Chapter 112: Foundation Establishment Celebration

"Five years have passed." "Another Baibao Pavilion Auction." Wei Tu, after sending the letter, noticed a new invitation from Baibao Pavilion at the door and thought to himself. A few days later, Wei Tu attended the auction. This time, fewer Foundation Establishment cultivators attended, only two. The auctioneer was still Luo Hong. When it was time to auction spiritual fruits, This time, Wei Tu did not hold back and bid for the Silver Luan Fruit, a high-grade first-tier spiritual fruit. The other cultivators who were competing for the spiritual fruit were surprised for a moment when they saw that Wei Tu, a well-known talisman master, had won the bid. They quickly lost interest and moved on. Talisman masters could make money easily. At seventy years old, nearly eighty, Wei Tu's potential was low. The fact that he purchased the spiritual fruit… was likely because he had taken too many pills and needed to use this Silver Luan Fruit to avoid the side effects and enhance his cultivation. Five years was a small watershed. A sixty-something cultivator at Qi Refinement Level 7 was considered a potential middle-aged cultivator. However, a seventy-something cultivator at Qi Refinement Level 7 was regarded as someone with very low potential in the eyes of others. Back at Luoxue Courtyard, Wei Tu consumed the Silver Luan Fruit, which was worth twenty-five spirit stones, and used its energy to successfully break through to Qi Refinement Level 8. A few days later, Tong Peipei visited as usual to inquire about Wei Tu’s progress on the Demon Refining Talisman. "A few days ago, I barely managed to draw a Demon Refining Talisman, but the failure rate is too high... I drew almost a hundred before one succeeded…" Wei Tu took out a dark red talisman from his sleeve and placed it on the table. It had been eight years since Helian Xiong entrusted him with the task of refining the Demon Refining Talisman. Eight years was neither long nor short. He couldn’t continue delaying things with Helian Xiong and his wife without showing any progress. After all, there were other talisman masters on Danqiu Mountain. If he took too long without any results, Helian Xiong might give up on him and find a more reliable talisman master. Wei Tu was still quite interested in the Demon Soul Foundation Establishment Method and didn’t want to lose the opportunity to acquire this uncommon method. Thus, after completing Kou Hongying's sect task, he had devoted the past two years, besides his own cultivation, almost entirely to drawing the Demon Refining Talisman. "You succeeded in refining the Demon Refining Talisman?" Tong Peipei asked in surprise, already prepared for the usual result of no progress. Being a talisman master herself, it was not hard for her to recognize the difficulty of drawing a Demon Refining Talisman. The Demon Refining Talisman was a high-difficulty talisman even among high-grade talismans. When Wei Tu accepted Helian Xiong’s request, he was only a middle-tier first-grade talisman master. At that time, drawing high-grade talismans was already challenging, not to mention the Demon Refining Talisman, which was far more difficult. Upon realizing this, Tong Peipei was secretly startled and gasped. The fact that Wei Tu succeeded in drawing the Demon Refining Talisman meant that his skills in talisman crafting had already reached the level of a top-grade first-tier talisman master, or were close to it. To be considered a talisman master of a certain level, one must have stable output of talismans of that level. "It was just a fluke." Wei Tu humbly replied, "I’m not yet a top-grade first-tier talisman master." This statement was true. With his Late Bloomer destiny, he was different from ordinary talisman masters. As long as he focused on a specific type of talisman, he could master it with enough time. In other words, As long as he could draw a specific talisman, his Late Bloomer destiny would allow him to gradually master its creation and become proficient in drawing it. However, over the past several years, As his Geomagnetic Spirit Body became more solidified, his focus had gradually shifted from improving his talisman skills to his cultivation. The two were mutually exclusive. While he had reached Qi Refinement Level 8, his progress in talismans had slowed significantly. He was still a middle-tier first-grade talisman master, not yet at the top grade. "In a few years, Fellow Wei will definitely become a top-grade talisman master." Tong Peipei smiled, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Wei Tu. Back when she had argued with Wei Tu in the slums, she had apologized to him because of his talent in talisman crafting. But she never expected that after several decades, Wei Tu would be so far ahead of her. She was still a low-grade talisman master, While Wei Tu, as expected, would be a top-grade talisman master in just a few more years. "I will take this Demon Refining Talisman for now." Tong Peipei took the Demon Refining Talisman in her hand, bowed gracefully, and left. This talisman was still just a high-grade talisman, not yet at the peak level, so it couldn’t be used to catalyze demon souls. She took it just to congratulate Helian Xiong. Time flies. In the blink of an eye, eight more years had passed. Wei Tu had reached the age of eighty-three. "It’s been five years since Hongying entered closed-door cultivation. I wonder… has she succeeded in Foundation Establishment, or has she failed?" In the Luoxue Courtyard’s training room, after feeding the Wind-Cleaving Eagle its spiritual food, Wei Tu calculated the time and thought to himself. Five years ago, Kou Hongying had sent him a letter saying she was entering closed-door cultivation to break through to Foundation Establishment. At that time, he had expected to see her as a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the next gathering, three years later. However, upon arriving at Baishi Lake Marketplace, he learned that Kou Hongying was still in Mirror Water Pavilion and had not left the sect. Now, Another three years had passed. Wei Tu couldn't help but feel worried about Kou Hongying's current situation. This worry was not just due to familial concern but also due to financial considerations. If Kou Hongying failed in her Foundation Establishment, it would mean that the investment he and Fu Zhizhou had made in her would have been in vain. The twenty years of investment he made in her were by no means a small amount. However, at that moment— The Wind-Cleaving Eagle seemed to sense something. It took off from Wei Tu's shoulder and flew toward the direction of the door. Screech! The eagle let out a few calls and gently dropped a letter with the "Mirror Water Pavilion" seal into Wei Tu's hand. "Foundation Establishment cultivator..." "She has finally passed this hurdle." Wei Tu opened the letter, and his previous worries instantly vanished. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Kou Hongying's success in Foundation Establishment meant that the investment he had made over the past twenty years would finally bear fruit. Knock! Knock! Knock! At that moment, there came a knock at the door. "It must be Fourth Brother," Wei Tu thought to himself. After making sure the Wind-Cleaving Eagle was hidden, he got up and walked to the door of the cave. "Hongying has established her foundation!" Fu Zhizhou said excitedly from outside. The four brothers, since they first established their goal of cultivating immortality, It had been sixty years. Sixty years! Finally, one of them had truly embarked on the immortal path and became a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Although Kou Hongying was not one of their four brothers, she was the daughter of Suo Liang and a member of their alliance, so she could be seen as the continuation of their original immortal cultivation pact... Wei Fei's cultivation method, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou's insights, Their help in guiding her toward the immortal path... If not for these "coincidences," even though Kou Hongying had a middle-tier spiritual root, she would have faded into the mortal world and would not have been able to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Kou Hongying's achievement in Foundation Establishment could be said to be the first fruit of their four brothers' immortal cultivation alliance, after going through many obstacles. "Foundation Establishment..." When Wei Tu heard Fu Zhizhou's words, his calm demeanor was slightly stirred. He kept repeating the words in his mind, and his tone gradually became more satisfied. — With the Foundation Establishment Pill and his Late Bloomer destiny, Wei Tu had never had unrealistic expectations about Foundation Establishment. Thus, when he heard that Kou Hongying had succeeded, he wasn’t as excited as Fu Zhizhou. But after being influenced by Fu Zhizhou's words, He suddenly realized what Kou Hongying’s Foundation Establishment meant to the four of them. Sixty years of immortal cultivation, and now Kou Hongying had become a Foundation Establishment cultivator. This was not just her success; it was also the success of their alliance. The seeds sown back then had finally blossomed today. "We... will also have this day. Foundation Establishment will not be just for Hongying..." After the excitement, Fu Zhizhou looked at Wei Tu and said these words. A few days later, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou packed their bags and set off for Baishi Lake Marketplace to attend Kou Hongying's Foundation Establishment ceremony. Before leaving, Both of them prepared a congratulatory gift. "What is this?" "Please, stop." When passing by Yulong Manor, A carriage drove up to them and stopped in front of the horses Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou were riding. "Is there something you need, sir, to stop us?" Wei Tu reined in the reins and scanned the inside of the carriage with his spiritual sense. He saw an older man in official robes, his expression unhappy. When he was still in the mundane world, he had known that some high-ranking officials knew of the existence of cultivators. Now, this older man in official robes had stopped them, seemingly recognizing that they were cultivators and wanted something from them. This wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. In the immortal world, such things happened from time to time. However, ordinary people would usually present some treasures when making requests, so Wei Tu remained patient and approached to inquire. "Are you... Wei?" The older man in official robes opened the carriage curtains, leaned halfway out, and looked at the leader, Wei Tu. His voice trembled as he spoke. "I indeed go by the surname Wei. But how did you know my name?" Wei Tu was slightly surprised upon hearing this, and his tone softened. The fact that this official could say his surname meant they had some connection, But he couldn't figure out who this official was. He didn’t remember this official at all. "Wei Xiong." "It’s been over sixty years." The official in the robe sighed and revealed his identity. "I am Shi Zhen, the second place of the Shannan Dao examination in the 27th year of Qing'an—Shi Zhen." "Shi Zhen?" Hearing this name, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou exchanged a glance and immediately showed signs of surprise. The reason for their reaction was simple: in the 27th year of Qing'an, Wei Tu had passed the martial exam and was appointed as a martial official. "You are the one who lost the martial champion position to You Hong?" Wei Tu thought for a moment and finally remembered who Shi Zhen was. Back then, to keep a low profile, he intentionally gave up the martial champion position, letting others win the top spot. He ended up with seventh place. During the exam, he had expected Shi Zhen to take first place, but unexpectedly, You Hong had used his family’s power to snatch the top spot from Shi Zhen. Sixty years later, Wei Tu never thought he would run into Shi Zhen again. "Sixty years apart... back then, we were both carefree youths. Now... Shi has grown old." Shi Zhen sighed deeply. He had been in government for many years and had learned some things about immortality, but he never expected that the true immortal he would meet was a fellow exam taker from sixty years ago. 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