Chapter 604: Once a Lackey, Now a Master

The rescue plan began.

Outside Yin Ghost Sect, Wei Tu and Hall Master Luo quietly waited for Huang You’s good news.

One day.

Two days.

Three days…

Time passed slowly.

By the fifth day, the two finally received Huang You’s report—Luo Mingzhen had successfully obtained the Barrier-Breaking Treasure Mirror.

But immediately after—

The next day, the soul tablet of Huang You inside Wei Tu’s storage pouch shattered into several pieces.

“We can’t wait anymore.”

Seeing this sudden turn, Hall Master Luo’s expression changed slightly. He exchanged a glance with Wei Tu, then stood up at once, releasing both a Formation-Breaking Talisman and his life-bound treasure, striking straight toward Yin Ghost Sect’s main gate.

No matter how much he trusted his daughter, he knew that with Huang You dead and the risk of information leaking, she couldn’t possibly have enough time to break her seals and wait for the right moment to cooperate from within.

The only chance to save Luo Mingzhen was to break in now, before Yin Ghost Sect’s upper ranks reacted.

Otherwise, once Yin Ghost Sect prepared themselves, unless he advanced into the Divine Transformation realm, it would be near impossible to breach a tightly guarded Nascent Soul sect and take away a woman stripped of her cultivation.

At the same moment Hall Master Luo struck—

Wei Tu also made his move. Muttering “Little Big Dipper Star Divine Technique,” he condensed a false Dharma Body over a hundred zhang tall, clenched its fists, and smashed down on the barrier shielding Yin Ghost Sect.

Boom! Boom!

The sound was like mountains collapsing.

“This one… his mana is actually equal to a late Nascent Soul?”

Hall Master Luo, while attacking the barrier, was shocked by the sight. For the first time, he clearly recognized Wei Tu’s strength.

He had assumed Wei Tu dared to come only by relying on powerful artifacts. But he never imagined Wei Tu’s raw mana alone could rival an ordinary late Nascent Soul cultivator.

There was only one explanation—Wei Tu’s foundation was unimaginably deep.

Yet Hall Master Luo had never heard of a rogue cultivator whose foundation could reach this level, comparable to late Nascent Soul.

‘If he doesn’t fall, this one surely has the potential to reach Divine Transformation!’

So he judged silently in his heart.

As far as he knew, among the Nascent Soul cultivators of Jishan Sect, those with mana foundations equal to Wei Tu’s were fewer than one hand could count.

And Jishan Sect was a proper Divine Transformation sect!

“Fellow Wei, after this battle, no matter if we rescue my daughter or not, I, Luo, will grant you a favor.”

Hall Master Luo moved his lips, sending the words as a sound transmission.

Before, when Wei Tu first offered help, Luo’s heart was only filled with gratitude.

But now, with Wei Tu’s talent revealed…

He could see the true value in investing in him.

Gratitude alone warranted equal repayment. But if there was a chance for greater return, he would not be stingy.

“A favor?” Wei Tu raised a brow. He couldn’t tell if this was just a promise to boost morale before battle, or a genuine pledge.

But remembering how Luo had previously urged him to stay behind in Jishan Sect instead of coming to help, he leaned toward the latter.

…

A dozen breaths later—

Under their relentless assault, Yin Ghost Sect’s protective formation barrier finally shifted. First it flickered violently, then its surface cracked like shattered glass.

At last, with a concentrated blow from Wei Tu’s false Dharma Body, it burst apart into fragments of light and vanished.

Of course, this didn’t mean Yin Ghost Sect’s grand formation was weak. Rather, like most sects, they kept their barrier running in a dormant state to conserve spirit stones, reducing its power to less than half of full strength.

What Wei Tu and Hall Master Luo had destroyed wasn’t the core formation itself, but only the condensed outer shield.

Given time, the barrier would re-form stronger than before.

By Hall Master Luo’s estimation, they had at most a quarter of an hour before it regenerated.

Which meant they had to rescue Luo Mingzhen within that window. If the barrier reformed, breaking it again—or escaping from inside—would be nearly impossible.

“It’s now!”

The instant the barrier shattered, Hall Master Luo locked onto a direction through bloodline sensing and darted forward with blood-escape speed.

Only then did Yin Ghost Sect’s Nascent Soul elders finally react, arriving late at the mountain gate.

Yet they didn’t immediately intercept Luo. Instead, their faces turned grim as they stared at the scene.

For two late Nascent Soul–level powerhouses to suddenly assault their sect was no small matter. Mishandling it would invite disaster.

“That direction… is toward Xinggu Venerable Master’s residence?”

“Where’s Xinggu?”

The black-robed cultivator leading the group narrowed his eyes, glancing in the direction Hall Master Luo had fled, and asked coldly.

“Reporting to Old Ancestor, Xinggu is still in his cave. He said he was soul-searching an inner traitor.”

The Nascent Soul cultivator beside him replied in a trembling voice.

By rank they were equals, but he couldn’t help the fear in his tone. For this black-robed cultivator was none other than their Yin Ghost Sect’s Old Ancestor—Yin Mozi.

In Yin Mozi’s eyes, even Nascent Soul juniors were no different from Golden Core ants, lives he could crush with a wave.

“Soul-searching?”

“Could it be…”

Thoughts flickered through Yin Mozi’s mind. He quickly guessed that it had to do with Xinggu Venerable Master’s newly taken concubine, “Madam Ru.” After all, he wasn’t blind. A Nascent Soul elder suddenly keeping a Nascent Soul furnace cauldron was bound to draw notice.

As for Madam Ru’s background, Yin Mozi knew it well. She was a ticking time bomb.

“So the masked cultivator fleeing toward Xinggu’s cave is most likely Luo Guzhu.”

Yin Mozi made his judgment.

Who else but Luo Guzhu, a late Nascent Soul powerhouse, would storm their sect and head straight for Xinggu’s residence?

“You few, go and block that masked cultivator with all your strength. As for this hat-wearing one, I’ll deal with him myself.”

After a moment’s thought, Yin Mozi gave his orders with a detached tone.

He knew Luo Guzhu’s power well. The man was no easy opponent, especially now when his daughter’s peril had filled him with burning fury. Directly clashing with Luo Guzhu was not a wise choice.

Besides, Yin Mozi also had other intentions. Letting Madam Ru escape could be used to stir up conflict within Jishan Sect. That was exactly the mission the upper sect, You Shen Sect, had given him.

“What? Us?”

The Nascent Soul cultivators standing nearby were dumbfounded.

Yes, if they joined forces, they might be able to hold Luo Guzhu to a standstill. But he was still a late Nascent Soul powerhouse. One misstep and they could all lose their lives.

Besides, Yin Ghost Sect had more than one late Nascent Soul elder. If Old Ancestor Yin Mozi awakened Old Ancestor Wu from seclusion, the burden would be much lighter.

But just as they were about to voice their complaints, Yin Mozi’s cold gaze swept over them. Their hearts turned cold. Not a single one dared to utter another word.

“This mid Nascent Soul—he’s mine. I’ll finish him off properly. That way, those people will have their explanation.”

Yin Mozi tilted his head toward the sect’s gate, eyes locking on Wei Tu. A cruel smile spread across his face.

Earlier, when Wei Tu and Hall Master Luo had struck the protective array, Wei Tu’s power had indeed rivaled late Nascent Soul.

But so what?

Rival was only rival.

Even among late Nascent Soul, there were great differences.

And Yin Mozi stood at the very peak of that realm. Crushing a cultivator who only had strength comparable to late Nascent Soul in one aspect was nothing to him.

…

“Me?”

Sensing Yin Mozi’s gaze, Wei Tu was slightly surprised. He had come only to lend Hall Master Luo a hand, not to be the main fighter.

By logic, diving into Yin Ghost Sect to rescue Luo Mingzhen was far riskier.

“But that’s fine.”

Wei Tu’s face remained calm. No fear, no hesitation.

Before coming, he had already prepared himself to face a late Nascent Soul elder alone.

Now, with Yin Mozi choosing him, the outcome was about the same as his worst-case plan.

He was only mildly surprised that Yin Mozi chose not to fight Hall Master Luo but instead targeted him, the supposed support.

‘I wonder… is he stronger than Lian Shourang? Can he match Ding Lezheng’s level?’

Wei Tu’s eyes glimmered coldly.

He remembered more than a hundred years ago, when he had first entered the Guixu Sea cultivation world and attended the Yu Jun Island auction.

Back then, he had been just a lowly underling. At the sight of Yin Mozi, he hadn’t dared to even look twice, afraid that this Nascent Soul devil would notice him.

But now, he had the strength to fight him head-on.

“Interesting. You’re not afraid of me?”

Seeing Wei Tu’s expression, Yin Mozi sneered, mocking his ignorance of danger.

He had ruled with arrogance in Yin Ghost Sect and the Red Algae Sea for countless years. Even peers gave him face. How could a mere mid Nascent Soul cultivator stand against him?

“Since you’re so bold, I’ll send you to the underworld. Let you regret it well on Yellow Springs Road.”

Coldly spitting out the words, Yin Mozi swept his sleeve and in an instant appeared before Wei Tu. His right arm shot out, clawing at Wei Tu’s face.

As it stretched forward, his arm turned pitch-black, swelling to several times its normal size.

In the blink of an eye, Yin Mozi’s claw was already close to Wei Tu’s head.

“Ghost Transformation Technique?” Wei Tu raised a brow but held back the urge to use his body-refining strength. He didn’t want to expose his true power before Hall Master Luo.

He gave a cold smile and summoned the treasure he had taken from Lian Shourang—the Shengya Mountain Sect Master’s treasure, Myriad-Supporting Mountain.

In an instant, the tiny mountain in his palm expanded against the wind, shining with golden light, crashing directly into the black ghost claw Yin Mozi had thrust forward.

The two forces clashed.

But at that moment, the ghost claw suddenly vanished. In the blink of an eye, it reappeared behind Wei Tu, lightning-fast, as if aiming to pierce straight through his abdomen.

Wei Tu had already prepared for this. With a thought, a turtle-shell shield appeared behind him, calmly blocking the “killing strike.”

This shield was made from the materials of the turtle demon he had slain.

Though not yet refined into a magic weapon, its durability was equal to a top-grade fourth-rank defensive artifact.

At the same time, Wei Tu switched to offense. While evading the backstab, he flipped his right palm, drew out his Soul-Refining Banner, and gave it a heavy shake, summoning the Five Elements Infant.

The infant, skilled in elemental arts, formed hand seals and spewed a wall of fire around Wei Tu’s Dharma Body as added defense. Then it turned into a streak of blue light, wielding a fourth-rank sword, and charged straight at Yin Mozi.

Crack! Crack!

Caught off guard by the sudden strike, Yin Mozi’s green-black ghost claw snapped into several pieces.

“A late Nascent Soul variant infant?”

Yin Mozi instantly shifted a hundred zhang away, his face flickering with shock and suspicion.

It wasn’t the Five Elements Infant’s strength that unsettled him, but Wei Tu’s wealth. Too extravagant, far beyond what a mid Nascent Soul rogue cultivator should possess. He looked more like an ancient devil with centuries of accumulation.

At least, Yin Mozi himself had never raised a variant Nascent Soul with such late-stage strength.

That made him worry. Was Wei Tu concealing his true power? Or was he secretly a second-generation cultivator with a background he couldn’t afford to provoke?

Thinking this, Yin Mozi no longer attacked recklessly. He smiled faintly and asked:

“Fellow Daoist, from which immortal land do you hail? For what reason have you intruded into my Yin Ghost Sect?”

His true intent was to follow the You Shen Sect’s orders: let Hall Master Luo and his daughter go, but capture Wei Tu, the mid Nascent Soul cultivator, as a way to preserve the sect’s dignity.

But now, Wei Tu carried too many unknowns. Yin Mozi had to weigh carefully the risks of killing him.

Sect dignity was minor. His own safety was greater. If Wei Tu truly had a powerful patron behind him, he wouldn’t even be able to sleep soundly.

Wei Tu couldn’t read Yin Mozi’s full thoughts, but hearing these words, he immediately realized—the devil was showing signs of wanting to talk.

That let him quietly breathe a little easier.

In the brief exchange, he had already measured Yin Mozi’s strength. Without revealing his fourth-rank body-refining power, he could not truly threaten him.

And of course, he had no intention of unleashing all his trump cards under so many watching eyes.

Even though he and Hall Master Luo had disguised themselves, anyone determined to investigate could still piece together their true identities.

Wei Tu had no desire to expose all his cards here and risk the Lüqiu clan suspecting that he was the one who killed Lüqiu Jinyuan.

Strength itself was the greatest piece of evidence!

“What do you think, Fellow Daoist Yin Mo?”

Wei Tu didn’t answer directly but instead gave a half-smiling reply.

At those words, Yin Mozi’s face darkened. His body blurred into black light as he resumed his assault on Wei Tu.

But this time, Wei Tu quickly noticed—the attacks were restrained, not deadly like before.

Yin Mozi also kept a certain distance in their close combat.

“Feigning a fight?”

Wei Tu was startled, but then he gained a new appreciation for the cunning of this ancient devil.

It was obvious. Yin Mozi had guessed that Wei Tu’s true power might go deeper, so he chose caution.

In the cultivation world, the strong preyed on the weak. No one with sense would pick a fight with someone stronger.

Still, Wei Tu didn’t mind dragging things out.

He had only come to assist Hall Master Luo in the rescue, not to slay Yin Mozi or destroy Yin Ghost Sect. There was no need to exhaust himself or expose his deepest strength.