Chapter 584: Selling Out the Tribe for Honor, Junior Sister’s Kiss, the Name of Wind Cleaving Eagle

"Stage four great demon? Looks like Fellow Daoist Wei is hiding even deeper than you and I imagined."

"It must be from the Great Void Realm."

"He must have gained resources there that let the Wind Cleaving Eagle break through to stage four."

While the cultivators of the Ying Ding Tribe were heatedly discussing, Divine Master Du Long and Divine Master He Di quietly gathered in secret to exchange words.

They had both seen Wei Tu’s Wind Cleaving Eagle before and knew that it originally had no potential to grow into a stage four demon beast.

In fact, even its advancement to stage three had carried the suspicion of Wei Tu forcing its growth.

Now, the only explanation for it stepping into stage four was an extraordinary opportunity.

Yet—even though they both realized this, neither of them dared harbor the thought of seizing it.

The reason was simple.

Wei Tu, now the strongest in the Ying Ding Tribe, already had the strength to guard such opportunities.

His realm was higher than what the outside world believed. He had reached mid-stage Nascent Soul, and he had a battle record of slaying the fellow Nascent Soul powerhouse, Liu Yu Daoren.

At this point, they could barely curry favor with Wei Tu fast enough. How could they risk offending him and following in Liu Yu Daoren’s footsteps?

"With Yuan Jie dead, the seat of Right Virtuous King is empty. Perhaps we could…"

Divine Master He Di trailed off, hinting.

"You mean… let a member of the Wei family take the position?"

Hearing this, Divine Master Du Long understood and his face showed hesitation.

Strictly speaking, Wei Tu was still an “outsider” in the Ying Ding Tribe, a “migrant cultivator” from Zheng Kingdom.

His children, whether Wei Yan or Wei Xiuwen, had all been born in Zheng Kingdom as well. They had not fully integrated into the Ying Ding Tribe.

The title of Right Virtuous King symbolized worldly authority within the tribe.

Placing an outsider there seemed far too bold.

Even with the support of the Divine Masters, it would be hard to convince the masses. After all, the people’s will could not be ignored. Few among the tribe would willingly accept a foreigner as their ruler.

"I remember… Fellow Daoist Wei’s only grandson, Wei Changshou, was raised in our tribe?"

"He’s already at late-stage Foundation Establishment. It won’t be long before he forms a Golden Core."

Divine Master He Di paused, then added.

"Wei Changshou?"

Divine Master Du Long immediately grasped his meaning.

He Di wanted to push Wei Changshou into the position.

Unlike other patriarchs who had many descendants, Wei Tu had only this one grandson. In his eyes, Wei Changshou was no less than his own child.

Promoting Wei Changshou was almost the same as promoting one of Wei Tu’s children.

Moreover, since Wei Changshou grew up in the Ying Ding Tribe, he was considered third-generation migrant. That barely qualified him as a tribesman, so there wouldn’t be too much backlash.

"Doing this is nearly fawning…"

Divine Master Du Long sighed, uneasy. He worried that once he passed away, such actions would taint the reputation left behind for him.

After all, befriending Wei Tu was not the same as flattering him. The two must not be confused.

To put it plainly, he didn’t want to sell out the tribe just for his own honor.

Perhaps He Di could win Wei Tu’s favor and gain opportunities, maybe even break further through in cultivation. But Du Long, with half a foot already in the grave, why should he bother?

Yet after his words, He Di showed no shame. Stroking his beard, he asked only one question:

"Divine Master Du Long, tell me—how does our tribe’s strength compare to that of the Wei family?"

As soon as the words fell, Du Long’s face changed.

Even before, Wei Tu alone, as a mid-stage Nascent Soul, was enough to equal the three Divine Masters.

Now, with the stage four Wind Cleaving Eagle, the Wei family’s peak strength was no weaker than the Ying Ding Tribe.

In other words, though the Wei family appeared dependent on the tribe, in truth, they already had the power to stand as equals.

Letting Wei Changshou become Right Virtuous King looked like flattery, but wasn’t it also a plan to stabilize the tribe?

After all, the Wei family, “without power,” could hardly be expected to remain forever beneath the Ying Ding Tribe as a mere small family.

"It was this old man who failed to think it through."

Du Long sighed again, his words showing his agreement with He Di’s proposal—Wei Changshou would be made Right Virtuous King.

…

At the same time, in Wei Tu’s Divine Master Mansion.

Unlike Wei Yan and his sister, who were full of joy, Su Bing’er frowned at the scene before her.

"The gap is getting wider…"

She sighed softly, her face showing loneliness.

Back then, she and Wei Tu had both become disciples of Che Gongwei at the same time. As Qingmei Venerable Master, her cultivation had even been higher than his.

Now, though she had reached late-stage Golden Core and was not far from forming a Nascent Soul—an outstanding rank even among Golden Cores with spiritual bodies—her achievement was nothing compared to Wei Tu’s.

To put it more harshly—she couldn’t even compare to Wei Tu’s spirit beast anymore.

Seeing the one who was supposed to walk alongside her go farther and farther away, she knew that no matter how hard she ran, she would never catch up. How could she so easily be ‘content’?

"Maybe… I should go out and search for opportunities myself."

Su Bing’er looked up at the walls of the Divine Master Mansion outside the window. She was ready to step out from under Wei Tu’s protective wings.

The chance to form a Nascent Soul couldn’t be waited out.

Wei Tu was only her senior brother, not her father. He would not provide her the resources to form a Nascent Soul.

This was something she had to be clear about.

Besides, now was the right time to leave.

With Ji Wuyai dead, the Hehuan Sect would not target the Ying Ding Tribe again in the short term.

Her departure would be relatively safe.

"Farewell, Senior Brother Wei. Next time we meet, Bing’er will no longer be as weak as today."

Su Bing’er finally made up her mind. Her eyes shone with determination, and once again she carried the bearing of a rogue cultivator, Qingmei Venerable Master.

She left behind a farewell letter, then swung her jade sleeve and strode toward the gate.

But—after only a few steps—she suddenly heard a calm, warm voice in her ear.

"Senior Brother Wei?" Su Bing’er froze, embarrassed, as if she had been caught running away from home by an elder.

"Junior Sister Su wanting to seek a Nascent Soul opportunity outside is fine. But before leaving, you should at least have told your senior brother first."

As the words fell, a green-robed figure appeared before her, hands clasped behind his back. His face was ordinary, but his aura carried an unshakable firmness and unrestrained grace.

It was Wei Tu, who had been in secluded cultivation.

After Tao Zhongjing’s “accidental core formation” last time, Wei Tu had started paying more attention to his kin. He kept track of each one’s cultivation progress, and naturally, Su Bing’er was among them.

Not only because of their subtle bond, but also because before Che Gongwei’s death, he had entrusted her care to Wei Tu. Ignoring her was never an option.

And besides, Su Bing’er had long lived inside the Divine Master Mansion. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, how could he not notice her leaving?

"Senior Brother Wei is a bitter cultivator, hard to predict when you’ll emerge from seclusion. I couldn’t keep waiting."

She hesitated, then explained.

She was telling the truth.

Even after so many years in the mansion, not just her—even Yan Xiaolan, one of Wei Tu’s concubines—could count her meetings with Wei Tu on her fingers.

To see him in person just to say goodbye would have taken too long.

Wei Tu didn’t argue. He knew his own habits well. What he had said earlier was just an excuse to make her stay.

"These are some defensive methods from when I was in the Golden Core stage. Take them."

He paused, then pulled out a storage pouch from his sleeve and placed it in her hand.

A Nascent Infant Pill might be easier to find in the overseas cultivation world than in Great Cang, but that didn’t make it any less precious.

Relationships had closeness and distance. Favoring some over others was natural.

He could work hard to secure a Nascent Infant Pill for Kou Hongying.

But for Su Bing’er… he had to think carefully if she was worth such effort.

After all, even the pill for Kou Hongying had been traded for with three Yinchen Stones. At most, that was just him giving her a bit of extra support.

Of course, he wasn’t so cruel as to ignore Su Bing’er entirely.

Inside the pouch, besides protective talismans, he also placed a Portable Teleportation Array—enough to escape even an ordinary Nascent Soul pursuer.

With that, as long as she stayed cautious, her life wouldn’t be in danger.

"If you find something outside of equal value to a Nascent Infant Pill, I can help you make the exchange."

Wei Tu thought for a moment, then added.

He couldn’t support her forever. But if she worked hard herself, he didn’t mind giving her a push.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Wei."

Her eyes lit up. She bowed deeply in thanks.

After a few more words, silence fell between them.

"Senior Brother Wei, after this farewell, I don’t know when I’ll see you again… May I ask for one thing?" Her eyes sparkled as she smiled faintly.

"What is it?"

Wei Tu asked casually.

He knew her nature well. She was someone who understood boundaries and wouldn’t ask for anything too much.

"Please close your eyes, Senior Brother Wei."

"Close my eyes?" He was stunned, unsure of her meaning. Still, he agreed without hesitation.

The next moment, with his eyes shut, Wei Tu felt something cold and soft touch his lips—quick and fleeting, like a dragonfly skimming water.

Even without divine sense, he knew it was Su Bing’er’s lips.

But—unlike with Yan Xiaolan—this time he didn’t respond. He didn’t open his eyes. He simply ignored what had happened.

Until… she left. Leaving the Divine Master Mansion. Leaving Hujie Immortal City. Leaving the Ying Ding Tribe. Gone without a trace.

"Once again… beneath the moon."

Wei Tu opened his eyes, gazing at the crescent moon above, and slowly shook his head.

He did have some fondness for Su Bing’er. But not enough to make her his Dao companion.

And as his junior sister, she could never become a concubine like Yan Xiaolan.

Doing so would disgrace their late master, Che Gongwei.

So, all he could do was refuse her gently.

…

A few days later, word spread outside that the Wind Cleaving Eagle was about to break through to stage four.

The reaction outside? Lukewarm.

The birth of a stage four great demon might shake local powers around Kang Kingdom, but to great sects like Shengya Mountain, it meant nothing.

Right now, both righteous and demonic sects alike were focused entirely on preparing for the Zunwang Palace secret realm. No one had time to care about a mere stage four beast—even if its master was Wei Tu.

Still, the powers of Kang Kingdom gave Wei Tu face. They sent envoys with gifts to the Ying Ding Tribe, ready to offer congratulations.

"I just don’t know if the Wind Cleaving Eagle will choose to transform into human form, or take the ancestral return path."

Two years later, when Wei Tu sensed the demon infant inside the eagle was nearly formed, his heart stirred.

In the cultivation world, spirit beasts were divided into four grades: Huang, Xuan, Di, and Tian.

Once they reached Tian-grade, stage four, they were called heavenly demons, able to take human form.

But not every beast at this level wanted to turn into a human.

After all, spirit beasts had their own way of life. Not all of them were “demon degenerates” longing to imitate humans.

So at this stage, most beasts had two advancement routes:

1. Transform into human form, gaining human meridians and acupoints, learning human techniques, and continuing cultivation as a human while gradually discarding their beast body.

2. Purify their bloodline, taking the ancestral return path.

All beasts carried traces of ancient true spirit blood. Digging out that blood to strengthen themselves was a shortcut.

But the flaw was that after forming their demon infant, they’d almost never be able to change into human form again, remaining in beast shape forever.

Forming the infant, for both humans and beasts, was like a second rebirth. Miss that window, and reshaping the body later was near impossible.

There was also a rare third path.

That was to both transform and take the ancestral return path.

But mostly half-demon cultivators could manage that, raising the purity of their ancestral blood even in human form.

Wei Tu had seen in old records that the spirit realm had terms for this.

Those that took the transformation path were called the demon race.

Those that took the ancestral return path were called the true spirit clan.

"Looks like it’s the beast-form ancestral return route."

A few days later, when Wei Tu saw the demon infant inside the eagle condense into a miniature sculpture of itself, he knew the choice it had made.

He wasn’t surprised.

Transformation looked good, but it was better suited for beasts with higher intelligence, like spirit apes or foxes.

The eagle wasn’t stupid, but forcing it to transform then learn human techniques would be unfair.

Besides, Wei Tu could sense its soul. It wanted to repay his earlier investment of blood exchange.

Transformation wouldn’t waste that, but for a beast, strengthening blood was far easier with the ancestral return.

"Beasts may not be too smart, but they’re pure-hearted. Whoever treats them well, they stay loyal."

Wei Tu smiled with satisfaction.

He had long forgotten how, back in the Foundation Establishment stage, he left the eagle in Luoxue Courtyard to starve for years.

"With this breakthrough, the true spirit blood got thicker. Another thirty years, and it’ll evolve into a pure-blood descendant. That cut down sixty years at least."

Walking into the spirit beast chamber, Wei Tu looked at the eagle, now with a white crown and green body, and used his mana to check its bloodline density.

Last time, after the blood exchange, he had estimated it would take a hundred years to evolve.

But now, after this breakthrough and choosing ancestral return, the time was cut by more than half—just thirty years left.

Thirty years would pass in a blink.

Wei Tu could already picture Lüqiu Jinyuan’s Red Spirit Wings reappearing.

"Now that you’re a stage four great demon, you should have a name." Wei Tu patted its head, smiling as it cried out.

Stage four beasts were ordinary compared to Nascent Souls, but in the outside world they were lords to be revered. It wasn’t right to keep calling it by its species.

"You’ve been with me for years, part of the Wei family. From now on, you’ll carry my surname. As for your name… since both of us walk this path for the sake of immortality’s eternity, you’ll be Wei Changqing."

He smiled faintly.

The name also carried his wish—that the eagle would guard the everlasting way.

"Skreee!"

The eagle’s eyes lit up. It spread its wings and soared around the chamber, thrilled.

For a cultivator to give their beast their own surname was the greatest recognition. How could it not be overjoyed?

"Go, then! Face the Nascent Infant lightning tribulation."

When it settled back, Wei Tu took out a stage four defensive artifact from his sleeve and hung it around its neck.

The moment the demon infant fully formed, the final tribulation arrived.

Clouds gathered overhead, heavy with thunder far stronger than ordinary Nascent Infant lightning.

Not as terrible as Fu Zhizhou’s blood lightning, but close.

Wei Tu guessed it was tied to its ancestral return choice.

After all, the eagle had no Soul-Devouring Wood, nor had it slaughtered too many like a demonic cultivator.

But with the artifact protecting it, passing this lightning tribulation would not be difficult.