Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

A moment later, the crimson color in Qir Feng’s phoenix eyes faded. She took a few shallow breaths, her fair hand gently patting her heaving chest before she returned to normal.

"Thank you, Elder Hong," Qir Feng said gratefully, her face slightly flushed.

Just a moment ago, she had seen many Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the room paying no mind to the female attendants in their arms, women just like her. They had simply allowed them to be overwhelmed by the oppressive aura of the Blood Slaughter Banner and get injured.

Foundation Establishment Elders as thoughtful as him were few and far between.

’Perhaps...’ A bold idea sprouted in Qir Feng’s mind.

However, before she could act on this idea, the indifferent expression on Wei Tu’s face made her shrink back, her courage failing and her heart filled with unease.

At that moment, Wei Tu’s attention, like that of all the other Cultivators present, was fixed on the Blood Slaughter Banner resting on the white-haired old man’s tray.

’My Demon Buddha Bell is also an Incomplete Treasure. I wonder which of these two is superior?’ Wei Tu mused silently.

He quickly came to a conclusion.

In terms of power, it was hard to tell which of the two Incomplete Treasures was stronger without seeing them in a direct confrontation.

Both were trump cards for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

But in terms of control, the Demon Buddha Bell lacked the immense viciousness of the Blood Slaughter Banner and would be somewhat easier to refine.

’The Demon Buddha Bell was likely deliberately damaged by the Celestial Maiden Sect, its Level lowered so Si Qing could refine it and use it as her trump card for entering the Secret Realm,’ Wei Tu speculated.

The Blood Slaughter Banner was a Magical Treasure that Queyue True Monarch of Jingshui Pavilion had seized from True Monarch Leng Feng after killing him.

The former was intentionally downgraded.

The latter was forcibly downgraded.

Naturally, the former was easier to refine, while the latter’s viciousness remained undiminished, making it difficult to control.

’Every time I use the Demon Buddha Bell, it consumes more than half of my Magical Power. This Blood Slaughter Banner... it would probably consume even more...’ Wei Tu thought.

In his opinion, the Blood Slaughter Banner was a bit of a white elephant. To wield this Incomplete Treasure in battle, one would need Magical Power comparable to that of a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator.

However, a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator would already have few rivals within the Foundation Establishment Realm. Their priority would be planning for Core Formation, not strengthening their protective measures.

—And the price of an Incomplete Treasure was enough to make most Foundation Establishment Cultivators flinch.

If they truly encountered an unbeatable enemy, a single Blood Slaughter Banner would hardly be enough to turn the tide and change the outcome of the battle.

If that weren’t the case, Queyue True Monarch would not have sold the Blood Slaughter Banner to the Jiuyun Commerce Association to be auctioned off at this Underground Auction.

Golden Core Cultivators from Immortal Sects like Queyue True Monarch had their own internal exchange meetings. If they had anything good, it would first circulate among their sect-mates before ever reaching the outside world.

Just as Wei Tu had expected, the Blood Slaughter Banner, the grand finale treasure, did not incite a bidding war among the Cultivators. Instead, it was met with a rare, cold reception.

When the starting bid of twelve thousand Spirit Stones was announced, not a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator was willing to follow, and all of them chose to remain silent.

Chai Ping, however, seemed to have anticipated this outcome. She showed no sign of disappointment, her face still wreathed in a gentle smile.

The Jiuyun Commerce Association had already guaranteed a profit when they acquired the Blood Slaughter Banner. After all, they had earned a favor from Queyue True Monarch in the process.

Once news of the Blood Slaughter Banner’s auction spread, every Cultivator in the Zheng Country Cultivation Realm would come to one realization—the Jiuyun Commerce Association had the power to conduct business at the Golden Core Level.

For the Jiuyun Commerce Association, that recognition was the real priceless treasure.

"Regrettably, the Blood Slaughter Banner has become the first item in this auction to go unsold..." Chai Ping said with a note of pity.

Immediately, Chai Ping clapped her hands, signaling the white-haired old man to remove the Blood Slaughter Banner from the auction stage.

Following that, Chai Ping announced the second grand finale treasure.

The second grand finale treasure was a Top-Grade Tier Two Magical Artifact—the Mother-Child Cloud Sword.

This Top-Grade Magical Artifact, while not as powerful as the Blood Slaughter Banner, had a key advantage: the Magical Power it consumed was within the normal range for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. This allowed it to be used as a conventional weapon.

The third and final treasure was the Demon Pill of a Tier Three Demon Beast, the Thunder Tiger Beast.

The moment the words "Tier Three Demon Pill" left Chai Ping’s lips, they immediately captured the full attention of every Cultivator present.

Some of the Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators even grew impatient, wishing Chai Ping would skip the introduction and get straight to the price.

This scene came as no surprise to the Cultivators present.

It was common knowledge that the Immortal Transformation Pill could increase a Cultivator’s chances of Core Formation. It was the Foundation Establishment Level equivalent of a Foundation Establishment Pill, a treasure coveted by countless Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

And the Green Flame Pill, refined from a Tier Three Demon Pill, was a substitute for the Immortal Transformation Pill.

—Although the Green Flame Pill was only half as effective as the Immortal Transformation Pill and was by no means cheap, its advantage was that it was "easier to obtain," requiring only a Tier Three Demon Pill and some Spirit Grass to be refined.

A short while later, after Chai Ping finished introducing the uses of the Tier Three Demon Pill, she announced the starting bid: "Five Thousand Spirit Stones."

"Eleven thousand Spirit Stones."

From the audience, Alchemist Shu’s voice followed immediately, directly raising the bid by six thousand Spirit Stones.

The other Cultivators were not overly surprised by this bid. After all, Alchemist Shu was old and desperately needed to break through to the Golden Core Realm to extend his life.

This Tier Three Demon Pill was Alchemist Shu’s lifeline, something he could not possibly give up on.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the price of the Tier Three Demon Pill had already risen to nineteen thousand Spirit Stones.

"I am old and do not have much time left. I ask all of you, my Fellow Daoists, to show me some leniency this once. I would be indebted to you all..." At this point, instead of raising the bid, Alchemist Shu let out a soft sigh and spoke these words.

If an ordinary Cultivator had said this, they would only have been met with scorn. After all, a Core Formation Opportunity, once missed, would be hard to find again.

However—

Alchemist Shu was different.

He was a Tier Two Upper-Grade Alchemist with considerable prestige among Independent Cultivators, many of whom had received his favors.

A highly respected elderly Alchemist was pleading with the Cultivators present to hold back in the bidding for the sake of his cultivation path. Although the request was unreasonable, human sentiment was a powerful force. Upon hearing his words, many Cultivators felt not resentment, but a stir of sympathy.

Nineteen thousand Spirit Stones. This was already within the normal price range for a Tier Three Demon Pill, so the Jiuyun Commerce Association did not stop Alchemist Shu’s plea.

Cultivation wasn’t just about fighting and killing; it was also about social etiquette and human relationships.

Not even the Jiuyun Commerce Association dared to underestimate the connections of a Tier Two Upper-Grade Alchemist.

As soon as Alchemist Shu spoke, two or three of the Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators bidding against him immediately dropped out, leaving only a dark-skinned old man with a concealed face and a middle-aged female Cultivator in a red robe to continue bidding against him.

"Fellow Daoist Shu, if your Spirit Stones are insufficient, my Huang Family is willing to lend you some."

Huang Changshun, who was sitting next to Alchemist Shu, seized the opportunity to say this, his mind racing.

He saw this as a golden opportunity to put Alchemist Shu in his debt.

Furthermore, if Alchemist Shu won the Tier Three Demon Pill and successfully refined it, perhaps their Hee Mountain Huang Family could also get a piece of the pie.

If the Alchemist’s skill was high enough, it was possible for a single refining process to yield more than one Green Flame Pill.

"Thank you, Clan Leader." Alchemist Shu’s face showed his gratitude as he accepted a Spirit Stone Bag from Huang Changshun.

After another round of bidding, Alchemist Shu successfully won the auction for the Demon Pill of the Tier Three Thunder Tiger Beast.

...

The auction ended, and it was time for the scheduled free-trade session among the attending Cultivators.

After Alchemist Shu and the others had finished their transactions, Wei Tu walked onto the auction stage and stated his intention to purchase a Body Refining Secret Medicine.

"Body Refining Secret Medicine?" The other Cultivators secretly shook their heads, thinking he was being fanciful.

If Body Refining Secret Medicine were easy to come by, which of the Cultivators present wouldn’t want to learn a Body Refining Skill to strengthen their protective measures and increase their chances of Core Formation?

Throughout history, Body Cultivators who achieved greatness were either blessed with immense Immortal Fate and had access to enough Body Refining Secret Medicine, or they possessed supreme talent, allowing one day of their hard cultivation to surpass ten, a hundred, or even a thousand days of another’s.

"I don’t have any Body Refining Secret Medicine. However, I did once happen to hear a rumor..."

Just then, someone Wei Tu never expected to speak up did so.

In the audience, Alchemist Shu, having obtained the Tier Three Demon Pill, had a joyful look in his eyes and seemed much more spirited.

He sent a voice transmission to Wei Tu, saying, "Ten thousand years ago, within the Zheng Country Territory, there was once a Sect called the Hongri Sect. This Sect had quite a few Body Refiners..."

"Although this Sect never produced a Nascent Soul Body Cultivator like the Desolate Mountain Sect did, it still had many Golden Core Body Cultivators back in its day."

"Their Sect might have a Cultivation Technique that could speed up Body Cultivation."

"Fellow Daoist Hong, you could follow this lead. You might find something."

Alchemist Shu had no idea that "Hong Wen" was actually Wei Tu, the man who had become his enemy. With his own cultivation path now looking promising, he was in high spirits and felt like helping a junior.

A few rumors were worthless to him anyway, so he shared them casually.

"Hongri Sect?" Upon hearing this, Wei Tu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. He never expected to hear those two words, "Hongri Sect," again after so many years.

Back in the Qi Refining Realm, the "One Qi Pouch Making Method" he had obtained from Weii Fei had come from the Hongri Sect.

’That’s right! The One Qi Pouch is a Blood and Flesh Magical Artifact. If the Hongri Sect could develop something like that, their internal Cultivation Techniques... they might really have a Body Cultivation Inheritance...’ Wei Tu’s mind raced.

His current Body Cultivation was completely self-taught. His Early-Stage Tier Two Body Refining Cultivation had been forcibly pushed up almost entirely by consuming the Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, Earth Dragon Flesh.

Body Cultivation Sects were different from his self-taught methods. They had different Secret Skills for each stage, which could greatly reduce the time spent stagnating in a particular Realm.

"Thank you, Elder Shu. This junior will remember this kindness and will certainly repay it if the opportunity arises." Wei Tu collected his thoughts and thanked Alchemist Shu.

He truly never would have expected Alchemist Shu to be so kind as to provide him with this information.

But on second thought, Wei Tu understood.

Alchemist Shu wasn’t necessarily a man whose evil deeds were overflowing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have established such a great reputation among the Independent Cultivators.

He saw Alchemist Shu as an "evil person" because their positions were different, and his heart was always filled with prejudice.

’However, regarding the Huang Family matter, Alchemist Shu’s and Yang Image’s intentions are definitely not that simple. The two of them can’t possibly be going to Cloud Crane Mountain just to be Tributors,’ Wei Tu thought to himself.

"Think nothing of it." Alchemist Shu stroked his beard and smiled, his gaze soft as he looked at this grateful junior, Wei Tu.

Stepping down from the auction stage, Wei Tu returned to his seat and once again pulled Qir Feng into his embrace.

"Elder Hong, about the Body Refining Secret Medicine, actually... the Qir Family has some..." Just then, Qir Feng, still in Wei Tu’s arms, suddenly spoke up.