Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

After learning this news, Kou Hongying made many inquiries and finally learned that the Blood Elder Demon had tried to ambush and kill Zhao Qingluo.

She contacted Zhao Qingluo and learned the Blood Elder Demon had already been slain by that Foundation Establishment Master.

Her father’s murder had been avenged.

The knot in her heart had finally been untied.

She told Wei Tu and the other elders not to worry about her.

At the end of the letter, Kou Hongying thanked Wei Tu for his help in pursuing the murderer and said that if she ever had the chance, she would repay this Foundation Establishment Elder.

’Hongying probably never imagined that the one who avenged my sworn brother was none other than me, her "third uncle"...’

Wei Tu shook his head.

Because the matter of killing the Cyan Leaf Snake involved the Blood Elder Demon, he had chosen to hide it from Kou Hongying.

He never thought that after Kou Hongying posted a Sect mission... and after many twists and turns, she would learn that the Cyan Leaf Snake had been killed and the Blood Elder Demon was dead.

’What a fortunate coincidence,’ Wei Tu mused. ’If I hadn’t carved those words on the cliff wall, Hongying would never have known her father’s death had been avenged, and that burden on her heart would have remained...’

He had carved "Killed the two demons" on the cliff wall back then to clear himself, a mere Qi Cultivation Cultivator, of any suspicion.

He hadn’t considered this outcome at all.

’Fortune is on my side, and on Hongying’s as well,’ Wei Tu thought.

Foundation Establishment was a difficult process. Besides needing a Foundation Establishment Pill to transform and advance, a cultivator also had to pass through the Three Foundation Establishment Gates.

These three gates were the Physical Barrier, the Magical Power Barrier, and the Divine Sense Barrier.

The Physical Barrier required a cultivator to have a strong physique and abundant Qi and Blood, with no hidden injuries.

This barrier was also known as the Age Gate.

Generally, as long as a cultivator had not exceeded the Age of Two Armors, they could pass this barrier with ease.

The Magical Power Barrier involved transforming the Spiritual Power of the Qi Cultivation Stage into the Magical Power of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

This gate tested the cultivator’s foundation and the quantity of their Spiritual Power. A slightly weaker foundation meant risking failure.

The final gate, the Divine Sense Barrier, was the most difficult.

Unlike Magical Power, when one’s Divine Sense underwent its transformation, all of a cultivator’s thoughts were amplified, making them vulnerable to the disturbances of a Heart Demon.

If Kou Hongying’s inner turmoil had not been resolved, she would have very likely encountered a "Heart Demon" at this gate, causing her to fail at Foundation Establishment.

And if Kou Hongying failed, it would be difficult for her to repay the rewards she had promised to Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou.

The investments made by Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou would have been for nothing.

That was why Wei Tu had thought, ’Fortune is on my side, and on Hongying’s as well.’

...

「One year after moving into Luoxue Courtyard.」

「The following year, mid-April.」

Helian Xiong and Tong Peipei arrived together for a visit.

Wei Tu ordered his Wind-Splitting Carving to hide, then went out to welcome his two former neighbors into the parlor.

"You two are...?"

After they sat down, Wei Tu was surprised to see Helian Xiong hand him a red wedding invitation.

He remembered that when he had treated them to a meal at the Jingyun Inn two years ago, Helian Xiong had been completely uninterested in Tong Peipei’s "advances."

She was willing, but he was not.

’Could it be because I moved out?’

Wei Tu raised his eyebrows.

He wondered if his absence as their awkward neighbor had allowed their relationship to progress so rapidly that they were discussing marriage in just one year.

"It is as you see, Fellow Daoist Wei. Fellow Daoist Tong and I will soon be joined as Dao Companions," Helian Xiong explained.

"I will be sure to attend." Wei Tu nodded, accepting the invitation.

He didn’t pry into the reason for their rapidly developing relationship.

The Cultivation Realm was different from the mortal world.

Prying could lead to disaster.

「A quarter of an hour later.」

Holding Tong Peipei’s hand, Helian Xiong bid Wei Tu farewell, and the couple left Luoxue Courtyard.

...

「A few days later.」

「Jingyun Inn.」

Wei Tu reunited with Fu Zhizhou, who had just returned from the Yaolang Mountain Range. It was from Fu Zhizhou’s idle chatter that he finally learned why Helian Xiong and Tong Peipei had decided to become Dao Companions.

「Several months prior.」

Helian Xiong had gone to the Yaolang Mountain Range to hunt a Tier One Upper-Grade Demon Beast, the "Thunder Horned Tiger."

However, his information was faulty. A female tiger was also living in the Thunder Horned Tiger’s den.

Helian Xiong failed to retreat in time and was severely wounded by the Thunder Horned Tiger.

Only after returning to Danqiu Mountain and receiving Tong Peipei’s meticulous care did Helian Xiong finally recover.

The experience brought them closer, and feelings blossomed between them.

Helian Xiong then proposed marriage to Tong Peipei.

"If it weren’t for that, Brother Helian wouldn’t be getting married so soon," Fu Zhizhou said, taking a sip of watered-down wine.

Hearing this, Wei Tu nodded.

Helian Xiong’s strength and aptitude ranked him among the top Late-Stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators.

He was one of the few with a real chance of reaching Foundation Establishment.

If Helian Xiong had a specialized skill like him—a Talisman Master, for instance—then getting married wouldn’t have been a significant issue.

But Helian Xiong didn’t.

He was an Assassin who frequently risked his life in the Yaolang Mountain Range.

After marriage, with a family to consider, he would inevitably be more constrained in his actions.

His Spirit Stone income would likely decrease.

This, in turn, would greatly diminish his chances of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment.

...

「One month later.」

Helian Xiong and Tong Peipei’s wedding took place as scheduled.

The venue was the small courtyard on Lark Street.

After considering his relationship with his two former neighbors, as well as his own status, Wei Tu consulted with Fu Zhizhou. He decided to gift them one Tier One Lower-Grade Talisman and two Basic Talismans.

The three talismans cost about one Spirit Stone to make.

However, they could be sold for three Spirit Stones.

It was a generous gift.

In light of this, Helian Xiong invited Wei Tu to sit at the head table.

As Wei Tu approached the head table, he noticed several other cultivators fawning over an elderly man.

He raised an eyebrow. Upon closer inspection, he found the man bore a striking resemblance to a Foundation Establishment Master described in Immortal Master Wu’s *Biographies*.

’Ren Yifeng, one of the thirty-two Independent Cultivator True Men of Danqiu Mountain.’

Wei Tu was slightly taken aback.

He hadn’t expected Helian Xiong to be in contact with Ren Yifeng, let alone be able to invite him to the wedding.

After sitting down, Wei Tu considered for a moment but decided against approaching Ren Yifeng. Instead, like a few other cultivators at the table, he maintained a calm expression and focused on his food.

He didn’t believe that a bit of flattery during the banquet would make a Foundation Establishment Master like Ren Yifeng look upon him with favor or offer him future assistance.

The wedding banquet concluded in the evening.

Near the end of the festivities, Ren Yifeng approached Helian Xiong. He clapped him on the shoulder, retrieved a Pill Bottle from his sleeve, and placed it in Helian Xiong’s palm.

"Years ago, your father saved my life in the Yaolang Mountain Range."

"Today, I give you this Foundation Condensation Pill to repay that debt."

Ren Yifeng’s expression was impassive.

With that said, Ren Yifeng flicked his sleeve and transformed into a streak of red Escape Light, vanishing from the Lark Street courtyard.

As his voice faded, the guests at the table stared at one another in stunned silence.

The cheeks of the cultivators at the head table, the ones who had just been fawning over Ren Yifeng, burned with embarrassment.

If a Foundation Establishment Master like Ren Yifeng was so "cold" even to Helian Xiong, why would he possibly care about a few words of flattery from them?

"Foundation Condensation Pill?"

"That was a Foundation Condensation Pill?"

Soon, the cultivators came to their senses and stared at the Pill Bottle in Helian Xiong’s hand with immense envy.

As an elixir for the Qi Cultivation Stage, the Foundation Condensation Pill was second in value only to the Foundation Establishment Pill and was always exorbitantly expensive.

At that moment, they couldn’t decide if Ren Yifeng was cold and detached or incredibly loyal and righteous.

After all, it was hard to say how great the debt from that past favor truly was, but a Foundation Condensation Pill was a very real, very tangible reward.

...

The wedding banquet came to an end.

The cultivators scattered, and everyone departed.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, please wait a moment."

Just as Wei Tu was about to leave, Helian Xiong called out to him.

"Is there something you need, Fellow Daoist Helian?" Wei Tu asked in surprise, halting his steps.

"Please, Fellow Daoist Wei, come inside so we can speak privately."

Helian Xiong gestured invitingly.

The two went inside.

Tong Peipei, still in her bridal attire, served tea to Wei Tu and her new husband.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, do you know why I forced my way into Geng Wen’s Cave Mansion back then, offending him just to protect you?"

After a moment of idle chitchat, Helian Xiong set down his teacup and posed the sudden question.

Before Wei Tu could reply, Helian Xiong answered his own question. "It’s because you are too reclusive, Fellow Daoist Wei. Aside from Brother Fu, you hardly interact with anyone else..."

Wei Tu understood Helian Xiong’s implication.

Helian Xiong was saying that because Wei Tu was so reclusive, he had to use the incident with Geng Wen to force an interaction between them.

"And your point is, Fellow Daoist Helian...?"

Wei Tu’s eyes narrowed.

Back when Helian Xiong had decided to move into the Lark Street courtyard, he had suspected the man harbored ill intentions. He had only tolerated it due to his circumstances and avoided a confrontation.

Later, Helian Xiong had been quite generous when buying talismans from him, so he had put the matter aside for the time being.

"My family possesses a Foundation Establishment technique. One that allows a person to reach Foundation Establishment without a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

This time, Helian Xiong had used a divine sense transmission.

"What?"

"A Foundation Establishment technique that doesn’t require a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

Astonishment was written all over Wei Tu’s face.