Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

After finishing the letters.

Wei Tu returned to his Cultivation Room and began his arduous Cultivation of the Demon Slayer True Skill.

Before breaking through to the Golden Core Realm, both his Qi Cultivation and his Body Refining Cultivation had reached the Peak of Foundation Establishment.

Now that he had just broken through to the Golden Core Realm, it was clear that he wouldn't be able to increase his strength through his Qi Cultivation anytime soon.

Therefore, raising his Body Refining Cultivation to the Tier Three Realm was Wei Tu's only shortcut to increasing his power at the moment.

Furthermore, cultivating the Demon Slayer True Skill, a Demon Dao Body Refining Technique, was also a measure Wei Tu was taking to increase his chances of survival in these chaotic times of the Battle of Righteous and Demons.

'If I use the Demon Slayer True Skill to break through to the Tier Three Realm, then even a Golden Core Demon Cultivator probably won't be able to tell that I'm a Righteous Cultivator,' Wei Tu thought to himself.

[Demon Slayer True Skill (53/100): Practice once every ten days. Two hundred and seventy years to completion.]

Seeing this progress, Wei Tu secretly estimated that in about thirty or forty more years, he would be able to cultivate this Body Refining Technique to the "Minor Success" Realm and break through to Tier Three in the process.

When a Body Refining Cultivator breaks through to Tier Three, just like when a Qi Cultivator breaks through from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core Realm, there are all sorts of dangers. If preparations are insufficient, there is a high probability of perishing in the attempt.

Just like the Divine Wood Origin Technique, cultivating the Demon Slayer True Skill to the "Minor Success" stage increases the probability of breaking through to become a Tier Three Body Refining Master by twenty percent.

A quarter of an hour later, Wei Tu was bare-chested. The phantom image of the "Sheep-Horned Demon" suddenly appeared on his chest. Like a living creature, it began to inhale and exhale the surrounding Spiritual Qi, transforming it into Demon Slayer True Qi to temper Wei Tu's Physical Body.

As he cultivated the Demon Technique, shrill, sharp Demonic Sounds emanated from the moving mouth of the Sheep-Horned Demon's phantom.

The entire Cave Mansion felt as if it had transformed into a Demon Cave.

...

「Red River Mountain Marketplace.」

Bao Mansion, Yangxin Pavilion.

"He broke through to the Golden Core Realm?" Bao Siyan looked at the Talisman on the desk before her, her face filled with utter surprise.

Unlike Qii Chengchu, Che Gongwei, and the other Golden Core True Monarchs, she had been in Seclusion cultivating a Secret Skill a few years ago and hadn't been paying attention to outside news. Thus, she hadn't immediately learned that Wei Tu had broken through to the Golden Core Realm.

Therefore, when she saw the Talisman from Wei Tu, sent after his breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, she was completely stunned, her face a mask of disbelief.

Forty years ago, she had asserted that it would take Wei Tu, with his Lower-Grade Spirit Root, over twenty years to switch his Cultivation to the Divine Wood Origin Technique, and at least fifty years to cultivate it to the Third Layer Realm.

However—

Yet now, today, Wei Tu had proven her wrong. Not only had he successfully switched his Cultivation Technique within the time she had stated, but he had also smoothly broken through to the Golden Core Realm.

'He wants to learn Secret Arts from me?' A smile played on Bao Siyan's lips as a plan formed in her mind.

She had been friendly toward Wei Tu back then because he was a Tier Two Upper-Grade Talisman Master with great potential. He had the ability to break through to the Golden Core Realm and become a Tier Three Talisman Master.

A Tier Three Talisman Master could explore the Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion she had once stumbled into by mistake.

It wasn't that there were no other Tier Three Talisman Masters in the Loose Immortal Alliance, but with her Cultivation, she would find it difficult to control them.

Wei Tu's Cultivation had just broken through. Furthermore, he cultivated the same technique as her, his strength was limited, and she knew his background well.

He was the most suitable candidate.

'As long as Fellow Daoist Wei agrees... to one thing for me... I am willing to hand over the three great Secret Skills of the Divine Wood Origin Technique.'

Bao Siyan lifted a delicate hand, carefully choosing her words as she wrote a reply to Wei Tu.

After finishing the reply, Bao Siyan watched the Talisman Spirit Dove soar into the air, a faint smile gracing her lips.

'Wei Tu would never guess that the Divine Wood Origin Technique doesn't just have three great Secret Skills, but five...' Bao Siyan mused.

...

Che Gongwei also received Wei Tu's letter.

"This day has finally come."

In the Che Mansion, Che Gongwei held Wei Tu's letter in both hands, feeling a major headache coming on.

He had anticipated this day ever since Wei Tu went into Seclusion to break through.

After all, Wei Tu was a Tier Two Upper-Grade Talisman Master. As soon as his Cultivation was sufficient, he could attempt to become a Tier Three Talisman Master.

In that case, Wei Tu would surely ask him, his nominal master, for the Talisman Master Inheritance required to advance to Tier Three.

That was why, after Wei Tu broke through to the Golden Core Realm and called him master, Che Gongwei had advised Wei Tu to address him as Fellow Daoist instead.

This wasn't because Che Gongwei was selfishly hoarding his knowledge.

Rather, the bond between Wei Tu and Che Gongwei was too weak. They had the title of master and Disciple, but not the sentiment.

If Wei Tu had broken through to the Golden Core Realm after a hundred years as his Disciple, under Che Gongwei's tutelage... Che Gongwei certainly wouldn't have been stingy with his Inheritance.

But that was not the case with Wei Tu.

However, Che Gongwei couldn't very well just refuse Wei Tu outright regarding this matter, since Wei Tu was, after all, his nominal Disciple.

Refusing Wei Tu would not only mean losing an allied "friend" but also gaining a powerful enemy.

It wasn't as if he was the only one in the world with a Tier Three Talisman Master Inheritance.

'I'll state my conditions, teach him part of it, and keep the rest for myself,' Che Gongwei decided.

...

「Ten-odd days later.」

Wei Tu emerged from his Seclusion and looked at the two replies laid out before him.

Wei Tu looked at Che Gongwei's reply first. To him, the Tier Three Talisman Master Inheritance was more useful than the three great Secret Skills of the Divine Wood Origin Technique.

After all, Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts could be replaced by Divine Techniques and Secret Skills of a similar type.

In contrast, a structured Tier Three Talisman Master Inheritance was much harder to obtain.

"Three conditions?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow as he opened Che Gongwei's letter.

In the letter, Che Gongwei stated that he could pass on the Talisman Inheritance to Wei Tu, but only if Wei Tu agreed to three conditions.

First, for one hundred and fifty years after Wei Tu became a Tier Three Talisman Master, he was not to sell any Talismans from the Inheritance within the Loose Immortal Alliance, which would create competition for Che Gongwei.

Second, before selling any Talismans, Wei Tu must specify which Influence he was selling them to and which Cultivator purchased them.

Third, after becoming a Tier Three Talisman Master, Wei Tu must pay him one thousand Spirit Stones every five years as a sign of respect. Alternatively, he could buy it out in one lump sum by giving him ten thousand Spirit Stones directly.

After reading these three conditions, Wei Tu couldn't help but feel that he had chosen the right master.

The "three conditions" in the letter seemed harsh, but in reality, they were just industry rules set by an "Artisan" for his Disciple.

Teach the apprentice, and the master starves.

This mortal saying was just as true in the Cultivation Realm.

The first condition was to prevent the master and Disciple from competing with each other and becoming enemies.

The second condition was because Tier Three Talismans are strategic resources. Not knowing where they ended up or in whose hands could easily endanger oneself.

After all, it was not uncommon in the Cultivation Realm for people to use a famous Cultivator's signature techniques to frame them for crimes.

The third condition was simply the respect money a Disciple pays to their master.

Some masters didn't ask for this money, but that didn't mean Che Gongwei was wrong for doing so.

Ten thousand Spirit Stones was hardly enough to buy a complete Tier Three Talisman Master Inheritance. The method for creating each type of Tier Three Talisman was a closely guarded secret.

...

Putting away Che Gongwei's letter, Wei Tu turned his gaze to the one from Bao Siyan.

"An Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion?"

Wei Tu's gaze focused on this line of text.

He hadn't expected that Bao Siyan's condition for teaching him the "three great Secret Skills" of the Divine Wood Origin Technique would be for him to explore the Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion with her.

He was well aware of the dangers of a Secret Realm.

The only reason he had been willing to enter the Yunze Secret Realm back then was because its internal dangers were predictable and measurable.

But as for this Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion that Bao Siyan was now telling him about, he had absolutely no information.

'There must be a reason why Bao Siyan chose me to explore this Ancient Cultivator's Cave Mansion with her.'

'First, I'll refuse.'

'And see how she reacts.'

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes.

There were so many Golden Core True Monarchs in the Loose Immortal Alliance. For Bao Siyan to choose him and no one else... he could figure out with his toes that there had to be a specific reason.

And that reason was his irreplaceability.

In other words, it was now Bao Siyan who needed him, not the other way around.

After all... as for the three great Secret Skills of the Divine Wood Origin Technique, he could just find equivalent substitutes. He didn't necessarily need the ones from the original technique.

But Bao Siyan, without him... probably wouldn't be able to succeed.