Wei Tu carefully examined the Five Yuan Spirit Body manual in his hands. The aged yellow pages carried a faint scent of ink, and the writing was meticulously neat, as if written by a highly skilled calligrapher.
"Could this be a Immortal cultivation method?" he wondered to himself.
He continued flipping through the pages, his mind rapidly processing the content.
Unlike Marrow Refining Sutra, which cultivated internal energy (nei qi), this manual spoke of something entirely different—spiritual power (ling li).
Wei Tu took a deep breath to suppress the excitement rising in his chest.
If this truly was a Immortal cultivation technique, it would prove the existence of immortals and Daoist longevity, something he had speculated about ever since awakening his Late Bloomer destiny.
"If the path of martial arts alone could not fully explain my destiny… then the existence of Immortal cultivation would make sense."
But after calming his initial excitement, he realized that the manual was incomplete.
The content only focused on condensing the Earth Yuan Body, one of the five elemental bodies. The other four Yuan Bodies were not recorded, nor was there any mention of how to apply this so-called spiritual power in combat or daily life.
"Third Brother, did you figure anything out?" Wei Fei asked eagerly. He had been observing Wei Tu's serious expression and deduced that his sworn brother must have discovered something significant.
Wei Tu hesitated for a moment before replying, choosing his words carefully. "I've made some sense of it. This Five Yuan Spirit Body technique might be a legendary Immortal cultivation method. The internal energy (nei qi) I cultivate is fundamentally different from the spiritual power (ling li) described in this manual."
He decided to be upfront about his deductions.
Since Wei Fei trusted him enough to share this secret manual, there was no reason to withhold his thoughts.
Besides, if Wei Fei did not understand the seriousness of this matter and carelessly spread information about this secret manual, then as his sworn brother, Wei Tu would inevitably be implicated as well.
For both personal and practical reasons, it was best for Wei Fei to grasp the weight of what they had just uncovered.
Wei Tu felt that it was necessary to voice his suspicions.
"Immortal cultivation technique…" Wei Fei was momentarily stunned, his expression full of disbelief.
Since childhood, he had heard many legends of immortals, but he always dismissed them as mere folk tales. In his heart, he believed that true immortals did not exist.
However, hearing these words from Wei Tu—a man with a steady and pragmatic nature—shook his long-held convictions. Even if he didn't fully believe it, he couldn't help but consider the possibility.
"Third Brother, wait a minute…" After recovering from his initial shock, Wei Fei suddenly recalled something Wei Tu had mentioned earlier. His eyes widened in astonishment. "Third Brother, did you say you've entered Qi Perception Realm, becoming an internal energy expert?"
He understood very well how difficult Qi Perception Realm was to achieve.
Even among provincial martial graduates, there were many who never managed to break through to this level.
"Third Brother, you've been hiding this from me all along…" Wei Fei let out a bitter laugh.
All this time, he had assumed that aside from Fu Zhizhou, he and Wei Tu were on the same level—just ordinary martial scholars. But now, he realized that Wei Tu's talent was even greater than Fu Zhizhou's.
Fu Zhizhou had reached provincial martial graduate rank at the age of eighteen, but even he might not necessarily achieve Qi Perception Realm within his lifetime.
"It's not that I meant to hide it, Second Brother," Wei Tu explained, shaking his head. "It's just that I only broke through a month ago, and besides… my master has strict instructions."
"I understand," Wei Fei quickly nodded. "The tree that stands out catches the wind. If word gets out that you've reached Qi Perception Realm at just over twenty, you'd be drowning in trouble. Keeping it a secret is only natural."
Just now, Wei Tu had trusted him enough to reveal his Qi Perception Realm status and to openly discuss the Five Yuan Spirit Body manual, suspecting it to be a Immortal cultivation technique.
This alone proved that Wei Tu was a true brother.
If Wei Tu had chosen to keep silent, Wei Fei would have never realized the significance of this secret manual.
"Thank you, Second Brother."
Wei Tu cupped his hands in gratitude.
The two of them composed themselves and resumed their discussion about the Five Yuan Spirit Body manual.
"But even if this technique is real…" Wei Fei hesitated before asking, "Do you think we actually have a chance of cultivating it and becoming the immortals of legend?"
His confidence wavered.
After all, he hadn't even reached Qi Perception Realm yet, let alone comprehended something as mystical as condensing the Earth Yuan Body.
The prerequisite for cultivating this technique was to first sense spiritual energy and then convert it into spiritual power.
"That's hard to say," Wei Tu admitted, shaking his head.
Even after practicing the Marrow Refining Sutra for over a month, the only energy he had ever sensed was internal energy (nei qi). He had never felt anything remotely close to spiritual energy (ling qi) or spiritual power (ling li).
"Fourth Brother is currently on a mission to eradicate the main headquarters of Martial Luck Pavilion. Maybe he knows something about the Five Yuan Spirit Body."
"I suggest that Second Brother allow Big Brother and Fourth Brother to take a look at this Immortal cultivation technique. Perhaps they might have some insights…"
"This could also strengthen the bond between us brothers."
Wei Tu spoke in a solemn tone.
Even the most extraordinary technique was useless if no one could cultivate it.
If he had never reached Qi Perception Realm, then even the Marrow Refining Sutra would have remained nothing more than a forgotten manuscript, gathering dust in Master Dan Wu Ju's possession.
Among the four sworn brothers, Fu Zhizhou had a natural gift for martial arts. Now that he was working directly with the Governor's Elite Guards in their attack on Martial Luck Pavilion, he might have uncovered valuable secrets…
If they could exchange information, it would be mutually beneficial.
Besides, after their last meeting at Xuanhe Tower, a strong foundation of trust had already been established between the four of them.
"Big Brother… Fourth Brother…" Wei Fei murmured to himself, hesitating.
Among the four sworn brothers, he was closest to Wei Tu due to their shared background in Qingmu County's garrison.
But as for the other two?
He wasn't as familiar with them. They had met only a few times.