A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Lü Zhong rose early to get dressed. After breakfast, he set out for Changchun Immortal City to attend the Changchun Domain’s grand auction, held once every ten years.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but the recent situation in the Southern Barbarian lands felt turbulent and treacherous.

The Lingyue Domain, which had been growing more chaotic by the day, suddenly stabilized as if a pause had been declared. At the same time, rumors began to circulate frequently about the two border Sects that had previously kept a low profile: the Xuanyang Sect to the south and the Celestial Blade Sect to the north.

As for the Changchun Domain, there had also been one or two incidents where entire sects or clans were wiped out under what outsiders considered mysterious circumstances.

All of them had been factions skilled in celestial divination.

Common speculation was that their destruction was due to backlash from the Celestial Dao. Such things had happened before; various records clearly state that this is the typical fate for such factions.

But Lü Zhong didn’t think so.

’That person must have already started making their move...’

The power a Divinity Transformation Grand Venerable could command was beyond what a mere Core Formation cultivator could imagine. He was fairly certain that the strange turn of events in the Southern Barbarian lands was connected to that individual.

’I have to be even more cautious from now on! I absolutely cannot afford to reveal myself.’

At this thought, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief. He was lucky his Flying Star Golden Core’s Divine Technique was ”Star Shifting and Dipper Changing,” which could conceal him from celestial prying. If he had awakened any other Divine Technique, he’d probably be a scattered soul by now.

He flew in spurts, stopping periodically along the way.

When he grew tired, he would rest on a deserted island.

By dawn the next day, he had arrived at Changchun Immortal City.

Looking down from the sky, the massive crater from the explosion within the Changchun Valley gates had long since become a lake. It was said that to commemorate the Yun Yao Ancestor, it had been named ”Cloud Medicine Lake.”

’Yun Yao...’

Lü Zhong mulled over the name.

As for the Yun Yao Ancestor, given the current situation, he had clearly done more harm than good.

He had left a ticking time bomb for his Sect, Changchun Valley, and the entire Southern Domain. One could only imagine the danger posed by Evil Spirits at the Late-stage Nascent Soul Level—so dangerous that the great Changchun Valley, a Nascent Soul Sect with ten thousand years of history, could only rely on Small True Yang Talismans to suppress and seal them, unable to eliminate them completely.

And that wasn’t all. He had also drawn the attention of a Divinity Transformation expert to the Southern Domain.

Ascension!

To a cultivator, that word was practically synonymous with ”Longevity.”

He had even turned the perfectly fine Western Realm into a living hell, with countless deaths. It was easy to imagine that this Divinity Transformation Grand Venerable would eliminate any obstacle in his path to Ascension.

’Sigh. These are truly troubled times!’

Lü Zhong pushed the thoughts aside and stepped into the auction house.

A fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged attendant immediately came forward to greet him, leading him to a simple yet elegant private room. Candied fruits and Spirit Tea were served, all befitting the standard treatment for a Golden Core Master.

The auction began soon after.

Many items were auctioned, but few caught his eye.

...

”A High-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, personally refined by the Wanmu True Monarch! Consuming it grants a fifty percent Foundation Establishment Success Rate... The starting bid is one hundred thousand Spirit Stones, with each increment no less than one thousand!”

Hearing the auctioneer’s introduction, Lü Zhong’s interest was piqued. He was a little surprised, thinking to himself, ’I didn’t expect to see something this good on this trip!’

There was a good reason this Foundation Establishment Pill was so expensive.

If one merely wanted to reach Foundation Establishment, taking this pill would be a waste. Its true purpose was for the Core Formation or even Nascent Soul Seeds of major factions to consume. It prevented them from failing their Foundation Establishment due to an accident, which would leave them with insufficient time to break through to higher Realms, thus wasting their excellent talent and the vast resources invested in them.

”One hundred and fifty thousand!” Lü Zhong placed a bid.

Seeing the fierce competition, he decided to join in on the fun.

After a round of bidding, it was finally sold for the high price of two hundred and ten thousand Spirit Stones to a mysterious cultivator in the audience. This person, barring any surprises, was likely from a major faction.

In the future, a series of troubles would surely revolve around this Foundation Establishment Pill.

...

”Silver Marrow! Whether refined into a Magical Treasure or used for practicing Magic Techniques, its uses are endless... The starting bid is one hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Stones, and payment must be made in High-grade spirit stones!”

When Lü Zhong saw his target item appear, he couldn’t help but feel his breath quicken.

He had been yearning for it for so long, he never expected it to appear at an auction. When he first heard the news, he had been stunned speechless for a good while, only accepting the shocking information after verifying it multiple times.

’Now that I think about it, perhaps Changchun Valley deliberately let this leak out,’ Lü Zhong speculated.

Silver Marrow, whether refined into a Magical Treasure or used for practicing Magic Techniques, was inextricably linked to thunder and lightning. The conditions for its formation were extremely harsh: it required a Thunder Sea in the highest heavens.

After falling to the earth, it had to be nourished by lightning for thousands of years before it could form into marrow.

Connecting this to the matter of the Evil Spirits, Changchun Valley’s intentions became crystal clear.

’If I win this item, I’ll most likely receive an invitation from Changchun Valley to help exterminate those spirits...’ At this thought, Lü Zhong suppressed his excitement and began to weigh the pros and cons.

The cautious approach would be to give up on bidding.

But on second thought, that would seem far too deliberate. After all, the fact that he possessed a Thunder Skill was known to quite a few people, and avoiding the auction would inevitably arouse suspicion.

’Hmm, not knowing that person’s plan, how would my normal self act? Without a doubt, I would fight for it with all my might, the kind of person who wouldn’t give up until I had it in my hands...’

Lü Zhong quickly made his decision.

”Two hundred and twenty thousand!”

There weren’t many rivals with the strength to compete.