Chapter 279: Auction Begins, Heaven and Earth Longevity Technique Mastered!

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

With Hong Lian, Lu Miaoyun found it much easie to guide her children’s cultivation.

However, not all children practiced Top-Tier techniques, even with Hong Lian.

Most still cultivated exquisite or high-level techniques.

For most people, unless they had exceptional talent or were highly compatible, forcibly practicing Top-Tier techniques like those of the heterodox or orthodox schools was barely feasible. It was inefficient and not worth the effort.

During this time, Lu Changsheng didn’t arrange anything special for Xu Ruoyin.

He just let her serve like a maid, bringing tea and water, giving massages, and occasionally teasing her to add some fun to his boring days.

The auction at Hongye Valley Marketplace was about to begin.

That day, Lu Changsheng brought his wife Lu Miaohuan, Qu Zhenzhen, and children Lu Ping’an, Lu Xian’er, Lu Quanzhen, Lu Qingsong, Lu Wangshu, and others to attend the auction at Hongye Valley Marketplace.

Due to Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge’s reputation, and tte Market’s half-year preparation, Hongye Valley Marketplace had attracted many cultivators recently, becoming much livelier.

“You can go explore on your own,” Lu Changsheng said to Lu Ping’an and his brothers, while holding his daughter Lu Wangshu’s hand.

Bihu Mountain had been in a semi-closed state for over three years, and the children hadn’t gone out.

Now that they had a rare chance to go out, he naturally let them move about freely.

Moreover, after more than three years of vigilance and worry about Xiahou Wuwo, who showed no movement, Lu Changsheng planned to lift the mountain’s closed state and allow some children to go out.

After all, he couldn’t keep the children confined to the family forever if Xiahou Wuwo didn’t appear.

Many family businesses gradually needed the children to go out and start managing them.

Besides, over these years, through collected talisman-making materials, he had nurtured more than ten rare Third-Tier Spirit Talisman using talisman-nurturing methods.

When the time came, he could plant life-saving talismans on some of the children who went out.

“Yes, Father!”

“Thank you, Father!”

The brothers responded to Lu Changsheng.

Lu Xian’er and Lu Ruyi, who had lived in Hongye Valley Marketplace for a short time in earlier years, introduced the Market situation to their older and younger siblings.

Lu Changsheng then took his wives to stroll around the Market and check on their family’s businesses and shops.

At this moment, as he walked through the Market, countless cultivators on the road showed respect, admiration, envy, and adoration towards him.

Many young girls and female cultivators’ eyes practically dripped water when they saw Lu Changsheng’s gaze sweep over them.

If he wanted, he could probably beckon with his hand and many female cultivators would be willing to become his concubines.

This wasn’t because his charm had increased again.

He had always been restraining the charm he constantly exuded.

But with the rise in his fame and status, his overall charm had also risen to a new level.

Lu Changsheng arrived at Ping’an Talisman Hall.

Under Gao He’s management and his reputation, Ping’an Talisman Hall had become the top Spirit Talisman shop in Hongye Valley Marketplace.

“Old Gao, thank you for your hard work these years. If you’re planning to retire in the future, you can come to my Bihu Mountain,” Lu Changsheng said upon seeing his old friend Gao He.

The two had known each other for over twenty years. Gao He was now over sixty, much older, with gray hair and many wrinkles on his face.

His once plump face had become much thinner, but traces of his former prosperity could still be seen.

“Thank you for your kindness, boss,” Gao He said respectfully, looking at the eternally youthful and elegant man in blue robes before him.

He had rarely seen Lu Changsheng in recent years.

But as he continued to age, every time he saw Lu Changsheng and learned of his situation, he couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.

Who could have imagined that the Lu Family’s son-in-law, who used to chat and brag with him and discuss talisman techniques, had now become a patriarch of a region.

After a brief chat about the shop’s situation, Lu Changsheng left with his wives.

Upon seeing Lu Miaoge, Lu Changsheng askee, “Sister Miaoge, how’s the collection of materials for your Water Bottle and Taiji Talisman coming along?”

“The materials for the Water Bottle are now complete, but we’re still missing two items for the Taiji Talisman,” Lu Miaoge said softly..

However, she still needed to invite an equipment refiner to forge her Spirit Tool.

“After we’re done with the auction, I’ll forge it for you,” Lu Changsheng said.

Due to the system’s inherited techniques, he had also mastered the forging of Spirit Tools for the Supreme Kindness Water Technique.

He could help Lu Miaoge forge the Spirit Tool embryo.

“Alright~” Lu Miaoge responded, somewhattsurprised but choosing to trust Lu Changsheng.

Five days later, the auction officially began.

Lu Yuanzhong, Bai Yunyang, the Xu Family patriarch, and many other nearby family forces, as well as numerous Foundation Establishment stage wandering cultivators, came to Hongye Valley Marketplace to participate in this auction.

Because the auction had been promoted for so long, several major families had brought out many good items.

Lu Changsheng also put up some Second-Tier talismans as the finale items.

“Greetings, Mountain Lord Lu! Lady Lu!”

“Fellow Daoist Zhao, Fellow Daoist Lin, Fellow Daoist Li, Fellow Daoist Xiao”

Lu Changsheng, leading his wife and holding his daughter Lu Wangshu’s hand, exchanged greetings and engaged in polite small talk with the Foundation Establishment stage patriarchs from other family forces.

During this process, he saw Xu Renguang.

The man’s brow showed signs of worry.

Through casual conversation, Lu Changsheng learned that he was worried because his granddaughter Xu Ruoyin had run away, which made Lu Changsheng feel quite strange.

After all, his granddaughter Xu Ruoyin was currently serving as a maid in his own household.

“Thank you all, seniors and fellow Daoists, for gracing us with your presence. I, Lu Quanzhen (Bai Yujun), am honored to host this auction. May everyone be able to acquire their desired items.”

When the auction hall was nearly full, a man and a woman stepped onto the auction stage.

The man was in his twenties, wearing a blue brocade robe, with a handsome and scholarly appearance, and long, deep-set eyes.

The woman was eighteen or nineteen, wearing an elegant white dress, with a tall figure and a beautiful, sweet face.

Now that the Four Major Families were more or less led by the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain, this auction was also hosted by someone appointed by Lu Changsheng.

So Lu Changsheng had chosen from among his children and let his son Lu Quanzhen host.

As for Bai Yujun, she was the daughter of the Bai family from Hundred Bird Lake.

Lu Changsheng felt it wouldn’t look good if his family took full charge, so he let the Bai family arrange someone to make an appearance, conveniently pairing a man and a woman.

“Husband, this young lady seems to match well with Quanzhen,” Qu Zhenzhen said excitedly, seeing her son on stage with the Bai family girl.

She had been urging her son Lu Quanzhen to get married.

But her son kept avoiding her, causing her to want to matchmake whenever she saw her son getting close to any girl.

“Hehe,” Lu Changsheng chuckled, not wanting to get involved in this topic.

Because if he agreed even slightly, Qu Zhenzhen would definitely coax him into talking to Lu Quanzhen.

As both a husband and a father, he was caught in the middle and found it difficult.

“Mother, brother doesn’t want to get married. If you say anything, he’ll just avoid you. Besides, it’s still early,” Lu Caizhen said, holding her mother’s arm and speaking up for her brother.

After all, although Lu Quanzhen was somewhat serious usually, he was very caring towards his younger siblings.

“What do you mean it’s still early? Your Cousin Yun is a year younger than Quanzhen and already has three children!” Qu Zhenzhen said, feeling a bit wronged.

“And you’re not young either, you shouldn’t learn from your brother.”

Hearing this, Lu Caizhen quickly ducked her head and stopped talking, afraid the fire might turn to her.

Nearby, Lu Miaoge and Lu Miaohuan sawwthis scene and both smiled gently.

Looking at Lu Quanzhen hosting the auction on stage, Lu Miaohuan couldn’t help but think of her eldest son, Lu Qingshan.

Compared to her more obedient younger son Lu Qingsong, she still favored the usually mischievous Lu Qingshan more.

After all, this son might be naughty, but he brought a lot of joy to daily life and often cheered her up.

Moreover, she hadn’t seen this son for nearly five years.

“Hmm? Huanhuan, what’s wrong?” Lu Changsheng keenly noticed his wife Lu Miaohuan’s sudden low spirits.

“It’s nothing,” Lu Miaohuan said softly, slightly coming back to her senses.

Although she wanted to go to Yue Kingdom’s Golden Sun Sect to visit her son, she also knew the current family situation meant Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge couldn’t leave..

Lu Changsheng held her long, slender white hand without speaking.

He knew Lu Miaohuan was missing her son Lu Qingshan.

Over these years, Lu Miaohuan often thought of this son.

“The first item in this auction is the ‘Battle Beast Puppet’, researched and created by our Bihu Mountain Lu Family. It’s a Top-Tier first-tier item, capable of attack and defense, with excellent speed, and inscribed with several techniques,” Lu Quanzhen had already started introducing the first auction item.

This was indeed a puppet made by Bihu Mountain’s puppet workshop.

However, mass production isn’t feasible yet. It’s mainly for promotion and building reputation.

“Quanzhen did well. He managed the first auction smoothly,” Lu Miaoge praised..

“Quanzhen is indeed good at this. I initially thought of asking Xian’er, but his personality might make him nervous in such situations,” Lu Changsheng nodded, leaning back in his chair.

Nearby, Qu Zhenzhen beamed with pride as a mother hearing her son being praised.

This son, despite not always heeding her advice, was indeed very reliable in other aspects, making her proud.

Especially in how he treated his younger siblings, often reminding her of her own brother, Qu Changge.

Time passed slowly. The auction, divided into three sessions, lasted three days. It was quite a large-scale event.

However, the Hongye Valley Marketplace auction, organized by a few Foundation Establishment families, had limited High-Tier items.

Lu Changsheng couldn’t put out too many rare items.

For instance, he decided against auctioning the treasure map he had prepared earlier.

If he had put out even one Foundation Establishment Pill and promoted these treasure maps, the auction would have been ten times more lively.

After the auction, Lu Changsheng and the other three families had already agreed to implement some beneficial policies for the Market, trying to retain some of the influx.

Following the auction, Lu Changsheng held a trading session with the patriarchs of other clan forces and independent Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Although he didn’t find what he wanted, he managed to gather two materials for Lu Miaoge to refine her innatt Spirit Tool, the ‘Taiji Talisman’.

“Father-in-law, how’s the Foundation Establishment matter at home progressing?” Lu Changsheng asked Lu Yuanshan Ding about Qingzhu Mountain’s situation.

“We recently spent a fortune to acquire some ‘Earth Fire Evil Qi’,” Lu Yuanshan Ding sighed.

“Muping has a Fire Spirit Root and has switched to practicing the Green Wood Flame Yang Technique, so this Earth Fire Evil Qi suits him well.”

“Moreover, Miaofeng, due to past events, is now willing to compromise and plans to venture out on his own.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding was conflicted about these two attempting Foundation Establishment.

Miaofeng, with his Fourth-Tier Spirit Root and previous Foundation Establishment experience, had a higher chance of breakthrough.

But due to his past failure, Miaofeng might develop mental demons, fearing another letdown and disappointing the family.

Compared to Miaofeng, Lu Muping was only forty, much younger.

“Hmm,” Lu Changsheng nodded, not interfering further.

After all, both had similar chances of breaking through, and Qingzhu Mountain was more concerned about this than he was.

As the auction concluded, Lu Changsheng prepared to return to Bihu Mountain with his wives and children.

“Father,” Lu Quanzhen approached Lu Changsheng, expressing his desire to go out and gain experience.

“Venture out?” Lu Changsheng frowned upon hearing this.

He had long known about his son’s wanderlust.

If not for being called back to help establish Bihu Mountain, he probably would have left already.

“Wait until you break through to the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining,” Lu Changsheng said after a moment’s thought.

He could understand his children’s desire to gain experience outside the family.

After all, most clan offspring knew that staying within the family, without venturing out, meant little hope of reaching Foundation Establishment unless exceptionally talented.

Even though Bihu Mountain now had better conditions than Qingzhu Mountain, Hundred Bird Lake, Centipede Ridge, or even the Xu Family in Yushui, it still couldn’t nurture many children to Foundation Establishment.

At most, they could be cultivated to Late-Stage Qi Refining, but Foundation Establishment depended on individual effort.

Quanzhen clearly understood this point.

Knowing his Spirit Root wasn’t good, only Eighth-Tier, he had planned his life early on.

However, in Lu Changsheng’s view, the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining was still a bit low.

When his son reached the Sixth Layer and still wanted to leave, he would give him some life-saving Spirit Talisman.

“Thank you, Father!” Lu Quanzhen respectfully agreed.

He knew that once his father agreed, the matter was settled.

“Use this time to prepare your mother mentally. Don’t just leave without a word,” Lu Changsheng patted his son’s shoulder.

Young birds must eventually fly. If not for this son’s independent thinking and desire to venture out, he would have preferred to pass the family leadership to him.

The current personalities of Lu Ping’an, Lu Xian’er, and Lu Yun weren’t suitable for the position of Bihu Mountain’s family head.

“Father, you know if I tell Mother, she definitely won’t agree. So I can only trouble you,” Lu Quanzhen’s handsome face showed a helpless smile.

“Sigh, just coax your mother more, don’t always avoid her. The more you avoid, the more she’ll worry.”

“If all else fails, say you might meet a girl you like on this journey,” Lu Changsheng shook his head.

He had been pestered by Qu Zhenzhen about Quanzhen’s marriage, which gave him headaches.

“Yes, I understand,” Lu Quanzhen smiled, his eyes narrowing.

His facial features were seven parts similar to Lu Changsheng’s, but his eyes were inherited from his mother, especially when he smiled.

After returning to Bihu Mountain with his wives and children, Lu Changsheng briefly arranged some family matters and the children’s situations before returning to the Sumeru Cave Heaven.

“Master,” Xu Ruoyin, wearing a fire-red dress, her face exquisitely beautiful, respectfully greeted Lu Changsheng upon seeing him.

“Mm, I met your grandfather at the auction. He’s very worried about you,” Lu Changsheng said with a light smile.

“Grandfather…” Xu Ruoyin’s delicate body trembled at these words.

After being in the Sumeru Cave Heaven for so long, her family’s situation was her biggest concern.

She lowered her eyes and said, “Thank you for telling me, Master.”

“Did you say when you’d return home when you left?” Lu Changsheng asked in a warm voice, wrapping his arm around her snake-like waist.

This action and caring tone made Xu Ruoyin’s heart tremble.

If she didn’t know Lu Changsheng’s other side, she might have fallen for him after such interactions.

Sometimes she wondered if things would have been different if she had chosen to marry Lu Changsheng directly instead of trying to steal from him.

“No,” Xu Ruoyin’s body tensed slightly, obediently leaning against Lu Changsheng’s chest, allowing his strong arms to hold her.

She knew that to gain Lu Changsheng’s favor, she had to appear docile and obedient in front of him.

“You should have a life tablet or Soul Lamp at home, right?” Lu Changsheng sat down on a bamboo chair nearby, holding her graceful body and twirling her cascading, crystal-clear red hair with two fingers.

Xu Ruoyin’s silky, smooth hair felt very comfortable to touch, and he often played with it.

After over a month of training, she had gradually learned to rub her forehead against his palm like an obedient kitten, giving him a great sense of achievement.

One could say that bullying women was also part of a man’s nature.

“Yes,” Xu Ruoyin said softly.

Although her current actions and behavior were humiliating, she sadly found herself gradually adapting.

“Since you have a life tablet and Soul Lamp, your family won’t worry then,” Lu Changsheng chuckled.

After teasing Xu Ruoyin for a while, he entered the Hall of Everlasting Life Cave Dwelling to start crafting the Spirit Tool embryo for Lu Miaoge..

Time flew by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Lu Miaoyun came to the back ofLingxiu Cliff as usual.

She took out the formation token Ling Zixiao had given her and entered the formation, looking at the Lingming Treasure Tree before her.

“Heaven and Earth Longevity Technique, refine!” Lu Miaoyun sat cross-legged infront of the Lingming Treasure Tree, forming hand seals and using her internal spiritual power to refine the tree before her.

It was more like fusion than refinement.

Because after more than a year of cultivation, she had already established a connection with the Lingming Treasure Tree, and they were almost one.

She could even vaguely sense the tree’s emotions.

Now, she needed to completely refine this Lingming Treasure Tree as her innate spirit root, becoming one with it.

As she refined the Lingming Treasure Tree, a stream of energy from the tree flowed into Lu Miaoyun’s body.

“Hm? What’s happening?” Lu Miaoyun suddenly felt her siritual power uncontrollably pouring out, being devoured by the Lingming Treasure Tree.

In the past, she had always used her spiritual power to nourish and refine the Lingming Treasure Tree.

But now, the Lingming Treasure Tree was actively consuming her internal spiritual power, causing her face to turn pale.

Lu Miaoyun seemed to realize smething. She quickly took out Spirit Stones from her Storage Bag to restore her spiritual power.

At the same time, she poured Spirit Liquid from a bottle onto the Lingming Treasure Tree.

“Hum—”

Just as the Lingming Treasure Tree nearly drained Lu Miaoyun’s spiritual power, profound and mystical sensation surged through her heart, making her whole body feel light and clear.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh!”

A surge of powerful spiritual energy flowed from the Lingming Treasure Tree towards Lu Miaoyun, enveloping her entre being and drawing countless strands of natural spiritual energy into her body.

“Boom!”

In an instant, Lu Miaoyun’s body shook violenly, a gentle breeze swirling around her.

The bottleneck she had faced for years between the sixth and Seventh Layer of Qi Refining was broken through at this moment.

But it didn’t stop there. A rich essence of plants and trees from the Lingming Treasure Tree continued to pour into her body.