I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World

Chapter 430: Sky Crystal Stones, Flying Immortal Alliance

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wei Tu got straight to the point and explained the purpose of his visit."Back when I traveled through Chu Kingdom, I received support from the Guangyuan Yu clan, which helped me deter those rogue cultivators along the road. Thanks to that, I made it back safely to Kang Kingdom."

"Now that my mastery of alchemy has grown, it's time I fulfill the promise I once made to the Yu clan."

As he spoke, Wei Tu lifted his head slightly and looked toward Yu Jianglong, who stood respectfully to the side.

Decades ago, it had been Yu Jianglong—then a Yu clan member who joined the Beastmaster Sect—who connected him with the Guangyuan Yu clan.

"Elder Wei, your alchemy skills have improved again?"

Hearing that, Yu Jianglong was a bit shocked. It sounded almost unbelievable.

Sure, when a cultivator breaks through, their techniques might also improve somewhat. But the key point was—how long had it even been since Wei Tu reached the Nascent Soul stage?

That wasn’t enough time for most cultivators to even stabilize their new realm, let alone focus on something like alchemy, which was considered a "side path."

But right after speaking, Yu Jianglong realized his words were inappropriate. After all, questioning a Nascent Soul elder wasn’t exactly wise.

"I misspoke, please forgive me, Elder Wei."

He immediately admitted his fault without hesitation.

He hadn’t forgotten how, during their first meeting, Wei Tu had injured him so badly he coughed up blood.

Now that Wei Tu was a Nascent Soul elder, his temper might have grown too.

But then Wei Tu's response made Yu Jianglong quietly thankful his concern hadn’t been realized.

Instead of getting mad, Wei Tu let out a few laughs and casually explained:

"My talent might be average, but in terms of comprehension, I’ve always been proud compared to others of my generation."

"Back during my trip through Chu Kingdom, I’d already reached upper third-rank alchemy. After returning to the Cauldron Division, I gained new insights into alchemy… I believe I’ve now met the terms of the spirit contract I signed back then."

He spoke calmly after a short pause.

Hearing this, Yu Jianglong—who had just started to feel at ease—showed a strange expression again.

If Wei Tu claimed his talent was poor, then what did that make all the so-called prodigies from major sects? Utter trash?

Thankfully, after what just happened, Yu Jianglong had already prepared himself. That odd look didn’t stay long and vanished quickly as he returned to a respectful expression.

However, to Nan Zi and Qiu Buchen—both already familiar with Wei Tu—his words didn’t seem like false humility.

They believed he was telling the truth.

After all, Wei Tu’s journey from Qi Refinement to Golden Core had been documented in Zheng Kingdom.

While he had stood out at the time, it was only among rogue cultivators. Within proper sects, he would’ve been considered average.

What really widened the gap was when he smuggled himself into Kang Kingdom and, within just under 200 years, broke through from Golden Core to Nascent Soul.

So when Wei Tu said his talent was lacking, Nan Zi and Qiu Buchen didn’t find it strange at all.

"I’ll inform the clan right away to welcome Elder Wei’s honored arrival."

Yu Jianglong bowed again and responded without hesitation.

He knew exactly why Wei Tu had called him here.

"Thank you, Brother Jianglong."

Wei Tu clasped his hands and spoke warmly.

Hearing that, not only Yu Jianglong, but even Nan Zi and Qiu Buchen quietly let out a breath of relief.

After all, even if they were familiar with Wei Tu, speaking with a Nascent Soul elder still made them nervous.

Now, seeing Wei Tu not putting on any airs and treating them as friends—it wasn’t something they said aloud, but they certainly appreciated it deep down.

Fifteen minutes later.

After being informed by Yu Jianglong, the Nascent Soul elder of the Guangyuan Yu clan came out to greet Wei Tu.

She was an old woman with silver hair, yellowish skin, and a heavily aged appearance.

Wei Tu could sense her declining vitality. It felt like she might pass on into the afterlife at any moment.

With her came a middle-aged man draped in beast hide.

He also had the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator. But unlike the elderly Yu clan matriarch, he was in his prime, and his entire presence radiated dominance.

Wei Tu didn’t need to guess. This beast-hide man was clearly the only remaining Nascent Soul elder of the Beastmaster Sect—Hu Yantu.

Back in the righteous-demonic war centuries ago, Hu Yantu had been a famous figure.

After his ancestor Hu Yanpeng died, he took up the mantle, successfully relocating the disciples of the Beastmaster Sect from Jing Kingdom and preserving the sect’s legacy.

Later, in Zheng Kingdom, Hu Yantu even ambushed and badly injured the Nascent Soul elder of the Demonic Sect who had killed his grandfather.

That battle made Hu Yantu a famed figure on the righteous-demonic battlefield at the Nascent Soul level.

"Elder Wei."

After flying in, the Yu clan matriarch and Hu Yantu landed before Wei Tu, bowed slightly, and greeted him.

"I’m Hu Yantu, the current Grand Elder of the Beastmaster Sect. Since you’re from Zheng Kingdom, Elder Wei, I imagine you’ve heard of me."

Hu Yantu introduced himself first. His voice was loud and his attitude bold, clearly a straightforward man.

But Wei Tu noticed how, without warning, Hu Yantu had changed how he addressed him—from "Elder Wei" to "Brother Wei."

Clearly, this man was rough on the outside but careful inside—not as simple as he looked.

"Of course, of course," Wei Tu replied with a smile, keeping things polite.

"No need to say much about this old woman," said the Yu clan matriarch with a playful tone, leaning on her cane. "After all, who knows if Fellow Daoist Wei will get another chance to see me again?"

"Maybe Fellow Daoist Yu will soon come across a lucky chance and break through to mid-stage Nascent Soul. Then it won’t be a matter of you not seeing me again, but rather… I won’t be qualified to meet you anymore."

Wei Tu smiled lightly, offering some polite flattery.

A cultivator’s lifespan during the Nascent Soul stage wasn't fixed. Each breakthrough into a minor realm could extend one’s life by over 100 years.

Plus, higher realms gave access to more life-extending techniques and methods.

In other words, if the Yu clan matriarch advanced from early to mid-stage Nascent Soul, her natural lifespan might only increase by 100 years, but with supplemental methods, she could stretch that to 300 or 400 more years.

That, of course, was the optimistic scenario.

More likely, she’d fail to break through and run out of time at her current stage.

After all, once a cultivator entered the "elderly" phase of their realm, their potential dropped significantly. The older they were, the harder breakthroughs became.

Otherwise, Wei Tu wouldn’t have thought of his words as just a polite formality.

"Then I’ll take that as a blessing, and try to break through in the next 200 years," said the matriarch with a smile.

After some more polite exchanges, the Yu clan matriarch gave a slight bow and invited Wei Tu to visit their clan grounds as a guest.

However, Wei Tu didn’t immediately follow. He turned and looked at Nan Zi and Qiu Buchen, then clasped his hands and addressed the matriarch.

"Miss Nan and Junior Qiu were close friends back when I was still struggling. May I bring them along as guests to the Yu clan?"

Even among Qi Refinement cultivators, bringing friends to a banquet was a small matter. Let alone for a Nascent Soul elder.

Naturally, the Yu clan matriarch wouldn’t embarrass Wei Tu. She agreed on the spot.

Wei Tu had said it with intention, and those listening understood. As the Grand Elder of the Beastmaster Sect, Hu Yantu instantly made a deeper mental note about Nan Zi and Qiu Buchen.

There was no way he missed that Wei Tu’s words were aimed at him.

The purpose was clear: he wanted Hu Yantu to keep an eye on those two.

And Hu Yantu didn’t mind at all. Unless a disciple was exceptionally talented, Foundation Establishment and Golden Core stage resources weren’t hard to share.

So instead of wasting them, why not direct those resources to Nan Zi and Qiu Buchen, who now clearly had ties with the newly risen Wei Tu?

…

Soon after, Wei Tu was led by the Yu clan matriarch to the deeper parts of the clan's territory.

Of course, Nan Zi, Qiu Buchen, and Yan Xiaolan weren’t following the three Nascent Soul elders. Yu Jianglong had taken them elsewhere to be hosted in a separate hall.

"Thank you for coming, Fellow Daoist Wei."

The matriarch pulled out ten sets of alchemy materials from her sleeve—exactly as agreed—and laid them on the table before Wei Tu.

These ten furnaces’ worth of materials were part of the Guangyuan Yu clan’s accumulated resources over thousands of years. They were extremely valuable and couldn’t be wasted.

If Wei Tu weren’t at the Nascent Soul stage, they wouldn’t have entrusted these materials to him so easily. At the very least, the matriarch would’ve tested his alchemy skills first before deciding.

"Nascent Soul magic is purer than Golden Core power. Logically, Wei Tu’s success rate should be higher than a typical upper third-rank alchemist..."

"But the question is, how skilled is he really at alchemy?"

The matriarch and Hu Yantu exchanged thoughts silently.

"He should be quite good," Hu Yantu replied. "The way he showed up here today, full of confidence—it’s clear he came prepared."

"Otherwise, he wouldn’t risk ruining his own reputation."

"If that’s true," the matriarch’s eyes sparkled, "we might consider recommending him to the Flying Immortal Alliance."

If Wei Tu managed to fulfill the spirit contract and refine all ten batches successfully, then the reward they previously promised would suddenly feel lacking.

After all, the original terms were based on Golden Core standards, not Nascent Soul.

So if they recommended him to the "Flying Immortal Alliance," it would not only serve as proper payment but also give them the added benefit of having introduced him.

"Flying Immortal Alliance…" Hu Yantu’s face showed hesitation, as if unsure whether to go along with the idea.

"According to the rules, joining the Flying Immortal Alliance requires recommendations from three members."

"In that case, I’m willing to trade two Sky Crystal Stones for your vote. What do you say, Fellow Daoist Hu Yantu?"

Seeing his hesitation, the Yu clan matriarch cursed him as cunning in her mind, then directly offered the deal.