"Gracious and courteous?"
"Truly appreciative?"
Wei Tu's mouth twitched at Wei Fei's words.
Having known Wei Fei for so many years, how could he not understand what this scoundrel was thinking?
It was obvious—he was lusting after Hu Yao.
But Wei Tu wasn't surprised.
Back in the mortal world, Wei Fei frequently indulged in brothels. Now, encountering a female cultivator who was far superior in temperament, beauty, and figure compared to ordinary women, how could he possibly resist?
Besides—
Seeking pleasure wasn't against the law in this world.
"However, Daoist Hu won't do."
After hesitating for a moment, Wei Tu said, "She and I are somewhat familiar. If you go to her, it will make things awkward for me later."
Hu Yao might not care about such things, but Wei Tu didn't have her level of emotional detachment.
If he could avoid unnecessary awkwardness, he would.
"I'll introduce you to someone else."
Wei Tu sighed helplessly.
Having lived in Danqiu Mountain for so long, he knew that Hu Yao wasn't the only one—there were plenty of other hidden courtesans in the shantytown.
"Ah, Third Brother, you truly understand me."
Wei Fei grinned shamelessly, scratching his head.
Even though indulging on his first day in the cultivation world didn't seem ideal, opportunities like this were rare. Once he returned to the mortal world, finding a female cultivator like Hu Yao would be nearly impossible.
With Wei Tu leading the way—
Wei Fei entered a small hut, full of anticipation.
Half an hour later.
He emerged with a tired expression, rubbing his sore waist, his posture slightly hunched.
"This Daoist Yao… she's like a bone-melting succubus. I feel like she drained some of my internal energy."
Wei Fei took a few shaky steps toward Wei Tu, his legs weak, nearly stumbling.
However, he didn't seem to mind at all—instead, he smacked his lips, relishing the experience.
"These female cultivators all practice dual cultivation techniques that absorb yang energy."
"If you're not strong enough, not only do you waste spirit stones, but even your own spiritual energy gets siphoned away."
Wei Tu glanced at Wei Fei indifferently and stated the harsh reality.
The Daoist Yao he had introduced was at least reputable among the shantytown courtesans and knew how to hold back.
Had Wei Fei gone to a different one, he might have lost his Xiantian cultivation entirely, with his lifespan significantly reduced.
"I'll be more careful next time."
Wei Fei nodded in understanding.
…
After sending Wei Fei away, Wei Tu returned to Danqiu Mountain.
Since Hu Yao's hut was along the main road, he inevitably ran into her as she was washing clothes by the stream.
"Daoist Wei, have I done something wrong?"
"You gave that business to Daoist Yao instead?"
Hu Yao shot him a sharp glare, clearly displeased.
While escorting Wei Fei to Wei Tu's hut, she had dropped numerous hints, teasing him and stirring his desires.
She was certain the deal was sealed.
But unexpectedly, Wei Tu had turned around and sent him to a competitor instead, leaving her empty-handed.
"I know you too well."
"If I brought Brother Wei to you, it would make things awkward for me later."
Wei Tu answered truthfully.
He had no reason to lie about why he sent Wei Fei elsewhere.
"Really?"
Hu Yao's eyes lit up slightly.
So Wei Tu actually considered her a true friend, rather than just an acquaintance from the neighborhood.
Wei Tu didn't bother responding further.
—It wasn't that he was bad at socializing.
—He simply wasn't used to engaging in flirtatious banter with women like Hu Yao, who were bold, cunning, and streetwise.
"From now on, send your robes to me for washing. I won't charge you."
Hu Yao smiled and offered.
Aside from her courtesan work, she also did laundry for cultivators in the marketplace cave dwellings and some from the shantytown.
Although cultivators had Cleansing Talismans, using talismans all the time wasn't as cost-effective as hiring someone.
"Much appreciated, Daoist Hu."
Wei Tu cupped his hands in gratitude.
As a talisman master, his time was far more valuable than other cultivators'.
Wasting it on laundry was pointless—so outsourcing it was a wise decision.
Of course—
He wouldn't take advantage of Hu Yao's kindness.
He would still pay her the normal rate.
Taking things for free often came with greater costs later.
…
Back at his hut, Wei Tu finally opened the jade bottle that Wei Fei had given him.
Pulling out the stopper, he gently shook the bottle.
Inside was a yellowish-brown pill, emitting a rich herbal fragrance.
"So this is the Earth Essence Pill worth thirty-two spirit stones?"
Wei Tu inhaled deeply, immediately feeling his internal earth spiritual energy stir in anticipation.
"This pill has a verifiable origin."
"If anyone asks, I can openly state that Qin Zhenren from Jingshui Pavilion gave it to me for safety reasons—it'll be an extra layer of protection."
Wei Tu pondered.
Wei Tu was not fond of clinging to the powerful, but the cultivation world was different—without a strong backing, one could easily invite disaster.
He could afford to buy an Earth Essence Pill with his own wealth.
However, the bulk of his spirit stones had come from Martial Luck Pavilion, while only a small portion was earned through talisman crafting.
"One hundred spirit stones… Just how high was Xie Yuanshan's ancestor ranked in the Chisong Jia Clan?"
"After all… Only someone at the late-stage Qi Refinement Realm could casually hand out a hundred spirit stones."
Wei Tu pondered.
Catching a non-Xiantian martial artist like Xie Yuanshan and obtaining one hundred spirit stones from him was practically a stroke of immense fortune in the cultivation world.
But—
"Thinking too much is useless."
"Better to focus on cultivation."
Shaking his head, Wei Tu moved to the edge of his bed, sat down cross-legged, and swallowed the Earth Essence Pill.
As soon as the pill entered his stomach—
The earth spiritual energy in his body immediately surged from his meridians, wrapping around the pill and guiding it toward his dantian.
In the next moment—
A rush of potent medicinal energy exploded from the Earth Essence Pill, spreading through Wei Tu's limbs, bones, and acupuncture points.
Days Passed.
After a few days, a faint yellow glow began to radiate from Wei Tu's arms.
This glow attracted the surrounding earth spiritual energy, rapidly absorbing it into his body and converting it into Thick Earth Energy.
"I've condensed a quarter of the Thick Earth Body?"
"One Earth Essence Pill can condense a quarter of the Thick Earth Body. This means that to fully condense it, I'll need at least four more pills…"
Wei Tu opened his eyes, gazed at his reflection in the bronze mirror, and shook his head.
To fully form the Thick Earth Body, it would take around one hundred spirit stones' worth of energy.
If he relied solely on the spiritual energy in the shantytown's environment and cultivated steadily, he could reduce the cost to about thirty spirit stones over forty years.
This was one of the benefits of living near a spiritual vein.
However—
If he chose not to cultivate steadily and only used Earth Essence Pills, the cost would soar to at least one hundred twenty-eight spirit stones.
The extra twenty-eight spirit stones would be the price paid for speeding up the process.
Faster progress meant greater opportunities.
The younger a cultivator was, the higher their chances of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment.
"Two years from now."
"I'll purchase another Earth Essence Pill. One every five years."
"This way, I can condense the Thick Earth Body within ten to fifteen years."
Wei Tu made his decision.
With this thought in mind, his gaze shifted to his Golden-Purple Fate.
[Five Yuan Spirit Body · Thick Earth Body (32/100): Training eight times a day, forty years to completion.]
His progress in condensing the Thick Earth Body had surged from 6% to 32% after consuming just one Earth Essence Pill.
Through deliberate effort, Wei Tu's reputation as a Talisman Master began to spread throughout the shantytown.
Although he only knew how to craft Earth Spike Talismans, his potential as a Talisman Master was enough to attract attention.
Many cultivators believed that befriending a rising Talisman Master would never be a bad investment.
Meanwhile—
Wei Tu had begun studying a new talisman from Introduction to Talisman Dao.
Basic Talisman · Tranquility Talisman: When used, it reduces mental agitation during meditation, making it a support-type cultivation aid.
Within just a few months, Wei Tu reached the beginner level of Tranquility Talisman crafting, with a success rate of one in ten.
At this rate, he was breaking even—not making a profit, but not losing money either.
His progress in Tranquility Talisman crafting was also reflected in his Golden-Purple Fate, which displayed a different training duration than the Earth Spike Talisman.
Just like when he reached major accomplishment in Tiger and Crane Twin Form Fist, his training efficiency improved drastically.
[Tranquility Talisman (13/100): Training seven times a day, three years to completion.]
This proved to Wei Tu that—
The number of training sessions and the time required were directly linked to his physical condition.
A healthier body meant more training sessions per day and shorter mastery time.
With this realization—
Wei Tu began training another spirit body from the Five Yuan Spirit Body Manual—the Longevity Body.
The Longevity Body was a wood-attribute spirit body and was within his cultivation range.
As expected—
After reaching the beginner stage of the Longevity Body, Wei Tu noticed a major difference compared to the Thick Earth Body.
[Five Yuan Spirit Body · Longevity Body (1/100): Training thirteen times a day, twenty-five years to completion.]
However, he did not rush to switch to the Longevity Body.
Instead—
He set it aside and continued focusing entirely on the Thick Earth Body.
Wei Tu understood the principle of not biting off more than one can chew.
As he continued his steady cultivation—
Fu Zhizhou, who had left Danqiu Mountain to become a blade-for-hire, finally returned.
Fu Zhizhou brought three catties of spirit beast meat and a three-foot-long piece of demon beast hide as gifts for Wei Tu.
"Third Brother, this time out, Hèlian Daoist and I hunted a Snow Python Rabbit in the Demon Wolf Mountain Range..."
"After extracting its tendons and peeling its hide, we managed to sell it for more than forty spirit stones."
Fu Zhizhou spoke with excitement.
In just half a year, he had made twenty spirit stones—this was dozens of times more than his income as a spirit farmer in Danqiu Mountain.
"Fourth Brother, did you use the Earth Spike Talismans I gave you?"
Wei Tu inquired.
A premium-grade Earth Spike Talisman was equivalent to a first-grade talisman and could sell for nearly ten spirit stones.
If Fu Zhizhou had used both talismans and included the gifts he brought back, his earnings would have been wiped out for this trip.
"Third Brother, those were my trump cards. I wouldn't use them so easily."
Fu Zhizhou shook his head and smiled.
"That's good."
Hearing this, Wei Tu felt relieved.
After some thought, he reminded, "Fourth Brother, if you ever run out of premium talismans, don't try to act tough—let me know immediately. Over the past six months, I've managed to craft another one."
"I don't venture outside, so keeping it is useless."
In truth—
As his talisman-making skills improved, he had successfully crafted three premium Earth Spike Talismans in the past six months.
However—
It was wise to keep a trump card hidden rather than revealing all of his abilities.
"Got it, Third Brother."
Fu Zhizhou grinned.
Days Passed.
A few days later, while Wei Tu was crafting talismans, he suddenly sensed a surge of spiritual energy coming from the neighboring shanty house.
"Fourth Brother must have exchanged his earnings for spirit stones and bought an Earth Essence Pill."
Wei Tu thought to himself.
He recognized this energy fluctuation well—it was the typical reaction when a cultivator consumed an Earth Essence Pill.
However—
Four or five days later—
Another stronger wave of spiritual energy radiated from the same shanty house.
This time, the fluctuation was even more intense than before.
"Did Fourth Brother use all his spirit stones from Martial Luck Pavilion to buy Earth Essence Pills?"
"Is that why he's having back-to-back breakthroughs?"
Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, his expression turning slightly displeased.
He and Fu Zhizhou had entered Danqiu Mountain together, settled down in the same area, and even lived right next to each other.
Now, Fu Zhizhou's sudden display of wealth might attract unwanted attention—and potentially drag Wei Tu into trouble as well.
But soon—
Wei Tu's mind calmed down.
Fu Zhizhou was different from him.
Unlike Wei Tu, who could cultivate steadily in Danqiu Mountain, Fu Zhizhou had no choice but to turn his spirit stones into power as soon as possible.
Otherwise—
He would die outside the mountain before he ever had a chance to build his foundation.
As for the risks—
Fu Zhizhou was far more likely to become a target than Wei Tu.
So, was there really anything for Wei Tu to worry about?
Five Days Later.
Fu Zhizhou finished his cultivation and came to say his farewells to Wei Tu.
A Year Passed.
Over the past year and a half, Wei Tu's reputation as a Talisman Master grew even further within the shantytown.
Seeing an opportunity, he introduced a second talisman for sale—the Tranquility Talisman—to increase his earnings.
Six Months Later.
Wei Tu counted his earnings from talisman crafting and saw that he had accumulated over thirty-two spirit stones.
At this point—
It was time to purchase another Earth Essence Pill from the marketplace.
However—
Just as he was about to leave—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
A sudden, loud knock echoed through his shanty house door.
Wei Tu's expression darkened.
Without hesitation—
He tucked away his spirit stones into a cloth pouch and hid them under his bed.
Only after securing everything did he walk to the door, remove the wooden latch, and open it.
"Daoist Tong, what brings you here?"
Wei Tu's gaze landed on Tong Peipei, his expression tightening slightly.
Tong Peipei was the red-robed female cultivator he had met during the Inner Market gathering.
"Wei Daoist, didn't we agree to differentiate our businesses and avoid selling the same type of talismans?"
"Why are you selling Tranquility Talismans?"
Tong Peipei stormed inside, pulled out a stack of Tranquility Talismans, and slammed them onto the table.
Then, she plopped onto a stool, crossing her arms with an annoyed expression.
"When did Daoist Tong start selling similar talismans?"
Wei Tu asked, surprised.
To his knowledge, Tong Peipei had never specialized in crafting auxiliary talismans like the Tranquility Talisman.
"Half a year ago."
"I began crafting Water Heart Talismans for sale… Wei Daoist spends all his time training, so it's understandable you wouldn't have known."
Tong Peipei frowned.
"Half a year ago?"
Hearing this, Wei Tu's expression darkened further, and he let out a cold chuckle.
"I also started crafting Tranquility Talismans around half a year ago."