A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Yun Yan, long time no see!"

Accompanied by a burst of hearty laughter, Wanmu True Monarch, a man with an ordinary face dressed in a cyan Dharma Robe, approached from the distance with two Changchun Valley cultivators.

If one didn't know about the ten-thousand-year grudge between Changchun Valley and Huayi Temple, his warm, pleasant smile could easily mislead them into thinking he was meeting an old friend of many years.

Then, Wanmu pointed to a black-haired young man beside him who wore a long cyan robe, carried a massive Sword Box on his back, and had eyes as sharp as drawn swords. He chuckled and said, "Since this is just a friendly spar on behalf of your master, why not let this new disciple of mine test your student's skills?"

"Duanmu of Changchun Valley, I ask for Fellow Daoist Li's guidance!" The black-haired young man stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute.

Li Wuzhen and Duanmu locked eyes, their auras clashing and instantly kicking up a fierce wind. However, both of them tacitly held back.

"Hold on!"

Elder Yun Yan spoke up, interrupting their confrontation.

He hadn't expected someone to jump in and disrupt his plans like this, and for it to be Wanmu True Monarch of Changchun Valley, Huayi Temple's mortal enemy, no less. This man was clearly trying to ruin things for him. Although he was so furious he wished he could attack right then and there, he was constrained by the rules of the Qian Nan gathering. With a cold expression, he said:

"First come, first served. I'm sure Fellow Daoist Wanmu understands that principle, doesn't he?"

Then, he turned to look at Shuini.

"What do you think of my earlier proposal, Fellow Daoist?"

Hearing this, Shuini recalled Lü Zhong's earlier voice transmission and replied with an aura no less imposing than the two men's. "A spar is fine. My disciple has been feeling a bit rusty lately and was just thinking of crossing hands with a cultivator of his generation. If this young friend is willing to be his whetstone, that would be for the best. However, a simple match for victory or defeat is a bit too dull..."

"Simple enough. I have an ingot of Fire Cloud Essence." As if he had anticipated this, Yun Yan took a fiery red jade stone covered in flame-like patterns from his sleeve.

The moment it appeared, the surrounding temperature shot up.

Fire Cloud Essence was the Essence of Earth Vein Fire Power. There were few places in the Southern Barbarian lands that could produce it, and nearly all were concentrated within the Inference Realm. Moreover, it had the special effect of purifying Magical Treasures, so it was always fiercely contested whenever it appeared.

To offer it as the prize for their match was more than generous.

When Lü Zhong saw the item, he couldn't help but marvel at Elder Yun Yan's extravagance. 'But,' he resolved inwardly, 'I'll make sure to kill Li Wuzhen later and settle all our scores, new and old.'

'I'm sure he's thinking the same thing, right?'

Just then, Wanmu True Monarch stepped in to stir up trouble again.

"It's just a bit of Fire Cloud Essence. Why don't you have your prized disciple spar with my Changchun Valley disciple instead, Fellow Daoist Shui? I am willing to wager a Grass Essence Pill. How about that? Sincere enough for you?"

The Grass Essence Pill, an unshared secret of Changchun Valley.

Consuming one would strengthen one's foundation and cultivate their Primordial Qi, and could even eliminate deep-seated, chronic ailments from the body.

For cultivators who engaged in combat year-round, its value was no less than a divine object that could extend one's life by a hundred years. A single pill could restore a significant amount of Life Essence Qi and recover a portion of one's lost lifespan.

Elder Yun Yan opened his eyes and gave Wanmu True Monarch a hard look. Judging from his slightly heavier breathing, his mood was clearly anything but calm. However, he quickly composed himself and said nonchalantly:

"Since Fellow Daoist Wanmu insists, then I have no choice but to yield."

Immediately, he flicked his sleeve and stepped off the Jade Carriage.

Leading the members of Huayi Temple, he walked straight into the tower without a single look back.

Li Wuzhen clenched his fists and shot Lü Zhong a resentful glance. Not daring to break the rules of the Qian Nan gathering, he hurried to catch up with the Huayi Temple contingent and entered the tower with them.

Lü Zhong hadn't expected things to develop this way either.

It was all thanks to that spoiler, Wanmu True Monarch.

'The Fire Cloud Essence is gone, but a Grass Essence Pill is even better!' Lü Zhong thought, his gaze involuntarily shifting to Duanmu, the suspected Sword Cultivator.

The latter sensed his gaze and immediately looked back, his own eyes sharp.

One's aura was as calm as still water; the other's was like a drawn sword.

The clash of their auras seemed less dramatic than the one before, not even disturbing the surroundings in the slightest. In reality, however, their silent confrontation was even more intense, making one break out in a cold sweat for them.

After a moment, Duanmu took the initiative and stepped back.

"Fellow Daoist Lü's strength is indeed as great as the rumors say! I am willing to concede..."

"You flatter me!" Lü Zhong said, clasping his hands.

At the same time, he was inwardly surprised by Duanmu's strength. 'The man clearly only has a Mid-stage Core Formation Cultivation, yet during our clash of auras, he was sometimes able to suppress my own.'

'Of course, aura isn't everything. In a real combat, I'm confident I could deal with him easily. But one thing is for certain: if this Sword Cultivator from Changchun Valley is allowed to keep growing, I fear he'll become a powerful enemy in the future.'

'It's obvious that Changchun Valley is using me as a whetstone for Duanmu.'

'Hmph, sharpening his sword?'

Lü Zhong decided that the first chance he got, he would ruin this "sword." He didn't care if it ended up broken or blunted; he had to vent his frustration!

Just as he was thinking this, Wanmu True Monarch walked over. He held out the Grass Essence Pill with an unprecedentedly friendly smile, clasped his hands in salute to both Shuini and Lü Zhong, and said, "A great master produces a brilliant disciple. I, Wanmu, admit my loss in this wager. Please accept this Grass Essence Pill, young friend!"

A treasure was right before him.

Lü Zhong, of course, accepted it.

The significance of this Grass Essence Pill wasn't just the wager; it had a deeper meaning. It was a show of sincerity meant to win over Shuini and the True Spirit Sect behind her.

And Shuini had already decided on a policy of aligning with Changchun Valley to oppose the Daoist Sects. Regardless of how things might change in the future, his acceptance of this Grass Essence Pill would help promote the formation of an alliance between the two sects.

For a moment, everyone was happy!

...

After taking his leave of Shuini, Lü Zhong arrived before a jade tower.

This tower was called "White Jade Tower." It stood ninety-nine stories high in the most common multi-eaved style of the Southern Barbarian lands. It was carved from White Steel Jade, a material as hard as refined steel, and was said to have exhausted the entire output of a White Steel Jade mine.

Its carved beams and painted pillars were all the work of famous masters.

Seeing Lü Zhong approach, one of the guards at the entrance clasped his hands and said, "Senior, to avoid unnecessary disputes, according to the longstanding rules of the Qian Nan trade fair, all cultivators participating must wear a mask to cover their face, or use other means to achieve a similar effect."

In a pleasant voice, the guard, seeing that Lü Zhong seemed to be a first-timer, patiently repeated the rules of the trade fair.

"Will this do?" Lü Zhong casually formed a Technique Mantra, condensing a ball of light and mist over his face. It completely concealed his disguised features. Moreover, the mist was covered by a layer of his Divine Sense, which could block others from prying with their own.

"This way, Senior!"

The two guards made way and bowed in salute.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong gave a faint smile and, just like the cultivators who had entered before him, swaggered inside.

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