A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

”What!”

”We can go?”

Upon hearing this, Gu Yao and the others felt a surge of joy mixed with a bit of unease and confusion. The situation had taken an unexpected turn; they had all thought they would have to fulfill their agreement before being allowed to leave.

They never expected it to end like this.

Yun Zhai, who had come to inform them, was just as baffled.

Lü Zhong couldn’t wait to leave. He had no desire to linger in such a dangerous place, so the moment he heard the news, he cupped his hands in farewell to Golden Flame Wanderer and the others.

Then he turned and headed for the exit of the Underground Palace.

He emerged into the light of day once more.

As the warm sunlight fell on his skin, the strange, lingering chill that had clung to him vanished, replaced by a cozy warmth that felt exceptionally comfortable.

He didn’t dwell on the reasons why things had ended prematurely.

’Based on my recent observations, it probably involves a clash at the Nascent Soul Level. A mere Core Formation Cultivator like me getting involved would be a death sentence, with nothing to gain.’

Lü Zhong bought a few gifts on Changchun Street and then headed straight out of the city.

Immediately, a streak of rainbow light shot into the sky.

’I don’t want to stay in this godforsaken place for a second longer!’

The distance from Changchun Immortal City to the Bihai Sect was over twenty thousand li, but at the Escape Speed of a Core Formation Cultivator, it would only take a few ancient hours at full tilt.

...

On the summit of Bihai Peak.

It was dusk, as the sun began to set.

Yu Feng’Er stood at the edge, the setting sun’s last rays draping her in a shimmering, golden cloak. She was gazing toward Changchun Immortal City, her face etched with worry.

Suddenly, she froze.

Her eyes fixed on a speck of light on the horizon, which was growing larger.

”It’s my husband!” Overjoyed, Yu Feng’Er waved frantically at the approaching streak of light, her eyes already turning red as tears of joy welled up.

Lü Zhong saw her too and changed his course, flying toward Bihai Peak.

The moment he landed, Yu Feng’Er threw herself into his arms.

He held the trembling Yu Feng’Er and said softly, ”What are you doing? You’re a dignified Golden Core Master, yet you’re acting like a little girl. There, there... I’m fine, see?”

He comforted her for quite a while.

Lü Zhong patted Yu Feng’Er’s back and glanced around. Noticing the mountain wind was unusually strong at night, he then rubbed his stomach and said, ”Let’s go. We can talk more when we get back.”

That night was quite an entanglement.

It was hard to say who tired out whom.

Regardless, they both slept soundly until broad daylight.

When morning came, Lü Zhong rose from the bed, feeling more relaxed than ever before. He suddenly noticed a pair of eyes on him—it was Yu Feng’Er.

The flush on her cheeks hadn’t yet faded. When she saw her husband looking back at her, she recalled the events of the previous night and, unable to contain her shyness, buried her head under the covers.

This was what Lü Zhong loved most about her.

He teased her a bit on purpose until her face was beet red, only then stopping.

He then went to his Quiet Chamber.

The room was furnished just as he had left it.

There was hardly any dust, however, which meant Yu Feng’Er must have come in to clean during her spare time.

A smile touched Lü Zhong’s lips. It took him a moment to clear his mind of stray thoughts before he sat cross-legged on the cattail mat, ready to begin cultivating once his heart had settled.

In the days that followed, he cast aside all worries and distractions, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to his cultivation.

The mission against the Evil Spirits had cost him a great deal of time, and he needed to make up for every lost second.

With his Four Spirit Root Talent, the difficulty of reaching Nascent Soul Formation was immense.

Therefore, even though his lifespan had increased to five hundred years after reaching Core Formation, he still had to seize every moment to cultivate.

Aside from his cultivation, Lü Zhong didn’t neglect his auxiliary cultivation techniques like the Jade Vein Technique, Spirit Forging Fire, and Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra. Each had its own benefits, whether by increasing his strength or boosting his cultivation speed, so there was no reason to ignore them.

The Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique, in particular, was his top priority.

...

「Summer passed into winter in the blink of an eye.」

He broke through another level of the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra, opening his fifth Acupoint.

There was no revolutionary change. Just like the previous breakthroughs, it brought a minor increase in his blood qi and physical strength, along with a significant enhancement to his physique. Lü Zhong estimated that with this breakthrough, his physical body was now comparable to a Tier Two Demon Beast, on par with a Foundation Establishment Stage Mystic Cultivator.

One day, he was sipping tea in the courtyard.

A maidservant hurried over and presented him with a message.

”Three days ago, a shocking amount of Spiritual Qi suddenly erupted from Changchun Valley? Shortly after, they stopped buying Sun Essence Qi and even started selling Small True Yang Talismans?” Lü Zhong read the message, a wave of surprise washing over him.

This series of unusual events indicated that Changchun Valley had resolved its Evil Spirits problem.

Or at the very least, they had the situation completely under control.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be selling off such important resources.

’How strange...’ Based on Lü Zhong’s previous calculations, it should have taken Changchun Valley at least another thirty to fifty years to completely eliminate the Evil Spirits. It was impossible for them to have done it so quickly.

He recalled the strange behavior of the Sword Cultivator, Mur Xuan, just before he had left.

’Perhaps, seeing that Changchun Valley was able to control the situation, the two sides finally reached an agreement,’ Lü Zhong speculated internally.

In any case, this was good news for the Southern Barbarian lands.

Then, his thoughts turned to that Divinity Transformation Grand Venerable.

Lü Zhong’s heart leaped into his throat. ’I was so unlucky,’ he thought. ’I just wanted to deal with a traitor in the sect, but I accidentally stumbled upon a secret far beyond my power and almost died for it.’

’From the looks of it, that Grand Venerable clearly hasn’t found me.’

He was very certain of this.

’I hope it all just blows over...’