A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

”Why must you force my hand?”

Lü Zhong felt rather exasperated.

’It feels like no time at all has passed, and yet another person has come to offer me a Storage Bag.’

When he reached a deserted, remote spot, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His pursuer was stunned for a moment before a vicious smile spread across his face. He rushed forward. ”Hehe, I suggest you don’t resist. Otherwise, I’ll make you wish you were dead!”

’Wish I were dead? What big talk!’

Lü Zhong grumbled to himself, feeling a bit frustrated.

The situation in the Western Realm was just like those novels he’d read before, where the protagonist killed his way from place to place. He’d only been here a month, but he’d already acquired more Storage Bags than in the past several decades combined.

The profits from these Storage Bags were about to surpass the profits from the Spiritual Objects he sold.

’Sigh... Why must they force my hand?’

”What are you sighing for? Just tell me honestly where you got that Jade Sun Pill, and I guarantee I’ll give you a quick death!” the man said, staring at Lü Zhong and slowly closing in, a vicious glint in his eyes.

Lü Zhong sized him up.

He wore a sky-blue Daoist Robe adorned with many bagua and Tai Chi Diagram patterns.

His features were quite regular, a gaunt Daoist with a long beard. However, the sinister smile on his face ruined his otherwise venerable appearance, making him look just like an Evil Cultivator.

”You’re from Qingyuan Palace, aren’t you?”

”That’s right! Since you know I’m from Qingyuan Palace, why don’t you surrender immediately?”

The gaunt Daoist let out a savage laugh and wasted no more words. He surged the True Essence in his body to its peak, revealing his Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation. He then brought out an Emperor Bell Magical Artifact and began shaking it at Lü Zhong.

TING-A-LING-A-LING!

The ringing of the bell left Lü Zhong somewhat dazed, but fortunately, the stupor lasted only an instant.

’Interesting. This Magical Artifact can actually attack one’s Divine Sense!’ Lü Zhong was slightly surprised. He raised his hand and sent a bolt of Palm Thunder striking toward the hand the gaunt Daoist was using to hold the bell.

A flash of lightning.

The Daoist screamed as his right hand was scorched black, a serious injury.

The Emperor Bell fell to the ground.

Before he could pick it up, Lü Zhong snatched it into his grasp with a pull.

”You!” The gaunt Daoist’s face filled with horror as a realization dawned on him.

The next instant, the familiar ringing sounded again.

TING-A-LING-A-LING!

”AH, AHHHHHHH!!!”

The gaunt Daoist clutched his head, rolling frantically on the ground.

The same Magical Artifact, when wielded by him versus a Core Formation Cultivator, displayed completely different levels of power—the difference was tenfold.

In his hands, this Soul-Rattling Bell had been a powerful tool for eliminating rebels in the Western Realm.

But now, it was about to take his life.

When Lü Zhong decided he’d had enough, he stopped activating the Magical Artifact in his hand.

Then, with another magical pull, he dragged the man to a place where they couldn’t be seen.

”Am I going to ask the questions, or are you going to start talking?”

”Senior, spare me! This one, Yanl Zhen, will tell you everything I know!” The gaunt Daoist’s face was as pale as gold leaf. He wasn’t a man of strong will to begin with, so he surrendered immediately, hoping to avoid any more of the soul-rattling agony.

”Good, you know what’s best for you! If you can satisfy me, I’ll reward you with a quick death!” Lü Zhong said with a mocking expression.

He remembered that this was exactly what the man had said to him just moments ago.

Hearing this, the Daoist who called himself Yanl Zhen looked as if he’d been slapped twice across the face, but he didn’t dare to speak.

”How did you get your information?”

”The Li Family has an informant for our Qingyuan Palace. They reported that a Sinful Cultivator had appeared, so the palace sent me. I never imagined it would be you, Senior. Senior, I hope you can overlook my—”

Lü Zhong cut Yanl Zhen off before he could finish. He couldn’t be bothered to listen to such nonsense.

”An informant? Are your informants spread all over the Western Realm?”

”Uh, of course not. Qingyuan Palace is just a Golden Core Jungle; how could we possibly place so many informants? However, our Upper Sect’s eyes and ears are indeed all over the Western Realm, that much is certain. If this junior isn’t mistaken, you must be the cultivator who went on a killing spree near Luyuan Market a while back, right, Senior?”

As Yanl Zhen spoke, he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Lü Zhong.

Seeing no reaction, his hand behind his back began to slowly reach for his Storage Bag.

’Hmph!’

’So what if he’s a Golden Core Master?’

’In the face of a Spirit Talisman bestowed by the Upper Sect, he’s less than a dog!’

But just as Yanl Zhen took out a Red Talisman, before he could even inject it with Magical Power, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. His left arm was instantly severed at the root.

”So dishonest!” Lü Zhong remarked, recalling his Golden Sun Spirit Sword with a wave of his hand.

Immediately after, he reached out and pulled the Red Talisman into his hand.

He glanced at Yanl Zhen and saw that for some reason, the man was wearing an expression of pure terror.

”You... you’re not a Western Border Cultivator!”

”Oh? And why are you so sure?” Lü Zhong asked, studying the Spirit Talisman in his hand while looking at Yanl Zhen with amusement.

’The man’s expression and tone didn’t seem like a bluff. He must have based his judgment on the fact that nothing happened when I touched the Red Talisman.’

’How interesting. Does touching this Red Talisman cause some kind of problem?’

”That’s a Demon Slaying Talisman. It can detonate the Crimson Demonic Qi, doubling its corrosive effect on the Divine Soul. Against Western Border Cultivators who are afflicted by Crimson Demonic Qi, it’s a top-tier weapon. Since you could touch the talisman directly without using a Secret Technique to insulate yourself, you’re obviously not a Western Border Cultivator,” Yanl Zhen said, crestfallen.

The Demon Slaying Talisman was his last resort.

Now that it was useless, all that was left for him was to wait for death.

But Lü Zhong wouldn’t let Yanl Zhen die so quickly. It wasn’t often he caught an informant who knew so much.

There was no reason to kill him off so easily.

”Let me ask you, what is a Sinful Cultivator? Why does Qingyuan Palace want to hunt them down and exterminate them? And this Demon Slaying Talisman is quite exquisite—which power provided it?”

With nothing left to lose, Yanl Zhen answered each question.

The so-called Sinful Cultivators are a group of cultivators who are enemies of the True Central Sect.

The True Central Sect is an illustrious sect with Three Nascent Souls. It firmly controls Immortal Prison Pass, which is the main pass from the Western Realm to Central Earth. After the cataclysm in the Western Realm, it became the only Nascent Soul Sect remaining.