A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Lü Zhong, committed to the act, immediately summoned the Jade Nether Fire Fork, its green flames roiling. He faced off against the black-faced fatty, looking ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

”Wait, let’s ask him first!” the yellow-robed female cultivator beside him interrupted with a frown.

She gave Lü Zhong a long, hard look and said in a soft voice, ”Fellow cultivator, there’s no need to be angry. We are both disciples of the True Central Sect, here only to hunt down Sinful Cultivators. We just received a report that a Sinful Cultivator was heading this way, and you happened to appear here. As everyone knows, those Sinful Cultivators are full of tricks and are especially skilled in the art of Disguise. Their crimes are unforgivable, and not a single one can be allowed to escape. We ask for your cooperation.”

After speaking, the yellow-robed female cultivator stared intently at Lü Zhong, not letting up.

The feeling was truly like being watched by a venomous snake.

”Do I have a choice?” Lü Zhong asked, looking at the two of them before suddenly letting out a cold laugh.

Hearing this, both the yellow-robed female cultivator and the black-faced fatty thought he was giving in, and they relaxed. The black-faced fatty, in particular, took out a piece of Talisman Paper and walked toward him.

’A Forbidden Element Talisman? They really think highly of me!’

Lü Zhong’s killing intent surged as he got a clear look at the Talisman Paper.

The Forbidden Element Talisman was a Tier Two Talisman produced only in Central Earth.

This Talisman could suppress True Essence. It wasn’t just effective against Foundation Establishment Cultivators; even a Core Formation Cultivator would have their True Essence circulation affected if it were placed on them.

His situation would be no different from a fish on the chopping block.

Left to the mercy of others!

Unfortunately for them, they had guessed wrong.

He was a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

With a flick of his left hand, he unleashed a Palm Thunder, shooting it straight at the guarded yellow-robed female cultivator. At the same time, he spat out the Star Mirror. Spiritual Light immediately gathered on its surface, unleashing streams of Mirror Light.

”Damn it, he’s a Core Formation Cultivator!”

The yellow-robed female cultivator reacted with extreme speed. The moment Lü Zhong attacked, she slapped on a Spirit Talisman that formed a shield around her, just in time to block the incoming lightning. Simultaneously, she flicked her fingers and shot out a Red Talisman.

A Demon Slaying Talisman!

Lü Zhong urged the Star Mirror to erupt with Mirror Light, shattering the black-faced fatty’s Big Hammer Magical Artifact in just a few hits. He turned to see the Red Talisman flying at him without a trace of fear, but he still put on a solemn expression. Raising his hand, he conjured layers of Light Mirrors, trapping the Red Talisman within.

Immediately after, he made a Sword Gesture, and his Lifebound Treasure shot out even more Mirror Light, engulfing the black-faced fatty.

”No!” The black-faced fatty only had time for a single scream before his body was pierced by streams of Mirror Light, turning into a pile of mangled flesh on the ground in seconds.

With a beckoning gesture, Lü Zhong recalled the Star Mirror to his hand.

Only then did he turn his icy gaze to the remaining yellow-robed female cultivator.

”Speak. How did you find me?”

Lü Zhong had been wondering why these two had chased him.

After thinking it over, there was only one possibility.

He must have been exposed in the Moshi Secret Market!

Seeing the black-faced fatty so easily killed by this cultivator, the yellow-robed female cultivator was terrified.

’This man is definitely no ordinary Core Formation Cultivator!’

Hearing Lü Zhong’s question, she was first confused, but then it dawned on her. She quickly replied, ”I... I think this might be a misunderstanding!”

Seeing the doubt in Lü Zhong’s eyes, the female cultivator explained:

”Senior, we really were tracking Sinful Cultivators. I can swear a venomous oath on that! The two we were after are fugitives the True Central Sect has been hunting for a long time. They specialize in frequenting various Workshop Markets to procure supplies for other Sinful Cultivators.”

Fearing he wouldn’t believe her, she conjured a Water Mirror Technique.

Looking at the two people in the mirror, Lü Zhong was partially convinced.

”It seems it really was a misunderstanding.”

”Yes, yes! So, Senior, you see...?” The yellow-robed female cultivator’s heart relaxed, thinking she had finally escaped this calamity. But then, she saw Lü Zhong slowly raise his hand, a mocking expression on his face as he looked at her.

A cold glint flashed in Lü Zhong’s eyes. He had no intention of letting this woman go.

He activated the Star Mirror, easily shattering the female cultivator’s shield before blasting her into a pile of mangled flesh.

He collected their two Storage Bags and the Demon Slaying Talisman.

After collecting the items, Lü Zhong reached out and grasped, pulling forth a remnant soul.

It belonged to the yellow-robed female cultivator.

He formed a hand seal and started Chanting, beginning to Soul Search the woman.

Just as the yellow-robed female cultivator had said, the two of them had indeed been tracking Sinful Cultivators. Perhaps they were used to being arrogant and saw that Lü Zhong was alone and seemed to have a lower cultivation than them.

So they got the idea to rob him.

Instead, they picked a fight with the wrong person.

Lü Zhong really didn’t know what to say about this outcome.

’As long as I wasn’t exposed, it’s fine.’

Having found his answer, he stopped the Soul Searching Technique.

”You two hiding underground, isn’t it time you showed yourselves?” Lü Zhong said calmly, looking toward the hillside to his right.

For a long moment, there was no response.

”It seems I’ll have to invite you out myself!” Seeing this, Lü Zhong’s expression darkened. He reached out and released the Star Mirror, its surface immediately gathering light before blasting it toward a spot on the hillside to his front-left.

”Senior, please wait! We’re coming out now!” a man’s voice called out.

Immediately, two figures emerged from the ground.

Shii Jingxuan and Granny Qian exchanged a glance, both thinking how unlucky they were.

First, their trail had been carelessly discovered. They had just barely managed to escape the Moshi Secret Market, only to have their hiding spot seen through by this Core Formation Senior.

This was a ruthless man who didn’t like asking questions and preferred to get his information through Soul Search.

Shii Jingxuan secretly sized up Lü Zhong. Seeing that he wasn’t preparing to activate his Magical Treasure again, he relaxed slightly and cupped his hands. ”I don’t know Senior’s esteemed name. I am Shii Jingxuan of the Ye Ling Sect. Thank you, Senior, for saving us!”

”Qian Shishi of the Illusionary Sound Palace. Thank you, Senior, for saving us!” the old woman beside him said, also bowing in thanks.

”I am but a nameless Loose Cultivator, so I won’t be sharing my identity. You two must be the Sinful Cultivators, correct? I want to know why the True Central Sect is hunting you!” Lü Zhong asked the question that interested him.

”Well...” Shii Jingxuan hesitated for a moment before answering.

”Senior, you may not know this, but the title ’Sinful Cultivator’ is a slanderous name pinned on us by the lackeys of the True Central Sect. If we are to speak of ’sin,’ then the True Central Sect—the ones who caused the cataclysm in the Western Realm and threw in their lot with the Central Earth Demon Sect—are the real Sinful Cultivators.”

”How do you figure?” Lü Zhong felt things were getting more and more interesting.

Why was the Western Realm described in the records a completely different world from the reality he was seeing?

Central Earth had always been a forbidden land for Demon Cultivators. Every Sect there could trace its lineage back to the time when Immortals passed down their teachings. Yet this cultivator named Shii Jingxuan was claiming a Demon Sect existed there?

He was quite surprised to hear the man say this.

On the other side, Shii Jingxuan, seeing that Lü Zhong didn’t seem to have any malicious intent, explained, ”It’s a long story, and I only know the general outline. Only the Elders in my Sect know the specific details. From what I know...”

The story begins with the Crimson Demon Land.

Its origins are unknown, but it erupts once every hundred years, spewing forth a massive amount of Crimson Spiritual Qi that has a major impact on the entire Western Realm. Because of this, the Western Border Sects joined forces long ago to place a seal on it, and they take turns stationing people there to prevent any accidents.

The culture in the Western Realm is exceptionally aggressive. To compete for resources, the various Sects have always been quick to fight at the slightest disagreement.

But there was one exception: for a hundred years, no one would pick a fight with the Sect guarding the seal. This was to allow them to focus on their duty and prevent any disaster from the Crimson Demon Land that could plague the entire Western Realm.

A little over a hundred years ago, it was the True Central Sect’s turn to stand guard.

And that was when the disaster began.

”I don’t know what the True Central Sect did, but the once-calm Crimson Demon Land erupted!” Shii Jingxuan’s face was filled with lingering fear as he spoke, as if recalling some terrible memory.

In an instant, the sky turned from azure to blood-red.

Influenced by the Crimson Spiritual Qi, all the mortals without the protection of an Array met with disaster. Except for those who were rescued, the rest had their minds corroded, turning into monsters that only knew how to devour flesh and blood.

As a result, the Western Realm was plunged into misery and death.

For a time, the sky was filled with nothing but ash from cremated bones.

Shii Jingxuan wiped away the tears he couldn’t hold back and continued, ”With such a great catastrophe, the number of dead creatures was in the hundreds of millions. The Supreme Elders and the others couldn’t just stand by, of course. I thought that with the Nascent Soul True Monarchs taking action, the erupting Crimson Demon Land would quickly be pacified. But I never imagined... that this was only the beginning of the nightmare!”

Of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs who went to the Crimson Demon Land, not a single one returned.

With the leadership gone, the True Central Sect suddenly took control of Immortal Prison Pass. Then, relying on the advantage of having three Nascent Soul cultivators in their Sect, they began to wildly pin crimes on the other Sects. Using this as a righteous pretext, they started uniting enraged cultivators to attack all the Sects in the Western Realm, large and small. They slaughtered them one by one, not even sparing mortals who had no ability to resist.

From then on, there were no more mortal cities in the Western Realm.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong fell into deep thought.

Everything Shii Jingxuan said was a completely different version from what he had heard from Yanl Zhen.

’Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?’