Chapter 145: A Battle of Life and Death

"Wei Tu has only been with our Heshan Huang Clan for a little over twenty years. His background has been investigated—his history is clean. He is unlikely to be a spy." Huang Xinglie pondered for a moment before shaking his head. A few years ago, after Wei Tu broke through to mid-Foundation Establishment and demonstrated his talent in talismans, Huang Xinglie, as a Golden Core ancestor, had taken a deeper interest in him and conducted a thorough investigation. From Wei Tu’s birth, to his time serving as a military officer in Zheng Kingdom, to his later cultivation in Danqiu Mountains, everything had been accounted for. If there had been anything suspicious about him, Huang Xinglie would not have personally lent him the Golden Silk Armor before entering the Cloud Ze Secret Realm. After all, the Golden Silk Armor was a high-grade second-rank defensive artifact, something even the Heshan Huang Clan didn’t have in great supply. "Still, Wei Tu does have some questionable points, and we cannot completely rule him out. Keep a close watch on him from now on." Although he disagreed with the clan lord’s conclusion, Huang Xinglie did not dismiss the concern entirely. When it came to internal traitors, they could afford no negligence. Even the slightest doubt warranted placing Wei Tu under surveillance. "Ancestor, you are wise. I, too, believe that the chances of Wei Tu being a spy are low." Huang Changshun, the clan lord, immediately flattered him before continuing. "However, I suspect that among our four contracted cultivators, apart from Wei Tu, the one most likely to be a spy is Si Qing, the array master. Previously we had already conducted numerous investigations into Si Qing’s background." Huang Changshun knew that merely citing the spiritual contract anomaly as a reason to accuse Wei Tu would be unfair and could be seen as exaggerating the issue. The real target of his accusation was Si Qing. However, Si Qing was brought into the Heshan Huang Clan by the Second Elder himself, which gave her a significant status within the clan. If he had immediately accused Si Qing, it would have seemed like he was questioning the Second Elder—which could have led to internal conflicts. By first discussing Wei Tu, another contracted cultivator, it became more reasonable to bring up Si Qing afterward. "Si Qing?" Huang Xinglie narrowed his eyes, recalling the beautiful yet reserved female cultivator who often kept a low profile on her Cloud Crown Crane. "Once we leave the Cloud Ze Secret Realm, keep a tight watch on her. If necessary, we may need to capture her and conduct a soul search." His expression darkened as he spoke. If there was one person in Heshan Huang Clan with the biggest secrets, it wasn’t Wei Tu or Si Qing, but rather Huang Juzhi, the Second Elder. Huang Juzhi had been an unremarkable talent in his Qi Refinement years, yet after reaching Foundation Establishment, he progressed at an incredible speed—forming his Golden Core in just two hundred years. Although Huang Xinglie was of higher seniority and strength, as long as Huang Juzhi remained loyal to the clan, he had no reason to question how he formed his Golden Core. But now… "Juzhi…" "I will personally keep an eye on him." Huang Xinglie’s voice was firm. Meanwhile, similar concerns plagued other Golden Core families. Upon hearing about the Five Demonic Sects' invasion, the elders of these families all wore grim expressions, contemplating how to handle the shortage of Foundation Establishment cultivators. In contrast, the three immortal sects' Golden Core True Lords remained calm and composed. Some even showed subtle smirks, their eyes filled with mockery. After all, they had known about the demonic invasion for over a decade. They had long since made their preparations. Compared to the Golden Core families, whose sudden predicament now exposed their vulnerability, the immortal sects stood above them, demonstrating the true difference in status and foresight. The Five Demonic Sects' invasion was troublesome for them, yes, but not a disaster. For the Golden Core families, however, this could spell complete destruction. Throughout history, countless cultivator clans had been wiped out during the clashes between the righteous and demonic sects. Wei Tu was completely unaware of the ongoing invasion or the fact that Heshan Huang Clan was beginning to suspect him. At this moment, he was engaged in his first battle since entering the Cloud Ze Secret Realm. His opponents were none other than the two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators who had previously confronted the female Tai Xuan Sect disciple. This battle had its origins a few days prior, when Wei Tu used his Phantom Puppet and Wind-Cleaving Eagle to snatch the Dragon Bone Flowers. However, he was not the only one with a spiritual beast. The leader of the two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators, a square-faced man, owned a peculiar spirit insect known as the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth. Unlike ordinary spiritual beasts, this moth-type spirit insect was completely odorless and traceless, naturally gifted in illusion magic, making it extremely difficult to detect. A few days ago, while locked in a stand-off with the Tai Xuan Sect female cultivator, the square-faced man had secretly released the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth, intending to use it for an ambush. But due to Wei Tu’s unexpected interference, the ambush failed, and the two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators fled in panic—accidentally leaving the Phantom Moth behind. However… Before it departed, the Phantom Moth had managed to observe something—it had seen the Phantom Puppet on Wind-Cleaving Eagle’s back. Because Wei Tu had taken the Dragon Bone Flowers, the two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators had used the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth to track his movements, following him all the way here. "A single flaw in a hundred precautions." Wei Tu secretly cursed. He had been careful along the way, staying hidden and suppressing his aura, yet he had still been tracked by the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth, falling into their ambush. The Fragrant Silk Nose could sense demonic auras, but it was less effective against human cultivators who were skilled in concealing themselves. And though Wind-Cleaving Eagle had been scouting ahead, it was still difficult to detect cultivators who had already set up an ambush in advance. "Fortunately, these two are only mid-Foundation Establishment, no stronger than me." Wei Tu calmed himself, one hand gripping a talisman inside his sleeve, while the other activated his defensive artifact—Earth Rock Shield. This Earth Rock Shield was a mid-grade second-rank defensive artifact that he had secretly purchased from the Xia Ya Mei Clan before entering Cloud Ze Secret Realm. Meanwhile, the two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators watched Wei Tu closely, searching for an opening. Although they had taken the initiative by setting up the ambush, Wei Tu’s cautious approach had prevented them from capitalizing on their advantage. When they launched their first attack, Wei Tu had easily dodged using movement techniques and talismans, preventing them from landing a decisive blow. The situation reached a stalemate. While they had the numbers advantage, Wei Tu had Wind-Cleaving Eagle circling above them—ready to deliver a deadly strike at any moment. Because of this, the two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators didn’t dare act rashly. The square-faced man finally spoke in a deep voice: "Fellow Daoist, hand over the Dragon Bone Flowers, and this grudge will be settled." "There’s no need to create unnecessary enemies." He was trying to sound reasonable. The tall, thin man beside him nodded, adding: "Fellow Daoist, you tricked us—losing credibility in the process. If you return the Dragon Bone Flowers now, we can still be friends." "Judging from your attire, you must be from a Golden Core family. If you align yourself with us Qingzhu Mountain cultivators, your elders will certainly look favorably upon you…" Upon hearing this, Wei Tu sneered inwardly. "You think I’m some naive second-generation cultivator?" He had crawled his way up from the world of rogue cultivators. There was no way he would trust such empty words. However, on the surface, he pretended to hesitate. With a look of regret and expectation, he asked: "If I hand over the Dragon Bone Flowers, will you truly let me go? And we can be friends?" "Of course," the square-faced man responded, smiling as he exhaled in relief. If he could obtain the Dragon Bone Flowers without much trouble, that would be ideal. "Once he hands them over, I'll trick him into giving up his Beast Controlling Token—then I'll control Wind-Cleaving Eagle for myself." The square-faced man laughed to himself. Although he still held some doubts about Wei Tu’s sudden compliance, he believed that Wei Tu’s fear of their numbers had led him to surrender. After all, the Three Great Sects were the rulers of Zheng Kingdom’s cultivation world. Over the years, plenty of Golden Core family cultivators had sought to curry favor with them. "Here is a Dragon Bone Flower." Wei Tu flipped his palm, revealing a jade box seven inches long. He opened it slightly, allowing the square-faced man to catch a glimpse inside. Then, he infused spiritual energy into the box and tossed it over. "Such an idiot." The square-faced man mocked Wei Tu’s naivety in his heart. However, he didn’t let his expression show. Instead, he first activated a black shield, then cautiously used Controlling Object Technique to guide the jade box toward him. But at that very moment— Three sword lights suddenly erupted from within the jade box! The blades left behind a trail of illusions, streaking toward the square-faced man at blinding speed. His face twisted in shock. He hurriedly raised his black shield, trying to block the attack. But then— He suddenly felt his body stiffen, as if an immense force was pressing down on him. "What the hell?" The square-faced man’s pupils shrank as he saw a five-colored glow emerging from the ground beneath him. It was this glow that had suppressed his movements, throwing off his defense. Before he could react, the five-colored glow slammed into his black shield—causing his arms to buckle from the pressure. His black shield was forced to the ground, smashing into the dirt. At that instant— Shing! Shing! Shing! Three crisp sword cries rang out. The square-faced man watched in horror as his protective spiritual shield was pierced like paper. The sword lights sank into his body—cutting through his defenses with ease. All of this happened in a single instant. Within the blink of an eye— The jade box fell to the ground. The square-faced man’s vision darkened, and he collapsed into a pool of blood. "Senior Brother Bao?" The tall, thin man cried out in shock upon seeing the square-faced man die. His eyes, filled with disbelief, turned toward Wei Tu, now harboring an undeniable fear. This young cultivator was not some inexperienced sheep as they had thought—he was a hidden beast, sharp-fanged and merciless. Compared to Wei Tu, they were the true fledglings, raised in the safety of their sect’s protection, never having experienced the real dangers of the cultivation world. "If you dare kill me, Qingzhu Mountain will never let you go!" The tall, thin man forced himself to speak, but his voice trembled. "Go!" Wei Tu ignored the threats. Muttering an incantation, he infused his spiritual power into his three Ice Jiao Swords, commanding them to strike at the tall, thin man. At the same time, Wind-Cleaving Eagle, which had been circling in the air, dove down, joining in the attack. The tall, thin man hurriedly slapped several talismans onto his body, creating layers of defensive barriers. Then, he bit the tip of his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence—preparing to flee using Blood Escape Technique. Within moments, he had escaped several miles away. Seeing Wind-Cleaving Eagle still chasing him, a look of relief flashed across his face. "I should be outside his divine sense range now." Cultivators typically couldn’t control their flying swords beyond the range of their divine sense. If he could outrun the Ice Jiao Swords, dealing with Wind-Cleaving Eagle alone wouldn’t be a problem. Just as he relaxed, three freezing-cold short swords pierced straight through his chest. "How... is this possible?" The tall, thin man paled, staring in shock at the swords impaled in his torso. He didn’t understand. He thought he had escaped the range of Wei Tu’s divine sense, yet the Ice Jiao Swords still reached him. What he didn’t know—was that Wei Tu was also using Geomagnetic Yuan Light to control them. Unlike divine sense, Geomagnetic Yuan Light could extend much farther. "Qingzhu Mountain cultivators... are nothing special." From several miles away, Wei Tu retrieved his swords, exhaling in relief. At the start of the battle, he had been worried whether he could handle these two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators. After all, he was just a rogue cultivator, while they were sect elites. But after actually fighting them, he realized something. These two weren’t weak—he was just far wealthier than them. Most sect cultivators were like Kou Hongying, specializing in combat techniques rather than acquiring various powerful artifacts. Even if they had high status, most didn’t have the resources to buy high-quality talismans, magical artifacts, or puppets. But Wei Tu did. His Ice Jiao Swords, Geomagnetic Yuan Light, and Wind-Cleaving Eagle—all of these were luxuries that most Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t afford. After finishing the fight, Wei Tu searched the bodies. He removed their storage pouches, then took out Corpse Dissolving Powder, obtained from Geng Wen, and scattered it over the corpses. Half an hour later, the two bodies had completely melted into pools of blood, vanishing into the Dragon Bone Forest. "What a pity." Wei Tu sighed, looking at the Seven-Colored Phantom Moth lying dead on a tree branch. The moth was life-bound to the square-faced man—when its master died, it died too. "It would have been useful." Shaking his head, he plucked the dead moth from the tree and stored it in his pouch. With the fight over, Wei Tu didn’t stay in Dragon Bone Forest any longer. Instead, he left for the Core Region of Cloud Ze Secret Realm. This battle had taught him something important. Hunting for treasures in spirit lands was useful—but killing and looting was much faster. The two Qingzhu Mountain cultivators had tried to kill him over the Dragon Bone Flowers. But in the end, they were the ones who ended up dead. Of course, looting wasn’t his only reason for heading to the Core Region. First, although the seven recorded spirit lands contained valuable herbs, none of them had what he needed most—Core Formation spiritual materials. Core Formation materials were third-rank, and only grew near third-rank spirit veins—which were only found in the Core Region. Second, by now, the other spirit lands were likely already looted. It was better to search elsewhere. His next destination—was the heart of Cloud Ze Secret Realm. Previous Chapter || Next Chapte