A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Chapter 660: Chapter 361: Sleeve Universe

“Huh?” escaped Lü Zhong’s lips.

A look of surprise on his face, he took a page from his Storage Ring. Its texture was neither gold nor jade, but it felt incredibly familiar in his hand.

As he looked at the two words written in Silver Tadpole Script at the top, Lü Zhong’s expression turned to one of utter astonishment.

“Sleeve Universe”

At first, Lü Zhong could hardly believe his eyes. Then, as if something occurred to him, he looked again, carefully deciphering the Silver Tadpole Script. Only then could he finally confirm that the page recorded an incredible, top-tier magic skill—the Divine Technique known as Sleeve Universe.

‘Another Immortal Divine Technique!’

At that moment, it was impossible for Lü Zhong not to feel a surge of excitement.

The Outer Body Incarnation had proved to be endlessly useful. After he mastered it, it had provided him with immense help, whether in combat, resource acquisition, or simply enhancing his own strength.

It was no exaggeration to say that his Outer Body Incarnation was indispensable to the achievements he had today.

Composing himself, he began to read.

Sleeve Universe.

A legendary Spatial Technique.

It was also a supreme Capture Technique.

The principle behind it was actually quite simple: one used the method of this Divine Technique to cultivate a Sumeru Mustard Seed Space. All the wondrous applications of Sleeve Universe revolved around this space.

The Magic Skill had three layers in total.

The First Layer only allowed one to deploy the Magic Skill, not to actively draw anything in.

It was useless unless an enemy walked right into the trap—or was forced to. At this stage, the Sleeve Universe Technique was in a rather awkward position, serving only as a temporary Storage Bag.

Its only advantage was perhaps the ability to move mountains and seas with effortless ease.

By practicing the Technique to a profound level, one could master the Second Layer.

At this stage, the Magic Skill could actively draw things in. The suction force it generated varied depending on the Caster’s Magical Power. Initially, it could only affect an area of about ten feet, but as one’s mastery grew, its influence could gradually extend for a mile, or even a hundred miles. It was said that at the most profound level, one could even draw in the sun and moon.

But Lü Zhong figured that last part was probably something only an immortal could achieve.

As for the Third Layer of Sleeve Universe…

…it allowed one to alter its size at will and control the Magic Skill’s deployment and retraction with a mere thought.

In essence, it was no different from the Second Layer, but its application was far more convenient.

By the time he finished reading, Lü Zhong was overcome with excitement.

It had been a long time since he had felt this way.

An image had already formed in his mind: he was standing in the clouds, gently unfurling his sleeve in the wind. With a SWISH, he would envelop his enemies completely.

The fantasy was wonderful, but reality, unfortunately, was brutally difficult.

Regarding the Technique for cultivating the Sumeru Mustard Seed Space, Lü Zhong felt it was less a set of incantations and more a toolkit for constructing a stable space and gradually nurturing it to maturity.

That’s right, a toolkit.

Just like all Immortal Divine Techniques, its underlying principles were beyond the comprehension of a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

All Lü Zhong could do was treat it as such…

…and slowly, piece by piece, cultivate the Sumeru Mustard Seed Space.

The process of creating this space involved a massive amount of calculation. The Jiezi Space had to be located on a “Singularity” to ensure it remained stable and didn’t collapse. Otherwise, the constructed space would backlash against its creator, forming an aperture that would banish the Caster into the Void.

‘That’s actually a good way to kill someone,’ Lü Zhong noted mentally.

Trading one life for another was out of the question.

But having his Incarnation perform it… now that was a good idea.

For a Nascent Soul Cultivator, being banished to the Void meant they would either get lost or be attacked by Celestial Demons. There was virtually no chance of ever returning.

Against a Divinity Transformation enemy, it could be used to eject them from this plane of existence.

Although those at the Divinity Transformation stage could travel through the Void, it would still take them time to return. In a one-versus-many situation, it was an excellent trick for relieving the pressure of combat.

The more Lü Zhong thought about it, the more he liked the idea.

Especially before he had even mastered Sleeve Universe, this unorthodox application could increase his power. In a way, it was like gaining another trump card.

When he attempted to perform the Calculation Method, Lü Zhong quickly found himself overwhelmed.

For a Nascent Soul True Monarch, the sheer volume of calculations required to cultivate Sleeve Universe was simply immense.

‘Forget it. Mastering Sleeve Universe won’t happen overnight!’ Having experienced the difficulty firsthand, he decided to take a slow and steady approach. His current strength was sufficient anyway; he could even escape from a Great Cultivator. Adding Sleeve Universe would just be icing on the cake, and it still wouldn’t be enough to deal with a Divinity Transformation expert.

Unless, of course, they were banished.

‘But a Divinity Transformation cultivator isn’t an idiot,’ Lü Zhong thought.

He stood up, walked out of the Quiet Chamber, and decided to relax for a while.

This was one of the best things about cultivation: lifespans were long, often measured in centuries or millennia.

As long as there was no immediate crisis, he could take his time with everything.

As he walked along the path, he noticed the plants on either side had changed again. As if to keep pace with his rising cultivation, they had all been replaced with aged spirit flowers and herbs.

After a few more glances, Lü Zhong arrived at the Waterside Pavilion.

He instructed a serving girl to prepare some food and then waited patiently.

He never expected that the first person to arrive would be Su Caocao.

Lü Zhong was extremely satisfied with his eldest disciple. She was tactful, discerning, and knew when to press forward and when to yield. As was widely believed, if nothing unexpected happened, she would likely become the Bihai Sect’s third Nascent Soul Cultivator in another century or so.

Today, however, her demeanor was clearly different.

The air of calm confidence she usually carried was gone. Instead, she seemed like a little girl, unconsciously clutching the hem of her robes, looking extremely nervous.

Lü Zhong could tell she wasn’t pretending and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s the matter?”

Su Caocao stepped forward and bowed respectfully. She paused for a moment, as if steeling herself, before continuing, “Master, not long ago, your disciple sensed the opportunity for my Nascent Soul Formation. It’s just… the opportunity is in an extremely distant place. I believe it’s in Central Earth…”