A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

The disaster struck suddenly.

Even if Lü Zhong wanted to help, it was too late.

After a series of bloodcurdling screams, half the cultivators had fallen into the worms' maws. Crushed by their sharp teeth, they were likely reduced to a pulpy paste.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a column of dust erupted in front of Lü Zhong.

It was a massive worm's head, emanating a Tier Two aura. It shot out from beneath the sand with a piercing shriek, its great maw gaping as it lunged for him.

'How dare you!' Lü Zhong sneered.

He retreated a few steps, dodging the lunging head.

Then, a fiery red Flying Sword slid from his sleeve.

He slashed forward casually.

The charging Sand Worm was sliced in two, the wounds glowing like molten rock. Despite its tenacious Life Force, the fire poison coating the blade corroded its body, and it perished in moments.

Just then, he heard the sound of something tearing through the air.

Without looking back, Lü Zhong leaped into the air, effortlessly dodging a massive tail. Floating in mid-air, he realized he had been targeted by the Tier Three Great Sand Worm. The massive creature burrowed back into the sand, but it wasn't retreating. Through his Celestial Net Secret Eye, Lü Zhong could see the Great Sand Worm was now directly beneath him.

Whatever it was planning, Lü Zhong had no intention of letting it succeed.

He raised his hand and unleashed a Thunderous Spear.

The Thunder Spear plunged into the ground, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. Sand flew up in a radius of over a hundred feet, and countless bolts of lightning snaked out in a frenzy.

The Great Sand Worm shrieked in terror. Its body thrashed as it tried to retreat deeper underground.

Lü Zhong, watching from mid-air, knew better than to let a wounded enemy escape. He immediately brought out the Human-Faced Flood Dragon Banner. The banner's Fire-Eating Divine Technique had been fully charged during his fight with Yinn Qiao the day before, making it perfect for dealing with such a massive Demon Beast. He was sure it would be more than the creature could take.

He raised his hand and unfurled the Human-Faced Flood Dragon Banner.

As the surviving cultivators watched in shock, the banner swelled in the wind, swiftly transforming into the phantom of a colossal flood dragon. Its spectral head reared back before spewing its attack downward.

A searing line of fire extended downwards, becoming a pillar of flame that descended from the sky. It struck the Great Sand Worm with perfect accuracy just as it tried to burrow back into the earth.

RAAAGH!

The Great Sand Worm let out a wail like tearing silk, spraying a sickly green fluid from all over its body in a desperate attempt to douse the flames. But its cries soon faded. By the time the fire died down, all that remained was a charred husk of a corpse, reeking of burnt flesh.

'Surprisingly weak...'

Lü Zhong landed beside the massive corpse. His eyes swept over it, and a pleased expression suddenly crossed his face. He dug into the carcass and pulled out a steaming Inner Core.

'A Tier Three Insect Pill. At least my efforts weren't wasted.'

As for the meat...

He considered it, but then decided against it.

'Ignorance would have been bliss, but I saw it swallow those people with my own eyes. The bodies in its gut probably haven't even digested yet. No matter how delicious it might be, I couldn't bring myself to eat this meat.'

Some of its other materials, however, were worth collecting.

In a short while, Lü Zhong had harvested most of the valuable parts.

Just as he was about to leave, a voice stopped him. It was a young man with a face covered in grime, whose cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer—pitifully weak.

"Senior, wait... You've left behind the most important thing!"

At these words, Lü Zhong paused.

Seeing the senior's questioning gaze, the young man immediately bowed with his hands clasped. "Senior, you may not be aware, but the most valuable part of this Great Sand Worm isn't its Tier Three Insect Pill, nor is it the strip of muscle along its back. It's... it's the Insect Pouch on its tail!"

'Oh?' Lü Zhong's interest was piqued. "Go on," he said.

"Yes, Senior!" The young man bowed again before explaining. "This junior dares to guess that your target on this trip is the Flood Dragon, is it not? Please forgive my bluntness, but without this Insect Pouch to lure out the Crystal Rock Flood Dragon, your trip would most likely have been in vain."

After a brief explanation, Lü Zhong finally understood.

The Crystal Rock Flood Dragon was far more cunning than he had anticipated.

It wasn't that others hadn't found the creature before; they had, but all of them failed. The reason was that the Crystal Rock Flood Dragon possessed the ability of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil—it had even awakened it as a Divine Technique.

As a result, cultivators strong enough to hunt it had always come back empty-handed.

'So there was a secret to it...' Lü Zhong thought.

'Without this young man's warning, my trip really would have been for nothing. Even with the Gray Mist Space, it would have been useless. After all, the Crystal Rock Flood Dragon has the ability to seek fortune and avoid evil.'

"The Insect Pouch, however, is an irresistible temptation for the Crystal Rock Flood Dragon. It will risk its life to devour it. My father theorized that it's crucial for its advancement; otherwise, there's no explaining the creature's uncharacteristic behavior." As he spoke, the young man looked up at the impossibly young cultivator before him, a hesitant look on his face.

Lü Zhong saw his expression and guessed what he was thinking. "If you have something to say, just say it," he said with a faint smile.

"To be frank, Senior, I am Fang Yu, the Young Master of the Black Sand Continent's Fang Family. We came here to hunt worms, but most of my uncles and elders have perished. Without some new source of income, the Fang Family is doomed to decline." As he spoke, he produced a Token bearing the insignia of the Celestial Blade Sect, proving his identity.

Lü Zhong glanced at it and saw no inconsistencies.

"So?"

"And so, I humbly ask that Senior allow the six of us to accompany you!" Fang Yu said, dropping to his knees. Hearing this, the other surviving cultivators in the distance also knelt. He quickly added, "I'm sure Senior has heard of White Immortal Crystals. If you can take us to the Crystal Rock Flood Dragon Nest, we can combine our efforts, perform a special Casting, and refine this spiritual material from the crystal pillars that line the nest!"

'White Immortal Crystal?'

Lü Zhong searched his memory but found he had truly never heard of it.

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