I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

After Zhong Yi handed over the imperial edict from the Yu Sheng Sect regarding Wei Tu's fate to the middle-aged beauty.

The following day, Chief Liu, whom Wei Tu had met at the Five Clans Auction, arrived on a cloud and summoned Wei Tu to meet him in the main hall of the Deer Mountain Dojo.

His purpose was exactly what Zhong Yi had mentioned: to take Wei Tu as his disciple.

"You have already reached the late stage of the Golden Core realm, and are not far from the Nascent Soul realm. If you were in the lower realm, your current level alone would be enough to establish your own sect and become a patriarch..."

"Therefore, if you become my disciple, you will be completely different from Shui'er. Do you understand this?"

Inside the main hall of the Deer Mountain Dojo, looking at Wei Tu, who had a calm expression and an ordinary appearance, Clan Chief Liu's gaze narrowed slightly for a moment before he uttered this meaningful sentence.

The meaning is very simple.

That is, Wei Tu, who is older and has a higher cultivation level, has a more complicated mind, and it is difficult for him to cultivate loyalty as well as Ruan Shui'er, a cultivator who has only recently embarked on the path of immortality...

Therefore, in the future allocation of resources and opportunities among fellow disciples, Wei Tu is destined to be ranked after Ruan Shui'er.

This can be considered a customary rule in the cultivation world.

The "outer disciples" expand their influence, while the "inner disciples" inherit the family business.

The true core traditions and resources will not be touched by outsiders within the sect.

These "outside disciples" are called disciples, but more often they are henchmen of the sect who are called disciples, and they are in the same position as the "adopted sons" taken in by ordinary martial arts generals.

However, Wei Tu never expected that his nominal master, Clan Chief Liu, would openly and honestly state this unspoken rule.

"Does he really intend to take on a disciple?" At this, Wei Tu's wariness of this cultivator instantly decreased by half.

Because only those who truly want to take on disciples will explain these things before the apprenticeship ceremony, in order to prevent potential internal conflicts within the sect in the future.

"This junior understands." Wei Tu suppressed his distracting thoughts and respectfully bowed to Clan Chief Liu.

"However, as your master, I can provide you with one 'Nascent Soul Pill' to help you reach the Nascent Soul realm sooner... saving you cultivation time in the 'Lower Three Realms'."

After giving Wei Tu a 'reprimand,' seeing that Wei Tu was so sensible and showed no displeasure, Chief Liu nodded in satisfaction and offered him benefits.

"However, I also have one condition."

"After you break through to the Nascent Soul stage, you will need to take care of Shui'er. I don't ask you to protect her, but... you must help protect Shui'er's primordial yin body and not let any male cultivator ruin her future path."

Chief Liu narrowed his eyes and then spoke.

"Any male cultivators?" Upon hearing this, Wei Tu raised an eyebrow, sensing that this statement seemed to include him as well.

It seemed that Chief Liu said this more as a warning to him.

However, he did not doubt this.

Whether it is the male cultivator's primordial yang or the female cultivator's primordial yin, it is of great benefit to the path of cultivation in the early stages. The later it is lost, the better it is for the cultivator.

"According to the rules, bowing to me three times will complete the apprenticeship ceremony."

After negotiating the terms with Wei Tu, Chief Liu did not hesitate and went straight to the final apprenticeship ceremony.

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

What he found most unacceptable during the apprenticeship process, despite being a powerful being at the Fusion Realm, was the kneeling ceremony.

In the past, when my spiritual level was low, this was just a minor matter and not considered a humiliation.

But now that his level has improved, doing such a thing would inevitably seem humiliating.

As he entered the hall, he had already decided whether to use the Crimson Feather Ghost Insect King's 'illusion technique' to hypnotize Xiu.

Fortunately, the clan chief Liu understood that he was recruiting 'outside disciples' to expand his power, so he didn't make this 'accomplished' cultivator perform such a grand ceremony.

"Fu pays his respects to his mentor."

Without hesitation, Wei Tu bowed three times to Chief Liu, thus completing the apprenticeship ceremony.

At this moment, Chief Liu nodded with a smile, flipped his palm, took out the promised 'Infant Transformation Pill', and used his magic to deliver it to Wei Tu.

"You can ask the 'manager' of the Deer Mountain Dojo about matters such as the cultivation experience for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage and the selection of cultivation methods after reaching the Golden Core stage... She is my cousin and will be fully responsible for your cultivation here..."

After saying this, Chief Liu did not linger and left the hall with a flick of his sleeve.

however--

Wei Tu, who was inside the hall, suddenly noticed that Chief Liu, who had been smiling just moments before, had a darker expression the instant he flew away from the 'Deer Mountain Dojo'.

This change was clearly captured by his vast combined divine sense!
"Is there something wrong with Chief Liu?"

Wei Tu's gaze narrowed slightly, and the slight goodwill he had felt towards this cultivator vanished completely.

However, what he didn't understand was why Chief Liu would wear two completely different faces when facing him.
If you are unwilling to accept him as a disciple, it is also feasible to give him to the main sect of Yu Sheng Sect as soon as possible.

Moreover, from the conversation between Zhong Yi and the middle-aged beauty, it is not difficult to judge that in order to take him as a disciple and intercept this talented genius, the Liu clan chief also gave up a lot of benefits in the main sect of the Yu Sheng Sect.

"Could it be... that he's deliberately blocking my way, using the pretext of taking on disciples to prevent me from going to the main sect of the Feather Saint Sect?"

Wei Tu frowned slightly, already having a guess about what was going on.

"But I have no public dealings with this Liu clan chief or the 'Nine Serpents Liu Family.' Why would this cultivator deliberately stop me from going to the main sect of the Feather Saint Sect?"

Wei Tu was puzzled and subconsciously looked towards the direction of Ruan Shui'er's cave.

If there were any doubts about him, the person who came would not be the mere Clan Chief Liu, but a Nascent Soul or Mahayana powerhouse.

Right now, his only suspicious connection with this 'Nine-Snake Liu Clan' seems to be Ruan Shui'er.

But if it were Ruan Shui'er, then Chief Liu's behavior wouldn't seem like something a normal master would do.

"It has nothing to do with me. Since the Kujou clan cares about Ruan Shui'er and their schemes against me are just a cover for taking me on as a disciple... then there should be no danger for me here."

"On the contrary, with the addition of the Nine Liu family's 'scheming,' it can also conceal my true identity."

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

……

"Senior Brother Fu... has become my junior brother?"

On the other side, Ruan Shui'er was also greatly shocked after hearing about Chief Liu's acceptance of disciples from the middle-aged beauty.

Previously, she had always believed that she was a special existence among the bloodline cultivators of the Deer Mountain Dojo.

Unexpectedly, Wei Tu also became her true fellow disciple after her.

“Shui’er, Junior Nephew Fu is a Golden Core cultivator and will soon reach the Nascent Soul stage. In terms of cultivation level, he is your senior brother. Do not arbitrarily decide on seniority based on whether you entered the sect earlier or later.”

Upon seeing this, the middle-aged woman frowned slightly before reprimanding him.

"It's a small matter. I can just keep calling him senior brother."

“But… Aunt Liu, now that Senior Brother Fu has become a disciple of Master, can we put our previous plans on hold? I don’t want to have ulterior motives when I talk to Senior Brother Fu…” Ruan Shui’er’s heart stirred, and she said this with great joy.

"This..." Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman's gaze towards Ruan Shui'er changed several times, seemingly surprised and astonished.

But soon, she seemed to realize something, and her gaze towards Ruan Shui'er softened completely.

Ruan Shui'er was not a child; although she was young, she was nearly a hundred years old and already knew a great deal about the dangers of the cultivation world.

Previously, she had instructed Ruan Shui'er to use her wits to 'seduce' Wei Tu. Although the woman hesitated, she did not refuse and followed her instructions.

She considered this a required course for Ruan Shui'er to enter the world of cultivation!

She thought that after this experience, Ruan Shui'er, whose heart had been tainted, would find it difficult to maintain her former 'simplicity'.

Unexpectedly, his personality remained unchanged, seemingly the same as before.

If it were anyone else, the middle-aged woman would be suspicious, but she had been teaching Ruan Shui'er for decades and could clearly see whether the woman was lying.

"This person is born kind... but I wonder how far they can go in the cultivation world." The middle-aged beauty sighed inwardly, knowing that the cultivation world, being such a corrupting influence, meant that good people couldn't go far.

Now, with the protection of herself, Yu Shengzong, and the Nine Serpents Liu Clan, Ruan Shui'er can live a comfortable life.

However, in the future, when their moral character improves, they will inevitably suffer losses or even perish because of their kindness.

"No, that's not necessary."

“Since he is your fellow disciple, it is not appropriate to use the same methods as before. As fellow disciples, you should support each other…” The middle-aged beauty smiled gently, picked up a strand of Ruan Shui’er’s hair that was hanging down in front of her chest, and tucked it behind Ruan Shui’er’s ear, speaking in a gentle tone.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Shui'er's face lit up with joy. She immediately took out paper and pen, wrote a talisman, and sent it to Wei Tu's cave.

But a pity.

After the talisman is sent.

One day, two days... as time passed, Ruan Shui'er still hadn't received a reply from Wei Tu.

It was as if he had already forgotten her.

"He just finished the apprenticeship ceremony? Could it be that Senior Brother Fu immediately went into seclusion after completing the ceremony?"

Ruan Shui'er was disappointed, but she tried to console herself.

However, as time went by, she gradually put the matter out of her mind. After all, no matter how guilty she felt towards Wei Tu, she couldn't keep caring about it forever.

To her, Wei Tu was merely a fellow disciple she had met a few times, someone both familiar and unfamiliar.

However, what Ruan Shui'er didn't know was...

On the very first day after she sent out the talisman, Wei Tu, who had just finished his apprenticeship ceremony, received the invitation to the gathering.

However—now that Chief Liu harbors other intentions towards Ruan Shui'er, Wei Tu cannot continue to approach her in order to avoid suspicion.

He didn't want to arouse Chief Liu's vigilance 'again'.

……

Time flies.

Sixty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Wei Tu, who was in seclusion, also sensed Ruan Shui'er's breakthrough in cultivation within the Lushan Dojo.

The 'Golden Core' realm, which is considered an insurmountable barrier by Foundation Establishment cultivators in the lower realms, is a smooth path that this woman can easily traverse in just a few decades.

"It's about time. It's time to go out and travel, to find an opportunity to break through to the 'Nascent Soul' stage..."

Inside the cave, Wei Tu flicked his sleeves and retrieved the long-dusty alchemy furnace in front of him, thinking to himself.

In the past sixty years, he has fully recovered from his injuries using the healing elixirs he obtained, and has also refined the 'Ghost Clan Soul Pill' he acquired at the auction.

At the same time, the Toad Water Corpse, nurtured by his 'Azure-Eyed Flying Zombie Dharma Form', successfully broke through to the seventh level, filling the weakest link among the Five Wonder Corpses.

Therefore, for a short period of time, he had nothing else to do at the Lushan Dojo.

— Reaching the state of oneness is extremely difficult to achieve through arduous practice alone.

Coincidentally, the identity he fabricated was also nearing the time to break through to the Nascent Soul realm... but with his abilities, he could no longer forge it to break through the Heavenly Tribulation.

Therefore, traveling became an inevitable step for him.

In addition, he could also take this opportunity to collect auxiliary ingredients for refining 'Yinzhi Dan' during this trip.

"Traveling abroad to find a breakthrough opportunity?"

Half a day later, the middle-aged beauty who had checked Wei Tu's realm was secretly alarmed when she learned that Wei Tu planned to travel.

Ordinary cultivators, after obtaining the 'Nascent Soul Pill', will mostly not take any more risks. Even if they have to cultivate for hundreds of years, they will persevere until they break through to the Nascent Soul realm.

People like Wei Tu who dare to venture out are few and far between.

In her view, this behavior was more like rushing to one's death!

"One step faster leads to another! In the Nascent Soul and Void Refinement realms, the younger you are, the easier it is to break through... Including the legendary Mahayana realm, without a heaven-defying opportunity, those who break through are often under ten thousand years old."

Wei Tu calmly revealed his powerful 'ambition'.

Although this behavior contradicts his original personality, it is not difficult for him to disguise himself.

"Let him go. I'm also curious how far this junior can go..."

Just as the middle-aged beauty frowned, the magic mirror in her sleeve, used to contact Chief Liu, finally spoke.

“Clan leader, this is... far too risky. Golden Core cultivators have little chance of protecting themselves in the outside world.”

"At least... we should wait until he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage before allowing him to travel."

The middle-aged woman, in a moment of panic, retorted.

This wasn't because she cared so much for Wei Tu, but because she had subconsciously regarded Wei Tu as the 'private property' of the Nine Serpents Liu Clan... and would do everything in her power to salvage the situation if she saw that the property might be damaged.

“But… my Nine Serpents Liu Clan is not short of a Nascent Soul cultivator.” The Liu Clan Chief replied to this sentence with an unchanged voice and indifferent tone.

As soon as these words fell.

The middle-aged woman was taken aback, and couldn't help but feel that what he said made sense.

"Don't worry, I will secretly arrange a few Nascent Soul Realm protectors for him. As long as he's lucky... he should be fine," Clan Chief Liu added.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman's initial objections vanished, and she gradually came to accept the matter.

"I wonder if Shui'er has also gone out to travel..." At this moment, the middle-aged woman had a sudden thought and asked about this matter.

Compared to Wei Tu's experience, Ruan Shui'er was inevitably too 'naive'. She intentionally wanted to let Ruan Shui'er gain some experience so that Ruan Shui'er's character could mature.

"You don't need to worry about this. After Shui'er breaks through to the late stage of the Golden Core realm, I will personally take her out to gain experience..."

Chief Liu seemed to have prepared a response beforehand, and calmly answered the question.

"With his own hands?" Wei Tu, who overheard this, couldn't help but have some thoughts.

He had a gut feeling that the 'time' mentioned by the clan chief was very likely the time when this cultivator attacked Ruan Shui'er.

"not my business."

Wei Tu shook his head secretly. He remained focused on his own thoughts and would not easily meddle in matters that were not his concern.

Furthermore, he hadn't forgotten how Ruan Shui'er, at the 'Apprenticeship Ceremony,' had schemed against him under the instigation of the middle-aged beauty...

Although the woman was instigated in this matter, she also agreed to the scheme against him.

This alone shows that this woman is definitely not innocent!
……

For Wei Tu, getting rid of the 'Nascent Soul Guards' secretly arranged by Clan Chief Liu was a trivial matter.

He easily used the Red Feather Ghost Insect King's 'red mist' to trap it in an illusion, making it unaware that it had lost track of Wei Tu.

However, Wei Tu did not disregard the Nascent Soul Guardian. After using illusion magic to 'tamper' with the cultivator's soul memories, he waved his sleeve and directly froze the cultivator and threw him into his Qiankun bag.

Only then did he relax and, as a disciple of the Feather Saint Sect, begin to explore the 'Black Cloud Minor World'.

Of course—behind the scenes, while traveling, he also secretly collected the auxiliary medicines needed to refine the 'Yinzhi Pill' under the identity of a mysterious hybrid.

Thus, after more than a decade, the auxiliary ingredients for refining the 'Yinzhi Pill' were gradually completed.

After all, these auxiliary drugs are not difficult to collect.

Previously, when he was in the Sheng Guang Realm, he was short of money, which is why he only collected one dose of the 'Yin Zhi Dan' auxiliary medicine.

Otherwise, he would have completed the miscellaneous task of refining this second 'Yinzhi Pill' a hundred years ago.

However—during his travels, Wei Tu unexpectedly encountered someone in the black market of a celestial city.

“Chief Chai? This cultivator has actually come to this ‘Black Cloud Minor Realm’?” Wei Tu looked at the young scholar in the distance whose appearance had changed drastically but whose aura remained unchanged, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Back then, when he returned to the Spirit Realm, he also inquired about the events that had occurred at 'Dinghai Immortal Ruins' after he left.

This intelligence naturally included his old enemy, Chief Chai.

After plotting against Zou Yueshan, he disappeared from the spirit world, and even the Ghost Phoenix Clan's wanted notice could not find a trace of him.

Never thought...

They actually appeared in this 'Black Cloud Minor Realm'!
However, upon closer examination, it makes sense.

Since it has disappeared from the spirit realm, it is highly likely that it has escaped to other realms... This is how it managed to evade the pursuit of the domineering Ghost Phoenix Clan and survive until now.

And he is no longer the insignificant cultivator who ascended from the lower realm; he has now traveled to countless realms.

It is not surprising that Chief Chai, who had fled to this place, was discovered by chance.

The only thing that truly shocked Wei Tu was the rapid advancement in Chief Chai's current realm.

It is no longer the 'half-step Integration' realm after reincarnation; its current cultivation level has clearly entered the 'Grand Integration Cultivation' category!
Keep in mind that less than a thousand years have passed since this cultivator escaped from the "Sea-Stabilizing Immortal Ruins"! (End of Chapter)