I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

"With this 'Blood Curse Secret Book' in hand, Senior Jiang Lingzi, are you still afraid that I, Wei, will deceive you in this matter?" Wei Tu smiled faintly, nodded, and asked in return.

The reward he mentioned, which he gave to Jiang Lingzi, was none other than the Immortal Ruins Token of the "Stabilizing Sea Immortal Ruins" obtained in the "Stone Cocoon Secret Realm".

The Immortal Ruins of Dinghai open once every three thousand years, and he had already entered it more than six hundred years ago, obtaining two tremendous opportunities: the 'Ten-Tailed Immortal Qi' and the [Longevity Immortal Lamp]. It's not impossible to patiently wait for more than two thousand years and obtain other resources for the Fusion Realm in this Immortal Ruins, but... compared to the other opportunities he has, this Immortal Ruins secret realm, which is more suitable for the 'early Fusion Realm,' inevitably seems to have a low cost-performance ratio.

The 'Land of Inheritance' of the human ancestors within the Mirage Realm, and the Spirit Evolution Heavenly Palace within the 'Black Mist Swamp'...

These two key locations are the 'secret places' he needs to focus on exploring on his next journey of merging into one.

Secondly, the body-refining technique of the Feathered Dragon Clan that he cultivated had already determined that his first stop on his journey to the 'Dinghai Immortal Ruins' would be the 'Dragon Refining Sea Area'.

Ironically, during his last trip to Dinghai Immortal Ruins, he had already deeply offended the Great Princess and other Feathered Dragon Clan cultivators, forging a life-or-death feud over the killing of Prince Qing.

Therefore, even if the Immortal Ruins of Dinghai reopened two thousand years later, he would not dare to easily use this Immortal Ruins Token to travel to the Immortal Ruins of Dinghai again...

Therefore, this 'Immortal Ruins Token,' which is highly sought after by powerful beings at the Integration Realm and various races, is actually a useless item to him.

For him, exchanging this item for another 'spatial node' to return to the spirit world from Jiang Lingzi, gaining his friendship, and forming an 'alliance of interests' would be a costless and beneficial thing.

"Besides, if I really want to enter this Dinghai Immortal Ruins, with my current status, I don't need to use the 'Immortal Ruins Token'... The princesses and princes of the Feather Dragon Clan are not lacking in such quotas..." Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered to himself.

Moreover, compared to entering directly with the 'Immortal Ruins Token', it would be safer for him to don the guise of a 'remnant of the Purple Palace Realm' and accompany the Feather Dragon Clan cultivators to the 'Sea-Stabilizing Immortal Ruins' without attracting hatred out of thin air.

……

"However, this Immortal Ruins Token is not currently in my possession. When I leave the human realm and return to the spirit realm, I will certainly hand it over to Senior Jiang Lingzi."

Wei Tu's eyes flashed as he spoke again.

However, although these words were true, Jiang Lingzi perceived them as Wei Tu intentionally 'delaying' him.

Although he knew that Wei Tu was limited by the rules of the mortal realm and, like him, would find it difficult to carry too many spiritual items, he did not believe that Wei Tu would easily 'abandon' the Immortal Ruins Token, such a precious treasure, and let it slip out of his sight...

—Although the Immortal Ruins Token is not a high-grade 'spiritual treasure' and is not as sturdy as high-grade spiritual treasures, it is by no means an easily damaged item. It is not one of those spiritual pills or medicines that are difficult to bring to the lower realm.

Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that Wei Tu wasn't lying—in fact, the "Immortal Ruins Token" of the Dinghai Immortal Ruins, which he considered a treasure and a rare opportunity, was now treated like trash in Wei Tu's hands...

However, it's no wonder that Jiang Lingzi is worried, because Wei Tu is secretly fueling this suspicion. After all, he doesn't want this cultivator to easily discover his true intentions.

"Very well, a hundred years from now, we shall meet again in the spirit world. I suppose at that time, we will be able to sit on the clouds like good friends and share a cup of wine."

A moment later, Jiang Lingzi laughed heartily, flicked his wide robe, took out a drop of essence blood, and used his magic power to write the 'secret agreement' he had made with Wei Tu that day on the ghostly 'Blood Curse Book'.

See this scene.

Without hesitation, Wei Tu used his finger as a knife and wrote the same oath on the reverse side of the 'Blood Curse Secret Book'.

It's just writing.

The 'Blood Curse Secret Book' containing the essence and blood of the two split in two at that moment, each transforming into a blood-red ghost head. After a slight flash of blood light, the heads entered the consciousness of Wei Tu and Jiang Lingzi.

Suddenly, the two sensed a hidden power of rules and an unseen constraint.

At this moment, Jiang Lingzi said no more. He transmitted the location of the 'spatial node' to Wei Tu, then took one last deep look at Wei Tu, bowed, and with a flick of his sleeve, transformed into a rainbow of light and left the only path between the two great cultivation worlds.

Upon seeing this, Wei Tu remained silent and did not try to persuade Jiang Lingzi to stay.

Nothing more than what he said.

At this point, they were enemies, not friends.

Only when he escapes this 'human prison' and meets him again in the spirit world can they be considered true 'friends'.

Because by then, their alliance of interests had been effectively formed, and a genuine foundation of trust would exist between them.

but--

At the very moment Jiang Lingzi fled, a pale blue jade slip appeared out of thin air where he had been standing. It was enveloped in magical power and floated in the clouds.

"This cultivator truly lives up to his reputation as an ascendant from the human realm; in terms of intellect, he is indeed a top-tier individual."

Seeing this, Wei Tu was filled with admiration. He raised his hand and grabbed the jade slip in his palm, then began to examine it with his divine sense.

With his intelligence, it wasn't hard for him to guess that this letter was definitely a gift from Jiang Lingzi before he left, something that would be quite useful to him.

The fact that this cultivator did not include this jade slip among the three bargaining chips he had previously mentioned undoubtedly indicates that he intended to use this item to leave a favor for him, outside of the mutual 'exchange of interests'.

However, although it originated from 'scheming', at this moment, it warmed Wei Tu's heart slightly, and his cold expression softened considerably.

The jade slip contained only two simple lines of text.

—The Purple-Faced Hermit is not the only secret of the human race.

—Duan Jiu, ranked ninth, was called 'Ninth Junior Brother' by the Purple-Faced Hermit.

"Duan Jiu, Ninth Junior Brother?"

Wei Tu raised an eyebrow. After reading those two lines, he could easily discern the reminder Jiang Lingzi was giving him.

—Be careful, Iron-Headed Monk's personal disciple.

After all, Duan Jiu alone is already a peak-level Fusion Realm expert.

Even if the senior brothers ranked above them are weak, they are probably still powerful figures within the Fusion Realm.

Moreover, there is a very high probability that these "senior brothers" are at the same level as Duan Jiu and Zi Mian Sanren, all of whom are "Great Cultivators of the Integration Stage".

"The human race's foundation is truly not to be underestimated. Indeed, with Iron Head Monk in power for hundreds of thousands of years, how could the number of Nascent Soul cultivators he cultivated be limited to only Duan Jiu and Purple-Faced Hermit..." Wei Tu pondered to himself.

He had already guessed this when he learned that Zi Mian Sanren was a disciple of Tie Tou Tuo.

Because, within the human race, Duan Jiu is the rightful 'senior brother'!
However, after the emergence of the "Purple-Faced Hermit," his so-called title of senior brother was naturally just a charade.

At that time, he had a hunch about whether the "Purple-Faced Hermit" had any other fellow disciples, believing that there was a good chance that he had been hidden away by the Iron-Headed Monk and then "obliterated" from the history of the spirit world, becoming what is known as the foundation of the human race...

Now, Jiang Lingzi's comment is the strongest evidence to support his speculation.

"Now I realize how difficult it is to ascend to immortality."

Wei Tu looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of spatial barriers, and saw the densely packed human cultivators of the Spirit Realm. At that moment, Jiang Lingzi's slightly wistful and melancholic words echoed in his mind.

"It seems that leaving the human race has not cost me anything... There is absolutely no chance of ascending to immortality within the human race. Perhaps there is such a thing as the 'Grand Plan of the Human Race,' but the method to break through it is extremely difficult!"

Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly, and at that moment, he felt a great sense of relief.

Just like Jiang Lingzi.

Upon hearing that among the high-ranking members of the human race there were disciples of the Iron-Headed Monk, like the Purple-Faced Hermit, who had been 'obliterated' in history, his thoughts were not filled with fear... but rather with a deeper, more nuanced analysis of interests.

Spiritual practice is like rowing against the current.

Since the human race in the spirit realm could hardly provide him with any resources, his unexpected escape was actually a good thing for him!
……

With the guarantee of the spirit descending.

Wei Tu, who had returned to the Great Cang Cultivation Realm, was temporarily free of worries. He returned to Huangsha Sect as if nothing had happened and went into seclusion to cultivate in his cave in the back mountains.

Of course, in his spare time, he also met with Huangsha Sanren once and gave him the opportunity to become a Nascent Soul cultivator that he had promised.

Although the Corpse King Sect's treasury didn't contain many good items, the Purple-Faced Hermit was, after all, a ruthless person who had dominated the Great Yan cultivation world for hundreds of years, and it still had some fifth-grade spiritual herbs stored within.

And now we have fifth-tier spiritual herbs.

As a seventh-level alchemist, Wei Tu could easily refine breakthrough pills such as the 'Infant-Nourishing Pill'.

"Furthermore, even without suitable fifth-tier spiritual herbs, it wouldn't be difficult to refine pills using this 'fused corpse body' and create an opportunity to advance to the Nascent Soul stage..."

Inside the cave at the back of Huangsha Gate, after waving away the profusely thankful Huangsha Hermit, Wei Tu flicked his sleeve, took out the remains of the Purple-Faced Hermit hidden in his storage bag, and looked at the corpse with a cold smile.

Unlike ordinary seventh-order alchemists, this "seventh-order alchemist" had cultivated in the "Primordial Demon Source Realm" and knew many demonic methods of "using humans as pills".

For him, a master of demonic pills, cultivating corpses and refining elixirs was as easy as eating and drinking.

"However, having elixirs like the Nascent Soul Replenishing Pill, saving this corpse is also advantageous for me."

Wei Tu raised his hand and made a hand seal, placing several spells and restrictions on the corpse of the Purple-Faced Hermit. Then, he turned his gaze to the 'Undying Demon Body' stored deep in the cave.

The next moment, under the control of his 'Blood Demon Soul Split', this 'demon body' that looked almost exactly like him immediately came out of the secluded cultivation room and instantly appeared in front of him.

Then, the 'demon body' moved its lips slightly, and after chanting an obscure incantation, a stream of eerie blue flames immediately spewed from its mouth, burning the remains of the purple-faced wanderer.

Under the scorching heat of the sizzling demonic flames, a drop of essence blood, radiating multicolored spiritual light and containing the aura of corpses and the "Law of the Spirit Zombie," was extracted from the corpse by the "demon body" controlled by Wei Tu.

"Go!" At this moment, Wei Tu once again made a hand seal, directly injecting the essence blood into a 'refined corpse' standing to the side, with a cold temperament and cheeks like a toad.

Under the influence of this essence blood, the corpse energy of this 'refined corpse' instantly became several times more concentrated, and its cultivation level also surged dramatically.

"The two corpses share the same bloodline. This method can indeed accelerate the cultivation level of this Toad Water Yin Corpse."

"Of course, it's also related to An Liangcai's 'Mysterious Netherworld Flame.' This demonic flame is one of the great supernatural powers of his demonic body, far stronger than what the Sky-Splitting Eagle cultivated with its 'black finger bones'..."

Upon seeing this, Wei Tu's face lit up with joy, and he thought to himself.

"That's natural. My Xuanming Yin Fire is renowned in the Ancient Demon Realm. You're too young to know, but back when we invaded the Zichen Realm, my demonic flames killed three Nascent Soul stage cultivators in one go..."

On the table sat a heavily guarded red jade box, from which this rather arrogant and self-praising remark suddenly rang out.

“Oh, then I wonder if Fellow Daoist An has any method to deal with that Xuanling Fairy? As long as I obtain the supreme treasure in this woman’s hands, I can return to the Origin of the Primordial Demon Realm… At that time, perhaps I will have the opportunity to reunite you and your Daoist partner.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu finished his hand seals, raised his sleeve to retrieve the remains of the purple-faced hermit, and then asked casually.

Now that he has settled the matter of the 'Purple-Faced Hermit', he only has one more important thing left in the human realm, something he has been waiting for for decades.

—Go to the secret realm of the Venerable King Palace, obtain the [Earth Emperor Pearl], and take away the complete inheritance of Fairy Xuanling.

Therefore, upon returning to the Great Cang Cultivation Realm, he immediately sought advice from An Liangcai, a renowned Demon Lord in the Ancient Demon Realm, without any shame.

Knowing yourself and knowing your enemy can help you win a hundred battles.

When facing a Mahayana cultivator, he must hold onto even the slightest bit of assistance, in order to have the greatest chance of victory.

"This Mahayana Secret Realm is no easy place to venture into. I, An, have been hiding in the Great Cang Cultivation World for over a thousand years and have long known about this Royal Palace Secret Realm, but out of caution, I have never dared to set foot there..."

“Since Fellow Daoist Wei and I are both ancient demons, why should we risk our lives for mere spiritual treasures and spiritual cultivation inheritances?”

However, upon hearing this, An Liangcai's remnant soul did not offer Wei Tu any advice. Instead, he earnestly persuaded Wei Tu to give up this wishful thinking.

In his eyes, although Wei Tu called himself "Wei Mou", deep down he was an ancient demon just like him.

"Whether or not to go is not something Fellow Daoist An should worry about. What I'm asking is whether there's a plan to deal with that Xuanling Fairy... Fellow Daoist An should know that if I die, that Xuanling Fairy will never let you go. As fellow ancient demons, only I can tolerate you..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu sneered and threatened in a cold voice.

“This…” An Liangcai was speechless.

After a moment, he spoke softly, "If we're talking about methods, there is one. If this woman is merely a remnant soul, as the rumors say, then perhaps we could use that secret technique to deal with her... Of course, it would only be enough to deal with her once or twice; it's hard to say how much of a chance we have of winning." (End of Chapter)