Chapter 53: Immortal Cultivation Techniques (Please add to favorites and keep reading)

“Could it be some form of external martial arts, like the Iron Cloth or the Golden Bell Cover?” Wei Tu speculated about the contents of the secret manual.

That giant with the iron hammer had clearly practiced external martial arts; his moves were fierce and powerful, making it difficult for ordinary soldiers to break his defense even without armor.

External martial arts were considered a type of external cultivation, but compared to orthodox external training, they were more extreme.

These external martial artists possessed stiff muscles and stagnant blood circulation; often, by the time they reached their fifties or sixties, they would suffer from frequent internal injuries and were prone to sudden death.

Most of the legends regarding martial artists he had known in the past were rumors about these very types of practitioners.

“No.” Wei Fei shook his head and placed the secret manual on the table.

On the yellowed pages, five large characters were written: *The Five Elements Spirit-Nurturing Body*. It had nothing to do with the external martial arts Wei Tu had imagined.

“After I obtained this manual, I took some time to read a few pages, but it felt like reading a book from heaven. I couldn't make sense of it...” Wei Fei sighed and said.

If the contents of this manual had been within his level of understanding, he might not have sought out Wei Tu to study it together. Instead, he might have kept it all to himself.

Wei Tu, of course, was unaware of Wei Fei's little schemes. After feeling a brief moment of guilt for studying the *Marrow Refining Scripture* in private, he picked up the yellowed manual and began to flip through its contents.

As he flipped through the pages, Wei Tu thought to himself: *If Wei Fei also reaches the Qi-Sensing Realm, I will ask him to take Candidate Dan as his master. Once his master agrees... I will teach him the Marrow Refining Scripture.*

One gives a papaya, and one returns with jade.

Wei Tu had no intention of being stingy with the *Marrow Refining Scripture*; he was simply worried that revealing it might bring calamity upon the Dan family and himself.

“Spiritual Power...”

“Spirit-Nurturing...”

“Five Elements Spirit Body...”

After reading the contents of *The Five Elements Spirit-Nurturing Body*, Wei Tu found that it shared no similarities whatsoever with his *Marrow Refining Scripture*. It utilized a special force called "Spiritual Power," rather than the "Internal Strength" born from one's own blood and qi.

*Could this be a legendary Immortal Path technique? Have I come into contact with an Immortal Path manual?*

At this thought, Wei Tu's heart began to pound wildly. He felt a surge of immense joy flooding his heart.

After awakening the "Late Bloomer" destiny, he had already surmised that immortals must exist in this world. After all, martial arts could not explain the existence of his destiny. Only after achieving immortality through the Immortal Path could he push his "Late Bloomer" destiny to its absolute limit.

“I can't be certain yet. This might just be an internal true technique that describes internal strength as spiritual power...”

Wei Tu suppressed his joy and calmed himself down.

The *Marrow Refining Scripture* he was currently practicing was merely the "internal true technique" used by external martial artists to transition into the Pre-natal Martial Artist stage; it was not the true internal cultivation of a true internal martial artist.

Wei Tu carefully flipped through *The Five Elements Spirit-Nurturing Body* again and discovered that this manual was only a part of a whole. It only explained how to condense the "Thick Earth Body," one of the "Five Elements Spirit Bodies." The other four types were not mentioned.

Even the specific applications of the Five Elements Spirit Bodies were not included.

“Third Brother, did you understand this manual?” Seeing how absorbed Wei Tu was, Wei Fei felt a surge of joy and hurriedly asked.

“I've grasped a few things...”

Wei Tu pondered for a moment, choosing his words carefully. With a solemn expression, he said, “This *Five Elements Spirit-Nurturing Body* is very likely a legendary Immortal Path technique. The internal qi true technique I practice after developing internal qi is vastly different from this...”

Since Wei Fei trusted him enough to share this manual, there was no need for Wei Tu to hide his suspicions regarding its nature.

Furthermore, if Wei Fei did not realize the gravity of the matter and leaked the existence of this manual to others, Wei Tu, as his sworn brother, would inevitably be implicated.

Whether by sentiment or logic, Wei Tu felt it was necessary to voice his suspicions.

“An Immortal Path technique...” Upon hearing this, Wei Fei's face instantly filled with astonishment and disbelief.

He had heard legends of immortals since childhood, but he had always believed them to be nothing more than absurd stories, and that no such beings existed in the world.

However, hearing this from the usually steady and composed Wei Tu, even if he hadn't believed it at first, he couldn't help but believe most of it now.

“Third Brother, wait a moment...” After his initial shock, Wei Fei remembered the latter half of what Wei Tu had just said. He asked in shock, “Third Brother, you have entered the Qi-Sensing Realm? You've become an internal qi expert?”

As a martial artist trained by renowned masters since childhood, he knew better than anyone how difficult the Qi-Sensing Realm was. It was a realm that even martial artists striving to become Martial Candidates struggled to reach.

“Third Brother, you've kept this from me for so long...” Wei Fei gave a bitter laugh.

He had originally thought that aside from their fourth brother, Fu Zhizhou, he, Wei Tu, and Kou Liang all had similar aptitudes—all at the level of Martial Scholars. To his surprise, Wei Tu's talent was even more formidable than Fu Zhizhou's.

Fu Zhizhou had become a Martial Candidate at eighteen, but in his entire life, he might never have the chance to break through from external to internal and reach the Qi-Sensing Realm.

“It wasn't that I was hiding it from you, Second Brother. It's just that I only broke through to the Qi-Sensing Realm a month ago, and... my sect has rules...” Wei Tu explained.

“I understand that,” Wei Fei said, quickly coming to terms with it. He nodded and continued, “The tree that stands out in the forest is the first to be broken by the wind. If word got out that you entered the Qi-Sensing Realm in your twenties, I don't know how much trouble would come looking for you. It is not unreasonable for you to keep it somewhat quiet...”

Just now, Wei Tu had been honest about his cultivation level and told him that the *Five Elements Spirit-Nurturing Body* was likely an Immortal Path technique.

Based on this alone, Wei Fei knew he had not chosen the wrong sworn brother. If Wei Tu had not been candid, even if Wei Fei had realized the manual was extraordinary, he would never have known what it truly was.

“Thank you for your understanding, Second Brother.”

Wei Tu nodded in thanks.

The two men composed themselves and began to discuss the manual, which was suspected to be an Immortal Path technique.

“But this method... Third Brother, do you think we truly have a chance to cultivate it and become those legendary immortals?” Wei Fei asked, lacking confidence.

He hadn't even reached the Qi-Sensing Realm yet, let alone the task of condensing the mysterious "Thick Earth Body." The prerequisite for condensing the Thick Earth Body was to sense the spiritual qi in the void and then transform that spiritual qi into spiritual power...

“It's hard to say.”

Wei Tu shook his head.

He had been practicing the *Marrow Refining Scripture* for over a month, but the only essence he had sensed was "internal strength"; he had never encountered any "spiritual qi" or "spiritual power."

“Fourth Brother was ordered to wipe out the headquarters of the Martial Fortune Pavilion this time. Perhaps he knows some secrets regarding the *Five Elements Spirit-Nurturing Body*...”

“I suggest, Second Brother, that you lend this Immortal Path technique to Big Brother and Fourth Brother to look at as well. Perhaps we can learn something from them...”

“In doing so, it will also deepen the bond between us brothers,” Wei Tu said in a low voice.

No matter how good a technique is, if no one can practice it, it is nothing more than a piece of scrap paper. If he hadn't entered the Qi-Sensing Realm, the *Marrow Refining Scripture* would likely have remained tucked away on Candidate Dan's shelves for many more years.

Among the four brothers of their sworn society, Fu Zhizhou possessed significant martial talent, and this time he was tasked to work alongside the Governor's Imperial Guard to destroy the Martial Fortune Pavilion... He might have discovered something at their headquarters.

After exchanging information, he and Wei Fei would certainly not be at a disadvantage. Furthermore, since their last parting at Xuanhe Pavilion, the four of them had already established a certain foundation of trust.

“Big Brother, Fourth Brother...” Hearing this, Wei Fei fell into thought, unsure of how to decide.

Among the four brothers, because they were fellow townsmen and both served in the Qingshan County Militia Office, he was closest to and trusted Wei Tu the most. As for the other two, he was not very familiar with them; they had not met many times.