I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

"The Oath of the Heavenly Demon?"

"Even if you hadn't said it, I would have done it myself. I would never reveal a single piece of information about you... I would even erase your memories after the transaction is complete."

Gong Shulan's tone clearly showed delight.

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu became even more certain of his earlier guess.

"This is not the place to talk. Five days from now, let's go to Kou's cave... and then we can discuss this matter in detail." He pondered for a moment, then ended the conversation directly with these words.

"Let's go to the cave for a secret discussion..."

Upon hearing this, Gong Shulan's joy was immediately extinguished by more than half.

The secluded cave dwelling could indeed be used to discuss this matter in detail, but it was also a hotbed for "the superior to bully the inferior." Moreover, given Wei Tu's strength as a high-level ancient demon, once he harbored "evil thoughts," what he coveted and desired would far exceed the "beauty" that ordinary mortals cared about.

But... Wei Tu was the only person who could help her in this matter at the moment. After a slight hesitation, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

Being a disciple of the "Pitying Centipede Demon Lord" was both a constraint and a powerful background she could rely on within the Ancient Demon Realm. Based on this alone, she didn't believe that Wei Tu would dare to harbor any "evil thoughts" towards her.

……

"I never intended to fully restore this seventh-tier puppet to its original state. If Master Lü can skillfully repair it to some extent and restore it to a degree of its original combat power... I would be overjoyed."

After transmitting his thoughts, Wei Xiang did not seem to make a private deal with Gong Shulan, and continued to talk with Lü Feng about repairing the puppet.

"To be honest, Master Lü, I am quite wealthy. If Master Lü doesn't mind... I'm willing to add a little more to the market price for repairing a sixth-order puppet." Wei Tu gritted his teeth and said this very sensibly.

However, despite this, in the subsequent price negotiation, after only a few rounds of bargaining, Wei Tu showed signs of "backing down," frowned, and then remained silent for a long time.

in business.

Lu Feng didn't think Wei Tu had any ulterior motives; he simply assumed that his asking price was too high, which made Wei Tu hesitate.

"Even if the deal falls through, we can still be on good terms! If Master Kou wants to continue repairing this seventh-tier puppet, he can always come back to me... I believe that within 'Heavenly Abyss Holy City,' my price may not be the lowest, but among puppeteers of the same tier, it is definitely the most worthwhile..."

After a moment, seeing that Wei Tu remained silent, Lü Feng decisively spoke up, ending the conversation with a slight smile.

"This Alchemist Kou is quite clever... He knows how to do things without arousing my senior brother's suspicion..."

Upon seeing this, Gong Shulan, who was standing behind Lü Feng, flashed her almond-shaped eyes and instantly understood the intentions behind Wei Tu's actions.

Anyone with a bit of experience and shrewdness could think of something like this.

However, she never expected that the aloof "Master Kou Dan" would be willing to go to such lengths for her.

That seems rather "considerate"!

"It's better to negotiate with a tiger than to ally with a fool."

Gong Shulan pursed her thin lips, trying to comfort herself.

……

"It's a pity."

"Master Lu's skill in puppetry is quite renowned in Tianyuan Holy City... If we refuse him, it will be difficult for Master Kou to find a suitable puppeteer to repair this seventh-tier puppet in the short term."

After leaving the "Lianwu Puppet Workshop", Cai Xiaozhu, who had been silent for a long time beside Wei Tu, started talking again.

His words were more enthusiastic than before.

In the past, she might have been dissatisfied with Wei Tu's "polite refusal" of Lü Feng, after all, meeting Lü Feng had cost her a lot of favors...

But now that we've seen the "potential" hidden in Wei Tu, this little thing is obviously insignificant.

In fact, in a sense...

The "stinginess" in the repair price of the "seventh-order puppet" also means that the fighting methods he relies on are far more than just this seventh-order spirit puppet... or rather, the role of this seventh-order spirit puppet for Wei Tu is not as exaggerated as Wei Tu initially said.

"The Holy City is vast, and living there is not easy. I, Kou, should not face a life-or-death battle in the short term after arriving in Tianyuan Holy City... It would be a more sensible decision to save this expense and use it to attempt to break through to the Demon Lord realm..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu, who was walking on the street, paused slightly, as if opening his heart to Cai Xiaozhu, and said these words.

"The Realm of the Demon Lord..."

"As expected, he is not the mid-stage Demon Commander he previously displayed!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Cai's heart clenched, and her breathing became rapid.

Things were indeed as Wei Tu had said.

Using that money to break through to the "Demon Lord" realm would undoubtedly be more worthwhile. Once you achieve the Demon Lord status... a mere broken seventh-tier puppet will be insignificant.

In the past, she would have thought Wei Tu was daydreaming. After all, there were countless ancient demons trapped in the "Demon General" realm. Breaking through from Demon General to "Demon Lord" was comparable to crossing a chasm, something that countless ancient demons had struggled to achieve for tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years.

Becoming a Demon Lord means truly becoming a "high-ranking" figure in the ancient demon realm. From then on, their treatment and status will be vastly different from before.

"But if... a demon general who is suspected of escaping from the Demon Lord's clutches, then the possibility of him breaking through becomes much more promising..." Cai Xiaozhu swallowed hard, thinking to herself.

"Of course, this may also be Kou's wishful thinking."

"Accumulating enough resources for a breakthrough is not as easy as I imagined..."

Wei Tu shook his head slightly and gave a self-deprecating smile.

“Sufficient resources for breaking through to the next level…” But upon hearing this, Cai Xiaozhu’s beautiful eyes subtly brightened.

She has the backing of the Kui Dou Chamber of Commerce, a top-tier chamber of commerce in the "Heavenly Abyss Holy City," and is also the biological daughter of the Kui Dou Demon Lord—the Kui Dou Demon Lord had already provided her with most of the resources needed to break through to the Demon Lord level.

However, she knew she wasn't cut out for it. Forcing a breakthrough would only be a waste of resources. So, to this day, she hadn't used that hard-won breakthrough resource.

In her view, Wei Tu was someone who was worth "hoarding".

If one could exchange a breakthrough resource for the favor or even "loyalty" of a future demon lord, then this deal would undoubtedly be worthwhile.

"We cannot make hasty judgments; further investigation is needed!"

"Although we can force him to abide by the contract through a Heavenly Demon Oath, if his heart is not sincere, it will surely lead to great disaster in the long run..."

Cai Xiaozhu calmed down again and suppressed the slight "throbbing" in her heart.

Rare commodities are highly sought after, and it's true that they come with high risks and high returns.

However, if you recklessly throw money and resources into it without considering anything else, nine times out of ten it will be a complete waste of time and effort.

She didn't believe that Wei Tu's words were unintentional!

……

When Wei Tu revealed that he was preparing to break through to the Demon Lord realm, it wasn't because he wanted anything from Cai Xiaozhu or the Kui Dou Merchant Guild. It was simply a "mental preparation" he made for the "ancient demons" around him.

Once we accept that he has the potential to break through to become the "Demon Lord," then decades or centuries later, when he achieves his goal of becoming the "Demon Lord," he won't be so conspicuous or attract so much attention.

Currently, his revealed cultivation level is only "mid-stage Demon General"—but after the "Pitying Centipede Puppet Workshop" incident, he believes that Miss Cai and the Demon Lord Kui Dou behind her will not consider him an ordinary mid-stage Demon General.

Speechless all the way.

After delivering Cai Xiaozhu to the headquarters of the Kui Dou Merchant Guild, Wei Tu parted ways with her and returned to his rented cave dwelling in Tianyuan Holy City.

What Wei Tu didn't know was...

The moment she said goodbye to him, Cai Xiaozhu, whose expression had been calm just moments before, hurried towards the cave where the "Kuidou Demon Lord" was located, her steps quick and her expression revealing a hint of joy.

"Father, do you still have the resources you prepared for me to break through to the Demon Lord level?"

Inside the cave, after exchanging pleasantries with the Demon Lord Kui Dou, Cai Xiaozhu suddenly brought up the matter.

"Are you trying to break through to the Demon Lord level?"

The Demon Lord Kuidou had no suspicions, simply assuming that Cai Xiaozhu had finally decided to break through to the Demon Lord level after years of cultivation.

After all, if one fails to break through to the next realm, the consequences can range from severe injury to death. Ordinary "second-generation demons," protected by their fathers, would not dare to attempt such a thing.

"Indeed. My daughter has been at the late stage of Demon General for thousands of years. If she remains at this level any longer, the probability of breaking through in the future will become smaller and smaller... Breaking through a realm depends not only on accumulation, but also on one's temperament..."

Consort Cai nodded slightly, her expression unchanged.

She did not reveal a single piece of information about Wei Tu to the Demon Lord of the Dipper.

One.

It is due to the oath of the Heavenly Demon.

She couldn't explain how she saw that Wei Tu had great potential and could become a highly sought-after individual.

Intentionally circumventing the oath and leaking information restrictions is acceptable, but doing so would also make her a target of the Heavenly Demon's wrath.

For the sake of her life and safety, she dared not attempt such a thing.

both.

Even in this matter, she had her own ulterior motives.

People have different degrees of closeness or distance.

The Demon Lord of the Clan was willing to part with his hard-won breakthrough resources for her sake.

But it is absolutely impossible for them to take away that resource simply because they "invested" in Weitu.

Even if she could obtain it—she didn't want Wei Tu to be grateful to the Demon Lord Kui Dou for this matter.

Her people and her father's people—the two words differ by only one character, but the results are worlds apart.

Power diminishes with the number of people involved.

"Very well, since you have this intention, then I will give you the resources I have now."

The Demon Lord Kui Dou was overjoyed, believing that his daughter had made progress. Without any doubt, he took out a red jade box from his storage artifact and handed it to Miss Cai.

"Thank you father."

With a clear voice and a joyful expression, Consort Cai curtsied and thanked her biological father, the Demon Lord Kui Dou.

But no one saw the glint of brilliance that flashed in her eyes as she lowered her head.

"Next..."

"All that's left is to test this guy surnamed Kou and see if he's willing to become my servant."

"It's far better to find a son-in-law among those who have passed the imperial examination than to hoard a rare commodity!"

"If he is willing, then grant him the resources to break through to the next level, so that he can become my other support after my father. With a Daoist partner and a biological father who are both Demon Lords, I should also have a place in this 'Heavenly Abyss Holy City'."

"If you're unwilling... it's perfectly fine for me to keep this breakthrough resource in advance. Anyway, I can always use other excuses to avoid discussing the breakthrough..."

……

Wei Tu, who had returned to his cave, was unaware that Cai Xiaozhu had already made some "unrealistic" associations based on his words.

He waited patiently, and five days later, Gong Shulan arrived.

"Master, in at most ten years, this servant will break through to the late stage of the sixth rank..." At this moment, the Bloodwinged Beast in his spirit beast pouch suddenly transmitted a message to him.

"Late stage of sixth rank..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu was slightly taken aback. After all, he was still trying to figure out how to break through to the "late stage of Void Refinement" and the "Body Integration Realm," but Bloodwing Mo had already taken the first step.

But after thinking about it again, he realized it was normal.

His breakthrough was "slow" because of his foundation. Bloodwing Mo, on the other hand, had no such "shackles" at all, and it was not unpredictable that he would catch up with him in terms of realm.

Several hundred years ago, when Bloodwing Mo escaped from the Dark Raven Tower, it didn't take long for him to break through to the mid-stage of the sixth rank.

Afterwards, after killing "Prince Qing" and the Nascent Soul Venerable who was chasing Xue Qiongyu, he gave a considerable portion of the cultivation pills he obtained to the Bloodwing Mo...

Now, after three or four hundred years of arduous cultivation, his advancement to the late stage of the sixth rank is considered "slightly" slow.

After all, the Bloodwing Mo belongs to the "True Spirit Bloodline," a genuine "True Spirit of Heaven and Earth." In terms of aptitude, it is even stronger than the ordinary princes and princesses of the Feathered Dragon Clan, such as Prince Qing.

"It seems that finding a spiritual cultivation cave is now urgent."

Wei Tu raised an eyebrow slightly and pondered.

It's not impossible to delay the Bloodwing Mo's breakthrough, but the current situation isn't so critical that it's necessary to do so.

There are only two reasons that prevented him from renting the "spiritual retreat cave".

First, we don't have enough magic crystals.

Second, they were worried about attracting criticism.

The former, after he stated that he was preparing to break through to the "Demon Lord" realm... should not find it difficult to use this reason to temporarily borrow some magic crystals from Cai Xiaozhu for emergency use.

And the latter...

"You only need to buy one spirit slave."

Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly.

Having spirit slaves reside in high-level cave dwellings imbued with spiritual energy is something many important figures in the 'Heavenly Abyss Holy City' like to do.

A good horse deserves a good saddle, and the bigwigs of 'Tianyuan Holy City' would not mistreat their 'spirit slaves' in this matter, since they are also part of their property.

And he can barely be considered a figure of note these days.

Purchasing spirit slaves or renting a high-level cave dwelling imbued with spiritual energy is not considered too "out of line".

As for spirit slaves... would they cost too many spirit crystals, conflicting with his "financial straits"...?

There's no need to worry about that.

Firstly, the price of low-level spirit slaves is not high.

Secondly, as an alchemist, he could easily purchase spirit slaves for testing pills under the guise of researching pills... This is a necessary expense for improving his alchemy skills, and no one would object to it.

"...First, borrow some magic crystals, then use these resources to purchase spirit crystals and other cultivation aids to quickly break through to the late stage of the Void Refinement realm, and then look forward to the Integration realm..."

Wei Tu's mind raced as he finalized his future cultivation plan. (End of Chapter)