A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’If nothing goes wrong, they’ll make their move in Luofeng Gorge ahead.’ Lü Zhong had not been idle for the past three days, running all over to investigate. He hadn’t just predicted the Zhang Family’s ambush location.

After all, the name Luofeng Gorge was rather blatant.

He had also discovered the identity of the person they had hired.

He was a Loose Cultivator who had made a name for himself long ago.

His name was Ma Cheng, a fortunate soul who had received the legacy of a Sword Cultivator. He was currently at Late-stage Foundation Establishment, and there was concrete evidence that Ma Cheng owned a Spiritual Artifact in the form of a flying sword.

It was precisely with this Spiritual Artifact and his Sword Cultivator legacy that he had built a formidable reputation in the Changchun Domain.

Some gossips even dubbed him ”the greatest below Golden Core.”

Although the title was mostly a jest, it still showed that others recognized his strength, believing Ma Cheng to be a cultivator at least on par with the likes of the Seven Sons of Huayi and Lady Butterfly.

Lü Zhong felt immense pressure at the thought of facing him.

But he could only brace himself and push forward. The resource supply from the Chengde Commerce Association was too important to lose; it was worth the risk. Otherwise, he would have to return to his old life of Talisman Making. Given the current circumstances, he had no idea when he would ever gather the resources for Core Formation. He might never even have the chance to reach it in this lifetime.

Beside him, Yu Feng’Er’s face turned deathly pale when she heard the name ”Luofeng Gorge.”

The ’Feng’ in her name meant phoenix.

’Luofeng’ meant ’Fallen Phoenix.’ Didn’t that mean she was fated to be buried here?

Yu Feng’Er knew she wasn’t skilled in combat, so her only hope was Lü Zhong. She couldn’t help but clutch his large, warm hand, which finally calmed her heart a little.

As they neared Luofeng Gorge, Lü Zhong released his Spirit Puppet.

”It will protect you. An ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator won’t be able to get near. Just focus on keeping yourself safe,” Lü Zhong said reassuringly, seeing her tremble. ”I’ll hold Ma Cheng off. We’ll get through this.”

He patted her head, then gripped Zhuanghong and waited in silence.

The moment the Beast Vehicle entered Luofeng Gorge, the assassination began, just as expected.

From above, a breathtaking sword light suddenly slashed down.

Gazing at the Sword Light, Lü Zhong’s expression grew solemn as he unleashed Zhuanghong to meet it.

The blade and sword collided. Sprays of Sword Light and Sword Qi ripped through the gorge’s flora, turning the area into a chaotic mess. Men in black emerged from both sides, rushing to kill the Commerce Association guards.

An elderly figure materialized in the air.

It was Ma Cheng!

He stared at Lü Zhong, who had just blocked his strike, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes.

But when he saw that Zhuanghong was a Spiritual Artifact, he gave a contemptuous laugh.

’Just another cultivator relying on a Spiritual Artifact to seem stronger than he is.’

Ma Cheng brandished a long golden sword, creating a series of intricate flourishes before diving straight down. He ignored Lü Zhong completely, aiming to slay Yu Feng’Er with one blow.

”Hmph!” Being so utterly dismissed, Lü Zhong let out a deliberately cold snort.

Inwardly, however, he was delighted.

He formed hand seals, Chanting incantations as a series of Magic Skills enveloped his body.

Flying Star Qi Introduction Skill, Light Body Skill, and Star Pulling Skill.

As Ma Cheng’s sword descended, Lü Zhong slashed out, SWISH SWISH, unleashing dozens of Late Sun Magic Swords.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The sound of striking metal rang out endlessly.

After dozens of clashes, the look on Ma Cheng’s face changed completely.

He had assumed Lü Zhong was just another ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator, no different from the fodder he’d cut down before. He never expected his opponent’s strength to be on par with his own. ’If I hadn’t handled that last burst of power correctly...’

’...I would be dead!’

His expression turned to one of shock and suspicion. Ma Cheng sized up Lü Zhong, wondering, ’When did a cultivator like this appear in the city?’ He opened his mouth to speak, but Lü Zhong had no intention of wasting time with idle chatter.

After their clash, Lü Zhong realized he had both overestimated his enemy and underestimated himself.

Empowered by the Star Pulling Skill, he flung Zhuanghong forward with vicious force.

CLANG!

Ma Cheng swung his Golden Sun Spirit Sword to parry the incoming silhouette of the blade, his face changing as he did.

The power behind that blade was terrifying, no weaker than one of his own all-out attacks.

All traces of contempt for Lü Zhong vanished from his mind.

And so, the two resumed their battle.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiyu, leading a group of Zhang Family members disguised as Evil Cultivators, was trying to surround and kill their target, Yu Feng’Er. However, they were unable to succeed due to her Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Spirit Puppet.

Seeing that Ma Cheng, in whom he had placed all his hope, had also encountered an unexpected obstacle, he immediately had a bad feeling.

But an arrow, once loosed, cannot be recalled. Since they had already ambushed Yu Feng’Er in Luofeng Gorge, there was no turning back for either side. They would either succeed in eliminating the Yu Family and the Chengde Commerce Association, or this would escalate into an all-out war until one side was utterly defeated.

On Lü Zhong’s side, the Qingyang Mirror, Dragon and Tiger Banner, and Zhuanghong were all deployed.

He now had long-range offense, close-quarters defense, and the Body-Fixing Mirror Light, which he fired off periodically. When Ma Cheng conjured illusory sword images, he could even activate his Illusion-Breaking Divine Technique to reveal the true attack.

Ma Cheng, however, lived up to his name as a Sword Cultivator, fighting Lü Zhong and his three Spiritual Artifacts to a standstill.

And it was precisely for this reason that he was inwardly cursing how absurd the situation was.

Ma Cheng had always kept a close watch on the cultivators in Changchun Immortal City who were on his level. He had only accepted this job after confirming that none of them would be helping Yu Feng’Er. But then Lü Zhong had come out of nowhere. Not only was he just as powerful, but he was also a complete unknown.

It was as if he’d just sprung out of a rock!

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Another volley from his Late Sun Sword Skill.

Relying on his abundant True Essence and a Divine Soul that far surpassed other cultivators of his stage, Lü Zhong pressed Ma Cheng into close-quarters combat.

Close combat was the most perilous type of fight.

In such a situation, it was a contest of who could last the longest. There was no chance of escape.

The slightest misstep meant death.

But it was also the fastest way to settle things.

Just like now. Ma Cheng was trying to conserve his True Essence due to its slow replenishment rate, but his Gang Qi had just been struck another dozen times by the Late Sun Magic Sword.

At this rate, the fight would be decided in less than a hundred breaths.

”You forced me to do this!”

Ma Cheng gritted his teeth. With a great cry from his Golden Sun Spirit Sword, he swung it and unleashed a brilliant golden Sword Light.

Geng Metal Slash.

It was the only Secret Skill left from the Great Gold Sword Mantra, a Cultivation Technique that was part of the fragmented Sword Dao legacy he had inherited.

Because the legacy was incomplete, using this Secret Skill was a double-edged sword—it would injure the enemy by a thousand, but cost him eight hundred.

Now, facing an opponent like Lü Zhong who was stronger than him, Ma Cheng couldn’t afford to worry about the resulting damage to his own meridians. He had to kill him in one blow with this Secret Skill, fearing any delay would bring about an even worse turn of events.

Lü Zhong’s response to the attack was simple.

He couldn’t dodge it, so he would have to block it head-on.

He activated the Cloud Dragon Wind Tiger Barrier, which blocked the majority of the Sword Light’s power before shattering.

When the attack reached him, the remaining Sword Light was stopped by his Star Yang Gang.

A surge of blood welled up in his throat. Lü Zhong was amazed at the power of the attack, but he also saw Ma Cheng’s face drain of all color. He knew his opponent wouldn’t be able to use that move again for a while.

He gave a cold laugh and pressed forward.

Thirty breaths later, a headless corpse fell from the sky.

Seeing Ma Cheng’s defeat, Zhang Xiyu’s eyes filled with despair. The black-haired, black-robed cultivator had even slain Ma Cheng; there was no chance for him to escape. He slit his own throat.

The others, seeing what had happened, scattered in a panic.

Lü Zhong hunted them down one by one, collecting a total of seventeen Storage Bags.

After finishing off every one of the fallen men in black, he finally walked over to Yu Feng’Er to check on her.

”How are you? Can you move?”

Yu Feng’Er shook her head, blood still seeping from her wounds. She collapsed weakly into Lü Zhong’s arms and gave a pained smile. ”I’m badly injured. I don’t even have the strength to stand... I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you, Fellow Daoist.”

During the earlier siege by Zhang Xiyu and his men, the Commerce Association guards had been all but wiped out in the first exchange. If not for the Spirit Puppet’s protection, she would already be dead.

Now, covered in injuries, she was barely hanging on.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong carried her onto the Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship.

He found a safe place and began treating Yu Feng’Er’s wounds. Once her condition had stabilized, he piloted the Flying Ship back toward Changchun Immortal City to deal with the Zhang Family and the Wangxi Commerce Association.

Lü Zhong had already found out everything about the Zhang Family member who was on the verge of Core Formation.

His name was Zhang Xiyun. He was once a renowned genius of the Zhang Family who had faked his own death thirty years ago to secretly plan for his breakthrough to Core Formation. This proved he was a man of immense fortitude and patience.

’If a man like that succeeds in reaching Core Formation, I will be utterly doomed.’

Therefore, Zhang Xiyun had to die!