Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

Secondly, personal feelings aside, it was a matter of pure self-interest. If Zhao Qingluo ran into danger after teleporting, these Talismans would help her survive longer, which was undoubtedly beneficial to the three of them.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Wei."

Zhao Qingluo clutched the Talismans in her palm, feeling as if she could still sense the residual warmth from Wei Tu’s body on them.

Seeing Wei Tu’s gesture left Master Qin and Kou Hongying with a bitter taste in their mouths.

’I ended up being the villain,’ Master Qin thought, ’while Wei Tu gets to be the good guy.’

The next moment.

The pale yellow light screen on the Teleportation Platform flickered.

Zhao Qingluo vanished from the Array Platform, reappearing on the ground of the Hongye River Spiritual Land.

"There’s no danger on the other end." Master Qin breathed a sigh of relief after observing Zhao Qingluo’s situation for a moment.

Next.

Master Qin teleported first, with Wei Tu and Kou Hongying following right after.

Upon setting foot in the Hongye River Spiritual Land, Wei Tu immediately released his Sky-Splitting Carving, ordering it to patrol the surroundings for other Cultivators or Demon Beasts.

Once he confirmed the area was safe, Wei Tu pondered for a moment before cupping his hands in a salute to bid Master Qin farewell.

His reason for parting ways was simple.

Master Qin had obtained the spoils from the Zhao Family Cultivators and now had plenty of Core Formation Spiritual Objects. She no longer wanted to take any risks and planned to simply wait for the three-year time limit in the Yunze Secret Realm to expire.

He, however, was in a different situation. His only Core Formation Spiritual Object was the Yellow Essence Grass, so he had to keep taking risks and searching for another Opportunity. Otherwise, this entire trip to the Secret Realm would have been for nothing.

"I wish you a safe journey, Fellow Daoist Wei." Master Qin smiled and performed a respectful salute.

With the cry of an eagle,

Wei Tu vanished without a trace, his destination unknown.

...

「Meanwhile, outside the Yunze Secret Realm.」

Old Monster Jia watched as the Soul Tokens of the Jia Family Cultivators in his Storage Bag shattered one by one. His brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

This time, the mission for the Jia Family Cultivators was to help Si Qing enter the Nanhua Sect’s Remnant Land. Aside from the minor risk involved in ambushing the Huang Family Cultivators, there was no reason they should have lost so many of their people, let alone been wiped out completely.

’Could the Huang Family have some formidable expert among them?’ Old Monster Jia’s expression turned grim.

But a moment later, he observed Huang Xinglie’s expression and found that it was just as grim as his own—not only was it grave, but it also carried a hint of Evil Qi.

Old Monster Jia found the situation baffling. After all, the most difficult part of their mission was over. It was highly unlikely for the Jia Family Cultivators to run into another Killing Tribulation.

"Everyone, all six of my Jia Family’s Cultivators have now perished in the Yunze Secret Realm. There’s no longer any point in me staying here. I shall take my leave."

Old Monster Jia cupped his fists, saluted the representatives of the Three Immortal Sects, and then spurred the black goat beneath him to leave immediately.

Originally, the plan was for Si Qing and the Jia Family Cultivators to enter the Nanhua Sect’s Remnant Land and then exit. No one would have known that Si Qing was a Demon Cultivator or that their Chisong Jia Family had pledged allegiance to the Celestial Maiden Sect.

But now, the plan had changed.

If he remained, a Cultivator emerging from the Secret Realm might expose his secret, which could lead to a massacre of the Chisong Jia Family.

As Old Monster Jia finished speaking,

the assembled Golden Core True Monarchs were stunned. The Golden Core Ancestors of the Hee Mountain Huang Family and the Qiyue Zhao Family were especially bewildered.

Huang Xinglie, the Golden Core Ancestor of the Hee Mountain Huang Family, and Zhao Jiangwu, the Golden Core Ancestor of the Qiyue Zhao Family, had initially assumed that only the Cultivators from their two Golden Core Families had met with disaster.

They never imagined the Chisong Jia Family had suffered the same fate.

’Could it have been those people from the Peng Sect who killed the Jia Family Cultivators?’ Zhao Jiangwu raised an eyebrow, his gloomy mood instantly brightening.

Although his Zhao Family had also suffered heavy losses, with only Zhao Qingluo left alive, the Chisong Jia Family’s losses were even greater. This meant that in this trip to the Secret Realm, their Qiyue Zhao Family had ultimately come out ahead.

"Jia Family!" A murderous light flashed in Huang Xinglie’s eyes. He couldn’t help but suspect that the Jia Family Cultivators had ambushed his own. Otherwise, how could they have possibly suffered such heavy casualties?

’There’s still half a year left,’ he thought. ’Once that time is up, the truth will come to light.’

Huang Xinglie suppressed the boiling killing intent in his chest and sat calmly on the back of his Cloud Crowned Crane, waiting for the time in the Yunze Secret Realm to run out.

Only the Golden Core True Monarchs from the Three Immortal Sects remained aloof, seemingly unconcerned about the deaths and injuries within the Yunze Secret Realm.

Although the casualties among their disciples on this trip to the Secret Realm were more than double that of previous years, the total number was still too small to warrant their anger.

...

「Half a year passed in a flash.」

Having waited for so long, Huang Xinglie immediately took out an Array Plate and joined forces with the other Golden Core True Monarchs to open the passage to the Yunze Secret Realm.

The mysterious Rune Passage opened once more.

Streaks of Escape Light shot out from the black vortex of the Yunze Secret Realm, landing on the ground and resolving into human figures.

This first group of Cultivators included Master Qin and her disciple.

Master Qin bowed to the Golden Core True Monarch from Jingshui Pavilion before moving to stand behind him. She did not reveal a single detail about the Stone Hall.

’Of those who survived the expedition to the Stone Hall, I have the highest Cultivation,’ she mused. ’It would be disastrous if I told him this secret and attracted the Golden Core True Monarch’s greed.’

’Even if I were to tell him, it would have to wait until after I have succeeded in my Golden Core Formation. By then, I might have a chance to stake my own claim on the Nanhua Sect’s Remnant Land.’

Shortly after.

A second group of Cultivators emerged from the Yunze Secret Realm.

This group was also composed mainly of Cultivators from the Three Immortal Sects, with only two belonging to the Xuefeng Zheng Family.

’I should have stood up to the pressure from True Monarch Wan Hai and Qingzhu Mountain and forbidden the Jia Family from entering.’ Huang Xinglie bitterly regretted his earlier weakness, which had led his family to this catastrophe.

Time passed.

A third group of Cultivators emerged.

Among them was a Cultivator with a plain face and tattered robes, his body covered in several gruesome wounds. It was none other than Wei Tu, who had split off from Master Qin to seek his own Opportunities.

After exiting the Space Channel, Wei Tu’s gaze met the anxious eyes of Huang Xinglie. He instinctively lowered his head and flew toward the Hee Mountain Huang Family’s encampment.

Half a day later, the Space Channel slowly closed, and no one else emerged from the Yunze Secret Realm.

Back at the Huang Family encampment, Wei Tu scanned his surroundings. When he realized he was the only survivor from the Hee Mountain Huang Family, he grew increasingly uneasy.

’During this trip, I only witnessed the deaths of three Foundation Establishment Cultivators: Huang Caiyu, Huang Changkong, and Huang Wenqing,’ he thought. ’I’d mistakenly assumed that two or three of the others from the Huang Family would have survived.’

He never expected that all seven of the Huang Family’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators would be wiped out, with not a single one left alive.