Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

「A few days later.」

Tong Peipei relayed Hu Yao’s words, telling Wei Tu that Zhao Qingluo had gone to Geng Wen’s Cave Mansion and caused a huge scene.

Not only was Geng Wen severely injured, but he was also forced to make a formal apology and compensate Zhao Qingluo with more than half of his wealth. Furthermore, he promised to perform Alchemy for the Qiyue Zhao Family for ten years free of charge to resolve the grudge.

"Even though Geng Wen’s master is a Tier Two Alchemist, the Qiyue Zhao Family is a Cultivation Family in Zheng Country, second only to the Three Sects..."

"They have a Golden Core Great Power in their family."

Tong Peipei was filled with envy.

There’s always a bigger fish.

To Independent Cultivators like them, Geng Wen, who had a master, was like a behemoth. Even if they had a grudge against him, they wouldn’t dare to speak up and could only swallow their anger.

But to the Qiyue Zhao Family, Geng Wen was just an insignificant figure they could crush at will, not even worth mentioning.

"Everyone has their own fate."

"Fellow Daoist Tong, you were born on Danqiu Mountain, and your family has a Talisman Master Inheritance..."

"With a creation like that, you are already ahead of many people. You needn’t envy Zhao Qingluo."

Seeing her reaction, Wei Tu offered a word of comfort.

"What Fellow Daoist Wei says is reasonable. My creation is indeed quite good enough." Hearing this, Tong Peipei came to her senses, smiled, and nodded in reply.

...

Geng Wen was severely injured.

This was good news for Wei Tu.

In another two years, it would be time for their Cultivation Alliance to meet again as promised.

If Zhao Qingluo hadn’t intervened and severely injured Geng Wen, he had planned to skip the meeting and just hide out on Danqiu Mountain.

The gathering was important, but not as important as his life.

’I hope the Qiyue Zhao Family and the Chisong Jia Family, these two great Cultivation Families, keep fighting for a while longer.’

Several months later, seeing Zhao Qingluo come to purchase Talismans again, Wei Tu couldn’t help but have this thought.

Although the mortal conflict would lead to widespread death and suffering, he couldn’t deny the immense profit in Spirit Stones this war was bringing him.

Basically, the Qiyue Zhao Family would buy as many Tier One Talismans as he could paint.

He was earning five years’ worth of money in a single year.

「A year and a half later.」

「In the Talisman Room.」

Wei Tu was in the middle of painting a Tier One Middle-Grade Talisman, the "Rejuvenation Talisman."

Suddenly, he felt the Spiritual Power in his Dantian, which had been as still as a deep pool, surge for a moment.

At that same moment, his Spiritual Pressure abruptly rose by a whole Level.

’Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer?’

This familiar scene was not new to Wei Tu; it was the unique sign of breaking through a Small Realm.

’It seems my long period of accumulation has finally led to a breakthrough.’

’Ten years of hard Cultivation. Even though I was focused on switching my Cultivation Technique, my Spiritual Power has been increasing this entire time.’

Wei Tu mused.

He had started switching to the Little Spring and Autumn Technique at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, but the technique’s description never stated that his Realm would be forever stuck at that initial stage during the transition.

’I’ve reached the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer right at the age of sixty. It seems I have a good chance of reaching the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer before I’m a hundred.’

’That way, I’ll have twenty years left to attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.’

Wei Tu thought to himself.

It was common knowledge in the Cultivation Realm that the best time for a Qi Cultivator to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm was before the "Age of Two Armors," which was one hundred and twenty years old.

Once they surpassed the Age of Two Armors, the chances of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment would drop drastically, and they would be seen by others as someone with no hope of ever doing so.

’I’ll spend the remaining time stabilizing my Realm. No more Talisman Painting for now.’

Wei Tu walked out of the Talisman Room, entered the Cultivation Room in his small courtyard, and began his Seclusion.

Six months later, Wei Tu ended his Seclusion, retrieved his Descent Token, and left Danqiu Mountain.

...

「Two hours later.」

「Geng Wen’s Cave Mansion.」

"Master, Wei Tu picked up his Descent Token today and left Danqiu Mountain."

Chu Yinn knocked on the door and glanced at the pale-faced Geng Wen, who was diligently performing Alchemy to pay off his debt to the Qiyue Zhao Family, before offering the reminder.

She knew very well how much Geng Wen had grown to hate Wei Tu’s guts these past few days.

If it weren’t for Wei Tu—

Why would Helian Xiong and Zhao Qingluo have shown up one after another?

The former had slapped Geng Wen in the face.

The latter not only slapped him in the face but also injured him and demanded more than half of his wealth.

When Geng Wen didn’t answer, Chu Yinn asked tentatively, "Should I find someone to hunt down Wei Tu and avenge you, Master...?"

"Avenge?"

"Avenge what, against whom?"

Inside the Pill Room, Geng Wen looked up, pausing the hand seals of his Alchemy Spirit Spell. He glanced at Chu Yinn and said with displeasure, "Do you think I, your master, am so petty? That I would take out my grudge against Zhao Qingluo... on Wei Tu?"

He felt that Chu Yinn’s constant mention of Wei Tu was a slight against him, as if she thought he didn’t dare to seek revenge on Zhao Qingluo.

The corner of Chu Yinn’s mouth twitched. "Then what do you mean, Master?"

"What good would killing a single Wei Tu do me? What I seek is Foundation Establishment! Once I achieve that, people like Wei Tu will be utterly insignificant."

Geng Wen sneered.

Impatience was the greatest taboo in Alchemy. Having lived for so many years, how could he not know this?

"Then I will take my leave." Chu Yinn understood Geng Wen’s meaning, bowed, and prepared to leave the Pill Room.

"Wait."

Geng Wen called out to Chu Yinn.

"Do you have any other instructions, Master?" Chu Yinn was a little puzzled.

"Go contact the Blood Elder Demon." Geng Wen’s eyelids twitched upward as he sent a message to Chu Yinn with his Guardian Map Divine Sense: "This time, we’re going big. I, your master, can’t wait any longer."

As the words entered her mind, Chu Yinn’s body jolted. Her shoulders trembled slightly, clearly frightened by Geng Wen’s audacity.

"Master, seeking the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object from Gong Shulan would be a much safer plan," she advised.

However, Geng Wen did not respond.

"Yes, I understand." Chu Yinn nodded and departed from the Pill Room.

...

「Meanwhile.」

「Bai Shihu Marketplace.」

"The ten-year pact is approaching. I’m so jealous of Sister Hongying, being able to join the Yee Society..."

In a small courtyard, two young men and a young woman in a yellow dress sat together.

One of them, a young man who bore a fair resemblance to Wei Tu, with a mustache that made him look like a Ranger, glanced at the closed door of the Cultivation Room and spoke in an envious tone.

"Xiuwen, if your Cultivation reaches the Middle-Stage Qi Cultivation, you can also ask Dad to let you join the Yee Society."

The serene-looking young woman in the yellow dress glanced at Wei Xiuwen and said with a gentle smile.

"Sis, it’s only been a few years since I formed my Spirit Body. It’s still too early for that."

Wei Xiuwen grumbled.

Seeing Wei Xiuwen fall silent, Wei Yan turned her gaze to the other young man beside her. "Brother Fu, at the ten-year reunion this time, if there’s a chance, I can help you ask my dad... about your father..."

"I no longer wish to inquire about my father’s matter."

"Yan... Fellow Daoist Wei, there is no need to mention this again."

Dressed as a Martial Artist, Fu Lin touched an old scar on his face, a gloomy look flashing in his eyes as he shook his head.

"Since Fellow Daoist Kou has not yet come out of seclusion, I will take my leave."

Fu Lin cupped his fist in a salute, stood up, and bid them farewell.

Wei Yan and her brother were not surprised by this scene. After offering a few polite words to try and make him stay, they let Fu Lin leave.

Fu Lin had become reclusive after entering the Cultivation Realm—the two siblings had long since reached this consensus.

Reaching the courtyard gate, Fu Lin paused. He glanced back at Wei Yan, then shook his head again and walked away.

He hadn’t seen the Mingfeng Hairpin he had given her in Wei Yan’s hair.

Not long after Fu Lin left, Kou Hongying emerged from the Cultivation Room and took the seat he had just vacated.

"Sister Hongying, it’s not right for you to keep avoiding Brother Fu. It’s not like he’s asking for anything when he comes to see you..."

Wei Yan advised.

Anyone with eyes could see that Kou Hongying was just using Cultivation as an excuse to avoid Fu Lin.

"He’s different."

Hearing this, Kou Hongying thought for a moment before explaining, "Fu Lin is too hard on himself. People like that are difficult to deal with."

"Difficult to deal with?"

Wei Yan was surprised. After exchanging a look with Wei Xiuwen, she knew this was just Kou Hongying’s polite way of saying she didn’t like Fu Lin.

There was probably some other reason behind it.

...

「Seven days later.」

The thirteenth of the sixth month.

Qujiang Dao, Nanhang City.

Celestial No. 3 Private Room, Tiansheng Tower.

The group gathered once more.

Compared to their last reunion, everyone had changed quite a bit in the past ten years.

Kou Liang had become much more portly, sporting a potbelly. When he sat, he looked more like a rich landlord than a Cultivator who had started as a Martial Artist.

Weii Fei, perhaps because he had been ennobled as the "Duke Yongle," wore a Golden Crown and a jade belt, dressing just like a secular Duke.

Fu Zhizhou’s appearance and dress hadn’t changed much, but his aura had become more formidable, like a humanoid beast.

Wei Tu’s gaze shifted to Kou Hongying, the Disciple of an Immortal Sect.

After ten years, Kou Hongying had grown even more beautiful. With her flowing robes and cool, detached temperament, she resembled a Fairy who had stepped out of a painting.

As was customary,

the four of them began to take turns describing their current Cultivation Realms and insights.

"I’m not that obsessed with Cultivation anymore. My Cultivation is still at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer, so there’s not much to say."

Kou Liang shook his head and looked at the golden-crowned, jade-belted Weii Fei, teasing, "Second Brother, it’s your turn, Lord Weii."

He guessed that Weii Fei, like him, was still stuck at the Qi Cultivation Second Layer, also known as the Innate Realm.

But unexpectedly, Weii Fei’s next words made his jaw drop.

Weii Fei flicked open his folding fan and said, "My Cultivation has just recently broken through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer. In terms of Realm... I should still be behind Third and Fourth Brother, so I don’t have any particular Cultivation insights to share."

As soon as he finished speaking, although everyone was curious about Weii Fei’s good fortune, their attention inevitably turned to Wei Tu.

This included Kou Hongying.

Kou Hongying had originally joined the Yee Society because of Wei Tu’s skills in the Talisman Dao.

Kou Hongying believed that with the financial support from his Talisman Dao skills, Wei Tu must have made another breakthrough in his Cultivation over the past ten years.

"Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer."

Wei Tu stated succinctly.

’That’s a bit low,’ Kou Hongying thought to herself upon hearing this.

In ten years, Wei Tu had only broken through one Small Realm. While faster than an average Cultivator, it was undoubtedly quite slow considering the support from his Talisman Dao abilities.

’Could it be that Uncle Wei switched to the Little Spring and Autumn Technique and wasted time?’

Suddenly, Kou Hongying thought of this and felt relieved.

Switching Cultivation Techniques generally took three to four years.

Subtracting that time, it took him seven years to advance one layer in his Cultivation. That was neither fast nor slow.

Wei Tu nodded.

He was indicating that he had indeed switched his Cultivation Technique.

Hearing this, everyone in the room felt that Wei Tu’s Cultivation speed was understandable.

"In addition, I can now paint Tier One Lower-Grade High-Quality Talismans."

Wei Tu added, revealing his progress in the Talisman Dao.

Now that Helian Xiong and Zhao Qingluo both knew about his progress in the Talisman Dao, there was no need to hide it from Kou Liang and the others.

"So you’re saying..."

"Third Brother is about to become a Tier One Middle-Grade Talisman Master?"

Kou Liang said in astonishment.

As he spoke, everyone gasped.

A Tier One Middle-Grade Talisman Master’s status was comparable to that of a Late-Stage Qi Cultivation Cultivator, perhaps even a notch higher.

’I knew it! I wasn’t wrong about Uncle Wei.’ Kou Hongying breathed a sigh of relief.

Over the years, she had often consulted her master, Master Qin, about the Cultivation of the three men.

After a while, Master Qin had inevitably grown annoyed, and she, in turn, had felt an invisible pressure.

Now that Wei Tu was about to become a Tier One Middle-Grade Talisman Master, she would have something to report to her master, Master Qin.

"As for me..."

Seeing it was his turn, Fu Zhizhou hesitated for a moment before revealing that he had already broken through to the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer.

"I reached this Realm several years ago. I thought I would be able to break through to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer after taking a Tier-Breaking Pill."

"But unexpectedly, the breakthrough failed."

Fu Zhizhou sighed.

"Even the Tier-Breaking Pill didn’t work?" Kou Hongying was surprised to hear this, as the Tier-Breaking Pill was an Elixir specifically used for breaking through from the Middle-Stage to the Late-Stage of Qi Cultivation.

"Could it be that Uncle Fu has encountered the legendary bottleneck?"

she asked.

The Qi Cultivation Stage has three phases.

Each phase has a small bottleneck.

If a Cultivator’s foundation is deep, these three small bottlenecks can be ignored, allowing for an easy breakthrough.

But if their foundation is shallow, these three bottlenecks can be quite crippling to their progress.

"It’s probably because I’ve taken too many Elixirs. And also... because I once took a Blood Food Pill, a type of Demonic Elixir..."

Fu Zhizhou nodded, agreeing with Kou Hongying’s assessment.

Over the past few years, he had thought of many methods to overcome this bottleneck.

To cure the illness, one must find the cause.

He had come up with many theories as to why he had hit a bottleneck.