Hearing this, Wei Tu frowned slightly. He had never found any mention of the Zunwang Palace in the Ying Ding tribe's records.
And yet, the Ying Ding tribe, though not on par with Nascent Soul sects like Shengya Mountain, was still a top-tier power among the four inland nations.
The white-robed scholar at his side seemed to notice what Wei Tu was thinking. With a hint of pride, he said, "The secret of the Zunwang Palace is known only to us late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators and a few elite sects. All others are completely in the dark. We sealed this information long ago—nothing leaks out."
"Looks like the faction you're part of isn't one of the major ones."
"Take my advice. Leave your current sect and head to the Demonic Pole Sea. Join our Myriad Yin Sect."
"Once you're part of the sect, all the resources I accumulated back then will be yours to use."
"With that, you'll reach the late Nascent Soul realm in no time."
The white-robed scholar spoke slowly and persuasively.
But Wei Tu looked unmoved. His expression was calm, indifferent to the offer.
"Myriad Yin Sect? So, Fellow Daoist Zhu must be Ancestor Chìlóng of Myriad Yin Sect, Zhu Tianqi?"
Wei Tu said casually.
Unlike most orthodox cultivators, he had worked alongside Bai Zhi for over two hundred years. He was very familiar with the major forces of the demonic path—none of them were strangers to him.
Myriad Yin Sect wasn't one of the five major demonic sects, but it still had a fearsome reputation within the demon path's territory.
The reason was simple. A thousand years ago, Myriad Yin Sect produced a powerhouse named Ancestor Chìlóng.
Under his leadership, the sect rose from obscurity in just a few hundred years and became an equal to the five great demonic sects.
"That's right. My Dao title is 'Chìlóng.' But alas, those days of glory are long gone."
The white-robed scholar, now confirmed as Ancestor Chìlóng, shook his head with a wry smile, a trace of emotion on his face.
"Four hundred years ago, the Zunwang Palace secret realm opened. I left Myriad Yin Sect and traveled far to the Chìmíng Sea, where I entered the Zunwang Palace on Bitter Bamboo Island…"
"But unfortunately, I hadn't been inside long before I ran into a powerful enemy. I was forced to abandon my physical body and flee as a Nascent Soul..."
Ancestor Chìlóng let out a long sigh and began recounting his past experiences to Wei Tu.
…
Half a quarter-hour later.
After finishing his story, Ancestor Chìlóng turned into a wisp of green smoke and slipped back into the Longli Pearl.
Wei Tu, standing nearby, looked a little conflicted.
After a moment, he touched the bronze slip that had appeared in his hand, and his expression relaxed a bit.
"Fine. There may not be any precious secret arts, but getting this Blood Puppet Rebirth Art and the location of the Zunwang Palace entrance at Bitter Bamboo Island… That's still a decent gain."
Wei Tu thought to himself.
He didn't believe that a demonic path expert at late Nascent Soul stage only had a single suitable cultivation method like the Blood Puppet Rebirth Art.
Still, because the soul contract they had signed was an equal one, he had to suppress his displeasure for now and not dwell on Ancestor Chìlóng's evasiveness.
'Let's see how he acts going forward. If he keeps hiding things like today… then he'd better be ready for me to get nasty.'
A cold glint flashed in Wei Tu's eyes.
The contract they signed did impose constraints on both sides. But as long as the terms were technically followed, there was room to bend the rules.
After all, the soul contract never said that once he released Ancestor Chìlóng, others couldn't make a move on him, nor was there any obligation for him to help fend off Chìlóng's enemies.
'Too bad the gap between my cultivation and his is too big. Trying to soul-search him would be dangerous. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to sign an equal contract with me,' Wei Tu thought to himself.
In the end, it was because he'd only just broken through to Nascent Soul and still lacked strength. On top of that, he needed something from Ancestor Chìlóng. That was why he ended up in this passive position.
But Wei Tu believed that with time, this imbalance would gradually shift.
His own power would keep growing, while Ancestor Chìlóng's soul—no matter how much the Longli Pearl nourished it—would inevitably decline.
…
The next day, Wei Tu emerged from seclusion. After warning Sun Chixin not to leak the secret of the Longli Pearl, he temporarily took his leave from Divine Master Dulong and Divine Master Hedi.
His reason for leaving was simple.
—Wei Fei's lifespan was nearing its end. As his sworn younger brother, he had to be there to see him off.
Before this, Divine Master Dulong and Divine Master Hedi didn't know much about Wei Tu's background. But after his breakthrough into the Nascent Soul realm, they'd become familiar with nearly every detail of his past.
They knew he had a sworn brother named Wei Fei.
And that Wei Fei's passing wasn't far off.
So, faced with Wei Tu's request for leave, they had no reason to refuse.
That said, they did correct his wording. "Friend Wei, you are now a Divine Master of our Ying Ding tribe, with the same status as us. There's no need for such formalities like 'asking for leave.' Just inform us in advance before you go."
"It was a slip of the tongue on my part. I've made you two laugh," Wei Tu smiled and nodded.
After saying goodbye to the two Divine Masters, Wei Tu didn't set out immediately. He first went to the Zha Ma Tribe to pick up Wei Xian'er.
Last time, when he left the Xiao Kingdom, he had intended for Wei Xian'er to go with him. But she had been at a crucial point in her breakthrough to late Foundation Establishment, so in the end, he'd gone alone.
Now that both he and Wei Xian'er were free, it was the perfect time to leave together.
However, unlike a hundred years ago, Wei Xian'er didn't seem so excited. When she heard the good news about traveling across countries to see her birth father Wei Fei, her response was calm.
Wei Tu understood the reason.
Decades ago, when he returned from the Xiao Kingdom, he had told Wei Xian'er about Wei Fei's current family situation.
After learning that her birth father had remarried and even had a younger son named Wei Ping, Wei Xian'er's expression had noticeably darkened.
After all, no one wants to feel like the unwanted one in a family.
But—
As the two of them got closer to the Xiao Kingdom, Wei Tu noticed a trace of hidden anticipation in Wei Xian'er's eyes, mixed with sadness.
'Well, it's been nearly 250 years.'
Wei Tu sighed softly.
Back then, Wei Xian'er had left Qiyue Mountain with Wei Yan and the others, secretly heading to the Zha Ma Tribe in Kang Kingdom under Tao Fangde's guidance…
At that time, she was only around 40 years old.
Still in the prime of youth.
Now, upon seeing her birth father again, she was already 300 years old.
And Wei Fei, once a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator, was now on the verge of death.
All of it… felt like it had passed in the blink of an eye.