A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’Nascent Soul Old Monsters really do know a lot!’

Lü Zhong, who was secretly monitoring Chu Dayun, watched with his own eyes as Elder Yao taught Chu Dayun a secret formula. After concocting and consuming the medicine, Chu Dayun easily broke through his bottleneck, and his cultivation soared once again.

This was the third time this had happened in the past year.

Lü Zhong had originally thought it would take Chu Dayun at least fifty years to reach Core Formation.

But from the current situation, ever since he’d received a supply of Spiritual Honey from the Great Honey Insect Swarm, his cultivation speed had been advancing by leaps and bounds. At this rate, with Elder Yao’s support, he would probably reach Core Formation in less than twenty years.

’That cultivation speed is truly terrifying!’

And according to the conspiracy between the two, as soon as Chu Dayun broke through to Core Formation, they would immediately make a move against him, their ancestor.

’I suppose this counts as letting the wolf into the house, doesn’t it?’

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Seeing Chu Dayun sitting cross-legged in his Quiet Chamber, consuming jar after jar of Spiritual Honey as his cultivation rose at a visible rate, Lü Zhong made his decision.

’Forget it. The sooner I close the net, the less risk there is of things going south...’

After nearly a year of preparation, he had amassed over a hundred Small True Yang Talismans. Combined with his Wood Thunder Skill, it was more than enough, even to deal with the Divine Soul of a Nascent Soul Old Monster.

He deactivated his Concealing Breath and Concealing Trace Techniques.

With a flicker of his body, he moved swiftly toward Chu Dayun’s cave residence.

Almost at the same time.

Chu Dayun was startled out of his seclusion. He had just received a warning from Elder Yao that Lü Zhong had suddenly appeared outside his cave residence. He didn’t need to think to know this was bad news.

In just a few strides, he rushed to the entrance of his cave.

There, he saw a young man in black robes standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

It was none other than the Bihai Sect’s ancestor, Lü Zhong.

The powerful aura unique to a Core Formation Cultivator was now unleashed without restraint, pressing down on Chu Dayun, an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and filling his heart with terror.

His legs trembled, and he could barely muster the will to resist.

”Chu the Kid, you’re on your own now!” Elder Yao sighed.

How could an ordinary Mid-stage Core Formation Cultivator’s aura be this powerful? No wonder he could fight a Water Flood Dragon. Even he himself hadn’t possessed such strength back when he was at the Core Formation Stage.

In the face of such a colossal gap in power, even though he had once been a Nascent Soul True Monarch, he was completely helpless.

”An-Ancestor...”

Without Elder Yao, Chu Dayun immediately reverted to his true self. Watching Lü Zhong slowly approach, his composure completely shattered. With a THUD, he fell to his knees, hoping to earn the ancestor’s forgiveness.

Lü Zhong had long since seen that this person was nothing but a Puppet.

He had no mind of his own, especially when handling Sect affairs; he relied almost entirely on Elder Yao’s guidance from behind the scenes. He showed no growth at all for an entire year. It was no wonder he had only been a simple Medicine Gathering Independent Cultivator in the past.

Since he was a Puppet, there was no need to ask anything.

He sent him on his way.

After dealing with Chu Dayun, Lü Zhong shifted his gaze to the ring. His expression grew solemn. He casually produced a dozen Small True Yang Talismans in his hand and, secretly raising his guard, sneered,

”Elder Yun Yao, are you going to come out on your own, or must I invite you out?”

SIGH... a sigh echoed.

Just as Lü Zhong had guessed, the mysterious ”Elder Yao” hidden in the ring was none other than the Yun Yao Ancestor, who was rumored to have already passed away. For some unknown reason, he had become a ”Personal Grandpa.”

Yun Yao revealed his form.

He stared at the Small True Yang Talismans in Lü Zhong’s hand, his eyes filled with apprehension.

He was now just a wisp of Divine Sense attached to the Soul Nourishing Ring, weakened to the extreme. If he were to be struck by the Yang Qi from those talismans, his soul would likely scatter and disperse on the spot.

”Fellow Daoist Lü, we can talk this out.”

Hearing this only made Lü Zhong more vigilant.

As someone who had been subjected to possession twice before, he naturally understood the dangers. He had no desire to experience it a third time, especially since the Yun Yao Ancestor had once been a Nascent Soul True Monarch. The difference between their Divine Souls could be described as that between the clouds and the mud. After all, once a cultivator successfully undergoes Nascent Soul Formation, they begin to possess a Primordial Spirit of infinite wonders.

’A Primordial Spirit!’

If Yun Yao were to possess him, he had little confidence that he could win.

And to think that not long ago, this man had been plotting against him.

Lü Zhong’s vigilance intensified, but his expression remained calm. He looked at Yun Yao’s ethereal form and said, ”I’ll ask, you’ll answer. I’m curious, Elder Yun Yao, for what reason did you pass away ahead of your time?”

Unexpectedly, Yun Yao did not answer immediately, remaining silent for a long moment. Only after some time had passed did his Divine Thought finally transmit.

”This matter, as it happens, is related to you, Fellow Daoist Lü.”

Hearing this, Lü Zhong’s heart stirred, as if he had thought of something.

”Because my lifespan limit was approaching, I was constantly seeking ways to extend my life. To that end, I had already consumed every single Life-extending Spiritual Object I could gather. However, despite paying a heavenly price, the lifespan extended by these Spiritual Objects amounted to a mere fifty-one years. Until...” Yun Yao’s voice suddenly paused here.

”Until the Nai River was discovered...”

”Years ago, I obtained an Ancient Strange Book that recorded certain matters concerning the planes of existence. According to that book, the Nai River is connected to the legendary Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs of the afterlife, and thus, the souls within the river are endless. The book contained a method to harness the power of the Nai River. On a whim, I decided I wanted to claim the power of the Nai River for my own and achieve Longevity.”

”After all, the essence of one’s lifespan being exhausted is the decay of the Divine Soul to its very end.”

This is also why a cultivator whose lifespan has run out cannot extend their life, even if they are lucky enough to succeed in possession. Since the Divine Soul itself has already decayed, occupying a new body will only spread the ”decay,” causing the new body to rapidly rot and age until it finally turns to dust.