A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

As Lü Zhong was contemplating his next move, the Celestial Demon opposite him stirred again.

It took a sudden, sharp breath, its belly instantly swelling. Then, its massive mouth flew open, and a roiling cloud of pestilent air spewed forth.

Wherever the air passed, corpse flies sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. They then began to turn green, their bodies multiplying and deforming. Blisters, abscesses, and other signs of disease emerged on their surfaces.

In no time, they had all transformed into grotesque, insectoid monsters.

They massed into an Insect Swarm and charged forward, surging within the pestilent air.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong’s brow furrowed.

Recalling the texts in his mind about Celestial Demons, he guessed he had encountered a Plague Great Demon. This type of Celestial Demon was known for being wreathed in disease and possessing extremely strong regenerative abilities.

’Good thing I still have my Yang Fire techniques...’ he thought. With a flick of his finger, he sent out a purple flame. It shot forward, swelling in the wind until it became a fiery goose that swept across the area.

The wave of fire surged, crashing against the pestilent air. For a moment, they were locked in a stalemate.

Meanwhile, the monstrous insects within the pestilent air bypassed the clash between the air and the fire. Some spat green rays, while others spewed globs of sticky fluid, all aimed straight at Lü Zhong.

But every single attack was blocked by the Flood Dragon Spirit Banner.

’This is a novel combat experience,’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

Unlike combat with other cultivators, this Plague Great Demon’s abilities were more akin to the Jade Pearl Insect Queen’s, rather than those of a solo fighter. Coupled with its terrifying healing speed and its mountain-like, colossal body, it was an exceptionally difficult enemy to deal with.

As for the swarm of monstrous insects it had released, they were still easy enough to handle.

Lü Zhong raised his hand and cast a Thunder Swamp, completely annihilating the mutated corpse flies.

Seeing its pestilent air blocked and its spawned corpse flies wiped out, the Plague Great Demon seemed greatly displeased. It let out a low roar, then plunged its arm straight down its throat. With a sickening, slippery sound, it pulled a smooth, jointed staff from its stomach.

The staff looked as if it were made from animal bone, its surface engraved with ghastly green Runes.

It raised the staff high, about to unleash some new technique.

But how could Lü Zhong let the Celestial Demon do as it pleased?

He immediately launched a fierce assault. The demon’s techniques were growing stranger and stranger; dragging this out might lead to unforeseen complications. He had originally planned to observe more of its abilities, but now he was forced to change his mind.

First, he ordered the Purple Nether Extreme Fire to envelop the Great Demon.

Then, he unleashed the Star Mirror and the Red Crow Sword.

In the process, Magical Power poured out of Lü Zhong’s body like a bursting dam. He had no idea how long he would need to meditate to recover it all.

But he couldn’t worry about that now.

The all-out attack of a Nascent Soul Cultivator was a truly spectacular sight.

Countless beams of Mirror Light shot out, and a sky full of sword shadows streaked past, all complemented by a surging sea of fire. If this had been a mortal city, it would have been razed to the ground in an instant.

Yet to the Plague Great Demon, these attacks were like a mere scratch.

Within the flames, the Great Demon was wreathed in pestilent air. The staff in its hand trembled, and its strange Runes detached one by one, coalescing to form a ghastly green eyeball.

The eyeball was bloodshot, constantly weeping pus.

Its diseased pupil pulsed with an eerie, malevolent light.

At the same time, green light began to gather around it.

Witnessing this, Lü Zhong felt an inexplicable sense of crisis.

Without a second thought, he brought out the Human-Faced Flood Dragon Banner.

A pillar of fire shot out in an instant, heading straight for the eyeball. But unexpectedly, the eyeball suddenly shuddered and fired a ghastly green ray of its own.

In a flash, the pillar of fire and the green ray collided.

Lü Zhong couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

The green ray from the eyeball looked unremarkable on the surface, but it gave him a startling sense of dread. He knew without thinking that if it hit him, the consequences would be dire.

Fortunately, his Fire-Eating Divine Technique did not disappoint him this time either.

The two were deadlocked for only a moment before the green ray began to collapse and dissipate.

The pillar of fire then surged forward and struck the Plague Great Demon. No matter how powerful its regenerative abilities were, they were no match for the Fire-Eating Divine Technique. Its massive stomach was instantly pierced through.

”ROAR!!!” The Plague Great Demon tilted its head back and bellowed.

It spewed a cloud of pestilent air mixed with fragments of its internal organs. Clearly, it was severely injured this time.

Seeing his chance, Lü Zhong spared no Magical Power, driving his Magical Treasures to attack relentlessly.

His primary target was, naturally, the Plague Great Demon’s Bone Joint Staff. Under the ferocious barrage of Mirror Light and Sword Light, the staff first developed cracks, then shattered into a thousand pieces.

Next was the Plague Great Demon itself.

The demon’s Life Force was simply astounding.

Even with Lü Zhong attacking at full power, it still took him nearly half an ancient hour to finally grind it down. The Plague Great Demon had launched continuous counterattacks during that time, but thankfully, they were all simple and predictable, failing to cause any real trouble.

”Finally, it’s over.” Lü Zhong’s expression relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

Sensing the Magical Power within him, he found less than sixty percent remained.

Gazing at the Great Demon’s corpse, which was still writhing even in death, he beckoned with his hand. A ball of green light and a streak of white light rose from the remains and quickly flew to him.

The green light was an Essence Soul.

It looked just like the Plague Great Demon.

Lü Zhong was greatly surprised. ’Celestial Demons have Essence Souls?’

His first instinct was to crush it.

However, his intuition told him that this item was extraordinarily valuable.

After a moment’s thought, Lü Zhong flipped his hand over, produced a jade box, and sealed the Essence Soul inside. He then added a Star Shifting Dharma Seal for good measure, just to prevent any trouble.

He then turned his attention to the other item.

It was a fragment of the staff. Unlike the other pieces, its surface was covered in engraved text—and it was Silver Tadpole Script.