A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Although he only knew the general address, this wasn’t a problem for Lü Zhong.

There were plenty of ways to find the Su Family in a city as vast as Lingyue Immortal City.

He suddenly noticed a pair of eyes on him. It was the young girl named Caocao. She was staring at him hopefully, her small, grimy hands clasped together. Suddenly, she knelt and said:

”Immortal Master, Caocao wants to cultivate...”

Lü Zhong wasn’t the least bit surprised to hear her say this.

Begging an Immortal Master for a chance at immortality was the most common scene when mortals encountered cultivators. After all, once you’ve witnessed the various abilities of a cultivator, it’s hard not to feel a sense of yearning.

But what usually accompanied it was just a single, cold phrase.

”You have no Spirit Root!”

As this thought crossed his mind, Lü Zhong sized up the girl and a strange expression appeared on his face. ’Am I really the protagonist?’ he thought. ’To actually stumble upon a genius with Dual Spirit Roots...’

That’s right, the girl before him possessed earth and wood Dual Spirit Roots.

Such aptitude would be considered genius-level no matter where she went.

Logically, the Lingyue Sect, with its mature system for talent acquisition, should never have missed an Immortal Seedling of Caocao’s caliber. They typically screened newborns every year, aiming to net all the geniuses born among mortals to serve as a fresh infusion of blood.

According to statistics from ancient texts, the probability of a mortal being born with a Spirit Root was low. The Celestial Dao seemed to compensate for this, as most of the peerless geniuses in the Cultivation Realm were born to mortals.

Therefore, any sect with organizational capacity would invest manpower and resources into searching for mortal Immortal Seedlings.

The Bihai Sect was no exception.

’The turmoil in the Lingyue Domain must have caused a breakdown in their system,’ Lü Zhong mused. ’This is a stroke of luck for me. I was just worrying about the Bihai Sect not having a genius to act as its showpiece.’

An Immortal caresses my crown; my hair is bound, and I receive long life.

Lü Zhong patted Caocao’s head, only to find his hand covered in filth. He couldn’t help but give a wry smile before casting a few Cleaning Skills to remove the dust and grime from her body.

Taking her with him, Lü Zhong transformed into a streak of rainbow light and soared toward Lingyue Immortal City in the distance.

He hadn’t seen the city in many years, and it had changed quite a bit.

Compared to its former prosperity, Lingyue Immortal City now resembled a dying old man on his last legs. Devoid of any business, the shops in the outer district were either bankrupt or shuttered. The only merchants left were those who couldn’t leave, forced to guard their ancestral properties and struggle to get by.

The only businesses that seemed to be booming were the shops selling things like Pills and Talismans.

It wasn’t just the market that was depressed; public order had also descended into chaos.

The Lingyue Sect had pulled back its forces to help Jin Lan make a final, desperate attempt. Without the Lingyue Sect disciples on patrol, the city’s security was deteriorating rapidly.

Just on his way, Lü Zhong had already witnessed three instances of robbery and theft.

Back when Junling True Monarch was around, the order in the city would never have deteriorated to this extent.

Soon, they arrived in the Central District.

Security here was better than in the outer district, but only by a limited margin. It was just enough to maintain a veneer of peace, while a chaotic struggle for power continued unabashed in the shadows.

The three Storage Bags Lü Zhong had just acquired were the best proof of this.

Finding the Su Family with their unknown address in the vast Central District might seem difficult, but there were ways and means. The local gang factions knew everything, and all it cost was a few Spirit Stones.

”Senior, this is the information you requested!” a Foundation Establishment Cultivator said with a fawning expression, presenting a piece of gold paper inscribed with writing with both hands.

This man, who would normally kill without batting an eye, now found his legs trembling slightly.

He couldn’t help it. The man before him was a Core Formation Senior!

If the man so wished, he would instantly become a corpse.

”Luanyun Square?” Lü Zhong read the information and learned the Su Family’s current location.

Just as he was thinking, an old woman led Caocao inside.

After being cleaned up and dressed, Caocao’s hair was no longer a mess; the woman had carefully combed it into braids. But she was still sallow and gaunt, so even in fine clothes, she didn’t look particularly pretty.

”Very good. This is for you.”

Lü Zhong left a Storage Bag behind and led Caocao out the door.

He hailed a Beast Vehicle and headed for Luanyun Square.

Following the information he’d received, he easily found the Su Family’s residence.

After hearing the purpose of Lü Zhong’s visit, an aged Su Richang silently accepted the Ash Urn. Two streams of clear tears couldn’t help but flow down his face, which was covered in age spots of varying shades.

He had never imagined that after father and daughter parted, this would be how they met again.

Leaving the Su Family’s home, Lü Zhong suddenly stopped.

It was Su Xu’er’s Master, Liuu Piaoniang.

He hadn’t seen her in over a hundred years. Although she still maintained her youthful appearance, a thick aura of twilight clung to her. It was likely she would soon be Life Exhausted and pass away.

”Fellow Daoist Lü, why don’t we speak over there?” Liuu Piaoniang said, pointing to a nearby teahouse.

Lü Zhong did not refuse.

A single pot of clear tea, yet within it, one could taste the hundred flavors of life.

When Lü Zhong revealed that the person who had possessed Su Xu’er was none other than Li Qionghua, the scourge of the Lingyue Domain, Liuu Piaoniang, who had been struggling to contain her emotions, finally broke down.

...

In the blink of an eye, another year passed.

Over at the Lingyue Sect, Jin Lan had yet to trigger his Thunder Tribulation, so Lü Zhong was in no rush to rendezvous with Shuini. After returning to the Bihai Sect with Caocao, he officially took her on as his disciple.

With her Dual Spirit Roots, she was qualified to be accepted directly as a Master’s Disciple.

Lü Zhong gave her a name: ”Su Caocao.”

He taught her for a while in his spare time and discovered the little one wasn’t a stubborn mule after all. Her previous behavior was likely due to her environment; in reality, she could be considered quick-witted and clever.

’If she develops well, I could even hand the position of Sect Leader over to her,’ Lü Zhong thought.

Taking on a disciple had another benefit: it would stabilize morale within the Bihai Sect.

At its core, the inheritance of a sect was still based on the master-disciple system.