I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World Chapter 108: An Alternative Method of Foundation Establishme

Strictly speaking, Foundation Establishnt Pills were not an absolute necessity for a cultivator to break through to the Foundation Establishnt Realm.

However, without the assistance of a Foundation Establishnt Pill, the success rate of reaching Foundation Establishnt was minuscule—especially for cultivators with low-grade spiritual roots. For them, attempting to break through without the pill wasn’t just a matter of one in ten succeeding—it might not even be one in a hundred.

The cultivation world had been progressing over countless generations.

For low-grade spiritual root cultivators, this era was a fortunate one.

It was precisely because of the existence of the Foundation Establishnt Pill that Foundation Establishnt was no longer reserved solely for those with exceptional talent.

Thus, when Helian Xiong spoke of a "Foundation Establishnt thod that does not require the pill," what he truly ant was that there was an alternative thod that significantly increased the probability of a cultivator breaking through without one.

Wei Tu remained silent for a few breaths, appearing deep in thought as if contemplating whether to inquire further about this mysterious thod.

But in reality—despite his curiosity—he had no real longing for it.

After all, he already possessed a Foundation Establishnt Pill in his storage bag. There was no need for him to gamble on so unverified thod to achieve his breakthrough.

The conventional thod—using the pill—was a well-docunted, tried-and-true path proven by countless cultivators before him.

Wei Tu was certain that if Helian Xiong had a Foundation Establishnt Pill himself, he wouldn’t even consider his so-called "ancestral Foundation Establishnt thod." Instead, he would wait until his Qi Refinent cultivation was at its peak, then find a secluded place to break through using the pill.

—Alternative thods were only for those with no hope of obtaining a Foundation Establishnt Pill.

"What exactly is this alternative Foundation Establishnt thod?" Wei Tu asked, playing along.

Seeing a flicker of interest in Wei Tu’s eyes, Helian Xiong nodded inwardly.

While Wei Tu had more wealth than he did, that advantage was limited.

Given his cultivation level, it was highly unlikely that he would ever obtain a Foundation Establishnt Pill through normal ans.

There were only two legitimate ways to acquire one:

1. A cultivator could exchange two Foundation Establishnt spiritual materials with one of the three major sects in return for a pill.

2. A cultivator could gather the necessary ingredients and collaborate with others to hire a second-tier alchemist to refine the pill.

The second thod, while slightly less demanding than the first, still required at least one Foundation Establishnt spiritual material and an enormous amount of spirit stones to convince a second-tier alchemist to take on the request.

Second-tier alchemists held a status even higher than ordinary Foundation Establishnt cultivators.

For Qi Refinent cultivators, forming connections with such figures was nearly impossible.

As for killing soone to steal their pill—that was not exactly a "proper" thod.

With that in mind, Helian Xiong’s lips curled into a smile.

After a brief pause, he explained, "This alternative thod is called the ‘Demonic Soul Foundation Establishnt thod.’ It involves using the soul essence of a second-tier demonic beast to push a Qi Refinent cultivator to the breakthrough threshold."

"My Helian ancestors had three mbers successfully reach Foundation Establishnt using this thod."

Seeing a trace of skepticism on Wei Tu’s face, Helian Xiong quickly added, "I know it sounds difficult to believe, but this thod has been proven. It is not re rumor."

"Daoist Helian," Wei Tu placed his teacup down, his expression turning calm and composed. "You have deliberately sought out, invited to your ho, and revealed this thod to . You must need sothing from ."

"Please, tell what it is that you require—and why you have chosen to approach specifically."

Wei Tu had already considered the possible reasons why Helian Xiong would target him.

Among them, his only true distinction was his expertise in talisman crafting.

However, he still couldn’t see how this "Demonic Soul Foundation Establishnt thod" had anything to do with talismans.

Seeing Wei Tu’s composed deanor, Helian Xiong couldn’t help but admire his ability to maintain his composure—even when facing such a temptation as Foundation Establishnt.

After a mont, Helian Xiong began to explain.

"This thod does not require talismans directly," he admitted. "However, Daoist Wei should understand how difficult it is for cultivators like us to obtain the soul essence of a second-tier demonic beast."

Wei Tu nodded.

Second-tier demonic beasts were on par with Foundation Establishnt cultivators.

Attempting to seize a second-tier demonic beast’s soul essence for a Foundation Establishnt breakthrough was no different than challenging a Foundation Establishnt cultivator head-on.

A near-impossible feat for Qi Refinent cultivators.

"My ancestors once ford an alliance with a second-tier talisman master, who helped them create a high-grade first-tier talisman."

"This talisman is called the Demon Refining Talisman."

"With this talisman, we can temporarily amplify the soul essence of a first-tier demonic beast, pushing it to the level of a second-tier essence."

Helian Xiong paused for a mont before continuing, "As for why I have chosen you, Daoist Wei—the reason is simple..."

Wei Tu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his expression calm as he listened to Helian Xiong’s explanation.

"The first reason," Helian Xiong began, "is because of your expertise in talisman crafting."

"You are already a mid-grade first-tier talisman master, and in a few decades, you will likely reach high-grade first-tier. By then, you will have the ability to craft the Demon Refining Talisman—a talisman vital to this thod."

"The second reason…" Helian Xiong’s tone lowered slightly. "It has to do with your personality and how you handle matters."

"You are a cautious person, soone who keeps secrets well. Even if you choose not to assist , you wouldn't recklessly expose this information and bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself."

Helian Xiong’s words were asured and deliberate.

It was easy to find a high-grade first-tier talisman master, but finding one he was acquainted with—soone who wouldn’t leak sensitive information—was much harder.

His invitation to Ren Yifeng, the Foundation Establishnt cultivator at his wedding, had served two purposes.

One was to repay a debt owed by his father.

The other was a test for Wei Tu.

If Wei Tu had eagerly flattered Ren Yifeng at the wedding banquet, Helian Xiong would never have chosen him for this matter.

After Helian Xiong finished speaking, Wei Tu was silent for a brief mont.

Then, he asked two questions.

1. Why not ask Ren Yifeng—or another Foundation Establishnt cultivator—to hunt down a second-tier demonic beast and extract its soul essence?

2. If the Demon Refining Talisman was so crucial to his family, why didn’t they stockpile it for future use?

"If you cannot answer these two questions satisfactorily," Wei Tu said with a hint of coldness in his voice, "then I will have to decline this offer."

Of course—this was rely a strategy to gain Helian Xiong’s trust.

Wei Tu had already considered the answers on his own.

When he first heard about this alternative Foundation Establishnt thod, he knew he couldn't afford to ignore it.

After all—

He only had one Foundation Establishnt Pill.

But he had two children.

Even though he had told Wei Yan and Wei Erlang that he wouldn’t be providing them with resources, he still had to prepare for the future.

Supporting both of them equally would an sacrificing his own cultivation progress.

But knowledge was different.

A Foundation Establishnt thod was sothing that could be passed down.

Inside the courtyard on Lark Street, Helian Xiong let out a bitter chuckle.

"Daoist Wei, you overestimate my relationship with Uncle Ren. My father only assisted him once in the past—that favor isn't nearly enough to persuade him to hunt a second-tier demonic beast for ."

"Second-tier demonic beasts are far stronger than first-tier ones. Most of them have innate bloodline abilities, making them much harder to kill."

"As for why my family hasn’t stockpiled Demon Refining Talismans…"

Helian Xiong sighed.

"While talismans last longer than pills, they do deteriorate over ti. Their effectiveness weakens, and if a Demon Refining Talisman loses its potency, it won't be able to elevate a first-tier demonic beast’s soul essence to second-tier."

Both explanations were reasonable.

Especially the second one.

As a talisman master, Wei Tu was well aware of the shelf life of talismans.

Unlike alchemy, which classified pills into fine grades, talismans were simply divided into low, mid, and high-grade first-tier levels.

The Demon Refining Talisman, though categorized as high-grade first-tier, was actually among the best of its kind—much like the Golden Light Talisman that Geng Wen had once used.

Only top-tier high-grade talismans possessed enough power to temporarily boost a demonic beast’s essence to Foundation Establishnt level.

But such talismans were:

1. Extrely difficult to craft.

2. Difficult to store long-term without losing effectiveness.

At this mont, Tong Peipei spoke up.

"If Daoist Wei agrees to study and refine the Demon Refining Talisman, I will also pass down my family’s talisman inheritance to you."

It was an added incentive—because she feared Wei Tu might refuse otherwise.

Hearing this, Wei Tu’s eyes flashed with interest.

He nodded in agreent.

Fifteen minutes later—

Wei Tu left Lark Street Courtyard with two jade slips in his possession.

One contained Tong Peipei’s talisman inheritance.

The other contained the Demon Refining Talisman’s crafting thod.

As for the Demonic Soul Foundation Establishnt thod—

Helian Xiong had not given it to him yet.

Instead, he promised that once Wei Tu successfully crafted a Demon Refining Talisman, he would hand over the details.

Back at Snowfall Courtyard, Wei Tu glanced at the crafting thod for the Demon Refining Talisman.

Then, he set it aside.

He knew how to prioritize his tasks.

Right now, his main focus was reaching the peak of Qi Refinent and preparing for his own Foundation Establishnt breakthrough.

Improving his talisman crafting skills could wait.

Even if he did spend ti drawing talismans, he would focus on fulfilling Kou Hong Ying’s sect mission rather than experinting with the Demon Refining Talisman.

Three years passed.

Inside the cultivation chamber of Snowfall Courtyard, Wei Tu sensed his spiritual energy had surged significantly. He couldn't help but smile.

"Sixty-seven years old, Qi Refinent seventh layer."

Unlike Fu Zhizhou, because he had successfully switched to a new cultivation thod, his foundation was incredibly stable.

Thus, the minor bottleneck from mid-stage Qi Refinent to late-stage Qi Refinent did not appear for him.

The difficulty of advancing from the sixth to the seventh layer was no different from his previous breakthroughs.

After stabilizing his spiritual energy for a few days, Wei Tu erged from seclusion.

At that mont, the Wind-Cleaving Eagle let out a sharp cry, dropping a letter into Wei Tu’s palm.

Perhaps because it knew it was a prisoner of war, the Wind-Cleaving Eagle did not dare to act high and mighty while staying at Snowfall Courtyard.

It often did small tasks to curry favor with Wei Tu.

"Baibao Pavilion Auction?"

Seeing the contents of the invitation, Wei Tu’s eyes flickered.

It seed that he was now considered a significant figure in Danqiu Mountain—he had received an invitation to the once-in-five-years auction of Baibao Pavilion.

Baibao Pavilion was one of the largest comrcial houses in Danqiu Mountain Marketplace.

Every five years, it held an auction.

During each auction, Baibao Pavilion would send invitations to notable figures in Danqiu Mountain.

When he lived at Lark Street Courtyard, Wei Tu had never received such an invitation.

"Might as well take a look."

Wei Tu opened the invitation and saw that the auction was scheduled for seven days later.

After months of solitude, he felt it might be a good idea to attend.

After obtaining the treasures of Blood Demon Elder, he had enough protective artifacts and didn’t need to spend spirit stones to decorate himself further.

If there was anything he lacked—it was just Condensed Foundation Pills and so Qi Refinent breakthrough pills.

"Condensed Foundation Pills are essential for breaking into Foundation Establishnt, so I can consider purchasing them."

"But as for breakthrough pills… they aren’t necessary."

Wei Tu closed the invitation, deep in thought.

He was still wary of alchemical poisonings, having witnessed how Geng Wen had used a poisoned pill to secretly harm Blood Demon Elder.

Blood Demon Elder had been incredibly powerful, and yet he died in such a humiliating way.

A few years ago, if the internal conflict between Geng Wen and Blood Demon Elder had resulted in Blood Demon Elder surviving, Wei Tu would never have dared to show himself, let alone engage in battle with him.

Seven days later.

The auction was held as scheduled.

That morning, Danqiu Mountain saw nurous cultivation abodes that had been closed off for years finally open their doors.

Hundreds of cultivators stepped out, rging into the crowd heading toward Baibao Pavilion, which was located midway up Danqiu Mountain.

Wei Tu was among them.

As the crowd moved, Wei Tu observed young nobles riding spirit horses, arrogantly pushing through the masses, as well as Foundation Establishnt cultivators soaring through the air.

But the majority of cultivators—like himself—walked on foot, neither fast nor slow.

Upon entering Baibao Pavilion, he passed through a grand hall and a long corridor before reaching the auction venue—a three-story jade pavilion.

The entrance was wide open.

Wei Tu followed an attendant inside.

The three floors of the pavilion were all connected.

The second floor was an open viewing terrace, furnished with rows of rosewood seats.

The third floor consisted of private booths.

Wei Tu, as a mid-grade first-tier talisman master, had received an invitation from Baibao Pavilion.

However, it wasn’t high enough to grant him access to a private booth.

Scanning the area, Wei Tu chose a secluded corner and sat down.

While this corner seat was not particularly prominent, it still allowed him to clearly see both the auction platform and the flow of people coming and going.

As ti passed—

Wei Tu noticed many well-known Foundation Establishnt cultivators entering the hall.

Just then—

"Third Brother."

A slightly surprised voice called out near his ear.

Wei Tu looked up and saw Fu Zhizhou, so he motioned for him to sit together.

"Fourth Brother, are you here for sothing specific?"

He asked out of curiosity.

Baibao Pavilion’s auctions generally only invited late-stage Qi Refinent cultivators and above.

Other cultivators had to buy tickets if they wanted to attend.

Thus, unless they were planning to make a purchase, ordinary cultivators wouldn’t spend spirit stones just to spectate.

From Fu Zhizhou’s spiritual aura, Wei Tu could tell that he was still at Qi Refinent sixth layer and had yet to break through.

However, compared to three years ago, Fu Zhizhou’s foundation was much more stable.

His spiritual pressure was already approaching the seventh layer.

"There is a Purifying Qi Pill up for auction."

"Alchemist Chen told that if I take a Purifying Qi Pill, I can finally cleanse my body of the remaining impurities from the Blood Nourishing Pill."

Fu Zhizhou took a seat and explained.

As they chatted—

A young woman in white robes arrived, escorted by an attendant.

She flew directly to a private booth on the third floor.

When Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou saw her face, they both montarily froze.

"Zhao Qingluo… she broke through to Foundation Establishnt?"

Fu Zhizhou said with a hint of envy.

Even though he had always known that soone like Zhao Qingluo—a cultivation prodigy from an immortal clan—was destined to reach Foundation Establishnt soon, seeing it happen in person was sothing else entirely.

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