This cultivator was named Chu Huan, and like Wei Tu, she had also joined the Loose Immortal Alliance.

However, unlike Li Daoyuan and the others, Chu Huan had a daughter who had entered Mirror Water Pavilion as a disciple.

Somehow, Chu Huan had learned that Wei Tu had some background within Mirror Water Pavilion. Because of this connection, she had made frequent efforts to curry favor with Wei Tu over the past year.

Wei Tu accepted the message talisman and gave it a glance.

"Five Peak Gathering?" He raised his brows slightly in surprise after reading its contents.

The message only mentioned one thing: in seven days, the rogue cultivators stationed at Cicada Cry Cliff and neighboring posts would be holding a gathering for mutual exchange and benefit.

It was hosted jointly by rogue cultivators from five different frontier outposts, and thus was named the Five Peak Gathering.

In the letter, Chu Huan asked if Wei Tu intended to participate.

Defending Zheng Kingdom's borders was hard work, but danger also came with opportunity. Those who survived these postings were often much wealthier than their counterparts in the interior.

Every cultivator who had attended previous Five Peak Gatherings came away with substantial gains—some had even acquired powerful magic treasures that saved their lives on the battlefield.

"I'm not going."

Wei Tu replied with a clear refusal to Chu Huan's invitation.

In terms of magical treasures and defensive means, Wei Tu was already far ahead of ninety percent of rogue Foundation Establishment cultivators. There wasn’t much he could gain from attending.

Worse yet, leaving Cicada Cry Cliff might expose him to ambushes from demonic cultivators.

Not worth the risk.

…

After turning down Chu Huan’s invitation—

Wei Tu returned to his residence and stepped into his closed-door cultivation chamber. From his storage pouch, he retrieved a jet-black jade slip.

"Now that the Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art has refined two Blood Pellets, my foundation is firm. It's time to cultivate this demonic art."

His gaze flickered.

Back when he learned the demon path was invading Zheng Kingdom, he had made a decisive move—entering Cloud Ze Secret Realm to avoid being conscripted by the immortal sects and becoming cannon fodder.

Once he left the secret realm—

He prepared two backup plans for survival.

First, he forged a connection with Qin Zhenren, hoping that once Qin Zhenren formed his core, he could rely on his influence within Mirror Water Pavilion for protection.

Second, he decided to secretly cultivate a demonic art as a contingency.

Unfortunately—

Heaven often plays tricks.

Qin Zhenren did succeed in forming a Golden Core. But he grew greedy and harbored ill intentions toward Wei Tu. That route had to be scrapped—for now.

Better to rely on himself than others.

At this point, cultivating the True Demonic Refinement Art had become his only path forward.

"My body cultivation is already at Tier-Two, mid-stage. Transitioning into this True Demonic Refinement Art won’t be too hard."

Wei Tu sat cross-legged and began to comprehend the true essence within the True Demonic Refinement Art.

Unlike the Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art, which focused on tempering blood and qi, the True Demonic Refinement Art improved the physical body by refining Demonic Qi of Slaughter.

Still, all body-refining methods shared some similarities. With his prior foundation, Wei Tu’s cultivation process would be far smoother than a complete beginner's.

Perhaps luck was on his side—

This time, his closed-door cultivation coincided with a rare peaceful stretch. No demonic cultivators invaded Cicada Cry Cliff during this period.

Time passed quietly.

Before he knew it, one year had gone by.

In the cultivation chamber, eerie sounds of weeping ghosts and howling demons echoed. In the nearby beast chamber, even the fierce Wind-Cleaving Eagle curled its wings and trembled in fear.

At this moment, seated on his mat, Wei Tu’s chest bore the phantom image of a ram-horned demonic head. It looked eerily alive. As his abdomen expanded and contracted, the demonic head opened its mouth and exhaled streams of black demonic qi.

The demonic qi swirled wildly, devouring all the surrounding spiritual energy and rapidly growing stronger.

As the demonic qi poured forth, the sharp and shrill cries of spectral wails also echoed from the horned demonic head's mouth.

At that moment, Wei Tu, seated cross-legged, began forming a hand seal. The dozens of strands of demonic qi swirling through the chamber instantly surged back toward him, drilling into his limbs and meridians.

Surrounded by demonic qi, a flicker of pain crossed his face. Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his tightly clenched lips began to bleed.

The pain caused his body to tremble involuntarily. Each tremble was like a heavy hammer striking the cave walls, producing deep, rumbling echoes.

After several hours had passed—

Only then did the swirling demonic qi in the chamber fully merge into Wei Tu's body, integrating into his skin and meridians.

"It's finally done." Wei Tu looked down at the phantom image of the horned demon head on his chest and let out a long breath.

The horned demon head now faintly visible on his chest was the “Sha Demon” described in the True Demonic Refinement Art.

The first step of cultivating this body-tempering demonic technique was to successfully condense this horned demon head using both mana and spiritual sense, imprinting it onto one’s flesh.

In the True Demonic Refinement Art, this Sha Demon was also known as a True Seal of Mana.

Condensing the True Seal of Mana was the prerequisite for cultivating most Tier-Three and higher body-refining techniques.

During the cultivation process, Wei Tu had carefully sensed the “Sha Demon” on his chest. Once he confirmed that it was entirely under his control—akin to a projection of his own spiritual sense—he felt reassured.

Otherwise, he never would have dared to imprint such a demonic phantom onto his own body.

“True Demonic Refinement Art (12/100): Train once every ten days, completion in two hundred and seventy years.”

After entering the introductory stage of the True Demonic Refinement Art, Wei Tu focused inward and saw this new line of text inscribed on his golden-purple destiny script.

"This takes even longer than the Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art? As expected of a Tier-Three technique."

Wei Tu muttered inwardly.

Back when he first began cultivating the Hundred Veins Blood Tempering Art, the same destiny script had told him it would take one hundred and fifty years to reach perfection.

But things were different now.

His body cultivation had reached Tier-Two, mid-stage. His physical body was now countless times stronger than when he first started refining blood and marrow.

"More than a year of quiet… the demonic cultivators must be preparing something big."

Wei Tu formed a seal, suppressing the demonic head phantom on his chest. With a flick of his sleeve, he opened the door to his cultivation chamber.

This year-long period of peace—

In his view, it was only the calm before the storm.

After exiting the chamber and spending a few days recuperating—

A message talisman arrived from “Immortal Envoy” Xi Ying, summoning him to the main discussion hall.

Flying out from his cave residence—

Wei Tu encountered Li Daoyuan and his wife along the way.

"Wei Daoyou, if Xi Ying assigns us a mission later, don’t rush to decline—just accept it."

"The tasks given to us are usually far less dangerous than those assigned to the cultivators from the sects."

"Xi Ying is one of ours—he’s with the Loose Immortal Alliance."

Li Daoyuan spoke in a low voice.

Hearing this, Wei Tu thought to himself, Li Daoyuan’s finally dropped the act.

But before he could finish the thought, Wei Tu suddenly caught the deeper meaning behind what Li had just said, and his eyes narrowed with a hint of awe.

Who would’ve guessed—

That the same Xi Ying who publicly acted arrogant and harsh toward rogue cultivators… had already secretly pledged allegiance to the Loose Immortal Alliance?

No one would’ve guessed.

Those sect cultivators who’d been sent to die by Xi Ying likely died without ever realizing why they were chosen—and that rogue cultivators like Wei Tu actually had a higher chance of survival.