A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

The situation began to develop in the Bihai Sect’s favor.

All the previous resistance, both overt and covert, along with the inexplicable attacks, vanished completely. In their place, the number of factions coming to seek cooperation suddenly surged.

This was most evident with the Insect Nest.

In the past, factions often spied on them in secret, but now it was as if they had learned to play by the rules. Although their requests for cooperation were repeatedly rejected, the number of spies they sent plummeted.

Of course, this was only on the surface.

Whether they would resort to other methods in secret remained to be seen.

Thanks to the Bihai Sect’s development, the disciples’ stipends improved considerably.

Even for the newest Outer Disciples, the annual stipend was raised from the original ten bottles of Spirit Ascending Honey to twelve bottles of Spiritual Honey plus sixty Spirit Stones. To put it in perspective, the Bihai Sect currently had eighty thousand disciples, so such an increase was a massive expenditure.

But to accelerate the Sect’s development, Lü Zhong spared no expense.

Most importantly, Spirit Stones sitting in the treasury didn’t multiply, so it was better to spend them as an investment.

In the Bihai Sect’s current environment, spent Spirit Stones wouldn’t go to waste; they would often bring returns greater than the investment, creating a virtuous cycle.

As the saying goes: spend one Spirit Stone in spring, and you can harvest two or even more in autumn.

A single whale fall gives rise to myriad life.

The collapse of the Lingyue Sect allowed all participating factions to benefit, more or less. It was a time to rest and recuperate. For the foreseeable future, the entire Southern Barbarian region would be quite peaceful. However, once the benefits were fully digested, conflicts of interest would likely flare up again.

...

Outside the window, freezing rain drizzled down from the lead-colored sky, striking the glazed tiles. The sounds wove together, forming a rhythmic composition.

In the Quiet Chamber.

Lü Zhong was seated in meditative cultivation.

His cultivation of the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique had reached a critical juncture.

Between his eyebrows, a Spiritual Eye flickered in and out of existence.

It was just a sliver away from vanishing completely.

This would signify mastery of the Fourth Layer of the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique. Henceforth, the Celestial Net Eye would be known as the Celestial Net Secret Eye, and the benefits it conferred were immense.

In the next moment, the Celestial Net Eye was veiled in a gray Spiritual Light, then vanished without a trace.

’I’ve finally done it!’ Lü Zhong rejoiced.

He switched his vision.

It was a completely different world!

At this very moment, he could see every speck of dust in the air, even the flow of every wisp of Spiritual Qi. He could discern every subtle change within the various Arrays and privacy Prohibitions in the Quiet Chamber—soundproofing, light-dampening, and more—as well as any flaw in their operation.

In this state, finding a weak point to break a Prohibition or Array was simply effortless.

It was no exaggeration to say that even a cultivator with no knowledge of the Array Dao could become an Array Master under the influence of this outrageously potent eye technique.

’If it’s this good for Arrays, then what about Alchemy...’ Lü Zhong’s heart filled with anticipation.

He pushed open the door, left the Quiet Chamber, and entered the Alchemy Room.

On the Jade Shelves were many Spirit Medicines, all primary or secondary ingredients for certain Pill Formulas. However, most of these formulas were incomplete, often lacking one or two ingredients, and thus the Pills could not yet be refined.

His gaze shifted to the Spirit Medicines for the complete Pill Formulas.

There were not many.

’Rongyu Pill, Prescription Gold Powder, Chailing Pill... I’ll go with the Chailing Pill. I’ve never refined it before, and it’s a Tier Three Pill that enhances cultivation. It’s perfect for testing the effects of the Celestial Net Secret Eye.

Judging from past experience, the Secret Eye should give my Alchemy Skill a considerable boost as well.’

He immediately lit the fire and began the refinement.

As he proceeded with the refinement, step by step, Lü Zhong was stunned by the auxiliary effects of the Celestial Net Secret Eye.

’This is my first time refining the Chailing Pill, yet I’m getting a thirty percent Pill Formation Rate. Normally, I’d be lucky to get ten percent—if not fail completely.’

No wonder.

With the Celestial Net Secret Eye, the legendary Celestial Net Ancestor Master had been able to single-handedly establish his own sect, creating a legacy for the ages.

’Excellent, excellent! All my hard work has paid off!’ Lü Zhong couldn’t contain his joy.

Then, he began to cultivate the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra.

Due to various matters before, Lü Zhong had been forced to pause his cultivation of this technique. Now, in order to transform into the ”Star Source Spirit Body” faster, he decided to pick it up again.

As always, his progress was astonishingly rapid, like that of a true genius.

...

In the days that followed, Lü Zhong’s progress with the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra advanced a thousand miles a day.

He broke through a new Acupoint almost every three to five months. To replenish the blood qi required for his Cultivation Technique, he developed an appetite like that of a Taotie. He spent nearly all his free time at the Waterside Pavilion, consuming vast quantities of beast meat, then practicing his boxing and swordsmanship to help his body absorb the energy.

With a massive investment of resources, his physique grew at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The strengthening of his physique manifested as his skin becoming denser; to a mortal’s eye, not a single pore could be seen.

His skin became truly flawless, like polished jade.

Furthermore, his muscles became like cast iron, allowing him to unleash immense power with ease, and his stamina increased in kind.

The one who felt this most clearly was, naturally, Feng’Er, who experienced it firsthand.

This latest session with her husband had nearly worn her out completely.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong, who was not yet finished, could only sheathe his sword and cease his movements.

He cast a few Cleaning Skills, washing away the sweat and grime for her.

Afterward, the two of them went to the Waterside Pavilion.

A heavy rain was falling outside the pavilion, filling the world with mist.

Raindrops pattered into the pond, sounding like pearls striking a jade disc. Where they struck the jade-green lotus leaves, they splashed into sprays of brilliant Spiritual Light.