Yu Jianglong's eavesdropping might fool Nan Zi, who was only at early Golden Core, but trying to fool Wei Tu was like reaching for the sky. Wei Tu's divine sense had already reached the peak of Golden Core more than a hundred years ago, after devouring Venerable Master Shen Tu's "Ghost Infant."
So the moment Yu Jianglong used his Spirit Ear secret art to eavesdrop, Wei Tu noticed immediately.
Of course—Wei Tu didn't act rashly. He first asked Nan Zi about Yu Jianglong's background and got her opinion before he borrowed the Split Sky Roc's hand to strike fiercely.
Yu Jianglong sounded impressive, coming from the "Guangyuan Yu Clan," one of the seven great Nascent Soul families of Chu. But in reality, Guangyuan Yu Clan had already declined badly. The only reason they gave up Shengyang Mountain's fourth-tier spiritual land to Beastmaster Sect and established a new branch inside it was, first, to use Beastmaster Sect's fresh blood to revive their clan and restore their former glory, and second, to rely on Beastmaster Sect's power to shelter their clan's dwindling prospects.
Right now, the Guangyuan Yu Clan had only a single Nascent Soul early-stage ancestor left. And this ancestor didn't have much lifespan remaining—if he didn't resort to demonic means of extending life, he had at most three hundred years left.
That's why, faced with Yu Jianglong's provocation, Wei Tu, as an outsider who had every reason on his side, had no need to give face or swallow his anger. As long as he didn't kill Yu Jianglong and only punished him a bit, the Guangyuan Yu Clan, no matter how angry, couldn't do anything to him.
In the end, who didn't have a Nascent Soul ancestor backing them these days? There's no way the Yu Clan's old ancestor would burn his own lifespan chasing Wei Tu over such a trivial matter.
…
"You… who are you?"
"What kind of person are you?"
Seeing Wei Tu step out, Yu Jianglong's eyes filled with fear. Clutching his chest, he looked flustered and panicked. With his cultivation, he couldn't see through Wei Tu's exact realm, but he wasn't stupid. From the fact that Wei Tu owned a mid-third-tier spirit beast, he could guess that Wei Tu's strength was at least at mid-Golden Core, probably even late-Golden Core.
This was completely different from what Qiu Bucheng told him about Wei Tu being a "weakling" or "poor relative."
Thinking of this, Yu Jianglong instantly felt a surge of hatred toward Qiu Bucheng. If Qiu Bucheng had told him earlier that the man meeting his master Nan Zi was a late-Golden Core expert, he would never have been foolish enough to rush in like this.
He might've even given up on Nan Zi altogether and gone to pursue another suitable female cultivator within Beastmaster Sect. Nan Zi wasn't his only option.
Without Nan Zi, he could always chase someone else.
"Kang Kingdom Ying Ding Tribe's Chief Alchemist, Wei Tu."
Hearing Yu Jianglong's words, Wei Tu's lips curled into a cold smile as he casually revealed his identity.
The Ying Ding Tribe wasn't some small sect. It was a powerful division with three Grandmasters. Its strength, even in Xiao Kingdom, placed it firmly among the top major sects.
Compared to Ying Ding Tribe, Guangyuan Yu Clan was undoubtedly a minor force.
Moreover, within Ying Ding Tribe, Wei Tu's status was nearly among the top ten most valued individuals—no ordinary figure.
"Chief Alchemist of Ying Ding Tribe?"
Hearing this, Yu Jianglong's face changed slightly, and he realized he had stirred up big trouble. If Wei Tu were just an average Golden Core cultivator of Ying Ding Tribe, the Guangyuan Yu Clan's strength might not match the division, but he wouldn't have much fear.
Just one phrase, and it was clear there was nothing Yu Jianglong could do.
But if Wei Tu was really the Chief Alchemist…
That changed everything.
Yu Jianglong knew exactly what the title of Chief Alchemist of a Nascent Soul-level power meant. Those words alone implied Wei Tu's alchemy skills were at least at third-tier.
Judging by his cultivation and the level of his spirit beast, Wei Tu's alchemy was likely mid-third-tier, maybe even higher.
A mid-third-tier alchemist could leverage power far beyond that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator. If Wei Tu was willing to pay the price, he might even convince a Nascent Soul ancestor from another force to step in for him.
For their Guangyuan Yu Clan, that would be a disaster.
Sure, they might handle it, but the cost would heavily wound their already declining clan, sapping what little strength they had left.
Meanwhile—
Nan Zi was stunned after hearing Wei Tu's self-introduction.
A hundred years ago, knowing he was a third-tier talisman master had already made Wei Tu look like the perfect catch in her eyes.
Now, he carried the heavy title of "Chief Alchemist"…
That wasn't just a golden goose—it made him a Nascent Soul seed!
With such skill backing him, even if his talent was average, Wei Tu could steadily push his cultivation to the peak of Golden Core. With the right opportunity, he could break through to Nascent Soul in one step.
At that moment, Nan Zi finally understood why Wei Tu had given her those Dissipating Essence Pills as a gift when they met.
It was simple: he wasn't short on pills at all.
'I have to secure Wei Tu. If I can, I'll not only have hope of reaching Nascent Soul myself, but even my master Elder Hongzhi might have a chance…'
Nan Zi calculated inwardly, planning to get ahead of other women by having her master Elder Hongzhi visit Wei Tu's master, Che Gongwei, to propose marriage.
In the cultivation world, though people rarely followed "parental orders or arranged matches," since Che Gongwei was Wei Tu's master, bringing up the marriage might well sway Wei Tu's mind.
…
After thinking for a long time, Yu Jianglong finally made up his mind.
He cupped his hands to Wei Tu and said, "Today I was blind and offended Alchemist Wei. I would like to host a spiritual feast at my cave to apologize…"
When he said "spiritual feast," he saw Wei Tu didn't respond for a long time. Yu Jianglong sighed inwardly, flipped his palm, and took out a brocade box, pushing it toward Wei Tu with his magic.
"For offending both of you today, I must offer something. Here are three Purple Sun Seeds, excellent materials for raising spirit beasts. Consider them my gift… for your dao companion celebration."
As the founder of the Northern Moon Yu Clan's branch, Yu Jianglong not only understood the situation but also how people thought.
Today, after making a complete fool of himself before Wei Tu and Nan Zi, he knew there was no hope left of marrying Nan Zi.
He also knew exactly why Nan Zi had been avoiding him.
So he realized framing this apology gift as a celebration gift for their dao companion was the smart move.
The unspoken meaning was: he openly gave up pursuing Nan Zi and willingly handed her over to Wei Tu.
Only by doing this could he truly resolve the core conflict between him, Wei Tu, and Nan Zi.
However—
Yu Jianglong had misunderstood.
Wei Tu's attack wasn't really about marriage prospects. Sure, Nan Zi played a part, but mostly it was because Yu Jianglong had deliberately provoked him by using the Spirit Ear secret art.
And then, by barging straight into the cave, Yu Jianglong forced Wei Tu to act to establish authority.
"Dao companion celebration?"
Hearing that, Nan Zi's heart leapt with joy. But as a female cultivator, she couldn't show it openly, so she turned her eyes to Wei Tu, full of hopeful anticipation.