this, Wei Tu nodded slightly, a satisfied glint in his eyes.

It hadn’t been long since he finished guarding Cao Mi’s breakthrough. So it wasn’t strange that Moon Condensation Palace still treated him with respect.

But in this world, there were plenty of people who discarded others after using them.

The fact that Moon Condensation Palace still treated him as a benefactor pleased him greatly.

"Greetings, Brother Wei."

Not long after Wei Tu entered the palace, Cao Mi—having heard the news—hurried over. She greeted him with a graceful bow and took over from Fairy Shuang to host him herself.

"Sister Cao," Wei Tu responded with a polite smile and bow.

But—

What happened next left him a little surprised.

Cao Mi didn’t care about the gazes of the palace disciples. She walked right up and took Wei Tu’s arm, then flew with him toward her cave residence.

"This…" Wei Tu, slow to react, felt a little stunned. But when he remembered the matter of the Yin-Yang Demon Corpse, he let her do as she pleased.

‘Looks like Cao Mi really has feelings for me.’ Wei Tu’s mind was crystal clear.