In the Beastmaster Sect, she was the one adored by all, surrounded like the moon by stars. Many male cultivators constantly tried to win her favor, giving her pills, talismans, and other cultivation resources, just to please her.
At this moment, Wei Tu's extra attentiveness to her seemed no different from those other male cultivators, making Nan Zi instinctively categorize Wei Tu as another one of her admirers.
Thinking this, Nan Zi decided to get twice the result with half the effort. She gently brushed the green strands from her forehead, a faint smile playing at her lips.
"A few days ago, my master sent me a secret message. She said that at Xinghua Hollow, there’s a 'Thunderhorn Rabbit' in hiding. This Thunderhorn Rabbit is a demonic beast left behind after the beast tide in the Demon Wolf Mountain Range. It's at the mid-stage of the second tier, with a top-grade Xuan-level bloodline..."
"If I can subdue this Thunderhorn Rabbit, it’ll greatly benefit my future path."
"If Fellow Daoist Wei has the time, could you accompany me on this trip?"
Nan Zi gave a graceful bow, elegant and composed.
Right now, she was traveling alone. The only external support she could count on was True Lord Che, a Loose Immortal Alliance cultivator close to her master.
But clearly, someone like True Lord Che wouldn't bother with trivial matters like subduing a beast at Xinghua Hollow.
At most, he might send one of his disciples to go with her.And Wei Tu just happened to be one of True Lord Che's disciples.
So rather than troubling True Lord Che and owing her master, Madam Hongzhi, a favor, it was better to ask Wei Tu, whom she saw as an admirer, for help.
Wei Tu, hearing this, thought to himself that Nan Zi really wasn’t holding back—barely acquainted, and already she wanted him to go do something so demanding.
Subduing a demonic beast wasn’t that easy.
It was several times harder than killing a beast of the same level.
And besides, the beast she wanted to subdue was a mid-stage second-tier Thunderhorn Rabbit.
That beast’s level was the same as his apparent cultivation.
"Xinghua Hollow is far away. Just going there and back would take at least a few months. Not long ago, I received a talisman letter from True Lord Bao, summoning me to her residence... to study a cultivation method..." Wei Tu showed a troubled expression, took out True Lord Bao’s talisman letter, and declined.
With his strength, helping Nan Zi subdue a Thunderhorn Rabbit wasn’t really a big deal.
But his goal was to form a good relationship with Nan Zi, the genius of the Beastmaster Sect—not to become her servant.
Knowing when to refuse was important.
It set the tone that they were equals in this relationship.
Luckily, he had received Bao Siyan's talisman letter a month ago, giving him a perfect excuse to refuse Nan Zi.
The letter was real.
Nan Zi couldn’t insist on him accompanying her to Xinghua Hollow.
She raised her willow-like brows and thought of another suitable candidate from True Lord Che’s disciples.
"Is Fellow Daoist Wei familiar with Hua Xianlong? What kind of person is he?" Nan Zi asked.
Other than Wei Tu, Hua Xianlong had also tried to curry favor with her among True Lord Che’s disciples.
But compared to Wei Tu’s “steady” nature, Hua Xianlong dressed like a young master, looking more frivolous.
"I’ve only recently joined the sect and have met Senior Brother Hua just once."
Wei Tu shook his head, not speaking ill of Hua Xianlong in front of Nan Zi.
He didn’t know the full story, so he wouldn’t judge.
Whether Hua Xianlong bullied Mu Die, this junior sister of theirs, was something he hadn’t confirmed.
So far, he had only heard Mu Die’s side of the story.
"Fine, I’ll just ask Hua Xianlong then," Nan Zi wrinkled her delicate nose, thinking to herself.
...
Nan Zi took her leave.
Cloudsmoke Residence returned to its quiet state.
Wei Tu fed the severely weakened Wind-Cleaving Eagle a Nourishing Ganoderma Pill, then patiently waited for the three-month period to pass so he could visit Bao Siyan’s residence and consult about the Divine Wood Origin Technique.
A month later.
The Wind-Cleaving Eagle, now recovered, appeared before Wei Tu, spreading its wings wide, flying around Cloudsmoke Residence, looking for Nan Zi.
But no matter how long it searched, the Wind-Cleaving Eagle couldn’t find any trace of her.
"You little beast, you’ve actually benefited from this misfortune," Wei Tu called the Wind-Cleaving Eagle over, checked its body, and smiled.
Back at Cicada Cry Cliff, under the effects of Heavenly Spirit Water, the Wind-Cleaving Eagle had almost reached the late second tier.
But afterward, when he brought out the Black Finger Bone, and with Nan Zi’s month-long breeding sessions... the Wind-Cleaving Eagle’s cultivation had regressed instead of advancing, from peak mid-stage of the second tier back to major accomplishment of the mid-stage second tier.
Losing cultivation would be bad news for most cultivators.
But for Wei Tu, it wasn’t.
With Heavenly Spirit Water, the lost cultivation of the Wind-Cleaving Eagle could quickly be restored, and the setback had actually helped solidify its foundation.
This would be very beneficial for its future breakthroughs.
"Same with me, switching to a third-tier technique will stabilize my foundation, but I’ll lose some cultivation as well."
"And I can’t use Heavenly Spirit Water."
Wei Tu held the jade slip, reading the content of the Divine Wood Origin Technique, and a troubled look appeared on his face.
His original plan was to take the third-tier technique from the Ten Thousand Scroll Pavilion first, just in case the Loose Immortal Alliance had changes in the future and he lost access to it.
But he didn’t expect that just after he obtained the third-tier Divine Wood Origin Technique, Bao Siyan would send him a talisman letter, inviting him to visit her residence in three months to consult about the technique.
So now, the problem Wei Tu faced was whether or not to switch cultivation techniques.
"If the Divine Wood Origin Technique doesn’t help much with forming a Golden Core, and it barely improves my foundation... then I won’t switch just yet."
Wei Tu made up his mind, planning to decide only after consulting Bao Siyan.
—The version of the Divine Wood Origin Technique in the Ten Thousand Scroll Pavilion, though complete, wasn’t the full original. It only included the breathing method and left out all secret arts and divine abilities.
At first, when Wei Tu obtained the Divine Wood Origin Technique, he didn’t understand this arrangement.
But after thinking it over at Cloudsmoke Residence, he slowly figured it out.
Teaching everything to your disciple leaves nothing for the master.
Most masters only pass down their ultimate techniques when they’re on their deathbed.
Immortal sect techniques worked the same way.
If he had gotten the full version of the Divine Wood Origin Technique from the Ten Thousand Scroll Pavilion, while being a total stranger to Bao Siyan... she, as a Golden Core True Lord, probably wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly.
In the blink of an eye.
The three-month period arrived.
Wei Tu knew Bao Siyan liked cleanliness, so he bathed, changed into fresh clothes, and tidied his robes before stepping out of Cloudsmoke Residence, flying straight to Bao Siyan’s residence atop Red River Mountain.
When Wei Tu arrived at the entrance, a maid came forward to lead the way, bringing him to the “Heart-Nourishing Pavilion” where Bao Siyan often meditated.
"No need for formalities, have a seat." Behind the beaded curtain, Bao Siyan gave Wei Tu a glance.
She saw that his looks were plain, not particularly handsome, but his demeanor was steady, and she nodded slightly in approval.
Young female cultivators might like handsome men.
But Bao Siyan knew that good-looking men were often frivolous, rarely dependable.
"Thank you, True Lord Bao." Wei Tu cupped his hands and sat down.
"Wei Tu, you’re from Zheng Kingdom? How did you end up as Fellow Daoist Che’s disciple?"
Bao Siyan asked casually.
As a Golden Core True Lord of the Loose Immortal Alliance, she had already learned about Wei Tu’s background and connections months ago.
She asked now only to test his reaction, to get a sense of his personality and character through his words.
Wei Tu wasn’t surprised and answered everything calmly and fluently.
After he finished, Bao Siyan had a clearer picture of him.
She paused briefly, then got to the point. "The Divine Wood Origin Technique is my core cultivation method. Since you chose this from the Ten Thousand Scroll Pavilion, it seems you and I share some fate."
"Though the Loose Immortal Alliance has no strict sect divisions, anyone who learns my technique is considered one of my disciples. Are you aware of this?"
If it were someone else, picking the Divine Wood Origin Technique would just be a routine matter, and she wouldn’t have them call her master.
But Wei Tu’s talent as a talisman master had caught her interest, making her consider accepting him as her disciple.
Wei Tu was a bit surprised when he heard this.
He didn’t understand why Bao Siyan would suddenly say this. With no sect restrictions, wasn’t it normal to consult any Golden Core True Lord in the Loose Immortal Alliance?
"I’ve already acknowledged True Lord Che as my master. It wouldn’t be proper to call you master as well..."
Wei Tu politely declined.
He didn’t know what Bao Siyan was really up to, so refusing was the safest choice.
—He wasn’t in a rush to switch cultivation methods either.
Turning your back on your sect to join another wasn’t something to take lightly.
"Wei Tu, you’ve misunderstood."
Bao Siyan shook her head and smiled. "When I say you’re my disciple, I mean you can call me master. You don’t have to formally leave your current sect."
She had thought about having Wei Tu join her sect, but if he actually did, she would drop him from her list of potential disciples.
Wei Tu froze for a moment.
His eyes flickered, and he realized her earlier words had been a test.
"But why test me?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, becoming a bit more cautious around Bao Siyan.
"Master Bao."
Wei Tu pushed aside his doubts, stood up, and gave her a respectful bow.
Only now did he clearly see Bao Siyan sitting behind the beaded curtain.
But what puzzled him was why Bao Siyan wore a bamboo hat indoors.
"At ease." Bao Siyan nodded slightly, signaling that he didn’t need to be too formal.
After that, Bao Siyan stopped testing him and began teaching him the Divine Wood Origin Technique as his master.
"The Divine Wood Origin Technique is said to come from a Nascent Soul-level power in the Dayan Immortal Cultivation Realm, and it can be cultivated all the way to the Divine Transformation Realm."
"Unfortunately, I’m just at the Golden Core level and have no way to reach the Dayan Immortal Cultivation Realm."
Bao Siyan sighed as she spoke.
"Dayan Immortal Cultivation Realm?"
Wei Tu silently took note of these five words.
Right now, the Divine Wood Origin Technique was only a third-tier technique. If he didn’t want to switch in the future, he’d need to find the continuation of this technique eventually.
After explaining the origin of the Divine Wood Origin Technique, Bao Siyan moved on to what Wei Tu cared about most—the pros and cons of the technique.
"The Divine Wood Origin Technique lets you cultivate a ‘spirit seed’ inside your body, and the level of this spirit seed can even surpass your current realm..."
"Besides that advantage."
"The Divine Wood Origin Technique has three secret arts. First, a breath-hiding technique that lets you transform into a ‘divine tree’ to evade enemy divine sense."
"Second, a life-extension technique that, when your lifespan runs out, lets you use your cultivated ‘spirit seed’ to prolong your life."
"The last secret art requires a fourth-tier spiritual wood. This one... let’s not even talk about it."
Bao Siyan spoke slowly.