Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

'Master Qin?'

Wei Tu nodded.

Compared to Kou Hongying's other sect-mates, her master, Master Qin, was undoubtedly more dependable.

In the Cultivation Realm, the bond between a master and disciple was every bit as strong as that between a father and son.

"I didn't expect Master Qin's Cultivation to have already reached the point of nearing Core Formation," Wei Tu said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Over seventy years ago, when Master Qin took Kou Hongying as her disciple, she was just over one hundred and fifty years old and had only recently reached Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment.

Now, in less than a hundred years, Master Qin had broken through from Middle-Stage to Late-Stage Foundation Establishment... Even in an Immortal Sect, her Cultivation speed would be considered quite fast among Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

"Hongying, by my count, you've been at the Foundation Establishment Realm for over forty years. You should be breaking through to the Middle Stage soon."

Wei Tu asked after a moment of calculation.

Kou Hongying reached Foundation Establishment at fifty-six, her potential far exceeding her peers of similar aptitude. With her talent, it would only take her thirty to fifty years to break through from Early-Stage to Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment.

And that was a generous estimate.

After all, Kou Hongying had spent over a decade busy repaying him and Fu Zhizhou.

However, the spoils from the demon hunt four years ago, combined with her share from the Chentang Storage Bag, were more than enough to make up for her resource deficit from the past several years.

"Your calculations are correct, Uncle Wei. I can start preparing to break through to Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment in another year or two," Kou Hongying said with a gentle smile.

'Reaching Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment at around a hundred years old... Even if I'm a bit slower breaking through to the Late Stage, I can still reach it within another hundred years.'

'The Foundation Establishment Lifespan is four hundred years, which means I'll have at least two hundred years to pursue a Core Formation Opportunity and break through to the Golden Core Realm.'

'My Cultivation may be a little lacking, but my magical combat skills are not weak. Empowered by my Talisman Sword, I'm on par with a Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. And Hongying... she can reach the Middle Stage before the Yunze Secret Realm opens.'

'If we can also persuade Master Qin to go—'

'By that logic, a group with one Late-Stage and two "Middle-Stage" cultivators would be considered quite powerful inside the Yunze Secret Realm.'

Wei Tu analyzed.

With Kou Hongying and her master joining them, their group could operate under the banner of the Jingshui Pavilion. As one of the Three Immortal Sects, the Chisong Jia Family would not lightly offend the Jingshui Pavilion.

"Third Brother is right." Hearing Wei Tu's words, Fu Zhizhou looked tempted.

The Yunze Secret Realm opened once every two hundred years.

It was a rare opportunity.

This time, due to the sudden turn of events, outsiders like them had the chance to buy a spot for two thousand Spirit Stones.

'If I don't vie for this opportunity, I might never encounter such a windfall again in my entire life.'

'If I just want to take things as they come on my path of Cultivation, avoiding every danger, then my fate is to become another pile of bones, dead of old age.'

Back then, if it hadn't been for the chaos of the rebel uprising, the four of them might have been stuck in the mortal world for their entire lives, never to enter the Cultivation Realm.

'Besides, compared to the war between the Jia and Zhao families, the danger of this Yunze Secret Realm... with Master Qin present... would undoubtedly be much lower.'

Seeing that both Kou Hongying and Fu Zhizhou were keen on entering the Yunze Secret Realm, Wei Tu made the arrangements.

He glanced at Kou Hongying and said, "Hongying, we'll split up. Your Uncle Fu and I will go to the Qiyue Zhao Family to inquire about their specific arrangements and seek cooperation."

"Meanwhile, you find your master, Master Qin, and ask if she has any intention of going to the Yunze Secret Realm."

"If it proves too dangerous, the three of us will back out. We can give the intelligence we've gathered to your master in exchange for a favor."

"Alright, Uncle Wei." Kou Hongying nodded in agreement.

Wei Tu's plan was the optimal solution for the three Yee Society members.

'A Cultivator who blindly retreats at the first sign of danger will never achieve the Great Dao in their lifetime, barring some heaven-defying opportunity.'

'Conversely, one who recklessly plunges into danger without weighing the risks will eventually exhaust all their good fortune and die a miserable death.'

...

Aided by the Huang Yanzhou, Wei Tu and Fu Zhizhou departed from Nanhang City and arrived at Qiyue Mountain in less than five days.

With Fu Zhizhou being a Tributor, Wei Tu easily secured a meeting with the Zhao Family Patriarch, Zhao Tinghai.

After a few moments of small talk, Wei Tu steered the conversation toward the Yunze Secret Realm.

He subtly informed Patriarch Zhao Tinghai that he would be entering the Yunze Secret Realm in an alliance with a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment master from the Jingshui Pavilion.

Once inside the Secret Realm, he and this Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could assist the Qiyue Zhao Family.

Wei Tu then spoke frankly, asking how the Qiyue Zhao Family planned to deal with the threat from the Chisong Jia Family within the Yunze Secret Realm.

"Since Talisman Master Wei is asking, then I won't beat around the bush."

Zhao Tinghai tapped lightly on the tea table. "Regarding the sudden changes with the Yunze Secret Realm, the Hee Mountain Huang Family contacted me about this matter a year ago."

"In response, the Hee Mountain Huang Family declared they would remain neutral, favoring neither the Zhao Family nor the Jia Family."

"At the same time, the Hee Mountain Huang Family also took the lead, having the Ancestors of the three families, as well as True Monarch Wan Hai, sign a few agreements."

From those few short sentences, Wei Tu discerned secrets that the Hee Mountain Huang Family had not revealed to Tributors like them.

For example, the Three Races Agreement.

And the Huang Family's ambiguous stance regarding the Jia and Zhao families.

Wei Tu wasn't particularly surprised by this.

Although the Hee Mountain Huang Family was an Ally of the Qiyue Zhao Family, it was common knowledge that alliances between major powers... were often unreliable.

The two families' Alliance was purely for mutual benefit; they had not reached the point of being sworn allies through life and death.

'As for why Zhao Tinghai was willing to share these secrets with me...'

'That's not hard to understand, either.'

'After all, compared to the Huang Family Cultivators, Master Qin and I will be the Qiyue Zhao Family's true allies inside the Yunze Secret Realm this time.'

"This is the content of the Three Races Agreement."

With a flip of his palm, Zhao Tinghai sent a Stone Rubbing Jade Scroll of the agreement over to Wei Tu.

Wei Tu nodded, accepted the Stone Rubbing Jade Scroll, and used his Guardian Map Divine Sense to carefully inspect its contents.

A moment later.

Wei Tu exhaled slowly and placed the Stone Rubbing Jade Scroll on the table.

The content of the Three Races Agreement was quite simple, not at all complex.

It merely stipulated the number of people from the Jia and Zhao families who could enter the Yunze Secret Realm, as well as their Cultivation levels.

The agreement required that the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Jia and Zhao families entering the Yunze Secret Realm be limited to six per family, and that no more than two of them could be Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This was undoubtedly good news for Wei Tu.

With the Jia Family sending no more than two Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, they wouldn't pose too great a threat to his small team.

—Generally speaking, a Late-Stage cultivator fighting an Early-Stage one wouldn't result in an immediate, crushing victory. In magical combat, it would take dozens, or even hundreds, of moves to defeat and kill an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

The Early-Stage cultivator still had a fighting chance.

Of course, if a particular Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator possessed extraordinary abilities unlike those of an ordinary Cultivator, that would be another matter entirely.

However, the agreement's stipulation on the number of people from the Jia and Zhao families allowed to enter the Yunze Secret Realm—

—was not good news for Fu Zhizhou.

Fu Zhizhou was a Tributor of the Qiyue Zhao Family, so he counted as one of the Qiyue Zhao Family's Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

According to the agreement, Fu Zhizhou could not participate in the Yunze Secret Realm expedition unless the Qiyue Zhao Family was willing to give him one of their six spots.

But—

'That was almost unthinkable.'

'For any Foundation Establishment Cultivator in the Qiyue Zhao Family, the Yunze Secret Realm was a great opportunity, one they would not give up easily.'

"If Talisman Master Wei helps our Zhao Family in the Yunze Secret Realm, then after we emerge... the Zhao Family will be sure to reward you handsomely,"

Zhao Tinghai promised with a smile.

'Even without considering the Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Jingshui Pavilion, just having the help of a Tier Two Talisman Master like Wei Tu would significantly improve the situation for the Zhao Family Cultivators in the Yunze Secret Realm.'

"Naturally."

Wei Tu replied with a nod.

...

「Half a day later.」

Seeing Fu Zhizhou's disappointed expression, Wei Tu sighed inwardly and patted his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

This time, he offered no empty words of comfort. As Fu Zhizhou watched, he boarded the Huang Yanzhou and flew away from Qiyue Mountain.

As he passed the Bauhinia Forest, Wei Tu looked toward the Weii Mansion from afar.

He shook his head and chose not to land for a visit, merely pausing for a moment.

'Weii Fei failed his Foundation Establishment and is at a low point right now. If I, a successful Foundation Establishment Cultivator, go see him, it will inevitably stir up painful memories for him.'

'I'll visit again after some time has passed.'

'Second Brother has to learn to stand on his own feet.'

Wei Tu thought to himself.

...

After returning to Nanhang City, Wei Tu was preparing to contact Kou Hongying, who had gone back to the Jingshui Pavilion.

Just then, Wei Yan knocked on the door.

"Father, a letter from Fu Lin arrived a few days ago." Wei Yan walked in and handed a letter to Wei Tu.

"Fu Lin?" Wei Tu was slightly surprised.

Aside from a letter that came with a condolence gift for Xinghua's funeral, Fu Lin had never sent him any other correspondence.

He had sent a letter to Wei Yan once, but only to inquire about her relationship status.

"This time, did you get a clear look at who delivered it?"

Wei Tu asked as he opened the letter.

Both times Fu Lin had sent a letter to the Wei Mansion, he hadn't used the official channels of the Marketplace post station, instead finding someone else to deliver it secretly.

"No." Wei Yan shook her head. "Both letters from Brother Fu just suddenly appeared in my room, without leaving the slightest trace of an aura."

Hearing this, Wei Tu raised an eyebrow.

Wei Yan was now a Late-Stage Qi Cultivation Cultivator. For Fu Lin to be able to deliver a letter to her room so silently, his abilities were not to be underestimated.

'Could it be that Fu Lin has already reached Foundation Establishment after switching to a Demonic Cultivation Method?'

Wei Tu pondered.

Unlike Righteous Cultivation Methods, Demonic Cultivation Methods did not emphasize a solid foundation and allowed for rapid progress in the early stages. The probability of a Demon Cultivator reaching Foundation Establishment was slightly higher than that of an Ordinary Cultivator.

Of course, in the later stages, Demonic Cultivation Methods would produce a backlash—not only would it become incredibly difficult to advance one's Cultivation, but one would also be targeted by Celestial Tribulations when breaking through to a new Realm.

After finishing Fu Lin's letter, Wei Tu's brow furrowed deeply, and his expression grew grim.

"The Five Demonic Sects are gathering at Tianyun Mountain. They've agreed to attack the Jing Country in fifteen years, taking advantage of the beast tide in the Yaolang Mountain Range."

"Although the Zheng Country won't be the main battlefield, it borders the Jing Country and will inevitably be caught in the crossfire..."

Wei Tu had read about the Five Demonic Sects' invasion of the seven countries before, in the records of the Hee Mountain Huang Family.

But he had not expected the next invasion from the Demon Dao to come so soon, hot on the heels of the beast tide from the Yaolang Mountain Range.