I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World

Chapter 486: Returning to Liao Prefecture, Meeting Fu Linglong

Wei Tu wasn’t stupid.He understood exactly what Master Du Long was saying.

—He had brought too much trouble to Ying Ding Tribe.

Or rather, he was too prone to causing trouble.

In just a few decades, he had stirred up two major problems.

Even though neither had exploded yet, they had already introduced unpredictable risks for Ying Ding Tribe.

And in contrast, his contributions to Ying Ding Tribe were a bit lacking.

Put simply, this was Master Du Long giving him a warning.

He was telling him to keep a lower profile.

Wei Tu didn’t argue with it, because what Master Du Long said was true.

Over the past few decades, Ying Ding Tribe had taken a loss by making him a Divine Master.

They hadn’t gained much, but had taken on two big headaches.

If it were him in that position, Wei Tu didn't think he’d have handled it any better.

A few sharp words and a bit of pressure were only natural.

What truly mattered was not the warning itself, but how Master Du Long or Ying Ding Tribe handled things after the fact.

That would determine the future of their relationship.

Nice words were meaningless compared to real action.

And harsh words—if backed by real support—were nothing more than clumsy advice.

"Since Fellow Daoist Wei handled the matter promptly, right now only Hidden Gate knows about Ji Zhang," Master Du Long said calmly after seeing that Wei Tu’s expression remained steady and without resentment.

"In injuring Ji Zhang, even though you’re the main actor, Hidden Gate bears responsibility too."

Hearing this, Wei Tu immediately caught on. "So what you're suggesting is…?"

"Exactly! Work with Hidden Gate in secret to deal with Ji Yifeng and resolve this crisis."

Master Du Long nodded seriously.

"This way, not only can we learn why Hidden Gate wants the Vajra Relic and maybe gain something from it, but we can also use this to build a connection with that hidden sect and expand our network."

“Turning misfortune into blessing?” Wei Tu raised an eyebrow and couldn’t help thinking, ‘The older the ginger, the spicier.’

He hadn’t thought of this at all before.

But then again, it wasn’t surprising.

On his own, he wouldn’t have had a real opportunity to collaborate with Hidden Gate anyway.

—Even though his combat power now surpassed Master Du Long and the others, his fame and status in the Great Cang cultivation world were still far behind.

"If this is the plan you've devised, then let’s go with it," Wei Tu said after a short pause, nodding in agreement.

…

Besides the threat from Ji Yifeng, Wei Tu hadn’t forgotten what Ji Zhang originally brought up—Fu Linglong.

So after leaving Master Du Long’s residence, he immediately went to the Right Virtuous King's mansion and used Ying Ding Tribe’s resources to investigate Fu Linglong’s recent activity.

Though Yuan Jie wasn’t fond of Wei Tu personally, on the surface, he still treated him with respect and didn’t obstruct him in any way.

A few days later…

Wei Tu received Fu Linglong’s latest detailed intel from Yuan Jie.

"Seventeen years ago, she broke through to the Nascent Soul stage. Since then, she’s stayed in the Jinglian Convent and hasn’t left?"

Holding the jade slip, Wei Tu let out a small breath of relief after reading the information.

Maybe he was being overly suspicious and paranoid, or maybe Fu Linglong had some unknown reason for not taking revenge yet… But the fact that she was still holed up in the Jinglian Convent was definitely a good thing for him.

‘This hidden danger has to be resolved eventually. I’d better make a trip to the Jinglian Convent,’ Wei Tu thought to himself after some deliberation.

Things were different now.

Decades ago, he had just reached the Nascent Soul stage and was extremely cautious of Master Jinglian of the nunnery. He hadn’t dared to disturb Fu Linglong’s breakthrough.

But now, with his current strength, he no longer had to fear a Nascent Soul-level sect like the Jinglian Convent.

So for him, taking the initiative to confront Fu Linglong now was definitely the better move.

"Also, the next Flying Immortal Alliance trade fair is only two or three years away."

Wei Tu flipped his hand and took out his Flying Immortal Alliance identity token. Staring at the info inside, he pondered.

If it were just another Nascent Soul-level trade fair, whether he went or not wouldn’t really matter.

But right now, in his storage pouch, he had three pieces of Yinchen Stone he got from Kou Hongying...

These three pieces of Yinchen Stone were the "Class C spirit items" that Alliance Master Tan requested. By trading them, Wei Tu could get the corresponding cultivation-grade spiritual pills from him.

With the plan set, Wei Tu didn’t waste any time. After meeting with Wei Yan and the rest of his close kin to warn them to stay cautious and avoid leaving the Divine Master Residence in the near future, he took flight and headed straight for Liao Prefecture in the Xiao Kingdom.

Two months later—

Wei Tu safely arrived at Peach Immortal City in Liao Prefecture.

Just like a century ago, this oasis city in the desert hadn't changed much.

After disguising his face, he flew straight toward the Fu residence based on memory.

A sweep of his divine sense easily located Fu Dalu inside the estate.

At the moment, the bald man in a yellow monk's robe was busy directing the maids and servants, carefully arranging flowers and running back and forth.

"Watch your hands! That’s Miss’s favorite pot of spirit flowers. If you break it, you're in serious trouble."

"Also, did the kitchen start cooking yet? That Red Velvet Turtle is rare. It needs to be slow-cooked for seven days and seven nights."

Fu Dalu looked like the head steward of the Fu residence, constantly moving between the backyard and the kitchen, giving orders.

Seeing this, Wei Tu could easily guess that Fu Linglong would likely return soon and stay in the estate for a while.

Otherwise, someone like Fu Dalu—a Golden Core True Lord—wouldn’t be handling all these trivial matters in person.

But this was common at the Fu residence.

Back when he and Fu Dalu went to Shengya Mountain together, Fu Dalu had told him about Fu Linglong's habit of returning home from time to time.

Not because she was sentimental.

But because the Jinglian Convent was a secluded Buddhist sect with strict rules. Living there wasn’t nearly as comfortable as being the pampered young lady of the Fu family.

"Since Fu Linglong is coming, I’ll just wait for her here at the Fu estate," Wei Tu murmured, narrowing his eyes. He flicked his sleeve, and his figure slowly vanished within the Fu residence.

Of course, Wei Tu hadn’t actually left. He simply used a high-level breath-concealing technique to hide himself within the estate.

A few days later—

The Fu residence looked completely different, practically transformed.

Red gates, ornate windows, and flowers blooming everywhere. The scent of spirit dishes wafted from the back courtyard.

Fu Dalu led a crowd of Fu clan servants to wait at the entrance for Fu Linglong’s arrival.

In the past, Fu Linglong’s visits home weren’t met with such extravagance. But now, she was no longer just a disciple of the Jinglian Convent—she was a Nascent Soul ancestor.

Even this elaborate welcome could be considered modest.

After about half an hour—

A lavishly decorated flying boat arrived from the west and hovered above the Fu residence.

Then, two female cultivators dressed as maids stepped off the vessel, carrying flower baskets and mirror boxes, clearing the way ahead.

Once the maids landed—

A cloud couch, surrounded by female attendants and shaded by gauzy parasols and curtains, floated out of the vessel.

Through the sheer fabric, one could faintly make out a graceful female cultivator reclining lazily on it.

"Sister, you’re back," Fu Dalu greeted with a smile and flew up to chat with the woman on the cloud couch.

A moment later, the woman lifted the curtain and stepped off the couch with Fu Dalu. Her face was stunning—enough to topple kingdoms—with a hint of holiness to her beauty.

Only flaw? Her head was completely bald, not a single strand of hair.

The two of them walked into the estate.

"Fu Dalu, any news on Ji Zhang? That guy’s clever, still hasn’t gone back to Tianyi Sect," Fu Linglong sneered as she walked.

Fu Dalu was long used to her calling him by his full name instead of "brother," and didn’t react much.

He shook his head. "I’ve been tracking him this whole time… He showed up once about forty years ago, but after being defeated by Wei Tu, he vanished again."

"Forty years ago? Wei Tu?" Fu Linglong raised her brows, motioning for more detail.

Even though she had already broken through to Nascent Soul seventeen years ago, it had taken her a few years to stabilize her cultivation and a few more to study the sect’s divine abilities. Altogether, she hadn’t been out of seclusion for very long.

So she didn’t know much about Ji Zhang’s recent movements.

"About forty years ago, Wei Tu broke through to the Nascent Soul stage and held a grand celebration through Ying Ding Tribe. On the second day of the ceremony, Ji Zhang showed up outside Hujie Immortal City while chasing down a cultivator…"

Fu Dalu recounted the details.

Back then, the Fu family didn’t have the strength to gather intelligence across kingdoms.

But since Fu Linglong reached the Nascent Soul stage, their power had grown massively. Their information-gathering capabilities had grown with it, which was how they managed to dig up this “old” intel.

"So Ji Zhang made an appearance when Wei Tu advanced to Nascent Soul?" Fu Linglong murmured absentmindedly.

She’d heard about Wei Tu’s breakthrough and the Nascent Soul ceremony after coming out of seclusion.

But she never imagined that her two biggest "enemies" had actually crossed paths back then.

"And what about intel on Wei Tu? Got anything recent?" she asked again.

Wei Tu was deeply tied to her. So when she had asked Fu Dalu to look into Ji Zhang, she’d naturally included Wei Tu too.

"Wei Tu…"

When the topic turned to Wei Tu, Fu Dalu furrowed his brow and fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Sister, Wei Tu isn’t like Ji Zhang. He’s a Nascent Soul cultivator now, just like you. Not someone who can be taken down easily."

"You can take revenge on Ji Zhang. Even if you kill him, that’s fine—just make sure it's done cleanly so his father Ji Yifeng doesn’t find out. Then you and I won’t have any trouble."

"But Wei Tu… how exactly would we take revenge on him? Are we going to target his friends and family?"

Fu Dalu's expression turned serious as he warned her.

Seeking revenge by attacking someone’s loved ones was strictly forbidden in righteous sect territory. Even though Nascent Soul cultivators often operated above the rules, Fu Dalu didn’t believe crossing that line would bring anything good to the Fu family.

To him, Wei Tu was far more troublesome than the average Nascent Soul cultivator.

And this wasn’t just his guess.

It was common knowledge among cultivators. Otherwise, why would the ancestor of Sword Mountain willingly swallow his pride and show up to Wei Tu’s Nascent Soul ceremony to offer congratulations?

"I know… it's just… hard to accept," Fu Linglong muttered, her expression conflicted as she bit her lip.

Her feelings toward Wei Tu were complicated.

On one hand, she hated that he abandoned her and twice rejected her offers to dual cultivate. On the other hand, she felt grateful for his rejection—it had pulled her back from the edge and prevented her from destroying her cultivation path.

"I’m going to rest for a bit." Fu Linglong casually offered an excuse and left Fu Dalu to return to her private quarters.

Her chamber was elegant and simple, much like a meditation room.

But as soon as Fu Linglong stepped inside, her Buddhist heart instantly sensed an unseen danger closing in from all directions.

"Who's there?"

Her eyes sharpened with alertness. A pitch-black wooden alms bowl glowing with spiritual light shot up and hovered over her head.

This bowl was a defensive treasure passed down from her master, Venerable Jinglian. It was nearly indestructible.

With this treasure guarding her, she dared to stand her ground and not take a single step back.

Of course, there was another reason she refused to flee.

This was the Fu residence. Her loved ones were here. If she ran, they would be the ones to suffer.

"You’re sharp," a voice said as Wei Tu stepped out of hiding after a moment’s thought.

He had indeed considered ambushing Fu Linglong. But he hadn’t expected her Buddhist heart to be so keen that it picked up on his killing intent the moment it stirred. She’d instantly gone on guard.

Now that he had lost the chance for a clean sneak attack, it would be nearly impossible to kill her quickly, whether inside the Fu residence or anywhere in Peach Immortal City.

Still, walking away without resolving this wouldn’t make the trip worth it.

So showing himself and starting a conversation had become the next best option.

This was also influenced by what Fu Dalu had said earlier. If not for that, he would’ve taken the risk and gone for the kill, without any attempt at compromise.

Of course, if the conversation failed, Wei Tu wasn’t ruling out the possibility of killing her anyway.

"You are… Wei Tu?" Fu Linglong froze slightly upon seeing him, but quickly relied on her powerful Buddhist heart to recognize his true identity.

"Wei Tu, why have you come to my Fu family?"

Fu Linglong wasn’t dumb. In the blink of an eye, she guessed the rough reason for his visit. Her eyes turned cold as she asked sharply.

"That's right. I came to the Fu residence… to cut the weed at its root." Wei Tu gave a slight nod, his tone calm as he stated his purpose outright.

Fu Linglong was stunned, unable to believe how casually Wei Tu admitted to coming here to kill her—and her entire family.

"So you’re revealing yourself now… does that mean you’ve given up on that idea?"

After the shock passed, Fu Linglong quickly calmed down and stared him down, pressing the question.

"Whether I give up or not depends on what you say next, Fu-guniang. If what you say satisfies me, maybe I’ll let it go."

"If not… with my strength, even if I can’t take you down, killing Brother Fu would be effortless."

"You don’t want anything to happen to your brother, do you?"

Wei Tu spoke lightly.

"You… you’re despicable!"

Fu Linglong’s face flushed with anger, her voice shaking as she cursed him.

She may have always spoken harshly to Fu Dalu, but their bond as siblings was genuine.

She didn’t doubt Wei Tu’s threat. If he could sneak into the Fu residence undetected for so long, then he absolutely had the ability to kill her brother in an instant.