A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

But that was just a guess.

Cultivators were extremely adaptable. It was impossible for them to be wiped out so easily.

A more likely scenario was that they had all gone deep underground. Perhaps in a few tens of thousands of years, they might even develop some kind of ”Underground People” civilization.

He crushed the Jade Scroll in his hand to dust.

”I have to say, Yanhu Market was truly fortunate,” Lü Zhong remarked with a sigh.

If the Profound Hao Ship hadn’t crashed and had continued westward on its extermination order, the market would have faced annihilation. By the time he arrived, he probably would have found nothing but ruins.

He stopped dwelling on it, put away the Soul Wind Crystal, and continued flying toward Shaxuan Valley.

From the ship’s log, Lü Zhong understood that it would be nearly impossible for him to encounter any cultivator settlements on the journey ahead, making resupply out of the question. Therefore, he needed to plan his use of the Crimson Mushroom powder and the frequency of his purges of the crimson corruption.

The consequences of being overly eroded by the Crimson Spiritual Energy were not something he could afford.

...

「Two years passed in the blink of an eye as he traveled west.」

A hundred zhang deep within a rock stratum, Lü Zhong had carved out a shelter. He skillfully activated the Little Sumeru Formation. Its effect at blocking the Crimson Spiritual Energy was mediocre, but it was better than nothing.

A Purple Flame ignited on the surface of his body.

He began to determine his position.

The closer he got to the Crimson Demon Land, the more severe the corrosion from the crimson corruption became. This was especially true now that he had officially entered the West Extreme Sword Domain, where he couldn’t find a single landmark.

Left with no choice, Lü Zhong had to start calculating his position based on his direction and flight speed.

’After another thousand li, I’ll need to make another marker tower.’

By now, Lü Zhong was no longer afraid of being discovered, so he simply started using Magic Skills to construct a series of marker towers to use as reference points for navigation.

Occasionally, he would even use the Star Pulling Skill.

Watching a Meteor tear through the cloud layer and smash a deep crater into the corrupted wilderness served as a form of stress relief.

Since the day he left the Profound Hao Ship, he hadn’t seen another living person for a full two years.

If a Qi Refining cultivator had been in his place, stuck day after day in this godforsaken place and dealing with mysterious things... they would have gone mad long ago!

Soon, Lü Zhong finished his calculations. Looking at the large red dot on his map, a smile finally appeared on his face. ”Mm, only half a month’s journey left to Shaxuan Valley.”

...

After a simple night’s rest, Lü Zhong emerged from his shelter. When he looked up, the sky was still the same oppressive, blood-red color. It was unchanging, as if the very air had stopped circulating.

The only time it changed, even slightly, was when he smashed it with a Meteor.

He chose a direction and flew toward Shaxuan Valley.

While passing a Corruption Lake—or more accurately, a ”Sea of Corruption”—a shadowy figure suddenly shot out from beneath the surface. Even using his Celestial Net Eye, Lü Zhong could only make out its body, which was covered in spiral patterns.

If he had to describe it, it was like a loach with a large head, a thick body, and a thin tail. It had several pairs of limp wings, and its entire body was pitch-black, giving off a slimy impression. It was covered in spiral patterns of varying sizes and even had slender limbs.

As for what exactly it was, he had no idea.

In his Celestial Net Eye Vision, there was no trace of Spiritual Qi on its body. It was neither human, nor demon, nor Spirit Monster. It wasn’t even a soul.

It often appeared in the Sea of Corruption, so he had named it the ”Corrupt Beast”.

When this beast flew out of the Sea of Corruption, it didn’t create the slightest ripple. After tumbling through the air for a moment, it would dissipate into nothingness.

Each time this happened, a Crystal Stone would fall.

With a hoarder’s mentality, Lü Zhong had collected several of them.

He continued onward.

Just as he had calculated, he arrived at Shaxuan Valley half a month later.

There were no battles, no inexplicable crises.

In a Corruption Lake filled with poisonous water, Lü Zhong easily found his objective: the half a page fragment needed to complete the Outer Body Incarnation Divine Technique.

It was just floating quietly on the surface of the water.

He stared blankly for a long moment, unable to believe it was real.

When he came to his senses, he hurriedly pulled it over with his magic.

He immediately brought all the pages together.

An astonishing scene unfolded. With a flash of golden light, all the pages merged into one, forming a golden booklet, on which were emblazoned four characters in Golden Seal Script.

”...It should be ’Outer Body Incarnation,’ right?” Lü Zhong prayed.

He thought he had accounted for everything, but there was one thing he had never expected.

The book was written in Golden Seal Script!

Although Golden Seal Script was often mentioned in the same breath as Silver Tadpole Script, it was used far more rarely. Many cultivators proficient in Silver Tadpole Script were still illiterate when it came to Golden Seal Script.

Just like Lü Zhong right now.

He could only stare at it in bewilderment.

’Forget it. No matter what this book is, I should head back to the Southern Barbarian lands first.’ Lü Zhong knew that if he didn’t go back soon, that silly wife of his at home would worry herself to death.

The road home always filled one’s heart with excitement.

The journey there took two years, but the return trip only took a year and a half.

Passing by the Profound Hao Ship, Lü Zhong made a special trip aboard to check. Seeing that the secret mark he had left was untouched, he could only leave in disappointment.

After some thought, he gave up on the tempting idea of using the Gray Mist Space to rewind the scene and trace the whereabouts of the cultivators who had abandoned the ship. Doing so might have given him a chance to find a way to gain control of the Profound Hao Ship.

But for now, the most important thing was to master the Outer Body Incarnation.

’Once I have the Outer Body Incarnation, it won’t be too late to come back and do this,’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

...

「Four years later, he set foot in the Southern Barbarian lands once more.」

Lü Zhong deeply missed all kinds of Spiritual Food. For the past four years, he had basically subsisted on Fasting Pills, an experience he truly didn’t want to look back on.

As usual, he checked his surroundings.

Based on the results of the scene rewind, the ashes of the Infernal Fang Beast were extraordinarily effective. Whenever the Green Spot Ghost Insects passed near the Underground Palace, they would subconsciously avoid the area.

’Still the domain of Poisonous Insects. Excellent!’

After finishing his inspection, Lü Zhong sealed the Underground Palace.

When he encountered the Poisonous Swamps again, he found them strangely familiar and comforting.

Indeed, compared to the corruption of the Western Realm, a mere Poisonous Swamp was nothing more than a pool of clear water.

...

「Two days passed in a flash.」

After making some inquiries, he learned that there were quite a few cultivators in the Southern Barbarian lands who could recognize Golden Seal Script. Just like the ”Elder Yun” in the Lingyue Domain who taught Silver Tadpole Script, Changchun Immortal City also had a cultivator who taught Golden Seal Script.

Lü Zhong sent a formal request for a visit and prepared to go.

”Come, come, Fellow Daoist Lü, this way please!” A thin, middle-aged man stood at the entrance of his manor, greeting Lü Zhong with great enthusiasm as he alighted from a Beast Vehicle.

Lü Zhong cupped his fist toward him and smiled. ”Fellow Daoist Kuang, you’re too kind!”

This Fellow Daoist Kuang’s full name was Kuang Youwen, an Early-stage Core Formation cultivator. Speaking of which, there was a slight connection between the two of them.

Kuang Youwen’s main profession was Talisman Making. He had more than ten disciples under him, all of whom were skilled Talisman Makers capable of producing large quantities of Talismans.

Thus, he had previously been one of the suppliers for the Chengde Commerce Association.

But later, when the Chengde Commerce Association moved to Bihai, they gradually reduced their procurement operations in Changchun Immortal City, instead prioritizing the Talismans produced by the Bihai Sect.

The two chatted as they walked, and soon arrived in the living room.

”To think that less than a century after reaching Core Formation, Fellow Daoist Lü is already at Mid-stage Core Formation cultivation. I heard you even slayed a Water Flood Dragon! Truly, each generation produces its own great talents!”

Hearing this, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but feel awkward.

Kuang Youwen’s attitude was truly a bit strange.

Logically, although there was a Small Realm difference in their cultivation, they were still essentially peers. There was no need for him to be so complimentary.

When he saw a small head peeking in from outside the hall, Lü Zhong roughly understood the reason.

”Fellow Daoist Kuang, who is this?”

”Hehe, it’s embarrassing to say, but that is my humble son.” Kuang Youwen said it was embarrassing, but his expression was clearly one of pride—the kind where he wished he could just carve the word ’proud’ onto his face.

It made sense. To have a son despite having Golden Core Cultivation was something worth bragging about.

Recalling what Yu Feng’er was always dreaming about, Lü Zhong couldn’t be bothered with maintaining the demeanor of a Golden Core Master. But when it came time to speak, he still felt a little awkward.

”Er, um...”

”It’s alright. I understand.”

Kuang Youwen had the look of someone who had been through it all.