A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

In the following days, Lü Zhong focused his energy on the Jade Vein Technique.

His Vein Tempering sessions went from once a month to once every ten days. With a massive investment of Spirit Stones, his progress in the Cultivation Technique surged, and his meridians began turning to jade at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Thanks to this, his cultivation speed increased significantly.

Although it hadn’t returned to the level he’d had right after Core Formation, he was already quite satisfied.

To Lü Zhong’s pleasant surprise, strengthening the meridians throughout his body also helped with cultivating the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra by reducing the dangers of Acupoint Piercing.

To put it in concrete numbers, this increased his success rate by about ten percent.

By the time the gloomy sky finally cleared, winter had given way to spring, and a new year had begun.

The Bihai Sect gained another Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The new Foundation Establishment cultivator was an Inner Sect Disciple named Lu Baokui.

Having learned from past mistakes, Lü Zhong had made sure to investigate him.

The man had a clean background. Unlike Chu Dayun, who’d had one of those ”spirit grandfathers” in his possession, Lu Baokui had relied entirely on his own hard work to stand out among the disciples, successfully reaching Foundation Establishment at the ripe old age of fifty-nine, just barely making the cut.

During the Foundation Establishment ceremony, Lü Zhong granted Lu Baokui an audience.

Lu Baokui had an ordinary face and an unremarkable build. Even dressed in a new Dharma Robe, he gave off the impression of an old farmer. Only his steady, composed temperament outshone those around him.

”Disciple Lu Baokui greets the Ancestor!” Lu Baokui said, performing a deep bow.

He was extremely nervous at that moment. After all, the man on the throne was a Golden Core Ancestor. Even though he had just advanced to the Foundation Establishment realm, he couldn’t even dream of catching up to him; the gap in their strength was unimaginably vast.

Gazing at the anxious Lu Baokui, Lü Zhong appeared calm, but inwardly he wondered, ’Am I really that frightening? On second thought, I suppose I am.’

He usually lived in seclusion and rarely appeared before the disciples. He was, as they say, as elusive as a divine dragon—one might glimpse its head, but never its tail.

Under these circumstances, the only way for the disciples to learn about their Ancestor was through the Sect’s historical records.

Lü Zhong didn’t need to read them to know what they contained.

It was nothing but tales of great slaughter: from slaying the Bidao Wanderer at the Sect’s founding to later fighting a Water Flood Dragon single-handedly without being defeated. All of this served to build the image of an iron-willed, ruthless, and immensely powerful Ancestor.

This image had its benefits, as it was the fastest way to build an aura of authority.

The disadvantage, of course, was what was happening right now: it instilled fear in his subordinates.

There are always trade-offs, and Lü Zhong didn’t mind this particular drawback.

Handing Lu Baokui a Storage Bag, he said with a smile, ”Inside is a volume of the Water Cloud Golden Image Technique and a High-grade Magical Artifact, the Water Luo Pestle. Consider them my gift to you.”

The Magical Artifact was nothing special; the Heart Method was the real prize.

The Water Cloud Golden Image Technique was a High-level Cultivation Technique that one could practice all the way to the Early-stage of Core Formation. It was in a completely different league from the Water Murmur Mantra that Lu Baokui had originally practiced and was also a much better match for his water, metal, and earth Three Spirit Roots.

As expected, the moment Lu Baokui heard this, he immediately dropped to the ground in prostration.

”Ancestor, for your immense kindness, this disciple will be eternally grateful!”

Lü Zhong paid the words no mind. With a light lift of his hand, he used a simple spell to help him up, his tone softening as he said, ”Since you have reached Foundation Establishment, the position of Vice Sect Leader will now be yours.”

After the incident with Chu Dayun, he had decided to abolish the influential and powerful position of Sect Leader. Instead, he would disperse the Sect Leader’s authority by creating more Elder positions, such as Inheritance Elder and Punishment Hall Elders, with positions like Steward established beneath them.

This would inevitably lead to some bureaucratic infighting and internal squabbles due to the decentralized power.

But that was still far better than them uniting to deal with him, their Ancestor.

”Yes! I would not dare disobey!”

Lu Baokui wore an expression of one ready to die in service.

”Cultivate diligently in the future, and do not disappoint me. You may go for now,” Lü Zhong said with a wave of his hand. The ceremonial stage outside belonged to Lu Baokui; this was his moment in the spotlight.

’As their Ancestor, it wouldn’t be right for me to go out and steal his thunder.’

Shortly after Lu Baokui had taken his leave,

ROAR! ROAR!

The sound of cheering flooded into Bihai Hall like a tidal wave.

The Bihai Sect of today was a far cry from what it had been at its founding.

The Sect currently had over ten thousand Inner and Outer Disciples. Thirty-one Qi Refining Clans of various sizes had branched off from these disciples, controlling a total mortal population of ten million. Moreover, this number was still increasing rapidly. The growth would only slow once the Bihai Island Group was completely filled, with people inhabiting every inch of land that contained Spiritual Qi.

Next, as long as the number of Foundation Establishment True Cultivators increased, the Bihai Sect could become a true Golden Core Sect.

The return Lü Zhong received for all this was a huge annual income of Spirit Stones, plus the various rare Spirit Medicines that disciples submitted to the Sect Treasure Vault. These were the benefits of managing a Sect.

Thinking of this, and being in urgent need of Spirit Medicines himself, he decided to increase the Merit Points awarded for submitting Spirit Medicines and lower the number of Merit Points required to redeem Cultivation Techniques and Magic Skills, all to stimulate the disciples’ enthusiasm.

’I also need to speed up the development of the Nether Abyss Continent...’ Lü Zhong thought, recalling the matter.

Acquiring a Transmission Array was no less important than collecting Spirit Medicines.

He never wanted to repeat the experience of being cornered again. Thus, he drew up a decree, summoned the disciples guarding the door, and told them to deliver it to Lu Baokui after the celebration ended.

Its contents were simple:

First, to increase material support for the Chengde Commerce Association.

Second, to increase the rewards for the Sect’s missions in the Nether Abyss Continent, thereby motivating the disciples.

...

「Half a month later, on a nameless, deserted island.」

Lü Zhong formed hand seals and chanted an incantation, then thrust out his hand to cast Thunder Swamp.

The Thunder Swamp enveloped the island’s small hill, its range covering a radius of a hundred zhang. A swarm of Poisonous Insects was entrenched there. Countless bolts of lightning materialized from the void and began to relentlessly bombard the Insect Swarm.