A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

During this period, aside from his daily cultivation, Lü Zhong spent most of his remaining time refining Star Stones. As he integrated one Star Stone after another into the Star Mirror, his Lifebound Treasure’s power continued to grow.

A brief test revealed its power was now more than double what it had been when he first forged it.

’I wonder how effective the Star Gathering Skill is now?’

With a thought, Lü Zhong activated the Star Mirror’s innate Divine Technique.

Instantly, a wave of starlight enveloped him.

Even though it was broad daylight, the effect was no less potent than it had been on a starry night. Coupled with the Star Blessing from his Star Patterned Magic Robe, his aura surged, reaching a level that could even rival a Mid-stage Core Formation cultivator.

’What a terrifying boost!’

’On a Star Moon Night, the boost to my power would be even greater. I bet I could even take on a Mid-stage Core Formation cultivator!’ Lü Zhong was ecstatic.

The risks he had taken were completely worth it.

He then thought of the Star Iron Stone. This item could enhance the effects of the Star Gathering Skill. While it wasn’t a simple additive effect, it would still provide a considerable boost. This would translate into a significant increase in his overall power.

Forcing himself to curb his enthusiasm, Lü Zhong decided to hold off for now.

He shouldn’t overdo it.

The Star Mirror had just absorbed a large number of Star Stones, so it was in a period where it needed refinement. If he tried to integrate the Star Iron Stone now, it might actually have a negative effect. Therefore, he decided to wait a while before refining it into the Magical Treasure.

As for now... he would rest for a few days.

Lü Zhong left the Quiet Chamber and went to Changchun Street.

At the center of the street stood the Wind and Elegance Pavilion, a premier social venue in Changchun Immortal City. One needed at least a Foundation Establishment Cultivation to even enter, and the third and uppermost floor was accessible only to Core Formation Cultivators.

Without needing to reveal his cultivation, the moment he stepped out of his Beast Vehicle, an enthusiastic female attendant in the Late-stage Qi Refining realm greeted him and led him up to a private room on the top floor.

The view from the Wind and Elegance Pavilion was unparalleled. From there, one could take in the entire vista of the Immortal City.

A beautiful view was before him, but Lü Zhong was in no mood to admire it.

Gazing at the Golden Page, at the list of Spiritual Food dishes that started at a thousand Spirit Stones each, even someone like him with an annual income of one hundred thousand felt a painful sting.

But to make a good impression on his guest, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and splurge this one time.

It couldn’t be helped. Transmission Arrays were hard to come by.

The other party had only agreed to meet because they were both Core Formation cultivators.

Complete Transmission Array Maps were almost exclusively held by the major powers.

The Transmission Array Maps in circulation were, for the most part, flawed and incomplete. Setting up a Transmission Array was difficult enough as it was; if any part of the map was missing, the difficulty would skyrocket, making the task nearly impossible.

Over a million years of history, even the most secure vaults develop leaks.

This was precisely why ultra-long-distance Transmission Arrays had been lost to time.

He was leaning against the railing, admiring the city view, when he heard footsteps approaching from outside. A handsome, middle-aged man in a cyan cape and a golden crown stepped into the private room. The man glanced at the dishes on the table, and his cold expression softened slightly.

This was Long Qing, the Clan Leader of the Long Family from Array Sword Mountain.

Array Sword Mountain had a legacy of nearly ten thousand years and was one of the oldest Golden Core Clans in the Changchun Domain.

Over so many years, the Long Family’s connections had become deeply entrenched throughout the Changchun Domain and even the entire Southern Barbarian region. Thus, even though both men were at the same cultivation stage, Lü Zhong’s status was inherently lower than Long Qing’s.

”I’ve heard so much about you, Fellow Daoist Long. Please, have a seat!” Lü Zhong said with forced enthusiasm.

Throughout their initial exchange, Long Qing put on airs.

But Lü Zhong could only swallow his pride and play along. ’I’ll just treat this as an investment,’ he thought. ’One day, when I reach the Nascent Soul realm, I’ll pay him back for this.’

Sometimes, life was just that frustrating.

Even a powerful Core Formation cultivator was no exception.

”Fellow Daoist Lü, I’ll be blunt,” Long Qing began. ”If you want a short-distance Transmission Array, then out of consideration for the fact that we are both Core Formation cultivators of the Changchun Domain, Array Sword Mountain can be persuaded to accommodate you.”

Long Qing paused here, setting down his chopsticks. ”However,” he continued, ”you must trade three ingots of Nether Flame Purple Iron for it. That is the only way. When you’ve gathered them, Fellow Daoist, we can speak of this again.”

”Goodbye.”

He left abruptly, unwilling to waste another moment on pleasantries.

To be treated this way as a dignified Core Formation Cultivator...

Lü Zhong was naturally furious, but that was the reality of his situation.

He didn’t dwell on it. After all, as a cultivator with nearly a century of experience, he had the mental fortitude to be adaptable.

It came back to his earlier thought.

’When my cultivation is greater, I’ll settle this score!’

’Nether Flame Purple Iron... that won’t be easy to obtain,’ Lü Zhong mused.

The material was found in the Southern Barbarian Far South, in a place called the Nether Abyss Continent. It was a land uncharted by the ancient Human Race. Just reaching the continent was a massive challenge, to say nothing of finding a vein of Nether Flame Purple Iron Ore.

But no matter how difficult, he had to bite the bullet and try.

’Thankfully, I have the Chengde Commerce Association!’ Lü Zhong thought.

The Chengde Commerce Association’s growth had recently begun to plateau. Any further expansion would infringe upon the interests of the established commerce associations backed by the great Noble Families, and he currently lacked the power to clash with such forces.

Changing the Commerce Association’s direction of development would allow him to avoid conflict while simultaneously accumulating power.

’The route from Changchun Harbor to the Nether Abyss Continent passes through the Bihai Island Group. The islands have many local specialties, which have only ever been brought back in small batches by adventurous cultivators. If the Commerce Association opened a Workshop Market there, it could become a great source of revenue.’

Once a foothold was established in the Bihai Island Group, he could expand towards the Nether Abyss Continent.

Lü Zhong laid out five ten-year plans.

The first ten-year plan: have the fleet land in the Bihai Island Group and establish a foothold!

By developing step by step, he would one day achieve his goal.

It was worth spending that much time to obtain the Transmission Array technology.

’However, I must also guard against the accompanying risks!’ Having weathered many storms in his life, Lü Zhong knew that the established commerce associations of the great Noble Families were experts at swooping in to steal the fruits of another’s labor.

He refused to let the source of revenue he worked so hard to build end up in someone else’s hands.

’Perhaps it’s time to cultivate my own armed forces.’

Lü Zhong had long had the idea of founding a Sect.

A so-called Sect was, in essence, a resource-gathering machine.

All of its rules and systems, from training disciples to passing down Cultivation Techniques, ultimately served the purpose of gathering resources and monopolizing resource-rich territories to support the one who controlled the Sect from behind the scenes.

Founding a Sect would undoubtedly require a huge initial investment.

But once it was established, the returns would be immense.

In terms of combat, for instance.

Having the Sect’s elite forces to help was always better than fighting alone.

Furthermore, once the Sect he supported was developed, it could act as a counterbalance to the Chengde Commerce Association. This would prevent the association from becoming too powerful to control, which could risk him losing that crucial source of income.

’This matter can’t be rushed. I’ll draft thirty ten-year plans,’ Lü Zhong thought silently.

There was one prerequisite to founding a Sect: the Chengde Commerce Association had to first establish a foothold in the Bihai Island Group. Otherwise, he feared no cultivator would dare to join a Sect founded overseas.

...

「In the Quiet Chamber.」

Lü Zhong sat cross-legged.

The effects of the Bright Flower Jade were excellent. Wearing it calmed his mind, and the True Essence he converted was of superior quality. This saved him time on Spirit Forging, effectively boosting his cultivation efficiency.

Improving one’s cultivation was, in essence, a process of finding the optimal solution.

The number of times a cultivator could practice per day was fixed. Thus, how to raise one’s cultivation as much as possible within that limited time was a problem the Cultivation Realm had been desperately trying to solve for millions of years.

Aptitude, Pills, Spirit Veins, and supplementary Spiritual Objects.

All of these were the results of that exploration.

The scarcity of resources led to the current state of the Cultivation Realm, a system in which aptitude was paramount.

Lü Zhong only possessed Four Spirit Roots. Even after several improvements to his innate talent, he still couldn’t escape its limitations. However, by piling on massive amounts of resources, his cultivation breakthrough speed, while unable to compare to someone with a Celestial Spirit Root, was at least no slower than someone with an Earth Spirit Root.

This was the optimal solution he had found for himself.

He put away the empty bottle.

After finishing his daily cultivation routine, he still had a mountain of other tasks to attend to.

He couldn’t neglect his Star Force Body Tempering. Cultivating the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique was also essential. Nurturing his Lifebound Treasure went without saying. And then there was the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra, the routine tempering of his True Essence with Spirit Forging Fire, and so on.

Tasks like these occupied nearly all of his time.

’A five-hundred-year lifespan is long, but I have to make every moment count. I can’t afford to slack off in the slightest.’

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but sigh at how little time he had.