A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

In cultivation, time flows unnoticed.

It was the fruitful season of golden autumn before his seclusion, but by the time he emerged, the biting winter wind had arrived. Although Bihai's warm climate meant it never snowed, the temperature still dropped considerably during this time of year.

As he cultivated the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra, Lü Zhong's body became increasingly inhuman, drawing ever closer to a Flood Dragon Physique.

On this particular morning, he finally achieved Great Success in the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra!

The moment he broke through the thirty-sixth Acupoint, his entire body suddenly felt like a sponge, frantically absorbing Spiritual Qi. His skin, once like jade, instantly turned as crimson as a boiled shrimp, and plumes of white steam rose from it.

'What is happening to me?'

Lü Zhong's heart tightened as he silently circulated the Technique.

This time, a series of thunderous rumbles echoed from within him.

It was like a thunderstorm was raging inside his body.

At this moment, when he used the Celestial Net Secret Eye for Introspection, he witnessed an astonishing sight. His entire body flickered as if electrified, flashing between light and dark.

During this process, everything from his muscles down to the very cells that composed his body was undergoing a transformation.

To any other cultivator in this world, this scene would have been described as profoundly mysterious.

But in Lü Zhong's eyes, it was perfectly clear.

Mastering the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra seemed to have pushed him to some kind of limit. Countless senescent cells began to break down, expelled from his body as billowing steam, while even more new cells were generated to replace them.

This was a true, fundamental transformation.

HISS!

Lü Zhong drew in a cold breath, unable to believe what he was seeing.

'Good heavens!'

'Am I transforming into a Pure Spirit Body?'

As his body continued to change, Lü Zhong could clearly feel his physical qualities improving at a rapid pace. This manifested as a greater affinity for Spiritual Qi, increased physical resilience, and enhanced recovery abilities—a comprehensive, all-around upgrade with no weak points.

But once the transformation was complete, Lü Zhong quickly calmed down.

'This isn't a Pure Spirit Body!'

The sign of having a Pure Spirit Body was the ability to sense and, to a certain extent, mobilize the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. Only a Divinity Transformation cultivator could achieve this.

And what did Divinity Transformation entail?

It was the power to unleash the might of heaven and earth with a mere wave of the hand.

Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis.

Or even storms...

After a moment of thought, Lü Zhong surmised that by mastering the Barbarian Ancestor Heaven-Swallowing Mantra, he had taken a great stride toward a Pure Spirit Body, but had not yet truly achieved it.

'So what is this, then... a Half-pure spirit body?'

He probably wouldn't figure it out anytime soon.

He didn't waste any more energy on it, turning instead to carefully examine another significant benefit of his breakthrough: the Divine Technique—Flood Dragon Transformation Technique.

Lü Zhong hadn't expected to obtain such a Divine Technique at all.

He had assumed he would gain some sort of strengthening method, never imagining it would be a transformation-type Divine Technique.

The Flood Dragon Transformation Technique did exactly what its name suggested.

Once activated, it allowed his body to undergo a draconic transformation.

Just now, with a single thought from Lü Zhong, fine Flood Dragon Scales began to grow on his skin. The scales were formed entirely from Magical Power and carried the characteristics of his own power, making them look like a river of stars—brilliant, mysterious, and radiating a terrifying, soul-shaking aura.

This was the current limit of his Flood Dragon Transformation.

Covering his entire body in Flood Dragon Scales.

'If I'm not mistaken, this layer of Flood Dragon Scales should provide me with extremely strong Defense. Combined with the Half-pure spirit body I just acquired, if I were to go fist-to-fist with an ordinary Mystic Cultivator, I'd probably be the one left standing!' Lü Zhong's eyes lit up at this thought, and a wave of joy washed over him.

His strength had surged once again!

Moreover, he suspected that as his understanding of the Flood Dragon Transformation Technique deepened, the extent of his transformation would also increase. It might not even be impossible for him to eventually turn into a full Flood Dragon.

In high spirits, Lü Zhong rose and walked out of the Quiet Chamber.

Even the leaden clouds blanketing the sky couldn't dampen his good mood in the slightest.

During his meal, even the food tasted far more delicious.

After eating, Lü Zhong shot into the sky and flew toward the Southern Barbarian lands.

During his Nascent Soul Formation celebration, Shuini had invited him to visit the Southern Barbarian lands, saying she had a Secret Skill to teach him. She had been all mysterious about it, as if it were a matter of great importance.

True or not, Lü Zhong planned to make the trip.

...

Daylight was breaking.

True Spirit Immortal City was coming to life.

Compared to the days when it was under the Lingyue Sect, the True Spirit Immortal City was now noticeably more vibrant. The air was filled with the bustle of daily life, and the streets overflowed with laughter and cheerful voices. Mortals and cultivators alike were busy working toward their futures.

After the disaster of the Evil Spirits had subsided, people once again had aspirations for the future.

"Spirit Ascending Honey, the finest Spirit Ascending Honey! Get it while it's hot!"

Suddenly, a clerk from a Pill Shop belted out at the top of his lungs.

In the current True Spirit Domain, goods produced by Bihai were known for their high quality and low prices. Although their sales couldn't yet match those from Central Earth, they were still widely popular in the True Spirit Domain.

"I'll take one portion of Tier One Spirit Ascending Honey!" a cultivator in a cloth robe said with a smile, taking out a small bag of Spirit Stones.

"Liuzi, I want a portion too!"

"And me, and me..."

The crowd surged forward, each person scrambling to be first, but the clerk was already used to this.

Every day when they opened, there was a mad rush to buy.

What they were clamoring for was the Spirit Ascending Honey, which had been hyped up to an almost mythical status. All sorts of effects were attributed to it, such as increasing the chances of Foundation Establishment, accelerating the expulsion of Pill Poison, and consolidating one's foundation.

At first, people didn't believe it, but they couldn't ignore the rumors spreading all around them.

Besides, the effects were plain for all to see.

And so, Spirit Ascending Honey became incredibly sought-after.

Across from the Pill Shop, Lü Zhong sat at a wonton stall. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction as he ate the fresh, savory wontons and watched the frantic scramble for Spirit Ascending Honey.

The more Spirit Ascending Honey they sold, the more Spirit Stones he, the Ancestor, would naturally receive.

'The Spiritual Honey is so popular. It seems the scale of the Insect Swarm's breeding grounds must be expanded. The only trouble is that the supply of Demon Pills from the East Sea is gradually reaching its limit.'

After all, as vast as the East Sea was, its output of Demon Pills was still finite.

Lü Zhong frowned at the thought.

Without Demon Pills, the Great Honey Insects couldn't "make bricks without straw" and continue to rapidly produce Spiritual Honey.

The only solution was for the Bihai Sect to hunt Sea Beasts themselves to obtain the large quantity of Demon Pills they needed. But achieving this was not simple.

'I can only take it slow and plan carefully...'

Having made his decision, Lü Zhong went back to eating the wontons in his bowl.

Upon reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, a cultivator's Six Consciousnesses were so drastically enhanced that he could clearly distinguish even the slightest off-flavor mixed into a bowl of wontons.

To avoid feeling nauseated, he had simply sealed a portion of his Six Consciousnesses.

Otherwise, he feared there would be very little food in the Cultivation Realm that he could stomach.

Just then, a faint smile touched Lü Zhong's lips.

'Heh, the target has arrived.'

'Anyone who dared to ambush me should have been prepared to die.'

Amid a clamor, a squad of seven cultivators slowly approached from the distance. Wherever they passed, people scrambled to get out of the way, hastily dodging to either side.

Even so, someone still accidentally bumped into the group of cultivators.

"Senior, you are a person of great magnanimity! Please spare this humble one!" a black-faced cultivator begged, kneeling on the ground with a panicked expression. It wasn't that he was weak-kneed, but that he had bumped into an Upper Cultivator from the Immortal Spirit Sect.

The youth with the Jade Crown in the group, in particular, was the disciple of a Nascent Soul Ancestor.

The black-faced cultivator was just an ordinary Loose Cultivator; how could he possibly afford to offend such a figure?

"Hmph, a barbarian is still a barbarian!"

A cold snort came from within the group.

Immediately after, Feng Huanyu stepped out from the crowd surrounding him and glared coldly at the black-faced cultivator. Feeling an inexplicable and unvented frustration, a hint of cruelty flashed in his eyes.

Just as he was about to unleash his frustration, he suddenly shivered for no apparent reason.

At the same time, he felt a fluctuation of Magical Power from behind him.

An exceptionally powerful fluctuation of Magical Power!

PFFT!

In a brilliant flash of Spiritual Light, as Feng Huanyu's expression changed drastically, a Flying Sword pierced through his chest.

It was followed by another streak of Sword Light.

His head was already flying high into the air.

"Who..."

Feng Huanyu's vision began to dim, then faded completely to black.

It all happened so suddenly that the Core Formation cultivators from the Immortal Spirit Sect, who were responsible for protecting Feng Huanyu, only just now reacted. But by then, the murderous Flying Sword was long gone.

"No!"

Someone roared in fury, their eyes nearly splitting from their sockets!

With Feng Huanyu dead, they, his protectors, would not be able to escape death either.

At this moment, Lü Zhong acted as if nothing had happened.

With his back to the crowd, he walked further and further away.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!