Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

’Could it be a Horizontal Martial Arts Training technique? Something like Iron Cloth Shirt or Golden Bell Shield?’ Wei Tu guessed at the contents of the Secret Manual.

That giant with the iron hammer had obviously practiced Horizontal Martial Arts Training. His moves were ferocious and powerful; even without armor, ordinary soldiers could hardly breach his defenses.

Horizontal Martial Arts Training was also considered a type of External Martial Arts, but it was a bit more extreme compared to orthodox External Martial Arts Training.

These Horizontal Martial Artists had stiff muscles and stagnant Qi and Blood. When they reached their fifties or sixties, hidden injuries would often surface, and they were prone to sudden, violent deaths.

The vast majority of legends about Martial Artists that he had heard in the past were rumors concerning these Horizontal Martial Artists.

"No." Weii Fei shook his head, placing the Secret Manual on the table.

On the yellowed booklet were written four large words: *Five Elements Spirit Body*. It had nothing at all to do with the Horizontal Martial Arts Training Wei Tu had imagined.

"After I got this Secret Manual, I found some time to read a few pages, but it felt like I was reading a Celestial Book. I couldn’t understand it..." Weii Fei sighed and said.

If the contents of this Secret Manual had been within his scope of understanding, he might not have sought out Wei Tu to study it with him.

Instead, he would have hoarded it to study in private.

Of course, Wei Tu was unaware of these little schemes of Weii Fei’s. After feeling a brief pang of guilt for secretly studying the *Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture* on his own, he picked up the yellowed booklet before him and began to flip through its contents.

As he flipped through it, Wei Tu thought to himself, ’If Weii Fei also reaches the Qi Sensing Realm, I’ll have him become Shan Wuju’s disciple. After getting Master’s permission... I’ll teach him the *Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture*.’

He believed in returning a simple gift with a treasure.

When it came to the *Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture*, Wei Tu had no intention of hoarding it selfishly. He was just worried that leaking its existence would bring disaster upon the Shan Family, as well as himself.

"Spiritual Power..."

"Spirit Storage..."

"Five Elements Spirit Body..."

After Wei Tu finished reading the contents of the *Five Elements Spirit Body*, he found that this Secret Manual bore no resemblance to his *Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture*. It utilized a special power called "Spiritual Power," not the "Inner Strength" generated from one’s own Qi and Blood.

’Could this be a legendary Immortal Dao Technique? Have I stumbled upon an Immortal Dao Manual?’

At this thought, Wei Tu’s heart suddenly began to pound wildly, and he felt an immense joy flood his being.

After awakening the ’Late Bloomer’ Destiny Chart, he had suspected that so-called Immortals must exist in this world.

After all, Martial Arts couldn’t explain the existence of his Destiny Chart.

Only by achieving longevity through the Immortal Dao could he bring his ’Late Bloomer’ Destiny Chart to its ultimate potential.

’I can’t be sure yet. This might be an Inner Family True Skill that just describes Inner Strength as Spiritual Power...’

Wei Tu suppressed his joy and calmed himself down.

The *Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture* he was practicing was merely an ’Inner Family True Skill’ for External Martial Masters to break through to the Innate Martial Master realm, not a true Inner Family True Skill for Inner Cultivation Martial Masters.

Wei Tu carefully flipped through the *Five Elements Spirit Body* again and discovered that the Secret Manual was only a partial copy. It only explained how to condense the "Thick Earth Body," one of the Five Elements Spirit Bodies; the other four were not covered.

Any specific applications of the Five Elements Spirit Body were also missing.

"Third Brother, do you understand this Secret Manual?" Weii Fei was delighted to see Wei Tu so engrossed and quickly asked.

"I’ve figured out some things..."

Wei Tu pondered for a moment, choosing his words carefully. With a solemn expression, he said, "This *Five Elements Spirit Body* is very likely a legendary Immortal Skill. The Inner Qi True Skill I practice, now that I’ve developed Inner Qi, is vastly different from this..."

Since Weii Fei trusted him enough to share the *Five Elements Spirit Body* technique, then there was no need for him to hide his theories about the Secret Manual from Weii Fei.

Furthermore, if Weii Fei failed to grasp the gravity of the situation and revealed the Secret Manual’s existence to someone else, Wei Tu, as his sworn brother, would inevitably be implicated.

For both personal and practical reasons, Wei Tu felt it was necessary to voice his suspicions.

"Immortal Skill..." Hearing this, Weii Fei was stunned, his face a mask of disbelief.

He had heard tales of the Immortal Family since childhood but had always considered them mere fables. He didn’t believe so-called Immortals actually existed.

However, hearing these words from the ever-composed Wei Tu, even his initial disbelief began to waver, and he found himself mostly convinced.

"Third Brother, wait a minute..." After his shock subsided, Weii Fei remembered the second half of what Wei Tu had just said. He asked in astonishment, "Third Brother, you’ve entered the Qi Sensing Realm? You’ve become an Inner Qi expert?"

As a Martial Artist who had been taught by a renowned master since childhood, he knew better than anyone just how difficult the Qi Sensing Realm was to achieve.

It was a Realm that even Martial Artists who had become Martial Scholars found difficult to reach.

"Third Brother, you’ve really kept me in the dark..." Weii Fei gave a bitter smile.

—He had thought that, aside from their Fourth Brother, Fu Zhizhou, his own aptitude was similar to that of Wei Tu and Kou Liang—all at the level of a Martial Scholar. Who would have thought that Wei Tu’s talent was even greater than Fu Zhizhou’s.

Fu Zhizhou had become a Martial Scholar at eighteen, but even he might not get the chance to break through from external to internal and reach the Qi Sensing Realm in his entire lifetime.

"It’s not that I was hiding it from you, Second Brother. It’s only been a month since I broke through to the Qi Sensing Realm, and besides... my master has rules..." Wei Tu explained.

"I understand that, Second Brother." Weii Fei was quickly mollified. He nodded and said, "The tree that stands tallest in the forest will be the first to be blown down by the wind. For you to enter the Qi Sensing Realm in your twenties... if word of this got out, there’s no telling how much trouble would find its way to you. It’s not at all hard to understand why you would hide it..."

Just now, Wei Tu had frankly told him his Realm and revealed that the *Five Elements Spirit Body* was very likely an Immortal Skill...

Based on this point alone, Weii Fei knew he hadn’t made a mistake in taking Wei Tu as his sworn brother.

If Wei Tu hadn’t been so honest, even if he had realized the Secret Manual was extraordinary, he would have struggled to learn its true nature.

"Thank you for your understanding, Second Brother."

Wei Tu nodded in thanks.

The two composed themselves and resumed their discussion of the *Five Elements Spirit Body*, the Secret Manual they suspected was an Immortal Martial Arts technique.

"But this technique... Third Brother, do you think we really have a chance to cultivate it and become those legendary Immortals?" Weii Fei asked, his voice lacking confidence.

He hadn’t even reached the Qi Sensing Realm yet, let alone trying to condense this profound and mysterious "Thick Earth Body."

The prerequisite for condensing the Thick Earth Body was to sense the elusive Spiritual Qi in the world and then transform that Spiritual Qi into Spiritual Power...

"It’s hard to say."

Wei Tu shook his head.

He had been cultivating the *Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture* for over a month, but the only energy he had ever sensed was "Inner Strength," never any "Spiritual Qi" or "Spiritual Power."

"Fourth Brother was ordered to annihilate the Wuyun Tower headquarters this time. Maybe he knows some secrets about the *Five Elements Spirit Body*..."

"I suggest that you, Second Brother, lend this Immortal Skill to First Brother and Fourth Brother for them to look at. We might learn something from them..."

"That way, we can also deepen the bond between us brothers," Wei Tu said in a deep voice.

If no one can cultivate even the best of techniques, it’s nothing more than a piece of scrap paper.

If he hadn’t entered the Qi Sensing Realm, the *Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture* would have likely remained on a high shelf, untouched by his master, Shan Wuju, for years to come.

Among the four brothers of the Yee Society, Fu Zhizhou’s martial talent was considerable. This time, he was ordered to destroy the Wuyun Tower headquarters alongside the Imperial Guard from the Governor’s Mansion... He might have made his own discoveries there...

By exchanging information, he and Weii Fei would surely not lose out.

Besides, since they last parted at Xuanhe Tower, the four of them had already established a foundation of trust.

"First Brother, Fourth Brother..." Weii Fei murmured upon hearing this, hesitating, unsure how to decide.

Among the four brothers, he was closest with and most trusted Wei Tu, as they were from the same hometown and both served in the Qingshan County Xiang Army Government Office.

As for the other two, he wasn’t very familiar with them.

They hadn’t met very often.