A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Chapter 390: Chapter 225: Minute Perception (Part 2)

A hubbub of voices filled the air; it was an extraordinarily lively scene.

Changchun Valley had also sent an envoy with congratulatory gifts.

It was the treatment befitting a Golden Core Master.

Lü Zhong, unfamiliar with the specifics of the birthday banquet, let Yu Feng’Er lead him around like a marionette. He met who he was supposed to meet, exchanged some pleasantries, and toasted the guests.

After three rounds of drinks and several courses of food,

it was time for the main event: the Golden Core Dharma lecture.

Lü Zhong had no doubt that the vast majority of guests had come for this very lecture.

To have the Dao imparted and doubts dispelled. A Master’s high-level perspective and a few words of guidance could clarify problems that had stumped many Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators for years, even decades.

Arriving at the summit of Ganquan Mountain, they found a temporary Dao field already prepared.

"You’ve been so thoughtful!"

Lü Zhong patted the back of Yu Feng’Er’s hand, not stingy with his praise. If she hadn’t been there to manage everything, his centennial birthday would have likely been a perfunctory affair.

"It is what I ought to do..." Yu Feng’Er replied softly.

Her tone was much the same as usual, but the rosy blush on her cheeks betrayed her.

Inside, she was happy and excited, filled with the joy of being acknowledged.

He walked to the Dharma Platform.

The cultivators attending the lecture all rose and bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Elder Lü!"

Over a thousand people paid their respects in unison. Their voices were like a great bell, a mountain cheer, a roaring tsunami. Though he couldn’t know how much of it was sincere, their attitude alone was enough to satisfy Lü Zhong.

"This lecture will begin with the Qi Refining First Layer..."

Lü Zhong started this way to accommodate the Early-stage Qi Refining cultivators in the crowd. Their foundations were shallow, and they wouldn’t understand if he spoke of profound topics, so he began with the basics.

"...The essence of Qi Refining lies in the accumulation of Spiritual Power. You must guard against arrogance and impatience. As the saying goes, a thousand-story tower is built from the ground up. Solidifying your foundation is the absolute priority during the Qi Refining Stage..."

He started from the Qi Refining First Layer and lectured all the way to breaking through Foundation Establishment to reach Core Formation.

Everything he said was born from his own insights and a summary of his experiences.

Below, cultivators with high comprehension absorbed a great deal from his lecture. Some even experienced on-the-spot epiphanies, their auras surging moments later, much to the envy of those around them.

Those with less comprehension but strong initiative began to correct their mistakes, also gaining some benefit.

As for those who let it go in one ear and out the other, Lü Zhong could only feel that there was nothing he could do to help. The knowledge he shared was not uncommon among the Major Clans, but to the outside world, it was worth a thousand gold pieces. How much one could absorb depended entirely on personal fortune; he couldn’t enlighten an unteachable stone.

Originally, Lü Zhong had also considered sharing his principles on survival with outsiders.

But on second thought, he decided against it.

’If a distinguished Golden Core Master talks about such things, those who understand its value will treat it as gospel. But those who don’t will just think I’m a coward. If word gets out, it would damage my reputation. Better to keep it to myself and enjoy it alone.’

Instead, he began to speak of Alchemy techniques, immediately causing a stir throughout the audience.

Lü Zhong spoke with eloquence and confidence, revealing a great deal of genuine substance and ensuring that every cultivator who attended the lecture left with a bountiful harvest.

The Dharma lecture finally concluded as evening approached.

The cultivators all looked reluctant to leave, but could only depart with regret.

He returned to the Central Courtyard.

Yu Feng’Er was resting on a chair when she suddenly felt her body go light. By the time she realized what was happening, she was already in Lü Zhong’s arms. She gave him a couple of half-hearted punches.

"My love, you lectured so much out there. Why don’t you lecture me a little, too?"

"Alright," Lü Zhong said earnestly.

"Then how about we discuss the Bedroom Technique and the Dual Cultivation Dao? We must study them thoroughly. Perhaps we’ll discover the True Intent within the Dao. Then, Ascension to Immortality will no longer be just a dream!"

"Hmph!" Yu Feng’Er spat playfully.

’So improper.’

...

The night passed.

The old ox plowed the field until it was ruined.

On a new day, Lü Zhong opened his eyes in bed.

He gently moved aside a pair of slender arms and jade-like legs. Their owner was fast asleep, clearly exhausted from the previous night.

After getting out of bed, he cast a few extra Cleaning Skills on himself, then got dressed. Only then did he call for the maids waiting outside, telling them to change the bedding to avoid the discomfort of sleeping on damp sheets.

He then went to the Quiet Chamber in Ganquan Cave

to continue tracing back the origins of Talismanic Magic.

The days passed, one after another.

Changchun Domain went from chaos to quiet and back to chaos, never knowing a moment of peace.

Nothing happened on Ganquan Island.

Lü Zhong immersed himself in his cultivation. Aside from his necessary daily practice and cultivating the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique, he dedicated the rest of his time to the Small True Yang Talisman.

When he occasionally grew weary, he would come out of seclusion for a while.

Sometimes he would go into town to eat, other times he would simply spend quality time with Yu Feng’Er.

On occasion, he would also go out to sea to hunt Demon Beasts.

Not for the Spirit Stones, but just to add some variety to his meals.

Eating nothing but Pills and Spiritual Food every day was making him feel numb.

’Longevity isn’t all good. Sometimes, living too long makes you lose interest in many things. Over time, all that’s left is an obsession with longevity itself. But what’s the point of living like that?’

’Even if, tens of thousands of years from now, I ascend to the Immortal Realm and become an immortal...’

’...when I look back on my past...’

’...I’m afraid my heart will just be empty.’

「On this day.」

In the Quiet Chamber, Lü Zhong let out a long breath and withdrew from his meditative state.

A look of pleasant surprise was on his face.

"I’ve been in seclusion for nearly a year! I’ve made almost no progress on the Small True Yang Talisman, but I actually managed to master the Second Layer of the Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique!"

With a thought, the Celestial Net Eye manifested between his brows.

Compared to its appearance at the first layer, its structure was now significantly more substantial, and the Prohibitions within were increasingly complex, making one feel dizzy just by looking at it.

When he observed his surroundings, he could perceive things at a microscopic level.

The world was suddenly completely different.

Bacteria, dust motes, even particles of Spiritual Qi...

’This eyesight is frankly ridiculous!’ Lü Zhong thought. ’Am I cultivating to be an immortal or transforming into a human-shaped electron microscope? Moving mountains and filling seas with Magical Power is one thing, but being able to see the true essence of the world... now that’s truly impressive.’

’Unfortunately, no matter how strong my eyesight becomes, I still can’t see the rules of heaven and earth.’

That was something only a Divinity Transformation cultivator had the ability to do.

Nevertheless, the breakthrough in his Celestial Net Secret Eye Technique was still of immense help to him.

For one thing, when Lü Zhong began practicing the creation of the Small True Yang Talisman, having the Second Layer Celestial Net Eye to assist him would drastically reduce the difficulty of learning Talisman Making.

He might even be able to start late but finish first.

He might be able to draw the Small True Yang Talisman even faster than the Talisman Makers who had agreed to Changchun Valley’s conditions to obtain its creation method.

As Lü Zhong was pondering this, his expression suddenly shifted. He flipped his hand and took out a Fish Pendant. It was the Yang Fish Pendant, and it was vibrating unceasingly in his palm. Yu Feng’Er had urgent business.

He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. ’What could it be?’

Without overthinking it, he went to the Central Courtyard.

"My love, a Transformed Demon Cultivator has appeared in the Northern Great Forest Sea!"

"A Transformed Demon Cultivator?"

Lü Zhong’s brow twitched. This was no small matter.

A Transformed Demon Cultivator was equivalent to a Nascent Soul of the Human Race.

At this moment, the Northern Great Forest Sea had likely become a forbidden zone for cultivators. After all, once a Transformed Demon Cultivator appeared, it would unify all the Demon Beasts in the entire region.

’Is this what they call Wishful Thinking?’ he thought, laughing wryly to himself.

He’d been worried about a Beast Tide, and now it had actually happened.

Thinking of this, Lü Zhong looked at Yu Feng’Er and said:

"Then the Green Jade Market..."

"We can only pull our people back," Yu Feng’Er said, her voice tinged with reluctance.

’A stable income of tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.’

’Gone just like that.’

Then, she added worriedly, "With Changchun Valley’s current strength, if the Beast Tide you mentioned happens, I’m afraid the Changchun Domain will face another calamity, and the Commerce Association’s business will plummet."

’What are we going to do?’

’If the Chengde Commerce Association’s income plummets, our cultivation will be greatly affected.’

"You silly girl!" Lü Zhong patted her head, a hint of exasperation in his voice as he reminded her, "Don’t we still have the Bihai Island Group? That’s an undeveloped virgin territory surrounded by shallow seas. There’s no chance of a Sea Beast Tide there. As long as we develop it, the future profits will be several times what they are now."

There was something else he didn’t say.

As the founding patriarch of the Three Sects of Bihai, as long as he didn’t lose control of the Sects, the returns would be unimaginable once the Three Sects developed and began to support him.

It would be more than enough to support a Core Formation Cultivator in their bid for Nascent Soul Formation.

Supporting an additional cultivator to reach Core Formation would also be a trivial matter.

With Lü Zhong’s reminder, Yu Feng’Er finally understood. "You are truly farsighted, my love, preparing for a rainy day so early on. I am no match for you!"

"Of course!" Lü Zhong said, raising his head proudly.