Chapter 72 - 70: Innate Realm
"Haven’t we investigated traces of legendary Immortals like this before?"
Fu Zhizhou was a little confused.
In their nearly twenty years of seeking immortality, the four sworn brothers had searched far and wide for traces of Immortals, hardly resting for a single day.
’Why has Wei Tu suddenly changed his tune today?’
"This is different. This time, the signs of Immortals on Danqiu Mountain are very likely real. That’s why I had to stop you..."
Wei Tu explained, choosing his words with care.
Most of the leads on Immortals the four of them had chased in the past were little more than chasing shadows. They knew the moment they heard them that they weren’t credible.
But the Danqiu Mountain lead was different. It seemed far more credible; otherwise, Fu Zhizhou wouldn’t have considered traveling to Luonan Dao to investigate personally.
Shannan Dao and Luonan Dao were separated by a thousand li. A single trip would take at least a month or two.
Not to mention the time needed for inquiries afterward.
Hearing this, Fu Zhizhou was first taken aback. Then, after mulling over Wei Tu’s words, he nodded. "What you say makes sense, Third Brother. The closer one gets to success, the more cautious one must be. There’s no room for carelessness."
His eagerness to find Immortals had kept him from thinking as thoroughly and comprehensively as Wei Tu. Now that he had calmed down, he felt he had acted too rashly.
"It’s just..."
"To stand by and watch, knowing an Immortal Blessed Land might be right in front of us, and not go investigate... it’s hard to accept."
Fu Zhizhou sighed.
They had been seeking immortality for nearly twenty years, yet to this day, they had never even laid eyes on an Immortal...
And how many twenty-year spans does a person get in their life?
Seeing this,
Wei Tu instantly understood. Fu Zhizhou couldn’t wait any longer. His desire to explore Danqiu Mountain wasn’t born from ignorance of the dangers, but from a conscious choice to ignore them.
’Fourth Brother is thirty-seven, talented, and still young, yet even he’s this anxious and impatient. It must be even worse for Big Brother and Second Brother.’
Wei Tu mused.
Twenty years might not seem like much in a hundred-year lifespan, but these twenty years had been different. They had spent the prime of their youth, the most vibrant and promising stage of their lives...
Who could feel good about watching their best years slip away for nothing?
As for Fu Zhizhou’s "recklessness,"
he could restrain it for a time, but not forever.
If, in a few years, Fu Zhizhou still saw no progress in their Cultivation, he would probably plunge headfirst into Danqiu Mountain in search of Immortals anyway.
Such an act.
It was no different from Weii Fei taking the Blood Food Pill.
Both were desperate not to see all their efforts come to naught.
With this in mind, Wei Tu decided to reveal his own progress in Martial Arts to reassure them.
After five years of Cultivation, with the help of his Thick Earth True Qi, he had already completed Refining Strength into Marrow—a mandatory step for an External Martial Master to break through to the Innate Realm.
Now, all that remained was to nurture a wisp of Innate Qi within his Dantian. Once he did, he could break through to the Innate Realm and become a legendary Innate Martial Master.
"I’m sixty percent confident I can break through to the Innate Realm within five years, and eighty percent confident within seven years..."
Wei Tu said in a low voice.
He wasn’t lying.
When he first began cultivating the Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture, the Golden Purple Destiny Chart had indicated it would take thirty years to master it and break through to the Innate Realm.
But after he obtained the Immortal Skill, his Inner Qi transformed into Thick Earth True Qi. This, in turn, shortened the time required to break through to the Innate Realm.
"Once I reach the Innate Realm, we can investigate Danqiu Mountain together."
Wei Tu added.
"Innate?"
Fu Zhizhou was stunned.
Nurturing Innate Qi, much like achieving Qi Sensitivity to break into the Qi Sensing Realm, required both Hard Work and Opportunity.
He and Wei Tu were at the same Realm, the True Qi Realm, but he lacked Wei Tu’s confidence about breaking through within a set number of years.
With this in mind, Fu Zhizhou hurriedly asked if Wei Tu had gained some new Cultivation Experience that made him so certain he could break through to the Innate Realm within five years.
Wei Tu shook his head, saying he had no particular Cultivation Experience to share. It was just a sudden intuition, a feeling deep down that he would break through within five years.
He had said his piece. If Fu Zhizhou refused to listen and insisted on exploring Danqiu Mountain before he reached the Innate Realm, there was nothing more he could do.
They were all adults, after all.
Each had to weigh the pros and cons for themselves.
Warning him once was enough.
"A sudden intuition..." Hearing this explanation, Fu Zhizhou fell silent.
In the world of Martial Arts, accounts of such intuitions were not uncommon. Many had broken through to new Realms or created new Martial Arts techniques on the back of such a feeling.
It was entirely possible that Wei Tu was one of those "lucky ones."
"I’ll listen to you, Third Brother. I’ll wait another five years."
Fu Zhizhou nodded firmly.
In five years, he would only be forty-two, around the same age as Kou Liang was now.
He would still be far from the age where his Qi and Blood began to decline.
He could afford to wait.
...
Four years passed in a flash.
One day,
Wei Tu had just finished instructing Wei the Second on the Pile Skill of the Tiger Crane Double Form Fist when he suddenly felt a warm current surge from his Dantian, suffusing his entire body.
He closed his eyes, and now he could feel it—the external Spiritual Qi that had always eluded him when he circulated the Immortal Skill. It was tangible, just outside his body.
This Spiritual Qi was composed of five colors, scattered throughout the qi of heaven and earth.
But it was extremely thin.
Across the entire, vast Wei Mansion, Wei Tu could only see a dozen or so wisps of Spiritual Qi drifting about.
Seeing this,
how could Wei Tu not understand? He had finally broken through to the Innate Realm he had so desperately longed for.
’So, an Immortal Skill can only be practiced by a Martial Artist who has reached the Innate Realm...’
’No wonder the four of us have practiced the Immortal Skill for over twenty years without making any progress.’
In the Seclusion Chamber, Wei Tu sat cross-legged and once again circulated the Immortal Skill.
This time, the Thick Earth True Qi in his Dantian began to pull the five-colored Spiritual Qi from the outside world into his body.
To Wei Tu’s great regret, however, as the five-colored Spiritual Qi entered his body, the only type that remained within his Dantian was the earthy-yellow Spiritual Qi, the same kind as his Thick Earth True Qi.
The Spiritual Qi of the other elements dissipated completely with every breath he took.
At the same time,
Wei Tu sensed that a new line of text had appeared on his Golden Purple Destiny Chart.
"Five Elements Spirit Body: Thick Earth Body (1/100): With eight practice sessions a day, completion will take forty years."
’Forty years?’
’Only ten years longer than it took to master the Bone Marrow Cultivation Scripture?’
’It seems that perfecting this Thick Earth Body isn’t some particularly high Realm on the Immortal Dao.’
Wei Tu shook his head and deduced.
Having possessed the Late Bloomer Destiny Chart for so long, he had come to understand some of its quirks. He knew that the higher the Realm, the harder it was to reach, and the longer it would take.
’I’ve reached the Innate Realm, and my lifespan has increased to two hundred years. Now, about Danqiu Mountain...’
’No, there’s no rush for Danqiu Mountain...’
After a moment of contemplation, Wei Tu took out the Talisman Dao Introduction he had chanced upon seven years ago.
Now that he had Innate True Qi and could draw external Spiritual Qi into his body, he should be able to create the Immortal Talismans described within it.
He planned to prepare a few more life-saving trump cards before he explored the mystery of Danqiu Mountain.
In his view, ordinary Martial Arts techniques would be of little use against someone from an Immortal Family.