Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

’Five years have passed.’

’Time for another Hundred Treasures Pavilion auction.’

Wei Tu mused after delivering a letter and seeing an invitation from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion at the gatehouse.

「A few days later.」

Wei Tu attended the auction.

This time, fewer Foundation Establishment Masters were present at the auction—only two.

The auctioneer was still Louu Hong.

When it was time to auction the Spirit Fruit, this time, Wei Tu didn’t hold back. He bid aggressively and won the Tier One Upper Grade Spirit Fruit known as the "Silver Simurgh Fruit."

The cultivators vying for the Spirit Fruit were surprised for a moment to see a moderately famous Talisman Master like Wei Tu win the item, but they soon paid it no more mind.

Talisman Masters had a strong earning potential, after all.

Wei Tu was already in his seventies, approaching eighty, so his potential was considered low.

They assumed he bought the Spirit Fruit... because he had likely consumed too many elixirs and wanted to use this Silver Simurgh Fruit to advance his cultivation while avoiding Pill Poison.

Five years.

It was a minor watershed.

A cultivator in their sixties at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer could be considered a middle-aged cultivator with decent potential.

But a cultivator in their seventies at the same layer was seen by most as a cultivator with rather low potential.

Back at Luoxue Courtyard, Wei Tu consumed the Silver Simurgh Fruit, which had cost him twenty-five Spirit Stones. He used its Spiritual Power to break through to the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer in one go.

「Several days later.」

Tong Peipei paid a routine visit to ask about Wei Tu’s progress in studying the Demon Refining Talisman.

"A few days ago, I finally managed to draw a Demon Refining Talisman, but the failure rate is far too high... I went through nearly a hundred attempts to produce this single one..."

Wei Tu took a dark red talisman from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

Eight years had now passed since Helian Xiong commissioned him to refine the "Demon Refining Talisman."

Eight years.

It was neither a long time nor a short one.

He couldn’t keep Helian Xiong and his wife waiting forever without showing them some "results."

He wasn’t the only Talisman Master on Danqiu Mountain. If he failed to produce "results" for too long, Helian Xiong and his wife might give up on him and find another, more reliable Talisman Master.

Wei Tu was quite interested in the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique, and he certainly didn’t want to lose the chance to obtain this Abnormal Foundation Establishment Technique.

Therefore, after finishing Kou Hongying’s sect mission, he had dedicated nearly all his time over the past year or two, aside from cultivation, to drawing the "Demon Refining Talisman."

"You successfully refined a Demon Refining Talisman?" Tong Peipei was astonished. She had come prepared for another visit with no results.

As a Talisman Master herself, it wasn’t hard for her to see the difficulty in drawing the "Demon Refining Talisman."

The Demon Refining Talisman was a particularly difficult type of Upper-Grade Talisman.

When Wei Tu accepted Helian Xiong’s commission, his Talisman Master level was only Tier One Middle Grade.

At that level, even drawing any Upper-Grade Talisman would have been difficult, let alone the much harder Demon Refining Talisman.

Thinking of this, Tong Peipei was secretly alarmed and sucked in a sharp breath.

Wei Tu’s success in drawing the Demon Refining Talisman meant that his skill in the Talisman Dao was approaching the level of a Tier One Upper-Grade Talisman Master, or perhaps he had already solidified his position within that category.

After all, one could only be called a Talisman Master of a certain level if they could consistently produce talismans of that level.

"It was just a fluke," Wei Tu said humbly. "I have not yet reached the level of a Tier One Upper-Grade Talisman Master."

He was, for the most part, telling the truth.

With his "Late Bloomer" Destiny Chart, he was different from ordinary Talisman Masters. As long as he focused on a specific type of talisman, he could master it after spending a certain amount of time.

In other words,

as long as he could get the hang of drawing a certain talisman, he could use his "Late Bloomer" Destiny Chart to gradually master its creation method and then draw it with proficiency.

However... over the past decade or so,

as his "Geomagnetic Spirit Body" finished forming, the focus of his life had gradually shifted from improving his Talisman Dao skills to his cultivation.

He couldn’t excel at both simultaneously.

The price for reaching the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer in his cultivation was the stagnation of his Talisman Dao skills, which now grew slowly.

Currently, he was still a Tier One Middle-Grade Talisman Master and had not yet reached Tier One Upper Grade.

"In a few more years, Fellow Daoist Wei will surely become an Upper-Grade Talisman Master."

Tong Peipei smiled, and her gaze toward Wei Tu held a newfound trace of respect.

Back when they had argued in the shanty town, her willingness to apologize and offer compensation had a lot to do with Wei Tu’s talent in the Talisman Dao.

She just hadn’t expected that after several decades, Wei Tu would be so far ahead of her.

She was still a Lower-Grade Talisman Master.

Meanwhile, Wei Tu was predictably on the verge of becoming an Upper-Grade Talisman Master in a few years.

"I will take this Demon Refining Talisman with me for now." Tong Peipei drew the talisman into her palm, gave a graceful bow, and took her leave.

This Demon Refining Talisman was only an Upper-Grade Talisman, not yet Top Tier One, so it couldn’t be used to catalyze a Demon Soul.

She was taking the talisman simply to share the good news with Helian Xiong.

...

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, another eight years had passed.

Wei Tu was now eighty-three years old.

’It’s been five years since Hongying went into seclusion. I wonder... did she succeed in her Foundation Establishment, or did she fail?’

In the Cultivation Room of Luoxue Courtyard, after feeding Spiritual Food to his Sky-Splitting Carving, Wei Tu calculated the time and mused to himself.

Five years ago, Kou Hongying had sent him a letter, telling him she was going into seclusion to break through to Foundation Establishment.

Originally, he had expected to see Kou Hongying as a Foundation Establishment Master at the cultivation gathering three years later.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the Bai Shihu Marketplace, he learned that Kou Hongying was still in seclusion within Jingshui Pavilion and had not yet emerged from her sect.

Now,

another two years had passed.

Wei Tu couldn’t help but worry about Kou Hongying’s current situation.

His concern was not just out of familial affection, but more so a matter of weighing his interests.

If Kou Hongying failed her Foundation Establishment, it would mean that his and Fu Zhizhou’s investment in her had been all for naught.

The investment he had poured into Kou Hongying over the past twenty years was no small sum.

However,

at that very moment—

The Sky-Splitting Carving seemed to sense something. It took flight from Wei Tu’s shoulder, beating its wings and heading toward the gatehouse.

SKREEE! SKREEE!

With a few sharp cries, the Sky-Splitting Carving gently placed an envelope, stamped with the Jingshui Pavilion insignia, into Wei Tu’s palm.

’A Foundation Establishment Master...’

’She finally passed this trial.’

Wei Tu opened the letter, and the worried look on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a slight smile.

Kou Hongying had succeeded in her Foundation Establishment.

This meant his investment over the past twenty years was about to pay off.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Just then, a knock came from the door.

’That must be Fourth Brother,’ Wei Tu guessed.

After telling the Sky-Splitting Carving to hide, he got up and walked to the entrance of his Cave Mansion.

"Hongying achieved Foundation Establishment!" Fu Zhizhou exclaimed excitedly from outside the door.

From the moment the four of them had set their goal of cultivation back in the mortal world until now, sixty years had passed.

A full Jiazi Time!

Finally, someone had truly set foot on the Immortal Path and become a Foundation Establishment Master!

Although Kou Hongying wasn’t one of the four brothers, she was Kou Liang’s daughter and a member of the Yee Society, so she could be seen as a continuation of their old Cultivation Alliance...

Weii Fei’s Cultivation Technique.

Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou’s cultivation insights.

The guidance to set foot on the Immortal Path.

And so on.

Without these "coincidences," even with her Middle-Grade Spirit Root, Kou Hongying would have faded into obscurity in the mortal world, with no hope of becoming a Foundation Establishment Master.

Kou Hongying’s achievement of Foundation Establishment—it could be said that this was the first flower to bloom from their four-man Cultivation Alliance after enduring countless hardships.

"Foundation Establishment..."

Hearing Fu Zhizhou’s words, a ripple disturbed the calm of Wei Tu’s heart.

He repeated the words, his tone gradually filled with gratification.

With a Foundation Establishment Pill and his "Late Bloomer" Destiny Chart, he never saw the Foundation Establishment Stage as an unattainable dream.

Therefore, upon learning of Kou Hongying’s successful Foundation Establishment, he was nowhere near as excited as Fu Zhizhou.

But after being influenced by Fu Zhizhou’s words, he finally realized what Kou Hongying’s Foundation Establishment truly meant to the four of them.

After sixty years of cultivation, Kou Hongying becoming a Foundation Establishment Master was not only her success, but also a success for the four brothers of the Yee Society.

The seed planted back then.

The fruit harvested today.

"We... we will have our day too. Foundation Establishment won’t be just for Hongying..."

After his excitement subsided, Fu Zhizhou glanced at Wei Tu and spoke these words.

...

「A few days later.」

Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou packed their belongings and hurried to the Bai Shihu Marketplace to attend Kou Hongying’s Foundation Establishment ceremony.

Before the two departed,

each prepared a congratulatory gift.

"What’s that?"

"Please, you two, wait a moment."

As they were passing through Jade Dragon Prefecture, a carriage on the official road rushed forward and blocked the swift horses ridden by Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou.

"Sir, is there an important reason you’ve stopped the two of us?" Wei Tu tightened his reins, an displeased look on his face. He swept his Spiritual Sense over the carriage’s interior and saw an old man in official robes.

Even back in his mortal days, he knew that some high-ranking officials in the Court were aware of the existence of cultivators.

This robed official must have stopped him and Fu Zhizhou because he had identified them as cultivators and had a favor to ask.

Such things were not uncommon.

They happened from time to time in the Cultivation Realm.

However, when mortals sought favors, they usually offered some kind of treasure, so Wei Tu retained a bit of patience and decided to inquire further.

"Sir... is your surname Wei?"

The robed official pulled back the carriage curtain and leaned halfway out. He glanced at Wei Tu, who was in the lead, and his voice trembled as he spoke.

"My surname is indeed Wei, but how did you know that, sir?"

Slightly surprised, Wei Tu’s attitude softened a little.

For the robed official to know his surname, there must be some connection between them.

He just couldn’t place who this robed official was...

He had no memory of the man.

"Brother Wei."

"It’s been over sixty years."

The robed official sighed with emotion and revealed his identity.

"I am Shi Zhen, the runner-up of the Shannan Dao examination in the 27th year of Qing’an—Shi Zhen."

"Shi Zhen?"

Hearing the name, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou exchanged a look of utter astonishment.

The reason was simple: Wei Tu had also passed the Daoist Examination in Shannan Dao during the 27th year of Qing’an, succeeding in the Military Examination and being appointed as a Military Officer.

"You’re... the Shi Zhen whose Martial Champion title was stolen by Youu Hong?"

After a moment of thought, Wei Tu finally remembered who Shi Zhen was.

Back then, to maintain a low profile, he had intentionally given up the Martial Champion title, holding back in the competition and finishing seventh in the Daoist Examination.

During the Daoist Examination, he had initially thought "Shi Zhen" would take first place, but unexpectedly, Youu Hong had used his family’s influence to snatch the top spot from Shi Zhen...

Sixty years later, Wei Tu never expected to meet Shi Zhen again.

"Sixty years apart... back then, we were both spirited youths. Now... I have grown old and decrepit..."

Shi Zhen lamented.

He had been an official for many years and had learned a few things about cultivation, but he never imagined that a real member of an Immortal Family he would meet would be a fellow candidate from the same examination sixty years ago.