A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

A small, cyan banner immediately caught Lü Zhong’s eye.

The words ”Dragon” and ”Tiger,” both written in Silver Tadpole Script, adorned the head of the banner, which was also painted with the sun, moon, stars, and clouds. A pattern of a golden dragon and a silver tiger was drawn on the body of the banner, and from it, one could faintly hear the cries of a dragon’s roar and a tiger’s howl.

’The Dragon and Tiger Banner,’ he murmured softly.

He tried to inject his Magical Power into it, but it was repelled.

He took an ancient Jade Scroll out of his Storage Bag. It recorded the origin of the Dragon and Tiger Banner; it was the heirloom of a Daoist Inheritance Sect and was, in essence, a Lower-grade Spiritual Artifact. Therefore, to use the Dragon and Tiger Banner, one first needed to refine it.

After a simple blood refinement, his Magical Power flowed in without any obstruction.

The Dragon and Tiger Banner swelled in the wind, quickly returning to its original twenty-four-foot size.

The Jade Scroll also had detailed instructions on how to use the banner. It mostly described the various wondrous uses of the Dragon and Tiger Essence within. It could be commanded to slay enemies, used to envelop the wielder for the Dragon and Tiger Escape, or the two essences could be combined to form the Cloud Dragon Wind Tiger Spiritual Barrier to block enemy attacks.

Furthermore, the Dragon and Tiger Essence could also be nurtured.

Right now, the Tiger Essence of the Dragon and Tiger Essence had already solidified into a physical form. If the Dragon Soul could also be solidified, the Dragon and Tiger Banner would mature into a Middle-grade Spiritual Artifact, and its power would rise to a whole new level.

At the end of the Jade Scroll, there was even a Secret Technique recorded.

Using this Secret Technique, it was even possible to upgrade the Dragon and Tiger Banner to the level of a High-grade Spiritual Artifact.

’It’s no wonder this can be a sect’s heirloom. This banner is truly different from ordinary Spiritual Artifacts,’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

He then found a small booklet filled with Ma Cheng’s notes on using the Dragon and Tiger Banner. From it, he could see just how much effort Ma Cheng had poured into the banner, gradually restoring the nearly defunct Spirit Banner to its former glory and back to the state of a Spiritual Artifact.

According to Child Ma Cheng’s experimental results, the defensive strength of the Cloud Dragon Wind Tiger Spiritual Barrier was extremely high, capable of withstanding a strike from a Golden Core cultivator.

Lü Zhong knew this from personal experience.

After all, when he killed Ma Cheng, he had expended quite a bit of effort. Even with the help of the Insect Swarm he had summoned, it still took him fifteen minutes of continuous shots from his Qianfeng Spear to finally break through that Spiritual Barrier.

’A fine treasure, and now it’s mine!’

Lü Zhong shrank the Dragon and Tiger Banner and held it in his hands, turning it over and over, unable to put it down.

With this banner, his weakness of having insufficient defense was now covered.

’Without even realizing it, counting that Jade Nether Fire Fork, I now have what amounts to four Spiritual Artifacts. It’s true what they say: crime pays. This single trip into the Secret Realm is worth ten years of painstakingly making Talismans for money!’

Thinking of this, however, Lü Zhong didn’t feel much joy. After all, he had risked his life for it.

...

「Soon, the moon was high in the sky.」

At the edge of the Golden Water Lotus Pool, a ripple suddenly spread across the surface.

Following that, a massive shadow swam by from beneath the water. It was about ten feet wide and over a hundred feet long. It circled the Lotus Pool silently, making several tentative approaches but never actually getting close, revealing its cautious nature.

Little did it know, two people hiding in the shadows were watching its every move.

Li Qionghua was currently floating in mid-air, having cast the three Magic Skills of Concealed Breath, Stealth, and Invisibility. She watched the Water Cyan Python’s performance below with a blank expression, occasionally glancing toward a shallow bank nearby. That was Lü Zhong’s hiding spot, concealed by an Illusion Array. She waited quietly for the prey to fall into their trap.

Inside the array, Lü Zhong sat cross-legged.

A Token floated before him, used to control the Composite Array outside.

At the same time, he was using the Gray Mist Space to continuously observe the Water Cyan Python’s movements. The beast was still probing its surroundings, and its level of caution made him sigh in admiration. The thought of emulating it surfaced in his mind; after all, being so careful had many benefits, not least of which was avoiding many ambushes.

Then, the Water Cyan Python taught Lü Zhong a lesson.

It suddenly whipped its tail and charged straight for the Golden Water Lotus Seed.

’No matter how cautious, it can’t escape greed in the end!’ Lü Zhong sighed inwardly, but his hands moved without the slightest delay. He immediately activated the Composite Illusionary Array he had laid out.

A HUM echoed as a bank of clouds and mist instantly condensed, covering an area of ten mu.

Before he could speak, Li Qionghua had already taken the initiative and descended into the array.

Seeing this, he no longer hesitated. With a leap, he flew forward and charged into the cloud bank formed by the array, joining forces with Li Qionghua to deal with the trapped Water Cyan Python.

The Water Cyan Python’s hide was tough and its flesh was thick. Its Scale Armor was as hard as metal.

When the Shuo Jin Sword slashed against it, sparks flew, but it only managed to leave a small gash.

Just as Lü Zhong was growing frustrated, he saw Li Qionghua dodging the Water Cyan Python’s snapping bites while forming one ten-foot Ice Spear after another, continuously attacking the same spot on the giant python.

Each time an Ice Spear hit its mark, the Water Cyan Python would fly into a rage.

By now, that spot was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, with blood gushing out wildly.

’A snake’s vital point!’

He finally realized.

’She’s a Nascent Soul Old Monster, all right. In terms of rich combat experience, she’s truly not someone a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can compare to.’

’I still have so much to learn...’

As this thought crossed his mind, Lü Zhong began forming hand seals and chanting, casting the Flying Star Flame Rain Skill.

One Fireball Bullet after another arced through the air, accurately landing on the Water Cyan Python’s vital spot. In terms of power, they might not have been as direct as the Ice Spears, but their advantage was in their rapid, continuous succession. The frequency of the attack was something Li Qionghua’s Ice Spear Skill couldn’t match.

With the two of them working together, the Water Cyan Python fell within fifteen minutes.

He gouged out the Water Cyan Python’s Inner Core. It was a cyan orb the size of a human head.

It was warm to the touch and had a texture similar to a ball of flesh.

In the vision of his Qi Observation Skill, it was a dazzling, blood-red color, showing that the concentration of Demon Spiritual Qi within the Inner Core was extremely high.

”Here,” Lü Zhong said after a glance, tossing it to Li Qionghua.

When the Inner Core touched Su Xu’er’s body, a strange sensation washed over him, letting him know he had fulfilled his agreement with Liuu Piaoniang. He was finally free from the restrictions of that Spirit Contract.

Next came the division of the spoils.

There wasn’t much to discuss. The two of them had contributed about equally, so a fifty-fifty split was fair.

A Tier Two Demon Python had quite a few usable spiritual materials on its body. Its fangs, Python Skin, and bones were all excellent materials for refining Magical Artifacts. Its Python Meat was rich in Spiritual Qi and could be made into Spiritual Food to strengthen the body. Its Python Blood could be mixed into Talisman Ink, which would slightly increase the success rate of Talisman Making.

Lü Zhong specifically asked for the Water Cyan Python’s Essence.

This Essence was perfect for the Dragon Soul of his Dragon and Tiger Banner to devour. He expected it would significantly speed up its solidification process.

He also took half the Python Skin, all the Python Meat, and all the Python Blood.

And with that, the spoils were divided.

All told, these items were worth at least three thousand Spirit Stones.

Afterward, Li Qionghua proposed they continue to cooperate.

Lü Zhong rejected her offer.

”My apologies. A dangerous place like Chenyuan Palace has claimed the lives of many cultivators over the years. My harvest from this trip is already sufficient, and there’s no need to take excessive risks. Please go on your way, Fellow Daoist Li!”

After Li Qionghua left, he suddenly felt a pang of regret.

He had an experienced Nascent Soul Old Monster for a teammate, one who was even bound by a True Text of Universal Technique oath guaranteed by the Celestial Dao. If he had actually gone with her to explore Chenyuan Palace, his gains would have likely been immense.

Within the Chenyuan Palace Secret Realm, the place with the most treasures was Chenyuan Palace itself, located at the very bottom.

As the former garrison of the Medicine King Immortal Sect, Chenyuan Palace was filled with danger. However, coexisting with this immense risk were rewards so rich they were hard to believe. Every so often, a Golden Core Pill would even appear. Because of this, even though dozens of lives were devoured each time Chenyuan Palace opened, it still couldn’t deter the cultivators’ passion for exploration.

’Quit while you’re ahead, quit while you’re ahead...’

Lü Zhong comforted himself with these words.