Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

’Small profit?’ Geng Wen scoffed inwardly. ’If a Foundation Establishment Pill is considered a small profit, then what on earth would be a large one for Qi Cultivators like us?’

Though he thought this, Geng Wen maintained a calm facade. He nodded slightly and smiled. "In that case, would Fellow Daoist Xuee please use your Spiritual Power to send the Storage Bag... over to me..."

"Very well." The Blood Elder Demon nodded. He took the Storage Bag from beneath the Golden Eagle’s claw and channeled his Spiritual Power, levitating the bag and sending it slowly toward Geng Wen.

’Could this be a trick?’ Seeing the Storage Bag about to land so easily in his hands, Geng Wen immediately grew suspicious.

He feigned reaching for the Storage Bag, using the moment to observe the Blood Elder Demon’s expression.

The very instant the Storage Bag was about to touch his hand, Geng Wen shot backward, creating distance between himself and the Blood Elder Demon.

The Storage Bag hit the ground, and in the next moment, several blood-colored vipers shot out from underneath it, hissing as they lunged at Geng Wen.

"As expected. Trying to bargain with a monster is never a good idea," Geng Wen cursed. Without hesitation, he summoned a small cyan shield to block the lunging vipers.

Meanwhile, seeing Geng Wen retreat, the Blood Elder Demon began chanting a Spiritual Spell, commanding his two Spirit Beasts to launch a ferocious assault.

The Golden Eagle attacked from above, the Cyan Leaf Snake from below.

In an instant, Geng Wen found himself in a precarious situation.

"Blood Elder Demon, did you really think I didn’t anticipate this when I agreed to work with you?"

Hiding behind the cyan shield, Geng Wen let out a cold laugh. He slapped his Storage Bag and produced a black Pill Bottle.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Geng Wen poured a handful of black Pills from the bottle and tossed them onto the ground.

The Pills fell to the ground, immediately drawing the attention of the circling Golden Eagle and the slithering Cyan Leaf Snake.

The two Spirit Beasts greedily devoured the black Pills, ceasing their attack on Geng Wen and ignoring even the Blood Elder Demon’s commands.

Even when the Blood Elder Demon grew furious, chanting several Spiritual Spells and even using his Essence Blood, he couldn’t regain control of his two Spirit Beasts.

"Fine. I have more than one way to deal with you," the Blood Elder Demon sneered. He gave up on controlling his Spirit Beasts, his expression turning frigid. He summoned a Blood-Colored Scythe and spat several mouthfuls of fresh blood onto it.

As the blood struck the Blood-Colored Scythe, the Magical Artifact’s surface erupted in blood-red flames. He swung it, sending a fiery arc slashing toward Geng Wen.

CRACK!

The Blood-Colored Scythe struck the cyan shield head-on, shattering its Spiritual Light and sending it clattering to the ground.

Then, with its momentum unbroken, the Blood-Colored Scythe continued its path, slashing directly at Geng Wen’s neck.

Just as Wei Tu thought the battle was over, a golden shield suddenly erupted around Geng Wen, blocking the scythe’s attack.

’A Golden Light Talisman?’

Wei Tu was stunned. ’Geng Wen’s wealth is truly astounding,’ he thought. ’He can even afford a Top Tier One Talisman like that.’

A Top Tier One Talisman was a High-Quality version of a Tier One Upper-Grade Talisman.

This type of Talisman wasn’t very cost-effective.

A single one cost three to four hundred Spirit Stones.

That was comparable to a Middle-Tier Magical Artifact.

While Talismans weren’t single-use items, most could only be activated two or three times.

In other words, Geng Wen using this Top Tier One Golden Light Talisman was basically just burning money.

"Blood Elder Demon, don’t be in such a hurry to kill me. First, take a look at yourself..."

After dodging the slash from the Blood-Colored Scythe, Geng Wen rapidly retreated several hundred paces and shouted to the Blood Elder Demon from a distance.

"What?" The Blood Elder Demon froze for a moment. He subconsciously circulated his Spiritual Power to inspect his body.

The moment his Spiritual Power began to circulate, he spat out several mouthfuls of foul-smelling Black Blood. He staggered back a few steps, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"Blood Elder Demon, and you call yourself a follower of the Demon Dao? Did it never occur to you... that a Pill Master might poison his Elixirs?"

From a thousand paces away, Geng Wen declared smugly.

He had worked with the Blood Elder Demon for over forty years, and the demon had no idea how many Spirit Pills he had consumed in that time. None of the Spirit Pills were poisonous on their own. Instead, each contained a hidden "Miracle Medicine."

Once enough of this "Miracle Medicine" accumulated in the body, it would combine with a Colorless and Odorless powder he’d scattered in the valley earlier to create a deadly poison.

Earlier, while he was mocking Zhao Qingluo, he wasn’t just venting his frustrations. He was also stalling for the poison to take effect.

After the poison entered his system, the Blood Elder Demon wouldn’t have died immediately if he’d sought treatment right away.

But he just had to choose this exact moment to attack Geng Wen, circulating his Spiritual Power throughout his entire body.

"You won’t have a good death..." The Blood Elder Demon glared at Geng Wen’s sneering face, his heart filled with rage. But the poison was already ravaging his system; he could hardly even move.

By mustering every last ounce of his strength, he might have been able to launch one final attack.

However, the cunning Geng Wen gave him no such chance, keeping his distance far outside the valley.

Time slowly passed.

「Half an hour later.」

The Blood Elder Demon’s body had rotted away, leaving behind only a skeleton and a pool of blood.

"Idiot!"

"You thought you could fight me?"

Seeing that the Blood Elder Demon was dead, Geng Wen walked over with a cold smirk. He rummaged through the demon’s robes for a moment, pulling out a Storage Bag and two jade tokens.

"The Purple Kite Pill lasts for three hours, so there’s no rush. After I’m done with Zhao Qingluo, I’ll come back for the Refinement of these Beast Taming Tokens and take control of you two."

Geng Wen walked over to the Golden Eagle and the Cyan Leaf Snake. He glanced at the two drowsy-looking Spirit Beasts, chuckled, and muttered to himself.

At this thought, Geng Wen gulped and couldn’t help but rub his hands together in anticipation. He eagerly imagined what an alluring sight the high-and-mighty Zhao Qingluo must be right now, under the effects of the Aphrodisiac Powder.