I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

"here it is……"

Just as cultivators from all over the Hundred Spirits Demon Realm were converging on the location of the 'Gate of Rebirth', Wei Tu, who had flown into this place with the three of them, including the Illusion Arm Venerable, also landed again amidst a dizzying sensation.

However, as soon as he stood firm, before he could even see the scene before him clearly, the magical power within his body suddenly vanished, and his divine sense, spiritual treasures, and other possessions also disappeared. Then, in the blink of an eye, he found himself standing like a mortal in a bustling market with people coming and going.

The surrounding crowd surged toward him instantly, and he stumbled backward a few steps from the shoving.

"Is this an illusion? Or is it the work of my inner demons?" Wei Tu was stunned. Feeling the extremely weak power in his palm, his face immediately showed a mixture of uncertainty and anxiety.

The reason is simple: losing power is an extremely difficult thing for any cultivator to accept.

Moreover, he is currently in the perilous 'Rebirth Realm', where the slightest mistake could mean certain death.

However, when he calmed his mind and tried to perceive his surroundings again by breaking through the 'illusion' and 'inner demons', he found that all of this was still in vain.

He remained trapped within the 'market,' like an ordinary person, without a trace of magical power within him.

Right now.

Suddenly, the crowd parted to create a wide path, and a fast horse galloped out from it, heading straight for Wei Tu, who was in the very center.

At that moment, despite being the weakest of the three, Fanma, Wei Tu felt a surge of fear that if he didn't avoid it, he would be seriously injured...

His expression changed slightly, and he quickly moved aside.

Unfortunately, he was too slow at this point. Before he could even move, the whip lashed from the horse's back arrived first and struck him hard across the face with a whooshing sound.

Xilu~
Immediately afterward, just as the galloping horse was about to collide with Wei Tu, the official in a black robe on horseback swiftly tightened the reins and brought it to a stop.

"You lowly commoner, why do you not move aside when you see an official's horse?" The official glared angrily and continued to crack his whip, as if venting his anger, striking Wei Tu's face once more.

pat!pat!
The bright red blood, mixed with a burning pain, was immediately perceived by Wei Tu, who was 'stunned'. He watched this scene in disbelief.

A mortal? Has he really become a mortal?
Even if it's a demon in one's heart, or an illusion, it's unlikely to have such a real tactile sensation, and... it's also unlikely that a dignified cultivator at the Integration stage would be able to 'sink' like this and be unable to wake up.

"This is the Realm of Rebirth, a place of reincarnation where even Mahayana immortals can be 'resurrected'..." Wei Tu murmured to himself, lost in thought for a moment.

The officials' curses continued incessantly in his ears, and the whips lashed out again and again, striking his face...

But he ignored it as before and continued to focus on finding a way out of this 'illusion'.

However, as time passed and he lost more and more blood, the feelings of 'serious injury' and 'death' that had once surfaced in his mind reappeared deep in his consciousness.

It was as if, at this moment, as a 'mortal,' he was dying and disappearing, and in the real world, he would also die immediately.

"Fellow Daoist, you mustn't! If you die in this illusion, your true body in the Rebirth Realm will also perish."

Just as Wei Tu was struggling, a shout suddenly rang out in the sky above the market.

Upon hearing this, even if Wei Tu ignored the noise, he had to spare some attention, open his eyes, and look at the graceful figure flying from afar.

"A cultivator?" He frowned slightly, looking at the beautiful female cultivator who wore a pear-shaped white dress and had a beauty mark under her eye.

At the same moment, after the female cultivator appeared, the merchants and onlookers in the bustling city all showed their awe and kept their distance from Wei Tu, who was now covered in blood and had a face full of wounds.

"Fairy Xiao, this... I didn't know he was also a cultivator, so I accidentally offended this esteemed person. Please forgive me, you are a magnanimous person..." Seeing this, the official on horseback put away his whip and smiled obsequiously at the woman with a rather embarrassed expression.

But the woman merely glanced coldly at the official with her almond-shaped eyes, ignoring him completely.

Then, he nodded slightly, gave Wei Tu a look, and with a flick of his sleeve, used his magic to take Wei Tu away from the bustling city.

"Fellow Daoist may have many questions, but in any case, it is not advisable to seek death directly in this Realm of Rebirth," Fairy Xiao explained to Wei Tu with a gentle smile.

After speaking, the woman succinctly explained to Wei Tu the differences between the Realm of Rebirth and the outside world, as well as the reason why one could not 'die' here.

Like Wei Tu, this woman was also a cultivator who had "accidentally" entered this realm of rebirth. When she first arrived, she had thought of escaping this "illusion" by dying, just like Wei Tu, or perhaps discovering some of the weaknesses of this "illusion".

Unfortunately, due to her inner fear, she hesitated to make up her mind.

It wasn't until two hundred years ago, when he encountered another cultivator in this 'illusionary realm,' that he learned the secrets of this realm of rebirth.

The emphasis in the term "rebirth realm" is on the word "rebirth".

Those who die unjustly will truly perish, their bodies and souls extinguished.

Those who die of old age can temporarily escape the illusion at the moment of their death and go to the sacred place in the realm of rebirth—the Temple of the Immortal Burial.

Only by passing through the 'Burial Immortal Temple' can one truly escape this illusion.

If one fails to overcome the obstacle, they will enter the next 'cycle of reincarnation,' awaiting their next natural death, before escaping the 'illusion' once more and heading to the Temple of the Immortal Burial...

It was because she had received help from other cultivators that Fairy Xiao was able to lend a helping hand to Wei Tu when he was in trouble.

"When I left this illusion, I saw quite a few cultivators whose bodies had decayed and whose life force had been cut off due to suicide or accidental death..." Fairy Xiao said with a look of reminiscence and a sigh.

"Don't be fooled by my youthful appearance; this is the seventh time I've stepped into this 'illusionary realm' of reincarnation..." As she said this, Fairy Xiao seemed to have thought of something, and after a self-deprecating laugh, her tone became more melancholic.

"If one dies peacefully in one's sleep..." Upon hearing this, Wei Tu's heart stirred slightly.

According to Fairy Xiao, he is now a genuine 'mortal body' and will experience birth, aging, sickness, and death like any other mortal within the 'illusion'.

So, a mere hundred years doesn't seem like an insurmountable time for him...

"Although a mortal body is good, and can achieve the shortest possible 'death in one's sleep' and escape this illusion... it is still difficult to pass through the 'Burial of Immortals Temple'..."

"The higher your cultivation level, the better your chances of successfully passing the trial there," Fairy Xiao sighed softly, offering a reminder.

"What? The higher the cultivation level, the greater the chance of passing through the 'Burial Immortal Temple'..." Upon hearing this, Wei Tu's expression immediately turned ugly.

The higher one's spiritual realm, the longer one's lifespan.

Therefore, the difficulty of dying peacefully in one's sleep naturally increases.

Even if one only cultivates to the Foundation Establishment stage, one still has a lifespan of four hundred years...

Given this situation, it's obvious that it's highly unlikely that one will be able to successfully pass through the 'Burial Immortal Temple'.

There's no other reason than that, judging from Xiao Xianzi's current ability to fly through the air... she seems to be at this level.

"I just don't know... why Fellow Daoist Xiao accidentally entered this Rebirth Realm?" Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and asked this question that had been in his mind for a long time.

He could be absolutely certain that the 'Gate to the Realm of Rebirth' opened by the Illusionary Arm Demon Lord, the Firestone Venerable, and others had not been opened by anyone for at least ten thousand years before this.

Therefore, the 'origins' of Fairy Xiao and the other cultivators become highly suspicious.

"I don't know the reason either. I only know that before I entered the Realm of Rebirth, I was being chased... and then, for some unknown reason, when I woke up, I suddenly appeared in this 'Realm of Rebirth'," Fairy Xiao replied with a wry smile.

"Could it be... that Fellow Daoist Kou wasn't being chased and ended up here by mistake?" Fairy Xiao glanced at Wei Tu with slight surprise, as if wondering why he would ask such a question.

In her seven reincarnations, the newcomers she encountered, similar to Wei Tu, would often only bring up the question unintentionally during conversation after inquiring about the 'Rebirth Realm'...

She had never seen a cultivator like Wei Tu who deliberately inquired about this matter before.

However, Fairy Xiao did not think much about this. After listening to Wei Tu's explanation, she stopped further investigation and instead continued to talk to Wei Tu about other precautions in the Realm of Rebirth.

Aside from suicide and accidental death, etc.

The 'illusory realm' of the afterlife also contains kingdoms. Once you cross the border, you will die in vain, your body and soul extinguished.

"By the way, what realm was Fellow Daoist Kou at in his previous life? Golden Core or Nascent Soul?"

After a short while, having finished recounting the various events of the 'Illusory Realm of Rebirth', Fairy Xiao regained her composure once more, displaying a carefree spirit befitting her youthful appearance, and asked in a clear, melodious voice.

"This..." Upon hearing this, Wei Tu knew without much thought that this woman's cultivation level must not have been very high before she came to the Realm of Rebirth.

"My cultivation level is at the Nascent Soul stage." He smiled faintly, lowering his true cultivation level by several levels.

"Nascent Soul? He's actually at the Nascent Soul stage?" Upon hearing this, Fairy Xiao exclaimed in astonishment, her gaze towards Wei Tu now filled with a hint of awe.

At this moment, the woman gave a wry smile and revealed that before she mistakenly entered the 'Rebirth Realm,' her cultivation level was only 'Peak Golden Core.'

They are also in the 'Rebirth Realm'.

Otherwise, given her level of cultivation, she wouldn't even be qualified to meet Wei Tu outside.

"However, this is also a good thing. If I can get guidance from Senior Kou, my chances of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm will be much greater... I heard from other fellow Daoists that if one breaks through one's original realm and enters the 'Burial Immortal Temple' with a higher realm, the chances of successfully passing the trial will be even greater."

Fairy Xiao said with a look of surprise, seemingly convinced that Wei Tu would repay her kindness and then give her guidance in cultivation.

……

Half a day later.

After instructing Fairy Xiao on her cultivation, Wei Tu left her cave and went to a neighboring cave located a few dozen feet away, where he settled in.

This cave dwelling was specially opened for him by Fairy Xiao. Inside, in addition to the necessary cultivation room, there was also some clean water and food that mortals need, to prevent him from accidentally dying from hunger.

"Cultivate? Or die of old age and wait a hundred years to catch a glimpse of the so-called 'Burial Immortal Temple'?" Wei Tu, sitting cross-legged, rubbed his throbbing temples and pondered his next move.

If he were to die of old age in this mortal body, he would only need a hundred years at most to catch a glimpse of the 'Burial of Immortals Temple'.

But if it's cultivation... even if it only reaches the Qi Refining stage, the time it would take is far too long.

"No! That's not right! This 'Rebirth Realm Illusion' shouldn't be so difficult or complex as to require hundreds, thousands, or even endless reincarnations to break through..."

“The Weeping River Demon Ancestor will not wait for the Illusion Arm Demon Lord and the others to waste so much time here.”

Suddenly, Wei Tuwei was startled when he thought of this. He immediately interrupted the cultivation thoughts that had arisen in his mind and stopped his subconscious act of guiding qi into his body.

In an instant, as if he had realized something, he turned pale and began to gasp for breath.

Logically, given his temperament, he should have noticed and realized something was amiss as soon as he heard Fairy Xiao say that she had already gone through several reincarnations.

But ironically, it wasn't until now that he came to his senses.

It seemed that some powerful force, unseen and unseen, influenced his thinking, making him believe and heed the words of Fairy Xiao…

“But leaving here under the guise of ‘dying unjustly’ doesn’t seem feasible either…” Wei Tu frowned. He had also deeply experienced the real feeling of death that had surfaced in his mind when he was in the market.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have stood by and watched Fairy Xiao rescue him and come here.

"So, what is the real solution to break this deadlock?"

Wei Tu gritted his teeth, picked up the wood-chopping knife he used for chopping wood and splitting fires, and wrote the four bloody characters 'Do not cultivate' on his palm.

He had a gut feeling that once he started to draw qi into his body and became a 'cultivator' here, then the time to escape this predicament would truly be a long way off.

Including... here, like ordinary people, eating and drinking in order to prolong their lives.

"Wait a little longer. At least until we starve to death, we should avoid touching it if possible..." Wei Tu squinted his eyes, picked up the food left by Fairy Xiao in the cave, and threw it all down the cliff next to the cave.

This is sufficient to ensure that he can maintain his judgment as much as possible before he loses this memory.

"If suicide also leads to the death of one's 'true self'... then perhaps trying to awaken oneself through a ritual is also feasible..."

Wei Tu calmed his mind, sat cross-legged again, and began to perform a series of intricate and obscure hand seals. (End of Chapter)