Chapter 61: Progress in Immortal Cultivation

Words : 1456 Updated : Sep 22nd, 2025

Chapter 61 of "I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World" kicks off with thrilling moments: Eighth-rank Military Commandant. That was his current official rank. It was a position he had climbed to... Read more!

Eighth-rank Military Commandant. That was his current official rank. It was a position he had climbed to over the past thirty years, through experience and battle merits, advancing step by step. Yet this year, Wei Tu had reached the peak of his career at just over twenty years of age. How could County Captain Xu not feel astonished? How could he not envy him? Last year, after the pacification of the rebellion in Si Yang Town, he had considered bringing Wei Tu under his wing. However, things had changed. The present was not the past. Now, Wei Tu held the same official rank as him, but his future prospects were far brighter. In the bureaucratic world, a young official of the same rank would naturally hold a higher status than an older one like himself. The two chatted for a while. Then, County Captain Xu suddenly shifted the topic to the Li Manor. "Wei Xiong’s ties to the Li Manor—I have some understanding of the matter." "Involving the kindness of Wei Xiong’s former benefactors, I do not wish to speak ill of them in front of you…" "But considering Wei Xiong’s future, as a colleague, I must say a few words." County Captain Xu looked at Wei Tu, carefully choosing his words before speaking. "The Li Manor?" Wei Tu was slightly surprised. Since taking Xinghua away from the Li Manor, he had severed all contact with them. Aside from sending the necessary gifts during festival seasons to show gratitude for past kindness, he had not interacted with anyone from the Li family. "Did something happen to the Li Manor?" Wei Tu asked. "The Li Manor is fine." County Captain Xu shook his head. "However, during recent bandit suppression efforts, our brothers encountered several former tenant farmers of the Li family—now blade-wielding outlaws." At that, he stopped speaking. There was no need to say more. In recent years, Qingfeng Prefecture had suffered no major disasters. Harvests had been bountiful for over a decade. The people were not yet at the point where they had no choice but to take up arms and become bandits. For several of the Li Manor’s tenant farmers to be forced into a life of crime, taking to the mountains as outlaws—this was not just one or two cases. County Captain Xu was certain that Wei Tu could understand the implications. "Thank you for the warning, Xu Xiong." After a few moments, Wei Tu came back to his senses and cupped his hands in gratitude. He understood County Captain Xu’s message. The captain was advising him to cut ties with the Li family sooner rather than later—to avoid getting entangled in their affairs and ruining his own reputation. "The Li family was kind to me. Once I have repaid that kindness, there will be no more ties between us." Wei Tu thought for a moment and responded calmly. Repaying the Li family’s kindness was not as simple as returning a few taels of silver. The Li family did not lack money. What they sought was the favor owed to them for past debts. The moment they asked for repayment in a way that settled that favor— He would owe them nothing more. Earlier, County Captain Xu had subtly raised the topic of the Li family, not only to urge him to sever ties and avoid unnecessary trouble— But also to ask, indirectly, whether Wei Tu intended to treat the Li family differently in future matters. For the second-highest-ranking official in Qingmu County, a few tenant farmers turning into outlaws was not a significant issue. "So that’s how it is." County Captain Xu nodded slightly, a glint of understanding flashing in his eyes. He smiled and said, "If the opportunity arises, I will assist Wei Xiong in settling this favor." If he helped Wei Tu clear his debt to the Li family, then in return, Wei Tu would owe him a favor. But unlike the Li family, this favor would not be significant. —It would simply be mutual assistance between two officials of the same rank. After leaving County Captain Xu’s residence, Wei Tu did not return home immediately. Instead, he made his way to see Wei Fei one last time to bid him farewell. However— Upon hearing of Wei Tu’s official appointment, Wei Fei did not offer congratulations. Instead, he frowned, clearly displeased. "Third Brother, you've soared to success. Now you're heading to the prefectural city to serve as an Eighth-rank Military Commandant, climbing the ranks of high officials… And here I am, left alone, stuck in this county, working as a lowly officer." "What kind of brotherhood is this?" Wei Tu shook his head and chuckled. He understood that Wei Fei only spoke this way because of their close bond. If it had been someone else, someone not as familiar, like County Captain Xu, that person would have carefully chosen every word before speaking. Because of this, Wei Tu didn’t take Wei Fei’s frustration to heart. On the contrary, he was somewhat glad. He patted Wei Fei on the shoulder and reassured him, "Whenever I have free time, I’ll return to the county to drink with you. Fourth Brother, Fu Zhizhou, will come along too." Hearing this, Wei Fei’s face lit up with a grin. He clasped his hands together in congratulations and laughed heartily. "But… Third Brother, when you come back to drink with me, you don’t have to bring Fu Zhizhou along…" "Just the two of us is fine." Wei Fei waved his hand dismissively. Among the four of them, he had never gotten along with Kou Liang or Fu Zhizhou. Now that Kou Liang was in a similar position to him, he didn't resent him. But Fu Zhizhou— That was different. Especially after Wei Tu moved to the prefectural city and started working with Fu Zhizhou… There was a chance he might begin to distance himself from his struggling brothers. With all these factors at play, Wei Fei naturally didn’t want Fu Zhizhou to be present when he and Wei Tu met. Wei Tu initially wanted to persuade Wei Fei to be more accepting of Fu Zhizhou, but after a moment of thought, he swallowed his words. Instead, he simply smiled and nodded in agreement. —Forcing Wei Fei and Fu Zhizhou to make peace wouldn’t work. If anything, it might make Wei Fei feel even more alienated. Actions spoke louder than words. Half a month later. Wei Tu took Xinghua with him and left Qingmu County, moving into their newly purchased residence in the prefectural city. The estate was worth thirteen taels of silver, more than double the price of his previous home in the county. With the wealth he had accumulated over the past year, purchasing this estate was well within his means. Soon after— Wei Tu formally assumed his post as the Defense Officer of the Prefectural City, Western Gate Defense Officer in Qingfeng Prefecture. Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye. Five years had gone by, bringing them to the thirty-second year of Qing’an. Every year, on the thirteenth of June, Wei Tu and his sworn brothers would gather at Xuanhe Tower, as per their agreement, to discuss their progress in immortal cultivation. However— Without exception, all four of them had failed in cultivating immortal techniques. Not a single one had managed to achieve Beginner proficiency in the Five Yuan Spirit Body manual. Aside from Wei Tu, the other three had begun to feel disheartened by the repeated failures. After all, how many five-year periods could a person afford to waste in a lifetime? But— In July of that year, something unexpected happened. Fu Zhizhou still hadn’t successfully cultivated the immortal technique, but— He had managed to sense Qi, generating a flow of internal energy within his meridians, officially stepping into the Qi Perception Realm. That year, Fu Zhizhou was twenty-six years old. Ten days later. Fu Zhizhou sent a messenger to summon Wei Tu and the others to the third private room of Xuanhe Tower, saying that he had an important discovery to share. During the gathering, he explained, "I owe my success in sensing Qi not only to the guidance Wei Tu gave me, but also to the cultivation manual itself." "When I first sensed Qi, I wasn’t practicing my Tiger and Crane Twin Form Fist or any other martial technique. Instead, I was fully focused on cultivating the Five Yuan Spirit Body manual." "I suspect that Xie Qing, who originally possessed this manual, never intended to master the immortal technique at all. Instead, he was using it as a stepping stone—to awaken his Qi perception and enter the Qi Perception Realm." Fu Zhizhou made this logical deduction.

Chapter 61: Progress in Immortal Cultivation

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