A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

In the time that followed.

Lü Zhong observed the changing situation in the Southern Barbarian lands while focusing on cultivating the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra.

Thanks to this, his progress with the technique soared.

He broke through seven Acupoints in a row. With only the final two remaining, he would be able to cultivate the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra to the stage of Great Success and reap immense benefits.

「Another year passed.」

The Nascent Soul Formation celebration was held as scheduled.

As a celebration for a Nascent Soul True Monarch, the ceremony was naturally much grander and livelier than usual.

There were over a hundred Core Formation Cultivators in attendance alone. They hailed from all across the Southern Barbarian lands, drawn by the Preaching Conference that was to follow.

As for the cultivators from the Bihai Cultivation World, most had sent the elite disciples of their clans. This was not only so they could benefit from the Preaching Conference, but also as a gesture of goodwill toward the Bihai Sect.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Bihai Sect was set to become the supreme power in the Bihai Cultivation World.

The various clans, large and small, would have to curry favor with the sect if they wished to continue operating in Bihai.

Even the envoys from the major sects of the Southern Barbarian lands had dropped their usual arrogant, nose-in-the-air attitude. They now treated the Bihai Sect as a true Nascent Soul Sect. Each envoy was all smiles, chatting amiably with the Bihai Sect cultivators who received them before presenting gifts of astonishing value.

In addition to the clan and sect cultivators, many Loose Cultivators had also come hoping for a share of the good fortune.

”Tsk, tsk. I heard that this True Lord Lü actually started out as a Loose Cultivator. In the past, he was just like you and me—a lonely, wandering Loose Cultivator with no one to depend on.

To think that in less than two hundred years, he’s already broken through to True Monarch Cultivation! A cultivation speed that astonishing... even the geniuses of the Seven Sects on the mainland probably can’t compare!” A middle-aged man at the Foundation Establishment stage, dressed in a long robe, glanced around the Reception Hall. He gazed at the mountain of precious gifts, his eyes filled with undisguised envy, as he secretly sent a voice transmission to his companion.

He then looked far into the distance, toward Bihai Hall at the very peak of the Bihai Sect, and added resentfully, ”If an opportunity like that had fallen to me, I bet...”

”A figure like him is completely beyond our reach,” a nearby Foundation Establishment cultivator who looked like a young girl replied with a touch of disdain. Her expression held a maturity that belied her appearance. ”Besides, even if you did get such an opportunity, Fellow Daoist, could you truly guarantee you would accomplish so much? Given your track record, if you really stumbled upon some heaven-defying luck, you’d probably end up just like those fools in the old records. Hmph...”

Her words were so blunt that the middle-aged cultivator’s face flushed with anger and embarrassment. He could only curse her silently in his heart. ’Such a shortsighted woman.’

”Enough of this, the banquet’s about to start over there!”

Soon, the celebration officially began.

Following tradition, Lü Zhong made a rare appearance before the public. He began by offering some formal pleasantries, then personally received each of the envoys who had come to offer their congratulations.

He also took the opportunity to announce his new title.

There were many ways for a Nascent Soul True Monarch to acquire a title. Some, like those from the Daoist Sects, directly inherited their Daoist names. Others were given a publicly recognized title based on their deeds. One could also simply choose a name for oneself and announce it at their Nascent Soul Formation celebration. There were no strict rules.

Lü Zhong had given his own title a great deal of thought.

In the end, he decided to continue the tradition between master and disciple. Since Shuini was known as the Radiant Moon True Monarch, he, being terrible at coming up with names, simply took Yu Feng’er’s suggestion and chose the title ”Star Sun.”

’If things go as expected, I’ll probably be called the Star Sun Old Demon from now on.’ Lü Zhong couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

He then joined Yu Feng’er and Shuini, who had come to stand with him.

Together, the three of them walked out of Bihai Hall.

In that moment, all eyes were fixed upon them.

It was the official announcement to the world of the rise of the Star Sun True Monarch!

...

The Nascent Soul Formation celebration was a great success. At the Preaching Conference that followed, several people even experienced epiphanies and achieved breakthroughs one after another.

As expected, the Star Sun True Monarch’s Nascent Soul Formation celebration would remain a popular topic of conversation among the Southern Barbarian Cultivators for a long time to come.

Perhaps due to the celebration, no other major events occurred in the Southern Barbarian Cultivation World. There were, however, plenty of minor disturbances—not large enough to be considered significant, but not entirely trivial either.

For instance, Evil Spirits would run rampant in one area, causing tens of thousands of mortal casualties and losses among sect cultivators. In another, a newly discovered Secret Realm would end up releasing a terrifying Demon Cultivator, who would ravage a region for a time before being hunted down and killed.

These were all considered routine events in the Cultivation Realm, and no one found them particularly surprising.

While it seemed people were dying frequently, this was across the vast expanse of the Southern Barbarian lands. In truth, ever since the last Qian Nan Grand Assembly, the once-rampant Evil Spirits had been actively suppressed, and their capacity for destruction was a pale shadow of what it once was. In tandem, various Heterodox Dao factions, such as Demon Cultivators and Corpse Cultivators, had also been dealt heavy blows.

One could say that as long as a mortal in the Southern Barbarian Cultivation World wasn’t exceptionally unlucky, living out their life in peace was not particularly difficult.

Lü Zhong paid no mind to worldly affairs. He devoted all his time outside of Alchemy and his regular cultivation to the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra, hoping to master it to the stage of Great Success as soon as possible.

「Summer passed into autumn.」

His days were peaceful and fulfilling.

This was exactly the life he had always dreamed of.

In his spare time, he also spent intimate moments with Yu Feng’er. This was not only to alleviate the tedium of the long Immortal Path, but also to fulfill his wife’s long-held wish.

But things did not go as they hoped, and Yu Feng’er showed no signs of pregnancy.

Lü Zhong suspected it was because after his Nascent Soul Formation, his body had continued its transformation into a Pure Spirit Body, which had further reduced his chances of fathering a child.

’To be honest, he didn’t really care whether he had children or not.’

’If it happened, it happened. If not, it was no great loss.’

As for Feng’er’s obsession, Lü Zhong could only do his best to console her. He had to prevent it from becoming a Heart Demon that would be difficult to overcome on her own path to Nascent Soul Formation.