"I broke through to the Qi Perception Realm some time ago and have developed internal energy."
Wei Tu spoke truthfully.
Compared to what Wei Fei was about to reveal about the Immortal cultivation manual, his own martial arts progress was not something he needed to hide from Kou Liang and Fu Zhizhou.
"Internal energy?" Kou Liang sucked in a deep breath, his gaze toward Wei Tu shifting instantly.
Among the four of them, he had always thought that the most promising among them was Fu Zhizhou, who had become a Martial Scholar at the age of eighteen.
He had assumed that he, Wei Tu, and Wei Fei were simply side characters in Fu Zhizhou's story, destined to rely on him for support in their official careers…
But now, that assumption was completely shattered.
At twenty-two years old, Wei Tu had already transitioned from external to internal cultivation and had developed internal energy. This level of talent in martial arts was worth far more than an eighteen-year-old Martial Scholar.
If Wei Tu wanted, passing the Dao Examination and earning a provincial martial graduate title was practically guaranteed.
This was the difference between true martial arts geniuses.
Hearing Wei Tu's words, it wasn't just Kou Liang who was shocked—Fu Zhizhou was as well.
Two years ago, in a fit of righteous indignation, he had stood against Prefect He alongside Wei Tu and the others, swearing brotherhood.
Since then, he had honored their bond and supported his sworn brothers, but deep down, he had occasionally felt regret…
—The gap between them was simply too vast. In the long run, Wei Tu and the others might become a burden to him.
But now, Fu Zhizhou no longer thought that way. Instead, he was grateful for the choice he had made back then.
A twenty-something Qi Perception Realm martial artist had a high chance of advancing to the Xiantian Realm before his physical prime faded.
During the campaign to eliminate Martial Luck Pavilion, Fu Zhizhou had witnessed how Grand Governor Wang treated the Xiantian Realm martial artists in his service, speaking to them as equals, even deferring to them in some cases…
From that alone, he could tell that Xiantian Realm warriors held a status at least equal to a Grand Governor within the Zheng Kingdom.
Compared to that kind of future, his own achievements seemed insignificant.
"With my experience from the last Dao Examination, given that Third Brother has reached the Qi Perception Realm, securing a spot in the top ten of the provincial martial examination should not be difficult…"
"At that point, Third Brother's official ranking will be eighth grade, just like mine."
Fu Zhizhou spoke up, not only congratulating Wei Tu but also offering him insights into the upcoming examination.
He mentioned how the combat portion of the Dao Examination was entirely different from the previous county-level exams.
Every contestant had already been recognized as a government-sponsored martial scholar in prior years. Most of them were in their prime, making them formidable opponents.
Some of the older scholars, desperate for a breakthrough, even trained in body-hardening martial arts, pushing their bodies beyond their limits in exchange for short-term explosive power…
"Thank you for the advice, Fourth Brother. We can discuss this in detail after the banquet."
Wei Tu nodded, expressing his gratitude.
Having Fu Zhizhou as a guide would help him navigate the upcoming Dao Examination, ensuring he didn't waste unnecessary effort on less effective strategies.
Though he had the highest cultivation among the candidates, that didn't necessarily mean he was the strongest.
The body-hardening martial artists Fu Zhizhou spoke of were especially difficult opponents.
He had already witnessed this firsthand when he fought the Iron Hammer Giant in Si Yang Town.
"After the banquet?" Fu Zhizhou was momentarily puzzled. What could be more important than discussing the Dao Examination?
After all, if Wei Tu fully prepared himself in advance, he might even claim the top scholar title in the martial examination.
If that happened,
he would be promoted to seventh-grade officer immediately.
The difference between eighth-grade and seventh-grade officials may seem minor, but in the bureaucratic world, it was like an insurmountable chasm.
Rising from an unclassified officer to an eighth-grade official could be done simply by accumulating years of service.
But to advance from eighth-grade to seventh-grade, one needed opportunity—without it, no amount of time would be enough.
A seventh-grade military officer could be stationed in a county and command his own troops.
Among civil officials, a county magistrate also held the rank of seventh grade.
Wei Tu remained silent, turning his gaze toward Wei Fei, waiting for him to speak.
Tonight's gathering at Xuanhe Tower wasn't about him—he didn't want to steal Wei Fei's moment.
"Wei Fei?"
Kou Liang and Fu Zhizhou were both surprised to see Wei Tu shift attention to Wei Fei.
Could it be that Wei Fei had also made some breakthrough? Had his strength greatly improved?
Even though Wei Fei was ranked second among the four sworn brothers, just beneath Kou Liang, both he and Fu Zhizhou had always somewhat underestimated him.
First, when the four of them had stood against Prefect He in the past, Wei Fei had been the last to speak out, bearing the least pressure.
Second, when the Dao Examination results were released, Wei Fei had only achieved third-class martial scholar, the lowest ranking among the four.
The room fell silent for a moment.
All eyes were on Wei Fei, waiting for him to speak.
Wei Fei didn't rush to talk. Instead, he picked up the wine jug, poured himself a cup, and downed it in one gulp.
Then he finally said, "During our campaign to eliminate the Martial Luck Pavilion's branch in Si Yang Town, Third Brother and I found a cultivation manual on one of the fallen martial artists."
"Based on Third Brother's evaluation, this manual is highly likely to be… an Immortal cultivation technique."
The moment the words left his mouth, Fu Zhizhou and Kou Liang's eyes widened in shock.
They stared at Wei Fei, their breathing becoming visibly unsteady.
"An Immortal cultivation technique?"
Both of them muttered to themselves, making sure they had heard correctly.
Wei Fei's last four words—Immortal cultivation technique—echoed in their minds.
"And Third Brother has confirmed it…"
Fu Zhizhou and Kou Liang exchanged glances.
If it were anyone else making such a claim, they might have dismissed it as nonsense.
But Wei Tu had already entered the Qi Perception Realm, approaching the threshold of a Xiantian Realm martial artist.
If this manual had merely been an advanced martial technique, Wei Tu would have recognized it immediately.
For him to conclude that it belonged to the realm of Immortal cultivation, there had to be something extraordinary about it.
"If this is truly an Immortal cultivation technique… then what my uncle told me all those years ago might not have been false after all."
After a brief silence, Fu Zhizhou spoke with a complicated expression.
As someone from a military family, he had grown up hearing rumors about Immortals—but he had always regarded them as mere stories.
When he was still a child, his uncle had told him of Immortals—vivid descriptions of their powers, their abilities beyond human comprehension.
At the time, young Fu Zhizhou had almost believed that Immortals truly existed.
Now, with Wei Fei claiming to have found an Immortal cultivation technique, and Wei Tu confirming its authenticity, the legend suddenly felt much more real.
"After obtaining this Immortal technique, Third Brother and I discussed it and decided that the four of us should study it together…"
"If one of us succeeds, he will help the others advance as well."
Wei Fei continued.
"Second Brother… are you serious?"
Even though Kou Liang had already guessed that Wei Fei might share the manual with them, hearing it confirmed still left him stunned.
For Wei Fei to be willing to share an Immortal cultivation technique with them…
This was something beyond imagination.
Even if it was impossibly difficult to cultivate, the mere fact that it carried the title of an Immortal technique meant it was priceless.