I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

The cultivation world is full of hidden talents. Having had much contact with the three major clans and the ten spirit clans in the past, he always believed that these powerful clans were the core and main force of the spirit world. Once you reach the Integration Realm or above, apart from those powerful rogue cultivators who have already made a name for themselves in the spirit world, most of the other rogue cultivators are not worth mentioning...

But now, the sudden appearance of this unheard-of 'Mr. Yanlan' has undoubtedly given him a more tangible understanding of the power of rogue cultivators in the spirit world.

The Spirit Realm, a vast realm comparable to the 'Primordial Demon Source Realm,' has far more complexities than he imagined!

“That’s true. If the rule of the three major clans and the ten major spirit clans can really reach every corner of the spirit world, then the Weeping River Demon Ancestor, and the soul fragment of the possessed 'A-Da' Demon Ancestor encountered in the Dinghai Immortal Ruins... will no longer be able to lurk in the spirit world…” Wei Tu gradually realized this in his heart, and his understanding of the ‘three major clans and the ten major spirit clans’ improved.

……

With the successful refining of the 'Jade Void Pill', the 'Alchemist Conference', which had been brewing for decades, finally came to an end.

The first-place winner, 'Mr. Yanlan', was sought after by a group of powerful clans because the moment the 'Jade Void Pill' was formed, his alchemy skills were 'confirmed'—proving that he had the ability to refine a top-tier seventh-order spiritual pill like the 'Jade Void Pill'.

The group of seventh-rank alchemists following him may not be inferior to 'Mr. Yanlan' in terms of alchemy skills, but in the entire Spirit Realm, the resources for refining 'Jade Void Pill' are extremely scarce.

Now that Mr. Yanlan has proven his strength, no force will dare to try and make a mistake.

As a result, the attention and resources offered to the remaining four seventh-level alchemists, including Wei Tu, who were qualified to refine 'Jade Void Island', plummeted at that moment.

However, this was exactly what Wei Tu wanted to do. He didn't want to be 'entangled' by the Great Princess, Zou Yueshan, and the others after the Alchemy Conference...

Now, being able to easily extricate myself is better than anything else.

After waiting for another half month.

As the other alchemists left one after another, he immediately began refining the last seventh-grade pill needed for the transaction... and then headed towards the main hall of the Alchemist Hall where Red Fox Lord and the others were.

"Fellow Daoist Ruan is exceptionally talented and a rare seventh-rank alchemist in our Spirit Realm. Why not stay with my Heavenly Fox Clan and become a guest elder..."

After confirming that the pills were correct, Red Fox Lord nodded with a slight look of surprise and began his habitual attempt to win over Wei Tu.

However, given Wei Tu's shrewdness, it's not hard for him to understand that these words were mostly just Red Fox Lord's 'politeness'.

If someone truly wants to win you over, they will offer you substantial resources and benefits, rather than just a casual guest elder.

"It's fine to let those seventh-level alchemists who didn't make it into the top five leave... Even I'm being so polite, does that mean 'Mr. Yanlan' has already decided to join the Heavenly Fox Clan?"

Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly, and he immediately guessed what was going on.

This possibility is not low.

Just like in the Rebirth Realm, in order to prevent him from cheating and to make him refine the 'Nine Fragrance Pill' as quickly as possible, the Purple Blood Demon Lord promised that any extra 'Nine Fragrance Pills' he refined could belong to him.

And then there's this 'Jade Void Pill'...

—In order to win over Mr. Yanlan and get him to produce more 'Jade Void Pills', it is reasonable to use these pills as a condition for the transaction.

With the 'Jade Void Pill' as bait, how could 'Mr. Yanlan', whose cultivation level was also at the Integration Realm, possibly disagree?

“I appreciate your kindness, Lord Red Fox, but with Mr. Yanlan before me… how could I dare to utter the words ‘extraordinary talent’?” Wei Tu smiled slightly and politely declined.

Upon hearing this, a subtle hint of joy appeared deep in Red Fox Lord's eyes, as if he quite agreed with Wei Tu's self-admission of inferiority and his praise of 'Mr. Yanlan'.

This undoubtedly proves that the winner, 'Mr. Yanlan', has indeed been recruited by the Celestial Fox Clan, represented by Lord Chihu.

After speaking, Wei Tu accepted the jade box containing the 'Five Elements Fruit' from the Red Fox Lord, then gracefully departed with a flick of his sleeve, not lingering in the Alchemist's Hall or the 'Fox Hill Tomb' where it was located.

However, just as he was about to fly away from 'Fox Hill Tomb'.

Some of the envoys from powerful clans inside the Alchemist Hall seemed to have realized something as well, and immediately flew out, preparing to call Wei Tu back and try to win him over again.

However, it was also quite obvious that the cultivators who followed were all from the Ten Spirit Clan. Among the three dominant clans, led by Lei Bao, the Great Princess, and Zou Yueshan, not a single one escaped outside the hall...

Clearly, Wei Tu, a seventh-level alchemist, was seen by the envoys of the Ten Spirit Clan as a 'leftover' to be picked over.

However, a scene that greatly surprised these envoys of the Ten Spirits Clan appeared.

Then, Wei Tu, who had flown out of the 'Fox Hill Tomb', seemed to have sensed their arrival. He slightly moved his toes forward, and within a few breaths, his escape light had already reached the heavens, a distance they could no longer catch up with.

"Is it a swift escape talisman? Or an escape magic treasure? Or perhaps the cultivator's own strength..."

"If it's about individual ability..."

The envoys of the Ten Spirit Clan looked at each other, realizing that Wei Tu was not only skilled in alchemy, but also likely an extraordinary figure among 'Great Body Integration Cultivators' of the same level.

This is undoubtedly more daunting than the 99% of seventh-level alchemists in the Alchemist Conference.

While he may not be as skilled in both martial arts and alchemy as 'Master Yanlan' today, he might be in a different position ten thousand or even tens of thousands of years from now, once his cultivation level has greatly improved.

……

After leaving the 'Fox Hill Tomb', Wei Tu immediately took out the communication artifact that Geng Qiaozi had left him and contacted this cultivator.

After failing to secure a place in the top five of the Alchemist Conference, Geng Qiaozi did not linger in the Alchemist Hall. He left the Fox Hill Tomb directly and, as agreed, returned to the Human Race's Holy Emperor Domain to collect the reward for the transaction.

—That is, those three seventh-tier ghost soul pills of the 'Mist Ghost Clan'.

The human race's 'Holy Emperor Domain' happens to be located on the same Wind and Fire Continent as the Heavenly Fox Clan's territory, and the two are not far apart.

Even for a cultivator at the Fusion Realm level, a round trip would only take about two months.

It's worth noting that he spent a full six months refining pills in the Alchemist's Hall...

As long as Geng Qiaozi doesn't waste too much time when he returns to the human race, this time will definitely be considered ample!
"Madam Dayuan, that must be Alchemist Ruan..."

A moment later, just as the communication artifact in Wei Tu's hand finally flashed with a brilliant light, a laugh echoed across the sky and reached Wei Tu's ears from afar.

"These two came together?"

Wei Tu's gaze sharpened, and at that moment, his divine sense locked onto Geng Qiaozi, who was rushing towards him, and Pei Hong's birth mother, Da Yuanfei, whom he had met several times on Silver Canopy Island hundreds of years ago.

Centuries later, the woman remained as beautiful as ever, with her signature 'cloud-like' hair, a face quite similar to Da Yuanshuang's, and a more voluptuous figure, as she appeared before him.

At this moment, neither Geng Qiaozi nor Da Yuanfei, who were on opposing sides, showed any hostility. Instead, they chatted and laughed in a relaxed manner.

Wei Tu's eyes flickered slightly at this scene, but he showed no surprise whatsoever.

It's true that the Mist Ghost Clan has been challenging the status of the Ten Spirit Clans among the human race in the Spirit Realm, but the hatred between the two is far from reaching the point of blood feud...

At least, at the higher levels, it's not that bad.

Given the enormous benefits involved, it's all too easy for these two to maintain a semblance of harmony.

Before long, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, Consort Dayuan arrived at Wei Tu's side with a beaming smile. With the composure of the mist ghost clan's chieftain's wife, she struck up a conversation with Wei Tu.

"I have also been paying attention to the Alchemist Conference of the Heavenly Fox Clan... Alchemist Ruan's ability to stand out from a group of seventh-level alchemists and win the fifth seat is truly remarkable..."

"You should know that I only learned of Master Ruan's existence a hundred years ago, when I was still the wife of the Mist Ghost Clan Chief, dealing with that 'crisis' of someone seeking to purchase Ghost Clan Soul Pills..."

Consort Da Yuan, with a composed and charming demeanor, covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

As the clan chief's wife?

But when Wei Tu heard this, his eyes flashed, and he realized the hidden meaning in the woman's words.

—This woman is not firmly bound to the Mist Ghost Clan, and they are not separate. Her identity in the outside world... at least in front of him, is still 'Consort of the Great Abyss', the legitimate daughter of the Four-Armed Ape Clan.

However, he was slightly puzzled as to why this woman would deliberately distance herself from this identity in front of him.

Whether she was the wife of the Mist Demon clan chief or not made no difference to him.

"Ha! Fellow Daoist Ruan, although you weren't as skilled as Mr. Yanlan who refined the 'Jade Void Pill' at the Alchemist Conference, you were still among the top five and successfully refined seventh-grade precious pills such as the 'Soul Jade Pill' and the 'Severing Qi Pill'..."

"This Consort Dayuan is currently at the same level as us, so how could I not covet Fellow Daoist Ruan! You must know that the entire Mist Ghost Clan does not have a single seventh-level alchemist!"

Soon, the cold laughter from Geng Qiaozi reached Wei Tu's ears through divine sense transmission, directly resolving Wei Tu's doubts.

"So that's why." Wei Tu suddenly realized.

The rise of the Mist Demon clan was not a result of their accumulated strength, but rather a product of much luck.

It was their ancestor, 'Old Ghost Pei,' who, after breaking through to the Mahayana realm, brought their clan to a height they shouldn't have had in a single breath.

This is quite different from the deep-rooted "old money" of the human race in the spirit world.

Therefore, in terms of the number of powerful individuals within their clan, the Mist Ghost Clan is far inferior to the 'Ten Spirits Clan,' let alone producing a seventh-tier alchemist, a rarity even in the entire cultivation world…

However, Wei Tu never expected that the Mist Ghost Clan would be so pathetic, not even having a single seventh-level alchemist.

“However, this shows that the conflict between the Great Abyss Consort and her mother clan—the Four-Armed Ape Clan—has reached a point where it is difficult to resolve.” Wei Tu’s mind raced, and he immediately thought of this aspect.

Only a woman of high status and power like Consort Dayuan, who feels that her maternal clan is unreliable, would seek help from outsiders and deliberately befriend him at this moment.

However, precisely by distancing herself from the title of 'clan chief's wife,' she is undoubtedly the most tempting 'hint' for some cultivators who are easily swayed by beauty...

In the case of seduction, the allure is insignificant compared to any tangible benefit.

Of course—this is just an implication. A female cultivator as shrewd as Consort Dayuan would only use this to seduce those who are blinded by lust. It would be almost impossible to get into her bed without paying a huge price.

Having figured this out, Wei Tu naturally wouldn't pay too much attention to this woman. He frowned slightly, calmly said a few polite words, and then looked at Geng Qiaozi, waiting for the person in charge to speak.

Compared to Consort Dayuan, Geng Qiaozi is the person he should befriend more at this moment.

Only through this method could he learn more about the 'treasure land of the human race' and the secret that the Great Vehicle Immortal of the Spirit Realm had kept tightly under wraps regarding his departure.

Secondly, since this situation was arranged by Geng Qiaozi, he also had the responsibility of protecting Geng Qiaozi and guarding against Da Yuanfei... It was not appropriate for him to get too close to Da Yuanfei at this time.

Seeing that Wei Tu was so cooperative, Geng Qiaozi nodded with a satisfied expression.

Then, without further ado, he took out a page of the 'Blood Curse Secret Book' blood contract that he had prepared beforehand and handed it to Wei Tu and Da Yuanfei respectively, urging them to sign it.

This 'blood pact' is precisely the foundation upon which Wei Tu and Da Yuanfei, two complete strangers, built mutual trust.

Its contents are also very simple, nothing more than clauses prohibiting mutual betrayal during the alliance.

After carefully examining the terms and conditions and finding no hidden traps, Wei Tu did not hesitate. Together with Da Yuanfei, they dripped their own blood and made this blood oath.

After this blood oath was made.

At this point, Geng Qiaozi stopped hiding the exact location of the 'human race's treasure land' from Wei Tu and directly told Da Yuanfei the information about the place.

And just as Wei Tu had guessed, the place he was in was the 'Illusory Mirage Realm' that Wei Tu had accidentally learned about from Huo Fa Daoist hundreds of years ago!
After briefly introducing the information about the 'Human Treasure Land'.

As the eldest daughter of the Four-Armed Ape Clan, Consort Dayuan nodded and explained the guardianship of the Four-Armed Ape Clan in this 'Illusory Mirage Realm'.

"The Mirage Realm is now shared by our clan and the Howling Sky Clan. Our clan doesn't have many guards here... only two or three Nascent Soul cultivators. But the Mirage Realm isn't far from our clan's territory. If it attracts attention, it's very likely to draw the powerful figures from our clan's territory here..."

"As for the Howling Sky Clan, I estimate that their strength is roughly the same as our clan's garrison strength."

"However, with the combined strength of the three of us, even if we attract the attention of our clan's powerful figures and the cultivators of the Howling Sky Clan, there's no need to worry too much..." Consort Dayuan said with a confident smile.

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu's expression relaxed slightly.

Although he had enough strength to be confident in, he did not want to take too many dangerous risks before achieving the Mahayana realm.

But at that moment, Princess Da Yuan opened her mouth, paused, and said the word "only".

“However, if we don’t want to attract the attention of the cultivators in the Mirage Realm, it’s not enough for me to go alone… If I could bring my son along, it would dispel the suspicions of the two clans’ cultivators stationed in the Mirage Realm…” Consort Dayuan pondered for a moment before continuing.

The reason given was very simple.

One person alone might have ulterior motives, but a mother and child going together means they are going to experience and travel in the cultivation world.

"This..." Upon hearing this unexpected remark, Wei Tu subconsciously glanced at Geng Qiaozi. Seeing that Geng Qiaozi nodded to him without changing his expression, Wei Tu frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed his worries. (End of Chapter)