The origin of this matter was simple—nothing complicated at all.
Thirteen years ago, when Master Hongjing and Ancestor Luo attended a high-tier auction in the Red Algae Sea, they happened to encounter the Yin Ghost Sect's patriarch, Yin Mozi.
That demon cultivator was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, sharp-eyed and perceptive. He instantly saw that both Master Hongjing and Ancestor Luo possessed pure yin essence—and also that they weren't from the Red Algae Sea or the surrounding waters.
So, he got wicked ideas.
Eight years ago, during one of their excursions, Yin Mozi launched a sneak attack with a group of his followers. Ancestor Luo was captured.
Master Hongjing, thanks to her mastery of an advanced escape technique and the fact that she had a former partner and was no longer a virgin—not Yin Mozi's primary target—barely escaped with her life, though she was badly injured.
…
"Pure yin essence?"
After hearing Master Hongjing's account, Wei Tu paused, then couldn't help but feel a bit stunned. It all sounded absurd—almost laughable.
A dignified Nascent Soul patriarch was kidnapped… just because she was a virgin and carried pure yin essence?
If the juniors in their sect heard this, they'd probably laugh themselves sick.
But after thinking for a moment, Wei Tu found it understandable.
In righteous sects, it was rare to hear of cultivators raising furnace cauldrons to aid their cultivation. But among the demonic sects, such practices were not only common—they were a full-blown trend.
Whether low-level or high-level, cultivators all fell into this same depraved habit.
So Yin Mozi kidnapping Ancestor Luo to turn her into a furnace cauldron might sound outrageous, but really, it only seemed that way because Nascent Soul patriarchs were too revered in the Great Cang cultivation world.
In the overseas cultivation world, something like this probably wasn't even newsworthy.
'Still, being taken as a furnace cauldron is better than being refined into some corpse puppet or evil artifact. At least she's still alive. Her life isn't in immediate danger,' Wei Tu thought.
Before visiting Master Hongjing, both he and Cao Mi hadn't held out much hope for Ancestor Luo's survival. They figured she'd probably perished years ago.
Now, finding out she'd been taken as a furnace cauldron—while humiliating—was still far better than dying namelessly in the overseas cultivation world.
"At first, I didn't think there was any chance for Senior Sister Luo. But now that Nephew Cao has formed her Nascent Soul, and with Fellow Daoist Wei's support… perhaps it's time we put a rescue mission on the agenda."
Master Hongjing looked hopeful as she turned her bright eyes toward Wei Tu.
For a junior of Moon Condensation Palace like Cao Mi, saving Ancestor Luo was her natural responsibility.
Now, the only missing piece was Wei Tu's agreement.
But—
Wei Tu didn't rush to respond.
At any other time, he would've turned her down without hesitation.
After all, the cultivator they were talking about wasn't some peer of the same realm, but a patriarch—Yin Mozi—who stood a whole small realm above him.
Still, the opportunity of the overseas cultivation world gave him pause.
He knew very well that if he refused Master Hongjing's request to help rescue Ancestor Luo, he'd be cutting himself off from this opportunity.
Worse, it could even spark hostility between him, Master Hongjing, and Cao Mi.
The intelligence about the overseas cultivation world was incredibly valuable within Great Cang.
The chance they'd just let him leave safely with this knowledge? Not high.
And besides, he'd only heard this intel from Master Hongjing in the first place because he'd openly declared his alignment with Cao Mi earlier.
So, whether from a practical or moral standpoint, now wasn't the time to reject Master Hongjing's request.
"I can help rescue Ancestor Luo. But… not in the near future."
Wei Tu thought for a moment, then finally spoke.
As soon as his words fell—
Master Hongjing's expression shifted slightly. Her face darkened. The only reason she had been willing to reveal intel about the overseas cultivation world earlier was because she'd thought Wei Tu and Cao Mi shared an unusual bond.
Now, with Wei Tu refusing to get involved—wasn't that basically making a fool of her?
If he didn't want to take responsibility, then why bother coming along with Cao Mi to visit her?
"Brother Wei surely has his difficulties."
Compared to Master Hongjing, Cao Mi stood more from Wei Tu's perspective. She tried to consider his position.
After all, this visit to Master Hongjing had only happened because she was worried something might go wrong and had asked Wei Tu to come along.
Now, with a formidable mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like Yin Mozi involved, it was understandable if Wei Tu flinched.
In truth, Wei Tu had little connection to either Ancestor Luo or herself. It wouldn't make sense for him to take risks for their sake.
But just as Cao Mi was about to speak to defend him, Wei Tu suddenly added something that completely contradicted the impression she'd just formed.
"I've already reached the peak of Body Cultivation Tier Three. If I can find a suitable spiritual item, I'll be able to break through to Body Cultivation Tier Four."
"When that happens, with Daoist Hongjing and Junior Sister Cao's help, we might just stand a chance at rescuing Ancestor Luo."
Wei Tu's tone was sincere as he revealed his true body cultivation level.
"What?"
"Peak of Body Cultivation Tier Three?"
Hearing that, both Master Hongjing and Cao Mi looked stunned. Surprise was written all over their faces.
The peak of Tier Three in body cultivation!
For other Nascent Soul patriarchs, this level wasn't really anything special.
Given their long lifespans, they could easily spend a few centuries pushing their body cultivation to Tier Three if they had the resources and patience. That was nothing unusual.
But the key point was—
Wei Tu was still so young!
With his age, just reaching the Nascent Soul stage was already a rare feat.
Now, to find out he'd also cultivated his body to the peak of Tier Three—he was practically a monster!
'Could Fellow Daoist Wei really not be a reincarnated Nascent Soul old freak?' Cao Mi found herself thinking again, the same thought she'd had decades ago when she first met him.
She had already suspected something when he sought true spirit blood and flesh. But this was the first time he had openly shared his real body cultivation realm.
"Breaking through from Tier Three to Tier Four in body cultivation is just as difficult as going from Golden Core to Nascent Soul—even with the right spiritual item."
"But if it's Brother Wei…"
"Then maybe not!"
By now, Cao Mi's trust in Wei Tu wasn't quite blind—but it came pretty close.
After all, he had constantly shattered her expectations, time and again.
…
Revealing his true body cultivation level, Wei Tu had more than just trust-building in mind. He was also testing the waters, to see if Master Hongjing had any intel on spiritual items that could help him break through to Tier Four.
He figured, with how rich and resourceful the overseas cultivation world was, finding such a spiritual item would be far easier there than in the Great Cang cultivation world.
That Condensing Nascent Pill that helped Cao Mi advance had already been a perfect example.
"There are three major trade islands in the Red Algae Sea—Cloudsun Island where rogue cultivators gather, Yuangjun Island which is the capital of the Donghua Demon Kingdom, and Ghost Spirit Island, home to the Yin Ghost Sect."
"In ten more years, Yuangjun Island will hold its once-every-century grand auction. If luck's on our side, the final auction item might just be a 'Soul Condensing Pill'…"
Hearing Wei Tu's words, Master Hongjing immediately picked up on his intentions.
After a moment of thought, she gave him the information he was hoping for.
"The Soul Condensing Pill is a high-grade pill commonly used in the overseas cultivation world to help cultivators break through to Body Cultivation Tier Four."
"It's similar to how a Condensing Nascent Pill helps Golden Core cultivators reach Nascent Soul."
She added a bit more explanation.
"Soul Condensing Pill?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow slightly. He was instantly thrilled.
He now knew—he absolutely had to go to the overseas cultivation world.
Rescuing Ancestor Luo was one thing.
But just the fact that this 'Soul Condensing Pill' could help him break through to Tier Four meant he couldn't walk away from this.
If he could obtain that pill and make the breakthrough, his path in the Nascent Soul stage would open wide.
The Zunwang Palace.
The secret realm medicinal garden.
Those two treasure troves would only yield opportunities to someone with at least mid-stage Nascent Soul-level strength.