Chapter 148 - 116: Choices After Foundation Establishment
Wei Tu took the Jade Scroll and used his Guardian Map Divine Sense to inspect its contents.
Inside the Jade Scroll, Kou Hongying had listed seventeen small families that possessed the inheritance of a Tier Two Talisman Master. She had also analyzed the pros and cons of him joining one of these Foundation Establishment Families.
Among these Foundation Establishment Families, Wei Tu saw the Xiaya Mei Family, which his in-law, Mei Yuanfeng, belonged to.
’Uncle Wei achieved the Hundred-Year-Old Foundation Establishment, which marks him as someone with great potential. Even before that, he had already crafted Tier One Upper-Grade Talismans...’
’You can afford to wait for the best offer and don’t need to think about choosing a family right now.’
Kou Hongying added these words after Wei Tu finished reading the Jade Scroll.
With that said, Kou Hongying gave a graceful salute, bid farewell to Wei Tu, and left Luoxue Courtyard.
She had originally come to Danqiu Mountain just to deliver a reward to Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou.
But unexpectedly, she arrived just as Wei Tu was undergoing Foundation Establishment. To act as his Protective Daoist, she was forced to stay on Danqiu Mountain for five years.
Although she hadn’t fallen too far behind in her Cultivation during those five years, she had still been delayed on many other matters.
...
After Kou Hongying left, Wei Tu put the Jade Scroll away and promised Fu Zhizhou that he would repay the Foundation Condensation Pill within five years.
"Thank you so much." Hearing Wei Tu’s words, Fu Zhizhou could finally relax, a great weight lifted from his heart.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Wei Tu’s character; it was just that this Foundation Condensation Pill was truly far too important to him.
His lifelong hope of reaching Foundation Establishment was pinned on this single elixir.
A short while later, Fu Zhizhou also took his leave.
Only Wei Tu remained in Luoxue Courtyard.
’It’s a pity I don’t have a Tier Two Talisman Master’s inheritance. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to follow the example of Alchemist Shu and the others and just stay in the Danqiu Mountain Marketplace.’
Wei Tu thought to himself, rubbing the Jade Scroll Kou Hongying had given him.
Besides joining a Cultivation Power, a Foundation Establishment Independent Cultivator actually had another path they could take.
That was to stay in the Marketplace and become a true artisan, remaining outside the major Cultivation Powers.
Take Geng Wen’s master, Alchemist Shu, for example.
As a Tier Two Alchemist, Alchemist Shu had yet to officially join any Cultivation Power, but his personal wealth was definitely far greater than that of an average Foundation Establishment Family.
However, the prerequisite for becoming an independent cultivator like Alchemist Shu was possessing a Tier Two cultivation technique inheritance.
’Still, compared to being like Alchemist Shu, joining a Cultivation Power isn’t necessarily a worse option.’
’It’s good to have a big tree for shade.’
Wei Tu mused.
He didn’t believe that the "freedom" of being unrestrained like Alchemist Shu was true freedom.
To drift outside the major influences without absolute power—to put it nicely, the major influences would treat you as an honored guest. To put it bluntly, you’re just trying to please everyone, daring to offend no one.
Back when Geng Wen’s attempt to murder Zhao Qingluo was exposed, Zhao Qingluo sought revenge against Alchemist Shu, and there was nothing he could do.
To be humiliated at his own doorstep by a junior—
If Alchemist Shu had had one of the Seven Great Cultivation Families backing him... would Zhao Qingluo have dared to offend such a senior Tier Two Alchemist?
’Besides, I don’t have any secrets. My path to promotion can withstand scrutiny. Joining a Cultivation Family and becoming a Tributor... it won’t attract too much attention...’
Wei Tu set aside his hidden worries and decided to find a suitable Cultivation Family to join as a Tributor.
The only things about him that couldn’t withstand scrutiny were the spoils he’d intercepted from the Blood Elder Demon and Geng Wen, and the Foundation Establishment Pill he had taken from Zhao Qingluo.
But with his successful Foundation Establishment, these risks were no longer worth mentioning.
Different status meant different treatment.
Zhao Qingluo might dare to hold the power of life and death over a mere Qi Cultivation Cultivator, but she would never retaliate against a Foundation Establishment Master who had saved her life.
—After all, a Foundation Establishment Master held a certain degree of influence in the Zheng Country Cultivation Realm.
Furthermore, there were also benefits to consider.
Right now, Wei Tu not only lacked a Tier Two Talisman Master’s inheritance, but also the Tier Two Technique he needed to switch to after Foundation Establishment...
...
After feeding the Sky-Splitting Carving, which had gone unfed for five years, Wei Tu went to the Talisman Room. He entered seclusion to practice Talisman Painting, intending to use this free time to craft the top Tier One talisman Helian Xiong had commissioned: the Demon Refining Talisman.
Before breaking through to Foundation Establishment, although he had spent several years on Talisman Painting, the talismans he’d made were all attack or Defensive Talismans that could be exchanged for Spirit Stones. He had not worked on a special-purpose talisman like the Demon Refining Talisman.
Furthermore, the Demon Refining Talisman was indeed difficult to craft. It was easy to make an ordinary one, but difficult to create a High-Quality Talisman that could be used to nurture a Demon Soul.
But things were different now. Wei Tu’s Realm had improved, and with the boost from his Foundation Establishment Stage Guardian Map Divine Sense, crafting this Demon Refining Talisman was several times easier than before.
「Half a month later.」
Wei Tu finally crafted a High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman.
He sent out a Talisman to inform the couple, Helian Xiong and Tong Peipei.
「The next day.」
Helian Xiong arrived for a visit.
Compared to his previous casual demeanor, Helian Xiong was now quite reserved upon arriving at Luoxue Courtyard.
"Elder Wei... did you truly craft a High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman?" Helian Xiong asked nervously, standing in the hall with his head slightly bowed.
He worried that Wei Tu’s claim of crafting a High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman was a pretense to lure him in, and that his real goal was to coerce him into handing over the "Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique."
As he spoke, Helian Xiong was filled with regret. He regretted choosing Wei Tu to research the "Demon Refining Talisman" all those years ago...
Back then, no matter how you looked at it, Wei Tu didn’t seem like a Talisman Master who had any hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Now, Helian Xiong could only place his hopes on Wei Tu’s character, praying that he wasn’t a bad person and would spare him after he handed over the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique.
"Fellow Daoist Helian, please take a look." Wei Tu, oblivious to Helian Xiong’s inner turmoil, smiled faintly. He took a High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman from his sleeve and placed it on the tea table beside him.
"A High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman?" Helian Xiong’s expression was a mixture of joy and astonishment as he witnessed this.
"The High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman... I have successfully crafted it for you, Fellow Daoist Helian. Now, it’s time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain."
"The Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique..."
Wei Tu’s tone grew solemn.
The Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique was useless to him, a cultivator who had already reached Foundation Establishment, but it could be very useful for his friends and family.
"Please examine it, Elder Wei." Helian Xiong didn’t hesitate. He took a Blood-Colored Jade Scroll from his Storage Bag and handed it to Wei Tu.
Taking the Jade Scroll, Wei Tu carefully reviewed the contents of the "Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique" right in front of Helian Xiong, meticulously analyzing the technique’s effects on Foundation Establishment.
"This magic technique..."
An hour later, Wei Tu shook his head and sighed inwardly.
This Abnormal Foundation Establishment Technique, just as Helian Xiong had said back then, did indeed increase the probability of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
It just wasn’t a very large increase.
At most, it could only increase the probability by twenty percent.
It was a far cry from a Foundation Establishment Pill.
Moreover, even if a cultivator successfully reached Foundation Establishment using this Abnormal Foundation Establishment Technique, there were future complications.
The complication was this: a cultivator who reached Foundation Establishment this way would have a lifespan of only three hundred and fifty years.
Fifty years of their lifespan were shaved off for no reason.
"Fellow Daoist Helian, you failed to mention these complications of the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique back then," Wei Tu said, his tone turning hostile.
Before his own Foundation Establishment, he had actually considered crafting the High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman, finding Helian Xiong to make him honor his promise, and obtaining the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique...
If Kou Hongying hadn’t brought him the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object, forcing him to change his plans at the last minute... he would have inevitably wasted his time researching this High-Quality Demon Refining Talisman.
To waste all that time for a Foundation Establishment Technique that shortens one’s lifespan—how could he have been content with that, especially if he had failed to reach Foundation Establishment?
"Elder Wei, how could we Independent Cultivators get the same kind of opportunity as you to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill? We’re lucky to even have a Foundation Establishment Technique like this."
A bitter smile appeared on Helian Xiong’s face as he tried to explain his deceptive conduct.