A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’As for whether this kind of tempering, one without a true life-or-death struggle, is actually effective... Even if she only ends up being all show and no substance, it’s still better than being a completely sheltered flower. At least she’ll be able to last a little longer in combat. Once she’s weathered enough storms, she might just truly grow strong.’

Setting a fifteen-day limit, Lü Zhong had Yu Feng’Er persevere on her own.

He pretended not to see her crying or her injuries.

As long as she didn’t die, it was fine.

At first, Yu Feng’Er would be a flustered mess even when fighting a Tier One Demon Beast with a Spiritual Artifact in hand.

Fortunately, after killing enough of them, she quickly grew proficient.

But when she faced a Tier Two Demon Beast, her inexperience was laid bare.

Watching her get sent flying time and again, her hair a disheveled mess, Lü Zhong continued Concealing Breath and Traces, observing coldly from the sidelines. Just as he had promised, he did not intervene.

In the end, she only barely managed to slay her target by relying on the superiority of her Spiritual Artifact.

That night, by the campfire, Lü Zhong healed Yu Feng’er’s wounds.

Then, he pointed out every one of her mistakes from the day.

”Husband, did I... do a terrible job?” Yu Feng’Er asked, her face etched with worry as she nestled in Lü Zhong’s arms. Her hair was now simply tied up in a bun.

She had never met her mother, and her father had died young.

One could say she spent her entire childhood alone.

With no one to teach her and no one to care for her.

She had to figure everything out by herself.

If the Yu Family hadn’t been in decline at the time—with Zhang Hai having cut off all their Spirit Stone sources, leaving them unable to produce even a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator—she never would have been able to take over as the Yu Family Patriarch, a position that had long been vacant, with just her Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivation. At their lowest point, the family didn’t even have a single Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.

Patting her head, Lü Zhong comforted her, ”An ordinary cultivator can’t handle a Tier Two Demon Beast alone. From that perspective, you’re actually very talented—much better than some hopeless cases. In the future, once you’ve accumulated more combat experience, you might even possess strength on par with an Evergreen True Inheritance disciple.”

”Really?” This was the first time Yu Feng’Er had ever heard someone praise her so sincerely.

”Of course.” Lü Zhong smiled.

At the same time, he alerted Yu Feng’Er that something was approaching.

She reacted instantly.

The next moment, a black shadow shot in from the left, and another from the right.

But the two were already prepared, and they each summoned a Spiritual Artifact to intercept the attacks.

”See? Every word I just said was true!”

As Lü Zhong spoke, his Golden Sun Spirit Sword trembled, unleashing a dozen streams of Sword Qi that blasted one of the attacking shadows away. He then immediately swung his sword at the shadow entangled with Yu Feng’Er.

CLANG! This shadow was also sent flying.

The shadows landed and resolved into two pitch-black beetles.

Their carapaces all gleamed with a metallic luster. Pincer-like mouthparts opened and closed erratically, emitting constant CHITTERING sounds. Their eyes glowed with a faint red light, and they appeared extremely agitated.

Judging by their auras, they were at least Tier Two.

Lü Zhong recognized the beetles at a glance. Realizing Yu Feng’Er might not, he advised her, ”These are Black Gold Insects. Their nest is likely nearby. Their weak point is the golden line on their abdomens. Attack that spot relentlessly with your Spiritual Artifact. A heavy blow can make them lose their balance.”

”Yes!” Yu Feng’er nodded emphatically.

With Lü Zhong’s guidance, she made far fewer mistakes fighting the Black Gold Insect. By exploiting its weakness, she quickly suppressed her opponent and seized firm control of the fight.

Under the assault of her Green Vine Spirit Sword and a barrage of Magic Skills, the Black Gold Insect was sent tumbling about.

Meanwhile, Lü Zhong had already dealt with his opponent.

The Black Gold Insect was strong, but only on par with an Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. It took him just one round of the Late Sun Sword Skill to slay it.

As he watched Yu Feng’er fight the Black Gold Insect, he grew more certain that she possessed a rare talent for combat. She hadn’t just mastered the pointers he’d given her; she was already building on them, intuitively grasping new techniques. The woman was growing at a tremendous rate.

’It’s hard to imagine what kind of life you led before,’ Lü Zhong thought.

In a normal environment, even if Yu Feng’er didn’t reach the level of a Changchun Valley True Inheritance disciple, she should have at least become an elite at the Foundation Establishment stage. She certainly wouldn’t have been like she was back at Luofeng Gorge, getting severely wounded while being ganged up on by cultivators of the same level.

About ten minutes later, Yu Feng’er finally finished off the Black Gold Insect.

As she stared at the motionless insect corpse on the ground, a joy she had never known before welled up inside her.

”Careful! It’s playing dead!”

Lü Zhong warned from the side just in time.

Without hesitating, Yu Feng’er formed a Sword Gesture and directed her sword to slash down.

Just as the Green Vine Spirit Sword was about to strike the Black Gold Insect, the creature flipped over, just as predicted. It spat a glob of greenish-black liquid, attempting to engulf the sword.

However, the liquid only struck a phantom sword, hitting nothing but air.

It turned out that Yu Feng’er had cast an Illusion Skill on her Spirit Sword. The attack was merely a phantom of the Green Vine Spirit Sword.

A moment later, a flash of green light streaked past.

The Black Gold Insect was sliced in two along the golden line on its abdomen, and with that, it was dead.

”Not bad!”

Lü Zhong gave her an approving glance.

Yu Feng’er was growing even faster than he had imagined.

Next, she just needed to learn how to play dirty, how to avoid being played, and a few more combat essentials. Then, she would be able to hold her own.

”Come on, let’s find the Black Gold Insect Nest. There’s bound to be Black Gold Insect Grass inside!”

Black Gold Insect Grass, a type of Core Formation Assistance Spiritual Object.

Consuming it provides a massive amount of Spiritual Qi and temporarily accelerates the conversion of True Essence, which is a great help in the Solidifying Pill stage of Core Formation.

Yu Feng’er nodded excitedly, stowed the insect corpse, and hurried to catch up.

Before long, the two of them found a hidden cave entrance behind a large rock.

After a fierce battle to clear out the nest’s Tier One Black Gold Insects, Lü Zhong found exactly what he was looking for in the egg-hatching chamber: a patch of Black Gold Insect Grass of various ages.

The age of the Black Gold Insect Grass is determined by the Golden Rings on the Spirit Medicine’s surface. Each ring represents one hundred years of growth. Only a four-hundred-year-old specimen is considered mature and valuable as a Core Formation Assistance Spiritual Object.

Upon closer inspection, Lü Zhong found three mature stalks.

He carefully harvested the three stalks of Black Gold Insect Grass, making sure to give one to Yu Feng’er. As for the immature stalks, he left them to continue growing, with no intention of harvesting them to create Creation Spirit Liquid.

When attempting Core Formation, a cultivator can only consume one of each type of Spiritual Object.

If the two stalks of Black Gold Insect Grass weren’t enough to help him reach Core Formation, it wouldn’t be too late to come back for the others.

Only someone like Lü Zhong, who had mastered the Creation Spirit Liquid Secret Technique, could make an immature Spirit Medicine as effective as a mature one. Anyone else who found the young Black Gold Insect Grass would almost certainly just note the location, calculate when it would mature, and return to harvest it then.

”Damn it, someone beat us to it!”

Suddenly, a voice filled with astonishment drifted in from outside.