A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

”AAAAAAAH!!!”

The woman in white shrieked.

The thick black hair on her back writhed wildly, lashing out like venomous snakes as it shot toward Lü Zhong. Strands of it whistled through the air, slithering toward him in a coiling mass.

In the blink of an eye, it was upon him!

Lü Zhong summoned the Flood Dragon Spirit Banner, Casting as he retreated.

A constant barrage of dull thuds and strikes echoed out, interspersed with the roar of thunder.

The purple Spirit Flame illuminated the area in sharp detail, completely purging the crimson light that had been encroaching upon Lü Zhong.

He knew exactly what he was up against.

This woman in white was an Evil Spirit in the truest sense of the word!

”CLANG!”

Rouge clashed with a strand of hair, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

A Small True Yang Talisman then descended, unleashing a blinding golden light. Scorching Sun Essence Qi surged forth, engulfing the strand of hair before erupting into a massive golden flame.

The power of the woman in white far exceeded Lü Zhong’s initial estimate.

She was on par with an Elite Core Formation Cultivator.

”SQUELCH!”

The woman in white lifted her wide-brimmed hat, revealing a disgusting, dark-brown face. It was featureless and covered in wrinkles, and in an instant, finger-sized holes squirmed open across its surface.

A wet, gushing sound filled the air.

Over a dozen black shadows shot out.

But before the black shadows could even get far, a Thunder Spear struck!

It pierced through all the black shadows and plunged into the head of the woman in white.

The sizzle and crackle were incessant.

The woman in white froze and convulsed. Serpents of lightning crawled across her form, and her limbs began to shake uncontrollably, as if she were having a seizure.

Before it could recover, three more Thunder Spears followed in quick succession.

With a series of explosive cracks and pops, the woman in white’s body erupted in great bursts of electric sparks, like a firework display.

’As expected of Thunder Skill!’

Lü Zhong’s Thunderous Spear was far more effective against an Evil Spirit like this than a Magical Treasure. His Rouge had failed to sever even a single strand of its hair, yet the moment he used his Wood Thunder Skill, it inflicted immense damage.

He decided to strike while the iron was hot.

Without sparing his Magical Power, he formed one Thunderous Spear after another.

In moments, he had turned the woman in white into a pincushion.

Even so, it continued its ’firework display’ for several long minutes before finally dissipating.

Once the Evil Spirit vanished, a ball of red light remained in its place.

At the same time, a strange expression crossed Lü Zhong’s face.

He reached for his waist and felt an extra ”Golden Long Needle”—it was the Thunder-Attracting Needle.

Ever since he had obtained it from Yue Cang, the item had been completely dormant. He never imagined that today it would shatter all of its seals and begin to hum with resonance.

’You want that ball of red light?’

Lü Zhong interpreted the Thunder-Attracting Needle’s intent.

’Interesting!’

’If you want it, you can have it.’

He tossed the Thunder-Attracting Needle toward the ball of red light. Upon contact, the treasure devoured the light in a few quick gulps. It then flew back of its own accord and landed in Lü Zhong’s hand.

He tried to wield it and found the feeling of resistance had lessened slightly.

It was a significant improvement over the initial ’rusty’ feel.

”What is this supposed to be?” Lü Zhong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’Is this a case of ’you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,’ or is this more like feeding it to unlock new features?’

This also made him realize that the Thunder-Attracting Needle had definitely developed Spiritual Wisdom. If this continued, and if he could help its Artifact Spirit grow stronger, there was a real chance it could undergo a Metamorphosis and become a Spirit Treasure.

He put the matter out of his mind and stored the Thunder-Attracting Needle away.

Before long, several streaks of Escape Light appeared.

It was a team of seven Core Formation cultivators from Changchun Valley.

The cultivator leading them was someone Lü Zhong had never seen before: an old man in a blue Dharma Robe. The aura of thunder and fire around him was exceptionally potent; even his sideburns were shaped like lightning bolts.

He also had a Mid-stage Core Formation Cultivation, but his aura was no weaker than Lü Zhong’s.

The newcomer surveyed the area, and it was not difficult to guess that a great battle had just taken place. He turned to Lü Zhong, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, ”I am Yun Zhai of Mingyu Peak. Black energy was surging from this location just now. Might I ask what happened?”

”I ran into a troublesome Soul of the Dead, but I’ve already dealt with it.” Lü Zhong didn’t mention the term ”Evil Spirit.” It was a secret that someone of his standing shouldn’t know, so it was better to be cautious.

”I see!” Yun Zhai nodded, not probing further. He then added, ”By the way, I can see your Thunder Skill is exquisite, Fellow Daoist Lü. If we have the chance in the future, perhaps we could discuss it together?”

”Of course!” Lü Zhong agreed.

It was clear at a glance that Yun Zhai was an expert in Thunder Skill. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel in seclusion, Lü Zhong thought it would be better to exchange insights with him. He might even gain something unexpected from it.

”Hahaha, then it’s settled!” Yun Zhai laughed heartily.

He then reached into his wide sleeve, pulled out a wooden plaque, and handed it over. ”Here, this is the Token for my estate. Should you wish to visit, you can use it to enter Changchun Valley.”

Lü Zhong accepted it, noting its exquisite craftsmanship.

”We won’t disturb you any longer. We’ll take our leave!” Yun Zhai cupped his hands and swiftly departed with his men.

Seeing that no more Souls of the Dead were appearing for the time being, Lü Zhong turned and headed toward a rest area. He needed to properly recover his Magical Power, lest he encounter an unexpected danger.

He spent the following days slaying Souls of the Dead.

Strangely, however, he never encountered another Evil Spirit like the woman in white.

During that time, he had also approached the core area.

Based on his scrying of past events, the revival of the suppressed late-stage Nascent Soul Evil Spirit seemed to have been interrupted. Its power was now steadily leaking out, its aura growing weaker by the day.

Evidently, Changchun Valley had found a way to resolve the hidden threat.

If they continued to wear it down bit by bit, they would eventually solve the problem.

「A month passed in the blink of an eye.」

After leaving the Underground Palace beneath the lake, Lü Zhong made a stop at Changchun Street. He won two bottles of medicinal Pills at an auction before renting an estate in the inner city, planning to live there for the next ten years.

...

「In the Quiet Chamber.」