A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

This meant he could now consume large quantities of Pills to raise his cultivation without any further obstacles.

”Hahaha, Core Formation is in sight! It’s finally in sight!”

Lü Zhong burst out laughing.

After laughing for a good while, he finally suppressed his excitement.

Gazing at the bright moon outside the window, Lü Zhong carefully considered his next steps. ’Next, I’ll consume Pills like my life depends on it and cultivate until I break through to the Fake Pill Realm!’

He made a point to set aside some time and spent a few pleasant days with Yu Feng’er.

Not long after, he took the Spirit Medicines the Commerce Association had recently collected and flew to Ganquan Island.

He was once again refining Grass Spirit Creation Liquid. Thanks to his previous experience, Lü Zhong found the process incredibly easy this time and successfully produced over thirty bottles.

Returning to his Quiet Chamber in the city, he began to meditate and regulate his breathing.

Then, he consumed a dose of Grass Spirit Creation Liquid.

A dense Spiritual Qi emanated from it, and Lü Zhong, not daring to waste a moment, began circulating his energy to refine it.

In the time that followed, his routine consisted of consuming Pills to increase his cultivation and constantly using the Spirit Forging Fire Technique to purify his True Essence. Thanks to the astonishing effects of the Purple Nether Extreme Fire, not only did the prolonged consumption of Pills fail to make his True Essence mottled, but it actually grew purer with each passing day.

The repetitive cultivation was simple and monotonous, yet never dull.

After all, when he could see progress every day, how could he not be filled with motivation?

Besides, his wife and concubines were by his side.

If he ever got truly bored, he could always seek a little... diversion.

Traveling to Ganquan Island once a year for Alchemy, Lü Zhong never lacked Cultivation Pills. This was the benefit of having a power backing his cultivation—he could focus solely on improving his cultivation without any distractions.

Thanks to this, the Sea of True Essence within him surged more powerfully with each passing day.

Day by day, time flowed on.

「One day, seven years later.」

The expansion of his Sea of True Essence reached its limit, and Lü Zhong finally entered the long-awaited Fake Pill Realm.

His True Essence was now as viscous as mercury.

If he deliberately triggered the process, he could begin Core Formation at any moment.

However, Lü Zhong was in no hurry to do so.

The Thundering Grass’s Metamorphosis was imminent; waiting a little longer would do no harm.

The plant’s tenth branch had fully matured, and judging by the constant strange phenomena it had been exhibiting recently, its Metamorphosis was clearly not far off.

Lü Zhong had already researched the effects of the Thundering Grass after its Metamorphosis.

After its Metamorphosis, the Thundering Grass’s lightning-warding effect would be greatly enhanced, allowing it to block any single strike of the Three-Nine Celestial Tribulation. Furthermore, before being consumed to block a strike, it could also weaken the Thunder Tribulation as a whole.

’Coincidentally, the great auction in the Changchun Domain will be held again in about half a month...’

Lü Zhong had already made up his mind. He would attend this grand auction to see if he could win a Golden Core Pill—a supreme treasure for Core Formation—amidst the fierce competition. If that failed, he would at least bid on several other Spiritual Objects to further increase his chances of success.

The Core Formation process was fraught with peril; it was best to be as prepared as possible.

He emerged from his seclusion and walked into the courtyard.

The side rooms were empty. It was only after asking a maid that he remembered: the contracts of two of his concubines had expired. Since they hadn’t renewed, they had no choice but to leave, despite their reluctance.

He then sat in the courtyard, drinking tea.

He waited until evening, when Yu Feng’er finally returned.

Ignoring her weak, half-hearted struggles, he swept her up and carried her into the room.

They tangled together until dawn before finally concluding their activities.

”I’m going to start preparing for Core Formation,” Lü Zhong said suddenly, stroking Yu Feng’er’s smooth back.

The delicate body in his arms trembled.

Yu Feng’er looked up, a trace of worry on her rosy face. Her slender brows furrowed, but she didn’t object. Instead, her expression brightened into a smile. ”Then allow me to be the first to wish you success in your Core Formation, my husband!”

”Words alone won’t do. You have to show me with your actions. How about...”

At his words, Yu Feng’er’s face flushed red, and she tapped his chest playfully a few times.

”You’re impossible!”

...

Lü Zhong didn’t get out of bed until after noon.

’Harmonizing the Yin and Yang really makes a difference. Even the flow of my True Essence is a bit smoother!’

Now that he had cultivated to the Fake Pill Realm, he no longer needed to sit in meditation to practice his techniques.

But that didn’t mean he could be idle. He at least needed to find time to refine the Insect Tripod Pill. Fortunately, this Pill was not difficult to make; it was more akin to compounding ingredients than true Alchemy.

He took out the spiritual materials one by one and then purified each of them.

Next, he mixed in the Spirit Dew. With that, two translucent, gelatinous Pills were complete.

He picked one up and examined it closely.

’The ”Insect” must refer to the Black Gold Insect Grass, but what does ”Tripod” mean?’ Lü Zhong wondered. Logically, the Alchemist who invented this Pill wouldn’t have just picked a name at random.

But he couldn’t rule out the possibility. After all, the Cultivation Realm had no shortage of so-called divine medicines on the market with names like Strength Pill and Golden Spear Unyielding Pill.

Lü Zhong placed the Insect Tripod Pills into a jade box, applied a three-layered Sealing Prohibition, and affixed a slip of Yellow Paper to it before finally placing the two Pills into his Storage Bag.

Exiting the Alchemy Room, he stepped into the courtyard.

It was much quieter than usual, and with the few remaining maids having been taken away by Yu Feng’er, the place felt even more deserted.

He felt like having some tea. There was hot water warming in the kitchen, but with no one around to serve him, Lü Zhong instantly lost his interest. He ambled out of Lintao Pavilion, deciding to take a stroll outside.

The marketplace outside was more bustling than ever.

This was especially true for the area around Lintao Pavilion, which was now filled with lavishly decorated buildings.

Thanks to the rise of the Chengde Commerce Association, the goods sold at Lintao Pavilion were not only comprehensive in variety but also superior in quality. They offered high-grade Pills from various Alchemy Workshops and rare Spiritual Objects from the Northern Great Forest Sea, all of which attracted a large number of customers.

As a result, the surrounding businesses had also benefited.

He browsed as he walked, occasionally buying a few tasty snacks he came across.

Even a cultivator’s market had an air of worldly life.

Aside from the Pill and Magical Artifact Shops, there were also grain stores specializing in rice, general stores selling sundries like needles and thread, and small corner shops selling vegetables and meat. Cultivators and mortals mingled freely, with no distinction between them. They were either chatting about the trivial matters of daily life or haggling back and forth over prices.