A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

With a flick of his sleeve, all the Spirit Stones in the pile of items were levitated out.

Neatly stacked together, they were worth a total of 81,009 Spirit Stones. This included three High-grade spirit stones and a good number of Mid-grade Spirit Stones. Oddly enough, there were only nine Lower-grade spirit stones.

’A good start!’ Lü Zhong was inwardly delighted and continued examining the loot.

A hodgepodge of medicinal Pills.

Spring Splendor Pills, Origin-Nurturing Pills, Foundation Establishment Pills, and so on. Among them were some he could identify and others whose origins he couldn’t. A rough estimate based on their Spiritual Qi content put their value at around 150,000 Spirit Stones, with the three Foundation Establishment Pills accounting for the majority of the worth.

Tier One, Two, and Three Talismans. They were mostly ordinary, but could still fetch a decent price.

Magical Artifacts, Spiritual Artifacts, Cultivation Techniques...

As he took stock of everything, one item at a time, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but wonder if he had stumbled upon a clan’s Treasure Vault. ’Otherwise, how could a mere late-stage Core Formation cultivator like Fang Xiaoyun have a Storage Bag this loaded?’

All told, the items were worth at least 300,000 Spirit Stones.

’This is insane!’

Shaking his head in amazement, he turned his gaze to a pile of miscellaneous junk.

It was mostly daily necessities—clothing, furniture, and the like.

They were probably for setting up temporary resting places.

There were also some musical items, such as unique, hand-bound scores and a precious zither. There were also some Go manuals and stones, clearly things Fang Xiaoyun used for recreation.

As he sorted through the items one by one, Lü Zhong levitated a wooden strip and let out a soft sound of surprise.

Following the wood’s grain, he gave it a gentle twist, and the strip split in two. At almost the same instant, a peculiar fragrance wafted out.

When he saw what was inside...

Lü Zhong drew in a sharp breath.

’It’s an Infant Essence Lingzhi!’

Infant Essence Lingzhi. According to the ancient texts, it was a spiritual object that aided in achieving Nascent Soul Formation. Its exact function was not specified, but the texts described its appearance as resembling a pale, tender infant, and noted its unique fragrance—a mixture of musk orchid and peony.

He looked again, examining it closely.

’There’s no mistake. This is absolutely an Infant Essence Lingzhi.’

’He’d hit the jackpot!’

Even with the grievous injuries he’d sustained, getting this Infant Essence Lingzhi was more than worth the price.

The difficulty of reaching Nascent Soul Formation was many times greater than that of Core Formation. Not only did one have to endure the terrifying Six-Nine Great Celestial Tribulation, but one also had to contend with the fact that auxiliary Spiritual Objects were nearly impossible to find.

That was why, in the entire vast region of the Southern Barbarian lands, the total number of Nascent Soul cultivators could be counted on one hand.

After carefully putting away the Infant Essence Lingzhi, Lü Zhong’s heart began to pound in his chest. He suddenly burst into a fit of laughter, waking the sleeping Yu Feng’Er.

”Husband, what are you laughing about?”

”I’m laughing at Fang Xiaoyun. He spent so many years making all those preparations, only to have someone else reap all the benefits in the end!” Lü Zhong couldn’t help but wonder what Fang Xiaoyun must have been feeling right before he died.

’It was probably deep regret and bitter unwillingness, wasn’t it?’

...

「Another year passed.」

Winter on the deserted island was nothing like the continuous, dreary rain of the Southern Barbarian lands. Here, there were only downpours and scorching sun, alternating relentlessly with little change from one day to the next.

The inside of the cave on the mountainside had been completely transformed.

Lü Zhong had spent time organizing it, turning it into a proper dwelling fit for a cultivator’s seclusion.

A fire crackled with a large pot suspended over it. Inside, freshly caught sea fish, seaweed, and shellfish simmered together with thin strips of demon beast essence meat, all thrown in to stew.

The ingredients tumbled in the boiling water, BUBBLE BUBBLE, letting off hot steam.

An enticing aroma wafted out, enough to make anyone’s mouth water in an instant. Neither of them had expected their haphazard stew to turn out so well.

”Husband, is it ready yet?” Yu Feng’Er asked, gazing eagerly at the food in the pot.

”Just a little longer.”

Lü Zhong, holding a bowl and chopsticks, also wore an expression of anticipation.

They waited patiently for a little while longer.

At last, the stew was ready.

”Tomorrow, we’ll leave for the Bihai Sect. You’ll stay there for a while. Once I’ve settled things with the Fang Family, we’ll go to Ganquan Island together,” Lü Zhong said, laying out his plan.

”Alright, I’ll do as you say, Husband.” Yu Feng’Er didn’t object.

Even though she was reluctant for this time to end.

In all this time, even though they had no servants or fine clothes and had to hunt for their own food each day, it was without a doubt the most carefree time she had ever experienced.

More than once, Yu Feng’Er had thought, ’How wonderful would it be if days like these could last forever?’

But she also knew it was impossible.

It was just like how...

’...one day, she would inevitably reach a point where her cultivation Realm could no longer advance, and she would have no choice but to leave her husband as her lifespan ran out.’

She took a deep breath and smiled.

”This is life, isn’t it?”

”Yes, this is life.” Lü Zhong assumed Yu Feng’Er was sighing over their recent experiences and responded with heartfelt agreement.

...

A streak of rainbow light shot across the sea, its powerful Gang Wind parting the ocean surface and carving a deep trench. Only a moment later did the thunderous ROAR of its passage arrive.

Only after the streak of light had vanished into the distance did the parted sea slowly close again.

After ensuring Yu Feng’Er was safely settled, Lü Zhong was now flying toward Changchun Immortal City.

He now held the upper hand in the matter of the Fang Family.

With the greatest threat, Fang Xiaoyun, gone, the remaining enemies posed little danger. As for the two remaining Core Formation cultivators from the Fang Family and the three allied Core Formation Clan ancestors, they were no threat to the current Lü Zhong, so long as he wasn’t ambushed by all five at once.

’Should I pick them off one by one, or...’

He mulled over his strategy as he flew.

The safest method, of course, was to divide and conquer.

That wouldn’t be difficult to achieve. All five of them had their own clans and territories to protect. Lü Zhong, on the other hand, was already mentally prepared to lose both the Chengde Commerce Association and Ganquan Island, making him effectively a Loose Cultivator.

Loose Cultivators were so unwelcome precisely because they were untethered and unrestrained.

Just as he was pondering this, a massive city appeared on the horizon.

Changchun Immortal City. Even after the great calamity it had recently suffered, it was still thriving. The harbor was dense with the silhouettes of sails, and the streets flowed with people like woven threads. It seemed to have already recovered.

After landing, Lü Zhong planned to first gather some information: the current status of the Chengde Commerce Association, and the recent movements of the Fang Family and their four allies. This would inform his next move.

Unexpectedly, just as he entered the city, someone came walking toward him.

It was Qingding Master.

It had been some time since they had last met, and his cultivation had clearly advanced. He was likely not far from the Fake Infant Realm.

”It’s been a long time, Fellow Daoist Lü!”

”Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qingding.” Lü Zhong sized up Qingding for a moment, his gaze then flicking past him to the distance. Five figures stood there, their gazes fixed on him, each with a complex expression.

”What, is Changchun Valley planning to interfere in this matter?”

”That’s right!” Qingding Master said with a smile.

Seeing the change in Lü Zhong’s expression, he dropped his smile. He glanced back at Fang Hongshang and the other four before turning back. ”With the beast tide imminent, the Changchun Domain cannot afford to lose any more of its strength, or a catastrophe will befall us. If I’m not mistaken, Fellow Daoist, you were planning to eliminate the ancestors of their four clans one by one, weren’t you?”

”Indeed.” Lü Zhong didn’t deny it. Anyone could have guessed as much.

One had to cut the grass and pull the roots. His plan was to eradicate the Fang Family and their allies, root and stem, lest some once-in-a-generation genius appear among them and cause him some melodramatic trouble in the future.

’Just as I thought,’ Qingding said to himself.

Meanwhile, when Fang Hongshang and the other four heard this, they couldn’t help but start to move closer.

As things stood, if the five of them ganged up on him, they might just have a chance to eliminate Lü Zhong and nip the threat of their clans’ annihilation in the bud.

A sudden cold snort from Qingding Master stopped them.

”If it weren’t for these difficult times, when your strength is desperately needed...” He trailed off, clearly unwilling to waste any more words. He then presented a magical decree to Lü Zhong, his tone turning cold. ”This is the will of my Master, the Wanmu True Monarch. I ask that Fellow Daoist Lü read it carefully and give me an immediate answer.”

The decree’s contents were simple: the grudge between Lü Zhong and the Fang Family and its allies was to be written off. The Fang Family would return the usurped Chengde Commerce Association and Ganquan Island and sign a hundred-year peace treaty.

Though deeply reluctant, Lü Zhong had no choice but to comply.

There was no helping it. A Nascent Soul True Monarch had spoken.

In the world of cultivation, a single great Realm of difference was enough to crush a man to death.