A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

’They’re probably planning to ambush me outside...’

Fighting one against three... before he reached the Fake Infant Realm, it would have been a struggle. But now that his Star Devouring Technique was complete, dealing with these three Daoists from Qingxu Temple would be no difficult task.

But for now, attending to his business was more important.

Lü Zhong entered the building and explained his purpose to the Steward.

"I’m sorry, Senior, but you may not be aware. The information was just bought out by those three Daoist masters..." the Steward said respectfully. Internally, he found it odd. ’This information is rarely purchased. How did it suddenly become so popular? Four different groups have come for it.’

Lü Zhong hadn’t expected that.

Seeing the Steward apologize repeatedly, Lü Zhong had no intention of making things difficult for him and simply turned and left.

He glanced left and right, then walked straight out of the oasis.

He’d originally hoped to avoid a confrontation with the trio, even though he’d guessed their plan. After all, blades were merciless. Even with absolute confidence in victory, one could never know if an accident might occur in a real fight.

But now that the intelligence was unavailable, he had no choice but to choke back his tears and go collect their Storage Bags.

Lü Zhong felt quite helpless about it.

...

Outside Black Sand Continent.

In a desolate valley, a mandatory path for leaving the area.

The three from Qingxu Temple had used an Invisibility Technique, a Breath Concealing Skill, and a Stealth Technique to hide here silently. Passing cultivators were completely unaware of them. At that moment, they were communicating with their Divine Sense.

"Senior Brother, does that man have any notable background?" the old Daoist asked, tilting his head to look at the middle-aged Daoist beside him. Though he burned with the desire to kill Lü Zhong, he was also afraid of attracting trouble.

"I can’t see any background. The person described in the Jade Scroll from Huayi Temple doesn’t match him. At the same time, I see no traces of a Disguise. He’s most likely a hidden ace from some minor family, or simply a Loose Cultivator!" Yinn Qiao sneered, stroking his long beard as he gave his judgment.

He turned to the Daoist Nun with them and asked, "Junior Sister, are you certain his Breath Concealing Skill is that exquisite? That even your Breaking Method Spiritual Eye can’t see through his true cultivation?"

"I can be sure of that!" Hou Lan replied.

Her Breaking Method Spiritual Eye might not be much in Qingxu Temple, but in the Southern Barbarian lands, it would be considered a top-tier Spiritual Eye Skill.

Being unable to see through him.

That meant two possibilities.

Either Lü Zhong had mastered an extremely profound concealment-type Magic Skill, or, just as the old Daoist Zhang Guo had guessed, he had an incredibly deep understanding of the Breath Concealing Skill.

Either way, it was worth making a move.

The competition in Central Earth was fierce, so they couldn’t let go of a single opportunity for improvement.

If they could conceal their breath so no one would notice, it would be an excellent tool—whether for playing the wolf in sheep’s clothing or for intimidating weaker prey. It would definitely allow the three of them to go further on their Dao path.

"Good. In that case, we absolutely cannot let this person go!" The cold glint in Yinn Qiao’s eyes intensified, and a flash of extreme greed inadvertently showed on his face. At the same time, he didn’t forget to remind his partners, "We can’t rule out the possibility that he’s hiding his cultivation. So when we strike, we must use our full strength and give him no chance to turn the tables!"

Hou Lan nodded. Beside them, the old Daoist took out a Yellow Banner, looking rather reluctant.

"Of course. But using this trump card of mine comes at a considerable cost. When we split the spoils later, you have to let me, your Junior Brother, take a larger share. Otherwise, even if we get that Secret Skill, I’ll still have suffered a huge loss on this trip."

Hearing this, Yinn Qiao’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly, he was already quite displeased. ’He’s already trying to divide the loot before the job is even done. Is he really this stupid, or just pretending?’

"Heh heh, that man is obviously a fat sheep. The profits will be more than enough to make up for your loss, Junior Brother Zhang."

Just as the three were discussing their plans for murder and robbery, they were unaware that Lü Zhong had already used his Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique to see through their supposedly seamless concealment. He had even crept to within a hundred yards, and he’d overheard every single word of the Qingxu Temple cultivators’ conversation.

’Since you’re actively seeking death, you can’t blame me.’ Lü Zhong’s eyes narrowed, a cold light flashing within them.

He raised a hand and summoned the Star Mirror.

In an instant, beams of Mirror Light shot out, blanketing the three of them. He paid special attention to the Daoist Nun, who had the lowest cultivation among them at only the Early-stage Core Formation.

Caught off guard by the surprise attack, a dozen beams of Mirror Light struck her directly. After a series of shattering sounds, Hou Lan finally broke free from the Star Mirror’s lock. But by now, her face was filled with utter shock. She had clearly been observing their surroundings, yet Lü Zhong had managed to sneak up on them without her noticing at all.

"You—" Just as the word left Hou Lan’s lips, her expression changed drastically again.

RUMBLE! The sound of thunder echoed.

Countless bolts of lightning materialized in the Void, instantly covering the area where the three stood.

It was Lü Zhong, giving them no chance, raising his hand to send a Thunder Swamp their way.

Then, during the gap in his Casting, he applied buffs to himself like the Rising Star Seal and the Flying Star Qi Introduction Skill. At the same time, he drew upon the Star Force in his Star Core to rapidly recover his Magical Power.

In the distance, three staggering figures appeared.

Yinn Qiao’s face was now so dark it looked like it could drip water. He hadn’t expected his opponent to have mastered a Thunder Skill, which meant his earlier judgment was completely wrong. Even if this person was a Loose Cultivator, he had to be one of the most formidable ones, perhaps even stronger than the three of them combined.

Beside him, the old Daoist Zhang Guo was true to his word. He had already spat a mouthful of blood onto the Yellow Banner and shouted:

"Spirit General, aid me!"

Instantly, billowing yellow smoke poured out of the Yellow Banner. As if alive, it gathered amidst the lightning and thunder, coalescing into a one-hundred-foot-tall Golden Armored Giant.

As soon as the Spirit General appeared, it charged at Lü Zhong.

This thing was unexpectedly difficult to deal with. No matter how he attacked it—whether with beams of Mirror Light from the Star Mirror or by piercing it directly with the Thunderous Spear—it seemed to be immortal, its injuries healing in the blink of an eye.

’What in the world is this thing?’

Seeing that he couldn’t deal with it quickly, he decided to simply ignore it.

After the brief exchange, Lü Zhong discovered that although the Spirit General was ’Immortal and Undying’, its speed was actually quite slow. As long as he deliberately kept his distance, it posed no real threat.

"Hey! You two, hurry up and trap him!" the old Daoist shouted anxiously.

His Spirit General was good, but every time it took damage, it consumed a large amount of Earth Essence Qi. That was something he had painstakingly collected, and every wisp was priceless.

If all the Essence Qi was depleted, the Spirit General would collapse on its own.

Hearing this, Yinn Qiao and Hou Lan naturally understood the correct course of action. They activated their respective Magical Treasures and, following their original plan, began a fierce assault on Lü Zhong.

Facing the three-pronged attack, Lü Zhong showed not a shred of fear.

A great clamor of striking metal erupted!

Four Flood Dragon Spirit Banners transformed into Little Flood Dragons, which floated in the air around him, wagging their heads and tails. They formed a defensive line that easily blocked every incoming attack.

This scene left Yinn Qiao, on the opposite side, utterly astonished.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he shouted, "The Flood Dragon Spirit Banner!"

At his words, the other two’s faces changed dramatically as well.

It was because this treasure was far too famous in Central Earth.

The Eastern Sect’s Celestial Origin Immortal Palace possessed a legacy Spirit Treasure called the ’Fire Dragon Spirit Banner’, which was a Flood Dragon Banner nurtured to the Spirit Treasure stage. Its fearsome reputation was built entirely on a foundation of human lives.

And that was precisely why the three of them knew how terrifying the Flood Dragon Spirit Banner was.

"No wonder he dared to launch a sneak attack on the three of us by himself... If I had such a treasure, I would dare to do the same!" Yinn Qiao was now filled with regret.

However, he didn’t regret attacking Lü Zhong, but rather his own carelessness.

But now, it was too late for regrets!

If they didn’t deal with Lü Zhong, the three of them would likely be leaving their lives here.

"Let’s attack together! Only by exhausting the power of the Flood Dragon Spirit Banner do we have a sliver of a chance at survival. Otherwise... none of us will make it out alive!" Yinn Qiao said, forcing himself to be brave.

Right now, he couldn’t afford to let their morale drop, no matter what.

But he had barely finished speaking when he saw Hou Lan take out a Silver Talisman.

It was a Teleportation Talisman!

Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately activated the talisman.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong gave a cold smile.

His hands rapidly formed a Technique Mantra, and then he pointed a finger at the Void.

A shocking scene occurred!

Just like a normal teleportation, a massive Spiritual Pressure descended from the sky along with a pillar of light. But the teleportation Hou Lan expected never happened. The pillar of light came as quickly as it went, leaving her right where she stood.

The teleportation had failed!

’How... how is this possible!’ Hou Lan was stunned.

The man before her was merely a Core Formation Cultivator, yet he could interrupt a teleportation? It was common knowledge that only a Nascent Soul True Monarch, who could perceive space itself, was capable of interrupting a teleportation.

And yet now...

A trace of fear was added to the gazes the three directed at Lü Zhong.

But how could they know?

This was merely a clever little application of the Space Divination Technique.

The principle behind a Teleportation Talisman was very similar to that of a Transmission Array. When the Space Divination Technique was used to pinpoint spatial coordinates, it would inevitably cause a disturbance in space, which in turn would cause the teleportation to fail.

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