Chapter 260: The Xu Family’s Daughter, a Dragon Sovereign’s Body!

“The Zheng Family Patriarch passed away?”

Lu Changsheng wasn’t surprised by this news.

He’d seen it coming a few years ago. The old man’s time was nearly up.

That’s why the Zheng patriarch had been busy settling family affairs these past years.

He’d sent his descendants to be concubines, given up profits from the Hongye Valley Marketplace, and allied with the Beast Taming Xu Family.

But credit where it’s due, the old man had truly given his all for the family in recent years.

Even without a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the helm, no family would dare mess with Centipede Ridge for now.

“Yes, the Zheng patriarch passed peacefully at home. In the cultivation world, it’s considered a joyous occasion.”

“The Zheng Family will hold a grand funeral. They’ve also mentioned the Beast Taming Xu Family will attend.”

“So, husband, if you have time, you should go pay your respects in person.”

Lu Miaoyun spoke, addressing L Changsheng.

Foundation Establishment cultivators typically live for 240 years.

But reaching 200 and passing peacefully is considered a full life, hence the term ‘joyous occasion’.

“Yun’er, when is the funeral?”

Lu Changsheng nodded and asked.

He knew the Zheng Family was inviting nearby clans to show their connection to the Xu Family and make a statement.

“In twenty-three days,” Lu Miaoyun replied.

“Alright, remind me when it’s time.”

Lu Changsheng nodded.

He knew that as the head of the family, he had to attend personally.

It wasn’t just about his family’s relationship with the Zhengs.

Out of respect for the Beast Taming Xu Family, he needed to make an appearance.

Later, he informed his concubine Zheng Yongwan about the matter.

He told her to accompany him when the time came.

Twenty days later.

Lu Changsheng arrived at Centipede Ridge with his concubine Zheng Yongwan.

The name Centipede Ridge sounded unpleasant, but the place was actually quite beautiful with clear mountains and waters.

It got its name from the abundance of spirit insects in the area.

Especially a type called ‘Iron Wire Centipede’, which the Zheng Family used to brew ‘Centipede Wine’, a very popular product.

“The Patriarch of the Lu Family from Bihu Mountain has arrived!”

The Zheng Family greeter at the mountain gate called out loudly upon seeing Lu Changsheng.

Soon, a Zheng Family elder came to escort Lu Changsheng to the Zheng Family manor.

The place had been set up like a spirit hall, with younger family members dressed in white mourning clothes.

“Husband.”

Seeing this scene, Zheng Yongwan’s face showed signs of sadness and grief.

Though she hadn’t spent much time with the Zheng patriarch, she didn’t have deep feelings for him.

But she was still part of the Zheng Family’s main line, born and raised in Centipede Ridge under the old patriarch’s protection.

“My condolences.”

Lu Changsheng patted her hand and led her to the coffin. They each lit three incense sticks and bowed solemnly.

“Master Lu, this way please.”

“The funeral is in two days. Yongwan, you can show Master Lu around the house.”

The Zheng Family elder said respectfully, arranging for Lu Changsheng to rest.

Normally, a direct daughter of the family like Zheng Yongwan would help out a bit.

But she was Lu Changsheng’s concubine, her status demanded respect.

So they couldn’t ask her to do anything, just to take good care of Lu Changsheng.

As the funeral day approached, people started arriving.

Two days later, Lu Yuanzhong and Bai Yunyang also came to Centipede Ridge for the funeral.

“Uncle, Friend Bai.”

Lu Changsheng greeted them with clasped hands.

“Changsheng, Friend Lu!”

“Mountain Lord Lu, long time no see!”

Lu Yuanzhong and Bai Yunyang greeted Lu Changsheng.

Besides them, many other family representatives arrived, all greeting Lu Changsheng.

Then, Lu Changsheng and these Foundation Establishment cultivators from various families were led to a great hall by the Zheng Family to chat.

“The Patriarch of the Xu Family from Yushui has arrived!”

Just then, a loud announcement came from outside.

Soon, the Zheng Family head led in a tall man in a golden robe. He had an imposing presence and eyes like a hawk.

Behind the golden-robed man were one man and two women.

One of the women looked grief-stricken, with the man beside her comforting her.

“Greetings, Patriarch Xu!”

“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Xu!”

“Great-grandfather!”

Many in the hall stood up and bowed to the golden-robed man.

Lu Changsheng had read up on the Xu Family from Yushui.

He knew this golden-robed man was Xu Renguang, one of the Foundation Establishment patriarchs of the Yushui Xu Family.

“Xu greets all fellow Daoists.”

The golden-robed man showed a hearty smile and bowed to everyone.

After the Xu Family patriarch was seated, the funeral banquet began.

“Hmm?”

While drinking and chatting, Lu Changsheng suddenly sensed something. He turned his head to look at a woman beside the Xu Family patriarch.

This woman looked about twenty years old and was extremely beautiful.

She had smooth, shiny, fire-red hair and wore a gorgeous gold and red dress that accentuated her graceful figure.

Lu Changsheng’s attention wasn’t drawn by her looks.

His Divine Sense, comparable to a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, keenly detected that this woman had been observing him since entering the hall.

Noticing Lu Changsheng looking at her, the red-haired woman calmly shifted her gaze away. She picked up her chopsticks and elegantly ate a slice of meat, chewing slowly.

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng didn’t think much of it.

After all, it was normal for women to steal glances at him given his current charm.

However, in the time that followed, Lu Changsheng still noticed this woman repeatedly stealing glances at him.

Just then, the red-haired woman whispered something to Xu Renguang.

Xu Renguang picked up his wine cup and walked towards Lu Changsheng with a smile, saying politely, “Master Lu, my granddaughter plans to tame a Heavenly Fire Marten and needs a Second-Tier Frost Talisman.”

“I wonder if Master Lu can craft one. If so, we’d like to trouble Master Lu with this task.”

Xu Renguang asked courteously.

“Heavenly Fire Marten? Frost Talisman?”

Lu Changsheng glanced at the red-haired woman upon hearing this.

He knew that beast tamers usually subdued spirit beasts through various means.

Methods like blood contracts, contractual documents, and beast tamer tokens were considered inferior techniques.

“So she was looking at me because of the talisman?”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

He looked at Xu Renguang with an apologetic expression, “Fellow Daoist Xu, regarding the Frost Talisman, I’ve never crafted one before. I’m not very confident about it.”

The Frost Talisman was a High-Tier Second-Tier Spirit Talisman. Lu Changsheng could easily craft it.

But he rarely made this type of talisman, and those who ordered Second-Tier talismans from him were booked until next year.

Did they expect him to help craft a talisman without offering any benefits?

“May I ask how confident Master Lu is?”

“If you can craft it, my Xu Family will surely reward you handsomely.”

Xu Renguang continued.

“Well…”

Lu Changsheng glanced at the red-haired woman again.

He hadn’t expected her to make the Xu Family patriarch promise a generous reward.

It seemed this red-haired woman held quite a high status in the Xu Family.

After pondering for a moment, he said, “If that’s the case, I’ll give it a try when I return.”

“How about I get back to you within three months, Fellow Daoist Xu?”

Lu Changsheng proposed.

“That would be great. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lu!”

“Let me toast to you!”

Xu Renguang raised his wine cup and bowed in thanks.

Many in the hall saw this and looked envious.

They envied both the Xu Family’s ability to easily request Lu Changsheng’s help in crafting talismans and Lu Changsheng’s status as a Second-Tier high-quality Talisman Master.

“Fellow Daoist Xu is too kind.”

Lu Changsheng raised his cup in response.

After the feast, Lu Changsheng learned about the red-haired woman’s identity.

She was Xu Ruoyin, granddaughter of the Xu Family patriarch.

Not only did she have a Fourth-Tier Spirit Root, but she also possessed exceptional Beast Taming talent.

She had tamed a terrestrial-Tier bloodline spirit beast, the Fire Python Tiger, right after reaching Late-Stage Qi Refining.

She was currently the pride and joy of the Yushui Xu Family.

Moreover, when talking about this Xu Family gem, Bai Yunyang mentioned an interesting anecdote.

After taming the Fire Python Tiger, the main branch of the Beast Taming Xu Family wanted to bring her to their home for cultivation.

But Xu Ruoyin’s father, Xu Renguang’s son, had once been crippled and had his spirit beast taken away by a direct descendant of the main family during a clan competition. So Xu Ruoyin refused to go to the main family for cultivation.

She also stated that she would seek justice for her father in the future.

The Xu Family and others were arranged in a quiet courtyard by the Zheng Family.

In a pavilion within the courtyard.

“Senior Hong Lian, can you be sure?”

Xu Ruoyin asked in her mind.

“Your sensing wasn’t wrong. That man indeed carries the aura of a celestial-Tier spirit beast. He’s clearly been in prolonged contact with one.”

“Moreover, this aura is somewhat mixed. I suspect he doesn’t just have one Heavenly Grade bloodline beast.”

A clear, ethereal voice, elegant and gentle like heavenly music, resonated in Xu Ruoyin’s mind.

“More than one!?”

Hearing this, Xu Ruoyin’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

She knew well how precious Heavenly Grade bloodline beasts were.

Let alone her Yushui Xu Family.

Even for the main family, the Beast Taming Xu Family, obtaining a Heavenly Grade bloodline beast was extremely difficult.

Now, a small Foundation Establishment family actually had multiple Heavenly Grade beasts.

“If I could contract a Heavenly Grade beast, then the ‘Beast Scripture’ could advance further, evolving into an orthodox-level technique, condensing the ‘Heavenly Beast Dao Foundation’!”

Xu Ruoyin’s beautiful eyes revealed a look of hope and desire.

Her childhood had been blissful and happy.

But when she was seven, she went with her father to participate in the clan competition at the Beast Taming Xu Family.

She saw with her own eyes her father being defeated by the clan’s direct line, and even his spirit beast was taken away.

This battle left her father half-crippled, dispirited, almost useless, with no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.

From that moment on, she had a new goal in her heart.

To righteously avenge her father at the clan competition!

Now, with this supreme opportunity, she saw hope for avenging her father!

She respectfully asked, “Senior Hong Lian, do you have any ideas?”

The technique she cultivated was called the ‘Beast Scripture’.

This technique was quite mysterious, able to enhance its power through the grade of contracted spirit beasts.

It could also improve one’s talent, foundation, and potential through contracted spirit beasts.

“This person is extraordinary. I sense a terrifying aura from him. He must have great opportunities and secrets.”

The clear, ethereal voice continued.

“This…”

Hearing this, Xu Ruoyin was shocked.

She knew how formidable this Senior Hong Lian was.

For this Lu Changsheng to make even Senior Hong Lian sense a terrifying aura.

“Senior Hong Lian, I’ve heard some rumors about this person.”

Xu Ruoyin immediately shared some information about Lu Changsheng.

“Lower-Tier Spirit Root, a son-in-law, taking many wives and concubines, numerous offspring, a Talisman Grandmaster, and such cultivation speed… Could it be the legendary Dragon Emperor’s Dao Body!”

The clear, ethereal voice revealed a hint of surprise and doubt.

“Dragon Emperor’s Dao Body?”

“Senior Hong Lian, what kind of Spirit Body is this? I’ve never heard of it.”

Xu Ruoyin inquired.

“I’ve only heard of this Dao body before. In the Great Qin Dynasty of the Central Plains, there was a Holy King who had one hundred and eight celestial consorts and three thousand beauties in his harem.”

“It’s said this Holy King’s physique was called the ‘Dragon Emperor’s Dao Body’. Dual Cultivation with men and women not only caused him no harm, but also made his thoughts clearer, his cultivation progress incredibly fast, without any bottlenecks. Moreover, this physique made it easiest to have children, and the offspring were often born with extraordinary talents!”

The clear, ethereal voice explained.

“I never knew such a physique existed in the world.”

Hearing this, Xu Ruoyin also showed a surprised expression.

Although she didn’t know much about spirit bodies, she was familiar with common constitutions like the Five Elements Spirit Bodies.

She had never heard of such a mysterious Spirit Body.

After all, most cultivators practiced abstinence for the sake of cultivation.

Only a small number of evil cultivators, or those practicing Dual Cultivation and Essence Absorption techniques, would choose to indulge in desires.

But such people would eventually have difficulty advancing beyond a certain realm due to unstable foundations caused by excessive Dual Cultivation and Essence Absorption.

“This is just something I’ve heard and speculated about. But as you said, this youth must indeed be someone with great fortune.”

“Such figures usually have many methods. It might be extremely difficult for you to obtain a Heavenly Grade beast from him.”

The clear, ethereal voice said.

Hearing this, Xu Ruoyin fell silent, her beautiful eyes showing a thoughtful look.

The Zheng Family’s funeral lasted three days.

During this time, many matters were handled by the Xu Family’s patriarch.

This was also the Xu Family’s way of showing their stance to others, that the Zheng Family was under the protection of the Yushui Xu Family.

Although this Xu Family wasn’t the Beast Taming Xu Family, it was enough to make many forces think twice.

“Friend Lu, my granddaughter will be staying at Centipede Ridge for some time.”

“If you create the Frost Talisman, you can send someone to Centipede Ridge to notify us.”

Xu Renguang said politely to Lu Changsheng.

“Alright, if I create the Frost Talisman, I’ll send someone to notify Miss Xu.”

Lu Changsheng nodded and smiled, glancing at the exquisite-looking Xu Ruoyin beside him, with her fiery red long hair and graceful figure.

Due to Zheng Yongwan, he had attended many occasions of the Zheng Family’s funeral these three days.

During this time, he keenly noticed that Xu Ruoyin would occasionally look at him.

This kind of look was different from the initial appraisal in the great hall.

It carried some indescribable meaning.

This made Lu Changsheng feel that there was something off about this Xu Ruoyin.

It wasn’t because she was attracted by his charm that she kept stealing glances at him.

Although he didn’t know what was going on with her.

But Lu Changsheng had already become more cautious and vigilant towards Xu Ruoyin in his heart.

As the Zheng Family’s funeral ended, Lu Changsheng took Zheng Yongwan back to Bihu Mountain.

As soon as they returned to Bihu Mountain, Lu Changsheng received some news.

The Dragon Carp in Bishui Lake had emerged!

It had been caught by his daughter, Lu Wangshu.

Regarding this, Lu Changsheng looked at the system interface, seeing his daughter Lu Wangshu’s 41% fishing talent, and didn’t know what to say.

He only hoped that his daughter would have such interest in Talisman Making in the future.

Lu Changsheng took a look at this Dragon Carp.

Currently, it was only the size of an arm, its body covered in scales that emitted a golden luster, looking quite extraordinary.

Looking at this Dragon Carp, Lu Changsheng really wanted to refine it into a Black Water Dragon Fish Dao Weapon.

But remembering his promise to his wives and children that the first Dragon Carp caught would be cooked at home.

However, the Dragon Carp was still too small now, at most enough for a family of three to eat.

So Lu Changsheng put this Dragon Carp in the fish farm, planning to raise it for a few years.

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

[Congratulations to the host for having an offspring with a Spirit Root. You have gained one chance to draw a prize]

That day, a system prompt accompanied by a slight tremor appeared.

“This should be the thirty-ninth, right?”

“Thirty-nine, and only the first child with a Spirit Root?”

“And this Spirit Root tremor, it should only be a lower-Tier Spirit Root.”

Lu Changsheng frowned slightly after hearing this system prompt.

He felt that the Spirit Root probability of his family’s third generation was too low.

But then he thought about his current children who were having babies, none of whom had Spirit Roots, and he felt slightly relieved.

In a situation where neither parent had a Spirit Root, having a child with a Spirit Root by the thirty-ninth was already quite good.

Perhaps it was thanks to the Spirit Rice his children ate daily, constantly nourishing their bodies with spiritual energy.

“System, draw prize!”

Lu Changsheng didn’t think too much and opened the system to start drawing.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a Fourth-Tier pill: Soul Fusion Life-Returning Pill]

[The reward has been placed in the system space, the host can check at any time]

A pill image appeared from the big wheel, accompanied by a system prompt.

“Soul Fusion Life-Returning Pill?”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow when he saw the reward he had drawn.

This was another pill he had never heard of.

He focused his mind and looked at the effects of this pill in the system space.

[Pill: Soul Fusion Life-Returning Pill]

[Quality: Fourth-Tier]

[Description: As long as a cultivator’s soul hasn’t dispersed, taking this pill can regenerate flesh from bones and return the soul to life]

“A Fourth-Tier pill!”

Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath when he saw the grade and effect of this pill.

Most of the rewards he had obtained so far were Third-Tier.

Only the Substitute Life Charm he had drawn before was lucky enough to be a Fourth-Tier reward.

He didn’t expect to draw another Fourth-Tier pill today.

And the effect of this pill was indeed extraordinary.

After a cultivator dies, their soul can exist for a period of time.

So when high-level cultivators kill, they ensure both body and soul are destroyed to prevent future troubles.

In the demonic path, after killing someone, they would often capture the other’s soul to cultivate techniques and Divine Abilities, or to refine Artifacts.

But with this pill, even if someone had died, as long as their body and soul hadn’t been completely destroyed, taking this pill would regenerate flesh from bones and bring them back to life.

This effect was simply terrifying!

It could truly be called a life-saving miracle drug!

“However, this pill being Fourth-Tier makes it somewhat useless.”

“In battles between Golden Core cultivators, they would destroy both body and soul. Nascent Soul cultivators would be even less likely to let someone…”

“Hey, I’ve heard that Nascent Soul True Lords not only live for over a thousand years, but also possess all sorts of incredible abilities.”

“One of these abilities is called ‘body-snatching reincarnation’.”

“The books say that a Nascent Soul True Lord’s powers and Divine Abilities are all contained within their Nascent Soul. Even if their body is destroyed, as long as the Nascent Soul remains intact, they can snatch another body and be reborn.”

“Moreover, Nascent Soul True Lords can control the power of void space. Their Nascent Soul can escape through space, and no magic barriers or techniques can stop them. Their ability to preserve their life is extremely powerful!”

Lu Changsheng muttered to himself.

His knowledge about Nascent Souls came partly from the books he had read.

The other part came from the cultivation techniques he had obtained through his lucky draws, which provided some information on the subject.

“However, no matter how precious and powerful it is, it’s a bit useless to me right now.”

Lu Changsheng looked at the Soul Fusion Life-Returning Pill and let out a long sigh.

He directly placed the pill in his system space to gather dust.

He planned to take it out when he needed to use it in the future.