A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

As for how to handle it when the time came, that would depend on the situation.

It couldn’t be helped. Lü Zhong could barely protect himself as it was.

After offering a few words of comfort, he asked about the recent novel sales.

This concerned his acquisition of cultivation resources, so Lü Zhong couldn’t help but pay close attention.

Li Hejun heard this and took an account book from her Storage Bag. ”Reporting to you, Master,” she said, ”this month’s sales revenue has improved considerably over last month’s. The total income was three thousand, seven hundred and sixty-one Spirit Stones. After deducting various expenses and networking costs, we are left with three thousand, one hundred and fifty-six Spirit Stones.”

As she spoke, she presented the Storage Bag she was holding.

Lü Zhong inspected it and found that Li Hejun hadn’t lied. He took three thousand Spirit Stones from it.

But these three thousand Spirit Stones weren’t all his to keep.

Although his nominal master hadn’t explicitly said so, Shuini still had to get her share of the profits.

Shuini might be all smiles all day, calling him ”my good disciple,” but their true relationship was merely that of a Rite Master and an ordinary disciple, not a genuine master and apprentice.

At the end of the day, it was just a transaction.

So, out of the three thousand Spirit Stones, he would be lucky to keep seventy percent.

He was getting the lion’s share, so there was nothing to be dissatisfied about.

At the same time, Lü Zhong handed her the manuscript for the latest issue. ”Have this printed immediately and strive to maintain a steady supply of the novels. Of the remaining stones, take a hundred to buy some nourishing medicines. Do your best to slow your body’s aging. Otherwise, even if I find a solution, it will all be for naught if you can’t withstand it!”

”Yes...” Li Hejun lowered her head and replied softly.

...

Half a month later, he finally heard back from Shuini.

Under the Laurel Tree, Lü Zhong presented a jade box. When opened, the fragrance of medicine wafted out.

Inside was a Golden Threaded Spiritual Lotus that was three hundred years old. It was perfect for a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to use as the main ingredient in refining a Cultivation Pill and was valued at eight hundred Spirit Stones.

”Heh heh, my good disciple, you’re so thoughtful.” Shuini accepted it with a smile, not bothering to refuse. Her impression of Lü Zhong improved even more.

’This started as just a way to kill some boredom, but I never expected such a continuous stream of benefits.’

’With this Golden Threaded Spiritual Lotus, I can put together a batch of pills. My cultivation might even improve significantly, bringing me one step closer to Foundation Establishment Perfection.’

’In that case, it wouldn’t be right not to reward him.’

She sized up Lü Zhong for a moment. A golden light suddenly flashed across her eyes, and a strange expression appeared on her face as she came to a realization. Then, her smile grew even wider, as if she had just stumbled upon something amusing.

Shuini formed a Hand Seal and began Chanting a spell. She quickly created a golden Magic Ban.

”I am already aware of your troubles, my good disciple. This Junyang Magic Ban can purify impure thoughts. It will take effect once you absorb it into your body. With some patient effort, it should prove quite effective.”

Lü Zhong’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

’Is this the power of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator? From her elevated perspective, she saw my problem so easily...’

His expression unchanging, he absorbed the Magic Ban into his body.

As the Junyang Magic Ban entered him, it felt like the scorching sun of midsummer suddenly appearing in the dead of winter. A distinct warmth spread through his body. The Ice Heart Mantra, which had only been able to barely suppress his impure thoughts, was now overwhelming them, working alongside the Magic Ban to wear them away.

At this rate, it might really be possible to resolve this hidden danger within a few years.

’My monthly tributes really weren’t for nothing!’ Lü Zhong was overjoyed and felt a surge of gratitude toward his master, Shuini.

”My good disciple, have you encountered any problems in your cultivation recently? You might as well tell me now,” Shuini said, moving the conversation along. She wanted to end this meeting as soon as possible, for obvious reasons.

Lü Zhong thought for a moment. ’I haven’t encountered any major difficulties for the time being,’ he mused.

Thanks to the Secret Pattern Pills and the Spiritual Power-purifying properties of the Four Spirits Technique, his cultivation had been improving steadily. It wouldn’t be a problem to break through to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer; he just had to continue cultivating diligently.

But then he thought of Li Hejun and decided to ask Shuini for help to see if she could find a solution for her.

”Oh?” Shuini gave Lü Zhong a surprised look.

’If it were any other cultivator, they probably would have just abandoned that mortal. Who would waste an opportunity to ask a Foundation Establishment Cultivator a question just to find a solution for her?’

’It seems this disciple of mine has decent character, at least.’

’What’s the worst thing that can happen when you take on a disciple? Meeting an ungrateful wretch, of course.’

’The ancient texts are filled with endless incidents of so-called ’benevolent masters and filial disciples’.’

”My good disciple, if you had mentioned this earlier, I could have simply replaced her blood and marrow. But now... we can only use another method.” Shuini sighed and, with a flip of her hand, produced a Jade Scroll.

Lü Zhong took it. His expression changed slightly as he read it.

What Shuini had given him was, to his shock, a Dual Cultivation Technique. Everything recorded within it was related to the Absorption Skill.

”There’s no other way. You’re the one who wants to save a mere mortal woman, my good disciple...” Shuini, for once without her usual smile, spread her hands helplessly. ”This is the only method left.”

After so much time, the Spirit Fruit’s medicinal power has already seeped deep into her entire body, becoming inseparable from her very flesh and blood.

Even if you were to refine her like a pill, you wouldn’t be able to extract many useful components.

If you want to solve this, the only way is to use the Absorption Technique.

You must use this Charming Maiden Technique to forcefully absorb the medicinal power of the Spirit Fruit out of her.

Seeing the strange look Lü Zhong was giving her, Shuini just grinned. ”I’ve killed plenty of Demon Cultivators recently,” she said with a beaming smile. ”Is it so strange for me to have a copy of a technique like this?”

’Normal? Yeah, right!’

’Who carries a cultivation technique like this around with them?’

’And what kind of master teaches their disciple the Absorption Technique?’

Lü Zhong snarked internally for a moment, but when he thought about the benefits of absorption, he couldn’t help but feel tempted.

He then remembered the matter of the Locust Tree Slave and the Black Corpse Hall and informed Shuini about that as well.

When Shuini heard this, the smile vanished from her face.

”I understand. Do not speak of this to outsiders for now. I will report it to the three Old Ancestors.”

He quickly took his leave of Shuini and went to Wangxian Town.

When he told Li Hejun the solution, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

...

「Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.」

Lü Zhong felt refreshed and invigorated as he rose from the bed.

He walked to the adjacent Quiet Chamber, used the Ice Heart Mantra to quickly calm his mind, and began to meditate and circulate his technique.

As the beneficiary of the Charming Maiden Technique, he had received considerable benefits. The medicinal power absorbed from the Spirit Fruit was all exceptionally pure Spiritual Qi, which he continuously refined and converted into his cultivation.

Thus, just over a year after breaking through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, he was already showing faint signs of another breakthrough.

’It’s just that the Spirit Fruit’s medicinal power has been almost completely harvested. It looks like I’ll have to rely on myself if I want to break through.’ After refining all of the newly acquired Spiritual Qi from the fruit, Lü Zhong slowly ended his session.

He was well aware that such windfalls were not a regular occurrence, so he wasn’t particularly disappointed.

...

「Five days passed in the blink of an eye.」

In the Quiet Chamber.

Lü Zhong’s eyes were tightly shut as he continuously chanted a spell. His enunciation was clear and his tone was perfect. As he formed a series of Hand Seals, waves of silver-white Spiritual Light began to pulse from his body before slowly receding inward until they vanished completely.

”Haaa...”

Exhaling a breath of Dense Qi, Lü Zhong slowly opened his eyes, a hint of pleasant surprise on his face.

’I’ve finally mastered the Iron Body Technique!’

He had long coveted the effects of the Iron Body Technique. When combined with his Spiritual Universe Dharma Body, it would greatly enhance his physical defenses, allowing him to withstand attacks from Magical Artifacts without injury. The effect was comparable to that of a typical Body Refining Mystic Cultivator.

He decided to test it.

Without activating its Divine Technique, a normal slash from the Golden Devourer Sword only left a white mark on his skin.

Even when he activated the Armor-Piercing Divine Technique, he had to apply a bit of force just to draw blood.

’Not bad at all,’ Lü Zhong thought with satisfaction.

’Compared to other cultivators, my offense and defense are now somewhat balanced.’

However.

’But I still lack a suitable Magical Artifact. Now that I’m at Late-stage Qi Refining Cultivation, the Golden Devourer Sword can no longer keep up. It’s time to get a High-grade Magical Artifact.’

Lü Zhong couldn’t help but smile bitterly when he thought of the price of a High-grade Magical Artifact.

Compared to Middle-grade Magical Artifacts, High-grade ones were not only a tier higher in power, but their prices were also exponentially higher.

A standard one, even with normal wear and tear, would cost over a thousand Spirit Stones at a minimum.

If he were to come across a rare, high-quality piece, the price could be much, much higher.

’It seems the Yongling City annual auction is in the next couple of days. It would be a good time to go have a look.’

With that thought in mind, Lü Zhong took out a Secret Pattern Pill and consumed it.