A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

”Disaster and Plague Dharma Eye...”

Lü Zhong translated the first few characters. He continued reading and discovered a Technique that described how to cultivate the Disaster and Plague Dharma Eye using plagues, diseases, and other such methods.

After carefully reading the entire text, he found the power of this Dharma Eye to be truly impressive.

Lü Zhong estimated that it was no less powerful than a Divine Power Technique.

’But I have no intention of cultivating it.’

The Technique specifically mentioned that during the cultivation of the Disaster and Plague Dharma Eye, the cultivator’s own body would be eroded by plagues and the aura of disease, transforming them into something neither human nor ghost.

The Pestilence Great Demon was the best proof of this.

’However, maybe I can try cultivating an auxiliary Secret Skill for the Dharma Eye.’

The Disaster and Plague Dharma Eye technique recorded a Secret Skill meant to mitigate these side effects. It was called the Healing Spring Skill and was exceptionally effective at purifying the energies of plague and disease, allowing for the rapid repair of physical damage.

The only problem with this Secret Skill was that it required a special Secret Medicine to aid in its Casting.

Lü Zhong reviewed the formula for the Secret Medicine and couldn’t help but worry. ’These are all Ancient Spiritual Medicines. I wonder if I’ll be able to gather them all. But even if I can’t, I could substitute them with Spirit Medicines of similar efficacy. The trade-off would be a weaker effect from the Secret Skill, but at least it would still work on a Nascent Soul Cultivator’s body.’

Pleased, Lü Zhong decided to cultivate this Secret Skill as soon as he got out.

He turned to look at the Great Demon’s remains. In just a few minutes, it had proliferated and grown into a mountain of flesh. The wildly waving fleshy tendrils, covered in layers of mucus, were an utterly nauseating sight.

Deciding to be thorough, he simply set it on fire and burned it to ashes.

With that done, Lü Zhong began to search for a way out.

According to the information he had, the Witch Cultivators built a Transmission Tower in each Little World, which could be used to leave.

What Lü Zhong needed to do now was simple: find the Transmission Tower.

He glanced at the sky, which was thick with plague-ridden clouds, and then at the Little World, now changed beyond recognition. He had a feeling the search ahead wouldn’t be easy.

With this in mind, Lü Zhong decided not to rush out.

Instead, he would first find a place to rest and wait for his Magical Power to recover.

...

「Nearly half a month passed.」

By sparing no expense, Lü Zhong had recovered most of his Magical Power.

On this day, just as he was about to emerge from his hiding place, he felt the ground tremble. Peeking outside with the help of his Gray Mist Space, he saw that another cultivator had been teleported in.

The newcomer was currently on a rampage, and thousands of the corpse flies that swarmed the sky were falling dead.

’With this person drawing all the attention, it’ll save me a lot of trouble,’ Lü Zhong thought. He remained hidden and slipped away unnoticed.

The journey was surprisingly easy. He encountered no obstacles along the way.

Lü Zhong soon arrived before a giant, leaning tower.

Just as described, a transmission vortex swirled at the very top of the massive tower. After confirming that it was stable, he stepped through without the slightest hesitation.

Another flash of teleportation.

When he reappeared, he found himself in another corridor.

The walls were once again lined with countless small doors, but unlike before, there were other cultivators present. It seemed this wasn’t an isolated space.

Just as Lü Zhong was hesitating over whether he should enter another Little World, a flash of light appeared a short distance ahead, and a figure was teleported out.

It was Shuini.

She was not in good shape. In fact, she was covered in wounds, and a bloody light clung to their surfaces, preventing Spiritual Qi from healing her body.

Seeing Lü Zhong, Shuini visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.

”Go ahead and heal. I’ll act as your Dharma Protector,” Lü Zhong said, discerning her thoughts at a glance. His gaze swept over the other cultivators present with a clear warning.

”Mm,” Shuini acknowledged softly.

Without any pretense, she leaned against a stone pillar, swallowed a Pill, and began to drive out the bloody light from her body.

The process lasted for three full days and nights.

It wasn’t until the fourth day that Shuini weakly opened her eyes.

She gazed at Lü Zhong, who still stood before her, acting as her Dharma Protector. A blush colored her pale cheeks, and she couldn’t help but say candidly, ”To have a man like you by my side is truly the greatest fortune of my life.”

Lü Zhong merely smiled at her words.

He had long since grown accustomed to Shuini’s boldness.

”By the way, how did you get so badly injured? Logically, with your level of strength, this shouldn’t have happened. Don’t tell me... you ran into an extremely tenacious Celestial Demon in the Little World?”

”That’s exactly what happened,” Shuini sighed.

Like Lü Zhong, she wasn’t in a hurry to repair the Spiritual Energy Great Wall.

Thanks to the Double-tailed Helical Crystal that Lü Zhong had provided, the True Spirit Sect had already erected several powerful Barriers, so there was no immediate danger of the Withered Tide crossing into their territory. In contrast, the Xuanyang Sect, near the True Spirit Domain, and the Celestial Blade Sect to the north were desperate to repair the Spiritual Energy Great Wall due to the rampant spread of Evil Spirits within their lands.

Since that was the case, Shuini had naturally wanted to explore the Little Worlds.

Part of her reason was to acquire resources.

Even as an ancestor of the True Spirit Sect, her own cultivation resources were still tight.

Even though she occasionally received Pills from Lü Zhong to advance her cultivation, her primary method of growth was still absorbing Spiritual Qi from Spirit Veins.

That was why she’d set her sights on the Little Worlds, which were rumored to be teeming with Spirit Medicines and other valuable resources.

Who would have thought that she would be attacked by a Celestial Demon the moment she entered?

And it wasn’t just any Celestial Demon, but a ferocious Great Demon, immensely powerful and skilled in combat.

Faced with such a powerful foe, Shuini was no match for it. She had to rely on her superior Body Technique to evade its pursuit while desperately searching for the Transmission Tower until she could finally escape.

That was how she had ended up covered in injuries.

”Don’t tell me... you ran into one, too?” Shuini asked, the realization dawning on her.

”I did. A Pestilence Great Demon,” Lü Zhong answered truthfully, then briefly explained how he had dealt with it.

Shuini was utterly shocked as she listened to his story.

After all, a Great Demon’s strength was equivalent to that of a Nascent Soul True Monarch.

The main differences were that a Great Demon’s abilities were relatively fixed and they had few means of escape. They couldn’t flee with their Nascent Soul if their physical body was destroyed, unlike a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

For a Great Demon, defeat meant certain death.

”I can’t believe it. It’s been less than a century since your Nascent Soul Formation, yet you’re already this powerful,” Shuini murmured, a hint of shame welling up inside her.

In comparison, she, his master in name only, felt far more complacent.

She didn’t dwell on the matter for long, as another cultivator soon approached them.

He had come to exchange information.

According to this Nascent Soul cultivator from Central Earth, he had already asked everyone present. Without exception, every person who entered a Little World after receiving their reward had encountered a Great Demon.

It was enough to make one suspect that the Ten Thousand Witches Hall was nothing but a trap.

It wasn’t a strange conclusion to reach.

Ancient records were filled with accounts of various Secret Realms and Cultivator’s Cave Mansions built with the sinister purpose of luring in and killing cultivators.

”If that’s the case, and we don’t want the Ten Thousand Witches Hall to keep targeting us, then it seems we have no choice but to face the Divine Witch Trial!” Lü Zhong said to Shuini, taking a deep breath.

Shuini nodded in solemn agreement.

’No wonder I haven’t seen anyone from the Daoist Sect or Zhuyuan’s group here. They must all be taking on the Divine Witch Trial...’ Lü Zhong finally understood.

Neither of them knew much about the Divine Witch Trial.

It was only after exchanging information with the other cultivators present that they learned the trial consisted of nine stages, and that its difficulty would be adjusted according to the strength of the Trial Taker.

As for the trial’s content, it seemed rather old-fashioned to Lü Zhong. It was simply about defeating a series of opponents. The opponents grew stronger with each stage, with the goal of forcing the Trial Taker to constantly push the limits of their strength.

The more stages one cleared, the better the rewards.

Lü Zhong wasn’t particularly focused on the rewards.

Starting the trial was simple enough; one only had to enter a dedicated room.

But just then, another figure materialized from a flash of light not far from Lü Zhong.

It was none other than Wanmu True Monarch of Changchun Valley.

When enemies cross paths, their eyes burn with exceptional hatred.

Facing Lü Zhong—the man who had killed Qingding and single-handedly ruined Changchun Valley’s bright prospects—Wanmu’s heart seethed with hatred. He wished for nothing more than to draw his Magical Treasure and fight to the death.

But the sight of Shuini standing nearby immediately extinguished that thought.

’Fighting two against one would be suicide!’