I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World

Now that Chen Mai Lord had stepped in and destroyed the last “Space Restriction Array,” their side wasn’t looking as grim. All they needed to do was escape—reach the “Ultra-Distance Teleportation Array,” get transmitted out, and it would count as a success.

No words were needed. The moment Chen Mai Lord shattered the array, Wei Tu and Madam Jin abandoned the battlefield without hesitation. They fled at once, not sparing a thought for fighting.

Still, Madam Jin couldn’t abandon old ties. She didn’t leave Chen Mai Lord behind. In an instant, she slipped into the “Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin.” As she fled, a sweep of bloody light wrapped around Chen Mai Lord, dragging him with her at high speed toward the teleportation array.

However—

The next moment, a deafening explosion shook the sky.

The Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin halted abruptly midair, spraying chunks of flesh and blood from its doors and windows.

The heavens were dyed red.

“Puwa!” Madam Jin was blasted out of the palanquin, coughing a mouthful of blood. It splattered across her robe and stained her exposed pale skin.

Along with her, a small dark-silver shield was also flung out. It spun rapidly around her for a while, its light dim, covered in cracks from damage. Clearly, if not for this little shield’s protection, Madam Jin would have been dead already.

“Nascent Soul self-detonation.”

Wei Tu stopped in midair, face turning dark as he muttered in a heavy tone.

Half a year ago, when Elder Yuan’s Golden Core exploded, Wei Tu had witnessed it but hadn’t thought much of it. A Golden Core’s self-destruction was at most Duan Changjing showing off against Nascent Soul elders like them.

But today, it was different. Duan Changjing had deliberately set a trap—first letting Chen Mai Lord destroy the space array to earn Madam Jin’s trust. Then, while she was completely unguarded, he detonated his Nascent Soul inside the palanquin, leaving her gravely injured.

From Wei Tu’s assessment, Madam Jin had lost nine-tenths of her strength in that single blow. Surviving at all was sheer luck.

‘But why would Duan Changjing use such a scheme to cripple her?’ Wei Tu couldn’t understand. Without tricks, with his cultivation alone, Duan Changjing already had the power to wound or even kill Madam Jin.

But there was no more time for questions.

“Quick, get inside the palanquin!” Madam Jin’s urgent voice rang by his ear.

The same Madam Jin who had been blasted out now darted back into the Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin, seizing control again. She piloted it straight to Wei Tu’s side.

Wei Tu didn’t hesitate. His figure blurred, and without resisting her pull of magic power, he stepped inside the palanquin.

From the outside, it looked no bigger than an ordinary wedding palanquin. Inside, however, it was spacious—two to three zhang across, like a small house.

Yet comfort was far from what it offered now. The interior was smeared with blood and gore, Chen Mai Lord’s remains scattered across the furnishings.

The stench of blood filled the space.

“Damn fool, there’s no time! I’m about to collapse, and I’ve no energy left to test you. Start circulating a dual cultivation method with me, now!”

Madam Jin cursed breathlessly. As she spoke, she conjured streams of water with her magic, washing the blood off the soft couch and her own body.

“This…” Wei Tu froze, realization dawning on him in an instant. Madam Jin wasn’t treating him as himself—she thought he was Ancestor Chìlóng’s ‘seized body vessel.’

The so-called “test” must have referred to when, half a year ago, she rushed him into marrying Wang Sutai, her “daughter.” Now, dragging him into the Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin, she was clearly convinced he was Ancestor Chìlóng. She wanted to use dual cultivation to pull herself back from danger and escape alive.

The Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin could only be driven by those of the Jin bloodline. But through dual cultivation, a Dao companion could borrow that power as well. When both sides joined together, merging their magic and breath, it was no different from being of Jin blood.

Now Madam Jin was gravely wounded, her strength failing. She needed her Dao partner’s aid.

But the key problem—Wei Tu was a fake!

There was no way he could dual cultivate with Madam Jin under Ancestor Chìlóng’s watch. And besides, compatibility between Dao companions wasn’t built overnight. Without any prior foundation, trying to merge their magic instantly was no simple matter.

…

“Damn it! A single mistake. I didn’t account for this Fu Daoist being mid Nascent Soul, the seized body of Ancestor Chìlóng…”

“I forgot this step…”

Elsewhere, Duan Changjing, who was in pursuit, froze when he saw Wei Tu enter the Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin. His face twisted. Fate was mocking him again.

A thousand years ago, Ancestor Chìlóng had stolen his junior martial sister and the Sect Master’s seat of Myriad Yin Sect.

Now, after so much plotting, after finally luring Madam Jin into his trap, right as he was about to exact his vengeance—this blunder had appeared.

In a clash of experts, everything shifted in an instant. When Chen Mai Lord destroyed the “Space Restriction Array,” he hadn’t had the time to stop him.

“If I can’t strip away Madam Jin’s cultivation, once this battle ends…” Duan Changjing narrowed his eyes, already calculating the consequences.

According to his plan, seizing her cultivation would push him from mid Nascent Soul to late Nascent Soul. With that realm, he could come and go freely—whether to stay in Myriad Yin Sect or abandon it altogether would be up to him.

And when cooperating with Ancestor Tianxie, he wouldn’t need to hold back.

But now, with Wei Tu thrown into the mix…

He had to wonder if Ancestor Tianxie would betray him, turning on his ally.

Yet—

While he was still pondering his retreat, the Golden Ghost Bone Palanquin, flying ahead, suddenly lurched and lost control, swaying like it might fall from the sky.

Then, “Fu Daoist” burst out from within, carrying Madam Jin in his arms. Her clothes were in disarray, her breath feeble, yet he didn’t slow down, continuing to flee at full speed.

“He’s not Zhu Tianqi?”

Duan Changjing instantly realized it. Joy flashed across his face.

When the mountain seems sealed, another path appears.

With the palanquin, even if he had the upper hand, killing both Wei Tu and Madam Jin was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

But now, with that weapon gone, cutting them down might not be guaranteed, but it would be far easier than before.

“Heaven itself aids me!”

Duan Changjing let out a long laugh. He and Zhang Nanqiu, one behind the other, gave chase, pursuing Wei Tu and Madam Jin straight into the underground space, reaching the entrance of the Ultra-Distance Teleportation Array.

Still, they were a step too slow.

They failed to block Wei Tu, Madam Jin, and Wang Sutai from entering the array.

But Duan Changjing wasn’t dismayed. On the contrary, his joy deepened. He too dove straight into the array.

After all, once transmitted away, he would also be rid of Ancestor Tianxie’s looming threat outside Myriad Yin Sect.

Zhang Nanqiu, left behind, stood frozen for a while on the teleportation platform, unsure if he should follow. By the plan, he was supposed to seize this chance while Myriad Yin Sect was empty, opening the sect’s guardian array to let his master, Ancestor Tianxie, in.

But clearly, by then it would be too late.

Once the transmission finished, whether it was Wei Tu, Madam Jin, or Duan Changjing, they would immediately destroy the array on the other side.

“I alone should be enough!”

Zhang Nanqiu’s eyes gleamed cold. He stepped forward and walked into the glowing gate of the teleportation array.