Chapter 132: Cultivation Breakthrough, Spirit Root Advancement!

Qu Changge and the black-armored man walked within Qingzhu Mountain.The two seemed non-existent, rendering them invisible to the Lu Family’s guardian disciples. Following the blood-guiding snake, Qu Changge arrived at the White Deer Mountain Villa. He immediately saw a group of Lu Family members picking up their children from school. From the crowd, he instantly noticed a woman in her twenties, with a gentle and beautiful face, wearing a pink and white dress. The woman carried a child and walked together with a young man in his twenties wearing a blue robe. Around them were eight or nine children, chatting and laughing. Despite not seeing her for ten years, Qu Changge recognized at a glance that the woman in the pink and white dress, with a gentle and radiant beauty, was none other than his sister Qu Zhenzhen. “Zhenzhen!” He called out in his heart, but made no sound, fearful of disturbing her peace. “I never expected the little girl from before has also become a mother.” Qu Changge watched as Qu Zhenzhen carried a child in one arm, chatting and laughing with the man, while tenderly addressing the children beside her. In his profound and lifeless eyes flickered emotions of happiness, relief, heaviness, timidity, and confusion. He could see that his sister was living well here. Not only did her face show joy and bliss, but she had also embarked on the path of cultivation. Her cultivation level was a bit low, only at the fourth stage of Qi Refining realm. Afterwards, he turned his gaze to Lu Changsheng beside her. He knew this must be his sister’s husband. His first impression of his brother-in-law was quite good. One, he erected a monument for his parents and restored the Qu Manor. Additionally, he had a handsome appearance that matched his sister’s beauty. When speaking with his sister and children, his demeanor was gentle, embodying the role of a husband and father. He glanced at Lu Changsheng’s cultivation level but surprisingly could not discern it. However, he did not dwell on this much. After all, there were many methods and treasures in the cultivation world that could conceal one’s spiritual power. Having such a treasure implied that his brother-in-law likely held a respectable status in this family. He did not probe further with spells to avoid alerting Lu Changsheng of his presence. “Are all these Zhenzhen’s children?” Qu Changge’s gaze turned to the group of children beside the couple, his heart skipping a beat. These children were mostly around five or six years old, with the oldest being eight or nine. He recalled having left home only ten years ago. In that timeframe, it seemed improbable for his sister to have given birth to so many. The next moment, he carefully examined them. Only the infant in Qu Zhenzhen’s arms, along with a eight or nine-year-old boy and a six or seven-year-old girl, allowed him to sense a faint blood connection as their uncle. He realized only these three were his sister’s children. Seeing there were just three, he nodded slightly in relief. Had his sister given birth to ten children in ten years, he might have considered drawing his sword. “Only this child has a Spirit Root?” Qu Changge focused on the three children sharing his blood lineage, and his gaze landed on Lu Quanzhen. Qu Zhenzhen had given birth to four children in total. Of them, the first child Lu Quanzhen and the third Lu Miaochen possessed Spirit Roots. However, Lu Miaochen had not reached school age yet and was playing at home. “I wonder about the quality of this child’s Spirit Root.” Though forced into ceaseless cultivation over the years, Qu Changge had a general understanding of the cultivation realm. He knew it was far more cruel than the mortal world – a naked display of the strong devouring the weak and survival of the fittest. If his nephew’s Spirit Root was merely average, he would likely face many trials and tribulations upon beginning his cultivation journey. “Sigh.” Qu Changge let out a breath. Over the years, his heart had grown numb and lifeless. But at this moment, he couldn’t help but feel melancholic. He not only worried about his sister’s life but also, by extension, grew concerned about his nephew’s situation. He shook his head slightly, unwilling to dwell on these thoughts any further. He knew his current circumstances left little room to worry about others. Watching the chatting and laughing group of Qu Zhenzhen and others gradually disappear into the distance, he closed his eyes. “Let’s go.” Qu Changge reopened his eyes, revealing a determined gaze, and turned to walk away from Qingzhu Mountain. Having seen his sister and knowing she was living well, he felt reassured. He was well aware of his current situation. Too much contact with his sister would only bring her harm. What he needed to do now was to live well, strive to live, and enhance himself – until he possessed the strength to control his own destiny. No matter how daunting the future, whether fortuitous or disastrous, this was his only choice, his only path! Just as his master had said, in this world, only one’s own power is eternal! A gentle breeze blew, causing the bamboo to sway, lending a feeling of utmost comfort and tranquility. Qu Zhenzhen, who had been conversing with Lu Changsheng, suddenly turned her head towards Qu Changge’s direction, as if sensing something. But there was nothing there. “Zhenzhen, what’s wrong?” Lu Changsheng asked. “It’s nothing.” Qu Zhenzhen lightly shook her head, unfazed by the inexplicable feeling. Lu Changsheng remained unaware of Qu Changge’s arrival. Life continued as usual for him – cultivating, crafting talismans, spending time with his wives and children. The only addition was ritually refining the Nine-Treasure Jade Ruyi. This Nine-Treasure Jade Ruyi truly lived up to its reputation as a heavenly spiritual treasure. Refining it was a hundred times more difficult than the Black Dragon Magic Bead. Even with the Xuan Yuan Bead in his possession, spending an hour or two each day on the ritual refinement, he estimated it would take two to three years to complete. Though the time was long, he greatly anticipated the effects once the Nine-Treasure Jade Ruyi was fully refined and assimilated into his body. In the blink of an eye, two months passed. “Lu Changsheng, it seems I’m pregnant again,” Lu Miaohuan came and told Lu Changsheng one day. Initially, she had said she would only have one child, but now she was already pregnant again when her first child was merely a year old, leaving her looking troubled and vexed. “Did you forget to expel it with your spiritual power?” Lu Changsheng was briefly stunned upon hearing the words of the second young lady before responding. Even if not for the purpose of bearing children, the two frequently practiced dual cultivation together. In such cases, if he did not control himself properly and Lu Miaohuan forgot to expel it, the chances of pregnancy were quite high. “Then what should we do?” Lu Miaohuan pouted her red lips, looking somewhat innocent. “If you’re pregnant, then have this last one,” Lu Changsheng gently stroked her head and said softly. “Okay!” Lu Miaohuan nodded vigorously. After keeping the second young lady company for a while, Lu Changsheng noticed it was nearing the end of the month. He left and rode his steel-feathered eagle to Hongye Valley Market. It had been over three months since Hongye Valley Market opened, but the crowds remained sparse, leaving the streets rather deserted. In this quiet atmosphere, business at his ‘Peace Talisman Hall’ was also quite dismal. If the shopfront didn’t belong to him, he would be operating at a loss under such conditions. Not only was the foot traffic low, but at this stage, all the major shops were offering discounts of 60-70% off to attract customers, leaving little profit margin. Lu Changsheng strolled around his shop, reviewing this month’s ledger. “Sigh, after deducting material and labor costs, I only made a profit of thirty-one spirit stones this month.” “That’s not even enough for rent, I’m actually losing money.” “Fortunately, in a year or two, the market traffic will gradually pick up and the profits will recover.” Looking at this month’s accounts, Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but feel speechless. This made the attending Gao He feel quite uneasy. Although it was the initial opening period with low traffic and promotional discounts to capture market share, for such a prominent shop location to only profit around thirty spirit stones in a month was indeed embarrassing for him as the presiding talisman master and shopkeeper. Lu Changsheng waved his hand dismissively without saying much more. He knew this was a normal situation. After all, even Lu Miaoge’s Lu Family Talisman Shop was facing similar circumstances, doing just slightly better due to its location and brand reputation. Soon after, he went to the Qingzhu Lu Family Talisman Shop and practiced dual cultivation as usual with his wife Lu Miaoge to strengthen their feelings and cultivation. A month later. Inside the practice room at Qingzhu Mountain. Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged, circulating the Seven Stars Great Freedom Sword Technique. Suddenly, the spiritual power in his dantian surged turbulently. This caused sword auras to swirl around him, sharp and intense, with dust scattering and a faint spiritual pressure permeating the air. “Qi Refining Ninth Stage.” Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his handsome face. He was not overly surprised by this breakthrough, as cultivating the Seven Stars Great Freedom Sword Technique allowed him to have a general sense of his cultivation progress. To him, this breakthrough came naturally and smoothly. Lu Changsheng inwardly examined his seven-colored spirit lake and sensed the changes after the breakthrough. The spiritual power within his body had increased by roughly thirty percent. With his cultivation realm advancing, the floating Xuan Yuan Bead above the spirit lake also began rotating slowly. This miraculous treasure’s effects improved along with Lu Changsheng’s cultivation breakthrough. “With the Xuan Yuan Bead’s assistance, I should now be able to contend with ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators for a while, right?” Feeling the spiritual power empowered by the Xuan Yuan Bead, Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but wonder. Based on the battles he witnessed in Hongye Valley, he felt his current strength could withstand a few moves from a Foundation Establishment grandmaster’s hands. If he unleashed all his tricks, he might even be able to slay a Foundation Establishment grandmaster. However, Lu Changsheng quickly dismissed such thoughts. Why go looking for trouble with Foundation Establishment grandmasters after just having a satisfying meal? He remembered how the Chen Family Patriarch fought desperately, self-detonating spiritual weapons and wielding the Heavenly Thunder Bead with all his might. Without absolute strength, the two combatants would surely sustain injuries from their battle. “At my current pace, I should be ready to breakthrough to Foundation Establishment in three to five years.” “With a Foundation Establishment spirit object, Foundation Establishment pills, reaching that realm should be smooth sailing for me.” Lu Changsheng slightly adjusted his surging spiritual power, stood up and stretched his limbs. He opened the door and exited the practice room. Since the breakthrough took quite a while, it was now deep into the night. Gazing at the moonlight, Lu Changsheng had no intention of moon-gazing or feeling melancholic. He went to Lu Miaoyun’s room. Seeing the slumbering Lu Miaoyun, he lifted the blanket and climbed into bed. Embracing his beloved in his arms, he gradually drifted into slumber. Six days later. Lu Changsheng’s 102nd child was born. This child possessed a Spirit Root. It was the 24th of his children to have a Spirit Root. With this child’s birth, an indescribable profound and wondrous sensation surged through Lu Changsheng’s body. He realized his own Spirit Root had advanced! From a sixth-grade Spirit Root, it had progressed to a fifth-grade Spirit Root! Lu Changsheng was not surprised by this Spirit Root advancement. Previously, he could already sense that his Spirit Root was at the threshold between the sixth and fifth grades. If a child with a sixth-grade Spirit Root was born, it might directly trigger the upgrade. After so long, with the accumulation of his children’s Spirit Root growth, combined with this newborn child, it likely elevated his Spirit Root to the fifth grade. Hence, his Spirit Root naturally advanced. “System,” Lu Changsheng silently intoned. 【Name: Lu Changsheng】 【Identity: Son-in-law of Qingzhu Mountain Lu Family】 【Cultivation: Qi Refining Ninth Stage】 【Lifespan: 30/156】 【Talent: Fifth-Grade Spirit Root, Metallic Body (Mid-Grade Spirit Body)】 【Techniques: Hundred Treasure Refinement Body Tempering Technique, Seven Stars Great Freedom Sword Technique, Yin-Yang Harmony Technique, Immortal Posture Technique】 【Spells: Seven Stars Sword Light, Seven Stars Sword Shield, Seven Stars Sword Escape】 【Items: Nine-Treasure Jade Ruyi, Golden Light Brick Talisman, Peach Blossom Gu, Black Dragon Magic Bead, the Demonic Curse of Fate, Life-Substituting Talisman, Xuan Yuan Bead, Second-Grade Puppets】 【Skills: Talisman Crafting (Second Grade), Puppetry (Second Grade)】 【Pets: Nine Netherworld Hounds, Six-Winged Golden Silkworm, Peach Blossom Gu】 Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴøᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality. 【Offspring: 102/107】 “A fifth-grade Spirit Root, the same as Sister Miaoge’s. One step closer to a Heaven-Grade Spirit Root.” “This will also be quite helpful for my Foundation Establishment cultivation.” Lu Changsheng smiled, looking at the Spirit Root grade on the system panel. Glancing at the Metallic Body talent, he could sense its effects enhancing as his son Lu Qingshan grew older over time. “The spirit body should develop along with the body, and it will be fully formed when he is eleven or twelve years old.” Lu Changsheng inwardly pondered. A question arose in his mind. Now that he possessed the Metallic Body himself, what would happen if he sired another child with a Metallic Body? Would the Metallic Body advance and upgrade into a superior spirit body? And if a child was born with a spirit body conflicting with the Metallic Body, what would happen then? Could conflicting spirit bodies cause issues with his own body? Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander. After a while, he realized he could only find out when his second spirit body child was born. Looking at the system panel before him, Lu Changsheng noticed his age. He had already turned thirty without even realizing it. “Thirty years old, at the Qi Refining Ninth Stage… For a cultivating family like Qingzhu Mountain, this cultivation level would be considered a peerless genius.” Lu Changsheng muttered to himself, though he did not feel overly proud. At this age and the Qi Refining Ninth Stage, he would indeed be viewed as a peerless genius in Qingzhu Mountain’s cultivation family. However, in an immortal sect, it would only be considered average. But he did not dwell too much on this aspect. After all, his forte lay in establishing a solid foundation for late blooming greatness. Maintaining this pace was sufficient. He aimed not for fleeting dominance, but lasting supremacy across his lifetime. Moreover, as an impoverished farmer’s son with an initial ninth-grade Spirit Root who started with the system, achieving such accomplishments through his own diligent efforts within just twelve years left Lu Changsheng rather satisfied. “There’s a saying: ‘At thirty, one stands firm.’ Now with seven wives, eleven concubines, twenty-four maids, and a hundred and seven children, I suppose I’ve established myself, haven’t I?” Lu Changsheng suddenly pondered. Time flew by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye. With selective breeding, Lu Changsheng only had five more children during this period. It’s worth mentioning that Xia Ziyue gave birth, and her child possessed a sixth-grade Spirit Root. For Lu Changsheng’s current situation, a sixth-grade Spirit Root child was already excellent. After all, among over a hundred children, only twenty-five possessed Spirit Roots. As for medium-grade Spirit Roots, there was only Lu Qingshan. This child of Xia Ziyue’s was Lu Changsheng’s second child with a sixth-grade Spirit Root. However, when Xia Ziyue was pregnant, Lu Changsheng did not allow her to excessively expend her primal essence in nurturing the fetus. Otherwise, Lu Changsheng felt that the mid Qi Refining stage Xia Ziyue could potentially nurture a child with a fifth-grade or even fourth-grade Spirit Root. However, having learned from Xia Ziyue’s mother’s cautionary tale, Lu Changsheng would never allow that. He could not bring himself to have the mother consume and deplete her own primal essence to the point of death just for childbirth. He also planned to temporarily stop Xia Ziyue from having more children for a while, allowing her to properly recuperate and cultivate. They could reconsider when she reached the late Qi Refining stage. Lu Changsheng even wondered if upon breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, Xia Ziyue could leverage her Spirit Nurturing Body to give birth to a child with a superior-grade Spirit Root. “There’s about a month left before the ten-year appointment.” “I wonder how Feiyu is doing.” One day, after Lu Changsheng completed his usual cultivation and talisman crafting, he recalled that in about a month’s time, the ten-year appointment they had made would arrive. He was curious about how Han Lin, Xiao Xiyue, and Zhao Qingqing, who pursued cultivation in the immortal sect, were faring. He wondered if the gap between them had widened over the past decade as they cultivated in the immortal sect. At the same time, he thought about Li Feiyu, who had been out wandering for so long without any news, unaware of his situation. In the blink of an eye, another half-month passed. Just as Lu Changsheng prepared to head to the Ruyi Region’s mortal cities for the reunion, he received a letter. It was from Li Feiyu. In the letter, he first updated him on his situation, stating that all was well. With the talismans and spirit stones Lu Changsheng had given to him initially, he had also broken through to the Qi Refining Fifth Stage. Currently, he was exploring an ancient dwelling with others and might not make it back in time for the ten-year appointment. Hence, he sent the letter ahead to inform him. If he did not return by then, he asked Lu Changsheng not to worry. He also requested that he inform Han Lin, Xiao Xiyue, and Zhao Qingqing about this matter. “Sigh, Feiyu has ultimately taken this path.” Looking at the letter, Lu Changsheng let out a soft sigh. He had previously guessed that after going out to wander and gain experience, Li Feiyu would eventually follow a path similar to Xialong’s. By hunting demonic beasts, exploring ancient dwellings and secret realms, he would acquire resources – the only way for most rogue cultivators to pave an opportunity for Foundation Establishment. However, such endeavors also carried great risks. It was essentially putting one’s life on the line, with any danger or accident potentially leading to death and having one’s bones buried in the wilderness. Yet Lu Changsheng could not dissuade him from this path. Not everyone was like him, able to marry wives, take concubines, have children at home, and await the Great Dao. However, Lu Changsheng felt that Li Feiyu’s absence from this appointment was not just due to being preoccupied, but also because the gap between the six of them had grown increasingly wider. Li Feiyu used to be quite accomplished in the mortal world during his youth. But ten years ago, among the six of them, Li Feiyu’s situation was the worst. Now, after a decade had passed with Li Feiyu largely squandering his time, how could his proud spirit accept this? “Sigh.” Lu Changsheng let out another sigh, only able to hope that Li Feiyu was faring well. He summoned a flame in his palm, burning the letter. Afterwards, he informed his wives and concubines before riding his steel-feathered eagle towards the Ruyi Region’s cities.