A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

From the head seat, Lü Zhong glanced at the number of people in the hall.

There were thirteen people in total.

Five of them were in the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, but the only one with the potential for Core Formation was Yu Haozhen.

As for his two disciples, they were both still at Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation, not far from breaking through to the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. By the time they were ready for Core Formation, Lü Zhong might have already achieved Nascent Soul Formation.

’You all are getting off easy,’ Lü Zhong thought impassively.

He cleared his throat and addressed the assembly in a measured tone. "I have called this meeting to discuss our response to the potential Celestial Demon disaster that may occur once the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array is built, and also to the potential conflicts with our Sect that may arise after the Central Earth powers arrive in the Southern Barbarian lands."

It was foreseeable that once the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array was complete, the situation in the Southern Barbarian lands would once again become volatile.

When the Ten Thousand Witches Hall was drawn through to break the boundary, it was highly likely that a large number of Celestial Demons would seize the opportunity to invade. Regardless of whether the Celestial Demons had physical bodies, great numbers of them would inevitably cause immense destruction.

The Ten Thousand Witches Hall was set to descend upon the Southern Barbarian Continent, but no one could guarantee the disaster wouldn’t spread to the Bihai region. Moreover, if a catastrophe did strike the continent, supplies in Bihai would undoubtedly be hit by a wave of panic buying. Therefore, the Bihai Sect had to prepare a response plan in advance, just in case.

"All of you, tell me. How should we respond?" Lü Zhong said.

This was a test.

In truth, drawing upon the experience of his past life, he had already formulated most of a plan.

Reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage didn’t mean they were also skilled at managing the Sect’s affairs.

The main purpose of Lü Zhong’s meeting was to see which of these Foundation Establishment Disciples were all talk, and which were talented managers capable of offering genuine insights. It would help him decide whom to entrust with responsibilities in the future.

They started with Su Caocao.

Her plan was adequate but conventional.

Next was Hex Luo.

His had a few bright spots, but was average overall.

Then it was Luu Baokui’s turn.

His plan didn’t stray from the framework of the previous two, but his years of experience as the Vice Sect Leader still allowed him to make a few useful suggestions.

One by one they presented, but not a single proposal truly satisfied Lü Zhong.

’Then again, how could there be so many "talented" people?’

Sigh. ’I’ll just have to make do with what I have.’

He would be content as long as his subordinates didn’t hold him back.

Afterward, Lü Zhong presented his own plan.

Listening to it stirred waves in their hearts. They were astonished that such a meticulous and complete plan existed. Their own proposals, in comparison, were like mud next to fine jade.

Su Caocao gazed at her master with a look of utter reverence.

Her eyes flashed with unending astonishment.

Beside her, Hex Luo looked utterly dejected. He had clearly harbored the idea of competing with Lü Zhong, but in the face of such a vast gap in ability, his confidence had been struck as if by a sledgehammer.

He was utterly crushed.

Taking in the expressions of everyone below, Lü Zhong chuckled to himself. ’It’s just borrowed wisdom. I never thought it would shock all of you this much.’

It was an inexplicably satisfying feeling.

’So this is what it feels like to act like a sage in front of others?’

Seeing no objections, Lü Zhong told them to execute the plan.

He then reviewed the Sect’s finances, the development of the various families in Bihai, and the operational status of the various Southern Barbarian factions in the Bidao Market.

The meeting continued late into the night before finally concluding.

...

In the Waterside Pavilion, Lü Zhong was having a late-night snack.

Shrimp wontons.

The shrimp was from a Tier Two Silver Armored Shrimp. This type of Demon Shrimp was rare and hard to find, produced only in a deep-sea trench in Bihai’s Outer Sea. The cost to catch a single one was Ten Spirit Stones. The meat was then mixed with tender seaweed to make the filling, while the shell was simmered with Spirit Medicine to create a rich broth.

The resulting wontons were incomparably delicious.

After downing ten bowls of wontons, Lü Zhong reluctantly stopped.

It wasn’t that he was full.

With his current digestive ability, he could easily finish a thousand bowls, let alone just ten.

The reason he didn’t eat his fill all at once was that scarcity creates value. When something is scarce, it becomes precious, just like Spirit Medicine. If you eat your fill of something delicious in one sitting, do you still want to have it again next time?

It was better to stop while still wanting more.

This way, he could slow down the rate at which he grew weary of the world’s pleasures.

After his meal, he went to the Quiet Chamber.

Even having reached the Fake Infant Realm, Lü Zhong didn’t neglect his cultivation. He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, put on the Bright Flower Jade as usual, and began the arduous task of refining his already pure Magical Power.

With each completed Grand Circulation, his star-blue Magical Power grew even purer.

On closer inspection, it resembled the brilliant night sky overhead, twinkling with a captivating light. Yet beneath this beauty lay the incredibly dangerous Magical Power of a cultivator.

A single, tiny wisp could blast a pit several yards deep.

Yet a cultivator, relying on their body alone, could bind it within themselves. And if not deliberately detonated, it would naturally dissipate into the world after their death, causing not the slightest harm.

...

「As time passed.」

The thirteen Traction Towers were completed one after another, all within half a month of each other.

At the same time, the bloody, years-long war between the Daoist Sect and Changchun Valley officially came to an end, with Changchun Valley gaining a slight advantage at the Burial Snowfield.

The once-turbulent Southern Barbarian lands suddenly fell into an eerie calm.

With the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array about to be completed, all sides were making intense preparations for the Ten Thousand Witches Hall, which was soon to break through the boundary and descend.

Lü Zhong remained in seclusion, concentrating on cultivating the Nascent Soul Secret Technique.

Whether it was because he was exceptionally compatible with the Yue Spirit Unification Mantra, or because the technique itself was very easy to cultivate, his progress was advancing by leaps and bounds. After practicing for just over three months, he had already more or less constructed the prototype of the Unity Spirit Ring.

From here, he just needed to continue cultivating step by step to master the Secret Skill.

In contrast, his progress with the Evergreen Seal, another Secret Skill, remained at zero. He had yet to gather the necessary Spirit Medicines, so even though he had fully comprehended it, he couldn’t begin to practice.

During this time, contingents from the Central Earth Qingxu Temple and the Changsheng Hall arrived one after another in the Southern Barbarian lands.

...

Another year, another Lantern Festival.

Unlike previous years, this one was spent at the True Spirit Sect.

In front of the True Spirit Hall, Lü Zhong gazed at the thousand-zhang-high Traction Tower piercing the clouds in the distance. He had to admire the cultivators’ construction techniques. Back in his previous life, building such a tower in a short amount of time would have been no simple matter, yet the cultivators had built it with ease.

By now, the Array Foundation for the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array had been successfully laid.

A thick, dark cloud could be seen forming at the tower’s peak. Once the Grand Array covering the entire Southern Barbarian continent was activated, it would generate a huge spatial vortex. Combined with the astonishing power of the Profound City Celestial Attraction Secret Array, there was a chance it could pull the Ten Thousand Witches Hall, lost in the Void, into this world.

Of course, it was only a chance.

In fact, if they weren’t so desperate for Spirit Medicines, the Seven Southern Barbarian Sects would never have executed such a crazy plan. After all, to achieve this goal, they had to bear the enormous risk of a Celestial Demon scourge—a threat no less severe than a Withered Tide invasion.

If the Celestial Demon disaster truly came to pass, the Southern Barbarian lands would undoubtedly be plunged into turmoil once more.

’What a suicidal plan,’ Lü Zhong thought silently.

A moment later, Shuini flew over from the direction of the Traction Tower. She had just been inspecting the Secret Array Foundation to ensure that the Grand Array was absolutely foolproof.

Seeing Lü Zhong and Yu Feng’Er, a rare smile graced Shuini’s face.

"My good disciple, my dear daughter-in-law, come. It’s windy out here. Let’s go inside to talk!" she said, taking both of their hands and leading them into the hall.

A family banquet followed.

It wasn’t as luxurious as the reception for the Immortal Spirit Sect, but it felt much warmer.

They ate and chatted, and chatted as they ate.

Inevitably, the conversation turned to the matter of Nascent Soul Formation.

"On that, I likely won’t make it in time for the Ten Thousand Witches Hall’s arrival. But I should be able to sense the opportunity for Nascent Soul Formation before the pact ends..." Lü Zhong had a feeling about this.

Shuini nodded at his words and gave Lü Zhong a deep look, a flash of tenderness in her eyes vanishing as quickly as it appeared. She made sure to remind him, "When the opportunity arrives, you must remember to notify me. I will act as your Dharma Protector. I doubt any riffraff would dare to interfere with my disciple’s Nascent Soul Formation."

"Come, come, eat... no one’s allowed to leave the table before dawn!"

Lü Zhong and Yu Feng’Er exchanged a smile and continued chatting with Shuini.

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