Chapter 123: Choosing a Cultivation Method, The Legacy of Thunder Talismans

After settling into Fuxin Residence, the following day, Wei Tu made his way to the Heshan Huang Clan's Library Pavilion to claim the benefits promised to him. Back when he was at Danqiu Mountain, the Huang Clan had promised him a second-rank cultivation method and a set of second-rank talisman master inheritance materials. Now that he had broken through to Foundation Establishment, it was time for him to switch to a second-rank cultivation method—a matter he wouldn’t neglect. After presenting his identity token to the library elder for verification, Wei Tu was granted access to the Library Pavilion. From the outside, the Library Pavilion didn’t seem particularly large, but upon entering, Wei Tu immediately realized that it had been enhanced by a spatial formation. The inside was several times larger than what was visible from the outside. The Library Pavilion was divided into three floors, each dedicated to different cultivation realms—Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core. Cultivation manuals, as well as various immortal cultivation disciplines, were stored accordingly. On the first floor, there were quite a few Huang Clan cultivators flipping through books and jade slips. However, Wei Tu didn’t linger. After a brief glance around, he directly ascended to the second floor. Compared to the vast number of texts on the first floor, the second floor contained significantly fewer books—only three sandalwood bookshelves lined against the walls. The space was empty, with not a single person present. Wei Tu walked over to the shelf labeled "Cultivation Methods" and began searching for a suitable second-rank technique. During his Qi Refinement stage, he had first cultivated the "Earth Yuan Body" from the Five Yuan Spirit Body manual before switching to "Lesser Spring and Autumn Art", which allowed him to condense a Geomagnetic Spirit Body. Lesser Spring and Autumn Art was recommended to him by Qin Zhenren, the master of Kou Hongying. Being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Qin Zhenren had broader vision and insight. He advised Wei Tu to switch to Lesser Spring and Autumn Art not only because it had a direct continuation into Foundation Establishment-level cultivation, but also because it was compatible with other Earth and Wood attribute techniques, making it easier to transition into different methods if necessary. In short, when it came to choosing a new cultivation method, Wei Tu didn’t have to worry too much. "The Huang Clan actually possesses the follow-up manual for Lesser Spring and Autumn Art?" After scanning through the bookshelf for a while, Wei Tu’s eyes lit up upon seeing a jade slip labeled "Lesser Spring and Autumn Art (Foundation Establishment Level)". He infused his spiritual sense into it and examined its contents, a smile forming on his lips. Although switching from Lesser Spring and Autumn Art to another method wouldn’t have been difficult, finding its direct follow-up was still a stroke of luck. With that settled, Wei Tu walked over to the bookshelf labeled "Immortal Cultivation Disciplines", where the talisman inheritance manuals were stored. However, unlike the cultivation methods, the Huang Clan’s collection of talisman-related materials was rather sparse. There were only four second-rank talisman inheritances available. "This one should do." After some careful consideration, Wei Tu chose an inheritance that contained two second-rank high-grade talismans—"Wood Thunder Talisman" and "Water Thunder Talisman". A good talisman inheritance followed a structured system, with low-rank talismans serving as stepping stones to higher-rank ones. Learning low-rank talismans first made mastering higher-rank talismans much easier. If one tried to study high-rank talismans in isolation, the time and effort required would often far exceed the combined time needed to first learn the low-rank versions and then transition upward. For example, Demon Sealing Talismans. The time it took Wei Tu to perfect a high-quality Demon Sealing Talisman was several times longer than what he had needed for other first-rank high-grade talismans. The reason? Demon Sealing Talismans were not part of a system—there was only a single formulation for them. Thunder Talismans, however, were a special category of talismans. Any talisman that bore the name "Thunder Talisman" was undeniably powerful, often standing at the top of its rank in sheer destructive capability. After advancing to Foundation Establishment, the flight capability of Wei Tu’s Geomagnetic Yuan Light was no longer as effective in suppressing cultivators of the same realm. Because of this, choosing Thunder Talismans as an offensive measure had become a necessity for him. "Of course, Geomagnetic Yuan Light is far from useless, it’s just that in its current form, it lacks power." Wei Tu thought about the Tier-2 spiritual material "Iron Magnetic Spirit Wood", which was required to enhance Geomagnetic Yuan Light. Iron Magnetic Spirit Wood was a necessary material recorded in the Lesser Spring and Autumn Art, crucial for advancing Geomagnetic Yuan Light to the next level. By absorbing the properties of Iron Magnetic Spirit Wood, Geomagnetic Yuan Light would evolve to gain "Primordial Weight Restriction", a natural forbidding force that not only restricted metal-type artifacts but also created an overwhelming pressure capable of immobilizing opponents in an instant. This technique was considered one of the strongest abilities available within the Foundation Establishment Realm. Leaving the Library Pavilion, Wei Tu was given two identical jade slip copies of the texts he had chosen. Since switching cultivation methods required a certain amount of time, he decided to first visit Huang Peng’s residence to reconnect with his relatives. Wei Tu retrieved the wooden token that Huang Peng had handed him the day before. After inspecting it closely, he realized that it was similar to his own identity token, a residence pass for Huang Peng's home in Yunhe Mountain. The engraved details on the token included Huang Peng’s address and the members of his household. Following the directions on the token, Wei Tu left the inner city of Yunhe Mountain and made his way to a secluded alleyway in the outer city. Arriving before a worn-down, dust-covered residence, he knocked on the door. "Granduncle, you’ve arrived!" A boy in his early teens, Huang Chengfu, had seemingly been waiting at the door. As soon as he heard the knock, he immediately opened the door, bowing respectfully to Wei Tu. "Where is your father?" Wei Tu swept the interior of the house with his spiritual sense but didn’t sense Huang Peng inside. "My father is a traveling merchant, he goes out to conduct trade during the day and only returns in the evening." Huang Chengfu lowered his head as he answered. "Though your family has fallen on hard times, your traditions remain strong. One day, you’ll surely rise again." Wei Tu’s eyes showed a trace of approval as he spoke. Back in Qingshan County, his uncle Huang Laoye had been a merchant, building up a respectable family business. Even now, despite their current struggles, Huang Peng’s family remained diligent and hardworking. From this, Wei Tu was certain that they would eventually regain their former standing. Yesterday, when he first encountered Huang Peng and his son, Wei Tu had already checked their cultivation levels using his spiritual sense. Huang Peng was still a mortal, nothing out of the ordinary. But Huang Chengfu was different. At just over thirty years old, his cultivation had already reached Qi Refinement second stage, nearly at Qi Refinement third stage. This revealed a critical truth—Huang Peng had abandoned his own cultivation pursuit, choosing instead to devote all of his resources to his child’s path in cultivation, much like how Ke Liang’s father had done for her. Huang Chengfu might not become a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Kou Hongying, but reaching mid to late Qi Refinement Realm within his lifetime would not be difficult. And with each generation building upon the last, eventually, someone in their lineage would attain Foundation Establishment. "Granduncle, please wait here. I’ll go find my father and ask him to host you properly!" Huang Chengfu scratched his head and spoke earnestly. Then, without waiting for a response, he hurriedly ran out of the alleyway, disappearing into the streets. He was not a particularly eloquent person and believed that his father would be better suited to handle Wei Tu’s visit. Wei Tu shook his head lightly, letting the boy go without stopping him. Instead, he stepped into the house and made his way to his second aunt Wei Hong’s ancestral tablet, where he lit an incense stick and paid his respects. After waiting for a quarter of an hour, Huang Chengfu returned, breathing heavily, carrying two baskets of goods on his back. Following behind him was Huang Peng, along with a young girl in a simple cotton dress, who appeared younger than Huang Chengfu. "Uncle!" "Granduncle!" Huang Peng and his children greeted Wei Tu respectfully, bowing with utmost sincerity. Previous Chapter || Next Chapte