Chapter 460: Joining the Merchant Guild, the Heterochromatic-Eyed Princess

I am a Late Bloomer in the Immortal World

Even though the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild was one of the few Nascent Soul-level powers in the Donghua Demon Kingdom, as a commercial organization, its main headquarters wasn’t tucked away deep in the mountains. Instead, it was located right in the bustling heart of Yuanjun Island.

So when Wei Tu and Cao Mi arrived on the island, they didn’t have much trouble finding the guild’s headquarters.

However, Wei Tu didn’t bring Cao Mi with him this time. He went to the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild alone.

"You must be Fellow Daoist Wei?"

"Pleasure to meet you! Truly an honor!"

Once they learned why he came, the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild showed no hesitation. The guild’s president, Nangong Zhe, personally welcomed Wei Tu and handled the membership process himself.

But the moment they met, Nangong Zhe was slightly surprised by how young Wei Tu looked.

People in business always keep their eyes and ears sharp. Even though Wei Tu had masked his aura well, Nangong Zhe’s years of training in bone-reading allowed him to see that Wei Tu was no older than 500.

A 500-year-old Nascent Soul wasn’t unheard of in the Red Algae Sea Region.

In fact, several of the great true spirit clans of the Donghua Demon Kingdom had their own prodigies like that.

But the key issue was—

Such Nascent Soul prodigies typically only appeared in powerful factions. You’d rarely find one among rogue cultivators.

At least in the Red Algae Sea Region, Nangong Zhe had never heard of a rogue cultivator like Wei Tu.

'Doesn’t seem like he used disguise techniques either.'

Nangong Zhe quietly compared Wei Tu to all the well-known rogue Nascent Soul geniuses in the region.

But after some time, he still couldn’t find anything that matched up.

Wei Tu, for his part, didn’t seem bothered by Nangong Zhe’s scrutiny. He stayed calm and wore a faint smile, looking friendly and easygoing.

After a short silence, seeing Nangong Zhe still hesitant to move the conversation forward, Wei Tu took the initiative. He directly revealed his background using a pre-planned story.

"I come from the Nanyan Sea Region. I’m not native to the Red Algae Sea Region. Over a decade ago, I teamed up with a friend to hunt a fourth-rank sea beast. We ended up accidentally entering a xu zone. When I finally made it out, I’d landed in a foreign sea."

"A xu zone?" Nangong Zhe immediately looked as though he understood.

There was a reason the Guixu Sea was named as such.

It was because both the inner and outer seas here were filled with all kinds of xu zones.

These zones were like secret realms—alternate spaces tethered to the cultivation world.

The only difference was that over 90% of them were nothing but ruined voids, totally worthless.

If a cultivator got dragged in, they usually gained nothing and faced serious danger of getting trapped in that alien space.

Someone like Wei Tu, who stumbled in and made it out alive, was already extremely lucky.

Compared to those who lost their lives, ending up in another sea region wasn’t all that bad.

Of course, Nangong Zhe didn’t take Wei Tu’s words at face value. But the story held up under scrutiny, so he believed it about halfway.

"And what brings you to join our Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild, Fellow Daoist Wei?"

Nangong Zhe asked after a pause.

The Nanyan Sea Region was one of the five great regions alongside the Red Algae Sea Region. Though it was millions of li away, with a Nascent Soul cultivator’s speed, it would only take a few decades to return home.

Wei Tu chuckled and replied, "President Nangong, I’ve only recently formed my Nascent Soul. Why would I waste my best cultivation years just to go home? Wouldn’t that be trading something big for something small?"

"My mistake," Nangong Zhe said, blinking in realization. He smiled awkwardly and apologized.

Just like in other realms, a Nascent Soul cultivator might seem long-lived, but their prime cultivation period was still just those first few hundred years after their breakthrough.

Once that time passed, their training would slow down noticeably.

Crossing seas might not sound time-consuming, but in truth, the decades spent traveling could eat up a big chunk of Wei Tu’s optimal cultivation years.

So, for Wei Tu, the most practical choice was to settle in the Red Algae Sea Region for now, focus on his cultivation during these best years, and only leave after that phase ended.

"There’s one more reason I want to join the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild."

Wei Tu paused, then explained his true motive for coming—to buy the Condensed Soul Pill under the guild’s name.

Once he said that, Nangong Zhe was 90% convinced Wei Tu was being honest.

The world is bustling, all for the sake of gain.

The world is chaotic, all for the sake of gain.

In the short term, Wei Tu was joining the guild to get the Condensed Soul Pill.

In the long term, he wanted to settle temporarily in the Red Algae Sea Region to ride out his best cultivation years.

Compared to other factions, the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild’s guest elder system was clearly a better fit for him.

It was a mutually beneficial match.

"The Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild is willing to accept Fellow Daoist Wei as an honored guest and will also assist in acquiring the Condensed Soul Pill during this auction."

Nangong Zhe made his position clear.

In truth, given the current state of the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild, he wasn’t in any position to be picky.

As long as Wei Tu wasn’t a bloodthirsty maniac who would cause them serious trouble, the guild could afford to lower the bar a little.

Besides, Wei Tu’s short-term goal in joining was simply to have the guild help him win the Condensed Soul Pill.

To the merchant guild, that was a small favor—beneficial without costing them anything.

So agreeing to take him in as an honored guest didn’t seem like a bad deal at all.

"Thank you, President Nangong, for your trust."

Wei Tu looked genuinely grateful, cupped his hands in salute, and gave Nangong Zhe a polite bow.

Seeing how courteous Wei Tu was, Nangong Zhe’s tension eased a bit. He stroked his beard and nodded with a satisfied smile.

Next, Nangong Zhe guided Wei Tu through the steps of officially joining the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild.

The process was simple.

Just like with other factions recruiting cultivators, it involved a few things like soul oaths and spirit contracts.

While these things did carry some weight even for a Nascent Soul cultivator like Wei Tu, the consequences of breaking them weren’t too severe.

After all, if the terms were too harsh, few Nascent Soul cultivators would be willing to become guest elders in the first place.

However, what made the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild different was that everything had to be done in front of the "Ancestor of the Blood Flood Dragon."

This Ancestor wasn’t a living being but a statue the guild had erected, representing the ancestral spirit of the Nangong family that led the guild.

"There’s a trace of the Ancestor’s divine sense sealed within this statue. If your words are false, Fellow Daoist Wei, the Ancestor can see through them."

Nangong Zhe glanced at Wei Tu and gave him a reminder.

But Wei Tu didn’t care.

Back when he was still in the Golden Core stage, he had faced enemies like Fu Linglong and the old demon Jiuchuan, both of whom had mind-reading abilities.

Against such powers, as long as one’s soul was strong enough, there was no risk of exposure.

Ultimately, unless there was a huge gap in cultivation level, even powerful beings couldn’t read someone’s thoughts without performing a full soul-search.

Or in other words—

There simply wasn’t any divine technique in the world that could read a person’s mind just by looking at them.

At least, not at the Nascent Soul stage.

Let alone the fact that this so-called Blood Flood Dragon Ancestor wasn’t in peak form and only retained a sliver of its former divine sense.

To Wei Tu, what Nangong Zhe said was just a psychological trick.

Sure enough.

Just as Wei Tu expected, after he recited his half-true, half-fabricated oath, the statue didn’t react at all.

His guess had been right. Still, he had actually been tricked by Nangong Zhe.

Because the divine sense inside the "Ancestor of the Blood Flood Dragon" statue didn’t belong to the ancestor. It was someone else entirely.

Half a quarter of an hour later.

After Wei Tu left the ancestral hall and headed to his assigned chamber to rest, Nangong Zhe’s expression changed. He bowed solemnly to the statue and said, "Your Highness."

Right after, the blood-red statue lit up with seven-colored light. A hazy palace illusion shimmered into view, along with the projection of a stunning woman.

This beauty clearly wasn’t human. Her long silver hair flowed down her back, and crystal-clear wings sprouted from her ribs. Her pupils were a strange amber color, glowing faintly with an eerie light when they moved.

"His talent’s decent. He also cultivates the body. If what he said is true, he’s worth grooming."

The silver-haired woman spoke flatly.

"It’s true?" Nangong Zhe looked surprised. He knew her abilities well. Born with a powerful soul and heterochromatic eyes that carried ancestral blood, she could see straight through a person’s heart.

How could it suddenly not work on Wei Tu?

"His soul is strong. He’s already at the peak of early Nascent Soul. With such distance between us, it’s hard to peer through him."

The silver-haired woman explained casually.

She remained calm as she spoke, as if failing to see through someone’s mind didn’t bother her at all.

"Peak of early Nascent Soul?"

Hearing this, Nangong Zhe was stunned, then understood.

That level of soul strength wasn’t weak. It wasn’t something average Nascent Soul cultivators could match. Plus, since she had only acted from afar, the effect naturally weakened.

"If there’s a chance, bring him to see me."

She spoke again.

As her voice faded, she flicked her jade sleeve. The seven-colored glow around the statue disappeared instantly, and her figure slowly dissolved as well.

...

As for the silver-haired woman—

Wei Tu had no idea about any of this.

Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have cared much.

With the Curse Ghost Blood Escape Art in his arsenal, as long as he didn’t mess around and provoke late Nascent Soul cultivators or Divine Transformation seniors, he had nothing to worry about.

Divine Transformation cultivators were almost unheard of in the Red Algae Sea Region.

And even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely rare—fewer than ten in total.

Let alone in a place like the Donghua Demon Kingdom.

So, after joining the Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild, Wei Tu settled down in the chamber they’d arranged for him, calmly waiting for the high-tier auction on Yuanjun Island to begin.

As for Cao Mi...

Wei Tu hadn't contacted her for now.

After suffering heavy injuries, showing up beside him during Nascent Soul-level dealings would only become a burden.

Instead, keeping her presence hidden and waiting for the right moment to strike alongside him made her more of a trump card.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, five full years had passed.

And this year, the long-awaited high-tier auction—prepared for over a century by the Third Prince Lüqiu Jinyuan—was finally happening.

The Blood Flood Dragon Merchant Guild, being a major power in the Donghua Demon Kingdom, was naturally among the invited.

Wei Tu joined Nangong Zhe and another Nascent Soul cultivator from the guild named Ying Ziming to attend the event together.

Ying Ziming dressed like a Daoist, looked middle-aged, and was about 1,000 years old.

He was quite friendly. After seeing the newly joined Wei Tu, he repeatedly tried to build rapport.

In no time at all, Wei Tu grew closer to him than to Nangong Zhe, whom he had known longer.

The auction was held on a small island near Yuanjun Island.

On the way there, the three naturally came across other Nascent Soul cultivators from different factions.

"That’s Patriarch Han Yunzi of the Dingyang Sect. He’s only early Nascent Soul, but his Bone-Corroding Spirit Flame is no joke... He’s proud and difficult to deal with. Unless necessary, Brother Wei, best not to provoke him," Ying Ziming whispered to Wei Tu when they spotted a cold-faced old man in green robes.

"Dingyang Sect’s Han Yunzi..."

Wei Tu silently committed the name to memory.

If someone like that could be singled out by Ying Ziming despite being only early Nascent Soul, then it wasn’t just about raw power. He likely had some other impressive qualities as well.

Of course, Han Yunzi wasn’t the only one Ying Ziming introduced along the way.

But among them all, the treatment he gave Han Yunzi was nearly on par with mid-Nascent Soul cultivators.

Half an hour later, Wei Tu, Nangong Zhe, and Ying Ziming reached the small island. They stepped ashore and entered the auction venue.

As soon as Wei Tu walked in, he immediately noticed more Nascent Soul cultivators than he’d ever seen during his time with the Flying Immortal Alliance.

And the quality of the Nascent Soul cultivators here was clearly higher too.

There were quite a few mid- and late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators in attendance.

"Yin Mozi?" Wei Tu’s pupils narrowed as he looked at a black-robed cultivator sitting quietly in a corner.

Before entering the overseas cultivation world, the late Hongjing had once told him and Cao Mi that Yin Mozi had captured Ancestor Luo to use her as a dual cultivation furnace.

Back then, Hongjing had said that Yin Mozi was mid-Nascent Soul.

But now that Wei Tu was on Yuanjun Island, he realized Yin Mozi was far from a mid-stage cultivator. He was a well-known demonic cultivator and a genuine late-stage Nascent Soul powerhouse.

'With his level, he wouldn’t be interested in Luo’s Yin energy. So... Hongjing’s helper probably wasn’t Yin Mozi at all, but someone else.'

'But who was it?'

Wei Tu pondered quietly.

For a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator to capture an early-stage female cultivator as a furnace—that made sense. Her Yin essence would be like a spiritual pill to boost cultivation.

But for a late-stage cultivator like Yin Mozi, it simply wasn’t worth it.

Her Yin energy alone couldn’t provide any significant gains.

'Too bad Hongjing is dead. The only lead left is that one name—Wangxi Island.'

Wei Tu sighed and pushed the thought aside.

At this point, it wasn’t hard to guess that this trail had likely gone cold.

Just knowing the name “Wangxi Island” wasn’t nearly enough for him and Cao Mi to locate Ancestor Luo, let alone rescue her.

After all, saving someone wasn’t like solving a mystery where the answer waited until the very last second.

'If only we had a second copy of the Heavenly Nether True Page.'

Back then, if they’d had another page, he and Cao Mi might have spared Hongjing’s life and forced the real information out of him.

But unfortunately, the only copy of the True Page they had had already been used when they plotted against Shen Yunqiu in the Moon Congealing Palace.

And because of that, they couldn't fully trust Hongjing and ended up soul-searching him after getting some key details.

...

Roughly half a day later.

Once all the invited Nascent Soul cultivators had arrived, the high-tier auction officially began.

Just like Tan Mengzhu in the Flying Immortal Alliance—

The Third Prince Lüqiu Jinyuan appeared in person to oversee the venue and prevent any chaos.

"The first auction item—an Upper-Grade Tier-Three Longevity Pill that extends life by 100 years. Starting bid: 30 top-grade spirit stones."

A curvy red-robed female cultivator stepped onto the stage, her red lips parting as she kicked off the auction.