A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

”If you intend to go, Fellow Daoist Lü, you’d best be fully prepared. Otherwise...” Jiang Mengsun offered a word of warning, but let his sentence trail off.

Anyone who could reach late-stage Foundation Establishment was no clueless fool.

Except, of course, for that clan brother of his.

Just thinking of him made Jiang Mengsun fume.

After all, he had originally intended to keep the Purple Nether Extreme Fire for himself.

After hearing the whereabouts of the Purple Nether Extreme Fire, Lü Zhong decided to go through with the trade. As agreed, he gave Jiang Mengsun the Small Soul Nourishing Pill and an ingot of Iron Essence.

The exchange meet continued.

The next few people presented many fine items, including a Spiritual Artifact Shuttle. Unfortunately, the trade conditions were too demanding, so Lü Zhong immediately gave up on the idea and turned his focus back to the Purple Nether Extreme Fire.

He began to ponder what he should prepare for the journey.

And how he would enter the Bone-Transforming Abyss.

To be on the safe side, Lü Zhong planned to gather intelligence and make thorough preparations before setting out.

’Right, the Commerce Association seems to acquire materials from the Bone-Transforming Abyss. Maybe I should go ask about the situation. I might even get some help...’

He decided to go back and ask Yu Feng’Er.

...

In the courtyard, Yu Feng’Er was resting.

Suddenly, she found herself floating in the air.

By the time she came to her senses, she was already in Lü Zhong’s embrace.

”How have things been with the Commerce Association lately?”

”Mm, business has improved quite a bit lately. With your sea vessel, sales have gotten much better. Many of the Great Commerce Associations have started placing orders with us. I expect the Spirit Stones we earn this year will be ten to twenty percent higher than the year before last,” Yu Feng’Er said, burying her head in Lü Zhong’s chest.

If this trend continued, the survival of the Chengde Commerce Association would be no issue, as long as nothing unexpected happened. Whether it could become a Great Commerce Association, however, was another matter entirely. After all, the standard for that was to be involved in the East Sea trade, which meant having the ability to build a fleet at the very least.

At this thought, Yu Feng’Er couldn’t help but worry.

”My love, please promise me you won’t risk exploring the sea routes, alright?”

”Why are you bringing this up? Alright, alright, I promise,” Lü Zhong said with a smile, stroking her hair.

Although he had obtained a sea chart from the Sea Slave, Lü Zhong truly had no intention of exploring. He had what he suspected to be a Teleportation Order leading to the Western Realm. Compared to traveling millions of miles to stock up on goods in the East Sea, it was far easier to simply buy low and sell high via a Transmission Array.

The profit from a single transaction would be no less than what he’d get from one trip along the East Sea Route.

”By the way, I remember the Commerce Association has business related to the Bone-Transforming Abyss. What exactly is the situation there?” Lü Zhong asked. He was thinking about how to obtain the Purple Nether Extreme Fire; it was crucial for his future cultivation path and had to be done as soon as possible.

”The Bone-Transforming Abyss? That’s a perilous place...” Hearing Lü Zhong intended to go there, Yu Feng’Er’s heart leaped into her throat again. But she also knew he wouldn’t wander off for no reason. Her husband was the type who would happily stay home and cultivate endlessly if there was nothing else to do.

So, she began to tell him everything she knew.

The formation of the Bone-Transforming Abyss was related to the Human Race’s expansion into the Southern Barbarian lands long ago.

The Southern Barbarian Land was once the territory of Demon Beasts. Legend has it that Demon Cultivators even established a kingdom called the ”Demon Court.” However, it was later destroyed by an Ancient Great Cultivator who had received a legacy from the Immortal Realm. He led an army of cultivators that wiped out their lineage, and the Demon Court was no more.

The two sides were said to have fought hundreds of battles, both large and small, across the Southern Barbarian lands.

And the Bone-Transforming Abyss was the site of one such great battle.

It was rumored that no fewer than a million Demon Beast corpses were buried there, creating an abyss brimming with the aura of death.

The Chengde Commerce Association’s business in the Bone-Transforming Abyss primarily involved collecting a Spiritual Object called ”Demon Bone Dust.” It was formed from demon bones that had been eroded by the deathly aura over a long period. This dust could be used in the quenching step of Artifact Refining to significantly improve the quality of the finished Magical Artifact, making it highly sought after by Artifact Refiners.

This particular venture had been established by Yu Chengde. It was gradually abandoned when the Commerce Association later changed its focus to establishing the East Sea Route. After Yu Feng’Er reclaimed control of the association, she revived it.

”If you’re truly set on going, my love, I can have supply stations set up throughout the Forest Sea. That way, the Ten Thousand Trees Poisonous Miasma will be no threat, and you can travel to the Bone-Transforming Abyss unimpeded. We can also make preparations for the abyss itself in advance.” Yu Feng’Er looked up at Lü Zhong, having decided to mobilize most of the Chengde Commerce Association’s resources and designate the Northern Great Forest Sea as a new direction for development.

Lü Zhong thought for a moment and agreed to her plan.

The supply stations wouldn’t be for a single use. Once he finished his exploration of the Bone-Transforming Abyss, they could be opened up to Loose Cultivators who made their living by gathering Spirit Medicine. Then, whether they were buying Spirit Medicine from them or selling essential supplies at a high price, it would be an incredibly profitable venture.

’It really is nice to have powerful backing!’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

An ordinary cultivator, even one from a Cultivation Clan or a Sect, could never mobilize such manpower and resources for their own personal goals—not unless they were a high-ranking elder with immense authority.

But now, he was enjoying the kind of treatment reserved for a Sect Master or the Patriarch of a Great Cultivation Family.

He had to admit, the feeling was incredible.

For anyone else trying to get the Purple Nether Extreme Fire, simply reaching the Bone-Transforming Abyss would be a monumental challenge. But he could wait for the supply stations to be built and then follow the caravan all the way there. He might even be able to reach his destination effortlessly, sipping tea in a Beast Vehicle with a beauty in his arms.

Once he arrived at the Bone-Transforming Abyss, he could even establish a forward base.

If he couldn’t get it on the first try, he would simply try a few more times!

Sooner or later, the Purple Nether Extreme Fire would be his.