After the spiritual pill was refined, Wei Tu didn't hurry to consume it. Instead, he first wrote a letter to inquire about Wei Yan's future plans.
By the time, Wei Yan was about to finish his retreat soon.
As for the refining of the Purple Candle Pill, it wasn't a task that could be completed in a day or two. Right now, Wei Yan's future path was the real pressing issue for the "Wei family."
Initially, Wei Tu still had some attachment to the Ying Ding tribe, thinking that once Wei Yan came out of her retreat, she could either join the Ying Ding tribe or establish a Golden Core family, both of which seemed like good options.
However, Yuan Jie's sudden "change of heart" forced Wei Tu to reconsider whether to let Wei Yan join the Ying Ding tribe.
After all, you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.
One must have a certain sense of caution.
To put it bluntly, if something were to happen to him in the Ying Ding tribe, and he tragically perished, Wei Yan would not only be able to avoid this disaster but might also avenge him.
The opposite was true as well.
...
But—
What was unexpected was that two months later, in Hu Jie Immortal City, Wei Tu received not only a letter from Wei Yan but also one from Situ You, sent from Ancient Sword Mountain.
Wei Tu opened Situ You's letter first.
After all, the matter of Wei Hua's death was still closely connected to him.
Even though it was unlikely that Ancient Sword Mountain would suspect him, it was still something he couldn't ignore.
"What? He wants to marry Tian Qiuyun as his Dao partner and will hold a grand ceremony soon?"
Seeing the contents of the letter, Wei Tu was greatly shocked.
He didn't expect that after Situ You returned to Ancient Sword Mountain, he didn't first clear his own suspicions but instead hastily rekindled his relationship with Tian Qiuyun, the widow of Wei Hua.
"A man of his caliber, yet he's being manipulated by a woman," Wei Tu couldn't help but sigh.
At Ancient Sword Mountain, Situ You, though not a young prodigy, was still one of the leading figures among the younger generation of Golden Core cultivators.
With his status, he could have any woman he wanted.
Why obsess over one Tian Qiuyun?
"However... if Situ You really marries Tian Qiuyun as his Dao partner, he might be able to replace Wei Hua's position within Ancient Sword Mountain and become a potential candidate for the next Sword Master," Wei Tu's eyes flickered, suddenly thinking in this direction.
After all, from what he observed, Tian Qiuyun was the key figure behind Wei Hua's success, helping him manage connections.
Without Tian Qiuyun, Wei Hua wouldn't have been able to handle everything.
Now, if Situ You marries Tian Qiuyun—"the connections Wei Hua left behind after his death would now be inherited by Situ You, the new husband."
"Thinking about it this way, Situ You marrying Tian Qiuyun is not a bad thing, but rather a good thing."
Wei Tu thought to himself.
However, he didn't know if Situ You had considered this angle before marrying Tian Qiuyun, or if... it was merely a case of rekindled old feelings.
If it were the latter...
It could backfire, possibly leading to a breakdown of his family and a destruction of his Dao heart.
However, for Situ You, marrying Tian Qiuyun was beneficial.
Tian Qiuyun's remarriage meant that Wei Hua's influence within Ancient Sword Mountain would gradually fade...
By then, the previous "enmity" between him and Ancient Sword Mountain would also be forgotten.
Once the right opportunity arose, he could mend the relationship.
Forming a good relationship with Ancient Sword Mountain, though not hugely beneficial for Wei Tu right now, was still preferable. No one wanted enemies all around.
Besides, it's better to reconcile than to separate.
His relationship with Situ You hadn't reached the point of being an open book. They were just acquaintances, after all.
With that in mind, Wei Tu picked up a pen and wrote a congratulatory letter to Situ You.
In the letter, Wei Tu didn't mention Tian Qiuyun's past but, out of friendship, warned Situ You to be cautious of Tian Qiuyun. He advised him to be wary of potential retaliation after she learned the truth about Wei Hua's death.
After finishing the congratulatory letter, Wei Tu opened Wei Yan's reply.
Wei Yan's letter was quite long. In addition to greeting her father, she also analyzed the current situation of the major factions in Kang Kingdom, as well as her future considerations.
On the matter of joining the Ying Ding tribe or establishing a Golden Core family, Wei Yan was more inclined to join the Ying Ding tribe.
First, as the chief alchemist of the Ying Ding tribe, Wei Tu could offer her some protection in the future.
Second, since Yuan Jie had reformed the Ying Ding tribe, foreign Immortal cultivators were now being given more opportunities. Their positions were often higher than those of regular cultivators within the department.
Third, due to the ongoing conflict between the two factions, the region near Ningyue Palace was unstable, and it wasn't the best time to establish a Golden Core family.
"Good insight," Wei Tu showed a hint of approval.
"It's just a pity that she doesn't know the inside story..." Wei Tu shook his head.
In front of him, Wei Yan appeared to be very obedient, almost always prioritizing his advice.
But in reality, Wei Yan had always been quite independent.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the risk to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage when he entered the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
However, unlike Wei Xiuwen, Wei Yan usually deferred to him when it came to major decisions about her future, and would never make hasty choices.
Still, because of this, Wei Yan would not make serious mistakes on her Dao path.
Such as this moment—
It was a prime example.
Although Wei Yan's analysis in the letter was quite good, and her insight was profound, if she truly did as she planned and joined the Ying Ding tribe, which she thought had a bright future… she would regret it later.
Standing high and seeing far is sometimes not just an empty saying.
Compared to joining the Ying Ding tribe, the real good place for Wei Yan was the Moon Condensation Palace, where she had interests and connections.
However, Wei Tu did not strongly urge Wei Yan to join Moon Condensation Palace in his reply. Instead, he suggested that Wei Yan consider becoming a guest elder of Moon Condensation Palace first, and later choose her future path.
Everything should be discussed and decided step by step.
Wei Tu would never force his opinion upon Wei Yan in the Wei family.
...
More than a month later.
Wei Tu received Wei Yan's reply.
As expected, the always obedient Wei Yan listened to his advice and chose to join Moon Condensation Palace as a guest elder, without being stubborn.
Moreover, Wei Yan didn't ask why Wei Tu had written such advice.
She trusted Wei Tu unconditionally.
Seeing this, Wei Tu couldn't help but feel a great sense of comfort.
Though he had already expected this result, the difference between anticipated outcomes and the real result was still significant.
After all, in reality, there were many cultivators who, after reaching the same cultivation level as their parents, thought they had gained insight, and then ignored their parents' advice.
Wei Yan, being a second-generation immortal, was rare in that her mindset remained unchanged after reaching Golden Core, unlike others who easily got swayed by their success.
"This girl is sensible," Wei Tu thought with approval.
"But it's a pity she doesn't know the inside story..."
Wei Tu shook his head.
In front of him, Wei Yan appeared to follow his guidance, almost always considering him, her father, as the ultimate authority.
But in truth, Wei Yan had always been quite independent.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken the risk of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage when he entered the Cloud Ze Secret Realm.
However, unlike Wei Xiuwen, Wei Yan always deferred to him for major decisions regarding her future, never making hasty choices.
Still, because of this, Wei Yan would not make serious mistakes in her Dao journey.
This moment was a perfect example.
...
The next day, Wei Tu found Yan Yu and informed her, the female steward, that he would soon be going into seclusion.
Now that Wei Yan's path was set, it was time for him to consume the Purple Candle Pill and enter seclusion to improve his cultivation.
More than twenty years had passed, and now Yan Yu had used the "Bi Yan Pill" Wei Tu had given her to fulfill the late Priest Mu Feng's final wish and had become a Golden Core True Lord.
However, Yan Yu was a person who valued old relationships. After reaching the Golden Core, she didn't leave but chose to stay at the Wei Family Pill and Talisman Hall to help Wei Tu manage the affairs.
"Yes, Priest," Yan Yu's bright eyes flickered as she nodded slightly and agreed.
"Truly worthy of being Mu's esteemed disciple," Wei Tu thought to himself in admiration.
Previously, Yan Yu had some lingering affection for him, as he was the only Golden Core True Lord who treated her well after Mu Feng's death.
However, since last year, when he brought Su Bing'er back to the Ying Ding tribe and ignored the rumors that Su Bing'er was his potential Dao partner, Yan Yu immediately severed any emotional ties with him, focusing fully on her Dao path.
From this, Wei Tu could see that Yan Yu's determination in the Dao was unmatched by any female cultivator around him.
"Perhaps, this woman has the potential to reach Nascent Soul in the future," Wei Tu thought.
Though Yan Yu's bloodline from the Shaman God wasn't as extraordinary as Su Bing'er's spiritual body Golden Core, Wei Tu had a strong intuition that Yan Yu's future would be much broader than Su Bing'er's. She would go much further.
After assigning everything, Wei Tu placed a sign on the entrance of Yunque Residence indicating his seclusion, sealed his cave dwelling, and began the next round of his retreat.
Sitting cross-legged, he took a Purple Candle Pill from its bottle and swallowed it.
The power of the Purple Candle Pill was overwhelming.
In an instant, Wei Tu's once dormant energy pool began to stir, boiling and vibrating.
At the same time, the round Golden Core in his dantian also began to spin rapidly, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy crazily.
Two years later.
Having fully absorbed the power of the Purple Candle Pill, Wei Tu's cultivation had progressed significantly, now approaching the later stage of the Golden Core—on the verge of "Great Success."
"With two more Purple Candle Pills, I can break through to the later stage of the Golden Core... or even go further."
Wei Tu's eyes flashed with a brilliant light.
He flipped his palm and took out the bottle containing the Purple Candle Pills, preparing to consume another one.
But at that moment, he noticed that a letter of invitation had appeared at the entrance of the cave dwelling, he had not noticed when it arrived.
"Yuan Jie and Bao Hua's Dao partner ceremony?"
Wei Tu reached for the invitation and looked at the contents inside, his face showing some surprise.
Last time, during the cleansing banquet, Yuan Jie had mentioned to him that he would soon become Dao partners with Bao Hua, but he didn't expect the marriage to happen so quickly.
"Next month?" Wei Tu glanced at the date and thought.
"I'll attend the wedding first, then go back to seclusion after it's over." Wei Tu shook his head and placed the Purple Candle Pill back into its bottle.
If it were anything else, he could have excused himself, but Yuan Jie and Bao Hua's Dao partner ceremony was one he, as an elder of the Cang Kun Alliance, absolutely could not skip.
Moreover, Yuan Jie, now a top figure under the Three Great Masters of the Ying Ding tribe, was now the Right Virtuous King!
Not attending this important ceremony would have a bad impact.
In the past, with Yuan Jie, it would have been fine.
But now Yuan Jie...
There was no doubt he had become much more sensitive.
Even without considering Yuan Jie, Wei Tu still needed to think about Bao Hua, who had helped him in the past.
"Luckily, it won't take too long."
Wei Tu put the invitation away and stood up, preparing to leave seclusion.
Two to three months was but a moment to a Golden Core True Lord like him.
Furthermore, this period would be a good opportunity to consolidate his realm and eliminate the instability caused by the pill's power.