A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’Is two hundred zhang the limit for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator’s Divine Sense?’ Lü Zhong had read in ancient texts that the growth of a cultivator’s Divine Sense had a limit at every Realm. If he wanted to strengthen his Divine Soul further, he would have to undergo the Three-Nine Celestial Tribulation. Only after the Celestial Thunder cleansed his Divine Soul and it completed its Metamorphosis could he extend his limit higher.

He brought his thoughts back to the Dharma Robe.

”Not bad. I really like this Dharma Robe!” Lü Zhong said with genuine appreciation.

Hearing this, Li Hejun, who was beside him, broke into a grin so wide her eyes nearly disappeared, looking utterly overjoyed.

After laughing for a good while, she suppressed her smile, took Lü Zhong’s arm, and said, ”My lord, the carriage is ready. Let’s head to the Yu Family’s estate now. It’s the first time our sister has invited us, so you can’t be late for the appointed hour.”

”Alright, alright, let’s go now!” Lü Zhong said with a laugh.

The two then boarded the waiting Beast Vehicle outside and hurried toward Bell Spring Creek, located outside the city.

...

Bell Spring Creek was the location of the Yu Family Territory, nearly six hundred miles south of Changchun Immortal City.

By the time Lü Zhong arrived, he was just in time for the auspicious hour.

He helped Li Hejun out of the vehicle. A blush still lingered on her delicate face as she gave him a look of playful reproach. ’It’s all my lord’s fault for being so mischievous on the road,’ she thought. He had worn her out so much that she barely had the strength left to walk.

Li Hejun rested for a moment before calling over her two attending maids.

”Yuru, Yuyi, both of you check my hair. Is my coiffure messy? If it is, please fix it. And help me put on the dangling hairpins and other jewelry we prepared.”

”Yes, milady,” the two maids answered obediently.

After a flurry of activity, she was finally dressed in the manner of a noble lady.

The Yu Family Territory was now festooned with lanterns and banners for the celebration. A red carpet stretched all the way to the main gate, and a lively crowd bustled about as carriages and mounts arrived one after another.

In front of the main gate, a splendidly dressed Yu Feng’Er was looking around anxiously.

It was clear that she was very anxious.

When she saw Lü Zhong arrive, she was so excited she almost jumped for joy.

”Fellow Daoist Lü, you’re finally here!” Yu Feng’Er’s voice held a hint of complaint. Realizing this tone didn’t suit her status as the Patriarch, she switched to a more formal manner and said with a smile, ”The guests have all arrived, and the celebration is about to begin. Please, Fellow Daoist Lü, come with me.”

Lü Zhong presented his congratulatory gift: a three-hundred-year-old Seven-Leaf Jade Cycad.

Yu Feng’Er then led the two of them first through an area with an open banquet teeming with people, then through a section where the low-level cultivators were gathered, and finally brought them to be seated in the great hall that served as the main banquet hall.

Throughout their walk, countless gazes were cast their way, all curious as to who this person was that warranted a personal reception from the Yu Family Patriarch.

The star of the celebration was a middle-aged man named Yu Yuqing. He had a dignified appearance, and his reputation, both within the Yu Family and outside, was quite good. For this reason, he had been granted a Foundation Establishment Pill, and he did not disappoint the Yu Family, successfully breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Perhaps due to his overwhelming excitement, his face was flushed and beaming.

Seeing Lü Zhong’s arrival, he excused himself from the guests around him and walked over, raising his cup with a smile. ”Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lü, for taking the time to come despite your busy schedule. And this must be... Chief Steward Li? It seems Madam Li is not only a business genius but also knows the secret to preserving her beauty!”

Upon hearing this, Li Hejun’s face turned a rare shade of red as she gave a slight bow.

The two then took their seats, and the banquet officially began.

The feast went on, with drinks flowing and many courses served.

It was not until nightfall that the guests gradually began to depart.

...

「Yu Feng’Er’s Chambers」

Lü Zhong finished getting dressed.

On the other side of the room, Li Hejun was getting out of bed with Yu Feng’Er’s help. She was only a mortal. After two such sessions in one day, even with Lü Zhong being deliberately gentle, she was completely drained of strength. She only recovered after taking a Pill to restore her vitality.

For some reason, she had been particularly proactive today.

Lü Zhong’s gaze swept over the hair at her temples, where he could see a new streak of white. He instantly understood the reason and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

’Alas... is her lifespan running out? Is her time almost up?’

Ripples inevitably appeared in his heart, which was usually as placid as an old well.

Theoretically, a mortal’s lifespan limit was comparable to that of a Qi Refining Cultivator, allowing them to live for a century.

However, due to factors like illness and overwork later in life, their lifespans were often shortened. This is why old sayings speak of how rare it is to live to a truly advanced age.

In her early years, Li Hejun had accidentally consumed a Spirit Fruit, which had greatly diminished her lifespan. The only reason she had lived until now, free of illness and pain, was thanks to the Spiritual Qi that constantly conditioned her body.

But in the end, human effort could not defy fate.

In the blink of an eye, half the hair at her temples had turned white.

Lü Zhong knew why: as her lifespan was depleted, the Beauty Pill had lost its effect.

He said nothing, simply holding her silently in his arms.

When Yu Feng’Er noticed this, she couldn’t help but burst into tears.

She quickly wiped away her tears, got up, and dashed toward the door, running outside.

Lü Zhong knew what Yu Feng’Er was trying to do, but he didn’t stop her. After all, her intentions were good.

”My lord, I was just thinking about when we first met outside Yongling City. You look exactly the same now as you did back then. You know, sometimes I can’t help but think... if only I had a Spirit Root, I could have walked with you for much, much longer...”

”Do I look ugly now?” Li Hejun asked suddenly.

Lü Zhong caressed her face and, in a rare moment of dishonesty, said, ”You’re the same as always. You haven’t changed at all.”

PFFT! Li Hejun laughed.

”You’re not this obvious when you lie to outsiders... But this is good, too. I don’t want you to see me as an old woman... My lord, do you think Reincarnation really exists in this world?”

”It does. As long as the Divine Soul exists in this world, there will be Reincarnation.”

”Then... do you think we’ll meet again someday?” Li Hejun buried her head in Lü Zhong’s chest, feeling his familiar warmth, her voice full of hope.

”We will! Whether it takes a thousand years or ten thousand, no matter how many cycles of Reincarnation, as long as your True Spirit is not extinguished, we will one day meet again. Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in the Spirit Realm, or perhaps one day, when I reach the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm, I will search through all the countless worlds until I find you. Then, we will be together again.”

”My lord... you are such a gentle person...”

Hearing this, Lü Zhong smiled but said nothing.

”I... I got the Longevity Fruit!”

Yu Feng’Er burst in from outside, holding a jade box.

A Longevity Fruit could extend one’s life by a year. It was an incredibly rare and sought-after Life-extending Spiritual Object. If one were to trade it, they could easily get hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones or a Spiritual Artifact in exchange.

But the scene inside the room was like a bucket of ice-cold water poured over her head.

”SOB... H-How could this be?”

Yu Feng’Er cried out in anguish. To her, Li Hejun had been both a mentor and a friend—a master who taught her the skills of business and a close confidante with whom she could share her deepest thoughts. And now, she was suddenly gone.

”Hejun, I’m sorry... I was too late!”

...

The rain fell like mist.

On a hillside covered in blooming flowers, a new grave had appeared.

Paper money drifted down, accompanied by the sound of intermittent sobbing.

Lü Zhong had previously considered what to do after Li Hejun’s death. The Spirit Puppet he had specifically requested from Li Qionghua had been one option.

This Spirit Puppet had been created to imprison Li Qionghua, and all the materials used in its construction were rare Spiritual Objects.

The Spirit Core that controlled the Spirit Puppet had been steeped in Li Qionghua’s Nascent Soul Divine Soul, granting it a wondrous ability: it could house a Divine Soul for thousands of years without decay.

Another option was to have her turn to the Ghost Dao. Even though it would come at the cost of her Spiritual Wisdom being eroded by negative Spiritual Qi, it was still a good way to prolong her existence.

Or there were other methods...

But in the end, he had chosen to respect Li Hejun’s wishes.

After comforting Yu Feng’Er, whose eyes were swollen from crying, Lü Zhong prepared to hold a three-year vigil here. He would wait until Li Hejun’s True Spirit departed from this world, preventing any insignificant things from intruding.

This was an ancient ritual he had read about in the texts, though he wasn’t very confident about whether it would actually work.

For this purpose, Lü Zhong built a special thatched cottage nearby.