A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Lü Zhong didn’t know when Shuini had left.

He stood frozen in place.

For the first time, he felt that the Celestial Dao was truly so heartless.

After lingering for a while, he looked up at the sky, let out a long sigh, and headed toward Wangxian Town.

’That Demon Cultivator is useless now, so it’s time to deal with him. Since he’s a member of the Black Corpse Hall, turning him over to the Sect should yield some benefits.’

...

「A year passed in the blink of an eye.」

In the Quiet Chamber on the Second Layer of the bamboo house, Lü Zhong slowly opened his eyes.

In the palm of his hand, a golden Magic Ban slowly dissipated.

”Whew, that wasn’t easy!”

After spending so much time, he had finally worn away the evil thoughts within his Divine Soul. His mind was now utterly clear. He had even benefited from the Soul Power gained by purifying those evil thoughts, which in turn had significantly strengthened his Divine Sense. Its range had now increased to fifteen zhang.

Fifteen zhang was far from the hundred-zhang range of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but it was an unparalleled advantage in the Qi Refining Stage.

Lü Zhong reckoned that if he were to fight an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator now—even a Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator—he could easily defeat them by leveraging the advantage of his Divine Sense, as long as they didn’t possess a Talisman Treasure or a great weapon like a Celestial Thunder Pearl.

However... ’I still need to be cautious.’

Thinking this, he discreetly cast a Malice Detection.

His brows unfurrowed only when he felt no feedback in his mind.

As he pushed open the door and walked out, he happened upon two cultivators walking toward him.

”Greetings, Senior Brother Lü!” one of them, a handsome young man, said with a delighted expression, immediately clasping his hands in a salute.

The Female Cultivator on his arm also bowed in greeting.

Lü Zhong looked over at the sound of the voice and saw it was Xiao Changyuan, one of his few acquaintances in the Heling Sect. A smile appeared on his face as he greeted him, ”Junior Brother Xiao, have you been well?”

This was, in fact, the first time the two had met since the Little Yuan Valley Mine incident.

”Thank you for saving me last time, Senior Brother Lü!” Xiao Changyuan said earnestly.

He had only found out afterward that Lü Zhong was being hunted by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at the time. If not for Lü Zhong’s warning, he would likely be nothing but a pile of bones by now.

”Think nothing of it,” Lü Zhong replied, just as earnestly.

His only thought at the time had been to avoid losing a client; after all, Xiao Changyuan had bought quite a few Golden Light Talismans from him.

After chatting for a while, the conversation shifted to the ongoing sect war.

Since the battle at Jufeng Pass ended, the Heling Sect had switched from defense to offense, launching an all-out assault against the two-sect Alliance. They had achieved a series of major victories, even successfully plotting to injure Master Yun Qing of the Luoyun Sect.

It was safe to say the war between the Three Sects would inevitably end with the Heling Sect absorbing the two-sect Alliance.

”Speaking of which, I’ll be transferred to Luoyun soon. I’m afraid you’ll probably be assigned a post soon as well, Senior Brother,” Xiao Changyuan revealed, his mood immediately souring.

The flames of war were merciless. Even for the Heling Sect, which held the advantage, casualties were still unavoidable.

Lü Zhong already knew about his upcoming deployment from Shuini.

This was how it was after joining a Sect; there were always times when one’s fate was not one’s own.

But it was worth it for the legacy.

In the years since joining the Heling Sect, he had never missed a Preaching Conference held by the three old ancestors whenever he was free. Combined with his reading of various cultivation manuals, his foundational knowledge was now on par with most cultivators in the Heling Sect—a massive improvement from his days as a Loose Cultivator.

Both his Talisman Making and his mastery of Magic Skills had benefited immensely from this.

This strengthened foundation was reflected in his cultivation, namely in the increased speed of his progress.

By Lü Zhong’s own estimates, if he could maintain his current pace, he could break through to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer in two or three years. Then he could begin preparing for Foundation Establishment. His speed was already comparable to that of cultivators from Elite Sects or disciples of Great Cultivation Families.

The two chatted a while longer before parting ways.

Lü Zhong took a few steps to the edge of the cliff, summoned a Spirit Wind, and leaped.

...

「Wangxian Town.」

As the outcome of the war became clearer, the town’s population had gradually dwindled. Only mortals seeking the path of cultivation remained, and the boisterous noise of before was gone. Everything was returning to how it used to be.

He arrived at the printing workshop, which had recently been renovated and expanded.

After the sales of storybooks had dropped, they had yet to recover.

The reason, of course, was the massive loss of population. There were simply fewer people to buy the books.

After all, the Little Yuan Valley Mine alone had accounted for a loss of hundreds of thousands of people. Expanded to the entire territory of the Three Sects, the number of mortals who had died in the war was simply incalculable.

Without this most crucial source of customers, a recovery in storybook sales was out of the question.

The printing workshop had only been expanded at Li Hejun’s suggestion. She thought that by increasing printing capacity, they could increase profits by printing other types of books.

It was better than nothing, but only just.

Bypassing the busy workshop, Lü Zhong went straight to the rear courtyard.

A stream still gurgled here. Thanks to the Sound Insulation Array, the clamor from the adjacent workshop couldn’t penetrate, and when paired with the sweet fragrance of flowers and herbs, it was truly a quiet and peaceful place.

Having been well-tended to, Li Hejun now looked even more supple and alluring.

”Master, wait... Are you sure you want to do it here?”

Li Hejun’s face was flushed, and her heart was pounding. The workshop was just on the other side of the wall! What if they couldn’t help themselves and someone heard?

”Of course. It’ll be over in a flash.”

Lü Zhong urged, then grabbed her wrist without another word.