A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

This was the Sect Leader of the Heling Sect, Zhang Lingyi.

The Sect Leader’s position was not low. It was second only to the three Core Formation Masters and above all the Foundation Establishment Stewards who managed specific affairs.

One could say that as long as the Masters had not spoken, the Sect Leader was the highest authority in the Heling Sect.

Over here, Zhang Lingyi exchanged a few words with Shuini before the topic quickly shifted to Lü Zhong.

"Senior Sister Shui, could this be your new disciple? He is truly a man of fine bearing!"

"Of course he is!" Shuini said, looking quite proud.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong, who was standing beside them, couldn’t help but complain internally. ’Can’t you show a little humility?’

"Are you here to register? Come, Martial Nephew, fill out this form. Then, sign this Daoist Oath. Use your Essence Blood as ink to sign your name." Zhang Lingyi handed over two items in succession: a registration form and a Daoist Oath.

Lü Zhong quickly filled out the registration form.

When it came to the Daoist Oath, which was made of gold foil, his expression turned grave.

He read it over in detail. Judging from the contents of the Daoist Oath Book, the purpose of this oath was obvious. It was mainly to prevent spies from infiltrating the Sect. Once signed, it meant he had to abide by its terms, which included not betraying the Sect and not colluding with external enemies.

Any violation would result in an invasion of Heart Demons and being struck by heavenly lightning.

Without hesitation, Lü Zhong signed his name.

Immediately, a strange sensation arose in his heart, as if the Daoist Oath had truly taken effect.

Zhang Lingyi collected the two documents, stood up, and walked to an empty space in the room.

With a wave of his hand, a large book suddenly appeared on the floor. It was almost half a person tall, and when opened, it was about the size of a square table.

’This must be the so-called Jade Scroll,’ he thought.

After completing the registration, Zhang Lingyi handed Lü Zhong a Storage Bag and said, "The registration is complete. Inside the bag is a set of our Heling Sect’s Dharma Robes. If you find they don’t fit, Martial Nephew, you can go to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall to have them altered for free.

This year’s sect benefits are also inside. In the future, you will need to collect them from the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall yourself.

Next is your Identity Token. This item is essential for verifying your identity and must not be lost.

If you want to learn more about the Sect, you can check the Jade Scroll inside the bag. Its contents are revised every ten years. Alternatively, you can come find me, and I can also provide you with answers.

As for Cultivation Techniques, once you’ve decided which lineage you wish to follow, you can go to the Inheritance Hall to choose for yourself. You can ask the Dharma Transmission Steward there for specifics. It is not convenient for me to say more on the matter."

After speaking, he handed over a Jade Token.

"This is a Protective Jade Talisman I refined myself. It can withstand three full-power attacks from a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Consider it a welcoming gift for you, Martial Nephew."

’What a grand gesture!’ Lü Zhong thought to himself.

The effect of the Jade Token was similar to a Qingyang Body Protection Secret Talisman, but its power was comparable to a Golden Light Talisman. In terms of value, it was worth at least a three-digit sum of Spirit Stones. This was no small gift.

’However, this is probably on account of my bargain-bin master... ah, no, my master.’

"Thank you, Sect Leader!"

"Good disciple, you go back on your own for now. I have something to discuss with the Sect Leader," Shuini said.

For once, Shuini’s smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

Lü Zhong took the hint and excused himself.

As he stepped out of the hall, he faintly heard a voice from behind:

"...Senior Sister, about the ranking competition..."

"I know. Not a single one got away!" Shuini’s cold voice drifted out.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong’s expression changed slightly.

He had previously overheard that someone wanted to interfere with the ranking competition, yet it had proceeded smoothly. It turned out it was because Shuini had dealt with them.

’Not a single one got away.’ Who knew how many lives that phrase represented?

’It seems my master is no simple character.’

Lü Zhong shook his head, not feeling particularly surprised.

Status was built on strength. This was evident from the attitudes of his martial uncles; their words were filled with reverence for his "bargain-bin" master. Even the old man with the Pigeon Staff hadn’t dared to be presumptuous.

Leaving the Spirit Welcoming Hall, Lü Zhong followed a covered bridge downward, heading toward the Poultry Room.

The Poultry Room rented out Spiritual Birds for Qi Refining Disciples to use as transportation. After all, the core of the Heling Sect was built on mountain peaks. Qi Refining Disciples who couldn’t fly found it inconvenient to travel and had to rely on Spiritual Birds.

’Perhaps I should learn a Flying Spell?’ Lü Zhong wondered.

Upon reaching the Late-stage Qi Refining, a cultivator’s Spiritual Power would increase dramatically, making it possible for them to bear the Spiritual Power consumption of a Flying Spell or a Flying Magical Artifact.

But then he remembered he still had two Magic Skills he hadn’t mastered, so he decided to put the idea on hold.

Practicing a Flying Spell would just be for the thrill of it. The various Flying Spells suitable for the Qi Refining Stage were limited by the quality and quantity of one’s Spiritual Power, making them highly impractical. Flying with one was even slower than running on the ground.

Rather than waste energy on that, it would be more practical to just buy a Flying Magical Artifact to use in the meantime.

Lost in thought as he walked, Lü Zhong found an opportunity midway to change into his Heling Sect Dharma Robe.

It wasn’t that he was impatient; the Dharma Robe was simply excellent.

Perhaps it was a privilege reserved for Inner Sect Disciples. This was a High-grade Dharma Robe, enchanted with three Divine Techniques.

They were: Dust Avoidance, Wind Raider, and Gathering Spirit.

Of these, Dust Avoidance and Gathering Spirit were Minor Divine Techniques.

As its name implied, the Gathering Spirit Minor Divine Technique worked similarly to a Spirit Gathering Array. It could automatically gather nature’s spiritual energy, which would increase one’s cultivation speed. It was an extremely useful Minor Divine Technique.

As for Wind Raider, it was a superior version of the Wind-Avoiding Minor Divine Technique and possessed a much stronger wind-deflecting effect.

He tried activating it and found that Spirit Wind gathered around him. He felt as if he had merged with the wind. The effect was that he could walk without any effort, as if the wind itself was carrying him forward.

’Truly worthy of being called a Divine Technique!’

As he continued walking, the sound of birds chirping grew louder. He had arrived at the Poultry Room.

The Poultry Room was built on a giant tree. Its branches, large and small, were covered with cages of all sizes, housing numerous Spiritual Birds. Each bird was about a zhang tall, with a wingspan several times its height.

One could only imagine how magnificent it would be to ride on the back of one of these Spiritual Birds.

"Senior Brother, are you here to rent a Spiritual Bird? Please show me your Identity Token so I can register you," said a Poultry Disciple dressed in the robes of an Outer Disciple, her tone respectful.

His gaze swept over the Lower-grade Dharma Robe she was wearing. Lü Zhong handed over his Identity Token and asked, "What are the current rental prices for Spiritual Birds? Hmm, just tell me about the most common ones."

"The prices haven’t changed much. Whether it’s the Red-tailed Eagle for travel or the Ox-headed Crane for cargo, it’s still one Merit per day." The Poultry Disciple answered every question, not wanting to offend an Inner Sect Disciple.

Hearing this, Lü Zhong’s eyes fell upon a giant white crane with feathers protruding from the sides of its head, resembling a bull’s horns. ’Since it’s used for cargo,’ he thought, ’it must have a docile temperament, which is perfect for a novice like me.’

So he said, "I’ll rent an Ox-headed Crane for three days. I’ll pay with Spirit Stones."

He specifically mentioned paying with Spirit Stones because Merit was hard to come by in the Sect.

One Merit could be exchanged for one Spirit Stone, but one Spirit Stone could not be exchanged for one Merit.

Merit was extremely important. Whether it was for exchanging for various Pills and Magical Artifacts, acquiring additional Cultivation Techniques, or commissioning a sect senior for help, all required a varying amount of Merit.

On top of that, Merit was difficult to earn. Take Inner Sect Disciples, for example.

The Sect would issue a fixed stipend of five hundred Merit each year. If a disciple wanted more, they could only obtain it by actively accepting missions, which was a form of training in itself.

Hearing Lü Zhong’s words, the Poultry Disciple nodded without speaking.

Things like renting Spiritual Birds were tacitly allowed to be paid for with Spirit Stones. Only when exchanging for items like Cultivation Techniques or treasures was Merit absolutely required.

Soon, Lü Zhong received the Beast Taming Order to control the Spiritual Bird.

For "public transport" Spiritual Beasts like this one, the master-servant contract they signed was slightly unusual. The Spiritual Beast still signed a Slave Contract, but the master’s side of the contract was not signed by a specific cultivator, but by the Beast Taming Order in his hand.

Because Beast Taming Orders inevitably wore down, the service period for a Spiritual Bird was also limited.

Once a Beast Taming Order was damaged and the Spiritual Beast could not sign a new Slave Contract, there were usually two ways to handle it: one was to release it into the wild, and the other was to slaughter it for its various materials.

In reality, the latter was the usual method for dealing with "public transport" Spiritual Beasts.

This information flashed through Lü Zhong’s mind, but he didn’t dwell on it.

"Senior Brother, there is one more thing I should mention."

The Poultry Disciple released the Ox-headed Crane, stroking it to soothe its mood. "Recently, there have been a few cases of Spiritual Birds getting hungry and flying back on their own out of frustration. So, Senior Brother, unless you’re truly too busy, it’s best to feed it regularly. Ox-headed Cranes aren’t picky eaters; they’ll eat anything from Mortal Rice to meat. If you can feed it some tastier things, it might even fly with more enthusiasm."

"Thank you for the reminder!" Lü Zhong said, cupping his hands.