I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

"Lin Tianqi, Alchemist Kou?"

"Fun, interesting..."

Six months later, in a mysterious place in the Purple Palace Realm, after hearing the news brought by the burly man, a handsome white-haired male cultivator sitting on the jade platform was slightly taken aback, and then let out a cold, foolish laugh.

The laughter grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the entire cave and the entire valley.

He laughed for more than ten breaths before stopping.

"Fellow Daoist Jiao, this is the best outcome Jiang could hope for. Please accept my condolences..." The burly man hovering in the air saw this scene and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes as he spoke up to persuade him.

An entire clan was wiped out overnight, and hair turned white overnight. This is a rare tragedy in the cultivation world. Even in the most tragic times, such a tragedy has been extremely rare, even among the Twelve Dong Families, who have lived for tens of thousands of years.

Hearing that Jiao Changyi, whose two children were now reduced to only one due to Wei Tu's obstruction, had temporarily gone mad, it was understandable that he would understand.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang is mistaken. What I'm laughing about isn't that Yan'er wasn't successfully rescued, but that this ancient demon surnamed Kou actually took the initiative to come to my Twelve Dong families..."

"A situation of unprecedented change has emerged," Jiao Changyi said calmly, his eyes turning cold.

"An unprecedented upheaval?" Upon hearing this, the burly man was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding how Jiao Changyi had come up with this idea from his personal matters.

"That guy surnamed Kou successfully smuggled himself from the Hundred Sects Ruins to the Spirit Realm... and there, he successfully met with the remnants of my realm and became the disciple of the Mahayana immortal from my realm—'Purple Dragon Lord'..." Jiao Changyi explained succinctly.

"what?"

"That guy surnamed Kou actually has such a background?"

Upon hearing this, the burly man's expression changed drastically, and he looked extremely surprised.

Within the Purple Palace Realm, unlike spiritual cultivators, the only obstacle encountered by ancient demons smuggling themselves into the Spirit Realm is a 'natural restriction'.

This can be achieved through spiritual practice of "body possession".

However, these ancient demons often get lost in the spirit world and find it difficult to return.

The successful "return" of Weitu is truly an exceptional case among exceptional cases.

Furthermore, I was surprised by Wei Tu's boldness.

He was so audacious that he became a disciple of the Purple Dragon Lord, a Mahayana immortal...

You should know that as an ancient demon, even if it possesses a spiritual cultivator, it should still avoid Mahayana immortals as much as possible, so how could it dare to approach them easily?

"But... according to common sense, this matter should be a secret of Master Kou Dan. How did Fellow Daoist Jiao know about this matter and say... that he took the initiative to contact my Twelve Dong Families?"

The burly man frowned slightly, his face showing confusion.

He was the one who recognized Wei Tu in the slave market... there's no way Wei Tu would have come looking for him.

Upon hearing this, Jiao Changyi hesitated for a moment before saying "Fine," and then, with a slight movement of his lips, began to explain the reason to the burly man.

Half an hour later.

After hearing the explanation, the burly man finally understood everything Jiao Changyi had said and why he had uttered the phrase "the grand situation that has remained unchanged for ten thousand years".

It turns out that one of the two combined cultivators that Wei Tu asked the 'Twelve Dong Families' to find has already taken the initiative to meet and unite with the 'Twelve Dong Families'.

However, this matter is a secret within the 'Twelve Dong Families' and is difficult for anyone other than a fully-fledged cultivator to know about.

After learning about this, it's not hard to understand why Jiao Changyi said Wei Tu took the initiative to approach them.

When Wei Tu stated his first condition for redeeming Jiao Yan'er, he already had the intention of aligning himself with the Twelve Dong Families and "cooperating" with them.

It wasn't a simple matter; they intended to exploit Jiao Changyi's weakness, a cultivator at the Integration Realm.

—Because the 'Heavenly Crane Ancestor' they were asked to find was the same person who came to the Purple Palace Realm with them.

Ancestor Tianhe knew about its background and origins in the Zichen Realm.

In other words, by presenting this condition, Wei Tu was essentially revealing his true nature to them.

The so-called unprecedented upheaval is also related to Wei Tu and Tianhe Laozu.

If they could win over these two individuals and engage in deeper 'cooperation' with them, then these Nascent Soul cultivators would have a high chance of following in the footsteps of their predecessors, bringing their families, and successfully escaping to the Spirit Realm.

In the spirit world, they have a vast world and hope for further progress!

The existence of Zi Chi Jun and others has proven that escaping through the 'Hundred Relics Ruins' is not a dead end, but a path to survival with a high chance of success.

Previously, they dared not risk their lives or take such risks. But now, with this precedent, and with the help of Wei Tu, who has smuggled himself across the border and knows the 'insider' situation... the chances of success should increase several times over.

"While Fellow Daoist Jiao's prediction is correct, perhaps this Demon Lord Kou simply didn't have such foresight and made a mistake by accident..."

“A hundred years ago, letting Lin Tianqi go was a terrible mistake this demon made,” the burly man said, shaking his head.

Furthermore, in his view, even if Wei Tu's use of the name 'Lin Tianqi' in the spirit world was due to the difficulty in altering the Lin family's genealogy and the presence of hidden traps, ... not changing a single character was still a grave mistake that could not be ignored...

Judging from his actions alone, he could be described as cunning, but not quite as 'infallible'.

“Giving Lin Tianqi a way out will not harm the big picture at all...Impersonating Lin Tianqi and using his identity to travel in the spirit world is the same..." Jiao Changyi seemed to see through the burly man's thoughts, shook his head, and denied it.

"After all—the combined spiritual cultivators of my twelve Dong families already have names. As long as any one of them can successfully go to the Spirit Realm like him... the authenticity of their identity will be self-evident..."

"So, even if we take a step back and say that this 'major mistake' is indeed a 'major mistake,' it is very likely that it is not a major mistake for this demon, but merely the demon's 'confidence'."

Jiao Changyi narrowed his eyes and said.

There was one thing he didn't say.

Releasing Lin Tianqi, the spirit slave, could also be Wei Tu's 'benevolence' as an ancient demon... However, in the cultivation world, those who dare to uphold such benevolence are all among the strongest, confident in their own strength.

In short!
He believed that releasing a spirit slave posed no threat to his life!

"Because—his strength has reached a point where he is no longer afraid of half-step Mahayana experts."

"The fact that they have taken the initiative to approach us is also proof of this."

Jiao Changyi sighed softly.

"Fearless of a half-step Mahayana expert?" Upon hearing this, the burly man was startled.

Even now, based on Jiao Changyi's various speculations and arguments, Wei Tu should rightfully possess this strength.

But... to convince him that a Demon Lord who had only recently broken through to the Demon Lord realm possessed such abilities was still somewhat contrary to his understanding.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, this time, you will accompany me to the outside world to meet with this Alchemist Kou..."

"There is no need to follow the conventional practice of 'one person contacting' anymore."

After explaining, Jiao Changyi, who was sitting cross-legged on the jade platform, stood up, gazed into the distance, and said this sentence in a low voice.

"Strictly abide by the law."

Upon hearing this, the burly man suppressed his shock, bowed respectfully, and accepted the order.

It was as if the Jiao Changyi before him was not the person he had told Wei Tu before, who had just advanced to the late stage of the Fusion Realm, but a highly respected master cultivator of the Fusion Realm.

……

Jiao Changyi's arrival.

It was much faster than Wei Tu had imagined.

However, the arrival of this cultivator also confirmed his guess—the Flame Spirit King and the Heavenly Crane Ancestor had already established connections with the 'Twelve Dong Families' before him.

"That's a good thing, too."

"After the Twelve Dong families learn about my origins, they may not believe me, but they will definitely ask me for help, just like the Heavenly Crane Ancestor before them..." Wei Tu thought to himself.

Thinking of this, he immediately flew out of his cave dwelling in the desolate mountains without dodging or avoiding it.

Similarly, flying out with him was Jiao Changyi's daughter, Jiao Yan'er, who stood beside him, dressed in a blue palace gown, acting as a maid.

Since this woman was a 'weak point' for him to threaten Jiao Changyi, it was impossible for him to keep her hidden away in a secluded place, away from any outsiders.

"Father, Senior Jiang!" Upon seeing Jiao Changyi and the burly man flying towards them from afar, Jiao Yan'er's pretty face lit up with joy, and she immediately called out urgently.

However, contrary to Jiao Yan'er's expectations, Jiao Changyi, her biological father, only glanced at her indifferently, nodded in acknowledgment, and then showed no emotion whatsoever.

It was as if they had already abandoned her, their own daughter.

Seeing this, Jiao Yan'er could only bite her red lips slightly and retreat to Wei Tu's side, just like a maid, without making a sound.

"I have long heard of Master Kou's name... I never imagined that we would actually have this day of cooperation." Jiao Changyi cupped his hands, first showing goodwill to Wei Tu.

"Cooperation? I wonder what Fellow Daoist Jiao intends to cooperate with me on? Could it be... that Fellow Daoist Jiao's visit this time is not to redeem your daughter?" Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and asked knowingly.

Upon hearing this, Jiao Changyi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he immediately understood that Wei Tu intended to use Jiao Yan'er's life as a threat to force him to back down during the negotiations.

"She's just a daughter. If Fellow Daoist Kou wants her, he can take her as a concubine or a vessel for his soul..."

"Besides, Yan'er already harbors resentment towards me. Whether she is redeemed or not, it's hard to change that, since Fellow Daoist Jiang chose Qi'er instead of saving her life..."

"Furthermore, with Master Kou's wisdom, he should understand how insignificant a mere flesh and blood is to us high-level cultivators."

Jiao Changyi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm and composed, and spoke these words in a cold tone.

However, these words did not surprise Wei Tu too much.

He was discussing cooperation with the 'Twelve Dong Families', and he certainly wouldn't place all his hopes on a mere Jiao Yan'er.

What I said just now was merely a test.

If there is a gain, that's naturally cause for celebration; if there is no gain, there's no need to be overly disappointed.

"As for cooperation... it is Master Kou who plans to cooperate with my Twelve Dong families on something."

Jiao Changyi retorted calmly.

However, at this point, Wei Tu did not show any weakness as Jiao Changyi had expected, and continued the conversation.

"Very well—with just this bait, I've already made a huge profit by attracting two spiritual cultivators to merge their powers."

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes, raised his hand and made a hand seal. Suddenly, a terrifying demonic aura emanated from his body. His aura instantly surged from the 'early stage of Demon Lord' to the 'late stage of Demon Lord', and it still showed signs of increasing.

In the next instant, a terrifying aura poured out from Wei Tu, causing Jiao Changyi and the burly man facing Wei Tu to turn slightly pale.

"The Great Demon Lord?"

"Who are you? How could you possess such a level of skill?"

The burly man's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in disbelief.

He and Jiao Changyi speculated that even if Wei Tu was exceptionally strong, he was at most only capable of defeating a 'half-step Mahayana' level expert.

However, the Great Demon Lord who is 'fearless' and at the same level as the 'half-step Mahayana' is naturally incomparable!

The latter's strength is often far greater than that of other spiritual cultivators at the same level!
"Damn it, he deliberately escaped from the slave market years ago, all for this very scheme..." The burly man thought to himself, his face grim.
"This demon's aura is exceptionally powerful, probably second only to 'One God and Two Ancestors' in the Zi Chen Realm."

At the same time, Jiao Changyi was also secretly very anxious.

The Great Demon Lord, besides possessing terrifying strength...

This often means that there is a considerable force behind it, capable of attracting the assistance of other demon lords.

This is completely different from a 'newly appointed demon lord' holding a powerful trump card!

"No wonder this demon is so powerful. After sneaking into the Spirit Realm, it returned to the Purple Palace Realm..." Jiao Changyi thought to himself in the letter.

"Please speak frankly about your plans, Master Kou. If they are feasible, our Twelve Dong Families will consider them."

After a brief exchange of emotions, Jiao Changyi took the initiative to soften his stance towards Wei Tu.

Wei Tu saw Jiao Changyi adopting a submissive posture.

At that very moment, he also waved his sleeve and withdrew the oppressive aura emanating from his body, becoming as ordinary as before.

"If I'm not mistaken, then Flame Spirit King or Ancestor Heavenly Crane have already made contact with you."

"What I, Kou, seek is not anything else, but to meet with Fellow Daoist Tianhe again and discuss important matters together..."

"As for the twelve Dong families, I don't care about them."

Wei Tu stated his purpose in a detached tone.

The Twelve Dong Families are merely a small spiritual cultivation force hidden within the Zichen Realm. Apart from their resources, which are worth his coveting, they are of little use to him.

As a 'seventh-tier alchemist' among the ancient demons, he was not so poor as to scheme for these spiritual cultivation resources that were destined to be scarce and quite troublesome.

His sole purpose was to find the Flame Spirit King and the Heavenly Crane Ancestor to serve him once again.

The 'great opportunity' that these two people might possess is what he truly cares about!

"This..." Upon hearing Wei Tu's words, Jiao Changyi's expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.

Previously, he thought that Wei Tu's initiative to approach and get closer to the 'Twelve Dong Families' was to carry out a deeper cooperation with them—but he never expected that from the beginning, he only had this short-sighted purpose.

This behavior makes it seem like the 'Twelve Dong Families' are being presumptuous.

"But why is this demon so determined to find Ancestor Tianhe and the Flame Spirit King he mentioned?"

"Furthermore, the reason why Ancestor Tianhe suddenly came to the 'Purple Heaven Realm' is probably not as simple as this cultivator said..."

Jiao Changyi's eyes flickered slightly, guessing that Wei Tu's request to the Heavenly Crane Ancestor was probably not simple.

"On this point, I, Jiao, can agree to Fellow Daoist Kou, but... whether Fellow Daoist Tianhe will meet is beyond my knowledge..." Jiao Changyi suppressed his distracting thoughts and quickly bowed to Wei Tu in reply.

At this point, neither Wei Tu nor Jiao Changyi had any room for further probing.

The topic quickly came to an end.

This meeting ended unhappily.

However, as he was leaving, Jiao Changyi couldn't help but glance at his beloved daughter standing beside Wei Tu. After hesitating for a moment, he took out the 'ransom' that had been negotiated earlier and handed it to Wei Tu with his magic.

Previously, his expression of 'disdain' towards Jiao Yan'er was out of concern that Wei Tu would use this as a weakness to manipulate him.

Now that Wei Tu has revealed the realm of 'Great Demon Lord', there is no need for him to worry too much about this matter.

"I hope that Kou Daoyou will treat Jiao's daughter kindly."

"At most ten years, regardless of whether I can persuade Fellow Daoist Tianhe to come, I, Jiao, will meet Fellow Daoist Kou again..."

After bowing deeply, Jiao Changyi exchanged a glance with the burly man beside him and then hurriedly left.

However, after he left...

Contrary to Jiao Changyi's expectations, Wei Tu, the 'Great Demon Lord,' showed a hint of joy when he saw the storage bag floating in front of him.

"The elixir is in hand."

He scanned the spiritual items in the storage bag with his divine sense, and a smile appeared on his lips.

He doesn't covet the resources of the 'Twelve Dong Families', but he doesn't mind making a little extra money during this period.

Coincidentally, the 'Demon River Star Milk' given to him by Jiao Changyi was also of great help in restoring his 'Undying Demon Body'.

"Now, all we need to do is meet with Ancestor Tianhe to learn the 'ins and outs' of that battle."

“The Great Demon Lord is enough to make this cultivator fear him and use him as an ally in the pursuit of the ‘Flame Spirit King’,” Wei Tu thought to himself, his eyes flashing slightly.

That's right! Based on the current information, it's not difficult for him to deduce the current situation of Ancestor Tianhe.

It is highly likely that he failed to kill the Flame Spirit King.

Furthermore, he was not seriously injured.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the initiative to approach the 'Twelve Dong Families' and form an alliance with them in such a short period of time.

Now, all he needs to do is demonstrate his value.

There is a good chance that Ancestor Tianhe will recruit him as an ally and involve him in the important task of hunting down King Yanling.

After all, having a chance to share the spoils is better than letting Flame Spirit King escape.

Even if Ancestor Tianhe didn't know the whereabouts of Flame Spirit King...

His trip and contact with them could also be seen as an opportunity to gain an 'ally' in the ancient demon realm.

"However, for now, restoring this 'undying demonic body' is the priority..."

Wei Tu returned to his cave in the desolate mountains, took out more than ten drops of 'Demon River Star Milk' stored in his storage bag and began to slowly refine its medicinal power into his body.

Indeed, the body he used to meet Jiao Changyi this time was not his true form, but rather An Liangcai's demonic body controlled by the 'Blood Demon Evil Technique'.

Only this demonic body can unleash the overwhelming pressure it possessed when it was the Great Demon Lord! (End of Chapter)