I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

Moreover, what pleased him even more was that, compared to the "Dark Laws," the "Five Elements Laws," which form the foundation of the world, were undoubtedly more suitable for alchemy—by leveraging other laws during alchemy, he could "shape" the power of the pill.

“No wonder there are rumors in the Spirit Realm that the Five Elements Dao Body is the most suitable physique for alchemy… It’s not that it can give more insights into alchemy than other cultivators, but that after advancing to the seventh-level alchemist, it can handle ‘leveraging the laws of heaven and earth’ with ease…” Wei Tu suddenly realized.

If the efficiency of the Dark Law in influencing other laws of heaven and earth is one, then the efficiency of the "Five Elements Law" in influencing other laws of heaven and earth can reach three or four.

It has increased several times over!
This is not because the Dark Law is weak, but because in the field of alchemy, the "characteristics" of the Five Elements Law have unique advantages, far surpassing those of ordinary laws.

'besides--'

"With the Five Elements Laws, it is obviously much easier to activate this Heaven-Reaching Treasure."

Wei Tu's eyes flickered as he looked at another artifact floating beside the alchemy furnace—the [Five Elements Demon-Slaying Ring].

In the past few years, he has not only been refining the "Demon-Evolving Pill", but also multitasking, using the "Tongbao Technique" to re-refine the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure, the "Five Elements Demon-Slaying Ring".

This treasure is perfectly suited to the "Five Elements Law" he has mastered, and is most easily activated by the Five Elements Law.

This is also the norm for most high-level spiritual treasures in the cultivation world.

Apart from those specially crafted high-level spiritual treasures, more than 70% of high-level spiritual treasures are suitable for being activated by the "Five Elements Law".

There's no other reason than that, in the cultivation world, the number of cultivators who advance to the Integration Realm by relying on the lower-level laws of the "Five Elements Laws" is the largest.

After reaching the mid-stage and late-stage of the Integration Realm, their numbers will decrease significantly due to their "talent." However, thanks to their large "base" and long lifespan, they still constitute a considerable proportion of the high-level cultivator population.

"My physical body is entirely at the seventh rank... In my current state, I can easily contend with a mid-stage Fusion Realm cultivator or a mid-stage Demon Lord... If I fight desperately, with the assistance of two powerful Heaven-Reaching Treasures, I should also be able to put up a fight against a late-stage Demon Lord..."

Wei Tu secretly assessed his own combat strength.

……

Three days later.

Wei Tu broke the seal on the "Secret Space" and emerged from seclusion.

"Master Kou, has the seventh-order demonic pill been successfully refined?" Qi Ying, the demon lord who was protecting Wei Tu, arrived immediately. He looked at Wei Tu, who was floating in the air, holding a pill bottle and wearing a blue-green robe, and already had a guess in his mind.

However, in order to get the answer he wanted, he swallowed hard and finally said it aloud.

Heaven knows, over the years he'd been outside the secret realm, experiencing the initial excitement of sensing the "rolling thunder" within, followed by a gradual numbness—initiating the Heavenly Tribulation, or rather, the "Elixir Tribulation," wasn't the final step in achieving the Dao Elixir's completion. Given how many times Wei Tu had triggered the Elixir Tribulation, in his view, the chances of failure were undoubtedly much greater.

There are already quite a few alchemists in "Tianyuan Holy City" who are stuck at this step and haven't made any progress for many years. He is worried that Wei Tu will be the next one.

Unexpectedly, several years later, Wei Tu... seemed not to have failed, but rather succeeded.

"I have fulfilled my mission." Wei Tu smiled faintly and used his magic to hand the pill bottle in his hand to Demon Lord Qi Ying.

"It's the aura of the 'Demon-Evolving Pill'..."

Qi Ying Demon Lord uncorked the bottle, poured out a pill the size of a jujube, and after tasting it for a moment, an expression of admiration appeared on his face. His gaze towards Wei Tu also changed several times.

Because he knew that from today onwards, Wei Tu's status in "Tianyuan Holy City" would be greatly changed.

He is no longer an ordinary newly promoted demon lord.

Instead, he was a seventh-tier alchemist who was highly sought after by the Demon Lord and held an extraordinary status.

“That old man Kui Dou has made a fortune.” Qi Ying Demon Lord’s eyes flickered slightly as he thought to himself.

The seventh-tier magic potions used for practice, though precious, could be continuously supplied to Wei Tu by his resources. At least, enough to last for several hundred years.

Therefore, it would be extremely worthwhile to monopolize Wei Tu's future "large-scale trade" in magic pills through this.

"However, whether being deeply bound to this Master Kou is a blessing or a curse for Old Man Kui Dou is uncertain..." Qi Ying Demon Lord suddenly thought of this, and his greed immediately stopped.

If Wei Tu remained a low-grade seventh-rank alchemist, his worries would be unfounded. However, given Wei Tu's astonishing "comprehension" of alchemy, he could easily predict that in the near future, he would have a certain possibility of advancing to a mid-grade or even high-grade seventh-rank alchemist.

At that time, how could the Demon Lord Kuidou, who possessed such a "source of wealth", not be envied by other Demon Lords and major forces?

Admittedly, he and Wei Tu made a Heavenly Demon Oath, making it difficult for him to betray Wei Tu. However... if a powerful external force intervenes and kills the Demon Lord Kui Dou, this oath will naturally be voided.

Based on this, he maintained a good elixir trade with Wei Tu solely through "personal relationships"—though he wouldn't make a fortune from it, at least he could live a more stable life.

Of course, by then, Qi Ying Demon Lord believed that Kui Dou Demon Lord, that this cunning old demon, would most likely let go and not cling to Wei Tu as his "source of wealth".

"It's a newly refined 'Demon-Evolving Pill'..."

Half a day later, the Demon Lord Kui Dou arrived outside the secret realm after being notified by Fu Xin, and met with Wei Tu.

Like Qi Ying Demon Lord, his face was filled with surprise and delight upon seeing the finished product of the "Demon-Evolving Pill".

however--

At this moment, Wei Tu noticed it.

Cai Xiaozhu's absence.

Logically speaking, this woman shouldn't be absent, after all, it was his invitation, given that he was a newly promoted seventh-level alchemist... With her shrewdness, she wouldn't "offend" him at this moment.

Moreover, he could also vaguely sense that after he became the Demon Lord, Lady Cai showed him "extra favor" and made subtle hints in a certain way...

The Demon Lord of the Dipper was also aware of these things.

As her biological father, the Demon Lord of Kui Dou was eager for Cai Xiaozhu to form a deeper "bond" with him. Therefore, even if Cai Xiaozhu was "busy" and unable to come, he would forcefully send her to him to meet him.

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Kou... the matter of my daughter being attacked more than sixty years ago was not resolved, but rather..."

Noticing the unusual expression on Wei Tu's face, the Demon Lord Kui Dou felt a sense of relief, but also sighed softly and explained the reason for Cai Xiaozhu's absence.

It turns out that more than sixty years ago, the attacked Cai Xiaozhu was not saved by the Demon Lord of the Dipper...

However, the Demon Lord of Kui Dou was worried that this matter would interfere with Wei Tu's alchemy mindset, so he pretended to deceive and conceal it.

“Those are the Thirteen Bandits of Jingyuan. Even with the help of Fellow Daoist Kou and Fellow Daoist Qiying, it would be difficult to rescue my daughter from these bandits.” Demon Lord Kuidou said helplessly.

Although only two of the Thirteen Bandits of Jingyuan were at the Demon Lord level, the rest, when they joined forces, could, for a short time, possess combat power comparable to a Demon Lord by using some secret techniques and puppet creations…

In other words, it's three against three.

Their side is not in a favorable position.

Moreover, it remains to be seen whether Demon Lord Qiying will agree to risk making enemies of the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan to rescue Lady Cai.

While he might help Wei Tu protect his path, he might not necessarily be willing to help Kui Dou Demon Lord rescue Cai Xiaozhu, after all... the latter's danger is simply too high.

Besides, the most important reason is that it's difficult to rescue them!
Even if their side's combat strength could easily surpass that of the Thirteen Bandits of Jingyuan.

But after hearing this, Wei Tu could clearly sense that the Demon Lord Kui Dou's "insincere" words did not seem like something a loving father would say.

However, he did not appear too "surprised" by this.

It would be truly bizarre if the Demon Lord of Kui Dou were to spare no effort to rescue Lady Cai.

Offspring can be reproduced.

If you lose your life, it's truly over.

The only drawback is that he deliberately concealed this information from him, allowing him to focus on his alchemy practice in seclusion.

But... on this point, Wei Tu should be grateful to the Demon Lord Kui Dou for not putting him in a "dilemma".

Because at that time, he was far more "important" than refining pills in seclusion. He was using the "Infant Shaping Pill" and the "Five Essence Pill" to break through to the Integration Realm... He couldn't afford even the slightest mistake, let alone go to rescue someone who wasn't particularly close to him.

"Fellow Daoist Kui Dou—"

"How is Consort Cai doing now?"

Wei Tu suppressed his distracting thoughts and inquired about the matter.

He noticed that when the Demon Lord of the Dipper was recounting information about Consort Cai, he did not mention that the woman was "dead."

Therefore, there is a considerable chance that this woman is still alive.

"...After being kidnapped by the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan, my daughter was unharmed. She only requested a substantial ransom."

At this point, the Demon Lord of the Dipper's expression instantly turned cold, and he let out a cold snort.

"As far as I know, the ransom seems to be seven thousand mid-grade magic crystals?" Qi Ying Demon Lord interjected, as if he had thought of something.

"Seven thousand mid-grade magic crystals..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly.

The ransom wasn't too high, but it wasn't cheap either; it was almost half of the fortune of someone like the Demon Lord of the Clan.

"I want to see if these Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan really dare to kill my daughter..."

The Demon Lord of the Dipper seemed not to be concerned about the amount of the ransom, but rather about a matter of pride, a matter of pride.

"I would rather ask some fellow cultivators to help me wipe out this band of thieves than give these seven thousand mid-grade spirit crystals to the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan for nothing."

The Demon Lord of the Dipper said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu could say nothing more, since this was, after all, a matter of the Kui Dou Demon Lord's "family affair." He frowned and then changed the subject, talking about other things.

However, at this very moment...

Qi Ying Demon Lord's words suddenly rang in his ears.

"Fellow Daoist Kou seems to pay special attention to Lady Cai? Indeed, as far as I know, before Fellow Daoist Kou became a Demon Lord... he seemed to have a close relationship with Lady Cai..."

“I cannot advise that old man Kui Dou. But as for a way to rescue ‘Young Master Cai’… I do have one. I just don’t know if Fellow Daoist Kou would be willing to listen.”

"A method?" Upon hearing this, Wei Tu's heart stirred.

More than sixty years ago, when he broke through to the Integration Realm, there was no way he could have gone to rescue Cai Xiaozhu. After all, in his heart, his breakthrough was far more important than the safety of this woman's life... But now that everything is "okay," he doesn't mind being a "good person."

Of course, this is on the premise that it is not very dangerous, and that it requires consuming nearly half of one's wealth, like the Demon Lord of the Clan.

"Please explain in detail, Fellow Daoist Qiying."

Wei Tu asked telepathically.

"...This matter is not difficult. With Fellow Daoist Kou's current status, he can get the leader of the Thirteen Thieves of the Abyss to give you face..."

Qi Ying Demon Lord smiled slightly and continued, "And coincidentally, I know of a private underground trading hall, or 'black market,' in Tianyuan Holy City. The leader of the Thirteen Bandits of Jingyuan... is a regular there."

"If you discuss it with him personally, it's highly likely that it will work out."

"As for me... introducing Fellow Daoist Kou there will also earn me a considerable commission, after all, seventh-level alchemists are quite rare there."

Before Wei Tu could ask any questions, Demon Lord Qi Ying explained the reason for his actions.

"Could it be that Fellow Daoist Kui Dou is unaware of the existence of this underground trading fair?" Upon hearing this, Wei Tu frowned and raised a question.

While the Demon Lord Kui Dou's power within Tianyuan Holy City wasn't exceptionally large, it was still considerable, making it highly unlikely that he would be completely unaware of this underground trading event...

Since they knew this, why didn't they try to rescue Consort Cai through this channel? Why did they have to wait for him to do it?
If you don't know...

Why didn't Qi Ying, the Demon Lord, tell him, even though he was a "friend"?
"Because this trade fair will not invite cultivators from any major powers, but only rogue cultivators like us... or useful people like Master Kou Dan..." Demon Lord Qi Ying was not surprised by Wei Tu's question, as if he had known that Wei Tu would ask this question all along.

"As for friends..."

“Fellow Daoist Kou, it is true that I am a good friend of Old Man Kui Dou. But I am also a good friend of others. Since Old Man Kui Dou is not qualified to participate in this underground trade fair... then naturally I cannot tell him this method of rescuing my niece Cai.”

Qi Ying, the Demon Lord, explained it in detail.

"The trade fair is being held within Tianyuan Holy City. No one would dare to act recklessly within the Holy City... Fellow Daoist Kou need not worry about security..."

After a moment's thought, Demon Lord Qi Ying added this sentence.

"A friend of a friend is an enemy..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu's expression turned slightly strange.

Even though he knew that the concept of "trust and righteousness" was rare among the ancient demons, such a bizarre scene still surprised him quite a bit.

He couldn't help but feel fortunate.

Before he went into seclusion in this secret realm, he made a "Heavenly Demon Oath" with Demon Lord Qi Ying. Otherwise, if this demon had sold him out, he probably wouldn't have known the reason at all.

"This underground trade fair is not only highly praised by Fellow Daoist Qi Ying, but even the leader of the Thirteen Thieves of Jingyuan flocks to it and becomes a regular... It seems that the potential value behind it is quite considerable..."

"I, Kou, am grateful for your kindness, fellow Daoist."

After quickly sorting out his thoughts, Wei Tu paused for a moment and then expressed his gratitude to Qi Ying, the Demon Lord who had introduced him to the place.

Of course, while expressing his gratitude, he also made the demon swear an oath of heaven and earth in his presence.

Now, without the oath of the Heavenly Demon, he would not easily believe anything said by other ancient demons.

"It's natural."

Qi Ying, the Demon Lord, didn't take it seriously and made a Heavenly Demon Oath with a slight movement of his lips.

Inviting Wei Tu to the underground trade fair—this move, although it exposed his suspicion of "betraying" the Demon Lord of Kui Dou, would make Wei Tu resent him.

But he didn't care about that.

Or rather, most ancient demons wouldn't care.

Only enduring interests and the oath of the Heavenly Demons are the greatest weapons they can use to bind each other. So-called "emotions" do exist among the ancient demons, but attempting to use them to "control" one another is undeniably naive. (End of Chapter)