I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

Unfortunately, neither the "Integration Realm" nor the "Seventh-Order Body Refinement" realm is easy to break through. Although refining the blood of these true dragons was of great help to him, he was still a little short of breaking through the realm.

"To break through to the next level... at least one more pool of dragon blood is needed."

Wei Tu glanced at the surrounding blood, which had changed from viscous to thin and pale golden, and made a mental estimate.

This is normal, though, as the amount of dragon blood in this pool is just right for his "early stage of Integration" – it can perfectly transform an early stage Integration cultivator into a Dragonborn cultivator.

If he hadn't reached the Body Refinement Realm... the Grand Princess outside the palace might have added more dragon blood for him to "bathe" and transform his body. But now that he has revealed his Body Refinement Realm, she certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to add more weight to this pointless endeavor.

This is not the way to bestow favors.

"However, it was not a wasted trip. This bath in dragon blood will at least reduce the time I need to spend cultivating these two major paths by a hundred years..."

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and continued to absorb the remaining medicinal power within the dragon blood without distraction.

of course.

He also paid attention to the commotion outside the hall, to prevent the emergence of divine senses of those at the Mahayana realm from spying on him again.

as time flows.

Half a month later, outside the palace, a new "passerby" appeared. This "passerby" also came because of him.

However, unlike the close relationship between the Mahayana phantom and the Great Princess Qian Ying'er, this "newcomer" seemed to have a great conflict with Qian Ying'er. After only a few words of conversation, there was already a hint of tension.

“To dare to oppose this woman, her status within the Feather Dragon Clan is absolutely not to be underestimated.” Wei Tu’s eyes flashed with golden light as he looked through the palace gate’s restrictions at the gentle and refined young nobleman who was confronting Qian Ying’er.

"It is... Prince Yin, another Mahayana-level direct descendant of the Feathered Dragon Clan!"

After a short while, Wei Tu searched through the memories of A Tong that he had obtained through soul-searching and learned about the nobleman's background and identity.

"...It seems that the Mahayana cultivator from the Zichen Realm must have a remarkable strength and status within the Feather Dragon Clan. Although A-Tong doesn't know anything about this person...the fact that he could attract this Prince Yin's visit speaks volumes."

Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly as he thought to himself.

His "foundation" has only been partially discovered by the Mahayana phantom who is close to Qian Ying'er.

It is highly likely that he will not reveal this secret to others, especially to "Prince Yin," who is vying with Qian Ying'er for the position of the next Dragon King.

In other words, this Prince Yin's visit was more about valuing his status than his qualifications or abilities.

And the identity of "a remnant of the Purple Palace Realm"...

Aside from that "fellow countryman of Mahayana Buddhism," he wasn't actually that valuable. At least, for "Prince Yin."

"I wonder if that person values ​​these kinship ties. If they do, perhaps this is a good starting point for leaving the Feathered Dragon Clan and returning to the human race..."

"With this person speaking up, the chances of success are much higher than if I were to increase my strength and make the Feathered Dragon Clan wary of me and abandon their oversight of me..."

……

Outside the Dragon Blood Palace.

After Prince Yin arrived.

Princess Qian Ying'er's rosy cheeks could no longer remain calm. She gritted her teeth, and her almond-shaped eyes flashed with a cold light, mixed with a hint of hidden killing intent.

"Prince Yin, don't go too far. This Fellow Daoist Lin is a remnant of the Zi Chen Realm whom I personally brought to the Dragon Blood Palace... Whether it's based on reason or emotion, he belongs to me!"

She warned in a cold voice.

One step back, one step back.

Since she is in the right, she cannot back down even a little.

Not to mention, Wei Tu was also praised by her father as the "Second Prince Zi Chi," possessing the strongest magical power in the early stages of the Fusion Realm and the potential to achieve the Great Ascension Realm.

If she misses out on Wei Tu, regardless of how outsiders evaluate her, her father will definitely be greatly disappointed in her.

“What my royal sister says makes sense, but… this statement seems a bit domineering. It is true that you are the one who guides us, but Fellow Daoist Lin is not some kind of commodity. Surely you shouldn’t be denied even the right to choose for yourself.”

"Furthermore, I am here on the orders of Lord Zichi to guide Fellow Daoist Lin to Immortal Dragon City to meet with Lord Zichi."

At this point, Prince Yin lowered his voice, his tone becoming somewhat cold, "Does my sister believe that Lord Zichi has no right to manage the remnants of the Zichen Realm? You must know that within the Feather Dragon Clan, Lord Zichi is the... the head of the lineage of these remnants of the Zichen Realm!"

"This..." Qian Ying'er was speechless, after all, these words were piercing and hard to refute.

Based on reason and logic, we should stand on her side.

However, Prince Yin's questioning was flawless.

"It seems that my sister already knows what to do next." Prince Yin smiled faintly, standing calmly to the side, waiting for Wei Tu to emerge from seclusion.

however--

Before Prince Yin could finish speaking,

Then another sentence followed.

"As for my matter, there's no need for you to trouble yourself, fellow Daoist. I'm well aware of the great kindness the Great Princess has shown me. Besides, Lord Zichi's decree only instructed me to go to Immortal Dragon City to meet with him... It doesn't seem to have said that I should stand on your side?"

The words fell.

Prince Yin's expression immediately changed from sunny to gloomy, and he looked rather unpleasant.

After all, no matter how deep his cunning, it would be difficult for him to remain calm when contradicted to his face like this.

"He... he's actually on my side?"

Qian Ying'er was also overjoyed, her almond-shaped eyes brightening as she looked up at the entrance of the Dragon Blood Palace.

Wei Tu's support not only gave her a sense of hope after a period of hardship, but also a subtle sense of satisfaction in defeating Prince Yin through her personal charm.

—Because Wei Tu is new to the area, his allegiance to her should not be based on any vested interests.

"I, Lin, have met the Great Princess and... fellow Daoist."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Tu flew out of the Dragon Blood Palace, cupped his hands, and bowed to the two of them.

Upon hearing this, Prince Yin frowned slightly, but also felt somewhat relieved. After all, ignorance is no excuse, as evidenced by the fact that Wei Tu addressed him as "fellow Daoist" rather than "Prince Yin."

He was largely unaware of his prestigious status within the Feathered Dragon Clan.

If it were him, his first thought would probably be to side with the eldest princess, who is the legitimate daughter of the Dragon King.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, the Great Princess is my younger sister, and I... am titled 'Yin,' the first-ranking prince of the Feathered Dragon Clan..."

Prince Yin whispered a reminder to Wei Tu.

He deliberately emphasized the word "first".

"I, Lin, have met Prince Yin..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu calmly returned the bow, seemingly oblivious to the implication in Prince Yin's words.

In fact.

Intuitively, Wei Tu was more inclined to side with Prince Yin than with the Grand Princess Qian Ying'er, whom he had just "supported".

While verbal exchanges cannot determine anything, they can reveal some of the abilities and personalities of the two individuals. From this perspective, the Great Princess is undoubtedly rather inexperienced and not well-suited to be the "ruler" of a faction.

Second.

He had also seriously offended this woman once inside the "Dinghai Immortal Ruins." If possible, he naturally didn't want to have any further involvement with her.

But a pity.

With the phantom of Mahayana phantom spying on him, he now had no other choice but to side with Qian Ying'er...

after all--

Once he sides with Prince Yin, who knows if that "Great Vehicle" will choose to strike against him in order to nip the danger in the bud.

On the contrary, siding with the Great Princess...

Then you won't have this worry anymore.

In Prince Yin's eyes, he was still just an ordinary survivor of the Zi Chen Realm and not a potential threat.

At least, it hasn't reached the point where factional conflicts urgently need to be resolved.

For him, winning over "Purple Dragon Lord" standing behind him was the most important thing. As long as Purple Dragon Lord lived, no matter how foolish this cultivator was, he would not dare to harm him.

These are all things that could have been expected.

as predicted.

After hearing Wei Tu's words.

Although a hint of displeasure flashed across Prince Yin's brows, he still secretly transmitted a message to him, saying that if Wei Tu was not comfortable with the Grand Princess, he could come to him, and he would treat him well.

After speaking, Prince Yin did not linger. He handed the decree issued by the Purple Dragon Lord to Wei Tu, bowed to Qian Ying'er, and then left.

"You're good! Very good!"

After Prince Yin left, Princess Qian Ying'er no longer held back her admiration for Wei Tu. Her beautiful eyes lingered on Wei Tu as she spoke these words with full appreciation.

Clearly, Wei Tu's words had struck a nerve with her.

"This is a 'Zhilu Pill,' as my way of thanking you this time." Qian Ying'er flipped her jade palm and smilingly took out a green pill bottle, handing it to Wei Tu.

"Zhiludan?"

Wei Tu was not surprised by this reward. This is how most important people are; how can they win over those around them if they don't give gifts?

However, when he took the pill bottle and scanned it with his divine sense, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

Seventh-grade mid-level pills...

It is more than ten times rarer than a low-grade seventh-rank pill.

In a sense, this "Zhilu Pill" is several times more precious than the pool of dragon blood he bathed in during this period!
This kind of generosity is beyond ordinary.

"Do you know why Prince Yin opposes me? With your intelligence, you must already have some answer. However, the answer is not very clear... After all, you are an outsider and are not familiar with the internal environment of my Feather Dragon Clan..."

After bestowing the pills, Qian Ying'er casually mentioned her grudges with Prince Yin and the political environment within the Feather Dragon Clan.

The Feathered Dragon Clan is a very special race.

They distinguish superior and inferior, and high and low status, based on bloodline.

However, he indiscriminately promoted all the outstanding dragon-born cultivators to the rank of princes and princesses.

These princes and princesses all have the right to inherit the throne of the next Dragon King.

The Great Princess and Prince Yin are the two most outstanding young members of the Feather Dragon Clan.

Originally, given the status of the eldest princess as the legitimate daughter of the Dragon King, she should have had a significant advantage over the Crown Prince.

Unfortunately, the Great Princess was born far too late.

She was born ten thousand years later than Prince Yin.

Over these ten thousand years, the Great Princess has reached a level nearly equal to that of Prince Yin, and has caught up with him. She is only one step away from reaching the "late stage of the Integration Realm" that Prince Yin is in... However, in terms of the accumulation of power in her faction, she is far inferior to Prince Yin, who was born earlier and accumulated power earlier.

"...Therefore, if it weren't for my appearance, Prince Yin would have been the undisputed next Dragon Lord of my Feathered Dragon Clan." The Great Princess Qian Ying'er's eyes gleamed, her pretty face showing no shame for vying for the throne, but rather revealing a deep ambition. "I may not compete with Prince Yin for other things, but this Dragon Lord position is one I will undoubtedly fight for! Becoming the Dragon Lord...for my Feathered Dragon Clan, it is a guarantee of reaching the Great Ascension Realm!"

"It is not that one is a Mahayana practitioner, but rather a Dragon King. And if one is a Dragon King, then one will surely attain Mahayana enlightenment!"

That concludes the conversation.

Wei Tu's heart was also stirred.

He knew that the Feathered Dragon Clan was a powerful and influential force in the Spirit Realm, but he never expected that this clan would have a way to designate a candidate and directly "force" the birth of a Mahayana Immortal!
He couldn't help but wonder what exactly this "treasure" was that enabled the Feathered Dragon Clan to continuously produce Mahayana Immortals.

A magical artifact? A secret technique?
Supreme cultivation technique?

If feasible, could it be applied to him?

After all, he currently only possesses the "potential for Mahayana," and is still nine minor realms away from the Mahayana realm...

Princess Qian Ying'er was unaware of Wei Tu's greed, or rather, she was intentionally arousing Wei Tu's greed, and she didn't care about Wei Tu's greed... With the protection of the Transcending Tribulation Immortal, as long as he lived, everyone else was just a petty person.

"As long as... Fellow Daoist Lin is willing to help me achieve the position of Dragon Lord, I can also help you become the next Purple Dragon Lord..."

"Aside from the Tribulation Transcending and Mahayana Immortals of my clan, you are second only to me!"

Qian Ying'er looked intently at Wei Tu and said.

"The next Purple Dragon Lord..."

"Under One..."

Wei Tu looked up and glanced at Qian Ying'er's graceful figure, a thought stirring in his heart.

Being supported by this woman and becoming the next "Purple Dragon Lord" is a distant goal, but in the meantime, receiving some "resource assistance" from this woman to accelerate his cultivation speed is an extremely worthwhile deal for him.

In any case, after "offending" Prince Yin, he had no other choice but to pledge allegiance to the younger generation of the Feather Dragon Clan.

But Wei Tu did not agree rashly. Instead, he frowned and said this first.

"I am willing to assist the Great Princess. However, my cultivation level is low and my strength is weak... I don't know how I can help the Great Princess in this struggle for the throne..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qian Ying'er frowned, mistakenly thinking that Wei Tu was refusing her. But after hearing the second half of his sentence, she calmed down and realized that Wei Tu was asking her about the "key" to winning the Dragon King's position from her perspective, or rather, how to help her win the Dragon King's position of the Feathered Dragon Clan.

"The position of Dragon Lord is different from the struggles among princes in the mortal world. It is determined by merit and the number of Nascent Soul cultivators who support him..."

"However, if one can hunt down three near-eighth-tier demonic beasts in succession, like Feng Qing, and become the undisputed number one in strength, then the first two things will become unimportant."

Qian Ying'er pondered for a moment and then said.

At this point, Qian Ying'er paused and then gave Wei Tu a special introduction to Feng Qing's background.

"Feng Qing, born into the Feng clan of the Ghost Phoenix clan, is the next clan leader on whom the entire Ghost Phoenix clan places high hopes..."

Little did she know that back in the Immortal Ruins of Dinghai, Wei Tu had already learned of Feng Qing's great reputation from Princess Wangyuan.

After listening to this.

Wei Tu then put aside some of his worries.

His apparent background and strength, along with his connection to the remnants of the Zichen Realm, certainly provided considerable assistance to this woman in her competition for the Dragon Lord's position.

"Since the Great Princess has shown appreciation for me..."

"How could I, Lin, dare to disobey!"

Wei Tu bowed respectfully, formally accepting the woman's invitation.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, from now on we are one family, why make such a distinction?" Upon hearing this, Qian Ying'er's face immediately showed satisfaction, and she nodded slightly, indicating that Wei Tu should dispense with formalities.

But immediately after nodding, she seemed to realize her mistake—her manners, while acceptable towards servants, were undeniably arrogant towards Wei Tu, a peer with great potential who was no less capable than herself. Thinking of this, she stepped forward again, gritted her teeth slightly, pressed down Wei Tu's clasped hands with her jade-like hand, looked at him with a slightly gentler gaze, and repeated the sentence she had just uttered.

"Could this woman also harbor thoughts of Consort Cai?"

However, upon hearing this, Wei Tu frowned secretly. He withdrew his hands without changing his expression, ignoring the woman's soft, boneless hands and the crystalline horns that swayed slightly in front of him...

He only wanted to get benefits from the Great Princess and didn't want any further trouble. After all, this woman was not just backed by a "paper tiger" like the Demon Lord Kui Dou; her background included a Transcending Tribulation Immortal and the biological father of a Great Ascension Dragon Lord, making her someone not to be trifled with.

Of course, this could also be his "stress response," making him overthink things, but... we must be cautious. It's common knowledge in the cultivation world that dragons are inherently lustful; in this respect, it's never too much to be wary.

"Your Highness, I have some matters to discuss with the people of my hometown. I wonder if you might be so kind as to make an exception for me..."

Wei Tu changed the subject and brought up this matter. (End of Chapter)