I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World

Young Master Jingchen’s betrayal was indeed a major event for Myriad Yin Sect. But fortunately, not many cultivators had witnessed it. With Madam Jin and Vice Sect Master Duan Changjing’s firm suppression, the matter didn’t stir up much chaos.

That night, Wei Tu stayed in the cave residence carefully prepared by Madam Jin, planning to seize the chance to head for “Remnant Mountain Island” to retrieve the Soul-Refining Banner hidden by Ancestor Chilong.

But—

Just as Wei Tu was about to leave the cave, Madam Jin and her daughter suddenly came together to visit.

"During the day, with outsiders present, as your teacher’s wife I couldn’t ask too many questions," Madam Jin said with a faint smile at the corner of her lips. "Tonight, I came to probe a little deeper."

Hearing this, Wei Tu couldn’t help but be surprised. He thought, ‘Didn’t Madam Jin already press me several times today about Ancestor Chilong’s whereabouts? And she says that wasn’t probing?’

Still, with the master-disciple bond between them, he couldn’t just rebuke her and embarrass her face-to-face.

He nodded slightly, gave a polite gesture, and stepped aside, inviting Madam Jin and Wang Sutai into the guest hall of his temporary residence.

At that moment, Wei Tu noticed that compared to her formal daytime attire, Madam Jin was now dressed in a more seductive manner, her charm heightened. Her wide sleeves and light gauzy robes half-covered her figure, faintly revealing a graceful body and snow-pale curves.

Demonesses were always bold in dress.

And unlike common women who, after bearing children, lost their beauty and had to deliberately dress plain, Madam Jin was different. Her skin was smooth and flawless, her beauty shining like a woman of thirty, untouched by age.

So after glancing at her a few times, Wei Tu deliberately lowered his gaze and fixed his eyes on Wang Sutai, who stood behind her mother.

But that sight left him feeling strange.

Because in contrast to her mother’s bold style, Wang Sutai was extremely austere. A veiled hat covered her head, her whole body wrapped in a wide black robe. Except for her bare hands, not a single inch of skin was exposed.

Of course, such concealment was useless before Wei Tu’s Sun-Gazing Golden Eyes.

With a flash of golden light in his eyes, he clearly saw Wang Sutai’s delicate face and the solid foundation of her Nascent Soul cultivation within.

Soon after, the three of them took their seats.

Wei Tu, following disciple etiquette, invited Madam Jin to the main seat, while he and Wang Sutai sat on either side of the hall.

"Fu’er, what do you think of Duan Changjing?" Madam Jin asked with a smile not long after sitting down.

"Duan Changjing?"

Hearing that, Wei Tu immediately understood. Madam Jin wanted to rope him in and form an alliance of shared interests.

And nothing worked better to form an alliance than setting up a common enemy.

As Ancestor Chilong’s disciple, he obviously couldn’t side with Duan Changjing or stay neutral.

So he followed her lead: "I’ve only just arrived at Myriad Yin Sect, and I’m not too familiar with its politics. But since you are my master’s Dao companion, you naturally should have the right to help oversee the sect."

"Vice Sect Master Duan opposing you today may seem like just a difference in opinion. But in truth, it shows that he harbors thoughts of coveting the Sect Master’s seat."

At those words, both Madam Jin and Wang Sutai relaxed their brows, joy showing on their faces.

Of course, they had long known that Wei Tu would never stand with Duan Changjing. But knowing it and hearing him openly declare it were two different things, and their hearts couldn’t help but feel pleased.

‘Of course, this is only true if Daoist Fu isn’t that dead ghost’s reincarnation,’ Madam Jin thought coldly to herself.

In her judgment, Ancestor Chilong was almost certainly already dead, or else had seized someone’s body.

If it was the former, then Wei Tu’s words were simple support for her.

But if it was the latter, and Wei Tu was Ancestor Chilong’s reincarnation, then his words might be a ploy to use her so that, while she and Duan fought, he could sit back and reap the benefit.

‘Still, that’s why I brought Sutai tonight—to test if he’s genuine or not,’ Madam Jin thought, calming her heart.

…

Wei Tu’s reply was exactly what Madam Jin had expected.

She continued with her planned words, letting out a sigh. "Right now, Duan Changjing only opposes me. But before long, it may not stop there."

"The news that your master is still alive is not good for Duan. Once your master returns, there’s a good chance he’ll take our side and punish Duan for his betrayal."

"Fu’er, think about it. If you were Duan Changjing right now, what would you do?"

"Take a desperate gamble and betray the sect."

Wei Tu paused briefly, then uttered those eight words one by one with a grim expression.

Although he was speaking to match Madam Jin’s intent, he could see the truth in her reasoning.

Duan Changjing very likely would take such a risk in the near future.

After all, if he himself were Ancestor Chilong returning in full strength, he would never let a fellow senior brother—one who already had a grudge and now coveted the Sect Master’s position—have things easy.

‘This Madam Jin is truly vicious in thought.’

At that realization, Wei Tu suddenly understood why Madam Jin had so insistently asked him during the day, in front of all the sect cultivators, about Ancestor Chilong’s whereabouts.

Because no matter the outcome, the situation would still favor Madam Jin.

If Ancestor Chilong was proven to have perished, then within Myriad Yin Sect, Madam Jin—as the widow of the Sect Master and one of only two mid-Stage Nascent Soul experts—could rightfully continue holding the sect’s power.

And if Ancestor Chilong hadn’t died…

Then just like now, Duan Changjing, Madam Jin’s long-standing “enemy,” would be forced into a desperate situation, driven out of Myriad Yin Sect.

As for Ancestor Chilong’s later investigation, Madam Jin could always brush it off with a claim of carelessness.

After all, with the intimacy of husband and wife, and with Madam Jin’s own strength at mid-Stage Nascent Soul, even if Ancestor Chilong was furious, he would have to swallow it for the sake of maintaining the sect’s prestige and “forgive” her.

"Master-wife, the reason you’ve come to see me—could it be to discuss how to deal with Vice Sect Master Duan?" Wei Tu asked after steadying his thoughts.

He really had no interest in helping Madam Jin take down Duan Changjing, a mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Killing Qi Chengchu was his top priority now.

Besides, Madam Jin’s motives were impure, and she wasn’t worth trusting. Even if he had spare time, he wouldn’t choose to cooperate with her against someone of the same level.

But just as Wei Tu was racking his brain for an excuse to refuse her, her next words left him utterly stunned.

She actually suggested that he should consummate the marriage with Wang Sutai as soon as possible and cultivate through dual cultivation.

"Duan Changjing—even if I join hands with you two, I’m not certain we could keep him here," Madam Jin said slowly. "I came tonight mainly to give you a warning, so you won’t fall victim to his schemes. And also… I want to take this chance to boost both your strength and Sutai’s."

She flipped her palm, and a tiny bone palanquin appeared in her jade-white hand. "This is a tier-four escape-type magic tool I’ve treasured for years, called the Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin. Once you and Sutai have dual cultivated, you’ll be able to control it together."

As she spoke, she sent several seals into the miniature palanquin. At once, it swelled in size with the wind until it became a normal-sized sedan chair.

Unlike ordinary sedan chairs, this Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin was steeped in demonic style, filled with chilling yin aura.

Its frame was made of white bone, while its curtains, canopy, and other ornaments were all crafted from parts of cultivators’ bodies—human skin, eyeballs, and the like, tanned and inlaid.

And beyond the palanquin itself, front and back, two huge, fierce ape-ghosts several zhang tall were chained to it, their green faces twisted with fangs and fury.

Yet, through the palanquin’s shell, one could still see its lavish and elegant interior.

It was truly “tattered on the outside, golden within.”

"This was her dowry when she married me! I didn’t expect she valued you enough to take it out and give it to you and Sutai," a voice suddenly rang in Wei Tu’s head. It was Ancestor Chilong, sounding both surprised and amused.

"Is it very precious?" Wei Tu asked. He couldn’t tell its worth—he was unfamiliar with demonic treasures.

"Heh! This is a top-grade tier-four artifact, far more valuable than the Soul-Refining Banner I gave you," Ancestor Chilong sneered, his tone filled with pride. "When pushed to its limits, its speed rivals that of most late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators. Xiangjun’s father was once a famed Nascent Soul powerhouse in the demonic world. He poured all his effort into forging this palanquin for her."

Back then, marrying the noble demonic lady Jin Xiangjun had made him the envy of countless fellow demon cultivators. And it had become one of his proudest achievements after he ascended to Sect Master of Myriad Yin Sect. Of course he was proud of it.

"But this Golden Ghost Palanquin does have a flaw," Ancestor Chilong added with a laugh. "It can only be driven by Jin family bloodlines. If you want to use it, you’ll have to dual cultivate with Sutai and control it together."

As a father, he was more than happy to see Wang Sutai marry Wei Tu.

Although with Wang Sutai’s status she could easily have married another powerful cultivator as his sole Dao companion, Ancestor Chilong knew full well that Wei Tu’s path would not stop at Nascent Soul.

In other words, marrying Wei Tu was equivalent to climbing into the household of a future Divine Transformation cultivator.

As for the fact that Wang Sutai had once conspired with Qi Chengchu to assassinate Wei Tu…

In his eyes, since it hadn’t succeeded, it was nothing more than a trivial matter.

For a noble demonic woman, harboring thoughts of poisoning her weak fiancé was normal.

If demonic cultivators submitted so easily, they wouldn’t be called demonic cultivators at all.

That was the difference between the demonic path and the orthodox—fewer rules, fewer bindings.

"Dual cultivation?" Wei Tu murmured, hesitating.

If this Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin were to be his reward after dual cultivating with Wang Sutai, he wouldn’t mind taking that step early with his political marriage partner.

He wasn’t that uptight.

But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

After dual cultivating, he would only gain partial control over the palanquin, and even then, he would need Wang Sutai’s consent to use it.

Its convenience was actually worse than the Yin-Yang Demon Corpses he shared with Cao Mi. At least with that, he could control the Yang corpse alone and fight independently.

And there was another issue—time.

He had to kill Qi Chengchu within three days.

If he went through dual cultivation with Wang Sutai, the time consumed would be far more than three days.

So, after explaining everything to Ancestor Chilong, Wei Tu turned back with an apologetic look at Madam Jin and Wang Sutai.

"Though I would like to agree to an early dual cultivation, this marriage feels far too rushed," he said. "If Seventh Miss doesn’t mind waiting, it won’t be too late for us to marry a month from now."

The moment his words fell, the atmosphere turned utterly still, quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Madam Jin’s face still carried a smile, but inside she sneered coldly. Her doubts about Wei Tu’s true identity grew stronger.

Because in her eyes—if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, how could Wei Tu refuse such a chance to marry Wang Sutai early?

To a "new Nascent Soul cultivator" like him, dual cultivating with a Spirit Infant body was no different from swallowing a pill that directly boosted cultivation.

The reason for his refusal was too obvious.

There was only one explanation—Wei Tu was the body Ancestor Chilong had taken over.

Only as Wang Sutai’s father could he turn down something so beneficial.

‘Dead ghost, I’ll see how long you can keep this up!’ Madam Jin cursed in her heart.

But even now, she had no intention of exposing Wei Tu’s true identity. After all, Duan Changjing was still outside, watching like a tiger eyeing its prey.

If Wei Tu’s true identity was revealed, Duan Changjing’s reckless move would no longer be simple betrayal—it would become an outright bid to seize control of Myriad Yin Sect.

"In that case…" Madam Jin said softly, "then let’s discuss this again in a month. Only, during this time, Fu’er… without the help of the Golden Ghost Palanquin, you must be careful of Duan Changjing."

"Thank you for the reminder, Master-wife," Wei Tu replied, cupping his hands.

After a few more polite exchanges, Madam Jin and her daughter rose to leave, and Wei Tu escorted them out of the cave.

…

Watching the elegant backs of Madam Jin and Wang Sutai, Wei Tu raised his brows slightly, thoughtful.

During the discussion just now, he hadn’t noticed anything out of place. Madam Jin’s push for an early marriage seemed reasonable.

First, Qi Chengchu’s betrayal…

Sect gossip would naturally target him and Wang Sutai. If they married quickly, it could suppress much of that chatter.

Second, Duan Changjing’s looming rebellion…

In that case, he and Wang Sutai would need greater strength to protect themselves. After all, they couldn’t always be under Madam Jin’s protection.

Right now, the Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin seemed like a fine option for boosting survival chances.

But… something about it didn’t sit right with him.

Why would Wang Sutai give in so easily?

Everything takes a process.

In the day, she had plotted with Qi Chengchu to kill him. By nightfall, she had completely changed her mind and wanted to marry him as soon as possible?

That was far too unnatural.

Even with all his caution and sharpness, Wei Tu couldn’t unravel the truth from this alone.

The fact he sensed something off at all was already thanks to his careful, cautious nature.

He shook his head and stopped dwelling on it.

With mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivation and Ancestor Chilong’s aid, he was practically invincible within Myriad Yin Sect.

Why fear Madam Jin?

"First, the Soul-Refining Banner," Wei Tu muttered. His eyes gleamed as he flicked his sleeve, hid his aura, and slipped away toward Can Mountain Island.

…

Half a day later.

With Ancestor Chilong’s help, Wei Tu easily bypassed the sect’s layers of formations and reached the Soul-Refining Banner’s hiding place.

It was inside one of Myriad Yin Sect’s medicine gardens.

On the surface, nothing seemed unusual.

"Open for me!" Wei Tu hovered in midair, hands forming seals. He sent over a dozen incantations into a spot in the void.

After a pause of about three breaths, ripples spread through the air, revealing a fist-sized gray hole.

Wei Tu stretched out his hand. From within the gray opening, a pitch-black banner slowly emerged, faint light flickering along its surface.

The moment it appeared, the wails of ghosts and wolves filled the air.

But under Wei Tu’s sealing mana, not a trace of the noise leaked out.

"So this is the Soul-Refining Banner?" Wei Tu studied it closely, his gaze lingering on the intricate silver runes carved into the staff.

The Soul-Refining Banner was one of the most common tools among low-level demon cultivators.

But a banner of this grade was extremely rare.