Chapter 179: Secret Realm of Relics, Second-Tier Demon Core!

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Due to the Heiyun Mountain Range relics, Lu Changsheng has been busy drawing Second-Tier talismans as well as many Top-Tier first-tier talismans.

Not just him, Lu Miaoge has also been busy aking talismans these days.

After all, Heiyun Mountain Range is not far from Hongye Valley Marketplace.

It’s only four to five thousand miles away.

So many cultivators from the surrounding areas went to Heiyun Mountain Range, hoping to try their luck.

Moreover, after half a month of fermentation, the heat of the Heiyun Mountain relics has not diminished at all.

It has become even more intense due to rumors that someone obtained ancient techniques, Foundation Establishment items, and Rare Treasures from the relics, attracting more people.

After all, for most cultivators, a technique or a Foundation Establishment item is a huge fortune.

They have pursued it all their lives and may never get such an opportunity.

Now that such a relic has appeared, they naturally wouldn’t miss it.

Because of this, the traffic in Hongye Valley Marketplace has increased.

Talismans, pills, and Artifacts are selling hot, with prices rising by thirty to forty percent, allowing Lu Changsheng to make a small profit.

Facing this situation, the Four Great Families have also deployed people to patrol and guard Hongye Valley Marketplace.

To prevent the chaos caused by Heiyun Mountain relics from attracting robbers.

After all, the previous chaos caused by two robbers left the Four Great Families with lingering fears.

In a chat with Lu Miaoge, Lu Changsheng learred that the Lu Family, Bai Family, Yu Family, and Zheng Family, as well as many surrounding cultivation families, have sent people to explore the Heiyun Mountain relics.

Cultivation is like crossing a river, competing fiercely.

With such opportunities appearing, if they don’t fight for it, how could they succeed in their cultivation?

However, the Lu Family patriarch, Lu Yuanzhong, still stayed in Qingzhu Mountain.

He did not participate in the exploration of the relics.

The same goes for the Yu Family, Zheng Family, and Bai Family.

They are just small families.

Each family only has one or two Foundation Establishment patriarchs.

They dare not go out and take risks to fight for opportunities.

After all, they are not individuals but the pillars of their families.

If something happens, the whole family would be in trouble and face disaster.

They can only send a few Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivators to explore.

However, Lu Changsheng heard that Foundation Establishment cultivators have already gone to the relics.

“Azure Cloud Sect is getting involved?”

A few days later, Lu Changsheng found out from Lu Yuanling that Azure Cloud Sect is also making a move on the Heiyun Mountain secret realm.

“Yes, it’s now confirmed that this relic is a small secret realm with many opportunities and treasures. Azure Cloud Sect naturally won’t let it go.”

Lu Yuanling said.

As the second elder of the Lu Family and the manager of the Lu Family in Hongye Valley Marketplace, he paid close attention to such news.

“With Azure Cloud Sect involved, the entire secret realm will belong to them.”

Lu Changsheng clicked his tongue.

For rogue cultivators and other forces, Azure Cloud Sect’s involvement is a dimensional blow.

Other rogue cultivator forces can’t compete at all.

“That’s not the case. Azure Cloud Sect hasn’t blocked the secret realm or driven away rogue cultivators and other forces.”

Lu Yuanling shook his head.

“Oh, so Azure Cloud Sect is quite generous.”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow.

He thought Azure Cloud Sect would directly block the secret realm and forbid others from entering.

After all, if Azure Cloud Sect did that, no one would have anything to say, and they wouldn’t dare say anything.

“Changsheng, you’re still too young.”

“It’s not that Azure Cloud Sect is generous. There must be hidden dangers in such a secret realm. Azure Cloud Sect doesn’t want their disciples to take risks.”

“It’s better to share a bit and let us family forces and rogue cultivators be cannon fodder and explore first.”

Lu Yuanling sneered.

At his age, he had experienced a lot and understood these things clearly.

“Uh.”

Lu Changsheng immediately understood the reasoning.

Just like the Purple Ghost Secret Realm controlled by several great sects.

If they relied solely on their disciples to explore, the gains would be limited, and they might lose disciples.

It’s better to let rogue cultivators and other forces enter together.

After all, whatever they gain inside, they must give a portion to the great sects.

“For rogue cultivators and small forces, facing such a secret realm and heavenly opportunities, it’s very difficult to gain benefits.”

Lu Changsheng sighed.

Every time he heard these things, he deeply felt the hardships of low-level cultivators in the cultivation world.

Without extraordinary talent, it’s incredibly hard to succeed in cultivation.

They can only rely on luck and keep fighting.

“Fortunately, I have the system.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

With the system, he only needs to live steadily, marry wives, have children, and he can obtain countless opportunities and treasures that others seek all their lives.

Thus, his path to immortality is smooth.

“I wonder how Li Feiyu is doing in Qingluan Immortal City.”

Lu Changsheng thought of his friend, Li Feiyu.

Although Li Feiyu didn’t say much.

But he knew Li Feiyu was taking the risky path of hunting monsters and exploring relics and ancient caves.

This path is dangerous and could lead to accidents at any moment.

Jiang Kingdom, Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.

This mountain range stretches endlessly from the southern border of Jiang Kingdom, crossing a large part of the southern wasteland cultivation world.

It’s a natural barrier between Jiang Kingdom and Yue Kingdom.

Due to the many monsters in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and the numerous rare spiritual herbs and plants, cultivators often enter the mountains to train and hunt monsters.

After all, for cultivators, monsters are full of treasures.

Blood, flesh, fur, and bones can all be sold at a good price.

If they find some monster cubs or rare spiritual herbs, it’s a big harvest.

At this moment, on the outskirts of Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, five cultivators are besieging two blue-scaled serpent monsters.

These two giant pythons are extremely large.

They are over a meter thick, radiating strong spiritual light, with eyes flashing coldly, constantly spraying cold air at the people.

“Roar!”

One of the cultivators roared like a lion, making the attacking python pause.

Then a golden rope was thrown out, binding one of the pythons. He shouted, “Old Li!”

Immediately.

A tall, muscular middle-aged man in black armor, with a fierce expression and a red long knife, stepped forward.

His muscles bulged, and the red light from his knife surged, slashing at the python’s vital point.

“Clang!”

The slash was like thunder, breaking the python’s protective light.

Then it hit its blue scales, making a metallic sound, slightly breaking the scales.

“Hiss!”

The python roared angrily, its body glowing with spiritual light, its tail whipping the man in black armor.

“Boom!”

The man in black armor flew backward, crashing into a big tree, breaking it.

Fortunately, his protective aura shielded him, resisting most of the damage, so he wasn’t seriously injured.

“Now, kill it!”

The three fighting the other python saw this and turned their attacks towards the python with the broken protective light.

“Hiss——”

The python roared in pain and anger under the fierce attacks.

This roar almost drove the other python mad.

But the five cultivators were obviously experienced in dealing with monsters.

They didn’t face it head-on but kept entangling it.

After wearing down one python, they started to fight the other one, slowly killing it.

“This is a good harvest. The materials from these two blue-scaled pythons can sell for a lot.”

After killing the two pythons, an old man in a gray robe said.

“These two blue-scaled pythons are a pair. I wonder if they laid eggs.”

“If they did, it would be a big profit.”

A middle-aged woman in a red robe said.

“Eggs? What are you thinking? How can we be that lucky?”

Another man in a blue robe shook his head.

Then they walked towards the cave of the two blue-scaled pythons.

These monsters live in the mountains. If they find treasures, remains of cultivators, other monster corpses, or even spiritual herbs, they bring them back to the cave.

So sometimes, after killing monsters, exploring their caves can bring surprises.

“There are eggs! Eight blue-scaled python eggs!”

The woman in the red robe’s eyes lit up with surprise when she saw the deep part of the cave.

“What? Really?”

“These eight blue-scaled python eggs can sell for four to five hundred Spirit Stones!”

“We’ve made a huge profit!”

The others were also surprised and delighted when they saw the eggs.

For them, splitting four or five hundred Spirit Stones meant each person would get about a hundred Spirit Stones.

It was quite a considerable income.

However.

At that moment, the gray-robed old man looked at a dull gray crystal core.

Seeing the dull-colored crystal core, his slightly cloudy eyes widened, and his throat felt dry.

“Uncle Xiao, what are you looking at?”

The red-robed woman saw the gray-robed old man staring and asked.

Following his gaze, she saw the dull-colored crystal core.

“This is a Demon Core!”

The red-robed woman exclaimed.

A Demon Core is similar to the foundation of human cultivators, storing Spiritual Energy.

But not all Second-Tier Demon beasts have Demon Cores.

Only some rare or particularly powerful Second-Tier Demon beasts have Demon Cores.

Having a Demon Core means this Demon beast had the potential to advance to the third order.

If it advanced to the third order, the Demon Core would transform into a ‘demon pill’, equivalent to the True Core or golden core of a pill formation cultivator.

Now, a Demon Core appeared in the cave of the Blood Python.

Although this Demon Core seemed to have lost much of its energy, it was still extremely valuable.

Eight Blood Python eggs and a Demon Core instantly made the cave’s atmosphere tense.

After all, wealth moves the heart.

The five people just frequently cooperated in hunting Demon beasts, their relationship wasn’t that deep.

Now, with such great benefits, thoughts naturally arose in their minds.

“This Demon Core could probably sell for two or three thousand Spirit Stones.”

“When sold, each of us could get at least five or six hundred Spirit Stones.”

At this moment, the gray-robed old man spoke to the others.

Hearing this, the others were all delighted.

This amount of Spirit Stones was no small sum.

“Who will keep this Demon Core?”

The blue-robed man said seriously.

They could directly process the Blood Python’s body as materials, each person sharing the value.

The snake eggs could be handled the same way.

The extra three snake eggs were converted into Spirit Stones.

But such a valuable Demon Core couldn’t be handled this way.

When this was said, the atmosphere in the cave became tense again.

“What’s happening! My head feels dizzy.”

At this moment, the red-robed woman suddenly held her head, swaying.

“Not good, it’s poison!”

The blue-robed man, trembling, also sensed something wrong.

“Who poisoned us!”

The man in black combat attire shouted angrily, but he also trembled, his steps faltering.

The refined middle-aged man among the five looked at the gray-robed old man and said coldly, “Old man Xiao, it was you who poisoned us!”

As he spoke, a Qi shield formed around him to isolate the poison.

“Friend Yao, you actually have an anti-poison treasure?”

The gray-robed old man looked at the refined man, somewhat surprised.

His Soul-Dissolving Powder was colorless and tasteless; without a Divine Sense, ordinary cultivators couldn’t detect it.

So the refined man not being poisoned indicated he had some kind of anti-poison treasure.

Hearing this, the other three glared angrily at the gray-robed old man.

But at this moment, they were already speechless, swaying, spitting blood, and collapsing to the ground.

“Friend Yao, your treasure can’t completely block my ‘Soul-Dissolving Powder’. Leave quickly, while you can.”

The gray-robed old man continued speaking calmly.

“Fine, I admit defeat this time.”

The refined man knew he wasn’t a match for the gray-robed old man in this situation.

Cautiously watching the gray-robed old man, he slowly retreated from the cave.

“Wait.”

Just as the refined man was about to leave, the gray-robed old man suddenly called out.

“Friend Yao, take these snake eggs with you. Let’s consider this matter settled, how about it?”

“No need.”

Though tempted, the refined man didn’t dare stay and quickly left.

However, at that moment.

“Whoosh—”

A purple light shot out from the gray-robed old man’s sleeve.

It was a thunder talisman aimed at the refined man.

At the same time, a golden cone Artifact shot out, turning into golden light towards the refined man.

In this situation, he couldn’t let anyone leave.

If the news leaked, he’d be attacked before returning to Qingluan Immortal City.

After all, in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, not only were the Demon beasts dangerous, other cultivators were also a threat.

That’s why many cultivators teamed up when entering the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.

The mountains were perilous, and they feared being ambushed by robbers after exhausting themselves.

“Boom boom boom—”

Facing the gray-robed old man’s attack, the refined man immediately summoned a small yellow shield.

But under the assault, his Qi shield dimmed significantly, and he felt the poison entering his body.

As the old man said, he had an anti-poison treasure.

But it was an ordinary treasure, unable to block the poison forever.

“Ugh—”

The gray-robed old man continued his attack.

The refined man knew he wasn’t a match, retreating continuously, escaping the cave.

The gray-robed old man chased him immediately.

Just as they left the cave, the man in black combat attire, who had fainted from the poison, opened his eyes.

“What a powerful poison, colorless and tasteless, without a trace.”

“If not for my cultivation of the Xuanjia Body Refining Art, I might have fallen here.”

Li Feiyu looked towards the cave entrance, his face serious.

He first sensed the old man’s strangeness, noticing something unusual.

Immediately, he sealed his pores and stopped breathing.

But this poison was really potent, colorless and tasteless, without a trace.

If not for his body refining art reaching the third level, his body comparable to Late-Stage Qi Refining, with some poison resistance, he would have fallen here.

He didn’t delay, took out an antidote pill from his Storage Bag, and cleared the poison from his body.

Then he held a talisman in his hand, pretending to be dead, waiting for the gray-robed old man’s return.

Not long after, the gray-robed old man returned to the cave.

His aura was slightly disordered.

To quickly defeat the refined man, he didn’t hold back.

“After this, I won’t have to live on the edge anymore.”

The gray-robed old man took the Second-Tier Demon Core, a look of joy on his face.

He was over sixty years old, long past the chance to achieve Foundation Establishment.

Now, he hunted Demon beasts for the sake of his descendants.

But suddenly.

He felt a scorching and sharp aura.

“Not good!”

The gray-robed old man instinctively tried to summon a Qi shield.

But the hastily formed shield was pierced by a fire talisman and a fierce blade light.

The next moment.

“Ugh—”

The sound of a blade cutting through flesh echoed.

The gray-robed old man’s vision spun as he fell from the air, seeing a headless body.

It was his own body.

Behind the body stood a robust man in black combat attire, holding a red long blade.

“How is he still alive?”

The gray-robed old man, filled with astonishment and unwillingness, fell into endless darkness.

“Phew!”

Li Feiyu exhaled after slaying the gray-robed old man with one strike.

He had been extremely tense during the fight.

After all, the old man had the cultivation of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining, while he was only mid-stage.

His only advantage was his Late-Stage Qi Refining body refining technique.

He quickly collected the Storage Bags from the people in the cave.

Then he used a fireball technique to burn the bodies to ashes.

“Now, returning alone to Qingluan Immortal City might be dangerous.”

“This Demon Core might help me break through the bottleneck of Late-Stage Qi Refining.”

“With Late-Stage Qi Refining cultivation and body refining technique, returning to Qingluan Immortal City would be safer.”

Li Feiyu looked at the gray Demon Core in his hand, a fierce look on his face.

Demon beast crystal cores were mostly violent in nature.

If a cultivator directly absorbed it, it would waste energy and easily cause harm.

Refining it into pills was much more effective.

But given the situation, Li Feiyu couldn’t afford to be picky.

The relics in Heiyun Mountain Range didn’t significantly affect Lu Changsheng’s daily life, except earning him some profit.

Most of his time now was spent making talismans, preparing Second-Tier talismans for his journey to Nine Heavens Immortal City.

Over the past year, he had saved nearly a hundred Second-Tier Spirit Talisman, enough to form an array to kill Late-Stage Foundation Establishment or even pseudo-core cultivators.

But for an array, talismans were never too many.

The more talismans, the stronger the array.

Lu Changsheng wasn’t in a hurry to go to Nine Heavens Immortal City, so he prepared more talismans.

Moreover, the trip to Nine Heavens Immortal City was long and time-consuming.

It would take half a year or even a year round trip.

So he had to arrange everything properly.

Prepare all the talismans from our shop in advance for the Lu Family.

In the blink of an eye, three months passed.

“Boom!”

On this day, Lu Changsheng felt a surge of energy enter his body.

He knew his son, Lu Quanzhen, had broken through to mid-stage Qi refinement.

Now, all his children were waiting to break through to mid-stage Qi refinement before going out to train.

Lu Changsheng returned to Qingzhu Mountain to make arrangements for Lu Quanzhen.

This son’s personality was strong and he wanted to venture out.

So, Lu Changsheng didn’t arrange for him to experience life in the Market.

Instead, he sent him to the mundane world to follow Hong Yi.

Now, Hong Yi had become the Marquis of Ruyi’s heir.

He was in charge of all matters, big and small, in Ruyi County.

He not only handled martial arts disturbances but also dealt with mundane and cultivator troubles.

Sending his son to the mundane world would help him see the martial world, mundane cultivation, and gain experience without facing much danger.

“Brother Lu, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Quanzhen.”

Hong Yi agreed immediately when he saw Lu Changsheng send his son to be under his care.

Then, he said to a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy in a brocade robe, “Xuanji, get along well with your brother Quanzhen. Support each other.”

This boy, named Hong Xuanji, was Hong Yi’s sixth son. He had a Seventh-Tier spiritual root and was deeply loved by Hong Yi.

“Yes, Father!”

Hong Xuanji nodded in response to his father.

He knew his father’s current status was largely due to this Uncle Lu.

And Lu Quanzhen, although only three years older, was already at mid-stage Qi refinement. Befriending him would be beneficial.

“Quanzhen, listen to your Uncle Hong. Write home if anything happens.”

“Remember to write to your mother and visit home often. Also, check on your sisters.”

Qu Zhenzhen, with red eyes, spoke to her son reluctantly.

Although her son was grown, he was still a child in her eyes. She was very worried about him venturing into the mundane world.

“Mother, don’t worry. I understand.”

Lu Quanzhen looked at his mother, showing a bit of helplessness.

He comforted her, promising to stay safe, write home, and visit with his sisters. He asked her not to worry.

Lu Changsheng’s mouth twitched slightly at this scene.

He didn’t know how Lu Quanzhen developed his personality.

Although he taught his son, most of the time, it was Qu Zhenzhen who did.

Qu Zhenzhen, while not spoiling the children, couldn’t bear to scold them.

Sometimes, while lecturing the children, she felt it was her fault for not teaching well.

Seeing Lu Quanzhen mature and decisive, Lu Changsheng didn’t know how this happened.

Some children’s personalities might be influenced innately.

“Zhenzhen, if you want, we can visit Quanzhen often.”

Lu Changsheng also spoke to his wife.

After settling Lu Quanzhen, Lu Changsheng and Qu Zhenzhen stayed at the Lu mansion for a while.

His eldest son, Lu Ping’an, had trained with the Red Whale Gang for a year and then ventured into the martial world on his own and hadn’t returned yet.

His second son, Lu Wuyu, was appointed as a county magistrate in Nanyu Prefecture by Hong Yi.

His daughter, Lu Wuyou, always wanted to be a heroine and venture into the martial world, but her mother, Lu Zi’er, forbade it.

Lu Changsheng, fearing his daughter might suffer, pretended not to know and didn’t agree to her venturing out.

Now, at the Lu mansion, his wives, Lu Lanshu, Lu Qing’er, and Lu Zi’er, discussed the children’s marriages.

Children like Lu Wuyou, Lu Wuyu, and Lu Xile were seventeen or eighteen and at the age to consider marriage.

Lu Changsheng felt sentimental about this.

He remembered when these children were born.

Unknowingly, they had grown up and were ready to marry.

He let Lu Lanshu, Lu Qing’er, and Lu Zi’er handle the arrangements.

But the marriages must be approved by the children.

Given his current situation, there was no need to consider benefits in their marriages.

The main thing was to make the children happy and let them choose for themselves.