Strictly speaking, Foundation Establishment Pills were not an absolute necessity for a cultivator to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
However, without the assistance of a Foundation Establishment Pill, the success rate of reaching Foundation Establishment 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 Establishment Pill that Foundation Establishment was no longer reserved solely for those with exceptional talent.
Thus, when Helian Xiong spoke of a "Foundation Establishment method that does not require the pill," what he truly meant was that there was an alternative method 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 method.
But in reality—despite his curiosity—he had no real longing for it.
After all, he already possessed a Foundation Establishment Pill in his storage bag. There was no need for him to gamble on some unverified method to achieve his breakthrough.
The conventional method—using the pill—was a well-documented, tried-and-true path proven by countless cultivators before him.
Wei Tu was certain that if Helian Xiong had a Foundation Establishment Pill himself, he wouldn't even consider his so-called "ancestral Foundation Establishment method." Instead, he would wait until his Qi Refinement cultivation was at its peak, then find a secluded place to break through using the pill.
—Alternative methods were only for those with no hope of obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill.
"What exactly is this alternative Foundation Establishment method?" 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 Establishment Pill through normal means.
There were only two legitimate ways to acquire one:
1. A cultivator could exchange two Foundation Establishment 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 method, while slightly less demanding than the first, still required at least one Foundation Establishment 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 Establishment cultivators.
For Qi Refinement cultivators, forming connections with such figures was nearly impossible.
As for killing someone to steal their pill—that was not exactly a "proper" method.
With that in mind, Helian Xiong's lips curled into a smile.
After a brief pause, he explained, "This alternative method is called the 'Demonic Soul Foundation Establishment Method.' It involves using the soul essence of a second-tier demonic beast to push a Qi Refinement cultivator to the breakthrough threshold."
"My Helian ancestors had three members successfully reach Foundation Establishment using this method."
Seeing a trace of skepticism on Wei Tu's face, Helian Xiong quickly added, "I know it sounds difficult to believe, but this method has been proven. It is not mere rumor."
"Daoist Helian," Wei Tu placed his teacup down, his expression turning calm and composed. "You have deliberately sought me out, invited me to your home, and revealed this method to me. You must need something from me."
"Please, tell me what it is that you require—and why you have chosen to approach me 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 Establishment Method" had anything to do with talismans.
Seeing Wei Tu's composed demeanor, Helian Xiong couldn't help but admire his ability to maintain his composure—even when facing such a temptation as Foundation Establishment.
After a moment, Helian Xiong began to explain.
"This method 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 Establishment cultivators.
Attempting to seize a second-tier demonic beast's soul essence for a Foundation Establishment breakthrough was no different than challenging a Foundation Establishment cultivator head-on.
A near-impossible feat for Qi Refinement cultivators.
"My ancestors once formed 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 moment 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 method."
"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, someone who keeps secrets well. Even if you choose not to assist me, you wouldn't recklessly expose this information and bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself."
Helian Xiong's words were measured and deliberate.
It was easy to find a high-grade first-tier talisman master, but finding one he was acquainted with—someone who wouldn't leak sensitive information—was much harder.
His invitation to Ren Yifeng, the Foundation Establishment 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 moment.
Then, he asked two questions.
1. Why not ask Ren Yifeng—or another Foundation Establishment 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 merely 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 Establishment method, he knew he couldn't afford to ignore it.
After all—
He only had one Foundation Establishment 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 mean sacrificing his own cultivation progress.
But knowledge was different.
A Foundation Establishment method was something 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 me."
"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 time. 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 Establishment level.
But such talismans were:
1. Extremely difficult to craft.
2. Difficult to store long-term without losing effectiveness.
At this moment, 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 agreement.
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 method.
As for the Demonic Soul Foundation Establishment Method—
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 method 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 Refinement and preparing for his own Foundation Establishment breakthrough.
Improving his talisman crafting skills could wait.
Even if he did spend time drawing talismans, he would focus on fulfilling Kou Hong Ying's sect mission rather than experimenting 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 Refinement seventh layer."
Unlike Fu Zhizhou, because he had successfully switched to a new cultivation method, his foundation was incredibly stable.
Thus, the minor bottleneck from mid-stage Qi Refinement to late-stage Qi Refinement 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 emerged from seclusion.
At that moment, 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 seemed 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 commercial 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 some Qi Refinement breakthrough pills.
"Condensed Foundation Pills are essential for breaking into Foundation Establishment, 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 numerous cultivation abodes that had been closed off for years finally open their doors.
Hundreds of cultivators stepped out, merging 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 Establishment 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 time passed—
Wei Tu noticed many well-known Foundation Establishment 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 something specific?"
He asked out of curiosity.
Baibao Pavilion's auctions generally only invited late-stage Qi Refinement 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 Refinement 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 me 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 momentarily froze.
"Zhao Qingluo… she broke through to Foundation Establishment?"
Fu Zhizhou said with a hint of envy.
Even though he had always known that someone like Zhao Qingluo—a cultivation prodigy from an immortal clan—was destined to reach Foundation Establishment soon, seeing it happen in person was something else entirely.