A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

Since Lü Zhong had acquired the knowledge of Transmission Arrays through a trade with the Long Family of Array Sword Mountain, it naturally included their insights on mastering the technique.

Compared to the surface-level information on Transmission Arrays, these insights were the most valuable part of what he’d received.

Kong Mountain Nine Illusions Skill

The Long Family of Array Sword Mountain had taken an unconventional approach, conceiving a method that used an Illusion Array to simulate the process by which High-level cultivators perceive space. Its efficiency couldn’t compare to that of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but it at least provided a way to master the Array.

This made it possible to achieve a breakthrough from scratch.

Without further ado, Lü Zhong excavated another level beneath Tide Cave.

He spent more than half a year inside before he finally finished setting up the Kong Mountain Nine Illusions Grand Array.

The next step was the process of simulated perception.

According to the insights, the Long Family cultivators relied entirely on luck during this process. A lucky person might establish the correct spatial perception in a single attempt, while an unlucky one could fail for decades.

’Thank goodness I have the Gray Mist Space!’ Lü Zhong thought with relief.

He planned to review his memories using a scene replay every time he entered the array. The advantage was that it would prevent him from overlooking the correct spatial perception. It turned a game of pure chance into a brute-force search, effectively increasing his odds of success.

He tried three times in a row, all ending in failure.

Lü Zhong was mentally prepared for this and had settled in for the long haul.

...

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Autumn gave way to autumn.

In the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

In the past year, the situation in the Southern Barbarian lands had stabilized somewhat. The daily death toll had finally begun to fall. The various sects had figured out the Evil Spirits’ methods and developed countermeasures, which in turn lowered the incidence of large-scale fatalities.

「In the Quiet Chamber.」

Lü Zhong was concluding his cultivation session.

A look of delight spread across his face.

Just a moment ago, he had successfully opened his twenty-first Acupoint, resulting in another significant boost to his vital energy and physique.

’To be honest,’ Lü Zhong thought, ’I expected to hit a bottleneck as I progressed with the Cultivation Technique, but I haven’t encountered any issues at all.’

’It’s been completely smooth sailing, without a single obstacle.’

’So this is what it feels like for a genius to cultivate!’

’If only my cultivation could advance this quickly.’

’How great would that be!’

’Still, there’s nothing wrong with steady progress. At least it allows me to build an exceptionally solid foundation. When it comes to actual combat, a cultivation prodigy and a combat prodigy are two entirely different things.’

Speaking of prodigies, Lü Zhong’s thoughts turned to his two apprentices.

Su Caocao and Hex Luo’s training mission was supposed to be a simple matter of dealing with Demon Beast attacks. Yet, their experience had been as full of twists and turns as a novel, plagued by one incident after another, big and small. They had even faced several life-or-death crises. Fortunately, both possessed extraordinary fortitude and had managed to pull through.

Thanks to these trials, Su Caocao had already sensed her opportunity to break through to Foundation Establishment.

Hex Luo’s gains were also substantial. He had used the experience to temper his mental state, which would surely benefit him greatly in the future.

’I’ve gathered most of the materials. It’s about time I made a trip to the Western Realm,’ Lü Zhong thought.

The Western Border Alliance might not have any Spiritual Objects for exchange that could increase one’s cultivation, but rare Spirit Ores like Star Stone—which were immensely beneficial for nourishing Magical Treasures—were plentiful.

The Star Mirror had not been improved for a long time, not since it had broken through to become a Magical Treasure with an Eighth-Layer Prohibition.

If he didn’t refine more Spiritual Objects into it and relied solely on his Pill Fire to nourish the Lifebound Treasure, he estimated that the Star Mirror would be unable to break through to the Fourteenth-Layer Prohibition before his Life was Exhausted.

Therefore, a trip to the Western Realm was essential.