Chapter 547: Journey to the Overseas Cultivation World, Kang Mountain’s Den of Ghosts

“An almost fourth-rank demon core?”

“Oh… lightning attribute. Fellow Daoist Mo, you’ve put in thought.”

Wei Tu accepted the jade box and swept it with his divine sense. Seeing the treasure inside, a smile once again appeared on his face.

For an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, an almost fourth-rank demon core was of great use. But for him, already mid-stage, it had no effect.

However, a lightning-attribute demon core was a completely different matter.

Such cores were exceedingly rare.

The lightning energy within it could greatly nourish his life-bound treasure, the “Thunder Spirit Ruler,” pushing its origin to a higher level.

“As it should be, as it should be…”

Old Ghost Mo wiped cold sweat from his brow, forcing a flattering smile.

But just as he thought their offense against Wei Tu was settled, Wei Tu’s gaze shifted past him, landing squarely on his junior brother—Yu Tongzi.

‘This Wei Tu… not only cruel like a devil, but also so greedy for profit!’

Old Ghost Mo cursed inwardly.

How could he not see Wei Tu’s intent? The man clearly wanted Yu Tongzi to hand over a gift of apology as well.

Still, to buy life with treasure was better than losing it. Old Ghost Mo discreetly tugged Yu Tongzi’s sleeve, signaling him to offer something valuable before offending Wei Tu again.

“Buy your life with wealth,” he warned through a voice transmission.

At that, Yu Tongzi’s face twisted with pain. With trembling hands, he pulled a jade box from his robes and passed it to Wei Tu.

“A silkworm pupa?” Wei Tu glanced into the box, where a half-transparent cocoon, sealed with talisman slips yet still radiating heat, lay within.

“It’s a Ground Flame Silkworm…”

Yu Tongzi muttered quietly in explanation.

The Ground Flame Silkworm was a rare insect of the cultivation world, living within volcanic magma, unharmed by blazing fire. The silk it spun was top-grade material for forging artifacts.

This particular silkworm had already reached fourth rank.

It was easily the most precious thing Yu Tongzi possessed, apart from his life-bound sword.

“Fellow Daoist Yu Tong, thoughtful of you.”

Wei Tu gave a slight nod, praising him as he had Old Ghost Mo.

At those words, both Old Ghost Mo and Yu Tongzi finally breathed in relief.

But the next thing Wei Tu said instantly tightened their hearts again.

“Since you both offered timely apologies, this will be the last time. Once may be forgiven, twice tolerated, but there will not be a third. Next time, I will not hold back.”

Like a phantom, Wei Tu slipped past them, his voice icy and distant.

“Yes! Yes! We won’t be foolish again…”

The two felt a chill down their spines, swearing oaths on the spot.

If Wei Tu defeating Situ Yang had shown them his overwhelming strength among peers and his terrifying potential, then his ability to pass right between them without either of them sensing it proved something worse—he could end them easily at will.

Both were proof of power.

But the latter was far more frightening.

‘Wei Tu’s strength already matches a mid-stage Nascent Soul.’

Old Ghost Mo concluded in his heart.

…

Wei Tu’s duel with Situ Yang had two purposes.

1. To dissolve the pressure of public opinion.

2. To spread his name.

And to achieve the second, he needed a warning kill.

At first, he had intended to slay Old Ghost Mo and Yu Tongzi after the battle. They had grudges with him, and their deaths would serve as a warning to others.

But after crippling Situ Yang, he had already achieved that effect.

So striking down the two became unnecessary.

Otherwise, he would not have let them go for just some apology gifts.

‘Of course, the main reason is that I’ve already offended Shengya Mountain heavily this time… I need to watch my reputation.’

Wei Tu shook his head at the thought.

Though he didn’t fear Shengya Mountain, that didn’t mean he had the strength to fight them head-on.

For now, he only had the ability to protect himself.

Until he broke into late-stage Nascent Soul, he couldn’t afford to hand Shengya Mountain or its allies any excuse to act against him in righteous territory.

He understood well the saying, “A rumor repeated by three men makes a tiger.”

Before this battle, more than ninety percent of the Nascent Souls had supported Situ Yang.

If he killed Old Ghost Mo and Yu Tongzi without cause, he would only force those Nascent Souls into becoming his potential enemies.

On the other hand, by sparing Old Ghost Mo and Yu Tongzi, Wei Tu turned them into symbols of his righteousness within the righteous lands.

Reputation was a restraint for Shengya Mountain, and for him, it was the same.

He would not put himself among the small handful deliberately targeted by the masses.

…

When word spread that Wei Tu had forgiven Old Ghost Mo and Yu Tongzi, several Nascent Soul ancestors who had watched the battle soon sent private invitations through the Ying Ding Tribe, seeking to befriend this future overlord of the Kang Kingdom.

Wei Tu naturally did not refuse.

But neither did he play along with their quiet approach.

Instead, he had the Ying Ding Tribe spread word openly, turning these “private alliances” into “formal alliances” announced for all to see.

These Nascent Soul ancestors, weaker than him, had no choice but to swallow the bitter loss in silence.

Yet on the surface, not only did they refrain from blaming Wei Tu for this sudden reversal, they even began praising him publicly.

After all, by befriending Wei Tu, they had already offended Shengya Mountain in plain sight.

To offend Wei Tu again would be sheer stupidity.

Thanks to these new “friends” vouching for him, the details of Wei Tu’s battle with Situ Yang spread widely, preventing anyone from twisting the truth to smear him as a despicable villain who had ambushed Shengya Mountain’s prodigy.

For a time, Wei Tu’s name resounded across the righteous lands.

Meanwhile, back at Shengya Mountain, Lian Shourang and his disciple Situ Yang soon learned through their intelligence network of Wei Tu’s careful moves after the battle.

“This boy is no simple man.”

“Yang’er, your loss was not undeserved.”

Lian Shourang sighed.

A Nascent Soul cultivator who only knew slaughter was not frightening. What was frightening was one like Wei Tu, who saw the bigger picture and knew when to hold himself back.

If Wei Tu had vented his anger by killing Old Ghost Mo and Yu Tongzi, Lian Shourang could have seized upon it, rallying the righteous sects to eliminate him.

Such a move would not have stained Shengya Mountain’s honor, nor violated the oath they had signed before the duel.

After all, it would not be Shengya Mountain acting out of revenge.

Killing one villain would simply have been Shengya Mountain fulfilling its duty as leader of the righteous path.

But unfortunately… Wei Tu had not fallen into that trap.

He had restrained himself.

“Precisely because of this, the boy is even more dangerous!”

Lian Shourang’s brow furrowed tightly. He felt instinctively that if Wei Tu was not dealt with, one day he would bring disaster to Shengya Mountain.

After a long moment of thought, he finally steeled his resolve. With a flick of his sleeve, he strode toward the rear mountain of Shengya Mountain, the place said to house their “Divine Transformation Venerable.”

“Uncle-Master Ding, in the Kang Kingdom there is a Nascent Soul cultivator…”

Standing at the cave entrance, Lian Shourang bowed deeply and began reporting Wei Tu’s details.

“I beg Uncle-Master Ding’s guidance… should our sect strike him down, even if it means shedding blood?”

Having spoken, Lian Shourang bent into a deep bow and did not rise for a long time.

Contrary to rumors outside, Shengya Mountain had no true Divine Transformation cultivator.

What they had was only “Uncle-Master Ding,” a quasi-Divine Transformation Venerable.

Even so, this was enough. Shengya Mountain’s place in the Great Cang cultivation world remained unshakable.

After all, there had not been a true Divine Transformation Venerable born in the realm for thousands of years.

After a short silence, a reply finally came from within the cave.

“The soul oath on the Heaven’s Nether True Page… I could remove its backlash for you. But such a move is too reckless.”

“For the sake of the sect’s fortune, such treacherous schemes must not be acted upon lightly.”

The voice was that of a warm and gentle man.

“Moreover… shallow waters cannot raise a true dragon. Without our sect’s guidance, trapped in that remote borderland, he will never break past the mid-stage of Nascent Soul.”

“Mid-stage Nascent Soul will be his limit.”

Hearing this, standing at the cave entrance, Lian Shourang’s eyes lit with sudden understanding.

He had been too caught up in his disciple’s heavy injuries, blinded by emotion and quick to seek revenge.

But stepping back, as Uncle-Master Ding said, the threat was meaningless.

Killing did not always mean striking with one’s own hand.

Wei Tu’s talent and insight were indeed outstanding. But without the guidance of high figures like Shengya Mountain’s elders, he would never access higher resources.

Like a wild beast, no matter how fierce, so long as it was locked in its pen, it would never run rampant for life.

Now, he was the one standing outside the cage.

And Wei Tu was the beast bound by heaven and earth.

So long as he prevented Wei Tu from reaching “greater masters beyond” and kept him shackled by worldly limits, then in time this so-called prodigy would be worn down.

He would become ordinary, living with regret until the day he died of old age.

“Uncle-Master Ding, Shourang understands.”

Lian Shourang nodded slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

He recalled those prodigies recorded in the annals of cultivation history. They were once dazzling like Wei Tu, shaking the world with their fame—only to vanish without a trace.

…

Of Shengya Mountain’s schemes, Wei Tu, busy within the Ying Ding Tribe, knew nothing.

After handling the aftermath of his duel with Situ Yang, he began preparing once more for exploration of the overseas cultivation world.

This time, among the four members of the Righteous Society, only Kou Hongying remained behind, bound to cultivate the Reverse Spirit Blood Exchange Art.

Fu Zhizhou and Cao Mi, however, departed with him.

The journey went smoothly, without any accidents.

They first entered the Desolate Nether Death Sea, and from there crossed a spatial tunnel to reach Qiyan Island.

Soon, the fresh and damp scent of seawater rushed against the three of them.

From there, the three of them flew together toward Yunyang Island as planned.

Yunyang Island was one of the great spirit isles of the Red Algae Sea, standing alongside Yuanjun Island and Ghost Spirit Island.

Unlike Yuanjun Island, which was the capital of the Donghua Demon Kingdom, or Ghost Spirit Island, which was the sect grounds of the Ghost Spirit Sect, Yunyang Island was a place where rogue cultivators gathered. It did not particularly reject visiting Nascent Soul cultivators.

Thus, in the early stage of entering the Red Algae Sea, heading to Yunyang Island was clearly the best choice.

It was not that Wei Tu feared Lüqiu Jinyuan. With his current strength, he had no reason to fear a peer.

Only, he did not yet have absolute certainty of eliminating this mortal enemy.

“At the very least, I’ll wait until the Yin-Yang Demon Corpses are fully nourished and my fourth brother succeeds in breaking through to Nascent Soul. Then I’ll settle this debt.”

On the way to Yunyang Island, Wei Tu pondered both the Filthy Blood Demon Coffin and the Little Big Dipper Star Divine Technique, quietly weighing their mysteries.

Not long ago, he had just broken through to mid-stage Nascent Soul, reaching the level of Major Accomplishment.

In a short time, his cultivation could progress no further.

Whether breaking through in immortal cultivation or in body refinement, both demanded great fortune and opportunity.

So, for now, he could only improve through mastering high-level secret arts and relying on external aids.

By chance, after slaying Zhang Nanqiu, he had seized Myriad Spirits Corpse Fluid. With it, he could greatly enhance the Yin-Yang Demon Corpses of himself and Cao Mi, raising their power a whole tier.

Two months later, Wei Tu, Cao Mi, and Fu Zhizhou arrived at Yunyang Island without trouble.

As one of the three most prominent spirit isles of the Red Algae Sea, the island bustled with prosperity. From afar, they could see countless ships carrying goods docked at its harbors.

The shores were thick with people. Houses stretched endlessly, lined up in rows, a scene of earthly splendor.

Yet the three of them spared little attention. After a brief glance, they flew above the rooftops toward the estate brokers that rented caves to cultivators.

“Four caves,” Wei Tu said evenly. “Two ordinary Nascent Soul caves. One for forming a Nascent Soul. And one extremely yin cave, suitable for nurturing corpses.”

The shopkeeper froze, his face tightening with unease.

Ordinary Nascent Soul caves were easy enough to find. But the last two—those special ones—were nearly impossible to rent without the right connections. Even with wealth, access was scarce.

Wei Tu could guess the man’s hesitation, but said nothing, simply waiting.

Two present Nascent Souls, plus one destined to break through soon—three Nascent Soul ancestors in total.

Such a lineup was a force no sect could lightly dismiss.

Thus, coming to rent caves here was not just for lodgings. It was also a way of quietly attaching themselves to a local power.

“There is one place that can meet your needs…”

The shopkeeper thought carefully, then clasped his hands and asked through gritted teeth, “May I know how the three esteemed seniors wish to be addressed?”

“Kang Mountain’s Den of Ghosts.”

At that, Cao Mi smiled faintly and spoke the bandit title the three of them had chosen for themselves.