Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

'Profound Nether Yin Fire?' Wei Tu guessed that this Ice Nether Fire Glow was the very kindling for the *Profound Nether Yin Fire* recorded on the Pitch-Black Finger Bone scroll.

This wasn't a wild, baseless guess.

The "Bone Scrolls" that High-Tier Cultivators of the Demon Dao used to pass on their teachings were often made from their own bodies. It was perfectly normal for one to contain the hidden kindling for a Demonic Divine Technique like *Profound Nether Yin Fire*.

'I left the... Pitch-Black Finger Bone in the Sky-Splitting Carving's stomach for so many years, yet only now has the kindling for the Profound Nether Yin Fire appeared...' Wei Tu stroked his chin, his thoughts turning to the "Immortal Spirit Dew" he had been feeding the Sky-Splitting Carving these past few years.

Immortal Spirit Dew was secreted by the "Ten Thousand Spirits Demon Infant," a Blood and Flesh Magical Artifact.

And the "Ten Thousand Spirits Demon Infant" was a Treasure belonging to the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect, one of the Five Demonic Sects.

In other words, it was possible that the "Immortal Spirit Dew," a type of "Demon Spiritual Object," had nourished the Pitch-Black Finger Bone within the Sky-Splitting Carving, prompting the bone to produce the kindling for the "Profound Nether Yin Fire."

'Profound Nether Yin Fire is a wicked fire of the Demon Dao, one of utmost cold and extreme yin. Even a mere wisp of its kindling is not something an ordinary Cultivator can withstand.' This sudden thought struck Wei Tu. He probed the Sky-Splitting Carving again with his Guardian Map Divine Sense and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the wisp of Ice Nether Fire Glow was not causing the beast any harm.

The Sky-Splitting Carving was now at Middle-Stage Tier Two and was one of his most important combat assets.

If it were injured, the impact on him would be immense.

Still, Wei Tu didn't regret his past decision. If he hadn't made the Sky-Splitting Carving swallow the "Pitch-Black Finger Bone," it's unlikely he would have ever seen the day it produced the kindling for the "Profound Nether Yin Fire."

—The Sky-Splitting Carving and he were both in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Only by taking this path could he observe any "mutations" in the Pitch-Black Finger Bone and have enough time to react.

In his eyes, the value of the "Pitch-Black Finger Bone," a Demonic Bone Scroll, had been greater than that of an Early-Stage Tier Two Spirit Beast with limited potential.

Next, Wei Tu used his Guardian Map Divine Sense to inspect the "Blood-Colored Vertical Mark" that had appeared on the Sky-Splitting Carving's forehead.

However, Wei Tu could not discern anything unusual about the "Blood-Colored Vertical Mark"; it seemed to be merely a change in the Sky-Splitting Carving's appearance.

...

After inspecting the Sky-Splitting Carving, Wei Tu picked up the two letters the beast had just delivered.

One letter was from Weii Fei, the other from Kou Hongying.

Wei Tu opened Weii Fei's letter first.

"After more than thirty years of struggle, Second Brother has finally achieved Foundation Establishment," Wei Tu murmured with a sigh, reading the opening line.

More than thirty years had passed since Weii Fei failed at Foundation Establishment and broke through to the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer.

Those thirty-odd years felt like an instant, yet also like a lifetime of change.

In just thirty short years, the situation in Zheng Country had gone from stable to perilous, and within their own Yee Society, the members had scattered to the winds, each going their separate way.

Reading on, Wei Tu saw Weii Fei's words of gratitude for his parting gift.

Weii Fei wrote that if his third brother, Wei Tu, hadn't left several Tier Two Talismans for him inside the jade box as a parting gift, he would have surely died, his body and soul obliterated.

Wei Tu smiled at this.

He and Weii Fei had known each other for many years, and he knew Weii Fei wouldn't have readily accepted the Talismans as a direct gift. That was why he had tucked a few Tier Two Talismans into a hidden compartment of the jade box that held the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object.

Further in the letter, Weii Fei recounted the life-and-death crisis he had just faced.

Just as he had discussed with Wei Tu,

Weii Fei, after obtaining the "Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object," had immediately set off for the Red Cloud Mountain Marketplace, home of the Loose Immortal Alliance. There, he found Alchemist Songg and joined others to commission an alchemy session.

Everything went smoothly.

The trouble began after Weii Fei received the Foundation Establishment Pill. As he was leaving the Red Cloud Mountain Marketplace, he was ambushed by a group of Tribulation Cultivators.

The group consisted of one Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator and two Late-Stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators.

For Weii Fei, the situation was a death trap.

Fortunately, Weii Fei managed to use the Tier Two Talismans from Wei Tu in the nick of time, relying on their power to slay the three Tribulation Cultivators.

In the letter, Weii Fei admitted he had been incredibly lucky; had the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator not been careless, he would have had no chance of escape, even with the Talismans.

'Second Brother is still too inexperienced,' Wei Tu thought, shaking his head after finishing the letter.

If he had been in Weii Fei's shoes, after receiving the Foundation Establishment Pill from Alchemist Songg, he would have paid any price to perform his Foundation Establishment within the Marketplace. He would never have left, giving Tribulation Cultivators an easy opportunity.

But Wei Tu quickly reconsidered his initial thought.

It wasn't that Weii Fei didn't understand such a simple principle.

It was—

Even a hero can be brought down by a lack of funds.

Weii Fei, inside the Red Cloud Mountain Marketplace, had probably run out of Spirit Stones to afford a Rental Cave Mansion. After all, any Cave Mansion near a Tier Two Spirit Vein would have been incredibly expensive.

Weii Fei had no Residual Power to rent a Cave Mansion within the Marketplace and was thus forced to leave the Red Cloud Mountain Marketplace to find another Spiritual Land for his Foundation Establishment.

And it was precisely this type of person—someone like Weii Fei—that Tribulation Cultivators were most likely to target.

...

After penning a reply to Weii Fei, Wei Tu opened Kou Hongying's letter.

'No wonder!' Wei Tu sighed softly, placing the letter on his desk.

This letter wasn't one of Kou Hongying's routine greetings; instead, it offered an explanation for Master Qin's "abnormal" behavior three years ago.

After Master Qin's "amnesia," although his behavior seemed unchanged to outsiders, it was a completely different story for Kou Hongying, his apprentice who was by his side day and night.

At first, Kou Hongying had simply thought Master Qin's temperament had become a bit erratic after he emerged from his breakthrough. After all, a shift in mentality after advancing a Great Realm was perfectly normal.