A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’Be cautious. Always be cautious.’

Lü Zhong quickly chose the magic skills he wanted. After closing the catalog, he turned to the shop’s receptionist and asked, "These three magic skills, with their corresponding experience books—how many spirit stones in total?"

"Fellow Daoist, that will be one hundred and eighty-seven Spirit Stones in total."

"Knock off the odd amount. Let’s say one hundred and fifty."

"Well..." The receptionist smiled wryly. That was a lot more than just an ’odd amount’ to knock off.

After a round of haggling, the price was lowered by Seven Spirit Stones.

In the end, Lü Zhong purchased the three magic skills for one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones.

The first was the Entropy Light Spear, a Yang Attribute magic skill that could condense a Yang Qi Long Spear. While its effect on ordinary living beings was average, it inflicted massive damage on dark, malevolent creatures and Demon Cultivators, making it far more potent than an Evil Exorcism Talisman.

The second was the Magic Sword Skill, the original version of his Late Sun Sword Skill. It was renowned for its immense power and, when used at the right moment, could produce unexpected results. It was a classic technique recorded in many texts, famous for allowing the weak to defeat the strong.

The third was the Iron Body Technique, an auxiliary technique that could make one’s body as hard as iron.

After paying the spirit stones, he turned and walked out the door.

After a moment, the receptionist behind the counter seemed to recall something, his cheeks flushing slightly as he glanced at the shopkeeper who had just emerged from the back room.

The uses for the Iron Body Technique weren’t always entirely wholesome.

Perhaps because the war was over, the number of pedestrians on the street had suddenly increased.

On his way back, Lü Zhong saw that many were still dressed in white mourning clothes, and the sound of weeping could be heard from many homes. But compared to the grim, tense atmosphere of wartime, there was, at last, a touch more humanity in the air.

...

Late at night, Lü Zhong was still sitting cross-legged in his Quiet Chamber.

He muttered an incantation, his hands continuously forming one hand seal after another.

As he performed the motions, a golden light began to coalesce in front of him, drawn from the Fiery Sun Stone powder on the floor.

The process lasted for less than a breath before the coalesced golden light suddenly dispersed, exploding with a soft POP into a halo of light. The excess Yang Qi made the room’s temperature rise considerably.

The casting had failed.

Lü Zhong was not surprised.

Although many low-tier spells shared similar principles, they still couldn’t be mastered in a single day.

KNOCK KNOCK... A knock sounded at the door.

"Master, your meal is ready," came Hong Fu’s soft voice.

Since moving to West River Square, the two women had gradually taken on the roles of maids. They were responsible not only for the daily cleaning of the courtyard but also for preparing three meals a day, saving Lü Zhong a great deal of effort.

He rose and cast Malice Detection as a precaution. Seeing no reaction, he finally left the room.

’You can never be too careful,’ he thought. ’It pays to be vigilant.’

When it was time to eat, he was, without a doubt, the only one at the table.

The rice was the finest Cyan Bud Spirit Rice which, even when not prepared by a Spirit Chef, was still fragrant and delicious. The side dishes consisted of various pickled vegetables and a Spirit Fish freshly caught from the river. Due to the war between the Three Sects, the rearing of Spiritual Beasts in Yongling City had been severely affected, and it would likely take some time to recover.

Soon, Lü Zhong put down his bowl and chopsticks.

The amount of Spiritual Qi in the meal was not much for a Qi Refining Sixth Layer Cultivator. He mostly partook as a small pleasure in life, lest his cultivation journey become too monotonous.

"Have either of you encountered any difficulties in your training recently? If so, you can speak up now."

"Yes, Master!" Hong Fu’s eyes lit up as she replied with delight.

Lü Zhong had naturally experienced the same problems she was facing, and with just a few words of advice, he was able to clear up her confusion completely.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master!"

Then, Lü Zhong turned his gaze to Li Hejun.

"And you?"

Li Hejun, who had been keeping her head down, trembled. Her slender frame shook as she clutched her chest, stammering in a panic, "N-no, I haven’t run into any trouble yet."

But the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

When she looked up again, Lü Zhong was already gone.

...

Back in the Quiet Chamber, Lü Zhong’s forehead was beaded with sweat.

’What in the world went wrong? Why did the conflict in my Spiritual Power suddenly intensify?’

He analyzed the cause as he struggled to bring his Spiritual Power under control.

’Was it the food I just ate? Did that intensify the conflict in my Spiritual Power? Are Hong Fu and Hejun trying to harm me?’

’Or is it a problem with the Four Spirits Technique itself?’

Once the conflict within his Spiritual Power was temporarily suppressed, Lü Zhong began to mentally retrace his steps.

An hour later, he opened his eyes.

The problem was, in fact, the Four Spirits Technique. Signs of the conflict had actually appeared a few days prior, but he had failed to notice them until they suddenly erupted today.

’Tch, this is a mess,’ he thought.

Lü Zhong’s expression was grim. After some deliberation, he decided to visit Lan Yuming the next day.

The man still owed him a favor. It was time to call it in.

With his help, he might be able to find out the cause of his problem from someone in the Heling Sect.

...

Lü Zhong set out early the next morning.

When he arrived at Miaoyin Square, he found it was also in ruins. Like the rest of the city, the air was thick with the foul stench of rot and decay.

After sending in a formal request to visit, he was quickly brought to see Lan Yuming.

The man was lying in bed, and the room reeked of pungent medicine. He had become a walking apothecary, it seemed.

Beneath it all, Lü Zhong could also detect the faint stench of decay.

After hearing the purpose of Lü Zhong’s visit, Lan Yuming had a maid help him sit up.

"*Cough, cough*... As for the problem you’re facing, Fellow Daoist Lü, I can’t give you a direct answer. However, since it’s a Spiritual Power conflict from the Four Spirits Technique... take this token. *Cough, cough, cough!* With this token, you can enter the Outer Sect in the northern part of the city. There’s a place there that sells Harmonizing Spirit Pills. If you take one, your problem should be resolved."

"Thank you," Lü Zhong said, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect.

After taking the token, he said nothing more and took his leave of Lan Yuming.

Lan Yuming was severely injured and needed his rest. Plus, the favor between them was now repaid, so he didn’t waste breath on pleasantries to detain him.

Lü Zhong left and headed for the northern part of the city.

As the location of the Heling Sect’s Outer Sect, the buildings in the northern district were surprisingly intact.

He used the token to gain entry to the Heling Sect’s Outer Sect without any issues.

He spent a Spirit Stone to get directions to his destination from a servant.

Even though this wasn’t his first time here, the sights along the way still struck Lü Zhong as novel.

For instance, there were giant Puppets pulling carts laden with heavy materials.

The Puppets were humanoid, and they pulled the massive, ground-shaking carts with apparent ease. The sight sparked his interest in the Puppet Dao, making him think about studying it someday.

He also saw unknown Creations floating in the air along the road. They emitted a rippling Spiritual Light and looked quite beautiful, but their purpose was unclear, and they radiated an intense sense of danger.

After walking for about ten minutes, Lü Zhong arrived before a large hall.

He glanced up at the plaque. The three words "Miscellaneous Affairs Hall" were written in powerful, elegant calligraphy. He didn’t know who the calligrapher was, but the writing exuded an oppressive aura; staring at it for more than a moment made his eyes ache.

He looked away and stepped inside.

The hall was mostly empty, save for a single Heling Sect disciple who was fast asleep at a desk.

For some reason, Lü Zhong found the man strangely familiar.

Perhaps sensing his arrival, the Heling Sect disciple raised his head. He first rubbed his sleepy eyes, his expression one of clear annoyance, and only after a long moment did he finally look up at the newcomer.

When he did, however, he instantly froze.

The stunned state lasted only for a fraction of a second before the man recovered, making it look like little more than a brief pause. Yet, the ever-cautious Lü Zhong keenly sensed that something was wrong.

To avoid letting on that he had noticed, he didn’t give the Heling Sect disciple a second glance, pretending everything was normal.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist. Do you sell Harmonizing Spirit Pills here?"

The youthful-looking Heling Sect disciple smiled. "We do."

As he spoke, he reached for the Storage Bag at his waist.

He casually glanced up and saw that Lü Zhong wasn’t looking his way.

The Heling Sect disciple quickly took out a wooden box. In a blind spot, he opened a Small Jade Bottle, sprinkled a few drops of liquid onto the box, and only then did he hand over the wooden box containing the Harmonizing Spirit Pill.

"This pill is fifty Spirit Stones."

"Here."

Lü Zhong said nothing, his expression as calm as it was when he entered. He simply took out a bag of Spirit Stones and handed it over.

His demeanor was perfectly normal—so much so that the Heling Sect disciple couldn’t tell that Lü Zhong had already grown suspicious.

He paused for a moment after stepping outside, then left.