A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

”Darling, you’re back?” The moment Lü Zhong arrived at Ganquan Prefecture, Yu Feng’Er rushed up to greet him, her face alight with surprise and joy. She had been worried sick while he was away.

Lü Zhong wrapped his arms around her and asked with a smile, ”Did anything happen while I was gone?”

”Nothing.” Yu Feng’Er shook her head, burying it in his warm chest. ”Changchun Valley has recovered and begun to restore order. The unrest in various places has also shown signs of calming down.”

”Hee hee, Darling, I have some good news for you!”

”What is it?” Lü Zhong asked, looking down at her.

”I’ve reached Perfection in the Foundation Establishment Realm!” Yu Feng’Er said proudly, intentionally releasing her aura. It was indeed much stronger than before, at the level expected of a Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

”Excellent! That’s wonderful!” Lü Zhong finally noticed and was immediately overjoyed for her.

Yu Feng’Er was not yet a hundred years old, and her innate talent wasn’t bad either.

If she continued like this, she still had a chance of reaching Core Formation.

”Darling...”

”Hm?” Lü Zhong realized her tone was a little off.

”I’ve already prepared the prescription Master gave me.” Yu Feng’Er had a mysterious look on her face as she took out a jade bottle from her robes and grabbed Lü Zhong, as if afraid he would run away.

”Hmph, this time, I’m definitely going to get pregnant!”

Lü Zhong was speechless.

’Alright then.’

’I hope you get what you wish for.’

...

Dawn was just breaking.

Lü Zhong gently moved the woman in his arms aside, got out of bed, and put on his Dharma Robe.

The scent of last night’s pleasure still lingered in the air.

He didn’t know if Shuini’s secret prescription could actually lead to pregnancy, but its effects were even more potent than an aphrodisiac. Despite his own minor achievements in Body Refining, he was still so thoroughly worn out that his back was sore.

’Oof, I need to recover.’

He went outside, hastily gulped down a bowl of meat stew, and then headed to the Quiet Chamber in Ganquan Cave.

He sat cross-legged and meditated for a while.

He had to consume an entire bottle of vitality-restoring Pills before he began to feel much better.

’To drain one’s Essence so intensely... maybe it really will work...’ Having recovered, Lü Zhong recalled the previous night’s events and couldn’t help but start believing in the prescription’s effectiveness.

After letting his mind wander for a while, he resumed his training.

In the Quiet Chamber, many Pill Bottles were arranged.

All of them had been collected by the Commerce Association recently. As always, the variety was vast, but most bottles contained only a single Pill, showing how difficult it was to collect them.

This was normal.

After all, with resources so scarce and everyone scrambling for them, obtaining even a single Pill was considered quite fortunate.

Lü Zhong’s gaze swept over the Pill Bottles before finally settling on a small, vermilion bottle. He smiled and said, ”A Zhengyang Pill. I remember it has the effect of warming the Yang and nourishing the body. I’ll take you first!”

He drew the jade bottle to his hand, poured out a single tangerine-colored Pill, and felt its warmth.

Then, he activated his Cultivation Body and began the daily routine of consuming Pills.

One Pill after another, one bottle after another.

Only when his meridians reached their limit did he end his basic daily cultivation.

As was his habit, it was now afternoon. Lü Zhong pushed open the door of the Quiet Chamber and walked to the garden in the Central Courtyard. Under the shade of a tea tree, a maid had already prepared Spirit Tea.

He picked up a cup and habitually blew on it a few times.

”Where is the Lady?”

”Replying to the Master, the Lady has not yet woken up,” the maid replied obediently.

’No way.’

Lü Zhong rewound the scene and saw that Yu Feng’Er was indeed still sleeping in her room. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He took a sip of the Spirit Tea from his cup, picked up a pastry, and began to savor it slowly.

After finishing the entire pot of Spirit Tea, he leisurely strolled back to the rear courtyard.

He first checked on Yu Feng’Er, then went to the Quiet Chamber.

According to his established plan, today was for comprehending the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique.

He had only trained this technique to the first layer, so the Celestial Net Eye between his brows was incomplete. He needed to cultivate it to the Third Layer for it to be a complete Celestial Net Eye, at which point its effects would far surpass their current level.

Filled with anticipation,

Lü Zhong braced himself and continued to study the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique.

...

The days that followed were peaceful.

Every day, besides his training, Lü Zhong would comprehend the Secret Skills he had on hand. He never had a moment of leisure. Sometimes, he would also be pestered by Yu Feng’Er, living a life of both pain and pleasure.

Time flowed by. Spring came and went, and came again; flowers bloomed and withered, and bloomed once more.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

Before the Lantern Festival, an explosive piece of news spread from Changchun Immortal City.

Yun Yao Ancestor had exhausted his lifespan and passed away!

For a time, the news sent shockwaves throughout the entire Southern Barbarian region.

When Lü Zhong heard this news, he was also extremely surprised. He never thought he would live to see a True Monarch pass away.

’With Yun Yao Ancestor gone, the Changchun Domain, which had just calmed down...’

’Forget it. This isn’t something I should be worrying about.’

Recently, there had been a stream of good news from the Three Sects of Bihai.

Influenced by the great chaos in the Changchun Domain, it had become much easier for them to attract people.

Not only did they meet their established goals, but they also managed to attract an additional hundred thousand, or even several hundred thousand, migrants. This instantly brought a new liveliness to the Bihai Island Group.

With this foundation, the survival of the Three Sects of Bihai was no longer an issue.

’What should I send them?’ Lü Zhong wondered.

Running a Sect was similar to running a company. In the beginning, it was all sustained by benefits. Since they were doing a great job, it wouldn’t be right for him, their Ancestor, not to show his appreciation.

’Hmm, I’ll give them some Foundation Establishment Pills, and some extra Foundation Establishment Pills.’

Lü Zhong wasn’t afraid of taking a loss.

Relying on the overt and covert support of the Three Sects of Bihai, the Chengde Commerce Association had already monopolized trade in the Bihai Island Group. As long as the Spirit Stones earned by the cultivators here weren’t taken away, they would eventually end up in the Commerce Association’s pockets.

Earn in Bihai, spend in Bihai. Don’t think of taking a single cent home.

The sooner the Three Sects developed, the sooner they could be of help to him.

Just as he was thinking, the sound of footsteps approached.

”Darling, the Lantern Festival is here. Shall we go see the lanterns together?” Yu Feng’Er was splendidly dressed, looking more charming and captivating than ever before, as she invited him with a smile.

Lü Zhong thought he had nothing else to do, so he nodded and agreed.

At this time, the Ganquan Commercial Harbor was adorned everywhere with magnificent lanterns.

As one of the most important festivals in the Southern Barbarian region, both mortals and cultivators placed great importance on the Lantern Festival. House by house, the decorations transformed the entire commercial harbor into a sea of lights.

It wasn’t just the shore; the ships in the harbor were also lit up with lights.

Accompanying Yu Feng’Er on a stroll, eating delicious snacks from the Western Realm, the Northern Border, and the East Sea, greatly lifted Lü Zhong’s spirits, sweeping away the frustrations of the past few years.

After walking around, they returned to the peak of Ganquan Mountain.

Watching the lanterns slowly rising into the sky, Yu Feng’Er closed her eyes and made a wish.

”What did you wish for?” Lü Zhong asked curiously.

Every year at this time, Yu Feng’Er would make a wish but was never willing to tell him, always keeping it a secret, believing that speaking it aloud would make it not come true.

”Hee hee, I’m not telling you!” Yu Feng’Er, as always, buried the secret deep in her heart.

”Alright.” Lü Zhong spread his hands in a shrug.

...

「In the seventh month.」

A guest came to visit.

It was Qingding Master.

When Lü Zhong learned who it was, he was slightly alarmed, thinking his past actions had been exposed.

But on second thought, he felt it was impossible.

Not everyone had his ability to rewind scenes. Without the power of Peeping at Celestial Secrets, it stood to reason that no one could find out the truth.

Lü Zhong collected himself and decided to meet him first and see what he wanted.

In the reception hall.

”Fellow Daoist Lü, please forgive Qingding for this sudden visit,” Qingding Master said, raising a hand in salute.

”Fellow Daoist, there’s no need for such formalities.”

Lü Zhong returned the salute and invited him to take a seat.

As was customary, they made small talk for a while before Qingding Master quickly stated the purpose of his visit.

He took a Jade Scroll from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and cupped his hands. ”I have long heard that Fellow Daoist Lü is an expert in the Talisman Dao. I wonder if you have the ability to create this talisman?”

”What talisman?”

”The Small True Yang Talisman.”

Lü Zhong couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath.

The Small True Yang Talisman... that was a Tier Three Secret Talisman.

He had seen it recorded many times in ancient texts. It was said to have an extremely powerful Exorcising Effect, with a might several times greater than his own Purple Nether Extreme Fire.

In the million-year history of the Cultivation Realm, there had been times when Demon Cultivators grew powerful.

But they all eventually waned.

The reason was a series of immortal-handed-down knowledge, such as the Small True Yang Talisman and the Wood Thunder Skill, which were extremely effective against Ghost Cultivators, Corpse Cultivators, and Demon Cultivators. They were truly like natural predators.

’Strange. What does Changchun Valley want with this kind of talisman?’

’They’re so desperate they’re even willing to let the creation method be known to outsiders.’

’Could it be...’

Lü Zhong’s thoughts turned, and he connected it to the recently deceased Yun Yao Ancestor.

’Don’t tell me... something went wrong with him?’