Chapter 98: Qi Refinement Fifth Level, A Reunion After Ten Years

Several days later, Tong Peipei relayed a message from Hu Yao, telling Wei Tu that Zhao Qingluo had gone to Ge Wen’s cave residence and caused a huge disturbance. Not only was Ge Wen severely injured, but he was also forced to apologize, compensate with most of his wealth, and agree to refine pills for Qiyue Zhao Clan for ten years without charge to settle the grudge. "Even though Ge Wen’s master is a Second Rank Alchemist, the Qiyue Zhao Clan is second only to the three great sects in Zheng Kingdom… Their clan has Golden Core cultivators." Tong Peipei was full of admiration. In the world of cultivation, there was always someone stronger. For wandering cultivators like them, someone like Ge Wen was already an untouchable figure, someone they wouldn’t dare provoke even if they had a grudge. But to Qiyue Zhao Clan, Ge Wen was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will. "Everyone has their own fate." "Daoist Tong was born and raised in Danqiu Mountains, and your family has talisman crafting heritage…" "That fortune alone already puts you ahead of countless others. There's no need to envy Zhao Qingluo." Wei Tu consoled her with a smile. "Daoist Wei, you make a good point. My fortune is already more than enough." Tong Peipei regained her composure and nodded with a laugh. Ge Wen’s severe injuries were great news for Wei Tu. In two years, it would be time for the ten-year reunion of their cultivation alliance. If Zhao Qingluo hadn’t intervened, leaving Ge Wen seriously wounded, Wei Tu had planned to skip the meeting entirely and hide in Danqiu Mountains. Reunions were important. But staying alive was more important. "I hope Qiyue Zhao Clan and Chisong Jia Clan keep fighting for a long time." A few months later, when he saw Zhao Qingluo returning to purchase more talismans, Wei Tu couldn't help but think this. Even though mortal wars caused endless suffering and devastation, the reality was that this war was bringing him massive spirit stone profits. Basically— No matter how many First Rank Talismans he could craft, Qiyue Zhao Clan would buy them all. A single year’s earnings equaled five years of normal income. Inside the talisman crafting chamber, Wei Tu was carefully drawing a First Rank Mid-Grade "Rejuvenation Talisman". Suddenly, he felt a shift—his dantian, which had been as calm as still water, surged with power. In the same instant, his spiritual pressure suddenly rose to a higher level. "Qi Refinement Fifth Level?" The sensation was all too familiar—it was the unique feeling of breaking through a minor realm. "Seems like all my years of effort have finally paid off." "Ten years of dedicated training… Even though I focused mainly on switching my cultivation method, my spiritual energy has still been growing steadily." Wei Tu pondered. Even though he had switched to practicing "Lesser Spring and Autumn Art" at Qi Refinement Fourth Level, the technique never stated that switching methods would permanently halt his cultivation progress. "Now that I’ve reached Qi Refinement Fifth Level at the age of sixty, it looks like I have a solid chance of reaching Qi Refinement Ninth Level before a hundred." "That would give me twenty years to attempt Foundation Establishment." This was common knowledge in the cultivation world— The best age to attempt Foundation Establishment was before one hundred and twenty years old (also known as "Two Jiazi Age"). Once a cultivator surpassed this limit, their chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment would plummet, and they would be seen as someone with no hope of ever advancing. "For now, I should focus on stabilizing my cultivation. No need to craft more talismans." Leaving his talisman chamber, Wei Tu walked to his secluded cultivation room and entered closed-door meditation. When Wei Tu ended his seclusion, he retrieved a travel permit and left Danqiu Mountains. An Hour Later, Ge Wen’s Cave Residence. "Master, Wei Tu has retrieved a travel permit and left Danqiu Mountains today." Outside the cave, Chu Yin knocked on the door and glanced at Ge Wen, whose face was pale as he struggled to refine pills to repay his debt to Qiyue Zhao Clan. Over the past months, she had seen firsthand how much Ge Wen hated Wei Tu. If it weren’t for Wei Tu— Helian Xiong and Zhao Qingluo wouldn’t have appeared one after another. The former humiliated Ge Wen. The latter not only humiliated and injured him but also took away most of his wealth and forced him into a ten-year debt. Seeing no reaction from Ge Wen, Chu Yin hesitated before asking, "Should I… hire someone to kill Wei Tu and avenge Master?" "Revenge?" "Against whom?" Inside the alchemy chamber, Ge Wen lifted his head, his hands pausing from the intricate motions of refining pills. He looked at Chu Yin, his tone displeased, "Do you think I’m so shortsighted that I would blame Zhao Qingluo’s actions on Wei Tu?" To Ge Wen, Chu Yin's constant mention of Wei Tu felt like an insult— As if she thought he was too afraid to take revenge on Zhao Qingluo, so he was targeting Wei Tu as an outlet instead. Chu Yin’s expression stiffened slightly. "Then… what does Master intend to do?" "Killing Wei Tu means nothing to me. What I want is Foundation Establishment!" "When I break through, Wei Tu and the others won’t matter in the slightest." Ge Wen let out a cold laugh. A true alchemist never let their emotions interfere with their cultivation. He had lived far too long to make such a foolish mistake. "Understood, Master. Then I will take my leave." Chu Yin bowed slightly and turned to leave the alchemy chamber. "Wait." Ge Wen suddenly called her back. "Does Master have another order?" Chu Yin was puzzled. "Go contact Blood Demon Elder." Ge Wen lifted his eyes slightly, then transmitted a spiritual voice transmission to Chu Yin: "This time, we're going big. I can’t afford to wait any longer." Hearing this, Chu Yin’s entire body trembled slightly. Her shoulders shook, clearly frightened by Ge Wen’s reckless plan. "Master… it would be safer to pursue the Foundation Establishment treasure from Gong Shulan." She tried to persuade him. However— Ge Wen did not reply. "…Understood, Master. I will take care of it." Chu Yin bowed and left the alchemy chamber. "The ten-year reunion is near… I really envy Sister Hong Ying for being able to join the Righteous Society." In a small courtyard, two young men and a girl in a yellow dress sat together. One of the youths, whose features bore a striking resemblance to Wei Tu, had a thin mustache that made him look like a wandering swordsman. He looked at the tightly closed cultivation chamber, speaking with a hint of envy in his voice. "Xiuwen, if you reach Qi Refinement Mid-Level, you can also ask Father to let you join the Righteous Society." The girl in the yellow dress, with a calm and composed demeanor, glanced at Wei Xiuwen, her lips curling into a soft smile. "Sis, I’ve only been cultivating my spirit body for a few years—I still have a long way to go!" Wei Xiuwen grumbled in frustration. Seeing that Wei Xiuwen had stopped complaining, Wei Yan turned her gaze to the young man sitting beside her. "Brother Fu, when we reunite in ten years… if there's an opportunity, I can ask Father to help you find information about your father…" "Regarding my father, I no longer wish to pursue the matter." "Yan… Daoist Wei, there's no need to mention it anymore." Dressed in martial attire, Fu Lin lightly touched the old scar on his face, his eyes flickering with a trace of somberness as he shook his head. "If Daoist Kou has not yet emerged from seclusion, I shall take my leave." Fu Lin cupped his hands in farewell and stood up to leave. Wei Yan and Wei Xiuwen watched without much surprise, offering a few courteous words of farewell before allowing Fu Lin to depart. By now, they were well aware of Fu Lin’s solitary nature since entering the cultivation world. Just as Fu Lin reached the entrance of the courtyard, he paused momentarily, casting a brief glance at Wei Yan before shaking his head again and stepping away. The jade phoenix hairpin he had given her was nowhere to be seen in her hair. Shortly after Fu Lin’s departure, Kou Hongying emerged from her cultivation chamber, settling into the same seat Fu Lin had vacated. "Hongying, you can’t keep avoiding Brother Fu forever. He keeps seeking you out, but he’s not demanding anything from you." Wei Yan tried to reason with her. It was obvious to anyone that Kou Hongying’s excuse of cultivation was merely a means to avoid Fu Lin. "He’s different." Kou Hongying hesitated for a moment before explaining, "Fu Lin is far too ruthless towards himself. People like him… aren’t easy to deal with." "Not easy to deal with?" Wei Yan was surprised. Exchanging a glance with Wei Xiuwen, she immediately sensed that Kou Hongying's reasoning was just a polite excuse. There was likely another, deeper reason behind her avoidance. Inside the Sky Prosperity Tower, in the Tian Character Third Box, the group gathered once more. Compared to their last meeting, a full decade had passed, and each of them had changed considerably. Kou Liang had grown significantly rounder, now sporting a potbelly. Seated at the table, he looked more like a wealthy landlord than a cultivator with a martial background. Wei Fei, perhaps due to his ennoblement as "Yongle Duke", wore a golden coronet and jade belt, his attire mirroring that of secular nobility. Fu Zhizhou’s appearance and clothing remained mostly the same, but his aura had grown even more intense, akin to that of a ferocious beast in human form. Wei Tu shifted his gaze toward Kou Hongying, the sole disciple of an immortal sect in their group. After ten years, Kou Hongying had blossomed into an even more stunning beauty. Her flowing robes exuded an ethereal grace, her demeanor cold and elegant, as if she had stepped out of a painting. Following their usual tradition, they each took turns sharing their current cultivation progress and insights. "I’m no longer obsessed with cultivation. My cultivation level is still Qi Refinement Second Level, so I have nothing significant to share." Kou Liang shook his head before looking at Wei Fei, teasingly saying, "Second Brother, it’s your turn to speak now, Lord Wei." He assumed that Wei Fei’s cultivation progress was likely as stagnant as his own, still at Qi Refinement Second Level—essentially the Xiantian Realm. However, what Wei Fei said next completely shattered Kou Liang’s expectations. Wei Fei casually waved his folding fan and said, "I’ve recently broken through to Qi Refinement Fourth Level. In terms of cultivation realm, I’m probably still behind Third Brother and Fourth Brother, so I don’t have much insight to share." The room fell silent. Everyone was shocked. Kou Liang’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Although puzzled by Wei Fei’s fortuitous encounter, they couldn’t help but turn their attention toward Wei Tu—including Kou Hongying. When Kou Hongying first joined Righteous Society, her primary reason was Wei Tu’s talent in talisman crafting. Given his ability to generate wealth, she firmly believed that his cultivation must have progressed significantly over the past decade. "Qi Refinement Fifth Level." Wei Tu’s response was short and direct. "That’s… a bit low." Hearing his words, Kou Hongying silently remarked to herself. In ten years, Wei Tu had only advanced by one minor realm. While this speed surpassed that of most cultivators, it seemed rather slow considering his mastery of talismans. "Could it be that Uncle Wei spent time switching to ‘Lesser Spring and Autumn Art’ and wasted a few years?" A thought suddenly crossed Kou Hongying’s mind, easing her doubts. Switching to a new cultivation technique generally required three to four years. Excluding that time— Advancing one realm in seven years was neither fast nor slow. Wei Tu nodded, confirming that he had indeed switched techniques. Upon hearing this, the others finally understood why his cultivation progress had been relatively modest. "Additionally, I can now craft First Rank Low-Grade Refined Talismans." Wei Tu continued, revealing his progress in talisman mastery. Since Helian Xiong and Zhao Qingluo were already aware of his talent, he saw no reason to keep it secret from Kou Liang and the others. "Does that mean…?" "Third Brother is on the verge of becoming a First Rank Mid-Grade Talisman Master?" Kou Liang was stunned. The entire room fell silent. A First Rank Mid-Grade Talisman Master held a status equivalent to a Qi Refinement Late-Stage cultivator, or perhaps even higher. "I knew it! I wasn’t wrong about Uncle Wei." Kou Hongying let out a relieved sigh. Over the years, she had frequently consulted her master, Qin Zhenren, regarding Wei Tu and the others' cultivation progress. Eventually, her master grew annoyed. This, in turn, put pressure on her. Now that Wei Tu was on the verge of advancing, she would have a proper explanation for her master. "As for me…" When his turn arrived, Fu Zhizhou hesitated briefly before revealing, "I’ve broken through to Qi Refinement Sixth Level." "Several years ago, I had already reached this level. At the time, I believed that taking a Breakthrough Pill would help me advance to Qi Refinement Seventh Level." "However, I was unable to successfully break through." Fu Zhizhou sighed. "Even a Breakthrough Pill didn’t work?" Kou Hongying was surprised. After all, the Breakthrough Pill was specifically designed to help cultivators advance from Qi Refinement Mid-Level to Late-Level. "Could it be that Uncle Fu has encountered the rumored bottleneck?" She speculated. Qi Refinement was divided into three phases. Each phase had its own minor bottleneck. If a cultivator had a solid foundation, they could bypass these bottlenecks with ease. But if their foundation was shaky, these bottlenecks could prove fatal to their advancement. "Most likely, my excessive use of medicinal pills played a role… Additionally, I once consumed a Blood Food Pellet—a demonic cultivation elixir." Fu Zhizhou nodded, acknowledging Kou Hongying’s analysis. Over the years, he had tried various methods to break through. Understanding the root cause of the problem was the first step in overcoming it.