Fifty years ago, after her junior martial brother Liu Moqun died unexpectedly while trying to capture Su Bing'er, she had traveled a thousand miles to the Kang Kingdom to investigate the cause of Liu Moqun's death.
At first, Hu Shan hadn't suspected Wei Tu. But as the fifty years passed and Wei Tu remained within the influence of the Ying Ding Tribe, never setting foot outside, her suspicions grew.
What was Wei Tu afraid of?
Afraid of her? Or afraid of Qi Chengchu?
Of course, even without Liu Moqun's death, Hu Shan would have kept a close eye on Wei Tu's every move. She knew that Wei Tu possessed not only a treasure coveted by the Heavenly Maiden Sect, but also firsthand intelligence from within the Great Void Realm.
Those two reasons alone were enough for her to remain in the Kang Kingdom, patiently waiting for Wei Tu to slip up.
"Fairy… I've already told you everything I know. Please, spare me."
At that moment, Manager Tian woke up from his unconscious state. Ignoring the lingering pain of having his soul searched, he pleaded to the beautiful cultivator before him.
"I swear I won't breathe a word of this to anyone ever again."
"If I lie, may the heavens strike me down with five bolts of lightning!"
But before Manager Tian could even finish speaking, a streak of black light shot down from the sky and ended his life on the spot.
Even Hu Shan hadn't expected that.
She narrowed her eyes and looked toward the sky, where a young man wearing a jade-ornamented headband had appeared. Her voice held a mocking tone as she said, "Qi Chengchu, I didn't think you'd be more ruthless than me, someone from the demonic path. I was planning to spare this Manager Tian's life."
Qi Chengchu naturally didn't believe her. He was very familiar with this Spirit-Capturing Sect disciple. If she didn't kill Tian, it wasn't out of mercy—it was because she wanted to toy with his soul until he wished for death.
"Stop wasting time. Before long, the Demon Lord Gui Luo will finish cleansing the spirit poison in the Great Void Realm."
"This time, we must capture Wei Tu and force the secrets of the Great Void Realm out of him."
Qi Chengchu stood with hands behind his back, speaking in a cold voice.
"Wei Tu isn't Su Bing'er. He won't be that easy to catch," Hu Shan frowned slightly and shook her head. "His concealment techniques are excellent. Even with my sensory secret arts, I can only vaguely sense his presence."
If Wei Tu had heard the conversation between Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu, he would've been stunned.
It wasn't hard to tell from their words—that Su Bing'er, whom he had rescued once, had been captured again by the Spirit-Capturing Sect after reaching the Golden Core stage.
Vague sensing?
Qi Chengchu was secretly shocked.
This so-called Fairy Hu Shan wasn't someone ordinary. She was the second disciple of the Spirit-Capturing Sect Patriarch, and her soul-cultivation techniques were powerful enough to shake the heavens. Even he, a false Nascent Soul cultivator, didn't dare underestimate her.
Wei Tu had only briefly revealed his location, and now she could no longer pinpoint him, only barely determine his general direction?
How could that be?
If Qi Chengchu didn't know Hu Shan well—knew she wasn't the joking type—he would've assumed she was making things up.
"If Wei Tu really killed Liu Moqun, he might still have Liu's 'Yaksha Spirit-Transforming Talisman.' With that talisman and his concealment methods, if we fail in a single strike, we might never get another chance."
"Besides, this man is ruthless. He won't just sit there and wait to be captured and have his soul searched."
Hu Shan's tone turned heavy.
She knew clearly—Wei Tu was no longer just a simple rogue cultivator. He was now a High Priest of the Ying Ding Tribe. Thanks to his talents in alchemy and talismans, he held no small amount of influence there.
If she and Qi Chengchu tried to assassinate him and failed, revealing their identities in the process, it could lead to massive trouble.
—A third-rank alchemist and talisman master… if a steep enough price were paid, inviting a Divine Master to take action wouldn't be out of the question.
At that point, she could escape.
But Qi Chengchu and his Rogue Cultivator Alliance? They'd be finished.
Back then, the Spirit-Capturing Sect didn't support Qi Chengchu solely because of his personal potential. It was deeply tied to the Rogue Cultivator Alliance he commanded.
Failing to capture Wei Tu would mean a century of effort from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance would be wasted—vanishing into thin air.
That's why, compared to Qi Chengchu, Hu Shan approached the Wei Tu situation with far more caution.
"What do you suggest, Daoist Hu Shan?" Qi Chengchu asked, his brows lifting slightly.
"Once we find Wei Tu, we try to negotiate first. If that doesn't work, then we make a risky move—abduct and soul search!"
A cold glint flashed in Hu Shan's eyes.
...
You can't guard against a thief for a thousand days.
Wei Tu had no idea that the moment he left Yuhe Market, he had already been locked onto by both Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu.
Or rather, he had been targeted by Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu as far back as fifty years ago. It was only because he exposed a flaw this time while searching for the Earth Essence Mushroom that they found their opportunity.
Still, as a seasoned veteran, Wei Tu had been extremely cautious. On the road back to the Fen Shan Tribe, he disguised himself multiple times and concealed his presence to stay safe. He also sent the Wind-Cleaving Eagle to scout ahead and monitor his surroundings.
These two precautions nearly caused Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu, who were tailing him, to lose track or even expose their positions.
If Qi Chengchu hadn't been prepared ahead of time and used a formation to conceal their aura and figures the moment they left Moon Condensation Palace's territory, Wei Tu would've detected them immediately.
But midway through their pursuit—
As Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu closed in fast, Wei Tu suddenly sensed their approach. His face darkened, and without a second thought, he leapt onto the back of the Wind-Cleaving Eagle and began to flee.
Qi Chengchu had used a disguise, so Wei Tu didn't recognize him.
But the fox-faced female cultivator beside Qi Chengchu, Wei Tu roughly guessed her identity. She must be the "Senior Brother Hu Shan" from Liu Moqun's memories.
Hu Shan wasn't truly male or female. Long ago, they had seized the body of a female spirit cultivator. Since then, their appearance had mirrored that host—neither man nor woman.
"The nearest major power is the She Ri Tribe. I can go there and seek refuge."
Wei Tu searched the map, trying to find a lifeline.
Both he and the Wind-Cleaving Eagle had a movement speed comparable to a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. But Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu were both genuine peak Golden Core cultivators.
At this moment, both had activated secret techniques to boost their speed. If Wei Tu didn't find refuge soon, he would be caught before long.
However—
By the time he reached the She Ri Tribe, Wei Tu was chilled to the bone when they outright refused his request for help and told him to return to the Ying Ding Tribe to get reinforcements.
He had long known the three great tribes didn't get along, but he had never imagined the She Ri Tribe would stand by and watch as a High Priest of the Ying Ding Tribe was hunted down.
Not even considering the threat to themselves.
"If he were an ordinary High Priest, helping him wouldn't matter. But he shines too brightly. The Ying Ding Tribe must not be allowed to gain another Divine Master."
At the royal court of the She Ri Tribe, Divine Master Jin Xia looked at the gathered magi and sighed softly.
"Divine Master is wise."
The magi all rose and bowed.
...
Having failed to get help from the She Ri Tribe, Wei Tu held no hope for the nearby Feng Wu Tribe either. But with Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu practically breathing down his neck, Wei Tu gritted his teeth and asked them for help anyway.
And the result was the same.
A strange, suffocating silence.
The many halos surrounding Wei Tu's name—once the reason people admired and drew close to him—had become the very noose that strangled his chances of survival today.
"I'll just have to fight!"
Wei Tu sucked in a sharp breath and forced himself to stay calm.
He began calculating whether he had any chance of survival, or if he could use his techniques to escape back to the Fen Shan Tribe and preserve his life.
As long as he survived, he could rise again.
He had children. Maybe one day, they would help avenge this blood debt.
In that fleeting instant, Wei Tu thought of many things—death, final instructions, his legacy...
Against two peak Golden Core cultivators, his odds were terrifyingly low.
If it were only one, he could still put up a fight. With his many tricks, he might even win.
But against two? The gap was far too great.
"Wind-Cleaving Eagle, if I die, and if you're willing, stay with the Wei Clan and look after my children. If not, you're free to go."
Wei Tu glanced at the dark green eagle beside him, his gaze soft.
They had walked the immortal path together for over two hundred years now. The bond between man and beast was closer to friendship. The old hostility was long gone.
Wei Tu knew that if he died, the Wind-Cleaving Eagle could seek shelter at the Feng Wu Tribe's royal court. It shouldn't be too hard.
A third-rank spirit beast was something many would covet.
"As for you, Fellow Daoist Bai, when the chaos starts… take the chance to escape. Just don't come back seeking revenge on the Wei Clan."
As he spoke, Wei Tu forced Bai Zhi to swear a soul oath, forbidding her from harming any of the Wei Clan's descendants. Otherwise, her soul would be annihilated.
Though these words seemed long, in reality, they took only a moment to say.
The Wind-Cleaving Eagle let out a sorrowful cry and flapped its wings in fury. Its hawk-like eyes stared fiercely at the approaching figures of Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu.
Even Bai Zhi hadn't expected that, even as Wei Tu faced death, he still spared a thought for her.
"Truly worthy of the righteous path."
Bai Zhi was slightly moved.
But she wasn't optimistic about her impending freedom.
The Wind-Cleaving Eagle might escape. But she—a demonic cultivator's soul—had no path to flee. Even if Wei Tu let her go, Hu Shan would surely capture her and extract her soul for refinement.
But—
Just then.
At the moment of Wei Tu's deepest despair.
Inside the Feng Wu Tribe's Zhenwu Immortal City, a hoarse voice suddenly rang out. An old man in tattered robes leapt from the towering walls.
"This old man, Tian Shi, is willing to lend Fellow Daoist Wei a hand."
The straw-clad elder appeared at Wei Tu's side in a flash, his gaze proud as he faced off against Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu.
...
Tian Shi the old freak?
Wei Tu couldn't recall ever having any dealings or past connections with this man.
Back in Falling Sun City, he'd first read about him on a jade slip given by Yuan Jie.
This person was a complete stranger to him.
"Trouble," Hu Shan muttered, her pretty face darkening at the sight.
When they chased Wei Tu to the She Ri and Feng Wu Tribes, she had thought their mission would fail. Unexpectedly, both tribes stood by coldly, which had opened the way for her and Qi Chengchu.
But just when it seemed victory was in hand, this "Tian Shi old freak" jumped into the fray.
Though Tian Shi's cultivation wasn't as high as hers or Qi Chengchu's, two against one and two against two were worlds apart.
And now, being so close to Zhenwu Immortal City of the Feng Wu Tribe, if they dragged things out too long, anything could happen.
The She Ri and Feng Wu Tribes might not help Wei Tu, but that didn't mean they'd let her and Qi Chengchu walk away freely after killing him.
That was a different matter entirely.
"Fellow Daoist Tian Shi and I only met once in Falling Sun City. May I ask why you're helping me now?" Wei Tu seized the moment while Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu were hesitating to ask why Tian Shi was stepping in.
He couldn't afford to be distracted in a fight.
If he didn't clarify the reason, he couldn't risk leaving his back to Tian Shi.
"I'm Fu Lin's master," Tian Shi said simply.
"Fu Lin's master?" Wei Tu was surprised. He didn't remember Fu Lin ever mentioning a master named Tian Shi.
But after listening to the old freak explain the story between him and Fu Lin, Wei Tu's suspicions eased considerably.
These details—unless Tian Shi had soul-searched Fu Lin—were impossible to know so thoroughly.
"How is Fu Lin now?" Wei Tu asked again.
Back in the Great Void Realm, Wei Tu remembered Fu Lin had said that Cold Yuyuan would soon use him as a furnace and drain his cultivation.
Now, fifty years later, Wei Tu had no idea if Fu Lin was still alive.
"If not for those talismans and the Cuiyun Needle that Fellow Daoist Wei gave him, Fu Lin might truly have died."
Mentioning Fu Lin, the glint in Tian Shi's eyes softened, no longer as sinister as before.
"Fu Lin's already mastered my Three Corpses Secret Art. He stole Leng Yuyuan's entire cultivation. He's likely hiding somewhere, preparing to form his core."
"Then again, he may have already done it," Tian Shi added.
"That's good news." Wei Tu nodded, trusting the old freak a little more now.
...
After a moment of tense stillness—
Hu Shan and Qi Chengchu still hadn't made a move.
Wei Tu was wary of them. They, too, were wary of the cultivators from the She Ri and Feng Wu Tribes waiting like hawks behind the scenes.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, this one came not to fight, but to discuss something with you. There's a misunderstanding," Hu Shan said with a soft smile.
She was sticking to the plan—negotiate first, strike later if necessary.
"Negotiate? What negotiation?" Wei Tu looked her up and down, wondering what kind of trick she was up to now.
He only knew that the Soul-Capturing Sect had a grand plan to refine the Five Elements Infants. As for what other intentions they had toward him, he had no idea.
"Fellow Daoist Wei is the only righteous cultivator to emerge from the Great Void Realm besides the Demon Lord Gui Luo and a few others. You must hold many secrets."
"I wish to invite Fellow Daoist Wei to join me in an expedition back into the Great Void Realm."
Hu Shan got straight to the point.
Hearing this, Wei Tu immediately understood—they wanted to force him to explore the Great Void Realm?
He might fear other places, but the Great Void Realm held no terror for him. After all, he had the Great Void Stone he had taken from Jia Tianlong.
—The Great Void Stone possessed teleportation power.
With it, he could fake his death in the outer regions of the Great Void Realm and escape the moment things went south.