A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Lü Zhong nodded in satisfaction. With a flicker, he appeared on the ship.

He steered the Flying Ship, tilting it left and right. As long as the change in angle wasn’t too drastic, the hull remained very stable. It seemed that Hong Wanyun’s skill as an Artifact Refiner was quite good.

’Perhaps I can entrust the repair of the Qingyang Mirror to her as well...’ Lü Zhong mused, calculating how he could get it done without revealing any secrets.

As he pondered, he cast several more Technique Mantras at the Flying Ship beneath him.

Instantly, a layer of cyan Spirit Wind enveloped the Flying Ship’s surface, and it immediately soared into the sky.

’This Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship, forged from a Tree Spirit Wood Core, might not be as large as the Heling Sect’s Tower Ship Shuttles, but with the enhancement of the Wind-Manipulating Divine Technique, I’m afraid its speed is unmatched among Flying Ships.’ Lü Zhong sat cross-legged in the center of the ship, feeling the Cloud Qi rushing against his face, his hair streaming straight back behind him.

The Technique Mantra in his hands changed again, and a spindle-shaped, cyan shield suddenly materialized around the ship. This was the Wood Spirit Shield, from which the ”Wood Spirit” in the ship’s name—the Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship—was derived. It served to protect the passengers aboard and offered a degree of defense against external attacks.

’I wonder what this ship’s true top speed is with the Wind-Manipulating Divine Technique activated.’

Filled with anticipation, Lü Zhong began to increase his Magical Power output. The Flying Ship immediately accelerated, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bowstring. By the time it reached its maximum acceleration, he had gained a solid understanding of the Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship’s normal flight speed.

Immediately after, he formed a seal and shouted in a low voice, ”Wind-Manipulating Divine Technique, activate!”

Instantly, the True Essence in his body began to drain away like flowing water. At the same time, the Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship erupted with a ring of cyan Spiritual Light. The enveloping Spirit Wind suddenly intensified more than tenfold, and the ship’s speed skyrocketed.

”Hahaha!” Lü Zhong struggled to keep himself steady as he burst into loud laughter.

It was one word.

Awesome!

Along the way, many cultivators flying through the air saw this streak of cyan light moving at extreme speed and hastily lowered their altitude, every one of them gaping in astonishment.

Many of them were knowledgeable enough to see that the cyan light was not the Rainbow Transformation of a Golden Core Cultivator, but a Flying Ship piloted by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. This was precisely why they were so shocked; after all, such an absurd flight speed was simply beyond their comprehension.

Lü Zhong sat on the ship, watching the Cloud Qi fly past him, savoring a taste of speed he had never before experienced.

But soon, he had no choice but to slow down.

The reason was simple: the amount of Magical Power the Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship consumed at top speed was staggering. Flying for just half an ancient hour had used up the equivalent of the entire Magical Power reserve of an ordinary Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Even flying at normal speed, Lü Zhong estimated he could cover a thousand li per ancient hour.

’Now that I have a Flying Ship, it’s about time I paid the Tan Family a visit.’

He had been an Honored Guest Elder for the Tan Family for nearly two years, but he had only visited the Tan Clan Territory at Jiyun Ridge once, when he received his Honored Guest Token. Even then, he had come and gone in a rush, preoccupied with getting to his post at Liuyun Mountain Farm, and had never enjoyed the benefits an Honored Guest Elder was entitled to.

For starters, he at least wanted to get his hands on the free Tier Two Spell he was owed.

At this thought, Lü Zhong turned the Flying Ship around.

...

Jiyun Ridge.

As its name suggested, it was a place where clouds perpetually gathered.

Looking out from the Flying Ship, Lü Zhong could see a churning sea of white clouds stretching majestically to the horizon, giving him the strange illusion that he had returned to the Heling Sect.

He shook his head and lowered the Flying Ship’s altitude.

After passing through the thick cloud layer, a massive complex of buildings, comparable in scale to a city, was revealed below. It covered an area of at least ten square li.

One could see that the entirety of Jiyun Ridge was divided by three city walls of varying heights. Lü Zhong was not completely ignorant about this; he knew the specific function of each section.

The outermost ring was mostly farmland, providing grain and other indispensable raw materials—such as bricks, tiles, bamboo, wood, and iron and copper ore—to the mortals living behind the first wall.

Behind the second wall lay the residential area for the ordinary members of the Tan Family. It was also dotted with numerous Spirit Fields growing Spirit Rice that required little Spiritual Qi, as well as some low-year Spirit Medicines.

Inside the third wall was the core Tan Clan Territory, covered by a Clan Protection Array spanning three square li. Besides defending against external enemies, this array also prevented the Spirit Vein’s Spiritual Qi from leaking out, thus ensuring the Spiritual Qi within the Tan Clan Territory remained at a high concentration.

The place Lü Zhong was heading to now was the Tan Clan Territory behind this third wall.

Piloting the Flying Ship over the second wall, he quickly lowered his altitude and, a moment later, landed in a plaza. Then, he set off on foot toward a city gate not far ahead.

He presented his Honored Guest Token and was immediately allowed to pass.

Perhaps because of the Fire-Bound Golden Flower, the atmosphere in the Tan Clan Territory was somewhat tense. Pairs of cultivators could be seen patrolling from time to time, and he was stopped for inspection several times along the way.

After asking for directions along the way, Lü Zhong arrived at the Library.

A few quick glances were enough to give him a jolt of alarm. ’As expected of a classified location,’ he thought to himself. ’There are Arrays everywhere, and numerous hidden presences. It can truly be called a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den.’

’This must be one of the most heavily fortified locations in the entire Tan Clan Territory!’

A middle-aged man with gaunt cheeks was sitting in the main hall, directly opposite the Library’s entrance, flipping through a classic text. Hearing Lü Zhong’s footsteps, he looked up and sized him up.

”A new Honored Guest Elder?”

”Yes. This is my Honored Guest Token.” Lü Zhong cupped his hands in a salute before handing the token over.