Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

The Spirit Crane had a black crown on its head and was entirely white, save for a thin golden thread that ran from its neck to its tail feathers.

"So this is the Cloud Crowned Crane of Cloud Crane Mountain." The moment Wei Tu saw the white crane, he knew it was the native Demon Beast of Cloud Crane Mountain’s Tier Three Spirit Vein—the Cloud Crowned Crane.

Cloud Crane Mountain was, in fact, named after the Cloud Crowned Crane.

The hundred-foot-plus Cloud Crowned Crane let out a screech and brazenly unleashed its might upon the cultivators present.

The Demon Qi, approaching that of a Tier Three Demon Beast, instantly bore down on the cultivators, making them feel as if they were suffocating and breaking out in a cold sweat.

Demon Qi was also a form of attack for a Demon Beast.

Compared to the pressure exerted by Same-Tier Cultivators, the Demon Qi emitted by a Demon Beast was far more terrifying.

Huang Xinglie watched the crowd. When he saw the cultivators from the Huang Family go from struggling at first to gradually stabilizing their auras, a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

His gaze shifted to the three Tributors.

’So that’s the Wei Tu that Changshun told me about? He used an Elixir to break through to the Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment, yet his foundation doesn’t seem unstable. He’s indeed a good candidate for marriage into my Huang Family.’ Huang Xinglie’s gaze rested on Wei Tu for a moment, and he nodded to himself.

This was because the pressure was most oppressive to cultivators with unstable foundations.

"All of you, come up. Stand on my Cloud Crane, and I will take you to the Yunze Secret Realm." Huang Xinglie flicked his sleeve, retracting the Cloud Crowned Crane’s pressure, and spoke to Wei Tu and the others.

As his voice fell, the Cloud Crowned Crane immediately lowered itself, revealing its broad back.

The Huang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators boarded first, followed by Wei Tu and the other two Tributors.

On its back, a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Huang Family named Huang Keren took the lead and began explaining the important points about the Yunze Secret Realm to Wei Tu and the others.

"To prevent leaks... just before we enter the Secret Realm, the Ancestor will give each of us a Jade Scroll..."

"The Jade Scroll contains maps of the terrain in the Yunze Secret Realm that our clan has explored, as well as the locations where Spirit Medicines grow..."

Huang Keren noticed the cultivators’ faint unease about entering the Yunze Secret Realm. He thought for a moment before offering some reassurance.

Wei Tu’s heart sank when he heard this. He had no idea if the Hee Mountain Huang Family would be fair and also provide intelligence about the Yunze Secret Realm to the Tributors like him.

After all, information about the Yunze Secret Realm was valuable in the outside world.

Although the Qiyue Zhao Family had given him some related intelligence a few years ago, there was no doubt... the Hee Mountain Huang Family was the faction that had explored the Yunze Secret Realm most deeply.

However, before he could dwell on it, the Cloud Crowned Crane’s next move interrupted his thoughts.

The hundred-foot-plus Cloud Crowned Crane suddenly swooped down, gliding toward a nearby cliff.

This cliff was not the location of the Yunze Secret Realm’s Spatial Node, but a gathering point for the Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Hee Mountain Huang Family’s vassal families.

After picking up these Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the Cloud Crowned Crane resumed its journey, heading southwest.

「About a day later.」

The Cloud Crowned Crane arrived at the Southern Wilderness Ancient Plain, on the border of the Zheng, Jing, and Liang Countries.

’The Yunze Secret Realm is actually here?’ Wei Tu thought as he observed the unique landscape of the Southern Wilderness Ancient Plain, so different from the Central Plains of Zheng Country. At the same time, he watched the Golden Core Ancestor Huang Xinglie, who was standing on the Cloud Crowned Crane’s head, take out an Array Plate and begin setting up a formation.

Under Huang Xinglie’s formation, a black vortex appeared in the sky, which had been like a white curtain. The vortex grew from the size of an egg to the size of a fist.

Through the black vortex, Wei Tu and the others could faintly see a corner of the Yunze Secret Realm’s landscape.

Wei Tu glanced at it a few times before looking away. He sat cross-legged on the Cloud Crowned Crane and began to regulate his breathing, striving to keep himself in peak condition.

「About two days later.」

The two Golden Core Families on good terms with the Hee Mountain Huang Family—the Xuefeng Zheng Family and the Qiyue Zhao Family—arrived one after another.

"Caiyu..." After the Xuefeng Zheng Family’s arrival, the area occupied by the Hee Mountain Huang Family was no longer quiet.

Zheng Xian, the third son of the Zheng Family and Huang Caiyu’s ex-husband, pestered Huang Caiyu, begging her to reconcile with him.

Wei Tu had planned to block his five senses and ignore this domestic squabble, but when Zheng Xian shot a venomous glare in his direction, he couldn’t help but frown, his expression turning sour.

"Caiyu, have you found someone new? Is it this man surnamed Wei?"

Zheng Xian’s words fell directly into Wei Tu’s ears.

Wei Tu remained calm and ignored the pair, continuing to regulate his aura.

He was all too familiar with the arrogance of the Second Generation Immortals.

Most of these young masters and ladies of the Immortal Race lacked the caution of Independent Cultivators. They were outspoken and blunt, rarely hiding their intentions.

Moreover, they never considered whether their actions would offend people and create enemies for themselves.

These Second Generation Immortals—

’In my opinion, they’re one of the easier types to deal with,’ Wei Tu thought. ’There’s no need to provoke him now, deepen the enmity, and expose myself before all these cultivators.’

Besides, he trusted that the Hee Mountain Huang Family would put a stop to this farce and not let it escalate.

Sure enough, just as Wei Tu expected, the next moment—

Huang Keren, the leader of the Huang Family group, appeared with a furious expression and scolded, "Zheng Xian, that’s enough! Although my Huang Family and your Zheng Family are connected by marriage for generations, that doesn’t give you the right to cause trouble here!"

"If you dare pester Caiyu or slander Talisman Master Wei again, I’ll have your father drag you back home."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xian immediately backed down and retreated from the Hee Mountain Huang Family’s encampment with a dispirited look.

...

「Meanwhile, in the Qiyue Zhao Family’s encampment.」

Clan Leader Zhao Tinghai had noticed the farce taking place over at the Hee Mountain Huang Family’s side. He glanced at Zhao Qingluo, who was seated beside him, and sent her a voice transmission: "Qingluo, you’ve known Wei Tu since the Qi Refining Realm. You aren’t betrothed yet, so I was wondering if you have any feelings for him?"

The Qiyue Zhao Family also had marriage ties with the other major Golden Core Families. However, after the great war between the Jia and Zhao families, the other Golden Core Families had grown wary of the Chisong Jia Family, so no one had proposed a marriage to Zhao Qingluo over the years.

"Wei Tu?" Upon hearing this, Zhao Qingluo furrowed her willow-like brows. "Father, why would you think... of me marrying Wei Tu? He’s a Tributor for the Huang Family. Besides, we’re merely acquaintances. There are no romantic feelings between us."

Although she found Wei Tu’s attitude and... aura quite pleasant during their interactions, those few points alone weren’t enough to make her want to marry him.

"A few years ago, I received intelligence from the Hee Mountain Huang Family that Wei Tu... has broken through to the Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment..."

"Although you broke through more than twenty years before he did, all your resources were provided by the family. Wei Tu, on the other hand, reached this stage all on his own. An Independent Cultivator like him, if he doesn’t fall prematurely, will almost certainly achieve Great Success."

Zhao Tinghai assessed.

"Besides, you mentioned him being a Huang Family Tributor... you don’t need to worry about that."

"He’s only a Tributor, not a Death Warrior. If he were to leave the Huang Family and join our Zhao Family, Huang Changshun wouldn’t say a word..."

he added.

If it were just a matter of cultivation, it wouldn’t be difficult to find a Middle-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator of Wei Tu’s age in the Independent Cultivator Realm of Zheng Country.

But—

a cultivator with Wei Tu’s methods, courage, connections, and talent in the Talisman Dao was a rare find.

As far back as a dozen years ago, when Wei Tu sought him out for a partnership, he had taken a liking to Wei Tu’s ability to see the bigger picture.

At that time, given Wei Tu’s background, taking Master Qin and his disciple to seek a partnership with the Hee Mountain Huang Family would have clearly been the better path.

And yet, Wei Tu had chosen the Qiyue Zhao Family, not the Hee Mountain Huang Family.

Facts had proven Wei Tu right.

The Hee Mountain Huang Family maintained a neutral stance and would never have engaged in such a "deep partnership" with Wei Tu. Only his Qiyue Zhao Family could offer Wei Tu more intelligence and greater benefits.

A talent who could find the right path even in such a convoluted situation was a "Sweet Bun"—highly sought after by all the major families, even if their cultivation was slightly lacking.

"This..."

Zhao Qingluo hesitated.

It was true that, in her eyes, Wei Tu was impeccable in every aspect. But a thorn was buried deep in her heart—the last time she faced a Death Tribulation, she had been poisoned with Aphrodisiac Powder. In her delirious state, she had sensed... that someone had touched her skin.

"I cannot agree to this marriage." Zhao Qingluo shook her head. She considered herself "unclean" and couldn’t bring harm to her friend, Wei Tu.

"What a pity."

Zhao Tinghai sighed.

Hearing her father say those words, Zhao Qingluo was taken aback. She recalled saying the exact same thing herself back then in the small courtyard on Lark Street, after Wei Tu had rejected her recruitment offer.

It was just that,

back then, her recruitment offer for Wei Tu was the position of a live-in son-in-law, and the marriage candidate had not been her.

Times had changed.

Now, the roles were reversed—her father, Zhao Tinghai, was trying to recruit Wei Tu, using her as the marriage partner to entice the "great talent" he saw.