A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Lü Zhong retraced the path, searching for the Black Flood Dragon’s trail.

He occasionally encountered other cultivators gathering Spiritual Objects, but he paid them no mind, flying straight past them through the air.

After nearly half a month, Lü Zhong finally found the Black Flood Dragon’s lair.

It was in the Black Death Sea Abyss.

The Black Death Sea Abyss was nearly a hundred thousand feet deep and was named for the baleful qi that settled in the trench. Since it was known to produce no Spiritual Objects, no cultivators paid it any mind.

At some point, it had become the lair of a Transformed Demon Cultivator.

He used the Concealing Breath and Concealing Trace Technique to avoid being discovered by the Black Flood Dragon.

Lü Zhong then hid on a gourd-shaped, deserted island beside the Sea Abyss. He patiently waited for the Black Flood Dragon to appear, all while refining Pills to replenish his depleted Magical Power.

Having the Pure Spirit Body was not without its drawbacks.

For instance, one of its flaws was now apparent.

Namely, its massive consumption of Spiritual Qi.

This wouldn’t be considered a flaw for a Divinity Transformation cultivator. After all, they could commune with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, allowing them to ceaselessly and endlessly restore their Magical Power.

’This must be the price of power,’ Lü Zhong thought.

Compared to this small inconvenience, the benefits he gained from the Pure Spirit Body were obviously far greater. The high Spiritual Qi consumption was a problem easily solved by carrying more Replenishing Qi Pills.

Days passed, and Lü Zhong continued to wait.

His wait stretched into half a year.

But the Black Flood Dragon never emerged from the Sea Abyss.

At this point, even someone as patient as Lü Zhong was starting to grow restless. He gazed at the calm sea in the distance, unable to stop himself from wondering, ’Could this Black Death Sea Abyss have another exit?’

In the vision he’d retraced, the Black Flood Dragon had plunged into the Sea Abyss and never come back out.

He waited patiently for another month, but there was still no sign of the beast.

’Do I really have to dive into the Sea Abyss?’ Lü Zhong found it difficult to decide.

Engaging in combat within the Sea Abyss would put a cultivator at a massive disadvantage. Neither his Wood Thunder Skill nor his Lifebound Treasure Star Mirror was suited for underwater battle. Even if the Water Flood Dragon Banner’s attached ”Water Control Divine Technique” could slightly mitigate his weakness, it was unlikely to change the outcome.

Just then, a plume of black smoke streaked across the sky from the distance.

At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but in the vision of his Celestial Net Secret Eye, it was revealed to be a surging storm of Demon Qi, indicating the presence of a Transformed Demon Beast within the black smoke.

Lü Zhong knew he wasn’t strong enough to fight them two-on-one.

So he hid himself completely.

Soon, the black smoke arrived above the Sea Abyss. After circling the area for a moment, it came to a halt. When the smoke dissipated, the slender figure of a Demon Cultivator appeared.

Her degree of Transformation was quite advanced. Aside from her head, the rest of her body was indistinguishable from that of a human woman.

The Demon Cultivator looked apprehensive. After a moment of hesitation, she tossed something into the Sea Abyss.

It was a shimmering, iridescent pearl.

Before long, the waters of the once-calm Black Death Sea Abyss began to churn. A massive flood dragon’s head emerged from the depths. It was the very Black Flood Dragon that Lü Zhong had been searching for.

Its eyes were full of menace as it opened its monstrous maw and spoke in a human tongue:

”Snail Maiden, for what reason have you sought this Demon King?”

”Reporting to you, Third Prince. The Flood Dragon Saint suddenly fell into a deep slumber some time ago. The First Prince suspects it was the work of an Immortal Cultivator, so he has dispatched me to request that Your Highness return to your post and fulfill your duties!” the Demon Cultivator known as the Snail Maiden said, revealing the purpose of her visit. She then held up an azure-blue scale to prove her identity.

After she finished speaking, she nervously stole a glance at the Black Flood Dragon.

This Third Prince before her was known for his volatile temper.

Back in the Boundless Sea Palace, he had devoured countless Clam Maidens and little demons. Although she had reached the Transformation Stage, she still stood little chance of victory against an existence like the Black Flood Dragon.

Hearing this, the water beneath the Black Flood Dragon churned, and most of its body rose from beneath the surface. It threw its head back with a low roar, then abruptly stared down at the Snail Maiden before it.

”Fulfill my duties?”

”Hahaha! He’s just coveting my Ancestral Blood!”

”Go back and tell that Jingchi if he really wants my Ancestral Blood, he can come and take it himself. I, Jingming, will be waiting right here. I’m not afraid of him!”

”Yes, your subordinate will return and report truthfully!” A terrible premonition struck the Snail Maiden as she saw his expression. On the surface, she appeared docile and obedient, but in her heart, she was already desperate to leave.

After speaking, she gave a slight bow and turned to leave.

But unexpectedly, a foul wind assaulted her from behind. The Snail Maiden turned her head and her face went pale with fright. Jingming, living up to his tyrannical reputation, had opened his massive jaws and was lunging to bite her.

”AHH!!!”

A blood-curdling scream echoed across the landscape.

From behind a giant rock, Lü Zhong watched as the Black Flood Dragon’s massive jaws opened and closed, tearing off half of the Snail Maiden’s arm. His expression remained unchanged; this was merely infighting among demon cultivators. Since he was about to attack the beast himself, he naturally hoped Jingming would be as weak as possible.

’However, Ancestral Blood…’

Lü Zhong was lost in thought.

The Ancestral Blood that the Black Flood Dragon, Jingming, had mentioned.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this should be the True Flood Dragon Blood recorded in cultivation texts. It was an exceptionally powerful type of Source Blood. Reputedly, the Demon Saint of the Boundless Sea had started as nothing more than a mixed-blood flood dragon. It was only after a fateful opportunity allowed him to refine his blood into pure Ancestral Blood that he successfully broke through to Tier Five.

While he was lost in thought, the black smoke that the Snail Maiden had turned into vanished without a trace.

At that moment, Lü Zhong’s eyes narrowed. He raised his hand and shot a Palm Thunder at the Black Flood Dragon.

The sudden attack infuriated Jingming. He immediately swiveled his massive Flood Dragon Eyes toward the lightning, and when he discovered it was an old acquaintance, his heart exploded with rage.

”…It’s you!”

Jingming still remembered clearly the section of his Flood Dragon Tail that he had lost.

It had been severed by the very man before him.

”What if it is? Enough talk. Time to die!” Lü Zhong sneered.

This was the same beast that had dared to ambush Baqiong during her Transformation. He had kept a running tally of that debt. After letting the hatred simmer for so long, it was time to collect some interest.

Instantly, Spiritual Light flared around him, and a dozen Spirit Swords materialized.

Then, with a leap, Lü Zhong shot forward like a rainbow-hued streak of light.

Not to be outdone, Jingming let out a roar and surged forward to meet him.

After its defeat that day, it had drawn on the power of the Evil Abyss below, and its strength had increased considerably. It was far more powerful than before.

And so, the great battle between man and beast began.

Sensing the terrifying battle raging behind her, the Snail Maiden, whose arm had been torn off, didn’t dare stop and look back. She knew the strength of the Third Prince, Jingming, and she knew his tyrannical nature even better.

If she turned back to help, it would surely end badly for her, regardless of who won or lost.

That being the case, what was the point of going back?

The Snail Maiden hurriedly activated the Ink Jade Sea Conch in her hand, making the black smoke’s Escape Speed even faster. She did not want to linger here for another moment.

...

”CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!”

The Spirit Swords scraped across the Flood Dragon Scales, sending out a shower of sparks.

They then transformed into threads of light and shot toward the massive Flood Dragon Eye. A Flood Dragon Claw swiped at them, causing most of the Spirit Swords to scatter like a school of fish. One sword failed to dodge in time and was instantly shattered by the claw, exploding with a BANG into a Spiritual Energy Ball before dissipating back into the world.

The remaining Spirit Swords then regrouped, moving like a school of fish.

Their blades turned as one, shooting toward the Black Flood Dragon once more.

Lü Zhong calmly controlled the swarm of swords.

Thanks to the increased processing speed that came with his Pure Spirit Body breakthrough, the Black Flood Dragon’s vaunted agility now seemed clumsy in his eyes. It was also because of this rapid thinking that he was able to minimize his losses, instead of losing all the Spirit Swords at once.

In mid-air, all the Spirit Swords combined, forming a single Spiritual Energy Giant Sword.

With a WHOOSH, the giant sword shot forward.

Its target was none other than the Flood Dragon’s eye!

”PING!”

To Lü Zhong’s surprise, the Black Flood Dragon had a protective membrane that snapped shut just before the giant sword could strike its eyeball. The membrane was every bit as hard as its Flood Dragon Scales.

His carefully planned strike had been completely useless.

’The failure lies in the Spirit Swords’ lack of power,’ Lü Zhong concluded. ’If they had even a tenth of a Magical Treasure’s might, they wouldn’t have failed to pierce that membrane.’ He released his green and red Flying Swords, ignoring the Black Flood Dragon’s taunts, and formed a Sword Mantra to slash at Jingming.

As expected of the might of Magical Treasures, Jingming didn’t dare underestimate the combined attack of the Red Crow Sword and the Green Cauldron Sword. He opened his mouth and spat out the Subtle Shadow True Water he had long been cultivating, shaping it into a black Scale Shield.

A sharp CLANG rang out.

Both Flying Swords struck the Scale Shield at the same time.

Sparks flew everywhere, but the blades only managed to cut an inch or so deep.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong thought, ’So I’m not the only one who’s been improving. This Black Flood Dragon’s strength has also increased immensely.’ The Subtle Shadow True Water that Jingming had spat out was obviously much stronger than before, capable of blocking the combined attack of his Twelve-layered Forbidden Treasure, the Green Cauldron Sword, and the Red Crow Sword.

But so what?

He was confident in his own progress.

It was definitely far greater than Jingming’s!

After the first strike failed, the two swords spun away, only to immediately flare with Spiritual Light again. The Sword Auras on their blades surged, and they shot forward for another volley.

The sound of striking metal was incessant as the Flying Swords and Flood Dragon Claws clashed again and again.

Lü Zhong spared no Magical Power, pushing the two swords to their limits to launch round after round of attacks. He also continued to direct the other Spirit Swords to attack the Black Flood Dragon’s potential weak points.

With another swipe of its claw, Jingming batted away the incoming Flying Swords.

”I overestimated you!”

As the Black Flood Dragon spoke, its aura surged again. A shocking amount of Demon Qi rushed toward the heavens, causing great black clouds to gather in the sky as it revealed its true strength.

It shook its head and swished its tail.

Jingming switched from offense to defense.

Lü Zhong paid this no mind. With an impassive expression, he summoned the Cangwu Bead and let the Black Flood Dragon claw and bite at him wildly, as if he intended to test the bead’s defensive strength.

’How dare he underestimate me!’

Jingming flew into a rage when he realized this.

Its aura surged again, its strength increasing by several degrees.

However, what enraged the Black Flood Dragon was that even though it was using its full power, it was still unable to break the Jade Shield protecting the Immortal Cultivator’s body.

”ROAR!” Jingming bellowed in fury.

Its claw shot forward again.

This time, it wasn’t striking at the Cangwu Shield, but at its own Subtle Shadow True Water.

The moment they made contact, they fused. The once pure-black Flood Dragon Claw now became like ink jade, radiating an incomparably sharp aura.

The Flood Dragon Claw swiped out once more.