On this day,
Lu Changsheng received a letter.
It was from Hong Yi, saying that his men, sent out to Zhou Shan Prefecture, had learned of
a strange man appearing at the Qu family residence.
Based on his investigation, this man was highly likely to be Qu Changge.
Someone had recognized Qu Changge's appearance.
Furthermore, this strange man had appeared inside the Qu family home, asking people what was happening.
Therefore, combining these circumstances, it was almost certain that the man was Qu Changge.
However, for some unknown reason, Qu Changge, who used to be a refined and handsome scholar,
had now become demonic and malevolent, with bloodshot eyes, resembling a monster.
Hong Yi stated in the letter that Qu Changge had disappeared without a trace after appearing.
He suspected that Qu Changge had also begun cultivating immortality, but on a demonic path, and warned Lu Changsheng to be careful.
"The demonic path,"
Lu Changsheng murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly after reading the letter.
As far as he knew, the Heavenly Sword Sect was the most revered in the Jiang Kingdom's cultivation world.
The major immortal sects, immortal cities, and cultivation families were all, on the surface, righteous forces.
There was no demonic sect.
Therefore, in Jiang Kingdom, there was no fertile ground for demonic cultivators to survive.
The occasional demonic cultivators were usually rogue cultivators who had received demonic inheritances.
Lu Changsheng hadn't expected that his brother-in-law would actually embark on the demonic path.
"I wonder if this brother-in-law will come looking for Qingzhu Mountain,"
Lu Changsheng thought to himself.
He wasn't worried about his brother-in-law finding Qingzhu Mountain.
After all, if you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear.
He had not only saved Qu Zhenzhen, but the two were also in love.
Could this brother-in-law really come looking for trouble?
Even if Qu Changge didn't know the truth and came looking for trouble, he'd better have the ability to do so.
In Lu Changsheng's view, Qu Zhenzhen had an eighth-grade spiritual root; even if her brother had a spiritual root, he probably wouldn't be much better.
Besides, in Jiang Kingdom, demonic cultivators were like rats crossing the street, hated by everyone.
Under these circumstances, how could he possibly come to Qingzhu Mountain to cause him trouble?
"Sigh, it seems my brother-in-law is quite a tragic figure." "
He embarked on the path of cultivation, but it was the demonic path. When he returned home, he learned that his entire family had been wiped out."
Lu Changsheng sighed and shook his head.
He had a good impression of his brother-in-law, whom he had never met.
In the past year or so, Qu Zhenzhen had told him many stories about her childhood,
often mentioning this brother-in-law.
According to Qu Zhenzhen, although her brother spent his days studying, was serious and liked to spout a lot of long-winded principles, he wasn't a rigid person.
He usually doted on his younger sister, and when she made mistakes, although he would lecture her, he would often help clean up the mess, handle the situation, and help cover it up for their parents.
"I won't tell Zhenzhen about this for now, so she won't worry." "
If I have the ability to help in the future, I might be able to lend a hand to this brother-in-law, of course, provided he's still alive."
"As for now, forget it."
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, not wanting to dwell on the matter.
He was currently just a weakling at the third level of Qi Refining, only able to eke out a living in Green Bamboo Mountain.
He couldn't help his brother-in-law much, and he didn't bother with him.
He then wrote a letter to Hong Yi, telling him to stop inquiring about Qu Changge.
Otherwise, getting involved with demonic cultivators would be troublesome.
That night.
Afterwards.
Qu Zhenzhen's cheeks were flushed, her eyes glazed, as she slowly regained her senses.
She playfully punched Lu Changsheng with her small pink fist, scolding, "You're so annoying! Don't expect the three of us to serve you anymore. You're just humiliating us."
Lu Miaoyun, standing nearby, buryed herself under the covers like an ostrich in embarrassment. Xiao Qing, though also somewhat shy, was much more composed and continued to serve Lu Changsheng.
"Hehe, isn't this rare? Look, even Yun'er didn't say anything,"
Lu Changsheng chuckled.
"Husband, please stop! It's so embarrassing!"
Lu Miaoyun buried her head in the covers, muffledly pleading.
...
Half a month later.
"My lord, I've successfully completed the Qi Induction process and become a cultivator!"
That day, Qu Zhenzhen, adorned with a golden hairpin and wearing a pink and white dress, excitedly announced the good news to Lu Changsheng.
Having been at Qingzhu Mountain for over a year, the baby fat and childishness on her face had faded, and her youthful figure had become much fuller.
This added a touch of mature charm to her pure and lovely face, making her more like a woman and mother.
"My Zhenzhen has broken through to the first level of Qi Chain!?"
Lu Changsheng was overjoyed upon hearing this news.
His wives and concubines possessed spiritual roots, and he naturally hoped they would all embark on the path of immortality and accompany him for a long time.
Even if they didn't become his future allies, at least cultivating immortality would benefit their bodies in various ways.
The reason Qu Zhenzhen had only broken through to the first level of Qi Chain now was because her pregnancy, recuperation, and physical recovery had delayed her cultivation.
Otherwise, in this Green Bamboo Valley, enjoying a second-tier spiritual vein, even without cultivation resources, one could have already broken through to the first level of Qi Refining.
Looking at his charming wife, whose every smile and gesture was captivating, Lu Changsheng pulled her into his arms, saying, "To celebrate my Zhenzhen becoming a cultivator, let your husband reward you properly."
Even though she was already a mother, Qu Zhenzhen's shy nature remained unchanged.
Hearing this, her heart swelled with shyness, her cheeks flushing crimson.
Before she could say anything, she felt a warm touch on her lips, followed by a slight weakness in her body.
After a while, Qu Zhenzhen's voice was hurried, and she breathed softly, "Husband, let's... let's go back to the room..."
"It's alright, we're at home, there's no one here,"
Lu Changsheng said gently.
Then, amidst Qu Zhenzhen's hesitant, sweet voice, a rustling sound rang out, adding
a touch of spring to the autumn courtyard.
In the following days, Lu Changsheng devoted most of his attention to Qu Zhenzhen.
Now that Qu Zhenzhen has broken through to the first level of Qi Chain, and has been recuperating for half a year since her last childbirth, he naturally needs to take good care of her and start working on a second child.
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month.
The end of each month is the day when the Fourth Elder gives lectures and teaches talisman making.
On this day, Lu Changsheng got up, ate breakfast, and went to the Fourth Elder's residence.
Since he had been there once before, he didn't need anyone to lead the way.
Lu Changsheng easily passed through the corridor and came to a quiet courtyard.
The courtyard wall was planted with jade-green bamboo.
In the middle was a small pavilion, with five tables and chairs placed next to it.
At this moment, a beautiful figure stood upright beside the pavilion.
Her face was delicate and beautiful, her bright eyes were clear as water, and she wore a simple and elegant white dress.
Her long, black hair fell over her shoulders, flowing smoothly down to her waist and hips, creating a striking contrast between black and white.
Despite wearing only a simple white dress and embroidered shoes, her graceful figure and elegant demeanor gave her a unique allure, an ethereal and otherworldly quality.
A gentle breeze stirred, and rays of sunlight filtered through, illuminating her white dress.
It seemed to bathe her in a holy, bright yellow glow, adding to her sacred and noble appearance.
Lu Changsheng, seeing Lu Miaoge standing tall and graceful, as if she had stepped out of a painting, could
n't help but show a hint of amazement in his eyes. He wondered if it was because Lu Miaoge was the first 'fairy' he had encountered in the cultivation world after awakening his memories,
that he felt a special affection for her.
Previously, due to the difference in their social status, Lu Changsheng had thoughts about Lu Miaoge, but not strong feelings.
Now, with the confidence given by the system and the rise in the Lu family's status, Lu Miaoge was no longer so unattainable.
Seeing her now, a few previously unseen thoughts involuntarily ignited within him.
He longed to pin this seemingly ethereal fairy beneath him and savor her at will.
"Sigh, no wonder so many people become morally corrupt after gaining wealth and power,"
Lu Changsheng thought to himself, shaking his head.
He had only recently married Lu Miaoyun, and now he was already harboring improper thoughts about his wife's cousin.
"Young Miss,"
Lu Changsheng greeted Lu Miaoge with a smile, without giving it much thought.
As a talisman master of the Lu family, Lu Miaoge would come to learn talisman-making from the Fourth Elder on this day every month.
The other Lu family members who came to learn talisman-making were all apprentices, so the Fourth Elder divided the lectures and instruction into two groups.
Lu Miaoge and Lu Changsheng were in the morning, and the other Lu family members were in the afternoon.
"Lu Changsheng,"
Lu Miaoge greeted Lu Changsheng with a faint smile.
Her smile was very subtle, like a snow lotus on a Tianshan mountain, blooming briefly before quickly fading back to her previous ethereal and elegant demeanor.
This made Lu Changsheng secretly think that the two sisters were quite similar in this respect.
Neither of them liked to smile, but when they did, they were both very beautiful.
He didn't go over to talk to her or anything. Even if he had feelings for Lu Miaoge, he couldn't just go up and pursue her.
Firstly, his status and circumstances didn't make it appropriate for him to pursue her, and secondly, girls aren't won over by chasing, but by attraction.
Lu Changsheng sat down at a table and chair nearby, waiting for the Fourth Elder to arrive.
Not long after, the Fourth Elder arrived in the courtyard.
Her black hair, streaked with silver, was elegantly styled in an updo, and she wore a light brown dress, looking like a dignified and graceful noblewoman.
"Grandma."
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"Grandma."
Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge immediately bowed to the Fourth Elder.
"No need for formalities, please sit down."
The Fourth Elder's expression was gentle and kind as she waved her hand.
Then she looked at the two and said, "Changsheng, Miaoge, both of you, show me the talismans you've been practicing recently."
Upon hearing this, the two took out their talisman-making tools and began to draw talismans.
Lu Changsheng drew the Fire Cloud Talisman he had revealed before.
After all, when he first revealed himself as a mid-grade first-level talisman master, his success rate was only one or two out of ten, so he naturally still needed to practice.
The Fourth Elder glanced at the two drawing talismans, and seeing Lu Changsheng's steady wrist as he drew the Fire Cloud Talisman stroke by stroke, he showed a hint of surprise.
Then, under the Fourth Elder's watchful gaze, Lu Changsheng successfully drew the Fire Cloud Talisman.
"Changsheng, you should have a 60-70% success rate with Fire Cloud Talismans now, right?"
The Fourth Elder, after watching Lu Changsheng draw the Fire Cloud Talisman, showed a hint of delight on his face and praised him.
Lu Miaoge, who was drawing a talisman nearby, heard this and her fair wrist trembled involuntarily, causing the talisman she was drawing to fail. Then, her
beautiful eyes looked at Lu Changsheng. Her snow-white face showed surprise.
She knew that Lu Changsheng had become a mid-grade first-level talisman master two months ago.
Only two months had passed, and he had already achieved a 60-70% success rate with mid-grade first-level Fire Cloud Talismans.
This talisman-making talent was simply terrifying!
She couldn't help but think back to three years ago, when Lu Changsheng became a talisman-making apprentice, and she had accompanied Uncle Fu to assess Lu Changsheng.
She had noticed then that Lu Changsheng's talent for talisman making was higher than hers.
But she never imagined that Lu Changsheng's talent was even higher—so much higher!
Without any guidance, he had become a mid-grade talisman master in just over three years!
Now, under the guidance of the Fourth Elder, the success rate of his Fire Cloud Talisman, which originally had only a 20% success rate, had increased to 60-70% in just one month!
This progress was simply terrifying!
Even though she was usually calm and collected, and had already begun trying to draw high-grade talismans to break through to become a high-grade talisman master, at this moment, in front of Lu Changsheng, she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and defeat.
She pursed her lips, suppressed her disappointment and defeat, and took out another talisman paper to draw a talisman.
"Thanks to Grandma's guidance last time, I've been practicing hard at home these past few days, which is why I have this success rate,"
Lu Changsheng nodded and said.
He was unaware that his actions had caused Lu Miaoge to feel defeated.
This display of talent with the Fire Cloud Talisman was something he had planned beforehand; it was part of his strategy.
Under the guise of receiving guidance from the Fourth Elder, Lu Changsheng quickly showcased his talent in talisman-making.
"Good, good, very good. Grandma can see that you've made little progress with the Fire Cloud Talisman."
"It's just that the spiritual energy isn't quite smooth enough at the transitions and lines."
"However, this is something you can improve with practice."
The Fourth Elder praised Lu Changsheng repeatedly.
She continued, "Then today Grandma will teach you how to draw the Wind-Riding Talisman."
Like the Fire Cloud Talisman, the Wind-Riding Talisman is a mid-grade first-tier talisman.
It's slightly more difficult than the Fire Cloud Talisman.
"Thank you, Grandma,"
Lu Changsheng said respectfully.
He didn't care what talisman he learned or practiced; he would completely follow the Fourth Elder's arrangements.
Firstly, he didn't care, and secondly, this was a condition of the Lu family's original spiritual contract.
He had to obey the Lu family's arrangements and learn and practice the corresponding talismans.
"The Windwalking Talisman is different from the Fire Cloud Talisman. It emphasizes gentleness. Not only must the brushstrokes be gentle, but the output of spiritual energy must also be gentle, with a smooth and rounded quality." "
A crucial aspect of the Windwalking Talisman is that at each turn and transition, the brushstrokes must be light and gliding, while the spiritual energy is continuously and gently released..."
The Fourth Elder explained the key points of the Windwalking Talisman to Lu Changsheng.
She then drew a Windwalking Talisman on the spot, allowing Lu Changsheng to sense the fluctuations in spiritual energy and draw the lines accordingly.
"Yes, Grandma."
Lu Changsheng nodded, picking up a stack of white paper from the table to familiarize himself with the line drawing techniques.
Generally, when drawing new talismans, one first familiarizes himself with the line drawing method on white paper before attempting to create the talisman on paper.
Practicing on paper from the start is essentially a waste,
as failure is almost guaranteed .
Of course, Lu Changsheng, being a cheat code, is an exception.
However, in front of the Fourth Elder, he naturally maintained a humble and eager-to-learn demeanor.
Then, the Fourth Elder looked at Lu Miaoge, who was making a talisman, and saw that she had failed again.
Knowing that Lu Miaoge was not yet familiar with the talisman she was drawing, he explained the key points.
"Miaoge, this Golden Light Shield Talisman emphasizes strength as the primary element and gentleness as the secondary element. The brushstrokes should be gentle yet firm, but the output of spiritual energy should also be strong and powerful." "
When you make the first stroke, the brushstroke and spiritual energy should be like iron wrapped in cotton. When the first fold of the talisman line turns, you should have more of a 'gathering' intention, while the spiritual energy should be 'releasing'... After the ninth fold, you need a continuous output of spiritual energy..."
The higher the grade of the talisman, the more difficult and complex it becomes.
Every stroke, every transition, follows strict rules. Even
the technique of applying the brush is incredibly complex, involving techniques like strength and power, strength within softness, softness within strength, and a perfect balance of both.
The Golden Light Shield Talisman that Lu Miaoge is currently drawing is a high-grade first-tier talisman, extremely complex, and on par with mid-grade talismans.
"Yes, Fourth Aunt."
Lu Miaoge nodded, her delicate face showing focused concentration as she continued drawing the talisman.
But halfway through, smoke rose from the paper—it had failed.
"Miaoge, you used too much force when outlining the lines, causing a clash with spiritual energy, hence the failure."
"Come, feel my spiritual energy, the strength,"
the Fourth Elder pointed out the error.
He then grasped Lu Miaoge's hand and slowly began drawing the Golden Light Shield Talisman.
Lu Changsheng also glanced over.
He could tell that the Fourth Elder's talisman-making skills were indeed quite good.
At least he was very familiar with the Golden Light Shield Talisman.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to guide people in drawing talismans in this way.
"Miaoge, try again, using this feeling."
The Fourth Elder said after guiding Lu Miaoge to finish drawing the Golden Light Shield Talisman.
"Yes, Grandma."
Lu Miaoge nodded slightly, and then tried to draw it again.
However, she failed again halfway through the drawing.
Seeing this, the Fourth Elder didn't say anything.
She just encouraged her, "It's okay, just practice more and you'll get used to it."
This was perfectly normal for a talisman master.
If it were easy to succeed in a few tries, then becoming a talisman master wouldn't be so difficult.
After a while, the Fourth Elder saw that Lu Changsheng was also quite familiar with drawing the Wind Travel Talisman, and said to Lu Changsheng, "Come, Changsheng, draw a Wind Travel Talisman for me to see."
"Yes, Grandma."
Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng immediately began to demonstrate her skill in drawing the Wind Travel Talisman.
However, she also failed after about one-fifth of the way through.
He was a genius, but not a monstrous genius.
If he could master it in one or two tries, it would be too astonishing and prone to causing trouble.
"Your hand is steady, your brushstrokes are steady, but your spiritual energy was a bit too hasty just now."
"In this step, your hand needs to be a little relaxed, and your spiritual energy should gently wrap around the brushstrokes..."
"Come, feel my spiritual energy, the strength."
The Fourth Elder said after watching Lu Changsheng finish drawing.
She then stepped forward, took Lu Changsheng's hand, and guided him to slowly draw the Wind-Traveling Talisman stroke by stroke.
Although there was a rule against physical contact between men and women, Lu Changsheng was just a junior in her eyes, her grandson-in-law, so she naturally wouldn't be concerned with such things or think in that direction.
During this process, Lu Changsheng could clearly feel the strength and flow of spiritual energy transmitted through the Fourth Elder's palm.
"In this step, your hand must be 'relaxed,' your spiritual energy must 'wrap' the brushstrokes, with a slight 'springiness,' your wrist must 'shake' lightly, and then finish the stroke in one smooth motion." "
Try again."
The Fourth Elder said kindly to Lu Changsheng, then released her hand.
"Yes, Grandma."
Lu Changsheng nodded, but did not start drawing immediately.
Instead, he took out a gourd of wine from his storage bag, took a sip of the wine, and then continued drawing.
Inside was White Jade Hundred Flower Wine, which had the effect of restoring spiritual energy and calming the mind, which would help him in making talismans.
He naturally did not use this wine to help calm his mind, but he needed it to help restore his spiritual energy.
The Fourth Elder did not say anything about this.
She also knew that Lu Changsheng was only at the third level of Qi Refining and could not draw many first-grade mid-level talismans, so he needed to rely on spiritual wine to restore his spiritual energy.
Subsequently, under the Fourth Elder's watchful eye, Lu Changsheng failed after drawing about a quarter of the way.
"Your spiritual power didn't fully encompass the brushstrokes and concentrate them at a single point. Try again,"
the Fourth Elder commented after reviewing their work.
And so, under the Fourth Elder's guidance, the morning passed.
Neither Lu Changsheng nor Lu Miaoge successfully drew any new talismans that morning.
However, they had at least grasped the basics of talisman drawing and understood its essence. The next step was to return home and practice more.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.
Qu Zhenzhen, who had been receiving special attention from Lu Changsheng, ran to him and said, "Husband, I think I'm pregnant!"
"Pregnant? Let me see?"
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Upon hearing this, Lu Changsheng was immediately overjoyed and pressed his head against Qu Zhenzhen's belly.
At this time, there was naturally no fetal movement yet.
But as a cultivator, Lu Changsheng could vaguely sense the new life growing inside her.
"Good, good, good, you are indeed pregnant. Come, Zhenzhen, let your husband give you a kiss."
Seeing that Qu Zhenzhen was pregnant, Lu Changsheng was in a great mood. He stroked his wife's cheek and kissed her pink lips passionately.
There were other sisters in the courtyard who covered their mouths and laughed at this scene, making Qu Zhenzhen blush deeply.
A little embarrassed and annoyed, she playfully punched her husband, her delicate, fair face flushed crimson, utterly shy.
This girlish shyness, however, perfectly blended with Qu Zhenzhen's mature and motherly charm, making her appear both innocent and alluring.
This sight ignited Lu Changsheng's passion, making him yearn to take his beautiful wife right then and there.
Seeing her husband so happy, Qu Zhenzhen's blushing face also broke into a happy smile.
Now that both Lu Miaoyun and Qu Zhenzhen were pregnant, Lu Changsheng was in high spirits, feeling that life was becoming increasingly hopeful.
He eagerly awaited the birth of his two wives' children.
He also thought of his two concubines who hadn't conceived yet, and a maidservant with spiritual roots.
However, Lu Miaoyun was only a month pregnant, and he wasn't in a hurry to get his maidservant, Xiaoqing, pregnant.
After all, it wouldn't be good if a maidservant became pregnant around the same time as his mistress; it would seem like she was vying for his favor.
Although Lu Changsheng himself didn't care,
it was still part of the Lu family, and he had to be careful.
Therefore, he planned to focus his attention on his two favorite concubines.
Lu Changsheng was also somewhat curious about these two concubines.
If they became pregnant, would the children's hair and eye color resemble his or theirs?
...
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month again, the day the Fourth Elder was to teach talismans.
When the Fourth Elder checked Lu Miaoge and Lu Changsheng's progress in talisman drawing
, Lu Changsheng directly took out a Wind-Traveling Talisman and said to the Fourth Elder, "Grandma, I successfully drew a Wind-Traveling Talisman yesterday."
"What!?"
"You drew a Wind-Traveling Talisman!"
The Fourth Elder was stunned at first.
Then, looking at the Wind-Traveling Talisman in Lu Changsheng's hand, her face was full of surprise.
She hadn't expected that in just one month, Lu Changsheng had successfully drawn the Wind-Traveling Talisman.
It should be known that the most difficult part of talisman drawing is the first step, the stage from zero to one.
Once the first step is successful, the subsequent steps from one to ten are relatively simple.
Lu Miaoge, standing to the side, also looked at Lu Changsheng with her beautiful eyes, equally astonished.
Two months had passed, and she hadn't made much progress in the Golden Light Shield Talisman.
Although the Golden Light Shield Talisman she was practicing was a high-grade talisman
, when she was at Lu Changsheng's stage, it took her about three months to successfully learn a Golden Light Talisman at the same level as the Wind-Riding Talisman.
But now, Lu Changsheng had successfully drawn the Wind-Riding Talisman in just one month.
Lu Miaoge bit her lip lightly, feeling somewhat discouraged.
Her talent in talisman making was already quite good.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be the only talisman master among so many Lu family disciples.
And she was far ahead, about to break through to become a first-tier high-grade talisman master.
The Fourth Elder had also told her that she had great talent in talisman making and had the potential to become a second-tier talisman master in the future.
But at this moment, her proud talisman-making talent was completely crushed in front of Lu Changsheng.
She could already see the day when Lu Changsheng would surpass her.
The Fourth Elder took the Wind-Riding Talisman from Lu Changsheng's hand.
His fingers traced the brushstrokes inch by inch, feeling the flow of spiritual energy.
"You have no problem with outlining the talisman lines, and your grip on the brush is very steady; you're truly gifted."
"This talisman lacks refinement in terms of spiritual energy; it's not skillful or stable enough. For example, the spiritual dot at this point is clearly problematic; a slight mistake could lead to failure. And..."
The Fourth Elder commented on Lu Changsheng's talisman, pointing out the problems in detail.
Then he said, "Come, Changsheng, draw another Wind-Traveling Talisman for me to see."
"Yes, Grandmother."
Lu Changsheng took out the talisman paper and began to draw.
However, before he had even finished half, the talisman emitted blue smoke—he had failed.
"At this point, the spiritual energy must be tightly 'wrapped' in the brushstroke, but after the turn, it must be immediately released, with a 'springy' feel..."
the Fourth Elder said, gesturing for Lu Changsheng to continue.
Lu Changsheng failed again.
He had only just begun his training yesterday, and his success rate in making talismans should be at most ten percent at this point, so he naturally couldn't show off too much.
Afterwards, under the Fourth Elder's guidance, Lu Changsheng failed twice more.
Seeing this, the Fourth Elder didn't say anything.
She simply comforted him, saying, "It's alright, you're just a little nervous. Besides, you've only just begun. You'll get used to it."
"Come, let Grandma guide you through drawing it again."
Then, she took Lu Changsheng's hand and led him through drawing the Wind-Riding Talisman.
"Thank you, Grandma. Changsheng will definitely work hard and not let you down,"
Lu Changsheng said to the Fourth Elder.
"Good child, Grandma is very satisfied with your performance."
"Grandma believes that as long as you work hard, you will definitely become a second-tier talisman master in the future,"
the Fourth Elder said kindly.
She was very satisfied with Lu Changsheng, her grandson-in-law.
Not only was he exceptionally talented in talisman making, but he was also very steady and good to her granddaughter.
The only drawback was that he had too many wives and children.
He usually spent too much time on getting married and having children.
In her opinion, if Lu Changsheng could focus all his energy on talisman making and concentrate on the Dao of Talismans, he could go much further in the future.
"By the way, Changsheng, you've been at the third level of Qi Chain for a while now, haven't you?"
Suddenly, the Fourth Elder asked Lu Changsheng.
"Yes, Grandma, I reached the peak of the third level of Qi Chain eight months ago."
"But as you know, my spiritual root is only a ninth-grade spiritual root."
Lu Changsheng couldn't help but smile bitterly upon hearing this.
He had reached the peak of the third level of Qi Chain eight months ago.
In these days, he had never slacked off in his cultivation, but he had never felt the bottleneck loosen.
That's how it is with low-grade spiritual roots; every bottleneck is a hurdle.
"If you need it, Grandma can apply for a Breakthrough Pill for you from the family."
The Fourth Elder said after a slight pause.
The transition from the third to the fourth level of Qi Chain is a hurdle between the early and middle stages of Qi Chain.
The worse the spiritual root aptitude, the harder it is to break through.
In this situation, besides relying on time, one can also use a Breakthrough Pill to break through the bottleneck.
"Thank you, Grandma, but I still want to try harder and break through on my own."
Lu Changsheng politely declined upon hearing this.
Although this bottleneck was a headache for him, he wasn't in a hurry. He
didn't want to use a pill to break through for the time being.
The reason was simple.
If a breakthrough pill was used when breaking through from the third to the fourth level of Qi Chain, then breaking through from the sixth to the seventh level would be significantly more difficult.
If another breakthrough pill was used when breaking through from the sixth to the seventh level, the difficulty of Foundation Establishment would increase several times over. Using
regular pills like the Yellow Dragon Pill is fine without side effects.
However, using a breakthrough pill, which stimulates potential for breakthrough, does have a certain impact.
For most people, if they aren't considering Foundation Establishment, using a breakthrough pill doesn't have a significant impact.
But Lu Changsheng is focused on the future, not the present.
He's not in a rush to break through now and wants to try to do it on his own. He'll
only use a pill when he truly can't break through and needs assistance.
Hearing Lu Changsheng's refusal, the Fourth Elder was slightly surprised.
But she quickly smiled and praised, "Good, that's ambitious. If you have any problems with your cultivation, come to Grandma anytime."
Lu Miaoge, standing nearby, also showed a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes upon hearing this.
It's important to know that breakthrough pills like these are extremely rare.
A breakthrough pill for the mid-stage of Qi Refining is worth hundreds of spirit stones and is very scarce; in the Lu family, one needs to make contributions to exchange for one.
Now, the Fourth Elder offered to apply for one for Lu Changsheng, but the latter refused, saying he wanted to break through on his own.
A ninth-grade spiritual root—breaking through a bottleneck is no easy feat.
However, she didn't say anything about it. She just felt
a newfound appreciation for Lu Changsheng,
finding him quite different from the image she had of him.
Afterwards, the Fourth Elder spoke with Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge about talisman-making, and when it was time, he let them go back.
"The way this young lady looked at me just now seemed a little different than usual."
As the two walked out of the Fourth Elder's residence, Lu Changsheng looked at Lu Miaoge's graceful back, raising an eyebrow.
He naturally didn't think that this young lady had fallen for him.
"Could it be that she was discouraged by my displayed talisman-making talent lately?"
Lu Changsheng suddenly thought of a possibility.
He couldn't help but think to himself, "If that's really the case, then this young lady isn't as detached and otherworldly as she appears."
"That's true, she's not a real fairy, how could she truly be detached from worldly affairs? She has emotions and desires too."
"Back then, wasn't that second young lady also outwardly cold and noble, but her true personality wasn't like that at all?"
Lu Changsheng chuckled lightly, not paying too much attention, and went home.
Time flies.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name, Taiwan Novel Network, for super convenient reading: t̆̈̆̈w̆̈̆̈k̆̈̆̈̆̈ă̈̆̈n̆̈̆̈.c̆̈̆̈ŏ̈̆̈m̆̈̆̈]
On this day, Lu Changsheng's twenty-second child was born.
Like most children, he had no spiritual root.
Now, Lu Changsheng was used to his children not having spiritual roots and held no expectations.
If they had spiritual roots, it would be a pleasant surprise.
However,
surprises come so suddenly and unexpectedly.
A month later, when Lu Changsheng's twenty-third child was born, he felt a mysterious and profound tremor throughout his body.
It was the tremor of his child possessing spiritual roots.
Moreover, this time, the tremor caused an indescribable and mysterious feeling to surge through his entire body.
It gave Lu Changsheng a vague feeling that
his own spiritual root had advanced!
With the boost from this child's spiritual root, his own spiritual root advanced from ninth-grade to eighth-grade!
At the same time, a system notification sounded.
[Congratulations to the host for giving birth to three offspring with spiritual roots! You have been granted one chance to win a prize!]
"Great! Great!"
The surge of excitement from the spiritual root's advancement and the system notification filled Lu Changsheng with overwhelming joy and excitement.
He hadn't expected that, without any expectations, this child would possess a spiritual root, allowing his own spiritual root to advance to eighth grade.
And then, the system appeared, offering a gift of money.
This sudden, unexpected surprise, two surprises at once, filled him with uncontrollable excitement and joy.
"Husband, what's wrong?"
His wives and concubines, bewildered by Lu Changsheng's sudden joy, asked.
Lu Changsheng also realized he had become somewhat overwhelmed with excitement.
The surprise was simply too unexpected and sudden, leaving him momentarily speechless.
"A problem with talismans that has troubled me for a long time has suddenly become clear, so I'm a little happy and excited,"
Lu Changsheng said with a smile.
"Congratulations, husband."
"Congratulations, husband."
"Congratulations, husband."
Several wives and concubines smiled and congratulated him without suspicion.
"What's there to congratulate? Another son has been added to the Lu family, this is the real joy,"
Lu Changsheng waved his hand.
In his heart, he couldn't help but think that he still needed to temper his composure and remain calm even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him.
Otherwise, if this happened too often, it would be easy for others to notice something.
He entered the delivery room and immediately saw the midwife holding a swaddled baby.
"Congratulations, son-in-law, it's a girl,"
the midwife said to Lu Changsheng.
"A girl, a girl is good too, after all, the first two were sons."
Lu Changsheng didn't care much.
He didn't have much of a feeling about whether it was a son or a daughter.
He took the baby from the midwife.
Perhaps it was because he became a cultivator, practiced the Immortal Form Technique, and the mother's conditions improved during pregnancy.
The child looked much better, no longer the wrinkled appearance of an ordinary newborn.
Even knowing the child possessed spiritual roots, Lu Changsheng was overjoyed, but he wouldn't show it too obviously or make it seem different.
After looking at the child for a while, Lu Changsheng left and went to his study.
"The system's contribution of money for the child's birth indicates that the achievement in the number of children with spiritual roots is different from the achievement in the total number of my children." "
That's normal. Children with spiritual roots are clearly a level more difficult to obtain. I wonder what the next number will be—five? Or ten?"
Lu Changsheng thought to himself.
He didn't dwell on it.
Being too attached to such things, having expectations, would only lead to disappointment.
It was better to let things take their course.
After all, even if the system didn't contribute money, he would still have this child!
Immediately, Lu Changsheng began the part he had been most looking forward to.
"System, I want to draw a prize!"
Immediately,
a pale red virtual lottery wheel appeared.
"I wonder what I'll get this time. Hopefully, a magic weapon."
Looking at the lottery wheel in front of him, Lu Changsheng took a deep breath.
Because of the Hundred Chains Body Technique, he was particularly eager for a magic weapon.
He wanted to see if the system wheel could directly give him a magic weapon to use for cultivating the Hundred Chains Body Technique.
After all, cultivation techniques could be used in all sorts of strange and varied ways.
But as long as the magic weapon was decent, it would be useful for cultivating the Hundred Chains Body Technique.
"Start the lottery!"
With a thought, golden light began to spin on the pale red wheel.
After five seconds, the wheel slowly slowed down.
Under Lu Changsheng's somewhat nervous and expectant gaze, the golden light stopped on 'Other'.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Gu worm 'Peach Blossom Gu'!]
[The reward has been sent to the system space. The host can check it at any time.]
A butterfly pattern resembling two peach blossom petals appeared from the roulette wheel, accompanied by a system notification.
"A Gu worm, a Peach Blossom Gu?"
Lu Changsheng was somewhat surprised to see this reward.
He wasn't too disappointed that he hadn't gotten the cultivation technique or magic weapon he wanted.
After all, he'd been disappointed so many times already.
Lotteries never really go according to plan.
There were still many days ahead, plenty of chances to draw more prizes; as long as he worked hard, he'd eventually get the reward he wanted.
He looked at the Peach Blossom Gu in his system space.
[Gu Worm: Peach Blossom Gu]
[Quality: Heavenly Spirit Gu]
[Description: A unique Gu created by the Gu Dao cultivator 'Peach Blossom Immortal,' capable of improving the host's skin, enhancing temperament, creating an appearance highly attractive to the opposite sex, and increasing the host's luck in finding a romantic partner.]
Lu Changsheng didn't know much about Gu worms.
He only knew that among the various arts of cultivation, there were schools similar to beast taming, such as Gu poison, corpse refining, and ghost raising.
He really hadn't learned anything specific about this aspect.
However, trusting the system, and judging from the words "Heavenly Spirit Gu" and its effects, he sensed that this Peach Blossom Gu was extraordinary. It
was definitely a top-grade Gu worm!
"First the Immortal Appearance Technique, and now this Peach Blossom Gu?"
"Does this mean I'm destined to live off my looks?"
Lu Changsheng clicked his tongue.
Having experienced the effects of the Immortal Appearance Technique, he was quite looking forward to the effects of this Peach Blossom Gu, finding it quite impressive.
After all, he had cultivated the Immortal Appearance Technique for over three years and already possessed such good looks. Now, with the Peach Blossom Gu, wouldn't he be the dream of countless fairies in the cultivation world? Especially since this Peach Blossom Gu's enhancement of appearance was
specifically targeted at the opposite sex! Not only that, it could also improve one's luck in finding a partner! Handsome and with good luck in finding a partner, wasn't that a sure-fire way to win someone's heart? It was practically tailor-made for him to become a future master of accumulating wives and concubines, a killer of fairies and demonesses! "Romantic luck!" "Although there's a concept of luck in the cultivation world, it's vague and mysterious, with no detailed explanation." "Most books only say that some people are born with great luck, able to turn misfortune into good fortune, even finding treasures on the street, and making rapid progress on the path of cultivation." "This Peach Blossom Gu can't improve one's luck in life, but it can improve one's romantic luck. I wonder if, with this Peach Blossom Gu, I'll have a string of romantic opportunities on my future cultivation journey?" "I can look into the details of luck and information about Gu worms later." Lu Changsheng thought to himself. Although he usually enjoyed reading various books, he only knew about luck and unorthodox practices like Gu worms, but didn't really understand them. Now that he had obtained this Peach Blossom Gu, he thought he would learn more about it later. Without much thought, Lu Changsheng extracted the Peach Blossom Gu from his system space.
As Lu Changsheng extracted the Peach Blossom Gu,
a butterfly with wings resembling two pink and white peach petals appeared out of thin air before him.
This Peach Blossom Gu was only the size of a thumb, radiating a faint pink glow, crystal clear and delicate.
Holding it in his hand, it was incredibly soft and smooth, like holding two peach petals, with almost no weight.
A faint, ethereal fragrance of peach blossoms wafted from it, refreshing and soothing.
Looking at the Peach Blossom Gu in his hand, Lu Changsheng could clearly feel a close and mysterious connection between himself and it,
just like when he obtained the Nine Nether Hound.
Without needing any taming or subjugation methods, the system directly tamed and subjugated it for him.
Furthermore, through the system, he learned that to control and master this Gu worm, it needed to be refined.
The method of refinement was also very simple:
first, feed it with a drop of essence blood, then gradually refine the Gu worm with mental and spiritual power.
Knowing the basic usage of the Peach Blossom Gu, Lu Changsheng didn't hesitate.
He directly squeezed a drop of blood from his fingertip and fed it to the Peach Blossom Gu.
The Peach Blossom Gu had a mouthpart the size of a sesame seed. Upon seeing the drop of blood, it slowly licked it.
After a moment, the Peach Blossom Gu finished consuming the essence blood.
Lu Changsheng then began to envelop the Peach Blossom Gu with his spiritual power, invading its body and will, refining it.
For many Gu cultivators, refining Gu worms is an extremely dangerous matter.
Although Gu worms lack intelligence, they still possess life, are living beings, and have an instinctive will to survive.
Faced with the refinement of a cultivator, they will naturally put up an instinctive resistance.
Some ferocious and domineering Gu worms will even turn against their refiners.
However, this Peach Blossom Gu was obtained by Lu Changsheng through a system lottery, and there was already a slight connection between the two, so this was not an issue.
Under his spiritual power refinement, the Peach Blossom Gu not only did not offer any resistance,
but even actively cooperated, allowing Lu Changsheng's spiritual power to enter its body and be refined.
This allowed Lu Changsheng to avoid expending mental energy to suppress the Peach Blossom Gu's will.
An hour later.
"Hoo!"
Lu Changsheng looked at the partially translucent Peach Blossom Gu in his hand and let out a long breath.
It wasn't that he had finished refining it.
Rather, his spiritual energy was exhausted, and he needed to rest and recover.
"If I hadn't obtained this Peach Blossom Gu through a system lottery, with my current cultivation level, I wouldn't have been able to refine it at all, let alone succeed."
"I might even have suffered a backlash and been damaged."
Lu Changsheng couldn't help but shake his head.
For the past hour, he had used all his spiritual energy to refine the Peach Blossom Gu.
As a result, he had exhausted all his spiritual energy and hadn't even refined a tenth of the Peach Blossom Gu.
Keep in mind, this was with the Peach Blossom Gu cooperating throughout.
If the Peach Blossom Gu had resisted even slightly, he would have faced difficulties refining it.
"However, this also shows that this Peach Blossom Gu is far more extraordinary than any ordinary Qi Refining stage cultivator could handle."
"Only someone like me, with such a cheat-like ability, can obtain something far beyond my current level through the system."
"I'll take this opportunity to recover my spiritual energy and see what changes occur after my spiritual root advances to the eighth rank."
Lu Changsheng began to sit cross-legged and cultivate, recovering his spiritual energy.
He also wanted to see what changes had occurred since his spiritual root had advanced from ninth to eighth grade.
An hour passed.
Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.
After meditating and cultivating, absorbing spiritual energy, he discovered that his cultivation speed hadn't increased much since advancing from ninth to eighth grade.
It was only about 10% faster than before.
"The cultivation speed of an eighth-grade spiritual root is about 30% faster than a ninth-grade one."
"With the boost from Xiao Qi and Xiao Shiqi, my spiritual root was already close to eighth grade."
"So, with this daughter's boost, although my spiritual root advanced from ninth to eighth grade, the actual improvement wasn't significant." "
A 10% increase in cultivation speed also means that this child's spiritual root is also a low-grade spiritual root, probably similar to Xiao Shiqi's, a seventh or eighth-grade spiritual root."
Lu Changsheng muttered to himself.
He didn't feel any disappointment.
After all, both ninth and eighth-grade spiritual roots were low-grade.
The difference between the two wasn't that great.
Therefore, advancing from ninth to eighth grade wouldn't result in any significant qualitative change.
However, the advancement of his spiritual root from ninth to eighth grade was still a milestone for Lu Changsheng.
He had at least taken the first step.
The first step in improving his spiritual root!
In the future, as more and more children possessed spiritual roots, his own spiritual root would eventually advance step by step, from low-grade to mid-grade, then high-grade.
Even the legendary earth spiritual root, heaven spiritual root!
"Spiritual roots not only affect cultivation speed but also cultivation bottlenecks."
"I wonder how much it will help me break through the bottleneck of the fourth level of Qi Chain after advancing from ninth to eighth grade."
Lu Changsheng couldn't help but think.
The grade of the spiritual root not only affects cultivation speed but also the bottlenecks in cultivation.
The better the spiritual root, the weaker the bottleneck.
Like him, currently stuck at the bottleneck of breaking through from the third to the fourth level of Qi Chain.
However, with a mid-grade spiritual root, this bottleneck might not exist.
Lu Changsheng had previously read in a book that spiritual roots of the Earth and Heaven levels, from the Qi Refining stage to the Foundation Establishment stage, had no bottleneck whatsoever. They could
cultivate smoothly all the way, and would likely break through to the Core Formation stage in the future,
even condensing a high-grade Golden Core!
Lu Changsheng didn't dwell on this further; these things were still far beyond his reach.
He got up and went from his study to the training room to continue cultivating and recovering his spiritual energy.
The next day,
Lu Changsheng went to the library of Qingzhu Manor
to search for books on Qi and Gu Dao.
However, there were no books on Qi or Gu Dao in the Lu family.
He only found a brief introduction to Gu worms in an ancient book.
For example, the quality of Gu worms was divided into six levels: Mortal Gu, Spirit Gu, Profound Spirit Gu, Earth Spirit Gu, Heaven Spirit Gu, and Immortal Gu.
Immortal Gu, like the True Spirit Bloodline among demonic beasts, naturally belonged to the realm of legend.
Even the Earth Spirit Gu and Heavenly Spirit Gu are legendary and extremely rare.
This gave Lu Changsheng a general understanding of the preciousness of the Peach Blossom Gu.
It should be similar to the Nine Nether Hound with Heavenly Rank bloodline.
Gu worms also continuously transform as they grow, progressing from low to high into five stages: First Stage, Second Stage, Third Stage, Fourth Stage, Fifth Stage...
corresponding to the Qi Chain Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Core Formation Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, and Deity Transformation Stage of cultivators.
The Peach Blossom Gu that Lu Changsheng obtained was naturally a First Stage.
In the following
days, besides meditating, cultivating, and making talismans, Lu Changsheng also took time to refine the Peach Blossom Gu.
He wanted to refine it as soon as possible to see its specific effects.
After all, Lu Changsheng was quite looking forward to improving himself and his romantic luck.
Half a month later,
Lu Changsheng finally completely refined the Peach Blossom Gu.
At this moment, he had a strange feeling about the Peach Blossom Gu before him.
It was as if the Peach Blossom Gu had become a part of his body.
Meanwhile, he gained a detailed understanding of this Peach Blossom Gu. The
Peach Blossom Gu
feeds on romantic luck!
The stronger the romantic luck around the host, the faster the Peach Blossom Gu grows.
Each growth and transformation of the Peach Blossom Gu also makes the host's romantic luck stronger!
However, the growth and transformation of the Peach Blossom Gu is influenced and limited by its master.
If the master hasn't broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, then no matter how much romantic luck the Peach Blossom Gu consumes, it cannot advance to the second stage.
Currently, the Peach Blossom Gu has three effects.
The first two are as described in the previous system explanation:
it can subtly improve the host's body, making the skin radiant and the temperament outstanding, making them more attractive to the opposite sex.
At the same time, it subtly enhances the host's romantic luck.
Both of these effects are passive.
The first effect is gradually visible.
The second effect of romantic luck is invisible and intangible.
The third effect of the Peach Blossom Gu is active:
activating the Peach Blossom Gu releases a fragrance called Five Elements Peach Blossom Miasma.
This fragrance has a bewitching and intoxicating effect.
It affects people, animals, and plants alike.
The degree of influence depends on the strength of the Gu worm.
Since the Peach Blossom Gu is currently only a first-stage Gu worm, the power of this Five Elements Peach Blossom Miasma roughly corresponds to the Qi Refining stage.