Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

...

「That night.」

Fu Zhizhou, Wei Tu, and Kou Hongying left Danqiu Mountain overnight, heading for the Yaolang Mountain Range.

「On the road.」

Fu Zhizhou mentioned to Wei Tu the "Abnormal State" Helian Xiong displayed while trying to persuade him.

"Helian Xiong tried to drive a wedge between us for the sake of the Shuyun Alliance. There... must be a reason."

"Either there's a great reward or a severe punishment forcing him to act this way," Wei Tu concluded.

He had some history with Helian Xiong and knew his character—without a significant enough reward, it was unlikely Helian Xiong would go to such lengths for the Shuyun Alliance.

'Offend three fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators for an organization?'

'It seemed completely implausible.'

So, the three of them pondered Helian Xiong's "motive" as they traveled.

"The one in power in the Shuyun Alliance is Alchemist Shu, and Alchemist Shu became an enemy of the Qiyue Zhao Family... because of Geng Wen's death..."

"At the last Underground Auction, Alchemist Shu's unexpected outburst revealed Old Monster Jia's identity, which made all the cultivators at the auction hesitant to act..."

The next day, the detail-oriented Kou Hongying pieced together the real reason the Shuyun Alliance was trying to stop Fu Zhizhou from joining the Qiyue Zhao Family from the clues they had.

"Hongying, are you saying... the Shuyun Alliance is secretly in league with the Chisong Jia Family?"

Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou both understood the implication in Kou Hongying's words.

"The Shuyun Alliance is just an alliance of Independent Cultivators. Although it isn't weak, there are no Golden Core True Monarchs in its ranks..."

"Alchemist Shu is already at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment. His next step is to begin his breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, and... the Chisong Jia Family just so happens to be able to provide him with a Tier Three Spirit Vein and experience in Core Formation..." Kou Hongying analyzed.

"So that's how it is." Hearing this, Wei Tu had a moment of realization, but he couldn't help but be surprised. The small matter of him killing Geng Wen had unintentionally influenced a part of the Zheng Country's Cultivation Realm.

'If Geng Wen hadn't died, and the fact that he killed Zhao Qingluo hadn't been exposed—'

'Perhaps Alchemist Shu would have remained neutral or joined another Golden Core Family instead of teaming up with the Chisong Jia Family to deal with the Qiyue Zhao Family.'

"Helian Xiong was willing to offend us to drive a wedge between us... It seems he has also secretly joined the Chisong Jia Family..."

A cold glint flashed in Fu Zhizhou's eyes.

'This is the only thing that makes sense,' he thought. 'It explains why Helian Xiong wasn't particularly eager to persuade me to join the Shuyun Alliance at first. But as soon as I said I was joining the Qiyue Zhao Family, he completely changed his tune, willing to drive a wedge between me and Wei Tu just to get me to join them. It's because if I join the Qiyue Zhao Family, the Chisong Jia Family would never let Helian Xiong off lightly for his failure.'

"From now on, the three of us need to be careful of this Shuyun Alliance."

Wei Tu, as the "big brother" of the Yee Society, concluded with a reminder for the other two.

"Yes, Third Brother."

"Yes, Uncle Wei."

Fu Zhizhou and Kou Hongying nodded in agreement.

...

The Yaolang Mountain Range spanned the borders of several countries, a natural barrier separating the Five Demonic Sects from the Seven Kingdoms Righteous Alliance.

Within it were not only all sorts of perilous Secret Lands, but its core region was also occupied by a "Celestial Demon" that both the Demon Dao and Righteous Dao factions feared.

(Demon Beasts, similar to the Human Race, are also divided by Cultivation Level. Corresponding to the Human Race's Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul, they are divided into Yellow Tier, Profound Tier, Earth Tier, and Celestial Tier.)

A Celestial Demon was the equivalent of a Human Race Cultivator's Nascent Soul Daoist Monarch. Its power was immeasurable, the pinnacle of combat strength in the Great Cang Immortal Realm.

「Several days later.」

After a long journey, Wei Tu's group of three finally arrived at the outer edge of the Yaolang Mountain Range.

"The Yaolang Mountain Range is divided into three zones: the outer zone, the inner zone, and the core zone..."

"In the outer zone, generally speaking, you'll only find Tier One Demon Beasts, with an occasional one or two Tier Two Demon Beasts appearing."

"The inner zone..."

Along the way, Fu Zhizhou and Kou Hongying acted as Wei Tu's guides, explaining the various "taboos" within the Yaolang Mountain Range.

"These taboos are lessons that cultivators have paid for with their lives. We absolutely cannot be careless," Fu Zhizhou warned.

Wei Tu nodded, committing each of these lessons to memory.

"Not much farther now is the Yuquan Mountain Marketplace. It was jointly established by the Three Immortal Sects and is guarded by a Golden Core True Monarch. If we encounter an unbeatable Demon Beast, we can escape here and be safe from harm..."

In mid-air, after hearing Kou Hongying's words, Wei Tu gazed into the distance and immediately saw a complex of human buildings standing tall amidst the rolling black mountains.

'The Yaolang Mountain Range has a beast tide every five hundred years. The next one is still more than twenty years away...'

Upon seeing the Yuquan Mountain Marketplace, Wei Tu suddenly recalled that before he reached Foundation Establishment, a cultivator from the Shengjiang Hex Family named Hex Peng had mentioned the Yaolang Mountain Range's beast tide to him.

He guessed that the Three Immortal Sects had established the Yuquan Mountain Marketplace here not only to acquire Demon Beast materials and make a profit, but also to defend against the beast tide that occurred once every five hundred years.

...

Bypassing the Yuquan Mountain Marketplace, the three of them flew directly into the inner zone of the Yaolang Mountain Range, heading for Lihuo Lake.

The clue about the Iron Magnetic Spirit Wood that Yu Kui Master had given Wei Tu pointed to a location near Lihuo Lake.

One hundred li.

Two hundred li.

Three hundred li...

Led by Kou Hongying, the three of them slowly advanced deeper into the inner zone.

"I sense the aura of a Demon Beast pack. There are two Tier Two Demon Beasts among them. Let's hide for now."

Just then, Wei Tu's expression suddenly changed. He urgently called out to Kou Hongying, who was walking ahead, telling her to stop and hide from the Demon Beasts.

—In terms of Cultivation, Kou Hongying was far ahead of him and Fu Zhizhou. Therefore, in their small team of three, Kou Hongying scouted ahead while he and Fu Zhizhou brought up the rear.