I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

With a flick of his hand, Wei Tu left behind a 'flesh and blood dummy' to deceive the Feather Saint Sect cultivators at the Deer Mountain Dojo. Then, he emerged from his cave and easily left the Feather Saint Sect branch where he had been staying for several years in just a few moments.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman who had been monitoring these newly initiated 'bloodline disciples' with her divine sense did not notice anything amiss.

After flying away from the desolate Deer Mountain Dojo, Wei Tu immediately began to use his vast combined divine sense to search for nearby immortal cities and markets.

Soon—he found a large immortal city called 'Liu Clan Immortal City' in a place tens of thousands of miles away from the Deer Mountain Dojo.

"The Liu family? They actually named a celestial city after their surname?" Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, surprised.

Although he had used the "soul search" technique on the Nascent Soul cultivator of the Feather Saint Sect, it was to induce him to reveal the most crucial information through illusionary means. He didn't know much about these details.

But soon, after he infiltrated this immortal city and learned about the geography and customs of this 'Black Cloud Minor World', he suddenly understood what was happening.

Unlike other interfaces, the Black Cloud Minor Realm is a paradise for 'bloodline cultivators'.

The cultivators here have all inherited the 'sacred beast bloodline' to varying degrees.

Naturally, this led to the formation of various races similar to the Hundred Races of the Spirit Realm.

However, unlike the hundred races of the Spirit Realm, each "race" in the 'Black Cloud Small Realm' is very weak because its origin is a hybrid of the great demons of the Heavenly Demon Realm and the local natives. Therefore, its bloodline and appearance are not as obvious and pure as those of the different races in the Spirit Realm.

Therefore, over time, these "clans" in the "Black Cloud Minor World" developed a custom of dividing themselves into clans based on different surnames.

The 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' is one of the top ten clans in the 'Black Cloud Minor Realm'.

With their power, it would not be difficult for this race to possess a large immortal city of their own.

“The Deer Mountain Dojo is not far from the Nine Serpents Liu Clan. Could it be that the female cultivator surnamed Liu is also a member of the Nine Serpents Liu Clan?” Looking at the jade slip in his hand, Wei Tu immediately thought of the middle-aged beauty who was in charge of the Deer Mountain Dojo.

This woman also has the surname Liu, and if there are no surprises, she must be closely related to the 'Nine-Snake Liu Clan'.

With the strength of the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan', they are qualified to become an ally of the Feather Saint Sect, helping the sect to secretly cultivate new bloodline cultivators and prevent them from being discovered by the Heavenly Demon Realm.

However, what truly surprised Wei Tu was that the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' was also famous for its elixirs within the 'Black Cloud Minor Realm,' and was a renowned family of alchemists.

Furthermore, in order to attract business, this clan also secretly set up a 'black market' in the shadows of the immortal city.

These black markets only care about money and don't care about the customer's identity.

With spirit crystals, one can buy almost everything visible in the shops of the Nine Serpents Willow Clan.

This means that if he wants to collect spiritual herbs, he doesn't need to go far away; he can do it directly in 'Liu Clan Immortal City,' which is not far from the Deer Mountain Dojo.

This made things much easier for him.

Of course, for safety reasons, before nightfall, Wei Tu also went to 'Liu Clan Immortal City', disguised himself again, and then slowly made his way to the city's black market.

The city's black market is located in a vast underground cavern.

Inside the cave, the area was crowded with people, and the streets were lined with small stalls selling various magical artifacts and spiritual materials.

However... while the spiritual items on these stalls are quite good, with some high-level fifth and sixth-tier spiritual items appearing, they are still quite a distance from the seventh-tier spiritual items that Wei Tu needs.

"Did I overestimate this 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan'? Is it just an ordinary hybrid family in this world? It's unlikely to have any businesses at the hybrid level?" Wei Tu frowned.

But at that very moment, his expression shifted slightly, and his divine sense fell upon an old man whose face was covered by a cloak.

"An early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator?" Wei Tu used his 'Blood Qi Sensing' ability to discern the cultivator's cultivation level.

Soon, a hint of joy appeared on his face.

Because, according to his observations, there were two other Nascent Soul cultivators among the crowd in the black market, not just this old man.

Moreover, the two people and the old man were clearly not acquainted, and there was a considerable amount of guard distance between them.

Furthermore, the three men's target did not seem to be the small stalls and vendors on both sides of the black market street, but rather a rather old stone pavilion deep inside the black market, carved with the family crest of the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan'.

It was as if that was where the Nine Serpents Liu Clan and the Nascent Soul cultivators did business in this black market.

However, Wei Tu did not rush forward to greet the three Nascent Soul cultivators or directly enter the 'stone pavilion'.

The psychological trauma inflicted on him by the 'Heavenly Mystery House' is not something that can be erased in a short period of time.

Even though the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' may not possess the strength and methods of Lady Wanmiao or Venerable Huoshi, who could easily imprison Nascent Soul cultivators... he still had to be cautious about this.

His eyes flickered slightly as he first peered into the spiritual barriers within the stone pavilion, while also keeping a close eye on the three Nascent Soul cultivators who entered the pavilion.

Half an hour later.

After thoroughly examining every corner of the stone pavilion and realizing that it was indeed just an ordinary pavilion, Wei Tu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, the three Nascent Soul cultivators who had entered the stone pavilion one after another seemed to have finished what they were doing and left the stone pavilion.

During this time, no one stopped them.

Seeing this, Wei Tu finally felt somewhat relieved.

Of course, what truly reassured him was the 'upper limit of strength' of the major forces in this world, which he had learned from the Nascent Soul cultivator of the Feather Saint Sect several years ago.

—On the surface, no Mahayana immortals have ever set foot in the 'Black Cloud Minor Realm'.

Even if they did, they had already 'ascended' into the Heavenly Demon Realm and become powerful beings within it.

Therefore, as long as he is careful enough, it is almost impossible for him to encounter a crisis at the Mahayana level or... a scheme from a top figure like Madam Wanmiao in this 'Black Cloud Minor Realm'.

Furthermore, according to his inquiries, the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' only had two Nascent Soul cultivators within their clan, and neither of them had reached the late Nascent Soul stage.

In terms of cultivation level alone, he had a significant advantage over this race!
However, the only thing that made him wary was...

Today alone, the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' has received three Nascent Soul cultivators. The number of times they've done so seems rather unusual.

In terms of time, Wei Tu has enough time.

Therefore, he was not in a hurry about this matter, but continued to wait in the 'Liu Clan Immortal City'.

After several months of investigation, and confirming that the identities of most of the Nascent Soul cultivators entering the stone pavilion of this black market were random, he finally put his worries aside and stepped inside.

"Sir, this is the private territory of my 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan,' and we only receive regular guests..."

The waiter at the entrance of the pavilion smiled slightly and stopped Wei Tu.

Wei Tu was prepared for this. He glanced coldly at the cultivator, then flicked his sleeve and released his combined aura.

Instantly, the waiter's expression changed slightly, and his face showed a hint of fear and trepidation.

"So you are a senior in the Integration Realm? I was blind and offended you." The waiter reacted quickly and humbly apologized.

Of course, this is also related to the fact that this scene has been happening repeatedly over the past few months. Wei Tu was not the first Nascent Soul cultivator to be stopped by this attendant.

As the waiter apologized.

At the same moment, a graceful woman in a purple dress walked out from the first floor of the attic. She smiled and curtsied to Wei Tu, welcoming him into the attic.

The woman seemed worried that too much probing might provoke Wei Tu's displeasure.

Therefore, after revealing his identity and position within the "Kujou-ryu Clan," he directly stated some of the businesses that the "Kujou-ryu Clan" could conduct within this pavilion.

Whether it's refining elixirs, collecting spiritual herbs, or seeking help from renowned masters in various fields within the 'Black Cloud Minor Realm,' the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' can handle almost anything as long as you pay.

At the same time, the woman also subtly revealed that the Nine Serpents Liu Clan's connections were not limited to the 'Black Cloud Minor Realm'.

"Of course, when it comes to asking those powerful figures who are on good terms with our family to do things, my 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' only acts as a middleman. Whether it succeeds or not depends on the senior's consultation with these powerful figures..." The beautiful woman in the purple dress covered her mouth and chuckled. Her lotus skirt swayed slightly as she walked to Wei Tu's place and personally poured him a cup of spiritual tea.

Wei Tu understood the meaning of this so-called "mutual negotiation": as long as the price was right, everything was negotiable, provided the parties were not enemies.

He didn't give a definitive answer indicating that it would definitely work out, just to avoid trouble.

"No wonder this clan can do such a big business in this 'Black Cloud Minor Realm'." Wei Tu secretly praised the purple-skirted beauty for her impeccable manner and shrewdness.

"I came here on the behalf of an old friend to collect some medicinal herbs..." After a brief conversation, Wei Tu's eyes flashed slightly as he revealed his purpose.

However, he deliberately told a small lie in this conversation. He did not claim that he was refining pills himself, but instead said that he came to the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' to buy spiritual herbs under the pretext of collecting them for others.

After all, competitors are rivals.

Letting the Nine Serpents Liu Clan know that he is also a genuine seventh-level alchemist might not be a good thing for him.

Furthermore, associating with another Nascent Soul cultivator would indirectly improve his safety on this trip.

Offending one Nascent Soul cultivator might not be a problem for the Nine Serpents Liu Clan, but offending two at the same time... any force within the Black Cloud Minor Realm would have to think twice about it.

As expected, after Wei Tu said this, the woman in the purple dress looked at him with a more serious expression.

"This time, my Nine Serpents Liu Clan will do its utmost to help you collect the spiritual herbs required on these jade slips... However, if you need to refine pills next time, you might consider my clan's ancestor..." The beautiful woman in the purple dress reached out and took the list of spiritual herbs handed over by Wei Tu. After looking at it carefully for a while, she smiled and started soliciting business for her own family.

"Pills are different from elixirs. I will not easily consume them unless they are refined by someone I know well..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, but instead of agreeing with the woman in the purple dress, he bluntly refused on this legitimate reason.

It seems that he is not the kind of person who is easy to get along with, in terms of temperament.

Although the woman in the purple dress frowned slightly upon hearing this, she became even more respectful to Wei Tu, as if afraid of offending him in the slightest.

"On this trip, I also have the need to purchase a seventh-tier defensive spirit treasure... I just don't know if the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' can handle this business," Wei Tu said without any hesitation.

Purchasing defensive magical artifacts is a legitimate business transaction. Having already established the reputation of the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' in commerce, he naturally wouldn't continue to rely on others for this matter.

Of course, this is also related to his strength; he is confident that he can face the 'attack' from the Nine Serpents Liu Clan.

"A seventh-tier defensive spirit treasure?" Upon hearing this, the purple-skirted beauty's gaze towards Wei Tu changed instantly, revealing a hint of surprise.

There are differences even among spiritual treasures.

Among all magical treasures, the most valuable are defensive magical treasures.

Therefore, any Nascent Soul cultivator who has the ability to acquire 'defense spiritual treasures' is undoubtedly a powerful individual within the Nascent Soul realm, possessing immense wealth and resources.

In other words, even among the 'fusion seniors', Wei Tu is the most valuable one!

"As you should know, senior, seventh-tier defensive spirit treasures are extremely rare, and it's almost impossible to find one on hand..." The beautiful woman in the purple dress shook her head and said tactfully.

"I am naturally aware of this matter, which is why I have come to Liu Clan Immortal City... Firstly, to collect spiritual herbs, and secondly, to entrust the Nine Serpents Liu Clan with the task of finding suitable spiritual materials for refining a seventh-tier defensive spiritual treasure, as well as the corresponding craftsmen..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu replied without any politeness, as if he had anticipated the "shortage" of the "Nine Serpents Liu Clan" in this matter.

Upon hearing this, the beautiful woman in the purple dress did not become angry. Instead, her beautiful eyes brightened slightly, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It's true that the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' possesses seventh-tier defensive spiritual treasures, but such treasures are kept as part of the clan's inner resources and would never be traded.

Moreover, compared to helping Wei Tu collect spiritual materials for refining a seventh-tier defensive spiritual treasure and introducing him to the appropriate artifact craftsmen, the latter is more profitable for their 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan'.

"Soon, my Nine Serpent Willow Clan will be joining other clans to host a high-level auction for experts at the Refinement and Integration Realms... If you don't mind, senior, you are welcome to attend this high-level auction..."

"At that time, there may be spiritual materials suitable for refining seventh-order defensive spiritual treasures."

The woman in the purple dress flipped her hand, took out a gold-embossed invitation to the auction, and handed it to Wei Tu.

"The Five Clans Auction?" Upon seeing this, Wei Tu's heart stirred, and he secretly thought, "As expected." He realized that his months of waiting and his act of offering a suggestion by expressing his desire to purchase a seventh-tier defensive spirit treasure were indeed worthwhile.

Over the past few months, he had long harbored suspicions about why so many Nascent Soul cultivators frequented this pavilion.

After all, even a renowned clan like the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' wouldn't have such a thriving business in the Integration Realm, receiving several Integration Realm experts every day.

But... if it were a nearby high-level auction, all of this would be understandable.

As the organizer, the "Nine Serpents Willow Clan" naturally intended to use this opportunity to interact more with their regular customers.

"And this is also my chance to glimpse the strength of this realm and inquire about other methods to reach the Heavenly Demon Realm..." Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered to himself. (End of Chapter)