A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’Now that my Divine Soul is stronger, I can create one more Incarnation. Three Combat Incarnations are enough. I should use the remaining two slots to plant some seeds...’

He mulled it over for a moment and quickly came up with a plan.

’I’ll send them to the Celestial Blade Sect and the Xuanyang Sect. I don’t expect them to obtain the Nascent Soul Secret Technique, but planting them inside as moles is a good option...’

...

Since he was already in the Huayi Domain, the True Spirit Domain was not far off.

Lü Zhong decided he might as well pay Shuini a visit.

Shuini was currently at the Yanling Mountain Market. The market happened to be a node for the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array, and she was overseeing the construction of the Traction Tower. At the same time, she was performing tasks that only a Nascent Soul True Monarch could handle, such as using her Nascent Fire to fuse special materials.

Seeing Lü Zhong arrive, the gloom that had clung to Shuini vanished, replaced by a joyful expression that made her look even more alluring than usual. She shamelessly leaned into her disciple’s arms and said playfully, ”I must be exhausted. My dear disciple, you must help your master back to her room to rest. Otherwise, I think I might just collapse.”

She was getting more and more audacious. Lü Zhong rolled his eyes, but he did as she asked.

Once back in the room, the master and disciple shared an intimate... exchange.

Shuini now wore only a sheer robe, and she seemed all the more radiant and alluring after being... thoroughly nourished.

Just then, she seemed to recall something. She looked up at Lü Zhong and said, ”The Array Foundation for the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array will be finished soon. When it is, we’ll try to contact the world beyond by opening a Void Channel near the Traction Tower. Something unexpected might happen, so my dear disciple, you should lend your master a hand.”

”Something unexpected? What kind of surprises could there be?” Lü Zhong asked, his curiosity piqued.

He knew nothing about the Void, which was why he asked.

Shuini was not surprised by his question. She explained patiently, ”Beyond this world lies the endless Void. According to information we recently received from Central Earth, the Void isn’t empty. In addition to the omnipresent spatial turbulence, there might also be Outer Heaven Demons!”

Hearing this, Lü Zhong’s attention wasn’t on the Outer Heaven Demons. Instead, he focused on her mention of the information coming from Central Earth. A thought occurred to him. ’Could it be that a faction from Central Earth is also involved in pulling over the Ten Thousand Witches Hall?’

When he voiced this question, Shuini chuckled.

”I wouldn’t share this information with anyone else, but of course, you’re different, my dear disciple. You’re right. Central Earth’s Southern Sect, the Gui Miao Immortal Sect, is indeed involved. In fact, without the Immortal Sect’s help, the plan to draw over the Ten Thousand Witches Hall couldn’t have proceeded so smoothly...”

She then began to explain in detail.

Central Earth has four great Immortal Sects, each governing one of the four domains: east, west, south, and north. The one responsible for the region of the Southern Barbarians is the Gui Miao Immortal Sect, also known as the Southern Sect. Shuini’s own Immortal Spirit Sect is a vassal of Gui Miao. All trade related to the East Sea and the Southern Barbarians falls under the Gui Miao Immortal Sect’s control.

Only with such resources can a Divinity Transformation Sect be sustained.

”As for the Western Realm you’re concerned about...” Shuini switched to using a sound transmission.

”...That’s the territory of the Western Sect, the Mysterious Dao Sect. Central Earth is incredibly vast—it’s tens of millions of li from the Southern Sect to the Western Sect—so even I don’t know the situation over there. Furthermore, the four great Immortal Sects are rivals, with only the bare minimum of necessary exchanges in personnel and resources.”

”I had no idea,” Lü Zhong said.

He couldn’t help but think, ’If that’s the case, then after my Incarnation reaches Central Earth, the first problem will be figuring out how to enter the Western Sect Land just to gather information.’

’This can’t be rushed. I’ll have to take my time and make a careful plan.’

Returning to the topic at hand.

”Once the Ten Thousand Witches Hall is drawn over, Central Earth will likely send people. Lü Zhong, my dear disciple, you must remember this: do not clash with cultivators from the Immortal Sects unless absolutely necessary. While they may only be marginally stronger than you, they’ll likely be carrying life-saving treasures from a Nascent Soul. A standard Protective Talisman is one thing, but if they’re carrying a sealed Magic Skill or Sword Qi from a Nascent Soul True Monarch, you might not be able to block it!”

Having lived in Central Earth, Shuini was well aware of the arrogance of Immortal Sect cultivators.

These people were mostly from Noble Families or descended from Immortal Sect Elders. Accustomed to a life of superiority, they couldn’t tolerate the slightest defiance and would hold a grudge over the smallest offense. However, their Immortal Sect upbringing taught them how to dissemble, allowing them to conceal their true intentions perfectly.

They might seem approachable on the surface, but in reality, they were venomous snakes waiting for the right person to devour.

Given the opportunity, they would take a vicious bite.

Lü Zhong listened, committing her words to memory.

Shuini then returned to the topic of the Outer Heaven Demons.

The information from the Gui Miao Immortal Sect on the Outer Heaven Demons was sparse. It only mentioned that they came in bizarre and varied forms. While their abilities weren’t as strange as those of Evil Spirits, they were often impossible to defend against.

Celestial Demons are divided into two types: incorporeal and corporeal. The incorporeal ones are the legendary Heart Demons. They tend to invade when a person is vulnerable, and if one cannot resist their temptations, their body will be possessed. There are many kinds of corporeal Celestial Demons, each with its own bizarre appearance and unique traits.

Once the Void Channel opens, only the corporeal Celestial Demons will be able to cross over.

To Immortal Cultivators, Celestial Demons are not invincible. They are merely powerful enemies, and there are many ways to destroy and kill them.

...

「One month later.」

The foundation of the Traction Tower was completed on schedule.

After it was connected to the Yanling Mountain Spirit Vein and supplied with sufficient Spiritual Qi, the tower’s foundation began to emit a high-frequency hum. A pillar of light shot out, soaring straight into the sky and disappearing into the clouds.

At that same moment, the other nodes of the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array activated simultaneously.

In an instant, the very sky seemed to transform.

Lü Zhong, his Celestial Net Secret Eye active, watched the pillar of light intently. He noticed a dark cloud condensing high in the sky. Shortly after the pillar of light pierced the cloud layer, the dark cloud transformed into a swirling vortex. Streaks of pale lightning crackled around it, creating a breathtakingly immense spectacle.

’A spatial connection has formed!’

Having established his Spatial Perception, Lü Zhong could sense a new vortex forming in the ”sea” of space, as if it were about to connect to something. Standing beside him, Shuini, a Nascent Soul True Monarch, naturally noticed this as well. She immediately warned him to be ready, as Celestial Demons could rush out the moment the Void Channel opened.

Soon, the Void Channel opened.

To Lü Zhong’s surprise, what first surged from the channel wasn’t an Outer Heaven Demon, but rather an incomparably pure Spiritual Qi. This completely defied his expectations.

”This is normal.” Shuini seemed to have expected as much.

”Legend has it that back when Divinity Transformation cultivators could still undergo Ascension, every connection they made with the Upper Realm brought a tremendous amount of Spiritual Qi to this world. Because of this, whenever a cultivator successfully ascended, the next several thousand years would usher in a golden age for cultivation. It’s said that when nature’s spiritual energy was that abundant, even Five Spirit Root Cultivators could achieve Foundation Establishment with ease.

But... that’s just something I read in a collection of old stories, so don’t take it as gospel.”

The surging Spiritual Qi gushed out like a torrent.

Under its influence, Lü Zhong could feel the concentration of the surrounding Spiritual Qi rising noticeably, and he couldn’t help but start to believe the old story Shuini had mentioned.

After all, the ancient texts described the Void as a barren place.

’If the Spiritual Qi gushing from a barren place like this can so rapidly alter the world’s environment, how much more terrifying must the Spiritual Qi concentration be in the legendary Spirit Realm, where one can cultivate all the way to Ascension into the Immortal Realm?’

Just as he was thinking this, the Void Channel stirred.

”AAAAAHHHH!”

A trembling shriek, quivering with unbridled excitement, echoed from the channel.

Lü Zhong and Shuini exchanged a look, their expressions turning grave. Although both had been mentally prepared, they hadn’t truly expected an Outer Heaven Demon to appear.

In the next instant, a flash of iridescent light flew out of the channel. When it landed, it manifested a mountain-like form.

It was over three hundred zhang tall—truly the size of a mountain!

The Outer Heaven Demon’s appearance was bizarre. It resembled a scorpion that had all its appendages torn off, with a pair of slender, hooved legs attached where they should have been. Its entire body was a pale, bone-white color.

It also emanated an aura that made one’s very Divine Soul tremble.