I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World

"This time, I alone will face you. Fellow Daoist Yu and Brother Huyan will only watch from the side."

Wei Tu noticed the concern in Venerable Master Ziyang’s eyes. He gave a faint smile and made his assurance.

"Moreover, if I lose this fight, I promise that the matter of destroying the Shangliang Cai Clan will be dropped. Beastmaster Sect and the Yu Clan of Guangyuan will also withdraw and give up."

"But if you lose, then you must leave the battlefield from this moment on, and never again protect the cultivators of the Cai Clan."

After a short pause, Wei Tu added this final condition.

"Fellow Daoist, are these words true?"

Hearing this, Venerable Master Ziyang’s heart stirred.

Before this, though he had used his strength to force Huyan Tu and the Yu Clan’s Old Ancestor to stop attacking and withdraw from the Cai Clan’s territory of "Rotten Peach Mountain," he did not actually have the power to kill either of them. Both were Nascent Soul cultivators of the same level.

That was why, until today, Beastmaster Sect and the Yu Clan of Guangyuan still held a hard stance against the Cai Clan and had never truly withdrawn their forces outside Rotten Peach Mountain.

If today the matter could be resolved in a single battle, then for him, it would indeed be a great relief.

After all, no matter how much gratitude he owed to the Cai Clan’s ancestor, he could not keep wasting his time endlessly.

"Of course!"

Before Wei Tu could even speak again, Old Ancestor Yu and Huyan Tu, standing at his side outside the Beastmaster Sect, both spoke up first, making their stance clear.

The two of them knew Wei Tu’s foundations. They would never believe Wei Tu could possibly lose to just one Venerable Master Ziyang.

Seeing this, though doubt still lingered in Venerable Master Ziyang’s heart, he thought back to their earlier brief exchange. He knew something of Wei Tu’s strength. At that time, they had ended with neither side gaining the upper hand. With that in mind, he stopped thinking further.

Yet—

At the very first move, after the spiritual contract was signed and their battle began, Venerable Master Ziyang felt instant regret and cursed in his heart.

He had not expected that in just 30 years, Wei Tu’s strength had grown so much stronger than before.

Whether in raw mana or divine abilities, Wei Tu surpassed him by far. He was simply not Wei Tu’s match.

One move.

Two moves.

By the fourth move, Venerable Master Ziyang was blasted back several dozen zhang away. His mana was in chaos, his blood roiled violently, and even his five organs suffered severe internal injuries.

"Mid Nascent Soul? How is this possible for such a junior!"

Venerable Master Ziyang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

At this point, even if he were foolish, he could see it clearly. Wei Tu was no longer the same unknown cultivator of the past. He was already far ahead, enough to be considered his “senior.”

"Venerable Master, there is no grudge between us. You are only protecting the Cai Clan to repay a debt to their ancestor from long ago. Step back now, and I won’t trouble you further."

"But if you insist on acting, then I won’t be holding back any longer."

A cold, even voice sounded by Venerable Master Ziyang’s ear—it was Wei Tu’s warning.

Hearing this, Venerable Master Ziyang froze. Based on his earlier contact with Wei Tu, he knew Wei Tu struck fast and ruthless. He did not seem like a man to show mercy.

And from what the Cai Clan had said, the death of that old ghost Cai was likely a conspiracy by Wei Tu, Huyan Tu, and the others.

Yet now, when Wei Tu had the advantage, he was showing morality? Not delivering the killing blow, but first warning him?

"Strange. Too strange!"

Venerable Master Ziyang thought to himself.

But this was not the time to keep thinking. Seeing him remain silent for too long, Wei Tu’s mana surged again as he prepared to continue his attack.

"Wait, Fellow Daoist!" Venerable Master Ziyang called out urgently, retreating several hundred steps in one breath to halt Wei Tu.

"What more do you have to say, Venerable Master?"

Wei Tu frowned, irritation flashing across his face.

Today, because this was only a duel of methods and not a fight to the death, he had chosen not to strike too harshly against Venerable Master Ziyang.

But if Venerable Master Ziyang truly refused to understand, then Wei Tu was not the sort to waver.

Having cultivated this far, striking down an "old good man" like him would not weigh heavily on his conscience.

"Fellow Daoist’s strike against the Cai Clan—was it because Old Ghost Cai personally offended you? Or was it malicious provocation?"

Venerable Master Ziyang quickly spoke the doubt that had been lurking in his heart.

It wasn’t hard for him to see that both Huyan Tu and Old Ancestor Yu followed Wei Tu’s lead.

That meant Wei Tu was most likely the true mastermind controlling Beastmaster Sect and the Yu Clan of Guangyuan in their move to destroy the Cai Clan of Shangliang.

Yet judging by Wei Tu’s current attitude toward him…

—focused more on driving away, rather than killing.

Venerable Master Ziyang suddenly had the faint feeling that he was "aiding a tyrant in his cruelty."

Of course, he knew well that the cultivators of the Cai Clan were innocent. But in the brutal cultivation world, this kind of act was not unusual. It was, in fact, entirely reasonable.

One person ascends to the Dao, and even the chickens and dogs rise to heaven.

But if one person falls into disgrace, the entire clan dies.

As the kin of a powerful cultivator, while enjoying blessings, they will inevitably also bear the burden of his fate.

After all, everything comes at a price.

At least, for now, Beastmaster Sect and the Yu Clan of Guangyuan had not yet touched upon the true taboos of the righteous path. Their strike against the Cai Clan of Shangliang was focused only on exterminating the direct bloodline descendants.

"Fellow Daoist guessed correctly. That old ghost Cai indeed gravely offended me. He once ambushed and tried to kill me."

Wei Tu narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke honestly.

He didn’t know what game Venerable Master Ziyang was playing, but this was no shameful secret. Saying it aloud was no big deal.

Hearing this, Venerable Master Ziyang gave a bitter smile and muttered inwardly, 'As expected.'

"In that case, this poor Daoist will take his leave. Regarding the matter of the Cai Clan of Shangliang, I will abide by our agreement and never interfere again."

Finishing his words, Venerable Master Ziyang bowed deeply to Wei Tu. With a long sigh, he turned and flew away from the gates of the Beastmaster Sect.

This time, he had already done everything he could to protect the Cai Clan.

If the Cai Clan had no original sin, he might have fought to the death to help them once more.

But now…

The Cai Clan of Shangliang had no ground to stand on.

How could he still help them?

…

Seeing Venerable Master Ziyang admit defeat and leave, both Huyan Tu and the Yu Clan’s Old Ancestor congratulated Wei Tu. Without wasting time, they pulled Wei Tu along and rushed straight toward the Cai Clan’s territory—Rotten Peach Mountain.

The spiritual land and spiritual objects of Rotten Peach Mountain were hardly enough to catch Wei Tu’s eye. But unless he saw with his own eyes the complete extermination of the Cai Clan’s direct descendants, he could not feel at ease.

Half a day later, the three Nascent Soul ancestors descended above Rotten Peach Mountain.

"This is the Cai Clan’s protective formation. It’s ranked as a fourth-grade array. Even for us Nascent Soul cultivators, it would take at least half a month to break it."

Old Ancestor Yu, speaking like a host explaining to a guest, pointed out the protective barrier that covered several hundred zhang above Rotten Peach Mountain. His voice carried a trace of sighing emotion.

The formation was like an inverted jade bowl, glowing with deep golden light, filled with profound spiritual brilliance.

Under normal circumstances, with this fourth-grade protective array and Venerable Master Ziyang’s shelter, even though the Cai Clan had lost Old Ghost Cai, their sole Nascent Soul ancestor, they could still have lasted at least several hundred more years.

But unfortunately, a new variable had appeared.

With Wei Tu’s intervention, one of their two great pillars was already gone. The remaining array was like a rootless tree. It would not hold for long.

Wei Tu, watching from the side, knew well where Old Ancestor Yu’s sigh came from.

Nothing more than the sorrow of the fox at the death of the rabbit.

The fate of the Cai Clan today could very well become that of the Yu Clan tomorrow. And that day was not far off. It could be in just a few decades, or a hundred years at most.

After all, Old Ancestor Yu’s lifespan was running out.

Just like Old Ghost Cai, once he "sat in meditation" and died, the Yu Clan would no longer be able to protect itself.

If this had been back when Wei Tu’s ties with the Yu Clan were still close, he might have acted like Venerable Master Ziyang and promised to shelter the Yu Clan for a while after Old Ancestor Yu’s death.

But unfortunately, decades ago, when Old Ghost Cai tried to ambush him, Old Ancestor Yu chose to stay silent despite knowing the truth. That bond was severed then and there.

Now, what remained between them was only a surface-level courtesy.

"I’ll trouble the two of you to handle this." Wei Tu looked at the formation barrier, then turned his gaze toward Huyan Tu and Old Ancestor Yu.

Even if he struck himself, the barrier would only last a few days before collapsing.

It wouldn’t take half a month.

But just because he had acted in part didn’t mean he would do everything.

The greatest problem, Venerable Master Ziyang, was already solved. The rest of the trivial work should be left to Huyan Tu and Old Ancestor Yu.

It couldn’t be that he did all the work while the two of them enjoyed the fruits.

There was no such logic.

Back then, the reason he was willing to share the benefits of killing Old Ghost Cai with Huyan Tu and Old Ancestor Yu was not only because the Beastmaster Sect and the Yu Clan of Guangyuan were local Chu Kingdom forces, making it easier for them to take over the Cai Clan’s spiritual resources. It was also because he needed their hands to carry out the extermination of the Cai Clan’s cultivators.

He was not a saint, but he found it hard to bring himself to personally slaughter an entire clan one by one.

It had nothing to do with willpower or determination.

Simply put, he just didn’t like doing it.

And that reason alone was enough.

Besides, there were plenty of others willing to do the dirty work for a powerful mid-Nascent Soul cultivator like him.

"Yes, Fellow Daoist Wei."

Hearing his words, neither Huyan Tu nor Old Ancestor Yu showed any displeasure.

They both nodded, then without hesitation brought out their magic tools and began attacking the protective formation over the Cai Clan’s territory.

"What’s going on?"

"Why would Nascent Soul ancestors personally attack our clan’s spiritual grounds?"

The instant Huyan Tu and Old Ancestor Yu struck, the cultivators of the Cai Clan inside the protective array immediately sensed the overwhelming danger outside.

Their faces changed drastically, disbelief spilling from their lips.

Thirty years ago, when they learned that Venerable Master Ziyang was willing to shield the Cai Clan, they had rested easy ever since, never once imagining a day like this would come.

After all, Venerable Master Ziyang was a peak early Nascent Soul cultivator, only a single step away from reaching the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

Within Chu Kingdom, none of the Nascent Soul cultivators dared refuse him some face. Not to mention Huyan Tu and Old Ancestor Yu—both were just "small Nascent Souls," weaker than Venerable Master Ziyang.

"Could it be… Venerable Master Ziyang has perished?"

Suddenly, one of the Cai Clan cultivators voiced the thought, his words full of despair.

At this moment, only the fall of Venerable Master Ziyang could explain why the Cai Clan was being assaulted by Nascent Soul experts.

But before the clan could even begin wailing, the patriarch of the Cai Clan furrowed his brows and spoke, revealing news that proved Venerable Master Ziyang had not died.

"Venerable Master Ziyang left our Cai Clan a sensing artifact. That artifact is tied to his very mind. If he had perished, the artifact would have shattered instantly…"

The patriarch’s expression was grave.

His meaning was clear—Venerable Master Ziyang was still alive. He must have been delayed by some accident, unable to rush to Rotten Peach Mountain in time.

In other words, their hope still remained.

"As expected, Venerable Master still lives. I told you, Venerable Master is a reincarnated celestial, blessed with endless fortune. He could never fall into danger so easily…"

The clansmen’s faces brightened, their voices relaxing as they spoke with renewed confidence.

However—

As time passed…

One day. Two days…

By the ninth day, unease finally began spreading among them. By reason, Venerable Master Ziyang should have already heard of their plight and rushed from Clear Feather Sect to Rotten Peach Mountain.

"Perhaps Venerable Master encountered some obstacle."

"Just wait a little longer. He will surely come."

The Cai Clan patriarch kept his expression calm, his tone steady, speaking with absolute composure.

His words of reassurance worked.

Few among the Cai Clan caused any trouble. Most continued waiting hopefully for Venerable Master Ziyang to arrive.

But by the fourteenth day, as the clan’s protective array neared collapse, Venerable Master Ziyang had still not shown himself.

"Venerable Master… has abandoned us."

That thought spread quickly, drowning the hearts of every cultivator in the Cai Clan with despair.

The patriarch wanted to suppress the panic, but after a long moment of deliberation, he let it go.

For in truth, before Nascent Soul ancestors, no matter how brave they were, there was no hope of victory.

If so, then better to die without tainting their hands with the blood of fellow clansmen.

"Venerable Master… have you truly abandoned my Cai Clan?"

At the very moment the protective array was shattered, the patriarch’s eyes brimmed with tears. He chose to end his own life in front of the ancestral shrine.

Yet cultivators like the patriarch, resolute in their decision, were few within the Cai Clan.

Most of them begged for mercy, offering themselves as "spirit slaves" in exchange for their lives.

Others cursed Venerable Master Ziyang bitterly, blaming him for misleading them and stripping them of their last chance to escape.

…

The Cai Clan’s response to death was exactly what Wei Tu, Huyan Tu, and Old Ancestor Yu had anticipated.

Elites are called elites because the majority are mediocrities, and it is only their rarity that makes them shine.

Especially Wei Tu—he had long been accustomed to the pleas for mercy from his enemies. Nothing here could surprise him.

"Use the Blood-Seeking Secret Art. Check whether the Cai Clan of Shangliang has hidden any surviving direct bloodline members. Since this is an extermination, we must wipe them out completely."

Wei Tu’s calm voice gave the order.

Neither Huyan Tu nor Old Ancestor Yu dared resist. But both, almost unconsciously, felt a chill in their hearts at Wei Tu’s words.

After all, in their minds, "Alchemist Wei" had always been much like Venerable Master Ziyang—a good-natured figure, rarely angered, hardly ever killing.

Even the slaying of Old Ghost Cai had been, to their thinking, an act of desperation.