A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’Is this really a Demon Monster?’

Pacing in his hall, Lü Zhong decided to investigate the matter himself first, just to be cautious.

He promptly changed his appearance, disguising himself as a middle-aged scholar.

According to the case file, the Demon Monster first appeared in the ruins on the north side of the Workshop Market.

’Seven dead. Five Loose Cultivators and two members of the Market Enforcement Team.’

He soon arrived at the northern ruins.

’This is less a simple ruin and more an ancient site,’ Lü Zhong thought, gazing at the crumbling walls before him. Their style was clearly different from the modern era, bearing all the hallmarks of the Ancient Cultivators.

He walked over to a bowl-shaped hollow in the ground.

To his surprise, there was someone else here.

It was a figure in a black, hooded robe, their gender impossible to discern. Judging from the faint aura they occasionally emitted, they were likely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, with a cultivation at about the Mid-stage Realm.

This person was rummaging around in the hollow, as if searching for something.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong decided to wait until the person found what they were looking for before making a move.

”Hahaha, I found it!” a man’s delighted voice exclaimed.

Liu Yu gazed at the fragmented statuette in his hand, his heart pounding with indescribable excitement.

’As long as I have this...’

”And what can you do with it?” a calm voice asked. Lü Zhong stepped out of the shadows, his gaze fixed on the fragmented statuette, feeling a sense of doubt.

No matter how he looked at it, the object seemed to be an ordinary stone carving, showing no trace of anything extraordinary.

”You... you’re a Core Formation cultivator?!”

When Liu Yu sensed Lü Zhong’s aura and realized he was a Core Formation Stage Cultivator, it was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head; a chill shot from his scalp to the soles of his feet.

”Answer my question. Or would you prefer I use the Soul Searching Technique?”

”Yes, yes, of course!” Liu Yu said at once. A cunning glint appeared in his eyes as he quickly explained the statuette’s origin. It was the core of an evil object called the Black Corpse Nuo, created by the Barbarian Race using a Secret Technique from outside the Immortal Dao.

’A creation of the Heterodox Dao?’

Lü Zhong frowned. So this was the true identity of the ”Demon Monster.”

A million years ago, the teachings of an Immortal laid the very foundation for the Cultivation Realm as it exists today. Since then, any legacy outside of the Immortal Dao has been labeled the Heterodox Dao. As the aesthetics of the Immortal Dao became the norm, the various creations of the Heterodox Dao came to be seen as bizarre and unsettling.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, Lü Zhong looked at the so-called ”Black Corpse Nuo core.”

According to Liu Yu, whoever controlled the Black Corpse Nuo’s core could in turn control the evil creature itself.

’Controlling a Tier Three evil creature.’

For a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, that would be a tremendous asset.

Understanding Liu Yu’s intentions, Lü Zhong flicked his hand and sent Rouge flying toward him.

He had seen from the start that this cultivator, who called himself Liu Yu, was a Demon Cultivator through and through. Now that he had the information he wanted, there was no reason to keep him alive.

Kill as many Demon Cultivators as you can find; not a single one of them is innocent.

CLANG! The sound of metal striking metal rang out.

A pitch-black arm knocked the incoming Flying Sword aside.

”Hahaha, so much for Changchun Valley!” Liu Yu laughed.

’A mighty Golden Core Master, and he couldn’t even see through a simple stalling tactic.’

At some point, the Black Corpse Nuo had appeared in the ruins and blocked the attack for Liu Yu. Its massive form was an imposing sight under the moonlight.

Lü Zhong was not the least bit surprised by this.

In fact, he had been waiting for Liu Yu to summon the Black Corpse Nuo.

’From the looks of it, the Ye Brothers and Sisters really were useless, completely played by Liu Yu.’

’If I had actually gone to the Lost Soul Forest, I would have walked right into his trap. And with no Core Formation cultivator presiding over Ningwu Market, who knows what kind of chaos he would have caused.’