Chapter 297 196: Breeding the Sky-Splitting Carving
After taking a sip of tea, Wei Tu looked over at Kou Hongying, who was brewing tea.
Today, after parting ways with Fu Zhizhou, he had come to appreciate Kou Hongying's value—despite her high position, she was never arrogant and never forgot to repay old kindnesses.
'Perhaps... Hongying is the only one in the Yee Society who can walk with me to the end of the Immortal Dao.'
A somber look appeared on Wei Tu's face.
Originally, he thought that person would be the firm-hearted Fu Zhizhou. With the boost from the Ninefold Golden Lock Spell, Fu Zhizhou would have been able to make up for some of his shortcomings in aptitude.
But he never expected that he and Fu Zhizhou could only share hardship, not prosperity. As of today, their paths had completely diverged.
As for Weii Fei...
Weii Fei had reached Foundation Establishment at over 150 years old. His potential was exhausted. Like Yu Kui Master, Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment would likely be his limit.
Kou Hongying said nothing more, offering no further words of comfort. She watched Wei Tu in silence, waiting for him to resolve his inner turmoil on his own.
She understood that just being by his side at this moment was the greatest comfort she could offer him.
It meant that... his Immortal Path was not a lonely one.
...
The next day, Weii Fei agreed to Wei Tu's suggestion. He decided to have Weii Xian'er, along with Wei Yan and the others, be smuggled into Kang Country.
Weii Fei trusted Wei Tu's judgment.
The situation in Zheng Country was perilous. The war between the Righteous and Demon Daos was not yet intense, so his family could still catch its breath for a while. But in ten or twenty years... it was hard to say.
Given that, it was better to prepare for a rainy day. They should leave now while the smuggling channels were still open, avoiding a future where they would be helpless and simply waiting to die within Zheng Country.
After getting Weii Fei's reply, Wei Tu did not linger near the Qiyue Zhao Family's estate. He bid farewell to Kou Hongying and returned to the Red River Mountain Marketplace.
As he was leaving, Wei Tu told Weii Fei a few things about Madam Zhuu and gave him a copy of the three Jade Scrolls he had obtained from the Hongri Sect.
When he had schemed to get the three Jade Scrolls, Wei Tu felt he was acting on behalf of Immortal Master Wuk, not Zhuu Yuanli and his wife. Now, of course, he had to see things through to the end and return the Cultivation Technique to Weii Fei, Immortal Master Wuk's disciple.
"A pity about our fourth brother," Weii Fei said with a cold laugh after seeing the Ninefold Golden Lock Spell.
If Fu Zhizhou hadn't betrayed their brotherly bond, Wei Tu would have given him this Ninefold Golden Lock Spell. He certainly wouldn't have been stingy with his fourth brother.
And with the help of this Body Refining Secret Skill, Fu Zhizhou's path of Dharma and Body Dual Cultivation would have undoubtedly been much smoother.
"As for Madam Zhuu..." Weii Fei shook his head after accepting the Jade Scrolls. "When will the cycle of revenge ever end? My master hated Ye Hong for the betrayal, not his descendants."
"Besides, they're just a widow and her child now."
"For us to go and bully them would bring shame to our name as men of honor."
Righteous and Demonic Cultivators were alike in their greed, their killing, and their Treasure Stealing. The difference was that Righteous Cultivators tended not to go to extremes. Unless there was a deep-seated grudge, they wouldn't annihilate an entire family, pulling it out by the roots.
...
The journey was uneventful.
「One month later.」
Shortly after returning to Yunyan Residence in the Red River Mountain Marketplace, a Talisman landed in front of Wei Tu.
'It's finally here,' Wei Tu thought, glancing at the Beast Taming Sect's emblem on the Talisman.
This time, after formally becoming a disciple, he had immediately left the Red River Mountain Marketplace and gone to the Xiaya Mei Family.
He did this not only because he missed his son and daughter, but also to buy time, giving the Sky-Splitting Carving a long enough recovery period to prevent the Beast Taming Sect from noticing anything amiss.
—The Sky-Splitting Carving had suffered considerable injuries after retrieving the Pitch-Black Finger Bone.
"You're in for a rough time in a little bit," Wei Tu said after writing his reply. He released the Sky-Splitting Carving from his Spirit Beast Bag and patted its head.
The Sky-Splitting Carving perched on Wei Tu's shoulder, tilting its head to welcome his touch. It didn't understand why Wei Tu had been so kind to it over the past year.
Not only had he removed the foreign object from its belly, but he had also fed it a great deal of restorative medicine over the last year or two.
An hour later.
The Sky-Splitting Carving understood everything.
It stared at the twenty-some members of its own kind before it, all of them showing signs of courtship. Terror filled its eyes, and flapping its wings, it tried to flee.
But just then—
The sound of a flute began to play.
The Sky-Splitting Carving's eagle eyes gradually became dazed. It fixed its gaze on one of its kind and lunged.
From the side, Wei Tu glanced at the young woman in the black gown before him, her red lips slightly parted as she played the flute. "Miss Nan's Beast Taming Skill is truly exquisite," he praised.
This black-gowned young woman was named Nanzi. She was a Celestial Pride among the younger disciples of the Beast Taming Sect.
Nanzi was in full charge of the Sky-Splitting Carving's breeding this time.
"Talisman Master Wei, you flatter me," Nanzi replied with a faint smile, lowering her long flute.
"How long will this breeding session for the Sky-Splitting Carving take? Although I'm currently in the Red River Mountain Marketplace and have no need for it in combat, I would still hate to see the Sky-Splitting Carving's Primordial Qi be greatly damaged..."
Wei Tu asked, pondering for a moment.
"That... is hard to estimate." Nanzi glanced at the mating Sky-Splitting Carvings, a faint blush appearing on her fair face. "If Talisman Master Wei trusts me, you could give me... the Beast Taming Token. Then I can use an even more refined Beast Taming Skill."
"If you do, both the time required and the loss of the Sky-Splitting Carving's Primordial Qi will be greatly reduced."
"The Beast Taming Token?" Wei Tu's guard went up when he heard this.
The Sky-Splitting Carving's Beast Taming Token was meticulously crafted by the Beast Taming Sect. Inscribed on it was not only the Spirit Beast's species and bloodline Level, but also a corresponding serial number.
The Beast Taming Token for his Sky-Splitting Carving clearly stated "Profound Tier Bloodline."
And yet, the current Sky-Splitting Carving had been identified as having an "Earth-Tier Bloodline" by Zuo Kui and the other cultivators from the Beast Taming Sect.
"It is a life-bound item. I cannot entrust it to another's hands."
Wei Tu refused outright.
Hearing this, Nanzi's almond eyes flickered slightly. 'Could there be some other secret here?' she wondered.
The Beast Taming Sect was a Great Sect and had a certain reputation to uphold.
Moreover, Wei Tu was now a Golden Core Disciple and an important member of the Loose Immortal Alliance. He was no longer the Independent Cultivator he once was.
Logically speaking, it was highly unlikely that the Beast Taming Sect would have ulterior motives for a Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment Spirit Beast, thereby ruining its own reputation.
Therefore, Wei Tu's refusal at this moment seemed rather strange.
'Perhaps I'm overthinking it. There's no rush.' Nanzi suppressed her suspicions, planning to have a more in-depth conversation with Wei Tu later to understand the inside story.
"These dozen or so Sky-Splitting Carvings are females I've carefully bred at the Beast Taming Sect. I've also used aphrodisiac techniques to induce their mating season. If things go normally, the breeding should be complete within three days."
"If things don't go normally, it could take up to a month."
Nanzi thought for a moment before answering Wei Tu's earlier question.
"Normally?" Wei Tu frowned. What he feared was that things with the Sky-Splitting Carving would *not* be normal, leading to a failure to conceive.
After all, the Sky-Splitting Carving's promotion had not been normal, nor had its breakthrough of its bloodline's limits.