A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Each Incarnation is independent. At birth, they are no different from mortals, but they can grow stronger through cultivation, and their choice of Cultivation Technique is not restricted by the main body.

In an emergency, a weaker Incarnation can use a Secret Technique to communicate with the main body and borrow its immense power.

It’s worth noting that while an Incarnation can gain the main body’s combat prowess this way, it is essentially burning its own life force in exchange for power. Therefore, the weaker the Incarnation, the shorter the duration of the borrowed power.

Moreover, the consequences of using this Secret Technique are severe. It causes the Outer Body Incarnation to perish, so it can only be used as a last resort.

’It’s kind of like a divine possession,’ Lü Zhong mused.

In his opinion, the Outer Body Incarnation was similar to the Clone Technique but avoided the drawbacks of weak combat power and a low growth ceiling. The downside was the high cost of nurturing them, the difficulty of creating more Incarnations, and that they became expendable in a crisis.

As he read on, Lü Zhong’s breath caught in his throat.

If the main body wishes to grow stronger, it can choose to merge with its Incarnations, thereby advancing its cultivation.

If this was true, his cultivation would no longer progress at its current snail’s pace—it would double. For a cultivator with Four Spirit Root Talent, this was a monumental breakthrough.

This way, the Nascent Soul realm would no longer be just a distant hope.

He might even be able to glimpse the once-unreachable Divinity Transformation realm!

Suppressing his excitement, he read on.

’The Outer Body Incarnation has so many benefits. So what’s the catch?’ Lü Zhong refused to believe that such a heaven-defying Divine Technique could come without a single drawback.

The text of the Divine Technique made special mention of this.

Mastering the Outer Body Incarnation didn’t mean one could just sit back and relax. The Incarnations, created through Soul Splitting, shared an intimate connection with the main body—a connection that could even be used to trace back to it.

Therefore, if an Incarnation were to fall into enemy hands, the consequences would be unpredictable.

’So, I’ll need to pay close attention to my Incarnations’ every move. If anything seems wrong, I must immediately sever all connections,’ Lü Zhong thought.

It was, admittedly, a huge drawback.

But every advantage came with a disadvantage.

If he wanted the many benefits the Incarnations offered, he had to accept the potential consequences.

But all in all, the pros still outweighed the cons.

There was nothing more to be said.

He would learn it.

Opening the Celestial Scroll, Lü Zhong discovered that in order to perform Soul Splitting, he first needed to gather an essential material: Essence Soul. This substance was the very essence of a soul, found within the Divine Souls of all living things, and was a necessary component to form a split soul.

It wasn’t just required for Soul Splitting. A large amount of Essence Soul was also needed later to construct the Incarnation’s physical body.

After a careful reading, he found that the method for obtaining Essence Soul was the Soul Forging Technique.

The process of using the Soul Forging Technique was unbearably painful, but it had the subtle effect of enhancing one’s Divine Sense. The process also produced a small amount of Essence Soul Fragments, which, when accumulated, could be fused into the required Essence Soul.

’Looks like I, the Patriarch of Bihai Sect, can offer my disciples another ”perk.”’ Lü Zhong decided that upon returning to the Bihai Sect, he would make this a mandatory Secret Skill for all disciples.

In return, it would only be reasonable for the disciples to hand over a quota of Essence Soul Fragments.

...

Bihai Sect, Inheritance Hall.

The hall was packed with people.

An urgent order had come from the Sect Leader: all Bihai Sect disciples who hadn’t left for training, along with every Steward in the sect, big or small, were to report to the Inheritance Hall to receive a new Secret Skill.

Inside the Inheritance Hall, Vice Sect Leader Lu Baokui was gathered with two other Foundation Establishment Stewards. One of them, a Female Cultivator as beautiful as a blooming hibiscus, was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Sweat beaded on her temples. Her eyes were shut tight, her face contorted in pain.

After a long moment, she slowly opened her eyes.

The two men, who had been waiting in eager anticipation, hurried to her side.

”Junior Sister Hua, how did it go?”

”That’s right. The Patriarch said this Secret Technique can increase one’s Divine Sense.”

The one they called Junior Sister Hua was the Dharma Transmission Steward, Hua Furong. Despite having only Three Spirit Roots, her comprehension was the highest of the three.

And so, she had become the ”guinea pig.”

After sensing the changes within herself, a fervent look crossed Hua Furong’s face. She turned to her two senior brothers, but her delicate brows knitted into a frown when she heard the implication in their words.

”What are you two saying, Senior Brothers? How could you doubt the Soul Forging Secret Technique bestowed by the Patriarch? The Soul Forging process is agonizing—like death by a thousand cuts—but its effect on strengthening the Divine Soul is absolutely real. I can already feel that my Divine Sense has increased by half a point!”

Lu Baokui sucked in a sharp breath.

Junior Sister Hua had only been practicing for a short while, yet her Divine Sense had already grown by half a point. If this effect was consistent, wouldn’t practicing Soul Forging for a year increase one’s Divine Sense by nearly two feet?

In ten years, that would be twenty feet.

In a hundred years, two hundred feet!

Just by practicing the Soul Forging Secret Technique, they could obtain a Divine Soul far stronger than that of their peers.

Beside them, Zhang Daolin was equally stunned.

He knew all too well how difficult it was to strengthen one’s Divine Soul. The difficulty lay in finding rare Spiritual Objects and in the harsh requirements of the necessary Cultivation Techniques. But now, with the Soul Forging Secret Technique, all one had to do was endure a bit of pain.

As if they had all reached the same conclusion, the three of them exchanged a look.

Together, they turned to the north, in the direction of Tide Cave, and bowed deeply.

”Our thanks to Patriarch Lü for bestowing this technique!”

...

「In the Quiet Chamber.」

ACHOO!

Lü Zhong, who had been meditating on the Outer Body Incarnation technique, suddenly sneezed.

’What was that about?’

He felt a faint premonition and glanced in the direction of the Inheritance Hall.

’Could they be cursing my name?’

It wasn’t out of the question.

The pain one had to endure to meet the monthly quota of Essence Soul Fragments was immense. It was more than enough to make the disciples viciously curse him in their hearts for making such a decision.