A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity-Chapter 91 - 90: Encounter
The sun set in the west, and night fell.
Using the effect of Concealing Breath and Traces, the two of them traveled far from the main battlefield.
Along the way, they encountered other cultivators more than once, but always chose to give them a wide berth after spotting them. When it grew too dark to travel, they finally found a hidden cave to rest for the time being.
To maintain their concealment, Lü Zhong did not start a fire.
He had thought they would make it through the day safely, but things didn’t go as planned. Suddenly, the sound of voices came from outside.
He looked outside and saw four cultivators approaching—three men and one woman. It was impossible to tell who they were from their appearance alone, but judging by their direction, they were clearly heading for the same cave.
In the view of his Qi Observation Skill, the burly man and the goat-bearded Daoist in the lead both had Mid-stage Qi Refining cultivation, while the remaining Red-clothed Female Cultivator and the other slim male cultivator were both in Early-stage Qi Refining.
The other party had the advantage in numbers. If a conflict broke out, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"This is bad. We need to leave, now."
Lü Zhong urged.
Bai Xiaohan, who was behind him, was already prepared. She nodded, and they quickly exited the cave, trying to avoid the four unidentified individuals without being discovered.
"Brother Yuann, there’s a cave up ahead!"
"I see it. We’ll rest there for the night."
A coarse voice replied as its owner strode toward the cave.
Just then, a Purple Mink perched on the shoulder of the female cultivator among the four suddenly shrieked.
The Red-clothed Female Cultivator reacted instantly, pointing to a shadow on the cave wall and shouting:
"Someone’s over there!" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
Lü Zhong’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected that Purple Mink to be so unusual—it could see through the camouflage of their Magic Skill. He then saw the burly cultivator in the lead step forward and toss out a Jade Pendant.
The object exploded in mid-air, radiating a brilliant flash of light.
When the light washed over them, the Magic Skill’s effect was broken, and the two were completely exposed.
"Heh heh, look what we have here, two fat sheep!" The burly cultivator’s gaze swept over their Magic Robes, his Evil Cultivator nature instantly revealing itself. He grinned maliciously. "If you can afford Dharma Robes, you must have Storage Bags. Hand them over!"
"Alright. Consider the contents a Life-Buying Coin for all of you."
Lü Zhong kept his eyes fixed on the four of them as he slowly took a Storage Bag from a conspicuous spot on his waist. This was one he used specifically for beast meat and miscellaneous items, so it looked completely stuffed. He tossed it onto the ground in front of him.
His action was, of course, a show of weakness.
It would be unwise to fight them head-on; it was better to look for the right opportunity.
Beside him, Bai Xiaohan didn’t hesitate, tossing out an exquisite Storage Bag.
The burly cultivator stared at the Storage Bags on the ground and brandished the long saber Magical Artifact in his hand. He was about to pick them up but was stopped by a reminder from the goat-bearded Daoist next to him. ’As expected, the older the ginger, the spicier it is,’ Lü Zhong thought with regret.
"I almost fell for your trick, you brat! Get your weapons out!"
At his words, the other three responded in kind.
The two male cultivators each summoned a Magical Artifact, but the Red-clothed Female Cultivator with the Purple Mink began forming hand seals and Chanting.
A roar was heard as smoke billowed from the Purple Mink. In an instant, its body underwent a massive transformation, swelling to the size of a brutish ox. It stared at Lü Zhong and Bai Xiaohan, drool dripping from its mouth.
Seeing their move, Lü Zhong sighed internally. ’Looks like there’s a tough fight ahead of us today.’
He reached for his waist and summoned the Golden Devourer Sword, preparing to fight the four of them.
Just then, the Red-clothed Female Cultivator felt something was wrong. Her neck suddenly felt a little itchy.
She scratched it lightly, and the world spun before her eyes. She saw her own headless body.
"I..."
Before she could react, she plunged into complete darkness.
After the Red-clothed Female Cultivator died, the enormous Purple Mink let out a mournful cry and collapsed, ceasing all movement. Apparently, with its master’s death, its Divine Soul had been destroyed by the Slave Contract.
Neither Lü Zhong nor the burly cultivator had expected this sudden turn of events.
Bai Xiaohan retracted a thin thread. She was clearly the one who had acted.
"Well done!" Lü Zhong praised.
It was now two against three. His confidence surged.
"You’re courting death!" the burly cultivator roared.
He stomped on the ground and viciously swung his long saber, unleashing a streak of purple Sword Qi.
The next moment, the Sword Qi was blocked by a golden sword shadow.
The Qi-Devouring Divine Technique took effect, absorbing a portion of the Sword Qi and feeding it back to him.
Lü Zhong formed several Sword Mantras with his hands, sending the Golden Devourer Sword to entangle the burly cultivator. At the same time, he slapped his Storage Bag, summoning the Ink Crystal Shield and immediately activating his Water Pattern Shield.
After the sound of rushing waves, his entire body was enveloped in a sapphire-blue Spiritual Shield.
Immediately after, he formed a Sword Gesture and pointed forward.
His initial target was the remaining slim male cultivator, but he suddenly saw vines erupt from the ground and entangle the goat-bearded Daoist, trapping him for the moment.
"A perfect chance!" Lü Zhong’s eyes lit up, and the Sword Mantra he was forming instantly changed.
The golden sword shadow swept past. The old Daoist threw out a Duster to block it, but the Golden Devourer Sword sliced right through it.
SQUELCH! A head flew high into the air.
Seeing two of his companions killed in an instant, the remaining slim male cultivator’s eyes filled with fear. He turned and fled without a moment’s hesitation.
But he had barely taken a few steps before his body was suddenly sliced in two at the waist.
Needless to say, it was Bai Xiaohan’s handiwork again.
Her thin thread was nearly invisible to the naked eye—a perfect weapon for an assassin.
In the blink of an eye, another one was gone.
The burly cultivator’s expression changed drastically. He hadn’t expected the situation to turn so quickly.
He suddenly felt a pang of regret. If he hadn’t been so malicious before, perhaps things wouldn’t have ended up this way.
But alas, there are no "what ifs"...
Fighting two against one, even with the protection of a Golden Light Talisman, the burly cultivator was no match for Lü Zhong and his partner. He was soon run through the chest by the Golden Devourer Sword and collapsed, blood pouring from his mouth and nose.
After looting the bodies, their haul was not small.
Four Magical Artifacts.
The burly cultivator’s long saber had the least wear. The other three’s Magical Artifacts were all severely damaged, especially the Red-clothed Female Cultivator’s Water-Splitting Needle, which was on the verge of being completely useless.
There were also thirty-seven Cleaning Talismans, eight Evil Exorcism Talismans, and a total of one hundred ninety-one Spirit Stones.
They found two Storage Bags, one from the goat-bearded Daoist and one from the burly cultivator. They were filled with good things, so Lü Zhong and Bai Xiaohan each took one.
After dividing the spoils, the two of them left the area quickly, without delay.
...
By now, the fish-belly white of dawn was appearing on the horizon.
The two walked through the morning mist, proceeding with caution the entire way.
But they hadn’t gone far before they suddenly came across a fight up ahead.
Watching from a distance, they saw three Evil Cultivators who controlled Refined Corpses attacking a group of five Loose Cultivators. Despite being besieged by seven tough-skinned Refined Corpses, the five were managing to fight and retreat without any sign of being defeated.
"It’s Mr. Huang!" Bai Xiaohan suddenly exclaimed, pointing at one of the figures.
Lü Zhong looked closer and saw that it was indeed Huang Shuyuan.
Her condition wasn’t good at the moment; she was already covered in wounds.
Before he could think further, the sound of breaking earth came from beneath his feet as pale arms began to reach out.
Not far away, a Paperman let out a chilling laugh as it continuously shook a Bone Bell in its hand.
"It’s a Ghost Dao Technique!"
Lü Zhong’s expression shifted slightly. A crisp shattering sound was heard as a protective barrier suddenly materialized around his body, blocking all the reaching arms. He immediately plucked out an Evil Exorcism Talisman and slapped it onto one of the ghostly hands, causing it to erupt in golden light.
A moment later, all the ghostly hands had vanished.
