Under the immense influx of spiritual energy, the Foundation Establishment process within Wei Tu’s dantian, which had nearly stagnated, suddenly accelerated once more.

The gaseous spiritual power, under the effect of the Condensed Foundation Pill, began converting into liquid at an astonishing pace—several times faster than before.

Several days passed.

Seven-tenths of Wei Tu’s spiritual power had already transformed into liquid, leaving only the core three-tenths of his dantian yet to be fully converted.

“The effectiveness of the Condensed Foundation Pill is ultimately limited. Relying solely on it to achieve Foundation Establishment… is far too difficult…”

Wei Tu pondered.

At this moment, the medicinal power of the Condensed Foundation Pill was nearly exhausted, yet his dantian’s spiritual power was still far from fully converted, let alone the two-tenths stored within his One Qi Pouch.

Had he only possessed a single Condensed Foundation Pill for his Foundation Establishment attempt, he might have already failed at this stage.

Failure would mean total ruin.

“Fortunately, I have two Foundation Establishment Pills. I won’t be left helpless at this critical moment.”

Wei Tu sighed in relief.

Having made his decision, he did not hesitate any longer. He took out one of the Foundation Establishment Pills placed before him and swallowed it.

—While the Condensed Foundation Pill and Foundation Establishment Pill shared some overlapping effects, the former merely solidified a cultivator’s spiritual power and promoted its liquefaction. It did not provide the comprehensive benefits of the latter.

The moment the Foundation Establishment Pill entered his stomach, its medicinal energy exploded within his body. A tingling sensation spread through his limbs and bones, his blood surged, and his bones began to fracture. His marrow expelled black impurities as his entire being underwent transformation…

Pain.

A searing pain that originated from deep within his bone marrow.

The agony nearly made Wei Tu lose consciousness.

Just as the pain became unbearable, Wei Tu swallowed the half-portion of Thousand-Year Snow Lotus that Kou Hongying had gifted him.

—The Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was known for greatly alleviating the excruciating pain caused by consuming the Foundation Establishment Pill.

A short while later, suffering gave way to relief.

Having endured the agony of Bone Cleansing and Marrow Refinement, the remaining gaseous spiritual power in his dantian once again resumed its transformation.

Three-tenths.

Two-tenths.

One-tenth.

Every last trace of gaseous spiritual power had completely liquefied, taking on a faint azure hue.

“The spiritual power stored in the One Qi Pouch still hasn’t transformed…”

“I need more…”

Wei Tu hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth and took out the second Foundation Establishment Pill he had kept hidden away.

The Three Stages of Foundation Establishment—he had already passed the first stage, Qi and Blood Refinement. Now, all that remained was for his liquid spiritual power to undergo its final transformation into true mystic power, thereby passing the Mystic Power Stage.

At this point, his chances of successfully breaking through had already exceeded ninety percent.

As for the final Divine Sense Stage, as a talisman master who had spent decades refining his spirit through talisman crafting, he was confident that he would pass without issue.

—Talisman masters constantly tempered their divine sense while inscribing talismans, making their spiritual awareness far superior to that of ordinary cultivators.

However—

The spiritual power stored in his One Qi Pouch had yet to undergo complete transformation.

“My spiritual root is still lacking… If not for this, a single Foundation Establishment Pill would have been enough.”

A trace of reluctance appeared on Wei Tu’s face. After a brief hesitation, he finally steeled himself and swallowed the second Foundation Establishment Pill that he had obtained from Zhao Qingluo.

Spiritual roots not only determined a cultivator’s ability to absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth but also affected how efficiently their body absorbed medicinal energy.

This was one of the key reasons why cultivators with different spiritual roots experienced varying success rates when taking Foundation Establishment Pills.

Take Kou Hongying, for example.

Like Wei Tu, she had refined a One Qi Pouch before attempting Foundation Establishment, in order to enhance her foundation and potential.

However, unlike him, she had achieved Foundation Establishment with the medicinal power of just one pill. The effects of a single Foundation Establishment Pill had been sufficient for her to refine both her internal spiritual power and the reserves within her One Qi Pouch, without requiring a second dose.

Though Foundation Establishment Pills were valuable, they paled in comparison to the lifelong potential gained from a stronger Foundation Establishment process.

A single misstep in Foundation Establishment could lead to a lifetime of inferiority.

—The moment of Foundation Establishment was arguably the only opportunity for ordinary cultivators to alter their fundamental aptitude.

Thus.

Wei Tu chose to “waste” an extra Foundation Establishment Pill to permanently refine his spiritual root, ensuring greater potential for the future.

As the second pill dissolved in his stomach.

The two-tenths of spiritual power stored within his One Qi Pouch also began to transform, merging into the newly-formed mystic power within his dantian.

Three days later, the liquid spiritual power in Wei Tu’s dantian had grown by another twenty percent.

“It’s done. Finally… I have stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm.”

Half a year later, upon witnessing his dantian’s liquid spiritual power undergo its final transformation into bicolor mystic power, azure and yellow, a smile slowly emerged on Wei Tu’s face.

At the moment of successful Foundation Establishment,

He could distinctly feel the qualitative change in his very existence—his life essence had undergone a fundamental evolution, setting him apart from the mortal state of Qi Refinement.

That sensation.

That feeling of boundless energy, as though he had regained the boundless vigor of his youth.

“Ninety-seven years old, Foundation Establishment Realm.”

Wei Tu calculated his age and revealed a satisfied expression.

At the start of his journey on the path of cultivation,

He had estimated that even if he were fortunate enough to reach Foundation Establishment, it would not happen until at least one hundred and twenty years old.

To achieve Foundation Establishment before a full century had passed—while his age was still much higher compared to the true prodigies of the great sects—it was considered remarkably young among rogue cultivators.

“And my spiritual root…”

“It has also advanced to mid-grade, thanks to the lingering medicinal effects of the Foundation Establishment Pill—fifteen years ahead of schedule.”

Wei Tu retrieved a Spirit Measurement Talisman and placed it on his forehead. As he gazed at the reflection of his own image in a nearby mirror, he saw the talisman emit a glowing light, now almost the size of a full fist.

His heart stirred.

Before entering seclusion, Wei Tu’s spiritual root had already been pushed to the peak of low-grade under the effect of his Late Bloomer destiny, just one step away from evolving into mid-grade.

Since Foundation Establishment Pills possessed the power to cleanse the marrow and refine the bones, and he had consumed two of them in succession—

Under their potent medicinal effects—

He had managed to break through the threshold of mid-grade spiritual root ahead of schedule.

“With a mid-grade spiritual root and the strong foundation laid by the One Qi Pouch… Among the many rogue cultivators who achieved Foundation Establishment in Danqiu Mountain, my potential should be among the highest.”

“It is at least on par with ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples of major sects.”

Wei Tu exhaled a long breath.

At this moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of clarity and freedom. The once-distant goal of Golden Core Realm no longer seemed out of reach.

Five years passed.

The entrance to Wei Tu’s secluded cultivation cave had long since been abandoned, with only the occasional bird resting in its courtyard.

No one would waste their energy monitoring an unknown rogue cultivator’s Foundation Establishment progress.

Thus, when Wei Tu finally emerged from seclusion, he found no one waiting outside his cave residence, not even Kou Hongying or Fu Zhizhou.

This did not surprise him.

After all, his breakthrough took five full years, and it was unrealistic to expect Kou Hongying and Fu Zhizhou to remain stationed outside the entire time.

He took to the air, flying toward the Tai Xuan Sect office to return his cave estate token to Steward Liu before heading back to Luoxue Courtyard.

Along the way.

As Wei Tu flew through Danqiu Mountain, many rogue cultivators spotted him traveling freely through the skies.

In an instant, the entire market realized—

This once lowly talisman master, “Wei Fu Shi,” had successfully broken through and become a true Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the market.

They spread the word not to curry favor, but to ensure they knew to avoid offending this newly ascended Foundation Establishment cultivator in the future.

“Congratulations to Uncle Wei on achieving Foundation Establishment.”

Not long after Wei Tu returned to Luoxue Courtyard, Kou Hongying, who had been temporarily staying in Danqiu Mountain, paid him a personal visit to offer her congratulations.

Fu Zhizhou accompanied her.

Both had prepared congratulatory gifts.

“What are Uncle Wei’s plans now that you’ve established your foundation?”

Kou Hongying took her seat and casually inquired about Wei Tu’s next steps.

Seeing Wei Tu’s puzzled expression, as if he didn’t understand the purpose behind her question, she hesitated for a moment before explaining:

“After reaching Foundation Establishment, a rogue cultivator’s status rises significantly.”

“You no longer need to abide by mortal registration laws, restricting migration. Additionally, sect and cultivation clans will now treat you as an honored guest.”

“However, this is only a social elevation.”

“In terms of cultivation resources, Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators are actually far worse off than Qi Refinement cultivators.”

“A Qi Refinement rogue cultivator who diligently cultivates in a market town for over a hundred years has a seventy percent chance of reaching late-stage Qi Refinement.”

“But a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator is different…”

“The spiritual materials, inheritances, and pills needed for this realm are almost completely monopolized by major sects and cultivation clans.”

“Acquiring them comes at a much greater cost than in the Qi Refinement stage.”

After saying this, Kou Hongying glanced at Fu Zhizhou before adding:

“Of course, if Uncle Wei intends to follow Uncle Fu’s path and become a Blade-for-Hire, then obtaining resources will be much easier…”

Wei Tu’s expression turned contemplative.

His previous strength and status had limited his knowledge of the broader cultivation world.

Only after acquiring Immortal Master Wu’s jade slip did he learn that this region was part of the “Da Cang Cultivation World,” where there existed the Seven-Nation Righteous Alliance, the Five Sects of the Demonic Path, and countless other factions.

However, Immortal Master Wu had only reached Qi Refinement, meaning his knowledge of the Foundation Establishment Realm was very limited.

Thus, Wei Tu had almost no knowledge about the paths available to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Blade-for-Hire…”

Wei Tu shook his head. “I don’t have Fourth Brother’s combat talent. Becoming a Blade-for-Hire doesn’t suit me.”

Every profession required leveraging one’s strengths and avoiding one’s weaknesses.

His Late Bloomer destiny meant that risking his life in constant battle would be a foolish choice.

Furthermore, Fu Zhizhou’s survival as a Blade-for-Hire was largely due to Wei Tu’s talismans saving him numerous times.

If Wei Tu himself became a Blade-for-Hire, he would not have that same luxury.

Hearing this, Kou Hongying nodded slightly.

She began explaining Zheng Kingdom’s cultivation factions in greater detail.

“Zheng Kingdom has three great sects and seven prominent cultivation clans.”

“The three great sects are Nascent Soul-level factions, each with hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators. Their inheritances are complete, and they do not lack talisman masters.”

“As a result, their benefits for recruits are often limited.”

“The seven great cultivation clans, however, are different.”

“Though they each have Golden Core patriarchs, their core strength lies in Foundation Establishment cultivators. Thus, they are constantly seeking to recruit Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators and offer far better compensation.”

“Among them, four clans in particular actively seek to recruit talisman masters:”

Qiyue Zhao Clan

Heshan Huang Clan

Xuefeng Zheng Clan

Chisong Jia Clan

“If Uncle Wei is considering joining a cultivation clan as an elder,”

“I would advise against choosing the Qiyue Zhao Clan or Chisong Jia Clan.”

“These two clans have had long-standing conflicts.”

“In the next hundred years, the likelihood of all-out war between them is very high.”

“If that happens, the best-case scenario is being forced to constantly relocate.”

“The worst-case scenario… is being dragged into battle and suffering casualties.”

Wei Tu nodded.

He had some knowledge of the long-standing tension between these two factions.

“Besides that…”

“There are smaller cultivation clans that also offer various inheritance paths.”

“I have compiled a record of these minor clans and their details.”

As she spoke, Kou Hongying retrieved a jade slip from her sleeve and handed it to Wei Tu.

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