A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Whatever she left for her disciple was bound to be valuable.

At the very least, it could be a Foundation Establishment Pill worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.

That was why Lin Yunshen had come to plead with Lin Zhenghe, hoping to change his stubborn uncle’s mind.

Outsiders might not know, but Lin Yunshen certainly did. Before Shuini left, she had specifically entrusted his uncle, Lin Zhenghe, with the task of guarding the jade box to ensure it wouldn’t fall into the hands of others.

’Uncle is so stubborn! There’s a saying: keep the good things in the family. It’s one thing that he won’t turn a blind eye, but to actively stop his own nephew...’ Lin Yunshen grumbled to himself, but he still continued to plead with Lin Zhenghe.

After all, this was the man currently in charge of the Lin Family.

If he couldn’t first persuade the ever-disciplined Lin Zhenghe, any rash action on his part would surely result in punishment from both the Sect and the family. Even if he were lucky enough to survive, his cultivation would be crippled.

Seated in the main hall, Lin Zhenghe remained silent after hearing his nephew’s plea.

Having led the family for many years, his perspective had already quietly shifted.

Back when he was still being supported by the family, he never thought much about how difficult it was to acquire Spirit Stones. But after taking over and managing all the family’s affairs and expenses, he wished he could stretch every single Spirit Stone twice as far.

So, naturally, he was tempted by his nephew Lin Yunshen’s proposal.

But alas...

’Senior Sister, you truly thought of everything!’ Lin Zhenghe lamented inwardly. Before Shuini left, she had made him sign a Spirit Contract regarding the safekeeping of the jade box.

So now, even though he was tempted, he had no choice but to abide by the Spirit Contract and ensure the jade box did not fall into anyone else’s hands.

”Do not speak of this again!” Lin Zhenghe snorted.

The sharp reprimand silenced Lin Yunshen, who stood below, too frightened to utter another word.

...

RUMBLE... RUMBLE...

The carriage rumbled along the flat road, slowly making its way toward its destination.

Lü Zhong hadn’t expected to be able to leave Rising Sun Town so peacefully.

After all, he had guessed there were quite a few eyes on the jade box. With so many people coveting Shuini’s legacy, it wouldn’t have been surprising if someone had tried to ambush him along the way.

But now, he had already left the Yongling Region and was about to enter the Lanyue Area without any incident.

’How strange...’ Lü Zhong thought.

Still, he didn’t let his guard down and continued to scan his surroundings at all times.

While occasionally teasing Li Hejun, he also contemplated his future.

The ultimate goal, of course, was to settle down in Lingyue Immortal City.

In the meantime, he also needed to refine his Spiritual Power to prepare for his next attempt at Foundation Establishment.

Lü Zhong already had a plan for acquiring a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Due to the collapse of the Heling Sect, the supply of Foundation Establishment Pills in Yongling City had been completely cut off. For the foreseeable future, the disruption in the Spirit Medicine supply chain meant that the production of these pills would be difficult to resume.

So he turned his attention to the neighboring Jingyang Domain, which was under the jurisdiction of the Jade Flower Sect.

The Jade Flower Sect was a major sect on par with the Heling Sect in terms of strength, boasting a total of four Golden Core Cultivators. Furthermore, they didn’t have to worry about drawing the ire of the Lingyue Sect, as the Jade Flower Sect was essentially a vassal. Three of their four Golden Core Ancestors were Dao Companions with Elders from the Lingyue Sect.

It wasn’t just the Golden Core Ancestors at the top; nearly half of the sect’s disciples were Dao Companions to members of the Lingyue Sect, and as a result, they received preferential treatment when it came to all sorts of cultivation resources.

Because of this, a fair number of Foundation Establishment Pills made their way into the Jingyang Market, located in Jade Flower Sect territory, each year.

Although the price was slightly higher than in Yongling City, it was still an excellent way to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Lü Zhong did the math. Even if the Foundation Establishment Pills at the Jingyang Market cost 40,000 Spirit Stones apiece, he had enough to buy three. If he still couldn’t achieve Foundation Establishment after that, then he could only blame fate.

He took his time on the journey, enjoying the scenery and acquiring over a dozen Storage Bags along the way.

After a full year on the road, Lü Zhong finally arrived at the Jingyang Market.

His first impression was that the place was old, dilapidated, and small.

’This is unbelievable. How can a market directly administered by a major Golden Core Sect be so shabby?’ Lü Zhong’s eyes widened. ’Forget Yongling City, even the old Yanling Mountain Market was probably several times better than this place.’

Keeping his thoughts to himself, the two of them entered the market.

Without stopping at the shops on the street, Lü Zhong went straight into the Jingyang Market auction house.

He had timed his journey perfectly, arriving just as the Foundation Establishment Pill auction was about to begin. After paying the fifty Spirit Stone entrance fee, he got a small private room as he had hoped.

The room was small, but it offered excellent privacy.

The auction began shortly. A stunning Female Cultivator walked onto the wooden stage. Once all the cultivators’ eyes were on her, she brazenly threw a flirtatious wink to the crowd and deliberately pulled down the fabric covering her chest.

Li Hejun, who was beside him, watched Lü Zhong’s gaze follow the woman. A pang of jealousy soured her heart.

But she knew her place.

So, she too pulled down her own dress, trying to reveal a little more of herself.

The first item to appear on stage was, of course, the Foundation Establishment Pill.

As the main attraction of the auction, the pills were the Jingyang Market’s primary method for drawing a crowd. Otherwise, with the Jade Flower Sect’s poor output of Spiritual Objects, they wouldn’t have much else to entice anyone.

”This year’s first Foundation Establishment Pill comes from the hand of Elder Miaoyao of the Lingyue Sect’s Cyan Cloud Peak. I’m sure all you fellow cultivators have heard of his esteemed name. While this pill still only offers a thirty percent chance of success, its ability to protect the heart’s meridians is greatly increased, and it can cut the preparation time for Foundation Establishment in half.”

”The auction begins now! The starting price... is 15,000 Spirit Stones! Each bid must be an increment of at least 100 Spirit Stones!”

As soon as the glamorous Female Cultivator finished speaking, someone in the audience immediately bid.

”Shaohua Fairy, I bid 16,000 Spirit Stones!”

”Heh, I bid 26,000 Spirit Stones!” someone else sneered, raising the price by a full 10,000.

Others followed with large bids, bringing the price up to a more normal level, and it soon hovered around 34,100 Spirit Stones.

At this point, Lü Zhong placed a bid.

”35,000 Spirit Stones!”

But his bid was instantly surpassed.

Watching the frantic bidding, he grimaced. This was giving him a headache.

The competition was every bit as fierce as the auctions in Yongling City. On top of that, the occasional prodding from the Jade Flower Sect’s female cultivators had the bidders fired up as if they were on stimulants.

Soon, the price reached 42,000 Spirit Stones.

Lü Zhong bid again, raising the price directly to 45,000 Spirit Stones.

But someone in the crowd seemed determined to win this first item and immediately outbid him.

Seeing this, he had no choice but to give up and wait for the auction of the next Foundation Establishment Pill.

In the meantime, a variety of other items came up for auction: hundred-year-old Spirit Medicines, the dual cultivation rights to virgin female cultivators, and an assortment of Cultivation Techniques. None of them, however, sparked much of a bidding war.

After all, not many of the cultivators present were truly thinking with their loins; most everyone was here for the Foundation Establishment Pills.

The auction went on for over two hours before the second Foundation Establishment Pill was finally brought to the stage.

”This Foundation Establishment Pill, like the last, was crafted by Elder Miaoyao. I won’t waste any more of your time with pleasantries. The starting price and bidding rules are the same as before.”

The glamorous Female Cultivator struck another suggestive pose and announced:

”Now, let the bidding begin!”

As soon as her voice fell,

someone immediately bid 40,000 Spirit Stones.

Then, Lü Zhong added another 10,000.

”...” The room fell silent. Clearly, the others were hesitating.

”50,000 Spirit Stones! Are there any higher bids?”

”One! Two! Three! Let’s congratulate the cultivator in the Dingmao private room on their successful bid for the Foundation Establishment Pill!”

As she said this, the glamorous Female Cultivator shot a flirtatious wink in the room’s direction.

Inside the Dingmao private room, Lü Zhong was wincing at the cost. He was in no mood to acknowledge her.

’I just hope this pill from Master Miaoyao is more effective than the ones from the Heling Sect...’ he thought glumly, but could only grit his teeth and pay the Spirit Stones.

Soon, the Foundation Establishment Pill was delivered in a porcelain bottle.

Regarding the authenticity of this pill, he wasn’t worried at all.

The Jade Flower Sect wouldn’t ruin a reputation built over generations, nor would they jeopardize the future of all their disciples, just for a single Foundation Establishment Pill. The pill in the bottle had to be genuine.

He uncorked the bottle and took a look. It was just as he’d expected.

Just the scent alone was enough to make the Qi Sea in his Dantian stir, a testament to the pill’s potency.

Placing the Foundation Establishment Pill in his Storage Bag, Lü Zhong suppressed his excitement. He planned to rent a residence in the Jingyang Market, enter seclusion for a while to calm his mind, and then make another attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.