A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Severed Arm

It hadn’t been long since the business with Mo the Third had ended, and now someone like this shows up.

Lü Zhong was starting to suspect he was some kind of reincarnated trouble magnet.

Why did one bad thing after another keep showing up at his door?

Frustrating as it was, he wasn’t particularly worried.

If his opponent had come three months earlier, they might have succeeded.

But now, Lü Zhong had plenty of Protective Secret Talismans. In a direct confrontation, it would be nearly impossible for his opponent to succeed in a one-on-one assassination.

’Hmm, I still need to be on high alert. You can never be too careful.’

After all, powerful as the Protective Secret Talismans were, they weren’t infallible.

’No other choice. I’ll just have to hole up in the Workshop Market.’

Originally, Lü Zhong had planned to hunt Demon Beasts and retrieve their Blood and Flesh Inner Cores for his Spirit-Seeking Rat to consume.

Now, he could only put that plan on hold until this crisis was over.

...

Days passed.

Lü Zhong had confirmed that the man was connected to Thousand-Faced Lang.

He was so certain because the man’s tracking techniques were clearly from the same school as Thousand-Faced Lang’s.

The difference was that this man’s tracking techniques and stealth skills were far more refined, leaving Thousand-Faced Lang in the dust.

If it weren’t for the Gray Mist Space, Lü Zhong knew he never would have noticed this person stalking him.

Based on his movements, the man left behind minuscule traces wherever he went—traces that an ordinary cultivator would almost certainly fail to notice.

Lü Zhong felt hopelessly outmatched in comparison.

To be precise, he wasn’t even worthy of carrying the man’s shoes.

It was a good thing the Invisibility Technique was a Tier Two Spell. Otherwise, if this man mastered it, he could assassinate any Qi Refining Stage target he pleased.

One other thing was certain: the man had definitely learned the Breath Concealing Skill and the Stealth Technique, or he possessed an item with a similar effect. If Lü Zhong hadn’t also been proficient in both skills, he feared he would have overlooked the man’s presence even in the perfectly reconstructed scene playback.

’This man is definitely a seasoned assassin.’ Lü Zhong concluded, his brow furrowing.

Men like him don’t act rashly.

But once they do strike, failure is almost out of the question.

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong once again felt a surge of relief.

’Good thing I have the advantage of surprise, with him in the open and me in the shadows. Otherwise, I’d be in serious trouble.’

...

That night, the assassin appeared again.

To guard against this man, Lü Zhong had long since adjusted his routine. He took short rests during the day and stayed awake all night, wary of a potential assassination attempt.

The assassin’s face was utterly unremarkable, the kind you’d forget the moment you saw it. He was of average height and wore a common, dime-a-dozen Daoist Robe, looking like the most ordinary male cultivator imaginable.

Lü Zhong didn’t believe this was the man’s real face.

’What is this assassin trying to do?’

When he saw the man take out a jet-black Magic Sword, Lü Zhong tensed up.

’Could it be... he’s decided to make his move tonight?’

’It’s only been seven days since he first appeared. Is he really confident enough to succeed this quickly?’ Lü Zhong was shocked. He hurriedly began to observe the man’s actions using his scene playback ability.

Just then, the man took a small, dark bead from his robes, a look of obvious, pained reluctance on his face.

Seeing that expression, Lü Zhong’s heart sank. ’This isn’t good.’

’It must be some kind of extraordinary treasure.’

’And clearly, that bead must be for dealing with my White Cloud Array.’

Since his opponent came prepared, a mere Tier One White Cloud Array probably wouldn’t be able to hold him off.

’No, I have to stop him!’ Lü Zhong resolved to act immediately.

In a direct confrontation, a Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator was very unlikely to be a match for a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator. And that was without even considering that this man was a Master of Stealth; Lü Zhong refused to believe such a person wasn’t also skilled in close-quarters combat.

But with the White Cloud Shield separating them, he had an excellent opportunity.

The White Cloud Shield was a two-way barrier; Magic Skills couldn’t get in from the outside, nor could they get out from the inside.

But he could seize the precise moment the Array shattered to launch a surprise attack.

He didn’t need to accomplish much—just injuring the man would be a major victory.

If he could manage that, Lü Zhong could rely on his Ink Crystal Shield to play for time against the assassin, holding him off until the Market Enforcement Team arrived.

With this in mind, he immediately summoned his Green Frost Sword.

Then, forming hand seals and chanting an incantation, he began to cast the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique.

Thanks to his improved cultivation, Lü Zhong could now conjure even more Fireball Bullets—a total of thirty-six—making the Qingyang Fire Rain Technique truly live up to its name.

Holding the Magic Skill at the ready without releasing it continuously drained his Spiritual Power, but it was worth it.

Through his scene playback, he could see the assassin outside already activating the small bead.

A few breaths later, as the small, dark bead slowly merged into the Array, the White Cloud Array, which had been shimmering faintly in the night sky, vanished.

At almost the exact same moment, a low shout rang out.

”Go!”

Before Lü Zhong’s shout had even faded, thirty-six Fireball Bullets had already shot out like a downpour.

With so many Fireball Bullets forming a literal rain of fire, their power was self-evident.

Simultaneously, he was already forming a Sword Mantra. The Green Frost Sword, which had been circling beside him, flashed with Spiritual Light, and a green sword shadow shot toward the exposed assassin.

But he wasn’t finished. He formed another seal and chanted again, a blue Spiritual Light flashing on his hands as he began to cast the Late Sun Sword Skill.

This skill sacrificed the sheer power of a typical Magic Sword Skill in exchange for extremely high explosive speed.

To unleash so many sword strikes in an instant—not even a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator could block them all without taking a single wound.

This was the source of Lü Zhong’s greatest confidence in facing the assassin!

Faced with the sudden assault, the assassin proved he was truly a man who lived on the edge of life and death. Despite the surprise attack, his reaction speed was absurdly fast. With a flip of his wrist, he produced a Magical Artifact shield.

His expression remained calm, his response as smooth as if it had been rehearsed.

First, a Spiritual Shield materialized around his body—something akin to a Protective Secret Talisman activating—and blocked the first wave of incoming Fireball Bullets.

’A Qingyang Body Protection Secret Talisman?’ Lü Zhong was surprised, but he didn’t let it distract him. He was already forming seals for the Light Body Skill, preparing to rush the assassin and hit him hard with the Late Sun Sword Skill.

Meanwhile, the assassin had already summoned his shield.

Then, a Golden Light Talisman on his right hand flared to life.

WHOOSH! A golden shield materialized.

BOOM BOOM BOOM... A series of explosions erupted.

Flames spattered everywhere, instantly setting the bamboo forest ablaze.

Amidst the great fire, he stood completely unscathed.

A hint of fury now tinged his gaze as he looked at Lü Zhong.

Before the assassin could say a word, the Green Frost Sword arrived, slamming viciously into the shield before him.

The shield’s surface flared with Spiritual Light, easily deflecting the blow.

But at almost the same instant, Lü Zhong, boosted by the Light Body Skill, appeared behind his opponent.

It turned out that the Green Frost Sword’s attack had been nothing but a feint.

He was so fast that the assassin, occupied with blocking the Magical Artifact with his shield, had no time to turn and defend.

For the first sword strike, the assassin crushed a Jade Pendant, which formed a shield to block it.

With the second sword strike, the Late Sun Magic Sword met resistance as it sliced off a large chunk of flesh from the man’s exposed right shoulder.

The third through seventh sword strikes were all blocked by the shield. Fortunately, the immense force of the successive blows broke the man’s defensive stance, leaving him wide open.

The eighth sword strike—slashed out!

With a sickening SQUELCH, the assassin’s shield-bearing arm was severed.