A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

“So this is the ninth Daoist Palace?”

Having teamed up with Feng Rui to clear two consecutive trials, Lü Zhong gazed up at the massive palace before him, unable to conceal his excitement.

If he passed this final trial, he could enter the Central District. The opportunity for Divinity Transformation was within his grasp, and even his usually placid emotions began to stir.

There was no time to waste. The two of them stepped into the Daoist Palace together.

The familiar sensation of teleportation washed over him. When Lü Zhong came to his senses, he found himself in a place of blooming flowers. Everything as far as the eye could see was a dazzling, brilliant gold, like a carpet forged from Gold.

And in the very center of this place stood a colossal, thousand-zhang tree, also shimmering in a golden-yellow hue.

An occasional breeze stirred, carrying with it the faint, ethereal sound of immortal music.

Being in its midst was like stepping into a celestial paradise.

“Is this the trial site?” Feng Rui asked, uncertain.

Lü Zhong, at his side, also found it strange.

Just then, a figure of light suddenly materialized before them.

It was a playful and lovely young girl.

Her attire matched the style of the place—a long, golden-yellow robe. It was impossible to tell who had designed it, but although the robe was adorned with Gold ornaments and embroidered with magnificent, intricate patterns, it didn’t look gaudy or cumbersome in the slightest. On the contrary, it exuded an aura of celestial grace.

Facing the young girl, neither Lü Zhong nor Feng Rui dared to make a rash move. Then, she let out a soft giggle, extended a slender arm, pointed toward the distant Golden Giant Tree, and beckoned.

“Seniors, please follow Chun’Er to see the Lord Immortal Envoy!”

After speaking, the girl didn’t wait to see if they were following and ran off with light steps. She hummed a short tune and danced amidst the sea of golden-yellow flowers, seeming to enjoy it very much.

Hearing this, the two exchanged a look.

“I don’t sense any malice from her. I think we should follow,” Lü Zhong suggested.

“I think so too,” Feng Rui said with a nod.

He had always trusted his instincts, just like when he’d decided to team up with Lü Zhong. He didn’t understand what was going on, or how they’d managed to enter the Central District without passing the final trial. Still, it didn’t seem like a bad thing.

So, the two buried their questions and followed the girl who called herself Chun’Er, slowly walking toward the Golden Giant Tree.

Along the way, Lü Zhong suddenly spoke up:

“Chun’Er, what is that dance you’re doing?”

Hearing this, Chun’Er, who was leading the way, stopped. She scrunched up her little face in thought for a long while before saying in a crisp voice, “Chun’Er doesn’t know. I just saw the seniors before me always dancing, so I suddenly started dancing too. I’ll tell you a little secret, Senior: every time I dance, Chun’Er feels so happy!”

“If I wanted to learn, could you teach me?” Lü Zhong asked.

“Of course! But Chun’Er’s version isn’t suitable for you, Senior. If you want to learn, you’ll have to learn a different one,” Chun’Er said happily, clapping her small hands.

Then, she truly did begin meticulously teaching Lü Zhong the mysterious dance.

It was completely different from her previous style. It lacked the ethereal, light feeling and had more of a mystical, ritualistic quality. It didn’t look effeminate when a male cultivator performed it; instead, it looked as if he were performing a sacrificial rite.

‘A sacrificial rite?’

As this thought surfaced in his mind, Lü Zhong suddenly understood the dance’s purpose.

‘Perhaps this dance is meant for sacrificial rites.’

Feng Rui, watching idly from the side, had at first assumed Lü Zhong was just learning the dance to get closer to the mysterious girl. But when he saw Lü Zhong wasn’t joking and had begun to learn with a serious expression, something suddenly clicked. He immediately started observing intently.

But he learned nothing.

Noticing Feng Rui’s actions, Lü Zhong smiled to himself.

‘How could the secrets of this dance be so easily discerned?’

‘It’s only because I have the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique that I can see the profundity of this nameless dance.’

‘It’s absolutely a top-tier Soul Suppressing Skill!’

Only by dancing it himself did Lü Zhong discover that as the postures changed, a gentle, spreading warmth emanated from his Primordial Spirit, as if it were soaking in a warm ocean. The comfort was beyond description.

As he delved deeper into the dance, hidden injuries on his Primordial Spirit that he couldn’t normally detect were gradually revealed. Under the influence of that gentle warmth, they actually began to slowly heal. Although the healing speed was extremely slow, likely to take at least thirty to fifty years, they were indeed healing.

Realizing this, Lü Zhong focused on learning with even greater intensity.

“Oh my, Senior, you’re so slow! Chun’Er still has to take you to see the Lord Immortal Envoy. Chun’Er doesn’t want to teach you anymore!”

After teaching him more than ten times in a row, the girl Chun’Er finally gave up. She hadn’t expected that a dance she considered so simple to learn would be something the senior just couldn’t seem to grasp.

“My apologies for my poor performance,” Lü Zhong replied with a smile, not minding her words.

‘I made Chun’Er demonstrate it so many times, and I still haven’t even scratched the surface. It’s quite embarrassing. Fortunately, with the Gray Mist Space, I’ll be able to master this ritualistic dance sooner or later.’

After this little interlude, Lü Zhong had a general understanding of Chun’Er’s personality.

If he had to use a phrase to describe her, it would be ‘sheltered and naive.’

He also noticed that while Chun’Er’s form looked solid, parts of it remained illusory. Considering how she first appeared, a certain guess formed in his mind.

‘An Artifact Spirit? Or maybe…’

Lü Zhong wondered, his expression unreadable.

The closer they got to the giant tree, the clearer the immortal music became.

Led by the young girl Chun’Er, the two finally arrived at the base of the Golden Giant Tree. The first thing they saw was a magnificent plaza. It was a pity that, worn down by the long passage of time, the surrounding buildings had long since collapsed into ruin. Towering stone pillars, once carved with exquisite patterns, were now mostly swallowed by the sea of flowers.