Chapter 224: Lu Family Naming Convention, Hope Gu Awakens!

In the blink of an eye, five days passed.

During these days, Lu Changsheng spent most of his time with Xiao Xiyue, expressing their longing for each other.

In the process, he inquired about the Azure Cloud Sect token.

Xiao Xiyue said she wasn’t sure about the specifics of the favor associated with this token.

But she thought it shouldn’t be a problem to just ask for the right to purchase a spirit vein cultivation ground.

After all, he had saved a true disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect!

As for Lu Changsheng’s questions about other clan forces selling Spirit Lands after the Blackwater Pool battle, Xiao Xiyue was uncertain.

Because under normal circumstances, as long as the clan forces under their jurisdiction didn’t collude with evil cultivators and paid their annual tributes on time, the Azure Cloud Sect wouldn’t interfere in the clans’ affairs.

They also didn’t have the leisure to care about such trivial matters.

However, Xiao Xiyue suggested it would be best if they could purchase Spirit Lands sold by other clans.

Because the spirit vein cultivation grounds purchased from the Azure Cloud Sect were often quite basic.

If used to establish a clan, it would require step-by-step development, which was very time-consuming and costly.

Buying Spirit Lands directly from other clans would save all this trouble.

Moreover, the Spirit Lands of these clan forces often had stable outputs, income, and channels.

Once the Spirit Land was bought, it would be like taking over all these resources, saving a lot of hassle.

After hearing Xiao Xiyue’s advice, Lu Changsheng decided to stick to his original plan and first investigate suitable Spirit Lands in the surrounding area.

If he could buy a suitable Spirit Land, that would be ideal.

If there were no suitable Spirit Lands, he would then use the Azure Cloud Sect token to exchange for the right to purchase a spirit vein.

At the same time, Xiao Xiyue gave Lu Changsheng the Third-Tier Talisman materials she had collected over the past year.

There weren’t many materials, only about ten sets and some raw materials.

In return, Lu Changsheng gave Xiao Xiyue the ‘Talisman Nurturing Method’ and ten Second-Tier top-quality talismans he had drawn himself.

It wasn’t that he was reluctant to give Third-Tier Talismans.

He simply hadn’t had time to draw Third-Tier Talismans as he had been busy.

However, these Second-Tier top-quality talismans were all drawn using Third-Tier materials.

They could be nurtured using the ‘Talisman Nurturing Method’ to advance to third grade.

After spending time with Xiao Xiyue, Lu Changsheng didn’t linger.

He took Lu Miaoge and several childree, setting off back to Qingzhu Mountain.

Since Xiao Xiyue couldn’t take care of the children for long periods, their daughter Lu Wangshu was naturally taken back by Lu Changsheng.

After a few days of interaction, this daughter had grown somewhat closer to him.

“Sister Miaoge, I need to make a trip to Ruyi County. Do you want to come with me or return to Qingzhu Mountain first?”

On the Spirit Boat, Lu Changsheng held his daughter Lu Wangshu and spoke to Lu Miaoge..

On this trip home, after spending time with his wives and concubines, he was heading straight to the Green River Market.

He hadn’t been to Ruyi County yet.

It had been so long since he’d been there, he naturally needed to go and see.

Moreover, he wanted to see if Lu Ping’an had returned.

And meet his Lu Family’s eldest grandson.

“I’ll go with you,” Lu Miaoge said softly when shh heard this.

She knew Lu Changsheng had settled his wives, concubines, and children without Spirit Roots in Ruyi County.

Since Lu Changsheng was going to visit these wives, concubines, and children, it was natural for her, as his wife, to accompany him.

“Alright,” Lu Changsheng nodded, then steered the Spirit Boat towards Ruyi County.

Azure Cloud Sect.

Inside a Cave Dwelling.

“Lu Changsheng,” Immortal Lady Meng frowned as she looked at the information in her hand.

Ever since her grandson Meng Yibai had been killed, whenever she saw her incompetent descendants, she would think of this grandson and want to avenge him.

But the only clue for revenge was with Xiao Xiyue.

She naturally didn’t dare to question Xiao Xiyue.

So, when Xiao Xiyue was assigned to Green River Market as the record keeper, she had people secretly observe her to see if she had any close interactions with anyone.

To see if they could find anything.

Previously, she received news that a Foundation Establishment cultivator called ‘Rogue Cultivator Han Li’ had contact with Xiao Xiyue and entered her field of vision.

But after investigating, she couldn’t obtain any relevant information about this person.

Recently, she received another piece of news.

A daughter from a small clan seemed very close to Xiao Xiyue.

This surprised her greatly.

Xiao Xiyue had a cold personality and usually kept people at arm’s length.

Yet she was very close to a daughter from a small clan, even letting the other person’s child call her mother.

After investigating, she received another piece of news today.

The husband of this small clan’s daughter, a man named Lu Changsheng, was apparently an old acquaintance of Xiao Xiyue.

He had also come to Green River Market these past few days and was quite close to Xiao Xiyue.

“This Lu Changsheng is just a son-in-law of a small clan, who has just broken through to Foundation Establishment. He couldn’t possibly have killed Yibai.”

“It seems he just knew Xiao Xiyue from earlier years and formed some friendship.”

Immortal Lady Meng muttered to herself, putting the information aside.

The person who killed her grandson Meng Yibai had broken through to Foundation Establishment together with Xiao Xiyue.

This Lu Changsheng had only just broken through to Foundation Establishment, how could he have killed her grandson?

Moreover, she guessed that the person who killed her grandson must have had the backing of a False Core or Golden Core cultivator.

How could Lu Changsheng, a son-in-law from a small clan, be favored by a true immortal?

Half a month later.

A Spirit Boat arrived at Ruyi County.

Lu Changsheng didn’t stop the Spirit Boat outside Ruyi County as usual.

Instead, he took out an invisibility talisman, concealed the Spirit Boat, and directly steered it into the back courtyard of the Lu mansion.

At this time, in the Wanxiang Garden of the Lu mansion, Lu Ping’an was sparring with the Nine Abyss Mastiff.

Or rather, the Nine Abyss Mastiff was acting as a training partner for Lu Ping’an.

Otherwise, even ten Lu Ping’ans wouldn’t be a match for the Nine Abyss Mastiff.

“Aooo! Aooo! Aooo!”

The Nine Abyss Mastiff suddenly stopped and howled towards the sky.

The sound wasn’t a roar of anger, but a joyful howl.

“Hehe, as expected of the Nine Abyss Mastiff, it can easily sense the aura.”

Seeing this scene, Lu Changsheng chuckled.

Then with a wave of his hand, he removed the invisibility effect from the Spirit Boat.

As the Spirit Boat appeared.

Lu Ping’an immediately saw Lu Changsheng on the Spirit Boat in the sky, wearing a long cyan robe, handsome and elegant, with an otherworldly aura, and Lu Miaoge, with her beautifullfeatures and tall figure, in a floating fairy dress.

“Father!”

“Aunt!”

Lu Ping’an called out respectfully.

Before, he didn’t have much feeling about it.

But after this trip out to experience the world, traveling with Qin Yi through the lower levels of the cultivation world, he clearly realized that the cultivation world was completely different from his childhood memories.

In the entire cultivation world, he hadn’t seen many people with the same ethereal aura as his father.

Especially now, with his father and aunt standing on the Spirit Boat, they looked like a pair of immortal lovers, ethereal and floating, causing a trace of envy to appear in the depths of his eyes.

“Mm, how long have you been back?”

Lu Changsheng steered the Spirit Boat down and looked at his eldest son with a smile.

His palm patted the Nine Abyss Mastiff that had come to his side.

Now, the Nine Abyss Mastiff was already two meters tall.

Its entire body was covered in glossy black fur, with crimson eyes and interlocking fangs, just looking at it gave off a terrifying presence.

“Four months,” Lu Ping’an said respectfully.

“Ping’an has grown so big,” Lu Miaoge beside them looked t Lu Ping’an and said with a gentle smile.

She had only seen Lu Ping’an a few times when he was little.

By the time she married Lu Changsheng, Lu Ping’an and the others had already been sent to Ruyi County.

Then, she said to Lu Qingsong and other Lu Family children, “This is your brother Ping’an.”

“Big brother.”

“Brother Ping’an.”

Lu Qingsong and several children called out.

They were young and had never met Lu Ping’an before.

But they knew that this Lu Ping’an was Lu Changsheng’s eldest son.

“No need to be so formal,” Lu Ping’an looked at everyone and grinned.

He could see that these boys and girls in fine clothes all had extraordinary bearings.

They probably weren’t those without Spirit Roots who had been settled here by his father.

And among them, except for the young man who called him “big brother” and looked somewhat similar to his father and Aunt Miaoge, the others probably weren’t his father’s children.

“Let’s go inside and talk,” Lu Changsheng patted his son’s shoulder, seeing that this trip out had given Lu Ping’an quite a few experiences.

Then he led Lu Miaoge and the others to tte front hall.

“Master, husband!”

“Dad, father!”

When Lu Lanshu and other wives, concubines, and children learned of Lu Changsheng’s return, they immediately came to pay their respects, making the household lively.

“Dad,” Soon, an eighteen or nineteen-year-old young woman holding a baby came over and called out to Lu Changsheng.

“Xue’er,” Lu Changsheng looked at his daughter-in-law Li Xue’er and nodded with a smile.

He knew that the baby in her arms was his Lu Family’s eldest grandson.

“Is Wuyu not at home?” Lu Changsheng looked around but didn’t see his son Lu Wuyu.

His main purpose for coming was to check on his sons Lu Ping’an, Lu Wuyu, and Lu Quanzhen.

“My husband spends most of his time in Luo’an County. I’ve sent someone to inform him to return,” Li Xue’er said promptly.

“It’s fine, I was just asking,” Lu Changsheng waved his hand dismissively.

He knew this son was serving as a county magistrate.

Looking at the child in Li Xue’er’s arms, he asked, “Has this child been named yet?”

The baby was only two months old, its skin still a bit wrinkled.

Through his system, he knew this child had no Spirit Root.

This was normal.

Neither Lu Wuyu nor Li Xue’er had Spirit Roots.

Their child was unlikely to have one.

“My husband said we’d wait for you to return before naming him,” Li Xue’er said respectfully, handing the infant to Lu Changsheng.

“I’ll name him,” Lu Changsheng said, taking the child.

Looking at his family’s eldest grandson, he pondered over a suitable name.

He had ideas for the Lu Family’s third generation, thinking of establishing a generation name system.

After some thought, Lu Changsheng summoned a Talisman Pen and a scroll with a wave of his hand.

“Xuan Yuan Yong Heng, Zhen Chang Tai Qing, Shou Dao Ming De, Xi Yan Yu Xu, Shi Jing Rong Mao, Yuan Wei Zhi Miao, Wan Gu Wu Liang, Chong Tian Yun Xiao, Huan Yu Zheng Xian.”

Then, holding the child with one arm, Lu Changsheng wrote down the Lu Family’s generation names.

“This child is our Lu Family’s eldest grandson. We’ll start with the ‘Xuan’ generation. Let’s call him ‘Xuanming’,” Lu Changsheng announced, naming the child.

He took out a warm jade from his Storage Bag and a Spirit Pattern Knife, carving the characters ‘Xuanming’ on it.

As the family’s eldest grandson, he deserved something special.

“Xuanming, Xuanming, this is your name. Grandfather named you,” Li Xue’er said joyfully to the child upon hearing this.

She and Lu Wuyu hadn’t named the child out of respect for Lu Changsheng.

They also hoped Lu Changsheng would have a stronger impression of his eldest grandson, leading to more affection in the future.

Seeing Lu Changsheng not only bestow a name but also a precious jade, her face lit up with joy.

The other wives and children watching this scene showed hints of envy.

After naming the child, Lu Changsheng chatted with his wives and children, catching up on family matters from the past year.

Lu Wuyu was now married with a child.

For the other children, Lu Lanshu had mostly arranged suitable matches.

They were just waiting for Lu Changsheng, as the head of the family, to give his approval.

“Alright, as long as the children are willing and feel it’s suitable, it’s fine,” Lu Changsheng said.

“Lanshu, Zi’er, Qing’er, you just need to oversee things,” he added.

He spent most of his time away from Ruyi County and couldn’t pay much attention to the children’s marriages.

He had to rely on his wife Lu Lanshu and the others to manage these arrangements.

“Yes, husband,” the women responded, proceeding to inform Lu Changsheng about the arrangements for their children.

Nearby, Lu Ping’an’s eyes showed a hint of bitterness upon hearing about the marriage his mother had arranged for him.

But he didn’t say anything.

“Ping’an, come with me,” Lu Changsheng said to his son after they had finished talking.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had noticed all of his son’s changes in expression.

The longing and envy when he saw Lu Changsheng standing on the Spirit Boat.

The bitterness in his eyes when Lu Lanshu mentioned his marriage.

“Father, what is it?” The two came to a side hall, where Lu Ping’an respectfully looked at Lu Changsheng, unsure of what his father wanted to say.

“Tell me about your experiences these past few years,” Lu Changsheng said, leaning back in his chair, one hand supporting his cheek, the other tapping lightly on the armrest.

“In the first year, under Grandfather Li’s arrangements, I was in the Red Whale Gang. In the second year…” Lu Ping’an began recounting his experiences.

But when he got to the part about meeting Qin Yi, his voice noticeably faltered.

After all, it was embarrassing to talk about such things with his father.

Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to lie to his father either.

“You like this young lady?” Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow and asked directly.

“Ah, well, um…” Lu Ping’an was stunned by his father’s directness.

The image of a black-clad, cold-faced young woman flashed through his mind.

He scratched his head awkwardly and said, “I don’t like her.”

“You’re a grown man now. If you like someone, say you like them. If you don’t, say you don’t,” Lu Changsheng said impatiently.

“Stop being so wishy-washy. What kind of behavior is that?”

He wondered how he, a man of great love, could have such a naive son in these matters.

“You think she’s a cultivator and you’re not good enough for her?” Lu Changsheng continued, looking at his son.

“I don’t,” Lu Ping’an said, his voice somewhat muffled as he pursed his lips.

“You think that because you don’t have a Spirit Root, you’re not from the same world, so you don’t want to hold her back?” Lu Changsheng frowned slightly, continuing to question.

“Mm,” Lu Ping’an remained silent for a moment, then nodded, his voice heavy and his mood visibly low.

“Ai,” Lu Changsheng shook his head as he looked at his son.

These years of experience outside had made him more adaptable, but his personality was still somewhat simple and straightforward.

But personality isn’t something that can be changed so easily.

He looked at Lu Ping’an and asked, “Do you want to become a cultivator?”

Since his son was still thinking about cultivation, he might as well give the Hope Gu to Lu Ping’an.

There was no point in keeping it anymore.

As for explaining it to others, he had thought about it too.

When the Lu Family initially tested Lu Ping’an’s Spirit Root, they didn’t detect anything.

He had carefully considered that the Natural Treasures that could make someone develop a Spirit Root were too rare, and most people wouldn’t think in that direction.

Moreover, there were indeed cases in the cultivation world where Spirit Roots could only be detected after adulthood.

So it would be plausible if Lu Ping’an’s Spirit Root was detected now.

“Hm?” Lu Ping’an was startled by these words, not understanding.

“Do you want to become a cultivator? Tell me the truth!” Lu Changsheng pressed.

“I do!” Lu Ping’an said firmly, looking into his father’s eyes.

“Why do you want to cultivate?” Lu Changsheng asked, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. “Is it to pursue that young lady after you become a cultivator?”

“No, that’s not it,” Lu Ping’an shook his head, embarrassed.

But seeing his father’s gaze, he took a deep breath and said solemnly, “I just want to cultivate, to become a cultivator like you, Father.”

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng looked into his son’s eyes.

He still remembered fifteen years ago, when six-year-old Lu Ping’an looked at him with eyes full of hope.

“Father, is it really impossible to become a cultivator without a Spirit Root? I want to be a cultivator like you too!”

He still remembered those words.

But at that time, he could only remain silent.

“Come closer,” Lu Changsheng nodded.

In his palm appeared the Hope Gu, about the size of a thumb, looking like a ball of light.

The Hope Gu could awaken ordinary people and give birth to Spirit Roots!

As for the quality of the Spirit Root, it depended on each individual’s situation.

“Hm?” Lu Ping’an was confused but obediently stepped forward, standing in front of his father.

“Whoosh!” In an instant, the ball of light in Lu Changsheng’s hand shot out like a beam, suddenly entering Lu Ping’an’s body.

“Boom!” The moment the light entered his body, Lu Ping’an seemed to hear a thunderous sound.

A profound and earth-shaking sensation surged through his entire body.

As an innate martial artist at the Innate Grandmaster level, his muscles tensed, his hair stood on end, and his mind was as taut as a drawn bowstring.

If it wasn’t his father in front of him, this action would have instinctively made him strike out.

But the next moment, he saw endless light spreading through his body.

This light made his whole body feel heavy, as if bearing a thousand pounds, with an indescribable pressure.

“Hold on!” Just then, a voice rang out in his mind.

It was his father Lu Changsheng’s voice.

Although Lu Ping’an didn’t know what was happening, hearing his father’s words, he mustered all his strength and gritted his teeth to endure.

He allowed the light to spread through his body, making him feel heavier and heavier, his insides rumbling, his bones seemingly creaking.

“Endure!” Lu Changsheng said sternly.

His child’s Spirit Root aptitude would be added to his own.

So he could clearly feel that the Hope Gu was awakening Lu Ping’an.

The longer Lu Ping’an persists, the higher the quality of his Spirit Root will be after awakening!

However, based on the Spirit Root improvement transmitted, the Hope Gu’s ability to enhance the Spirit Root is quite limited, showing poor results.

According to the Spirit Root improvement currently transmitted from Lu Ping’an, he only has a low-Tier Spirit Root.