A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

It was a completely transformative change!

The process was irreversible, as if his body were being forged anew.

Spiritual Qi converged from all directions, forming a massive storm that connected heaven and earth. A torrential amount of it poured down, furiously scouring Lü Zhong’s reborn body.

Each wave was more intense than the last.

An indescribable sensation of bliss washed over him.

Lü Zhong couldn’t help but let out a moan.

Yet his mind remained perfectly clear.

BOOM!

At that very moment, a tremor ran through Lü Zhong’s body. The converging storm of Spiritual Qi abruptly dissipated, transforming into a five-colored radiance that spread out, a stunning celestial phenomenon stretching for thousands of miles.

...

Inside the Quiet Chamber.

Lü Zhong slowly opened his eyes. He gazed at his own flawless, pale arms and felt the astonishing fluctuations of Spiritual Qi. Ripples disturbed the mirror-like calm that had previously defined his state of mind.

’So this is the Pure Spirit Body?’

Compared to a body of flesh and blood, the Pure Spirit Body was undoubtedly far more powerful.

The amount of Magical Power his meridians could now handle had increased severalfold.

His body’s resilience had seen a similar leap. It had lost all the frailty of flesh and blood. He estimated that if a Magical Treasure Flying Sword struck him now, it would no longer be like slicing through tofu, but more like hacking at tough cowhide.

In terms of information processing, he could now easily accept and handle massive amounts of data without being limited by his physical brain and having to offload a portion of the task to his Primordial Spirit.

His thoughts moved with such speed.

It made the movement of all things in the world seem to slow down even further in his eyes.

Slowing to a near standstill!

He tried casting a Palm Thunder. In the past, he would only see it hit its target in an instant. Now, however, he could clearly see every fork in the lightning and predict the Palm Thunder’s trajectory, making it possible to dodge.

’This change alone is enough to greatly enhance my strength.’

Lü Zhong reckoned that if he were to engage in combat with Qingding again, he could absolutely crush him. He would no longer need to slowly wear down his opponent’s Protective Gang Qi, destroy his physical body, and then chase down the fleeing Nascent Soul just to slay a single Nascent Soul Cultivator.

If he were to face a Nascent Soul Cultivator from Central Earth now, while he likely wouldn’t have a crushing advantage, defeating an opponent of the same rank should be no problem. Even if he faced a Mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, he could easily disengage and escape.

’All that effort to refine the Pure Spirit Body was well worth it,’ Lü Zhong thought gleefully.

He continued to assess the changes in himself.

Thanks to his powerful Pure Spirit Body, his affinity for Spiritual Qi had improved considerably. This was, in effect, an enhancement to his innate talent. Although the increase wasn’t massive, it was still a pleasant surprise.

At the very least, his chances of reaching the Divinity Transformation Stage had increased, if only by a sliver.

Lü Zhong tried Casting a Magic Skill.

Spirit Sword Skill!

With a single thought, over a dozen Spirit Swords materialized around him.

His Casting speed was worlds apart from what it had been. Factoring in the ”time-slowing” effect of his enhanced mind, he suspected that to an outsider, his use of the Spirit Sword Skill would appear instantaneous.

’In that case, I can be quite formidable in combat even just by using the Spirit Sword Skill.’

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong let out a self-deprecating laugh.

He, a Magic Cultivator, was finally living up to the name.

It wasn’t just the Spirit Sword Skill; his Wood Thunder Skill had also been greatly enhanced. The Thunder Swamp, a Thunder Skill that once took over ten breaths to prepare, could now be formed in a single breath.

His other Magic Skills were, of course, no exception.

He continued to probe.

The ethereal Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi finally revealed its mysteries to him.

It turned out...

Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was everywhere.

It permeated the world. Compared to the scarce nature’s spiritual energy, its quantity was truly massive. Drawing upon even a mere sliver of it could unleash terrifying power.

’With a Pure Spirit Body, I can see the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, but I can’t use it! Before I break through to the Divinity Transformation Stage, trying to command it is just a pipe dream,’ Lü Zhong thought, a bitter smile on his face.

This feeling—of standing before a Treasure Mountain yet being unable to take anything from it.

It was truly unbearable.

Still, Lü Zhong was already quite satisfied.

Being able to sense the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi would make it much easier to borrow its power. He might actually be able to find a way to craft the Jia Yuan Heavenly Talisman.

If he could achieve that, he would have a large supply of Jia Yuan Heavenly Talismans at his disposal.

If that day truly came, Lü Zhong could become a ”Little Divinity Transformation” cultivator. After all, the hallmark of a Divinity Transformation cultivator was the ability to command Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi.

As long as no true Divinity Transformation cultivator emerged, he would be invincible in the Cultivation Realm.

...

It was an ordinary night.

Although Yu Feng’Er had been his wife for a long time, she still felt shy when they were intimate. She pulled her nightgown up to cover her slender frame and then voiced a question that she had been holding back for a long time.

”Husband, your body... what happened?”

During their dual cultivation just now, she had discovered that the benefits she received were significantly greater than usual. Moreover, Lü Zhong himself felt completely different than before.

Lü Zhong didn’t hide it from Yu Feng’Er, telling her about his breakthrough to the Pure Spirit Body.

”Then... then doesn’t that mean...” Yu Feng’Er’s eyes reddened.

”You silly girl, what are you thinking!” Lü Zhong knew exactly what was on her mind—the matter of having a child, something Yu Feng’Er had always longed for. He pulled her into his arms and explained patiently, ”Don’t worry. The ancient texts have records of Divinity Transformation cultivators having children of their own bloodline. As long as we keep trying, we’ll see results!”

This was no lie meant to placate her.

Such records did indeed exist in the ancient texts.

As for the difficulty, however...

That went without saying.

Hearing him say this, Yu Feng’Er’s gloomy expression immediately vanished, replaced by a radiant smile.

”By the way, take this Ice Spirit Grass. Find some time to refine it soon.” Lü Zhong handed her the small herb he had obtained from the Cold Pool. Yu Feng’Er already possessed a Late-stage Core Formation Cultivation and was only one final step from breaking through to the Fake Infant Realm. She would soon have to start considering the matter of Nascent Soul Formation.

Compared to Shuini and Lü Zhong, Yu Feng’Er was lucky.

For a cultivator with an Ice Soul Spirit Body, the Ice Spirit Grass Lü Zhong had obtained was akin to an Immortal Spirit Grass. It would increase her chances of successfully achieving Nascent Soul Formation by at least twenty percent.

Combined with the Nascent Soul Immortal Guide, Yu Feng’Er’s chances of success were not low.

”I understand.”

Yu Feng’Er nodded with a smile, her heart filled with blissful warmth.

...

「Another half a year passed.」

「An unnamed, desolate island.」

Lü Zhong sent out a ray of green light that landed on an injured Tree Boar. A Demon Beast had drained it of all its flesh and blood, leaving it barely clinging to life.

However, the green light seemed to have the miraculous effect of regrowing flesh on bare bones. The Tree Boar’s body began to heal and regenerate at a visible rate, and it was soon completely restored.

With a squeal, the Tree Boar scrambled to its feet and immediately bolted into the distance.

Seeing this, a look of delight appeared on Lü Zhong’s face.

’I finally succeeded!’

The green light he had just cast was the Healing Spring Skill, a Secret Skill he had been cultivating for a long time. Its effects were remarkable; it could even heal injuries to his own Pure Spirit Body.

’With this, slaying that Black Flood Dragon will be that much easier!’

Lü Zhong thought, his gaze turning toward the distance.

He had returned to Tide Cave to spend some time with Yu Feng’Er and arrange his affairs. This included instructing his Incarnation, far away in Bihai Immortal City, to continue suppressing the cultivators within the sect.

This was to prevent any unruly elements from causing trouble in his absence.

He chose suppression because he was giving one last chance to those Elders and disciples who had unknowingly become pawns.

If they still refused to see the error of their ways and continued to let their ambitions run wild, then he, the Ancestor of the Bihai Sect, would have no choice but to reluctantly wield the butcher’s blade.

He would give the Bihai Sect a thorough house-cleaning, from top to bottom.

While a Great Purge wouldn’t completely eliminate the Immortal Sect’s infiltration, it would at least slow their encroachment and give Lü Zhong a chance to reorganize the Bihai Sect.

He could also use the opportunity to conceal the massive resource consumption from both the Western Realm trade and his own refinement of Tier Four Creation Spirit Liquid.

As for Tide Cave, Lü Zhong had decided on a complete purge.

How could he allow hidden agents to remain right under his nose?

After making thorough preparations.

That night, he rose, pushed open the door, and slowly walked out of the Quiet Chamber.

He made his way to the Waterside Pavilion.

Standing in the cool night breeze, he poured himself a drink and sipped it alone for a while.

Once his mind had gradually settled, he walked out of the Waterside Pavilion, transformed into a streak of rainbow light, and shot off into the distance.