I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Soon, the day when Chief Chai and other rotating elders of the Heavenly Demon Realm would descend upon the 'Five Great Clans' was fast approaching.

On this day, Wei Tu and a group of family members from the Nine Serpents Liu Clan were led by the Liu Clan Chief to the Wu Clan Immortal City, where the Mountain Bear Wu Clan was located.

However, as juniors, Wei Tu and the others did not get to see Chai Shouzuo and the others immediately. After arriving at Wu Clan Immortal City, Wei Tu and the other cultivators from the Nine Serpents Liu Clan temporarily stayed in the guest rooms of the Mountain Bear Wu Clan under their arrangement.

Accompanying them were cultivators from the other three of the five major clans.

This special recruitment by the Heavenly Demon Realm is a grand event for all the major clans.

Of course, there are also some non-family cultivators like Wei Tu among them.

These "outsider prodigies" recruited by other clans, like Wei Tu, either had a master-disciple relationship with the five major clans or a blood relationship, and were also considered "one of their own" by the major clans.

"There are more than a hundred cultivators participating in the assessment, but... only ten will be able to successfully join the Heavenly Demon Realm. Moreover, these 'ten' are not from any particular family. It is common for an entire clan to fail to be selected..." In the guest room, Wei Tu looked at the jade slip containing more comprehensive information about the assessment that Clan Chief Liu had given him before his departure, and his face showed a thoughtful expression.

At this moment, he couldn't help but think to himself, "No wonder." No wonder the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' valued him so much and so easily gave him the spot to participate in this assessment.

It turns out that the 'Five Great Clans' are more like a 'testing ground' set up by the Heavenly Demon Realm in this area.

The combined strength of the five major clans is enough to secure the ten slots granted by the Heavenly Demon Realm, a superior power, for joining this realm.

Within this examination area, he and the cultivators of the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' would have to compete with the other four major clans for these 'ten spots' to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands and ending up with nothing.

Therefore, the various clans will do their utmost to select the most promising talents among the cultivators participating in this 'special recruitment assessment'... even those from other races are welcome.

"The Heavenly Demon Realm truly lives up to its name, a powerful force capable of operating independently outside the Ancient Demon Realm..." Wei Tu thought to himself with admiration.

Judging from this glimpse, the fact that the Heavenly Demon Realm could design such a competitive yet humane assessment system indicates that it must be an extraordinary and powerful force.

"As for the assessment content, whether it's the test of magical power, immortal skills, or comprehension and intelligence... none of these are difficult for me. The only thing I need to be careful about is not standing out too much and attracting the attention of cultivators above the Integration stage!"

Wei Tu put down the intelligence jade slip in his hand and pondered to himself.

Of course, he wasn't too worried about that.

Back in the 'Feathered Dragon Clan,' he had already deceived Zi Chi Jun with his 'life force,' successfully concealing his true identity.

The cultivators who successfully pass this 'special recruitment examination' will only be able to join the Heavenly Demon Realm and become the 'true disciples' of the various 'bloodline clans' within it.

It is still 108,000 miles away from being able to contact Mahayana cultivators.

Normally speaking, the "rotating elders" of the Heavenly Demon Realm who are in charge of this assessment are the most important figures in the Heavenly Demon Realm that these cultivators participating in the assessment will be able to come into contact with in their entire lives.

"Even if you don't stand out among these hundred people and become a cultivator of the Heavenly Demon Realm this time... don't be discouraged. After all, you only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm, so it's normal that you're not as good as the others..."

A few days later, Clan Chief Liu led Wei Tu and a group of family cultivators from the Nine Serpents Liu Clan out of the guest room and headed to the Clan Affairs Hall of the Mountain Bear Wu Clan to participate in this special recruitment assessment.

Before entering the clan affairs hall, Clan Chief Liu paused for a moment and then gave Wei Tu this special instruction.

Apart from Wei Tu, all the cultivators participating in this assessment were members of the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan,' but these people were all distant relatives... Therefore, in a sense, Wei Tu, who could be considered an 'outsider' and his cheap disciple, was the person closest to him.

Of course, this is also related to Wei Tu's 'natural talent'.

Even if he fails this time, Wei Tu should have a good chance of succeeding in the next special recruitment assessment and ascending to the Heavenly Demon Realm.

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

As these words were spoken.

The next moment, the doors of the 'Clan Affairs Hall' opened, revealing Chief Chai and others sitting in the hall.

Seeing this scene, Wei Tu felt a strange unease, after all, he and this cultivator were 'enemies' who had fought several times.

However, outwardly, Wei Tu did not show any emotion. He followed the Nine Serpents Willow Clan members who were also participating in this 'special recruitment assessment' into the main hall.

Not surprisingly.

In several tests that used magical artifacts to examine a cultivator's physical attributes and bloodline, Wei Tu consistently ranked among the top cultivators of the 'Five Great Clans'.

They have become promising candidates for the assessment.

"A native of the Cloud Mist Desert, he became an apprentice of the 'Nine Serpents Willow Clan' patriarch and successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul stage within a hundred years..." Soon, the information about Wei Tu's identity was also seen by the three rotating elders of the Heavenly Demon Realm in the hall.

The three, including Chief Chai, nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with Wei Tu's 'clean background'.

The only point worth discussing is that Wei Tu is also a cultivator of the Feather Saint Sect, but he became a disciple of Clan Chief Liu.

However, this is not a big deal.

The various examination areas set up by the Heavenly Demon Realm are frequented by cultivators with multiple identities, such as Wei Tu, who take the exams multiple times.

As long as one is 'qualified' and can be selected, one will naturally have the qualifications to join the Heavenly Demon Realm.

No faction would be stingy with a 'prodigy' willing to join its ranks.

After the routine assessment.

Two days later, the final test of 'comprehension' arrived.

Its content is about breaking a 'Remnant Restriction of the God Transformation Technique'.

Wei Tu, who was quite skilled in formations, could see through it at a glance.

However, in order not to stand out from the crowd and to hide his success, he deliberately slowed down the process, waiting until several people had succeeded before he followed suit and successfully cracked the code.

"It really succeeded?" Clan Chief Liu, sitting in the hall, stared at the scene with a slight surprise, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes.

If Wei Tu, who had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage in just a hundred years at the Deer Mountain Dojo, could be considered to have a promising future...

Now, Wei Tu has a good chance of reaching his level in the future!
And that is already extraordinary.

"Late stage of Void Refinement" means that someone is just one step away from achieving the Body Integration Realm!

Moreover, the opportunities within the Heavenly Demon Realm are destined to be far greater than those in the 'Black Cloud Minor Realm'.

In other words, there is a certain possibility that Wei Tu in the future could become a powerful being who has achieved the Fusion Realm.

More importantly, Wei Tu was an apprentice he took in "by chance," not someone he had carefully selected. Naturally, his achievements were even more surprising to him.

however--

To Wei Tu's dismay,

Although he passed this 'special recruitment' and successfully joined the Heavenly Demon Realm, he still has to wait thirty years until Chief Elder Chai and other rotating elders finish dealing with important matters before he can go to the Heavenly Demon Realm with him.

However, this is understandable.

Cross-realm teleportation is a troublesome matter that wastes a lot of time. Elders of the Heavenly Demon Realm, such as Chief Chai, have finally made the trip to the mortal realm. Why would they leave immediately after recruiting disciples?

Thirty years is quite a short time.

"In another twenty years, the next 'Five Races Auction' will be held... For now, staying in this 'Black Cloud Minor Realm' may also yield other gains."

Wei Tu comforted himself, thinking to himself.

He has a lot of spirit crystals, but right now only this anonymous, black market auction of the 'Five Races Auction' can completely convert these spirit crystals into 'strength'!
……

After the special recruitment assessment is completed.

Wei Tu bid farewell to Chief Liu once again and returned to the Lushan Dojo.

Clan Chief Liu readily agreed and did not force Wei Tu to stay in the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' or cultivate a relationship with him.

There's no other reason than that a person who has shown great kindness will naturally be grateful for the Nascent Soul Pill he gave them and the opportunity to help them.

Conversely, even if one deliberately cultivates feelings for a cold-hearted person, it is difficult to influence them. On the contrary, such deliberate overdoing will have the opposite effect.

At the same time, the middle-aged beauty, upon hearing the news, immediately informed Ruan Shui'er, asking her to invite Wei Tu again to rekindle their friendship as fellow students and fellow townsmen.

However, Ruan Shui'er, who had been 'ignored' by Wei Tu several times, was somewhat unwilling.

This made her feel like she was shamelessly socializing with Wei Tu.

This is even more unacceptable than his previous act of scheming against Wei Tu at the 'instigation' of a middle-aged woman.

"That's the Heavenly Demon Realm..."

"Shui'er, although your bloodline is excellent, it is the bloodline of a top-grade Moon Fox. But compared to him... you are still inferior. His mind and his comprehension are destined to make him an extraordinary person in the future!" the middle-aged woman gently advised.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Shui'er intended to refute it. After all, Wei Tu's success was not her success. When she was brilliant and had a more promising future, Wei Tu was not particularly friendly with her. Now that Wei Tu has gained momentum, how could he possibly change his tune and look up to her?

However, when she thought of the middle-aged beauty's teachings over the past century, which were like those of a teacher and a mother, Ruan Shui'er's heart softened, and she could only silently agree.

As she expected, Wei Tu would likely continue to ignore her letter and refuse to attend the banquet.

However, this time, the result was far beyond Ruan Shui'er's expectations.

Wei Tu surprisingly agreed.

"Why is this man surnamed Fu so unpredictable, sometimes hot and sometimes cold?" Ruan Shui'er frowned slightly, feeling displeased.

"No! That's not right. I spoke with him during the apprenticeship ceremony. Judging from our conversation, even if he was aloof... he wouldn't be this cold and unapproachable."

"Things seem to have changed around... the time when Senior Brother Fu became a disciple?" Ruan Shui'er suddenly sensed something.

Wei Tu's deliberate 'avoidance' might be hard for others to perceive, but as the one most affected by this matter, she could more or less guess what was going on.

"Previously, I invited Senior Brother Fu, but he didn't reply. Now that he has successfully joined the Heavenly Demon Realm... he can reply to me and attend this gathering of fellow disciples..."

"Could it be related to Master?"

Ruan Shui'er pointed the finger directly at Chief Liu, who was most likely to cause the 'variable'.

Wei Tu was quite surprised to hear this.

He had thought that, given the woman's simplicity, she would hardly have thought of this. Little did he expect that, a century later, she would have made some progress in this matter.

“That’s right, it is indeed related to my mentor.” Wei Tu nodded, not denying it.

His unusual decision to accept Ruan Shui'er's 'invitation' was also inseparable from Chief Liu's influence.

His previous behavior of distancing himself from Ruan Shui'er could be explained by his aloof personality and the 'warning' he received from Chief Liu.

But now that his status has suddenly risen, his deliberate distancing from this woman seems rather odd.

This estrangement is more like a sign of wariness and fear towards Chief Liu and the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' behind him!
After a pause.

Wei Tu then explained the matter by recounting the condition that Chief Liu had set when he accepted him as a disciple.

Of course, he didn't mention the deeper reasons.

His relationship with Ruan Shui'er was not worth the risk of revealing the inside story.

"It's because I need to protect my primordial yin body and prevent male cultivators from ruining my path..." Hearing this, even though Ruan Shui'er was somewhat prepared, her face couldn't help but blush slightly.

"However, there is indeed some truth to what Senior Brother Fu said..."

Ruan Shui'er secretly glanced at Wei Tu. Although she lived deep within the Lushan Dojo, she had seen many young talents within the 'Nine Serpents Liu Clan' because of the middle-aged beauty.

However, without exception, these people are extremely difficult to compare with Wei Tu in terms of qualifications and temperament.

Of course, Ruan Shui'er, who had only met Wei Tu a few times, did not have any subtle feelings for him. After blushing slightly for a moment, she regained her composure.

However, having resolved her inner conflict, she was no longer as rigid as before when communicating with Wei Tu.

“A hundred years ago, I invited Senior Brother Fu to the ‘Five Clans Auction’… It was because I had ulterior motives and did not have good intentions. I hope Senior Brother Fu will not take offense.”

Before long, Ruan Shui'er uttered a sentence that surprised Wei Tu.

"He actually took the blame?"

"Is it because they've realized I'm no ordinary cultivator and will eventually see through the past, so they're trying to resolve the grudges as soon as possible, or is it..."

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Ruan Shui'er in front of him.

However, before he could think about it further, the middle-aged beauty who was secretly communicating with Ruan Shui'er 'voluntarily' answered his question during their conversation.

There is no doubt that.

This gesture also came from a middle-aged beauty who saw that he was no ordinary person and wanted to use this method to dispel any misunderstandings and deepen Ruan Shui'er's impression of him.

"She's really focused on scheming for Ruan Shui'er." Wei Tu shook his head inwardly, knowing that this middle-aged beauty was very likely unaware of 'Nine Serpents Liu's' plot against Ruan Shui'er.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have deliberately created this trouble.

"It's nothing, Junior Sister Ruan. I have received your apology." After a quick thought, Wei Tu smiled faintly and forgave Ruan Shui'er.

After talking for a while longer, Wei Tu lost interest in continuing the conversation. He bowed and prepared to take his leave.

only--

Just as he stepped out of Ruan Shui'er's cave.

Two familiar faces suddenly appeared in the void above the Deer Mountain Dojo.

The newcomers were none other than the 'snake-scaled old woman' he had met before and the young scholar disguised as Chief Chai.

At this moment, the 'snake-scaled old woman's' gaze towards Ruan Shui'er's cave revealed a naked greed.

moment.

Wei Tu felt a chill run down his spine as he stepped out of the cave.

I understand now; that's why Clan Chief Liu accepted Ruan Shui'er as his disciple. (End of Chapter)