Chapter 609: Refining the Spirit Pill, a Breakthrough in Cultivation

"Wei may not have a spiritual body, but my root and bone aptitude is also ranked among top-grade spirit roots. Plus, I’ve had plenty of fortunate encounters, so my breakthroughs are faster than ordinary cultivators."

Seeing the situation, Wei Tu smiled faintly and told a lie without the slightest change in expression.

Unlike in the Da Cang cultivation world, here in the Guixu Sea no one knew his true background. He wasn’t worried that revealing his actual aptitude would be exposed.

Hearing this, Luo Guzhu nodded slightly, relieved.

Top-grade spirit root and spiritual body aptitude were not uncommon among Nascent Soul cultivators, but they weren’t everywhere either.

Wei Tu’s rapid progress could reasonably be explained by top-grade aptitude.

Even if it couldn’t, it was not Luo Guzhu’s place to pry into Wei Tu’s origins.

"These auxiliary herbs aren’t hard to find. I’ll have them delivered to Linglong Peak in a month."

After looking over the pill recipe for the Plastic Qi Pill, Luo Guzhu spoke bluntly, without circling around, giving Wei Tu a clear answer.

"But these herbs will require 30 spirit crystals as procurement cost," Luo Guzhu added.

"30 spirit crystals?"

Wei Tu was briefly surprised.

It wasn’t a small sum. But if Luo Guzhu could help him gather all the ingredients for the Plastic Qi Pill in just a month, it was worth every bit.

What surprised him was that Luo Guzhu didn’t treat this as a personal favor, but directly as business, even adding a little profit.

'Truly worthy of his reputation for uprightness. No wonder Sect Master Zhu chose to support him instead of Feng Han, who is more popular on the surface.'

Wei Tu sighed inwardly.

He certainly didn’t think Luo Guzhu was greedy. As the Hall of Law Enforcement’s master in Jishan Sect, he wouldn’t care about such small gains.

This was just his way of avoiding taking on a "favor debt."

A personal favor from Wei Tu was worth far more than a handful of spirit crystals left over after buying herbs.

…

After thanking Luo Guzhu and taking his leave, Wei Tu returned to Linglong Peak’s Cloud Lark Residence and waited patiently for good news.

A month later—

The auxiliary herbs for his Plastic Qi Pill arrived.

They were delivered by Luo Guzhu’s beloved daughter, Luo Mingzhen, personally.

This time, besides bringing the herbs, Luo Mingzhen was also tasked by her father to visit her late mother’s grave on Linglong Peak.

Remembering her mother could stir her emotions and suppress some of the negative effects of the Reincarnation Profound Art.

When Wei Tu had asked Luo Guzhu for help collecting the herbs, Luo Guzhu had mentioned this plan beforehand.

So Wei Tu welcomed her presence.

Besides, though Linglong Peak was now his private domain, it had originally been a gift from Luo Guzhu.

When someone gives you such a favor, it’s only right to be accommodating.

Behind Linglong Peak, outside Cloud Lark Residence—

Wei Tu looked from afar. Luo Mingzhen stood near a small grave, wearing mourning clothes. Her expression was sorrowful as she knelt before her mother’s tombstone, lips moving softly as she chanted verses meant to free wandering souls.

"Much better than seven years ago. It seems Luo Guzhu has found a way to suppress the backlash of her Reincarnation Profound Art for now," Wei Tu thought.

He and Luo Mingzhen weren’t close, only having met a few times. But inside his Corpse-Nurturing Bag still rested the body of Venerable Master Xinggu.

If possible, he didn’t want to fulfill the agreement with her father—using that corpse to jolt Luo Mingzhen, who had turned into a cultivation machine, into regaining her emotions.

After all, her time trapped in the Yin Ghost Sect had been too traumatic. He couldn’t bear to add more.

After a while, when Luo Mingzhen finished her prayers, Wei Tu stepped forward and took out a bundle of chrysanthemums from his storage pouch, placing them near her mother’s grave.

"Thank you, Elder Wei." Seeing this, Luo Mingzhen’s gaze toward him softened.

"I heard that seven years ago, when Father and Elder Wei rescued me, it was because Elder Wei was also searching for a missing acquaintance, and by chance discovered me…"

At this moment, Luo Mingzhen suddenly asked.

"Why does Fairy Luo ask about this?" Wei Tu frowned slightly, not answering directly, but posing a question instead.

He had already explained the entire matter to Luo Guzhu. For Luo Mingzhen to raise it now, as the person involved, felt somewhat improper.

After all, before he came to Jishan Sect, he had indeed chosen not to save her.

"Elder Wei misunderstands."

Seeing his expression, Luo Mingzhen quickly waved her hands, explaining, "I ask not to blame Elder Wei for not rescuing me back then, but because I want to know… how much Elder Wei understands about Ruyi Tower?"

Hearing this, Wei Tu relaxed. Now he understood her true meaning.

Now, Luo Guzhu was locked in an internal struggle with Feng Han for revenge.

But in truth—

Feng Han was only the "chief culprit." Among the accomplices stood another hidden force: Ruyi Tower.

Now that Luo Mingzhen had returned to Jishan Sect, how could she not hate Ruyi Tower to the bone? How could she not want revenge?

"Wei doesn’t know much about Ruyi Tower. But if I get any information, I’ll send it to Fairy Luo right away."

Wei Tu thought quickly and replied.

Back in the Red Algae Sea, he had indeed learned some things about Ruyi Tower from Xue Hongmian.

But those details were shallow, lacking real depth.

Passing such scraps to Luo Mingzhen would do her no good and might even harm her. After all, her cultivation was only at early Nascent Soul, far too weak to shake such a massive hidden organization.

Besides, his relationship with father and daughter Luo was centered on Luo Guzhu. It wasn’t his place to bypass him and tell Luo Mingzhen such critical matters directly.

In her father’s eyes, now that Luo Mingzhen was home, she only needed to act the "obedient daughter." The business of revenge was for Luo Guzhu to handle.

Seeing she had gotten no intelligence, disappointment flickered in Luo Mingzhen’s eyes. But she didn’t press further. She bowed politely, thanked Wei Tu, lifted the flower basket with incense candles, and flew off Linglong Peak atop a silk talisman treasure.

"This girl’s hunger for vengeance… who knows if it’s good or bad."

Wei Tu watched her fading figure, shook his head, and sighed.

The flaw of the Reincarnation Profound Art was that it stripped emotions and heart, turning the cultivator into a machine.

So long as Luo Mingzhen held tightly to her will for revenge, it could suppress the flaw.

But if her heart burned too fiercely, she might one day take reckless action that would harm herself and others.

Thinking this through, Wei Tu hesitated for a moment, then drew out a communication talisman. He wrote down his concern and sent it to Luo Guzhu.

In the past, he wouldn’t have meddled. Best to avoid trouble.

But Luo Guzhu was different.

Through the years spent together, he had come to see this man as someone worth trusting.

…

Once Luo Mingzhen left—

Wei Tu wasted no more time and began refining the Plastic Qi Pill.

This pill was a top-grade fourth-rank auxiliary medicine for Nascent Soul cultivators seeking to break into late Nascent Soul. With his skill, it was still somewhat difficult.

But ever since he seized the Primordial Qi Ganoderma from that Tianyi Sect elder in Yuanyang Blessed Land, he had studied this pill recipe diligently. After 30–40 years of contemplation, he was confident of an 80% success rate.

Otherwise, he would not hesitate to find another master alchemist to do it.

Months later—

In the pill room, Wei Tu stood before a green pill cauldron. Forming seals with both hands, he urged the Nascent Soul floating above his head to breathe out flames, steadily roasting the liquid within.

Under the constant Nascent Fire, the cauldron’s glow surged, its interior filling with dense pill aura.

"All or nothing."

A rare trace of tension showed on Wei Tu’s face. If this batch failed, he’d need to search for another chance to advance.

That could cost him at least 60 years.

Time crept by.

One day, the cauldron blazed with light. A faint medicinal fragrance seeped into the chamber.

"Success!"

Wei Tu’s joy broke through as he hurriedly sent more than a dozen seals into the cauldron, then spoke: "Open."

The cauldron rang with a deep hum, and three pills like white jade leapt into the air, landing neatly in Wei Tu’s palm.

"Three Plastic Qi Pills. Not bad at all."

He smiled.

According to the formula, a full set of herbs could yield up to five pills.

But that was theory.

In practice, producing three was already proof of skill and good luck.

"Now, time to break through."

Wei Tu slid the three pills into a jade bottle and narrowed his eyes.

Only after reaching late Nascent Soul would he feel confident facing the "killing tribulation" that Sect Master Zhu had warned of, and eliminating Feng Han.

If Feng Han wasn’t removed, he couldn’t even sleep in peace.

If Feng Han dared target Luo Mingzhen, it wasn’t unthinkable he might target Wei Tu’s own kin.

Even though he had arranged for Lüqiu Qingfeng to watch over Five Old Mountain, and had already sent word to Fu Zhizhou and the others during the rescue, warning them to stay cautious—still, removing the threat was best.

He had no certainty against Ding Lezheng.

But against Feng Han, once he broke into late Nascent Soul—he had confidence.

"Guard my cave well."

After giving instructions to Old Ancestor Chilong and the Wind Cleaving Eagle, Wei Tu wasted no time. He sealed the chamber and began his closed-door breakthrough.

First, he had to break past his mid Nascent Soul limit.

He took out one Plastic Qi Pill, swallowed it, and formed seals. Using the Nine Secrets of Life Cultivation, he squeezed his blood and essence, boosting the strength of his mana.

At once, his power boiled fiercely. In just a short moment, it rose to late Nascent Soul, pressing close to late-stage "Major Accomplishment."

But that was far from the end.

The pill’s force pushed his mana even higher, pressing against the "gate of realm" that held the mid Nascent Soul limit.

"Six point eight inches."

"Just one more inch to reach the peak of mid Nascent Soul. But this last step isn’t easy."

Wei Tu felt the immense resistance holding back the realm gate.

Above six inches was already the limit of mid Nascent Soul.

But only at six point nine would the infant body reach the true "extreme."

Only at this extreme could the full foundation of the entire realm be called complete.

"The second one!"

Without hesitation, he swallowed a second Plastic Qi Pill, charging against that final inch.

Breaking into late Nascent Soul wasn’t urgent. What mattered was reaching the extreme today.

With the second pill, the final inch’s gate was forced open—only to start closing again.

Seeing this, Wei Tu hardened his resolve. Ignoring the damage to his body, he swallowed the third Plastic Qi Pill.

The overwhelming power instantly swelled his dantian. The mana sea expanded, filling with thick liquid mana.

But it lasted only three breaths before his dantian nearly tore apart.

Luckily, with the aid of the First Spirit Bone, his origin force repaired it quickly, holding against the immense pressure of the swelling mana sea.

With such a vast sea of mana, his Nascent Soul was nourished and pushed from six point eight to six point nine.

Half a day later, the storm calmed.

His Nascent Soul had reached the peak of mid-stage.

"Now I can step into late Nascent Soul."

"But I wonder if there will be a surprise this time."

Wei Tu closed his eyes, running the Divine Wood Origin Scripture, breathing in spiritual qi, and pressing forward.

Last time, when he broke mid-stage, he had nearly stepped straight into Major Accomplishment.

Time flowed.

Two months later, his breakthrough came smoothly, water flowing into a channel—he reached late Nascent Soul.

But unlike other cultivators, once he entered late Nascent Soul, his infant body grew far faster than normal.

Six point nine, seven point three…

In less than half a day, it was pushing toward eight inches.

Seven, eight, nine inches—these marked the three levels of late Nascent Soul.

In other words, not only had Wei Tu entered late Nascent Soul "Minor Accomplishment," he was climbing straight to "Major Accomplishment."

"Eight point two!"

Five days later, his infant body stopped growing. Wei Tu looked at it and thought.

In this moment, his cultivation had reached the ranks of the first-class in the lower realm. To call him a "giant of the Immortal Dao" would not be wrong.

"If my body cultivation also breaks through, then with both paths combined, I could match a quasi Divine Transformation."

His eyes flashed bright, fists clenching.

Quasi Divine Transformation wasn’t the same as late Nascent Soul. It referred to those who had broken past the one-foot limit of the infant body but not yet stepped into Divine Transformation.

The extreme of late Nascent Soul was one foot.

Breaking past that gave one the chance at Divine Transformation.

But in the cultivation world, countless late Nascent Soul cultivators never managed to cross that single foot in their whole lives.

…

Jishan Sect was a Divine Transformation great sect, with formations shielding every peak. They concealed the commotion of breakthroughs, keeping others from spying.

Thus, only Luo Guzhu knew of Wei Tu’s success.

If not, how could Wei Tu still act as bait, luring Feng Han into the trap?

After informing Luo Guzhu of his smooth breakthrough, Wei Tu swept his sleeve, taking down the "Closed Cultivation" plaque from Linglong Peak.

"They’ve taken the bait."

The next day, Wei Tu looked at the secret letter Feng Han’s men sent and smiled faintly.