Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

Under the impact of a massive amount of Spiritual Qi, the Foundation Establishment process in Wei Tu’s Dantian, which had just been on the verge of stalling, sped up again.

Driven by the Medicinal Power of the Foundation Condensation Pill, the rate at which his Gas-Like Spiritual Power converted into a liquid state increased dramatically—several times faster than before.

「Several days later.」

Seventy percent of Wei Tu’s Spiritual Power had already turned into liquid, leaving only the thirty percent in the core of his Dantian yet to be converted.

’The effects of a Foundation Condensation Pill are limited, after all. Trying to reach Foundation Establishment with just this... is far too difficult,’ Wei Tu thought to himself.

At this moment, the Medicinal Power of the Foundation Condensation Pill within him was nearly exhausted, but the Spiritual Power in his Dantian was still far from fully converted, not to mention the extra twenty percent stored in his One Qi Pouch.

If he had only relied on a single Foundation Condensation Pill to attempt his breakthrough, he likely would have failed at this very step.

His breakthrough would fail, and he would become a Wastrel.

’Thankfully, I still have two Foundation Establishment Pills. I’m not helpless yet.’

Wei Tu felt a surge of relief.

With this in mind, Wei Tu no longer hesitated. He took one of the Foundation Establishment Pills placed before him and swallowed it.

—The Foundation Condensation Pill and the Foundation Establishment Pill had some overlapping effects. However, the Foundation Condensation Pill could only solidify a Cultivator’s Spiritual Power and prompt its liquefaction; it lacked the comprehensive effects of a Foundation Establishment Pill.

The Foundation Establishment Pill entered his mouth.

Instantly, the Medicinal Power of the pill exploded within him. An itch spread through his limbs and torso as his blood boiled. His bones began to shatter, and his marrow expelled dark impurities, undergoing a constant transformation...

Pain!

A pain that originated from the very marrow of his bones!

The agony was so intense that Wei Tu nearly passed out.

When the pain became unbearable, Wei Tu swallowed the half-stalk of the Thousand-Year-Old Snow Lotus that Kou Hongying had given him.

—A Thousand-Year-Old Snow Lotus could significantly reduce the pain a Cultivator experienced after consuming a Foundation Establishment Pill.

After a short while, relief followed the suffering.

After enduring the agony of "Washing Marrow and Cutting Bone," the unconverted Gas-Like Spiritual Power in his Dantian began to transform once more.

Thirty percent.

Twenty percent.

Ten percent.

All of his Gas-Like Spiritual Power converted into a liquid state, now tinged with a faint cyan halo.

’The Spiritual Power in the One Qi Pouch hasn’t converted yet...’

’It’s still not enough...’

Wei Tu pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and took out the other Foundation Establishment Pill he had hidden on his person.

The Three Foundation Establishment Gates.

He had already passed the "Qi and Blood Gate." Now, he just needed his liquefied Spiritual Power to transform into Magical Power to pass the Magical Power Barrier.

It could be said that having reached this stage, his chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm were already over ninety percent.

As a Talisman Master who had spent decades Talisman Painting, passing the final stage, the Divine Sense Barrier, would not be difficult for him.

The process of Talisman Painting involves Hammer Forging Divine Sense, making a Talisman Master’s Divine Sense much stronger than that of an Ordinary Cultivator.

But—

The Spiritual Power stored in Wei Tu’s One Qi Pouch had not yet been fully converted.

’In the end, my Spirit Root is just a bit too poor. If it weren’t for that, one Foundation Establishment Pill would have been enough for me.’

A look of reluctance appeared on Wei Tu’s face. He hesitated for a moment before finally steeling his resolve and swallowing the second Foundation Establishment Pill, the one from Zhao Qingluo.

A Spirit Root not only affected a Cultivator’s efficiency in absorbing nature’s spiritual energy but also how effectively they absorbed the Medicinal Power of an Elixir after consuming it.

This latter point was one of the reasons why Cultivators with different Spirit Roots had different success rates when taking a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Take Kou Hongying, for example.

Like Wei Tu, Kou Hongying had also completed the Refinement of a One Qi Pouch before her Foundation Establishment to increase her foundation and potential.

However, when Kou Hongying underwent Foundation Establishment, the Medicinal Power of a single Foundation Establishment Pill was enough for her to refine both the Spiritual Power in her body and the Spiritual Power in her One Qi Pouch, with no need for a second pill.

Although Foundation Establishment Pills were expensive, their cost was negligible compared to the future potential one gained in the Foundation Establishment Stage.

To fall one step behind was to fall behind at every step.

—The Foundation Establishment phase of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm could be considered an Ordinary Cultivator’s only chance in their entire life to change their own foundation.

Therefore, Wei Tu would rather "waste" another Foundation Establishment Pill now to alter his own constitution and enhance his potential.

Once he swallowed this Foundation Establishment Pill, the twenty percent of Spiritual Power stored in his One Qi Pouch began to convert and merge with the liquefied Spiritual Power in his Dantian.

Three days later, the liquefied Spiritual Power in Wei Tu’s Dantian had grown by twenty percent.

’I did it. Finally... I’ve stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm.’

Half a year later, a slow smile spread across Wei Tu’s face as he saw the liquefied Spiritual Power within him finally transform into cyan-and-yellow Magical Power.

The very instant he succeeded in his Foundation Establishment, he could feel the transformation in his Life Level—a clear distinction from his former mortal Physical Body of the Qi Refining Realm.

It was a feeling like that of his youth: a more abundant vitality, an inexhaustible Spirit.

’Ninety-seven years old, Foundation Establishment Realm.’

Wei Tu calculated his age, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

When he first set out on the Immortal Path, he had estimated that even if he were fortunate enough to reach Foundation Establishment, it wouldn’t be until he was over 120 years old.

Reaching Foundation Establishment at one hundred years old, while far older than a Foundation Establishment Master from an Immortal Sect, was still considered quite young among Independent Cultivators.

’And my Spirit Root...’

’I also used the Residual Power of the Foundation Establishment Pills to reach Middle Grade fifteen years ahead of schedule.’

Wei Tu took out a Spirit Testing Talisman and pressed it to his forehead. Seeing a glow roughly the size of a large fist appear on the Talisman Paper, he thought to himself.

Before entering Seclusion, his Spirit Root had already been enhanced to the peak of the Lower-Grade Spirit Root by his "Late Bloomer" Destiny Chart. He was just one step away from advancing to a Middle-Grade Spirit Root.

And since Foundation Establishment Pills inherently had the effect of "Washing Marrow and Cutting Bone," and he had taken two of them this time...

Under the influence of their Medicinal Power, he managed to break through the boundary to Middle-Grade Spirit Root ahead of time.

’With a Middle-Grade Spirit Root and the foundation laid by the One Qi Pouch... among all the Foundation Establishment Independent Cultivators on Danqiu Mountain, my potential can be considered the highest.’

’It’s even comparable to an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator from an Immortal Sect.’

Wei Tu exhaled a breath of turbid air.

At that moment, a sense of exhilaration filled his chest. The once seemingly unattainable Golden Core now felt like it was within his reach.

...

「Five years passed.」

The entrance to the Cave Mansion where Wei Tu had been in Seclusion was now deserted, with only birds leisurely hopping about.

No Cultivator would waste their energy paying attention to a stranger’s attempt at Foundation Establishment.

Therefore, when Wei Tu emerged from his Cave Mansion, he didn’t see a single person at the entrance, not even Kou Hongying or Fu Zhizhou.

Wei Tu wasn’t surprised by this. After all, his Foundation Establishment had taken a long time—a full five years. It was impossible for Kou Hongying and Fu Zhizhou to have waited at his door the entire time.

He flew through the sky to the Supreme Profound Sect’s office, returned the Cave Mansion Token to Steward Liu, and then headed back to Luoxue Courtyard.

Along the way, when the Independent Cultivators of Danqiu Mountain saw Wei Tu Flying in the Sky, they immediately understood that "Talisman Master Wei" had successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment and become a lofty Foundation Establishment Master.

The news began to spread rapidly, reaching every corner of the Marketplace.

They spread the news not for any particular reason, but so that if they happened to run into Wei Tu in the future, they wouldn’t offend the Foundation Establishment Master and bring disaster upon themselves.

"Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment, Uncle Wei." Not long after Wei Tu returned to Luoxue Courtyard, Kou Hongying, who was temporarily staying on Danqiu Mountain, came to his door to offer her congratulations.

Fu Zhizhou came with her.

The two of them presented congratulatory gifts.

"Now that you’ve reached Foundation Establishment, Uncle Wei, I wonder what your plans are?" Kou Hongying asked about Wei Tu’s next steps after taking a seat.

After she spoke, she noticed a puzzled look on Wei Tu’s face, as if he didn’t understand the purpose of her question. She paused for a moment before explaining,

"After Foundation Establishment, an Independent Cultivator’s status does indeed rise significantly. You no longer need to worry about the regional restrictions on Cultivator migration and can be treated as an honored guest by Immortal Sects and Cultivation Families. But that’s just status..."

"When it comes to Cultivation Resources, a Foundation Establishment Independent Cultivator is actually worse off than a Qi Cultivator."

"Qi Cultivation Independent Cultivators who diligently practice in the Marketplace for a hundred-odd years have a seventy percent chance of reaching the Late Stage of Qi Cultivation."

"But it’s different for a Foundation Establishment Independent Cultivator... The Spiritual Materials, Inheritances, Elixirs, and other items needed for the Foundation Establishment Realm are mostly monopolized by Immortal Sects and Cultivation Families. To obtain them, one must pay a much greater price than in the Qi Refining Realm."

At this point, Kou Hongying glanced at Fu Zhizhou and said, "Of course, if you plan to follow Uncle Fu’s example and become an Assassin, then... acquiring resources would be somewhat easier..."

As her voice fell, a thoughtful expression appeared on Wei Tu’s face.

Limited by his previous strength and status, his knowledge of the Cultivation Realm was not extensive.

It was only after obtaining Immortal Master Wu’s Jade Scroll that he learned this land was called the "Great Cang Immortal Realm" and that it contained factions like the Seven Kingdoms Righteous Alliance and the Five Demonic Sects...

But Immortal Master Wu was only in the Qi Refining Realm, so how could he have known about the higher-level Foundation Establishment Realm?

Therefore, Wei Tu’s knowledge about what came after Foundation Establishment was almost a complete blank.

"An Assassin..."

Wei Tu shook his head. "I don’t have Fourth Brother’s combat talent. Becoming an Assassin isn’t suitable for me."

In anything one does, it’s essential to play to one’s strengths and avoid one’s weaknesses.

He possessed the "Late Bloomer" Destiny Chart. It would be unwise to become an Assassin and put himself in constant danger.

Besides, the reason Fu Zhizhou had managed to survive so many dangerous situations after becoming an Assassin was in no small part due to the help of his Talismans.

If he were to become an Assassin, he wouldn’t have it as "easy" as Fu Zhizhou.

Hearing this, Kou Hongying nodded slightly and began to introduce Wei Tu to the specific Cultivation Powers within Zheng Country.

"Zheng Country has Three Immortal Sects and Seven Great Cultivation Families."

"The Three Immortal Sects are Nascent Soul Influences. They have hundreds of Foundation Establishment Cultivators and complete Inheritances. They aren’t lacking for Talisman Masters, so the benefits they offer are often limited..."

"The Seven Great Cultivation Families are different. Although they have Golden Core Ancestors, their Foundation Establishment Cultivators are their backbone. Therefore, they are eager to recruit Foundation Establishment Cultivators and offer good benefits..."

"Among them, the Qiyue Zhao Family, the Hee Mountain Huang Family, the Xuefeng Zheng Family, and the Chisong Jia Family... these four families are always recruiting Foundation Establishment-level Talisman Masters to join them..." Kou Hongying said slowly.

"If you are thinking of joining a Cultivation Family as a Tributor, Uncle Wei..."

"This junior suggests you avoid the Qiyue Zhao Family and the Chisong Jia Family. They have a long-standing feud, and there’s a high chance they will go to war within the next hundred years."

"At that time, being overworked would be a minor issue. If you get involved in the war... it would be hard to avoid injury or death..." she added.

Wei Tu did have some understanding of the conflict between these two great Cultivation Families.

He nodded to show that he understood.

"In addition..."

"Some smaller Cultivation Families also have Inheritances within their clans."

"This junior has already compiled information on these smaller families..."

As she spoke, Kou Hongying took a Jade Scroll from her sleeve and handed it to Wei Tu.