Being a Late Bloomer in the Cultivation World

"Is that so?" Xi Ying's expression softened slightly when he saw Guan Zhenying interceding. He mused, "Since there are extenuating circumstances, I will not punish you. For now, I'll just record a demerit against your name."

'No reward for my contribution, but a demerit instead?'

Wei Tu felt this was strange. 'Either Xi Ying looks down on Independent Cultivators and has some deep-seated grudge against them, leading him to take it out on me, or he has some other motive.'

Failing to distinguish between rewards and punishments was a major taboo, whether in the mortal world or the Cultivation Realm.

After saying this, Xi Ying walked into the meeting hall and sat in the main seat, ignoring Wei Tu, who was still outside the door.

"I'm sorry, Fellow Daoist Wei. I didn't expect that saving us... would bring you this kind of trouble..." Guan Zhenying said to Wei Tu via voice transmission, his face full of apology.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, I'll try to persuade Elder Xi later and get him to clear up his prejudice against you," Shen Changfeng added.

Although Shen Changfeng felt that Wei Tu's interference would diminish his own image in Guan Zhenying's eyes, sparking a sense of crisis, he was not someone who couldn't distinguish right from wrong.

At the end of the day, Wei Tu had gotten into trouble because he saved him and Guan Zhenying.

If word got out about what Xi Ying had done, he, Shen Changfeng, would also be seen as a petty person.

"Thank you both," Wei Tu said.

...

「Half an hour later.」

Wei Tu took a seat in a remote corner of the meeting hall and met the newly arrived Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Chaning Cliff one by one.

Including Wei Tu, there were a total of eleven Foundation Establishment Cultivators at Chaning Cliff.

Besides Wei Tu, Xi Ying, Guan Zhenying, and Shen Changfeng, there were seven other Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Among these seven, two were from the Beast Taming Sect and one was from Qingzhu Mountain. The remaining four were all Independent Cultivators.

In other words, counting Wei Tu, Independent Cultivators made up nearly half of all the Foundation Establishment Cultivators at Chaning Cliff.

During the meeting, what surprised Wei Tu slightly was that Xi Ying, the Fake Pill True Monarch, showed no arrogance when dealing with the four Independent Cultivators next to him. He treated them with the same impartiality as he did Guan Zhenying and the others.

"AHEM! It seems Fellow Daoist Wei has noticed something is off. You must be wondering now why this Xi Ying doesn't dare to be too arrogant with the four of us, hmm?"

An old man in gray robes sitting near Wei Tu glanced at him with a chuckle and started a conversation.

The old man and Wei Tu were seated in the most remote area, so they didn't have to worry about being disturbed even if they chatted idly.

"Is there a story behind it?" Wei Tu asked, raising an eyebrow with a questioning look.

"Oh, there's quite a secret to it," the old man said, narrowing his eyes mysteriously.

Seeing this, Wei Tu handed the old man a Spirit Stone Bag. "Please, Fellow Daoist Li, enlighten me."

When the old man and the others had entered the meeting hall, he had followed convention and exchanged names with him, so he already knew who the man was.

The old man's surname was "Li," and his name was "Li Daoyuan." He was not without influence at Chaning Cliff. He and the beautiful woman in red, "Geng Qing," sitting next to him were Dao Companions.

After accepting the gift from Wei Tu, Li Daoyuan stroked his graying beard, cleared his throat a few times, and began to speak.

"We Independent Cultivators aren't like Immortal Sect Cultivators. We have no backing. Even if an Immortal Sect Cultivator isn't valued within their sect, they can still get a word in with the Golden Core True Monarchs of their sect..."

"Therefore, Xi Ying doesn't dare to offend the Immortal Sect Cultivators too much. If they become dissatisfied, his position as 'Immortal Sect Envoy' will be revoked by the Righteous Alliance, and another Cultivator will be appointed to take his place."

"Fellow Daoist Wei, don't underestimate this position of Immortal Sect Envoy. By serving as the envoy at Chaning Cliff for twenty or thirty years, one can earn a vast amount of battle merits. By then, Xi Ying might even be able to attempt Core Formation again."

"Xi Ying reprimanded you this time and turned your contribution into a demerit because he actually wants to steal your merits for himself."

"After all, we have no right to question how the battle reports for Chaning Cliff are written. Since you have no background, it's difficult for you to know..."

Li Daoyuan said slowly.

Hearing this, a thoughtful expression appeared on Wei Tu's face.

He had heard of the Righteous Alliance. It was a temporary organization established by the Beast Taming Sect and Cangqiong City of Jing Country, in alliance with the Three Immortal Sects of Zheng Country, after they had retreated from Zheng Country.

It oversaw all matters on the Righteous Demon Battlefield.

Xi Ying's position as Immortal Sect Envoy had been appointed by the Righteous Alliance, not by Cangqiong City alone to manage Chaning Cliff.

However, although the Righteous Alliance held more power than the individual Immortal Sects, it would clearly have a hard time suppressing them if the Immortal Sect Cultivators under its command decided to cause trouble.

This was the reason Li Daoyuan had given for why Xi Ying didn't dare to offend the Immortal Sect Cultivators.

In other words, his strategic value was far lower than that of Immortal Sect Cultivators like Guan Zhenying.

"Does Fellow Daoist Li have a solution?" Wei Tu asked.

He could tell there was a hidden meaning in Li Daoyuan's words.

"I won't keep you in suspense any longer, Fellow Daoist Wei," Li Daoyuan said after a moment's thought. "The biggest reason that I and the other few Fellow Daoists are not bullied by Xi Ying is that we have joined the Loose Immortal Alliance!"

"The Loose Immortal Alliance is the only organization through which we Independent Cultivators can stand against the Immortal Sects!"

Li Daoyuan said, emphasizing every word.

The Loose Immortal Alliance!

Upon hearing those three words, Wei Tu, who had been confused, suddenly understood everything.

He thought, 'No wonder Xi Ying treats Li Daoyuan and the others so cordially and doesn't dare to offend them. It turns out they've joined the Loose Immortal Alliance.'

As for the Loose Immortal Alliance, Wei Tu had heard its name countless times in recent years.

The Alchemist Songg whom Weii Fei had found when crowdfunding his alchemy session last time was a Cultivator from the Loose Immortal Alliance.

The Loose Immortal Alliance had seventeen Golden Core True Monarchs in total. It wasn't a small Independent Cultivator Alliance like the Shuyun Alliance, but a behemoth.

A behemoth capable of rivaling the Immortal Sects on equal footing.

'However, this matter probably isn't so simple. First, Xi Ying made things difficult for me, and then Li Daoyuan brought up the Loose Immortal Alliance...'

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes, forming a hypothesis about why Xi Ying had given him a hard time.

Li Daoyuan's mention of the "Loose Immortal Alliance" was a clear invitation to join. After all, a Tier Two Upper-Grade Talisman Master like him would be treated as an honored guest anywhere.

'Working backward from this outcome,' he thought, 'if Xi Ying knew I was going to join the Loose Immortal Alliance, why would he make things difficult for me right from the start and create bad blood between us?'

Based on his deductions, Xi Ying's earlier harassment and Li Daoyuan's current recruitment pitch were likely a coordinated play by the Loose Immortal Alliance, all aimed at him, a Tier Two Upper-Grade Talisman Master.

It was just a very clever ploy. If he weren't so experienced in the ways of the world, he probably wouldn't have seen it as a scheme.

"I wonder if Fellow Daoist Li could make an introduction for me? I... come from a humble background and don't have any way to join the Loose Immortal Alliance." A wry smile appeared on Wei Tu's face at just the right moment.

Wei Tu had no aversion to joining the Loose Immortal Alliance. At a time like this, joining this Independent Cultivator Organization would greatly increase his chances of survival.

At the very least, he wouldn't be ostracized by Xi Ying at Chaning Cliff and forced to undertake dangerous missions.

As for the ploys used by the Loose Immortal Alliance, Wei Tu didn't mind them.

If a faction wanted to grow stronger, it couldn't get far on sincerity and honesty alone; it needed to have some tactics.

Looking at it from another angle, the fact that the Loose Immortal Alliance employed such clever tactics also meant it had good prospects for development and great potential.

"Leave it to me," Li Daoyuan said with a smile.

Li Daoyuan didn't care whether Wei Tu had seen through the Loose Immortal Alliance's ploy. As long as Wei Tu was willing to join the Loose Immortal Alliance, it was a good thing for them.

Li Daoyuan knew full well how difficult it was for an Independent Cultivator with no background to survive in a chaotic world.

Therefore, he believed that once Wei Tu joined the Loose Immortal Alliance, the minor ill feelings from before would no longer be worth mentioning.

...

After leaving the meeting hall, Wei Tu went to the Cave Mansion that Xi Ying had assigned him.

Xi Ying hadn't made things too difficult for Wei Tu regarding the Cave Mansion's allocation. Aside from being in a more remote location, its facilities were the same as those of the other Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The Cave Mansion was a cavern situated beneath the cliff face.

After settling into the Cave Mansion, Wei Tu first found a room and converted it into an "Insect Room." He tossed the "Seven-Colored Illusion Moths" he possessed into this room to raise them.

Wei Tu discovered that, nourished by the Immortal Spirit Dew, his Seven-Colored Illusion Moths seemed to be showing signs of evolving into Tier Two Spirit Insects.

One had to remember that the "queen" Seven-Colored Illusion Moth he had killed was only a Tier One Spirit Insect.

Wei Tu was quite looking forward to what Tier Two Seven-Colored Illusion Moths could do.

Tier One Seven-Colored Illusion Moths could already evade the divine sense scans of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Once they reached Tier Two, these moths could probably be used not only for reconnaissance but also for assassinating enemy Cultivators.

'I don't dare to consume the Tier Two Elixirs from Alchemist Shu, but these elixirs are all made from the Essence of Heaven and Earth. I can let these Seven-Colored Illusion Moths under my control consume them...'

Standing in the Insect Room and watching the dozens of Spirit Moths dancing in the air, Wei Tu thought for a moment. He took out a bottle of Tier Two Elixirs from his Storage Bag, diluted them, and fed them to the swarm of Seven-Colored Illusion Moths.

However, to be safe, Wei Tu didn't have all the Seven-Colored Illusion Moths consume the same batch of Tier Two Spirit Pills. Instead, he divided the swarm into two groups: one that would consume the pills and one that would not.

This way, even if the elixirs were mixed with Poison Pills, the other half of the Seven-Colored Illusion Moths would be unharmed.

...

「In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.」

During this period, Li Daoyuan sought out Wei Tu once to introduce him to a Fake Pill True Monarch from the Loose Immortal Alliance named Gao Chen.

With Gao Chen's approval, Wei Tu successfully joined the Loose Immortal Alliance and became one of its Foundation Establishment Masters.

After joining, the Loose Immortal Alliance didn't place any particularly harsh restrictions on Wei Tu. It only required that if a member of the Alliance came to buy Talismans from him, Wei Tu could not deliberately refuse and must sell them at a thirty percent discount off the market price.

This was actually a good thing for Wei Tu.

He now had a new platform for selling his Talismans.

The Jiuyun Commerce Association only had shops in the Zheng Country Mainland and hadn't opened any branches on the battlefield's front lines.

"Huh? A Talisman from Fellow Daoist Chu?" That day, just as Wei Tu finished his Cultivation and was about to get up to feed his Sky-Splitting Carving, he saw that a Talisman had appeared at the entrance of his Cave Mansion.

The Fellow Daoist Chu Wei Tu mentioned was another of the Independent Cultivators defending Chaning Cliff.