A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Casting aside the stray thoughts in his mind, he began to switch his cultivation to the Heling Feixing Scripture. The process took less than an ancient hour, and all the True Essence in his body was completely converted, becoming Flying Star Magical Power.

Lü Zhong still felt it was a bit of a shame.

After all, the Spiritual Power from the Four Spirits Technique had a natural ”purifying” property, making it exceptionally suitable for Four Spirit Root Cultivators. If the technique had a continuation, he would have never chosen to switch and would have practiced it indefinitely.

...

More than half a year passed.

Lü Zhong finally stabilized his cultivation.

Opening his eyes in the Quiet Chamber, he rose from his cattail mat. He glanced at the bottles and jars on the floor, and with a casual wave of his hand, they gathered together. Then, he gently swept them with Gang Qi.

In an instant, they were crushed into fine powder.

The Divine Sense of a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator was already strong enough to allow them to interfere with reality.

Just now, for instance, Lü Zhong had only given the door a gentle push with his Divine Sense, and it swung right open.

Immediately after, a dragon-like plume of dust billowed out with a RUMBLE. After swirling around the courtyard for a moment, it settled into a flowerbed filled with vibrant blossoms, sweeping up a figure nearby who couldn’t dodge in time.

”Ah!” Li Hejun shrieked as she was pulled into the Quiet Chamber.

At dusk, the two finally emerged.

The flush on her face had yet to fade as Li Hejun looked at the even younger-looking Lü Zhong. Her expression faltered for a moment, but then she smiled and said, ”Congratulations on your successful Foundation Establishment, Master. I am truly overjoyed for you!”

Lü Zhong’s five senses were now far sharper than before, so he naturally noticed her unusual reaction.

’That’s right,’ he thought. ’After breaking through to Foundation Establishment, my lifespan has doubled.’

’As long as I don’t excessively deplete my Primordial Qi, I’ll have at least two hundred years to live.’

’But Li Hejun... she’s just a mortal.’

Lü Zhong didn’t dwell on the thought. After all, everyone has their own fate, and there was nothing to be done about the will of heaven.

”Come on, let’s go get a good meal.”

He’d been in seclusion for so long that he was starving. He couldn’t wait to find a restaurant, order a table full of Spiritual Food, and feast to his heart’s content. Besides, he still had seventy thousand Spirit Stones in his bag.

They arrived on the streets of Jingyang Market. The annual grand auction was about to begin again, so the crowds had swelled once more. Among them were quite a few cultivators like Lü Zhong, with beautiful women by their side.

The two of them strolled happily, taking in the sights as they walked.

Soon, they reached a riverbank lined with willow trees.

”The spring wind greens the southern shore again...” Lü Zhong was moved by the scene and couldn’t help but recite a line of classical poetry from his past life.

Li Hejun, beside him, didn’t understand its meaning. ”But we’re clearly on the north bank of the river...” she said, confused.

Lü Zhong just smiled upon hearing this.

He offered no explanation; after all, it was a secret hidden deep in his heart. Suddenly, his gaze shifted forward, and he pointed to a restaurant boat moored by the riverbank. ”The Treasure Food Boat. Let’s eat there.”

When they arrived in front of the restaurant boat, an attendant was waiting at the entrance. Seeing Lü Zhong and his companion approach...

He first sized them up carefully, and then his face broke into a wide smile. ”Senior, please, come inside to a private room. We just received a fresh batch of fine ingredients today. I guarantee you’ll be coming back for more!”

It was the first time anyone had ever called him ”Senior,” and Lü Zhong was secretly delighted.

So he nodded and said, ”Lead the way.”

As he passed through the elegantly decorated main hall, feeling the shocked and respectful gazes from the Qi Refining Cultivators, he felt an even greater sense of satisfaction. After all, he used to be one of them.

Now that the tables had turned, the feeling was absolutely incredible.

’Don’t get cocky! I must be prudent in my words and actions!’ Lü Zhong quickly activated the Ice Heart Mantra to calm himself down.

’It’s fine to enjoy the feeling for a moment, but there’s no need to get lost in it.’

’Reaching Foundation Establishment is only the beginning of the Immortal Path; there is a much more arduous road ahead. The fact that Talismans are divided into nine grades tells me there are at least seven more Great Realms to cross in the future.’

’After Core Formation comes Nascent Soul Formation, and after the Nascent Soul Stage is the Divinity Transformation Stage... ’

’It’s said that upon reaching the Divinity Transformation Stage, one must ascend and leave this world, entering the legendary Spirit Realm.’

’Will I ever see that day?’ Lü Zhong wasn’t so sure.

Soon, they were seated in the private room, and the attendant began skillfully reciting the menu.

Lü Zhong ordered eighteen of their favorite dishes. Then, he put his arm around Li Hejun, teasing her from time to time as they enjoyed the scenery outside.

But after a long wait, not a single dish had arrived.

Slightly angered, he called the attendant over. ”What’s going on? We ordered a long time ago, yet not a single dish has been served. Are you trying to make a fool of me?”

As he spoke, he deliberately released a sliver of his aura.

The attendant immediately began to tremble, so frightened he couldn’t even speak.

”You may leave for now.” A rich voice came from outside the private room. It belonged to a refined-looking, middle-aged man in fine clothes, who sported a three-stranded beard.

As if granted a pardon, the attendant hastily bowed and backed out of the room.

The refined middle-aged man waited for the attendant to leave before clasping his hands apologetically. ”I am Tan Shihe, the owner of this establishment. Allow me to apologize, Fellow Daoist. There was a small incident in the kitchen just now, which unfortunately affected the ingredients for your dishes. It was by no means our intention to trifle with you.”

”How about this? You may choose any other eighteen dishes you wish, and the Treasure Food Boat will waive all charges as our apology for this mishap.”

”What do you think, Fellow Daoist?”

Lü Zhong gave Tan Shihe a surprised look.

This apology was rather extravagant.

Not only was he allowing him to reorder freely, but he was also generously waiving a fee that amounted to nearly a four-figure sum in Spirit Stones.

From what he knew from his time in the Heling Sect, an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator without a good source of income would only earn about a thousand Spirit Stones a year.

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong clasped his hands with a faint, knowing smile. ”Fellow Daoist Tan, if there’s something else on your mind, you might as well say it directly. It will save this meal from leaving a bad taste in my mouth!”

”Hahaha! You’ve seen right through me, Fellow Daoist!” Tan Shihe laughed heartily, stroking his beard. He clasped his hands again. ”Since you put it that way, I’ll be direct. Might I ask if Fellow Daoist Lü has considered his future prospects? If you are amenable, how would you like to join my Tan Family as an Honored Guest Elder?”

’So he’s trying to recruit me.’

Lü Zhong knew what an Honored Guest Elder was; after all, he had held a nominal position at the Ten Thousand Laws Pavilion before.

An Honored Guest Elder for a family was slightly different. They usually had duties assigned by the host family, similar to a Sect Steward. It was said to be a relaxed position, and it truly was—one could even say there was almost nothing to do.

For the most part, the host family was just borrowing the reputation of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to act as a deterrent.

In return, the host family would provide certain benefits, such as guaranteeing a supply of cultivation resources, agreeing on mutually satisfactory terms in advance, or even offering a large sum of Spirit Stones directly.

Lü Zhong thought for a moment. As the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face. He decided to hear the man’s offer.

But first, he had to show his worth.

”I hail from the Heling Sect, and I am also a Talisman Maker who has mastered the method for creating the Golden Light Talisman,” he said. ”I wonder what kind of terms you can offer, Fellow Daoist Tan. If you’re just taking a shot in the dark, I’d advise you not to waste your breath.”

Tan Shihe gave Lü Zhong a surprised look after hearing this.

He had assumed the man before him was just a newly ascended Loose Cultivator, not a former sect cultivator who was also highly skilled in Talisman Making.

The Golden Light Talisman was a bestseller throughout the Cultivation Realm. For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, earning over a thousand Spirit Stones a month would be no problem at all.

Recalling the instructions his elder clansman had given him before he left, Tan Shihe made up his mind.

”The Tan Family is willing to teach you the method for the Flying Talisman in exchange for you serving as our Honored Guest Elder for five years!”

”Oh?” Lü Zhong’s expression remained calm, but inwardly, his heart was in turmoil.

The method for crafting a Tier Two Talisman, after all, wasn’t something you could buy as easily as cabbage in a market.

Unlike with Tier One Talismans, hiring someone to teach you the method or buying a Talisman Making Book was nothing but a pipe dream.

When it came to this kind of foundational knowledge, both Sects and families had a firm, unanimous stance: it was not to be shared with outsiders.

His original plan, upon arriving at Lingyue Immortal City, had simply been to make a living by crafting Golden Light Talismans to earn Spirit Stones.

But now, the Flying Talisman was right in front of him.

Suddenly, Lü Zhong found himself in a difficult position.

This was an opportunity that, once missed, would likely never come again.

After a moment of contemplation, he forced himself to calm down. He decided to get all the details first, lest he suffer a great loss—or even lose his life to greed—because of some misunderstanding.

”What duties would I be expected to perform as the Tan Family’s Honored Guest Elder?”

’For him to be this eager, there must be something important going on.’

’Situations like this usually involve combat, which means my life could be in danger.’