I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

but--

That being said.

In reality, when the ancient demon general of the Jin Yun Chamber of Commerce met with Wei Tu, the plump Kui Dou Demon Lord took the lead and teleported in front of Wei Tu and Cai Xiaozhu. He greeted them with a smile and directly probed their intentions.

The ancient demon in charge of responding was an old man at the front, dressed in a green robe, with high-bridged eyebrows and a chilling aura emanating from him.

Wei Tu felt that he was more like a "heretical practitioner" who specialized in evil magic than a "businessman".

However, Wei Tu dared not underestimate this demon in the slightest, because this green-robed old man was the leader of the Golden Cloud Chamber of Commerce, whose status was equivalent to that of the "Kui Dou Demon Lord"!
Both of them were ruthless individuals who built up enormous fortunes in Tianyuan Holy City through their own efforts.

"Golden Cloud Demon Lord..."

"The Demon Lord of the Dipper..."

The two men landed here, bowed to each other, and although their conversation was amiable, the "hostility" between old rivals and old enemies was also revealed in an instant.

The powerful aura forced all the ancient demons within a radius of several feet to retreat continuously.

Only Wei Tu, who was also a "Demon Lord," remained standing firmly behind the Demon Lord Kui Dou, like a nail, calm and composed.

"New talents emerge in every generation, and a newly promoted Demon Lord like Kou is a rare sight in the current Tianyuan Holy City. Presumably... it won't be long before the foundation laid by Demon Lord Kou will make us 'older generation' take notice..."

Golden Cloud Demon Lord looked up, his gaze bypassing the Kui Dou Demon Lord blocking his way. After glancing at Wei Tu briefly, he smiled slightly and uttered these words.

The words fell.

The ancient demons present couldn't help but glance at Wei Tu and Kui Dou Demon Lord respectively.

At first glance, these words seem to be praising Wei Tu, the young demon lord, for his bright future. But with their experience, how could they not hear the deep "malice" hidden within them?

Establishing a foundation is not the same as inheriting one...

This is an attempt to sow discord between Wei Tu and Kui Dou Demon Lord, subtly implying that Wei Tu will not remain subservient for long, since even one mountain cannot hold two tigers... let alone two demon lords of the same rank.

The forces that can accommodate experts of the same level are either clans bound by blood ties or sects that rely on a master-disciple system...

All the ancient demons present understood that the fact that the Demon Lord Kui Dou was able to help Wei Tu, the newly promoted Demon Lord, hold the "Demon Lord Ceremony" meant that a distribution of benefits had definitely been arranged behind the scenes.

However, the words of the Golden Cloud Demon Lord, which implied a real problem, inevitably became like a thorn, deeply embedded in the hearts of the two. Although not fatal, it was definitely insidious.

Wei Tu, of course, understood the sinister meaning behind those words!

The first thing he did upon meeting the Demon Lord Kuidou after his ascension to the Demon Lord was to make his stance clear—he insisted in every word that he was one of the Demon Lord Kuidou's "own people" and that he had received favors from Lady Cai before his ascension to the Demon Lord.

The purpose was to reduce the potential threat and sense of unease that he, as a fellow Demon Lord of the same rank, posed to the Demon Lord Kui Dou, while living under the same roof.

Now, Demon Lord Jin Yun has accurately predicted this "conflict" that exists between him and Demon Lord Kui Dou, and has directly and precisely attacked it in this regard!

So—before the Demon Lord Kuidou could react, Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and replied first.

"That's nothing for Demon Lord Jin Yun to worry about. Fellow Daoist Kui Dou is in his prime, and with him in charge of the Kui Dou Merchant Guild, today's Kui Dou Merchant Guild is just the beginning..."

"As for myself, I am clumsy. Although I was fortunate enough to be promoted to Demon Lord, I am really not very good at business... I am already overjoyed to have gained the appreciation of Fellow Daoist Kui Dou and share some of the profits with me."

Wei Tu responded calmly, neither too soft nor too hard.

He did not deliberately ignore the potential conflicts and contradictions that might arise from being in the "Kuidou Chamber of Commerce" with the Kuidou Demon Lord, but his meaning was also very straightforward, pointing directly to the core issue.

Now is the time to expand the "Kuidou Chamber of Commerce" pie. There is no need to be provoked. Instead, it is most important and advantageous to unite against each other and point our guns at an external force.

In a word.

With this shared interest, all other issues can be put on hold for now.

"This demon is no ordinary being; he is not a benevolent one."

Upon hearing this, Jin Yun Demon Lord, whose expression had softened and who was greatly pleased, narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Wei Tu with a hint of apprehension.

Those who can realize the hidden "thorn" in his words, the attempt to sow discord, are already considered intelligent.

But someone like Wei Tu, who can leverage external forces to turn hidden "conflicts" into internal motivation and common interests for dealing with the Jin Yun Chamber of Commerce, is no ordinary person.

This kind of wisdom is something most people can possess if they think calmly, but the difficulty lies in coming up with a "brilliant solution" in that instant.

Clearly, although Wei Tu is a newly promoted Demon Lord in terms of age, he is definitely a seasoned veteran who can be compared with "veteran Demon Lords" like him in terms of worldly experience.

"If the soft approach doesn't work, then we'll have to resort to the hard one." Demon Lord Jin Yun sighed inwardly, then abandoned his initial "fantasy" and began to seriously consider specific ways to deal with the future attacks from the Kui Dou Chamber of Commerce.

……

"It was my poor words that caused Demon Lord Kou to misunderstand... This is my fault."

Demon Lord Jin Yun apologized and became more humble, no longer as aggressive as before.

Seeing that Demon Lord Jin Yun had backed down, the ancient demons present were too lazy to watch this farce any longer, and they all turned their attention away to chat with their friends at the table again.

However, some high-ranking demon lords of the same level looked at Demon Lord Jin Yun with an unspoken sneer, as if mocking Demon Lord Jin Yun's overestimation of his abilities.

Of course, this may not be the true thoughts of these demon lords. Their thoughts are often not so "superficial"—their real purpose may include subtly provoking the Golden Cloud Demon Lord, watching the two major merchant guilds fight while they reap the benefits.

"Young Master Kou's words are sharp and his demeanor is dashing; it is quite pleasing to watch him."

Just as Wei Tu was watching Kui Dou Demon Lord personally welcome Jin Yun Demon Lord to the seat of honor at the grand ceremony, a soft, gentle voice suddenly appeared in his ear.

He frowned slightly and turned to look at the voluptuous snake-haired beauty standing at the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce. The woman smiled gently, and behind her were two people he knew, Lü Feng and Gong Shulan.

"The Demon Lord of Pitying Centipede?" Wei Tu's heart tightened, and he immediately became extremely wary of this demon, after all, he had truly "offended" this demon and tried to poach his men.

"Is Brother Kou... feeling nervous?"

With a flick of her tongue, the Demon Lord Lianwu appeared beside Wei Tu in an instant, pressed close to his back, and whispered these words in his ear.

But he hadn't finished speaking.

The next moment, she instantly sensed Wei Tu's terrifying physical body, which was different from that of an ordinary demonic cultivator. Her expression changed slightly, and she immediately retreated, returning to her two disciples, Lü Feng and Gong Shulan.

However, she did not show the "panic" she had shown earlier on her face. Instead, she maintained that bored expression, pretending to be calm, lightly licking her cherry lips, and playing with a strand of snake hair hanging down her face, flicking its tongue, just like a real snake.

"A secret technique similar to... the Nine Blood Spirit Body's 'Blood Qi Sensing'? This demon certainly has keen senses."

Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, vaguely sensing the methods of the Demon Lord Lianwu.

However, seeing that the demon had retreated, he slightly shook his right arm, and the arm with dense dragon scales hidden inside his sleeve instantly returned to normal.

At the same time, his mind and blood became completely still and undisturbed in that instant.

Wei Tu didn't care that others had discovered he was a "Body Refining Demon Lord"—what surprised him was that even his "state of mind" had been spied on by the Pity Centipede Demon Lord.

Of course, this is not entirely unacceptable.

Even ordinary people can discern another's state of mind and emotions from subtle facial expressions, let alone the powerful "Demon Lords" of the ancient Demon Realm? It is perfectly normal for these long-lived Demon Lords to possess some strange and unusual secret techniques.

"The Demon Lord Lianwu is fond of men and is a harlot among female demon lords. You should be careful and don't let her bewitch you..." At this moment, the Demon Lord Kuidou also realized what was going on and transmitted his voice to Wei Tu, telling him about some of the little-known and rarely circulated "love stories" of the Demon Lord Lianwu.

Licentiousness in sexual matters is not considered a major taboo among demon lords. Every demon lord, regardless of gender, has several partners or concubines unless they are chaste and virtuous.
What's terrifying is that the Demon Lord Lianwu had a notorious reputation for devouring and killing his male lovers after engaging in dual cultivation.

However, this story is from tens of thousands of years ago, and no one would remember it unless they were an old man like the Demon Lord of the Dipper.

"No wonder he behaves so dissolutely."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu seemed somewhat relieved, a look of realization appearing on his face.

However, for the Demon Lord Lianwu, Wei Tu was more intriguing at this moment.

In matters of dual cultivation, the "essence" that a Body Refining Demon Lord can provide is far more than that of an ordinary Demon Lord.

"It's just a pity that this kid surnamed Kou... has already been favored by the Demon Lord of the Dipper..."

The Demon Lord Lianwu shook her head secretly, knowing that with the protection of the Demon Lord Kuidou, she would definitely not be able to gain any advantage over Wei Tu by normal means.

Secondly, her earlier probing also revealed Wei Tu's quick reflexes. If it weren't for the "Demon Lord's Ceremony," she would probably have already suffered some minor injuries.

"However, in a few hundred years, when my disciple matures... perhaps he will have the strength to crush these juniors..." The Demon Lord Lianwu's almond-shaped eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at Gong Shulan beside him, a light smile playing on his lips.

……

The targeting by the Golden Cloud Chamber of Commerce and the ill-intentioned "teasing" by the Demon Lord Lianwu were merely minor incidents during the Demon Lord's Grand Ceremony.

Many of the ancient demons, wary of the Demon Lord Kui Dou who was in charge, were quite amiable and friendly.

"Now, we can say that we have truly taken root in this Primordial Demon Source Realm and Tianyuan Holy City."

During the banquet, Wei Tu, who was exchanging toasts with the group of demon lords, also had this thought at this moment, feeling relieved.

With this Demon Lord Ceremony, he essentially received the personal endorsement of the Demon Lord of the Dipper.

In the future, whatever he does in Tianyuan Holy City, he will receive the support of the connections accumulated by Kui Dou Demon Lord.

Against this backdrop, he now truly possesses the environment to break through to the "Fusion Realm".

"I wonder when this woman will break through to the Demon General realm..."

Subconsciously, Wei Tu turned his gaze to Gong Shulan.

Decades ago, he had already given this woman the "Demon God's Blood Essence" needed to break through to the Demon Commander level as a reward.

With his current level of cultivation, he has now met all the necessary conditions to break through to the "Demon General" level.

A breakthrough is just around the corner!
The only thing that could restrain this woman was probably her mentor, "Lord Lianwu".

"Let's sit back and see how things develop..."

"Today, Demon Lord Lianwu offended me, not too much, not too little. If things change, I can use this as a reason to intervene."

Wei Tu's eyes flashed, a cold smile playing on his lips.

……

The Demon Lord Ceremony concluded as scheduled.

After announcing Wei Tu as the "Chief Alchemist" of the Kui Dou Chamber of Commerce, all of the Chamber's alchemy resources began to be poured into Wei Tu regardless of the cost.

These alchemy resources, as Wei Tu deliberately mentioned, also contained a considerable number of high-grade spiritual herbs.

And no one doubted this.

Just as Wei Tu improved his alchemy skills by studying the "Ancient Demon Alchemy Techniques," many high-level alchemists of the Ancient Demons also regarded studying the alchemy techniques of spiritual cultivation as a way to broaden their horizons and gain insights from similar knowledge.

With the support of such vast resources

Wei Tu's alchemy skills and immortal cultivation began to steadily improve.

Thirty years later.

He reached the "Great Completion" stage of the Immortal Cultivation realm.

It was twice as fast as expected.

Another fifty years have passed.

He finally achieved his wish and raised his immortal cultivation level to the "peak" of the late stage of the Void Refinement realm, that is, the peak of the Void Refinement realm.

He is now only one step away from breaking through to the "fusion" realm.

However, Wei Tu decided to postpone the refining of the "Five Essence Pills" for now.

Only after he has fully become a "seventh-level alchemist" should he start refining "five-essence pills," thus increasing his chances of success.

at the same time--

The extraordinary phenomenon he had been waiting for—the celestial phenomena of Gong Shulan's breakthrough to the "Demon Commander" realm—finally manifested on this day.

Under the constraints of the Lianwu Puppet Workshop's formation, the fluctuations in this area were not significant.

The other ancient demons were not given much attention.

—No other reason than that ancient demons at the Demon Commander level are far too common in this Heavenly Abyss Holy City.

Gong Shulan, or rather "Mei Shixue," as the personal disciple and favorite of the Demon Lord Lianwu, has only now advanced to the Demon Commander realm, which is, in fact, already considered unqualified.

"Go! In my name, send a congratulatory letter to this young woman surnamed Mei, inviting her to my cave."

Inside the Kui Dou Chamber of Commerce, Wei Tu flicked his sleeves, opened the long-sealed door to the alchemy room, tossed a talisman to the guards standing at the door, and coldly uttered these words.

"Don't worry about it too much."

"He is simply seeking revenge... for the feud he incurred with the Demon Lord Lianwu during the Demon Lord's Grand Ceremony."

After a short while, the Demon Lord Kuidou, upon hearing the news, merely raised his eyelids and then paid little attention to the matter.

The guard who reported the matter was simply instructed to proceed as usual.

People fight for a breath.

Even Buddha would fight over a stick of incense.

Since Demon Lord Lianwu offended Wei Tu, he must pay the price for his offense... His harsh treatment of Demon Lord Lianwu's disciple was already a sign of his restraint and self-discipline.

Although he had some connection with the Demon Lord Lianwu.

But these relationships weren't worth offending Wei Tu, who was in the same faction.

same.

Upon learning of this, the Demon Lord Lianwu was displeased, but he knew that he had offended Wei Tu first and misjudged his strength. He could only suppress his anger and forward the talisman, instructing Gong Shulan, who had just finished her breakthrough, to go to Wei Tu's cave to apologize.

After all—if he really refused, he would be openly making enemies of Wei Tu and Kui Dou Demon Lord.

Now, the big issue has been reduced to a small one, and the small issue has been resolved, which is a pretty good outcome.

She also didn't believe that Wei Tu, the newly promoted Demon Lord, would have any connection with Gong Shulan, and she saw the immense value hidden within Gong Shulan.

“It is not excessive to use women to serve one’s needs when necessary.”

"That fellow surnamed Kou is riding high... It's rumored that he's not far from breaking through to the seventh-tier alchemist. He can already refining near-seventh-tier demonic pills reliably. If you can befriend this demon and turn a rift into friendship, I'll credit you with a favor!"

Two years later, looking at Gong Shulan who had finished stabilizing her cultivation realm, the Demon Lord Lianwu paused for a moment before earnestly giving her some instructions. (End of Chapter)