Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

’That’s true. For Independent Cultivators, just getting their hands on an Abnormal Foundation Establishment Technique is a blessing. Why would they worry about the consequence of losing fifty years of Lifespan?’

Wei Tu’s expression softened slightly.

Most Independent Cultivators would find it difficult to obtain even a single Foundation Condensation Pill, let alone a Foundation Establishment Pill to achieve their breakthrough.

Compared to a twenty percent increase in the chance of a successful Foundation Establishment, the fifty-year reduction in Lifespan from the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique was indeed negligible.

Helian Xiong not explaining the consequences of this Abnormal Foundation Establishment Technique beforehand was certainly deceptive, but it wasn’t a major transgression.

After all, everyone had their own secrets.

After a moment of thought, Wei Tu took out two more High-Quality Demon Refining Talismans. He used his Magical Power to send them, along with the one already on the tea table, floating over to Helian Xiong.

"Three High-Quality Demon Refining Talismans should be enough for your needs, Fellow Daoist Helian."

Wei Tu took a sip of his tea.

"It’s more than enough, more than enough." Helian Xiong’s face lit up with joy when he saw the three Talismans.

Years ago, all he had given Wei Tu was the method for creating Demon Refining Talismans and the ancestral Tier One Talisman Master inheritance from his Dao Companion, Tong Peipei.

Wei Tu had borne all the subsequent costs of crafting the Demon Refining Talismans himself.

The expense involved... even for a genius Talisman Master like Wei Tu, it must have been considerable.

At the very least, it would have been several hundred Spirit Stones.

Possibly even more than a thousand.

Now that Wei Tu was in a position of power and still willing to trade three High-Quality Demon Refining Talismans with him, it was truly a stroke of luck.

This far exceeded his expectations.

At this thought, Helian Xiong steeled himself, took out another Jade Scroll, and handed it to Wei Tu.

He said, "Elder Wei, my ancestors also did extensive research on the consequences of the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique... This Jade Scroll contains some methods to mitigate those aftereffects. Please, Elder Wei, accept it."

The Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique was divided into two parts.

The first part was the Foundation Establishment Technique itself.

The second part contained the magic techniques to eliminate the negative consequences.

The Blood-Colored Jade Scroll he had given Wei Tu before contained only the first part of the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Technique.

As for the second part—

—if Wei Tu had tried to take it by force, through threats or coercion, he would never have handed it over.

’Methods to mitigate the consequences?’ Hearing Helian Xiong’s words, Wei Tu inwardly sighed at his good fortune.

’If I hadn’t always stuck to the principle of acting with integrity, I would have likely missed out on the second half of this Abnormal Foundation Establishment Technique.’

...

He had just seen Helian Xiong off.

When a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant appeared at the gate of Luoxue Courtyard.

"Congratulations, Elder Wei, on reaching Foundation Establishment at one hundred years old and becoming a model for the Independent Cultivators of Danqiu Mountain..."

The visitor was none other than the Steward of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Shenn Yao. He carried a congratulatory gift and cupped his hands in greeting.

"It was all thanks to Fairy Kou’s support."

Wei Tu accepted the gift, attributing his successful Foundation Establishment to Kou Hongying.

He believed that most of the Independent Cultivators on Danqiu Mountain assumed his breakthrough was inseparable from Kou Hongying’s help.

However, he was more than happy to let them think so.

This perception didn’t harm Kou Hongying, but it was very beneficial for him.

Wei Tu invited Shenn Yao inside, offered him a seat, and served him Spirit Tea.

’It seems Wei Tu doesn’t know that the last time I invited him to explore Xiaoyao Mountain, my intent was to ambush and kill him.’ Seeing the warmth on Wei Tu’s face, Shenn Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

Shenn Yao feigned composure.

After taking a few sips of tea, he took out an invitation. Leaning forward and bowing slightly, he presented it to Wei Tu with both hands and said:

"Elder Wei, in half a month, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion will be holding its quinquennial auction..."

"This is the invitation to the auction, as well as a ticket for a private box on the third floor..."

A ticket for a private box?

Wei Tu was slightly surprised. He reached out and accepted the invitation from Shenn Yao, along with the box ticket tucked inside.

When he had first seen Shenn Yao, he thought the man was just here to probe him and see if he was holding a grudge.

He never imagined Shenn Yao would make a personal trip just to deliver an invitation to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s auction.

’So this is the status of a Foundation Establishment Master.’

Wei Tu mused to himself.

Before he reached Foundation Establishment, Shenn Yao’s status as the Steward of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion was significantly higher than his own as a mere Talisman Master.

Within Danqiu Mountain, he was considered a person of some renown.

He would never have stooped to running errands.

After chatting for a while,

Shenn Yao steered the conversation toward the Hundred Treasures Pavilion’s parent organization, the Jiuyun Commerce Association.

"The Jiuyun Commerce Association may not be on par with the Three Immortal Sects or the Seven Great Cultivation Families, but it is financially powerful..."

"If Elder Wei is considering joining a Cultivation Power, you might want to consider the Jiuyun Commerce Association..."

"This junior can make an introduction on your behalf."

Shenn Yao said with a smile.

Wei Tu nodded noncommittally.

He knew that if the Jiuyun Commerce Association truly wanted to recruit him, the envoy they sent would definitely not be a Qi Cultivation Realm Cultivator like Shenn Yao.

Without a concrete offer on the table, why would he readily state his position?

Shenn Yao was merely making a habitual sales pitch; after all, persuading a Foundation Establishment Master to join the Jiuyun Commerce Association would bring him significant personal benefits.

Regarding the Jiuyun Commerce Association,

Wei Tu had also learned a few things from the Jade Scroll Kou Hongying had given him.

The Jiuyun Commerce Association was a medium-sized guild jointly founded by three Foundation Establishment Families. It had shops in several Marketplaces, including Danqiu Mountain.

The compensation it offered when recruiting Independent Cultivators who had reached Foundation Establishment was generally quite good.

However, Wei Tu had no intention of joining this association.

The Realm after Foundation Establishment was the Golden Core Realm.

And in the past several hundred years, without a single exception, not one of the Independent Cultivators who had joined a Foundation Establishment Family had ever reached the Golden Core Realm.

They all languished in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Until the day they died.

Conversely, two of the Independent Cultivators who had joined a Golden Core Family had already reached the Golden Core Realm, becoming Ancestors of those families and enjoying a life of ease.