A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Lü Zhong could tell she truly trusted him.

Sigh. ’This woman is hopeless!’

His plan to cultivate an old monster was dead before it even began.

Afterward, he didn’t clean up the scene. Instead, he lay in ambush, waiting for Lin Muyun’s two helpers to arrive.

Since he had killed Lin Muyun, he needed to prevent any future trouble. Even if he didn’t wipe out the Lin Family later, he had to at least eliminate the two Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators they had hired. They were clearly allies of the Lin Family through marriage, and killing them would significantly weaken the Lin Family’s alliance.

The ambush went smoothly. The two were already badly injured by the Blood Demon. Caught off guard, they were overwhelmed by the surprise attack from Lü Zhong, Yu Feng’er, and the Spirit Puppet.

Within a hundred breaths, they were both killed one after the other, becoming headless corpses on the ground.

Checking the three Storage Bags, the loot could only be described as meager.

This was to be expected. Family Cultivators had their families to rely on, so there was no need to carry all their wealth with them. All Lü Zhong found in their bags was a little over ten thousand Spirit Stones, plus some unused Pills and Talismans.

Including the Storage Bags of the two people Lin Muyun had used as bait, the total haul was just over twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

Still, Lü Zhong was satisfied.

This Phoenix Blood Ancient Vine was larger than he had expected. A specimen of this size was worth no less than 150,000 Spirit Stones.

The spiritual materials from the Blood Demon’s body could also sell for sixty to seventy thousand Spirit Stones.

All in all, that was a profit of over two hundred thousand.

’If I sell off this Phoenix Blood Ancient Vine, I could even attend the great Changchun Domain auction held once every decade and bid for the Golden Core Pill, the ultimate treasure for Core Formation. Two hundred thousand-plus Spirit Stones would be enough for a few rounds of bidding.’

But he quickly extinguished that thought.

He had already spent all his Spirit Stone savings to bid for Ganquan Island. Moreover, a Phoenix Blood Ancient Vine was a rare, chance encounter. It might prove to be of great use in the future, so selling it for Spirit Stones was the worst possible option.

’I’ll just keep saving money and wait for another opportunity to buy a Golden Core Pill,’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

The Golden Core Pill’s reputation as the ultimate treasure for Core Formation was no empty boast.

It not only aided in Solidifying the Pill but also quickly restored a cultivator’s condition after the process was complete. It could replenish both the Magical Power in their body and their Divine Sense, which was a massive help for enduring the Three-Nine Celestial Tribulation.

That was precisely why the Golden Core Pill was given the title of ”ultimate treasure.”

”Husband, look what I found!”

Yu Feng’er emerged from a crevice in the rocks, cradling two wrinkled balls of flesh. They were hideously ugly, looking like two mangy puppies. They bore some resemblance to the Blood Demon, only without the pair of giant bat wings.

They were most likely the Blood Demon’s offspring.

’No wonder the Blood Demon suddenly went berserk earlier!’ Lü Zhong realized.

Protecting one’s young was an instinct common to almost all living creatures.

Considering the Blood Demon’s previous strength and talent, these two younglings had considerable potential for future growth. If raised and nurtured carefully, they might even have a chance to break through to Tier Three.

”Husband, there are two of them, a perfect number. Why don’t we each take one?” Yu Feng’er said with a smile, cuddling the ”mangy puppies” and teasing them.

Lü Zhong shook his head. Who knew how many years it would take for the little Blood Demons to mature.

”You can have them both. Your strength is too low; once they grow up, they’ll be a great help to you. By then, I might have already succeeded in Core Formation, so they won’t be of much use to me.”

It was the truth. He had no intention of diverting his attention to Beast Taming for now.

He didn’t even have enough resources for himself. How could he spare so many Spiritual Objects to provide for Spiritual Beasts?

He checked the rocky mountain one more time but found nothing else.

After dealing with the scene and burning away all traces with fire, the two of them left.

For the next few days, the two of them traveled and enjoyed the scenery.

They only gathered at the White Jade Platform on the day before their departure.

Over fifty people had entered, but fewer than forty were leaving. Clearly, a lot had happened in the Secret Realm. However, Qing Shao, the female cultivator from Changchun Valley holding the Evergreen Ruyi, acted as if she saw nothing.

As soon as the thirty days were up, she immediately activated the Evergreen Ruyi and opened the exit to the Secret Realm.

After exiting the Changchun Secret Realm, Lu Zhongzheng, who was covered in new injuries, did not immediately return to his clan to heal like the others. Instead, he walked over to Lü Zhong and sent a voice transmission:

”Fellow Daoist Lü, I have a matter to discuss. Could you spare a moment?”

”Oh? Feel free to speak your mind.”

”It’s like this...” Lu Zhongzheng explained his idea of opening an Alchemy Square, hoping to cooperate with the Chengde Commerce Association to have them purchase the Pills produced by his square.

In return, he was willing to offer them a discounted price that was almost at cost.

The problem with opening an Alchemy Square was never about refining the Pills, but about how to sell them. In Changchun Immortal City, where the sales channels were controlled by large and small Commerce Associations, Alchemists who set up their own stalls or shops could basically only get the scraps the associations didn’t want. The income was even less than what Lu Zhongzheng earned as a tool for his family.

Thus, opening his own Alchemy Square became his only choice.

And the success or failure of the Alchemy Square depended on whether he could find a partner Commerce Association.

The currently booming Chengde Commerce Association was undoubtedly an excellent choice for Lu Zhongzheng.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong looked at Yu Feng’er, who had her arm linked with his.

He didn’t meddle in business affairs, only in killing. He was responsible for handling any violent troubles the Commerce Association encountered. The operations of the Chengde Commerce Association were still up to Feng’Er to decide.

”This requires detailed discussion. Why don’t you come to Lintao Pavilion in half a month to discuss the details of our cooperation, Fellow Daoist?” As they say, business is business. Yu Feng’er didn’t agree outright. After all, a partnership involved many aspects. Just the issue of Lu Zhongzheng breaking away from the Lu Family and how to deal with the trouble from their side was a major problem. She was no longer as naive and ignorant as she once was, so she naturally wouldn’t make a rash decision.

Lu Zhongzheng sighed silently. His little scheme had failed, but he still agreed.

...

「In the Quiet Chamber in the rear courtyard.」

Lü Zhong held a section of the Phoenix Blood Ancient Vine in his hand.

After much thought, he decided to keep the Phoenix Blood Ancient Vine for his own use.

Lü Zhong planned to refine this small section. After years of combat with others, even if he hadn’t sustained any chronic ailments, hidden injuries to his body were inevitable. Furthermore, refining it would have the effect of purging toxins from his body, which could dissolve the Pill Poison that had accumulated within him.

He refined the Phoenix Blood Ancient Vine.

After refining it, he immediately felt much more comfortable, and his whole body felt lighter than ever before.

Using Introspection, he saw that the medicinal power was still slowly taking effect, continuing to repair the hidden injuries within his body. The process would likely last for some time.

He took out a bottle of Golden Snow Pills and consumed one. They had just been delivered by the Commerce Association.

Golden Snow Pills were suitable for Late-stage Foundation Establishment. With Pills being so hard to come by, Lü Zhong was in no position to be picky if he wanted to continue advancing his cultivation. He had to use whatever he could get.

He spent the next several days consuming Pills.

His cultivation improved significantly again, but he still had a long way to go before reaching Perfect Foundation Establishment.

’I need to refine the Grass Spirit Creation Liquid as soon as possible to meet the needs of my cultivation growth,’ Lü Zhong decided. He would wait for the next Sea Tide Stage in a month, then return to Ganquan Island with the spiritual materials.

He swore he wouldn’t rest until he had produced the Grass Spirit Creation Liquid.

Lü Zhong got up and left the Quiet Chamber.

He didn’t forget to check on the growth of the Thundering Grass.

The Thundering Grass was still growing splendidly. Perhaps because he frequently nourished it with Palm Thunder, its growth rate was faster than he had previously estimated. He figured its maturation time could be shortened by a few more years.

Afterward, he went to the courtyard.

”Husband!” Yu Feng’er came over and leaned against him.

”Is it all settled?”

”Yes, Lu Zhongzheng has agreed to the terms I offered. The Commerce Association will purchase all the Pills produced by his Pill Square. As for the trouble from the Lu Family, he will handle it himself. The Chengde Commerce Association will only provide some minor assistance.”

As Yu Feng’er spoke, her face gradually reddened. She looked at Lü Zhong, tugged at the corner of his sleeve, and said shyly, ”Husband, I just put together a Vein Tempering Formula. Why don’t we...”

’Addicted?’ Lü Zhong didn’t think so.

Dual cultivation had considerable benefits for both parties. Besides, people have physiological needs, and a cultivator’s desires were only stronger than a mortal’s.

At the same time, it was also the best adhesive for a relationship.

Lü Zhong was not against it; in fact, he could even say he enjoyed it.

Moreover, during dual cultivation, he could also practice the Shocking God Needle.

Once he mastered this Divine Sense Secret Technique, his strength would rise accordingly.

In the future, when dealing with enemies with weak Divine Souls, such as the Odd Crow Demon Fish or other cultivators, it would be twice as effective with half the effort.