I am a late bloomer in the world of cultivating immortals

As soon as these words fell.

Wei Tu frowned slightly, his expression showing a hint of displeasure, but then, as if he had thought of something, he stepped forward without hesitation and channeled his magic power into the snake bone artifact.

With the input of magic power.

The snake bone artifact seemed to come alive, transforming into a bone snake about the length of a finger. Its tail swayed, and it stood upright, its hollow eye bones emitting ghostly flames, carrying a trace of mysterious law power, its gaze peering towards Wei Tu.

The next moment, the snake bone artifact began to hiss like a snake.

Hiss!

One sound, two sounds, three sounds...

On the third call, it paused slightly, then continued to chirp.

The snake's hissing stopped abruptly on the eighth note.

"Eight snake cries? Senior Fu is eight thousand years old?" The Lord of the Blazing Sun Territory was slightly stunned, somewhat unable to believe what he was seeing.

Previously, Wei Tu, who was nearly ten thousand years old, was considered a rare genius. Now, he is two thousand years younger, making him even rarer!

He can be described as a rare genius, one that appears only once every tens of thousands of years in the Xiayang Mountains.

—In the early stages of a cultivator's vigorous and diligent cultivation, it is not easy to gain a cultivation gap of even a hundred years compared to other cultivators, let alone a gap of two thousand years...

“An 8,000-year-old Void Refinement Realm cultivator is rare in the Xiayang Mountains, but there are still some in other large snake-people tribes…” The old woman’s gaze was deep as she patted the shoulder of the Lord of the Blazing Sun Territory, signaling him to calm down and not to act so easily and without composure.

"It was my fault for losing my composure. I hope Grandmother will not take offense." The Lord of the Blazing Sun Territory calmed down and apologized.

"Eight thousand years old, Fellow Daoist Fu, although you have met the minimum age requirement for the Three Races Dragon Transformation Conference... you have also deceived this old woman and my grandson..."

After scrutinizing Wei Tu, the old woman's wrinkled face hardened, and she spoke.

"When I travel, I naturally need to conceal some information that is detrimental to my safety... I believe you can understand that, fellow Daoist." Wei Tu's expression remained unchanged as he cupped his hands and casually uttered these words.

His actual age is three thousand years.

He dared not reveal his age at all, except within the human race, in other regions.

However, it is still feasible to reduce one's natural talent by leveraging "life force".

He conceived this plan after learning about the "Serpent Bone Bell" from a neighboring lord of the Blazing Sun Territory. Coincidentally, the Evil Scale Venerable was eight thousand years old.

People tend to believe information they obtain after verifying it themselves.

With this "exposing of the lie," the Dark Serpent Clan will no longer doubt his true age.

Secondly—these two things seem to differ by only two thousand years, but the levels of qualifications they represent are completely different.

The former is a prodigy belonging to the Ten Spirit Clan.

The latter is quite common in some large and medium-sized clans. It's roughly equivalent to the Fire Sheep Clan cultivator he killed in the "Stone Cocoon Secret Realm," a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage. It's several levels lower than "Snow Feather," who wasn't nurtured by the Snow Infant Clan with the full strength of the clan.

They have impressive qualifications, but there aren't many of them.

Of course, among the Dark Serpent Clan, a "small clan" that barely qualifies as a mid-level tribe, this talent is exceptional, making them a rare and valuable ally.

Wei Tu didn't believe that the old woman would turn him away because of this small secret.

"Fellow Daoist Fu is right. When traveling, one should indeed conceal some information that could be harmful to oneself to avoid unnecessary trouble..."

Seeing that Wei Tu did not show any weakness despite her intimidation as a late-stage Void Refinement expert, the old woman smiled again, nodded in deep agreement, and echoed Wei Tu's words.

"Then I, on behalf of my clan, invite Fellow Daoist Fu to become our clan's external aid in the Dragon Transformation Tournament. The condition is... regardless of whether Fellow Daoist Fu wins or loses, Fellow Daoist Fu will be allowed to use our clan's ultra-long-range teleportation array..." The old woman pondered for a moment before getting back to the main topic.

Upon hearing this, Wei Tu nodded without hesitation to show his agreement.

Although he is called an "external aid"—in reality, his participation in this Dragon Transformation Conference will only benefit him, not harm him, so the conditions for his request will not be too high.

The vast majority of other external aids will not ask for any extra treasures. After all, as long as they win the battle, the "Dragon Transformation Pool" of the Dragon Transformation Tournament is the most important opportunity they can obtain in the tournament.

Wei Tu agreed.

After that, the old woman didn't say anything more. She took out a flying boat that was shimmering with spiritual light, had Wei Tu sit down, and then piloted the flying boat to the territory of the Dark Serpent Clan.

The Lord of the Blazing Sun Territory accompanied him.

However, when he saw that the snake-woman cultivator who had served Wei Tu for half a month was still completely untouched by her body, he couldn't help but show a hint of doubt on his face.

Dragon nature is inherently licentious.

A major difference between the Dragonborn and other races is that they rarely engage in ascetic practices; instead, they do not suppress their desires and choose to follow their nature.

The higher the cultivation level and the more famous the cultivator, the more wives and concubines they have, and the more they enjoy controlling clouds and rain.

Otherwise, the cultivation world wouldn't have so many different kinds of dragon descendants.

"Perhaps he doesn't think much of this woman." The Lord of Lieyang Territory shook his head secretly, not suspecting anything, only believing that his arrangements did not meet Wei Tu's expectations.

……

After traveling for five or six days, the airship finally arrived at the territory of the Dark Serpent Clan.

At that moment, Wei Tu, who was meditating in the cabin, also opened his eyes.

This place is very similar in architectural style to the Lieyang Territory, with caves resembling honeycombs.

However, the number of "beehive" caves here is not like that of the Sunfire Territory, which only has one. They are densely packed in the territory of the Dark Serpent Clan, and there are no less than ten thousand of them just in front of us.

Countless snake-man monks moved in and out of these honeycomb-like grottoes, creating a rather prosperous scene.

Of course, if mortals in the human world were to see this, they would probably be terrified by the sight.

"Although they are numerous, their output of powerful individuals is far inferior to that of other races. Even the human race is far behind." Wei Tu withdrew his gaze after observing, thinking to himself.

The human race is already the most numerous among all races in the spirit realm, but it produces a very small proportion of powerful individuals.

However, compared to the Dark Serpent Clan before them, they were far stronger.

This is also a disadvantage of the Dragonborn race; their bloodline almost completely restricts everything.

With a powerful bloodline, cultivation is as easy as eating and drinking; one can easily break through to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages, realms that ordinary cultivators can only look up to...

However, if one's bloodline is too weak, even if given a lifespan of thousands of years, it will be difficult to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

This is precisely why the "Dragon Transformation Conference," which can purify bloodlines, has remained popular among various dragon-descended races for so long.

However, just as Wei Tu was pondering, a magnetic and captivating female voice reached his ears through his vast divine sense.

"Is he the foreign cultivator who participated in the Dragon Transformation Conference with me this time?"

Wei Tu raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction of the sound. Soon, he saw a bewitching female cultivator in the Dark Serpent Clan's territory, who was very different from ordinary serpent cultivators.

This woman was dressed provocatively and daringly, using only a small piece of fabric to cover her rounded upper body, revealing her fair navel.

But apart from that—like most snake people, this woman also has a snake tail, with crystal-like, beautiful light blue snake scales that shimmer in the sunlight. When she speaks, you can also see tiny snake tongues on her cherry lips as she lightly wipes the corners of her lips.

However, as Wei Tu peered in with his divine sense, the aura of its physical form became extremely blurry, giving him a sense of being unable to see through it.

"The bloodline of the Dark Serpent Clan?" A green light flashed between Wei Tu's brows. With the help of the Hun'e Evil Eye, he saw through the source of the power that was concealing his divine sense from probing this woman.

Like the old woman, this woman also possessed the pure bloodline of the Dark Serpent Clan. However, it was far more powerful than the old woman's, to the point that it could shield him from the probing of his divine sense, which was comparable to that of a peak Void Refinement cultivator.

“The royal princess of the Dark Serpent Clan—Shaluo Nu.” Wei Tu’s eyes flickered slightly, a guess forming in his mind.

He appeared in the Xiayang Mountains temporarily, and there were only two or three years left before the start of the Dragon Transformation Conference. The Dark Serpent Clan could not possibly be unprepared for this.

Besides recruiting some powerful external allies, they are also making every effort to cultivate their own clan's prodigies. Among them, the most famous is "Shaluo Nu" from the Dark Serpent Clan's royal family.

This gives us a glimpse into what it means for a woman to not yet "take human form".

—The stronger the bloodline of a dragonborn cultivator, the more difficult it is for them to successfully transform into human form.

“Indeed! Fellow Daoist Fu is the outside help I sought on this trip. Although his strength has not yet been revealed, I can easily see his power... He may be slightly weaker than you, Princess, but among all the outside help I have invited, he is certainly second to none.” The old woman nodded slightly and replied telepathically.

"Of the three Supreme Elders in the clan, Aunt Zuo, you have the best judgment in recognizing talent. Since you say this cultivator is not bad, then he must be..."

"Have you found out his origins?" The woman asked after a slight pause.

“He is not a good match.” The old woman shook her head. “I have inquired about his background. He comes from a remote dragon race and is not well-known.”

"Although his aptitude is not bad, with the princess's talent, he is more than capable of marrying into one of the nine great tribes."

“But the nine major tribes are incredibly difficult to manage.” Shaluo sighed softly. “The nine major tribes of the Feathered Dragon Clan are all extremely arrogant. My father once sought an opportunity for me to attend a high-level banquet of the nine tribes, but unfortunately… my background is limited, and I could only sit in a remote corner, a place they wouldn’t even bother to look at…”

"As long as this Dragon Transformation Ceremony is successful and the princess's bloodline is further enhanced, then it will be them who come to the Dark Serpent Clan to propose marriage to the princess," the old woman comforted her.

“I can participate in the Dragon Transformation Conference of the three races, but the cultivators of the nine major tribes can also participate in their own clan’s Dragon Transformation Conference. The gap… is not significant.”

The woman looked slightly disappointed; it was clear that the old woman's words had not resonated with her.

The old woman seemed to sense this as well. After a moment of silence, she continued, "The Dark Serpent Clan's resources are ultimately limited. If the princess were a man, neither I nor the clan elders would offer much advice; she could simply make her own choice. But... the princess can change her fate through marriage... If she can successfully marry into the Nine Great Tribes and receive their support, our Dark Serpent Clan may one day produce another Nascent Soul powerhouse..."

"Moreover, the fusion of the nine tribes is very different from the fusion of the Dark Serpent Clan. As long as the princess is alive, even if the ancestor... fails to survive the tribulation of life, the Crimson Dragon Clan, the Wood Lizard Clan, and other clans will still have to show respect to my Dark Serpent Clan."

At this point, the woman who had been talking to the old woman earlier, her cherry lips parted slightly, and then she fell silent.

There's no other reason than that, whether for the sake of her own tribe or for her future, marrying into one of the nine major tribes is the best solution for her.

Although the private conversation had ended, on the surface, the woman still put on a bright smile, soared into the air, and flew to the side of the flying boat to welcome Wei Tu, who was an external aid to the Dark Serpent Clan.

"Keep it simple, I don't like crowds."

During the conversation, Wei Tu declined Sha Luo Nu's invitation to a welcoming banquet. He appeared aloof and unapproachable.

It wasn't that he liked to spoil the fun, but rather that the more he did, the more mistakes he made. Thanks to his "soul-searching" of the neighboring lords of the Blazing Sun Territory, he could still get the old woman and the Shaluo woman right about their origins. However, once he met with other outsiders from the Dark Serpent Clan... after probing each other's backgrounds, there was an inevitable danger of revealing his true identity.

"Senior Fu seems to be an ascetic, as he hasn't even favored the maid I arranged for him," the Lord of the Blazing Sun Territory timely reminded the old woman and the Shaluo woman via telepathy.

Upon hearing this, the woman's dissatisfaction and slight resentment vanished.

Bound by their bloodline, dragon-blooded cultivators are rarely ascetic and detached from worldly desires. However, if they do appear, they are bound to be individuals of extremely strong will. It is perfectly reasonable for such cultivators to dislike socializing.

"In the days to come, I will personally handle and entertain Fellow Daoist Fu..." The Shaluo woman sensed that Wei Tu was extraordinary and intended to develop him into her own network. After a moment of thought, she carefully gave orders to the old woman and the Dark Serpent Clan cultivators around her.

But upon hearing this...

The old woman's expression tightened. From the previous telepathic conversation between the woman and the clan, she had already vaguely sensed the woman's dissatisfaction with the clan's arrangements.

Wei Tu, on the other hand, is a promising young talent among the snake people.

What if something happens between these two? Wouldn't that ruin the Dark Serpent Clan's long-term plan?

However, she couldn't say this outright, lest it backfire and force the Shaluo woman to turn against her own tribe.

Besides, Shaluo was, after all, a princess of the Dark Serpent Clan, and her cultivation level was only slightly lower than hers, so she had no right to stop Shaluo's decision.

"This cultivator is cunning and deceitful; we must be wary of him. Back in the Blazing Sun Territory, he deceived me and my grandson... Princess, you can be in charge of liaising with him, but you must also be cautious..."

The old woman's eyes flickered slightly. After belittling Wei Tu, she earnestly gave him some advice.

Hearing this, Shaluo found it amusing, after all, the old woman had previously praised Wei Tu extensively in order to commemorate the arrival of this outside helper as a great achievement...

But she understood the old woman's concerns, nodded, and assured her, "Aunt Zuo, you can rest assured. My relationship with this Fellow Daoist Fu is merely acquaintance. He is far from qualified to be my husband..." (End of Chapter)