A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Before the Second Daoist Palace.

Feng Rui had planned to wait, but less than an hour after sitting down, he saw a figure materialize out of thin air. It was Lü Zhong, who had only recently entered the trial. He couldn’t hide the look of astonishment on his face:

“The first Daoist Palace might be simple, but it’s still not that easy to pass. For you to be so quick, Fellow Daoist Lü, is truly beyond my expectations!”

“Is that so?” Lü Zhong replied coolly.

The trial of the first Daoist Palace could indeed be called simple—all it required was defeating a single opponent of the same rank.

For him, it was an effortless task.

“Then let’s continue. Honestly, I’m getting more and more excited!” Feng Rui rose from the ground and walked through the second Daoist Palace without a backward glance.

Lü Zhong followed close behind, stepping into the second Daoist Palace as well.

In a blur, he arrived in a land of beautiful mountains and clear streams. He stood on a lawn of jade-green grass, the sound of ethereal music drifting to his ears. Not far ahead was a giant, tortoise-shaped boulder, upon which sat a white-robed old man, gazing blankly at the horizon.

Having experienced the first Daoist Palace, Lü Zhong knew what to do.

He walked forward, cupped his fists, and said, “I am ready. Please begin the trial, Senior!”

“The trial begins!”

Although he looked like a living man, the old man’s voice was utterly lifeless—it was as if a stone were speaking. The instant his voice faded, the second trial began. Two illusory figures suddenly materialized, both possessing Late-stage Nascent Soul Cultivation.

Lü Zhong took a deep breath and moved to engage them.

Based on his experience, he could tell these two figures were quite powerful. They did not seem like Puppets, but rather like living people, proficient in various combat techniques.

For example, they now exchanged a glance and began to flank him.

Lü Zhong’s response was simple.

Divide and conquer!

Since Magical Treasures damaged during the trial would instantly recover upon exit, he could fight without restraint. He repeatedly activated the Star Mirror to use Thunder Escape, evading one opponent’s sneak attack while launching a fierce assault against the other.

For a moment, the sky was filled with blinding flashes of lightning.

The ROAR of thunder was incessant.

Affected by the aftershocks, the once-serene landscape of mountains and streams was quickly thrown into disarray, and soon even the soil was blasted into the sky.

Before long, even the Underground Fire Vein was struck and exposed.

Only the spot where the white-robed old man sat remained lush and verdant.

After a prolonged struggle, Lü Zhong struck out with his Shattering Star Finger, shattering his target’s already thin Protective Gang Qi. Then, with a backhand grip on his Green Cauldron Sword, he viciously ran the blade straight through the opponent’s Dantian.

BANG!

The figure exploded into a mist of light and vanished in an instant.

Having dealt with one opponent, Lü Zhong didn’t even turn his head. He wrapped himself in lightning and vanished, dodging a sneak attack from behind. When he reappeared, he was behind the other assailant, the green shadow in his hand thrusting out like a bolt of lightning—only to hit empty air.

‘An illusion!’ Lü Zhong thought, slightly surprised.

At the same time, a DING echoed by his ear.

It turned out the man had also used Instant Teleportation to launch a surprise attack on Lü Zhong, but the Flood Dragon Spirit Banner had blocked it, rendering his effort useless.

The two continued to fight.

This time, Lü Zhong opted for a more cautious and steady approach. Through their clashes, he had discerned that his opponent’s Body Technique was extremely nimble, following an assassin’s style and lacking the ability for direct confrontation.

Sure enough, in a direct confrontation, the opponent was no match for him at all.

After just a few clashes, his opponent left a wide opening.

With a sickening slice, Lü Zhong beheaded him.

“Trial complete. You are granted the Little Purple Sky Thunder Skill, Volume Two.”

As the voice spoke, the scene before him began to blur. When Lü Zhong regained his senses, he was standing before the third Daoist Palace. This time, he did not see Feng Rui.

Not dwelling on where Feng Rui might have gone, Lü Zhong’s breathing grew heavy as he closed his eyes.

He searched his mind and, sure enough, found another Technique had been imprinted there.

He thought of it as “another” because he had received Volume One of the Little Purple Sky Thunder Skill upon clearing the first Daoist Palace.

‘The Little Purple Sky Thunder Skill… I wonder if there’s any connection to the Purple Sky Divine Thunder?’

At this thought, Lü Zhong immediately tried to merge the two Techniques in his mind, but his excitement was quickly doused with cold water.

‘It’s still incomplete. I probably need to pass the third Daoist Palace to assemble the complete Thunder Skill.’

The reward was a powerful motivator.

In Lü Zhong’s estimation, the Little Purple Sky Thunder Skill had to have an extraordinary origin, most likely related to the legendary Purple Sky Divine Thunder. The Wood Thunder Skill he possessed most likely couldn’t compare. The former probably belonged to the category of Immortal Inheritance Techniques; it would not be an exaggeration to call it a Divine Power Technique.

Faced with such a Supreme Thunder Skill, who could possibly remain unmoved?

Seeing that he was completely unharmed, he stepped into the third Daoist Palace.

Again, he saw the familiar white-robed old man.

After the emotionless voice faded, this time a full three opponents appeared. Not only did they all have Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, but they also coordinated with seamless precision.

To make matters worse, they actually knew a Combined Attack Formation.

This time, Lü Zhong found himself in a bitter struggle.

Though he was powerful, his strength had its limits.

One-on-one, he could win with ease.

One-on-two, he could manage after a drawn-out fight.

But now, facing three at once, the quantitative change had led to a qualitative one. What’s more, his opponents were very likely triplets, and he could find almost no openings in their assault.

‘Triplets?’ Lü Zhong thought, parrying an opponent’s strike with his sword.

He suddenly recalled a biography he had once read. The protagonists were a set of triplets known as the “Mengshan Three Heroes,” who were active five hundred thousand years ago. They were famous figures of their era, said to have once joined forces to fight a Divinity Transformation expert to a draw.