Chapter 319: The Inheritance of the Golden Core, Attacking White Tiger Mountain!
by xennovel“Crunch, crunch—”
Lu Changsheng and Li Feiyu watched as the Spirit-Seeking Rat dug into the Spirit Stone vein.
Although the Spirit-Seeking Rat was only the size of a baby and had weak combat power,
its innate bloodline talent made it extremely efficient at mining stone veins.
However, Lu Changsheng had other matters to attend to and naturally wouldn’t wait for it to dig so slowly.
“Clang!”
He slapped his Storage Bag, and the True Yang Five Elements Sword appeared. His hands formed a seal.
“Sizzle, sizzle—”
In an instant, the sword flashed with light, emitting sharp sword energy that cut through the Spirit Stone wall like tofu, turning it to powder and releasing rich, pure spiritual energy.
“Squeak, squeak—”
The Spirit-Seeking Rat was terrified by the fierce sword energy, trembling as it looked at Lu Changsheng, thinking it had done something wrong.
“Gasp, has Changsheng already broken through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment!?”
Li Feiyu’s face showed shock and surprise.
He was not only surprised by Lu Changsheng’s cultivation level,
but also by the sharpness of his sword energy, which resembled that of a Sword Cultivator.
After all, he had always thought that his good brother was more suited to the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation path, far from the image of a Sword Cultivator.
“Changsheng, what’s going on?”
At this moment, Lu Miaoge heard the commotionnand hurried over to check.
“Nothing much. There’s something odd about this Spirit Stone vein. There should be some treasure deep inside. I’m going to check it out.”
Lu Changsheng explained, “Miaoge, you stay outside and keep watch.”
“Okay, be careful.”
Lu Miaoge nodded in response..
She couldn’t bear the sight of so many corpses in the mine, so she summoned her life-bound Spirit Tool, the “Taiji Talisman,” and blasted several large pits outside the mine.
Then she had Lu Yun, Lu Quanzhen, Lu Xian’er, and others bury the bodies in the pits.
Except for Lu Quanzhen and a few other Lu Family disciples, most of them felt uncomfortable facing so many gruesome corpses.
But they knew that this was a necessary part of cultivation and that they had to adapt.
“Which direction?”
Lu Changsheng looked at the Spirit-Seeking Rat and asked again.
He could sense that something was off about this Spirit Stone vein and that there might be some treasure deep inside,
but he couldn’t pinpoint the exact location.
“Squeak, squeak—”
The Spirit-Seeking Rat quickly pointed in a direction.
And so, the two men and the rat continued their work.
After spending several hours, the Spirit-Seeking Rat hesitated for a long time before diving into one of several cracks in the wall.
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng and Li Feiyu used their magical weapons to carve out a path.
The process was extremely taxing on their spiritual energy.
If it weren’t for Lu Changsheng’s abundant and continuous spiritual power, it would have been difficult for an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator or Li Feiyu alone to keep up.
After a long time, they arrived at a stone wall.
“It’s inside here!”
At this moment, Lu Changsheng realized that the source was inside the stone wall.
He swung the True Yang Five Elements Sword in his hand.
“Boom, boom—”
The ground shook, and countless stones and dust flew, striking the protective barrier around him and Li Feiyu.
Suddenly, a natural cave, over ten meters wide, appeared before them.
Although the cave seemed naturally formed, there were clear signs of artificial excavation.
In the corners, there were dull pearls of light, and in front, a moss-covered stone table and chair.
It looked like this was once a cultivator’s Cave Dwelling.
At that moment, a rush of rich spiritual energy hit them from inside the cave.
“This spiritual energy… could it be…”
Lu Changsheng looked at the Cave Dwelling and hesitated, a guess forming in his mind.
“Changsheng, be careful.”
Li Feiyu, seeing that this was an ancient Cave Dwelling, immediately warned.
He had explored many ancient ruins and Cave Dwellings.
He knew that ancient Cave Dwellings didn’t always mean opportunities.
Many cultivators with twisted minds, either on the verge of death or driven mad by cultivation, would set traps in their dwellings to kill any who came after them.
Some would even create treasure maps to lure others into their traps.
Many cultivators, full of hope when exploring these ruins, ended up dying tragically.
“Got it.”
Lu Changsheng nodded and said to the Spirit-Seeking Rat, “Go ahead.”
Then he summoned a puppet from his Storage Bag to follow the Spirit-Seeking Rat into the cave.
“Squeak, squeak—”
The Spirit-Seeking Rat, naturally sensitive to danger, hesitated for a moment before entering a stone chamber within the cave.
Lu Changsheng controlled the puppet to push open the stone door, releasing a thick mist of spiritual energy.
The Spirit-Seeking Rat immediately rushed in, and the sound of water splashing and the rat’s excited squeaks could be heard.
“This is spiritual energy turned into mist?”
Li Feiyu had already noticed the excessive richness of the spiritual energy in the cave.
The spiritual energy in this stone chamber was so dense it had turned into mist, which was astonishing.
“It seems there’s a Spirit Eye Spring here.”
Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes, realizing that his guess was correct.
While there was no spiritual vein here, there was indeed a Spirit Eye Spring!
Only something like this could, over time, cause the spiritual energy to condense and form a small Spirit Stone vein.
“What? A Spirit Eye Spring? Changsheng, did you say there’s a Spirit Eye Spring here!?”
Li Feiyu was shocked.
Although he had never seen a Spirit Eye Spring, he had heard of its existence.
He knew that such a treasure was incredibly rare and priceless!
He never expected Lu Changsheng to say there was a Spirit Eye Spring here!
“Changsheng, you’re really lucky. Just going out, and you find such a treasure.”
Li Feiyu quickly calmed himself, speaking with a tone of envy and admiration.
His words expressed his envy and also subtly acknowledged the ownership of the Spirit Eye Spring.
After all, in the world of cultivation, it was not uncommon for brothers to turn against each other and friends to become enemies.
In most cases, it was all because of rivalry over benefits!
Now that such a Rare Treasure was in front of them, it was natural to feel tempted.
But their close relationship and current circumstances made him quickly decide.
“Haha, indeed, I’m lucky.”
Lu Changsheng smiled slightly.
He hadn’t expected to find such an item after just acquiring the Dragon-Seeking Technique.
The two cautiously entered the Cave Dwelling and reached the stone chamber.
There, in the center of the narrow stone chamber, was a small spring bubbling with water.
The Spirit-Seeking Rat was lying comfortably in the palm-sized spring.
However, next to the spring was a half-lying skeleton.
The skeleton wore a dim, slightly damaged robe.
Its chest bones were broken and slightly blackened, indicating that it had likely died from severe injuries.
“It seems this person has been dead for hundreds of years.”
Li Feiyu remarked.
“Yes, and judging by the appearance, this person was likely a Golden Core cultivator in life.”
Lu Changsheng noticed a dim gray core at the skeleton’s dantian.
This indicated that the person had been a Golden Core cultivator.
He didn’t approach. Instead, he waved his hand, and a gust of wind blew through the stone chamber, lifting the robe off the skeleton.
Then he controlled the puppet to check the chamber, confirming that there were no traps.
“Whoosh.”
A ring, a Storage Bag, and the gray core flew into Lu Changsheng’s hand.
“This cultivator must have been severely injured before death, even causing their core to shatter.”
Lu Changsheng saw that the gray core was full of cracks, as if it would shatter with just a little force.
If this core had been intact, it would have been priceless to a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Looking at the state of the Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world, it’s clear how difficult it is to form a Golden Core!
Nine out of ten Foundation Establishment cultivators will never reach Golden Core!
But with some luck, if a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could obtain a Third-Tier demon core or the core of a Golden Core cultivator, or some other external treasure, they could form a False Core.
Although a False Core is not as powerful as a true Golden Core,
it still grants a lifespan of three hundred years, with combat power, status, and prestige far surpassing that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Such a person could be called a True Person!
“What a pity.”
Li Feiyu took the gray core from Lu Changsheng, looking at it with regret.
If they had such an external core, it would be like obtaining a chance to form a False Core.
“Quite poor, really.”
Lu Changsheng scanned the contents of the Storage Ring and Storage Bag.
The Storage Ring didn’t even contain Spirit Stones, just some miscellaneous materials and odds and ends.
But with Lu Changsheng’s current perspective, these things were worth at most a few tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.
The Storage Bag was very simple.
It only contained three Jade Slips and a dark black, slightly damaged long halberd.
He glanced at them briefly. The first two Jade Slips were cultivation techniques named “Blood Fiend Asura Technique” and “Earth Fiend Heaven-Supporting Art.”
The third Jade Slip contained the last words of the skeleton’s owner.
It stated that his name was Jing Jueming, born in the Liang Kingdom’s Shura Sect. He had come to the Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world on a sect mission.
He didn’t elaborate on the mission, only mentioning that he had been ambushed by the Azure Cloud Sect and barely escaped after using every means possible.
However, due to his severe injuries and the shattering of his core, he couldn’t escape the Azure Cloud Sect’s territory, so he hid here, created this Cave Dwelling, and tried to heal himself by using the sect’s secret “Fiend Core Method,” hoping to transform his core into a Fiend Core and be reborn.
If he failed and died, he wished that anyone who found this place would inherit his legacy and become his successor.
And if they ever reached the Golden Core stage, they should kill a Golden Core cultivator from the Azure Cloud Sect to honor his memory.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. This demonic cultivator was quite nice, but a bit too idealistic.”
Lu Changsheng shook his head as he read the information in the Jade Slip.
He handed the contents of the Storage Bag to Li Feiyu and then looked at the Spirit Eye Spring.
This Spirit Eye Spring wasn’t as large or rich in spiritual energy as the one he had previously obtained from the system.
But it was still a Spirit Eye Spring, far superior to Spirit Source Beads.
If he used this Spirit Eye Spring to upgrade Biyun Peak, its spiritual vein could likely advance from Second-Tier high quality to Second-Tier top quality!
“Feiyu, since you’re here, you should get a share. I really need this Spirit Eye Spring.”
Lu Changsheng said to Li Feiyu, “This magical treasure may be damaged, but it’s still worth a lot. You can take it to Qingluan Immortal City to sell.”
That long halberd had no use for him, other than for practicing the Hundred Refined Body Technique.
But since he was taking the Spirit Eye Spring, it wouldn’t be right to take everything, so he offered the magical treasure to Li Feiyu.
With Li Feiyu’s current status in Qingluan Immortal City, he should be able to handle it.
“Changsheng, I can’t accept this. This was your opportunity and fortune. I didn’t do anything.”
“Just copying this ‘Earth Fiend Heaven-Supporting Art’ is more than enough for me.”
Li Feiyu hurriedly declined.
He had chosen a primary cultivation technique in Qingluan Immortal City,
but for body refining, he was still using the “Mysterious Armor Body Refining Technique” from his early years.
After a quick glance, he realized that his “Mysterious Armor Body Refining Technique” was far inferior to this “Earth Fiend Heaven-Supporting Art.”
“No problem. Take it. I’d feel bad if I took everything.”
Lu Changsheng insisted.
But no matter what, Li Feiyu refused to accept the magical treasure.
He felt that since he hadn’t done anything, having the cultivation technique was enough. At most, he would take a few materials from the Storage Ring.
Just enough to have someone in Qingluan Immortal City forge two handy magical weapons.
“Fine.”
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng didn’t push further and handed the Storage Ring to Li Feiyu, keeping the black halberd for himself.
Although it was a low-Tier magical treasure, it was heavily damaged and had been neglected for hundreds of years, lacking the spiritual nourishment from a master’s power, making it difficult to use.
It could hardly be called a magical treasure anymore, more like a rare material for reforging.
“Changsheng, how do you plan to take the Spirit Eye Spring?”
Li Feiyu asked Lu Changsheng.
Although the Spirit Eye Spring could be carried,
he knew that it required the great power of a Golden Core cultivator to move it.
Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators simply couldn’t collect a Spirit Eye Spring.
“Haha, I’ve been managing my family, so I’ve studied the Dragon-Seeker’s techniques and learned a few related spells.”
Lu Changsheng laughed.
In the past, it would have been difficult for him to take the Spirit Eye Spring.
But for a second-rank Dragon-Seeker, it was easy.
“Shoo.”
Lu Changsheng shooed the golden rat out of the Spirit Eye Spring.
Such clear and clean spiritual water, and yet a rat was soaking in it. How disrespectful.
The Spirit-Seeking Rat reluctantly left the Spirit Eye Spring, squatting nearby with a look of grievance.
“Feiyu, step back.”
Lu Changsheng told Li Feiyu.
“Okay.”
Li Feiyu nodded and stepped back.
But when he saw the skeleton beside the Spirit Eye Spring, he quickly moved it away.
Then Lu Changsheng formed seals with his hands, and a bright yellow light enveloped his palms as he pressed them to the ground.
Rumble!
Spiritual light surged, and the ground around the Spirit Eye Spring shook violently, cracking open.
“Rise!”
Lu Changsheng murmured, and the palm-sized spring burst from the ground, slowly rising.
Once the Spirit Eye Spring was fully suspended in the air, Lu Changsheng cast several seals, wrapping the spring in a yellow glow and sealing it.
“Whew!”
Lu Changsheng stored the Spirit Eye Spring in his Storage Ring, his eyes gleaming with joy.
With this Spirit Eye Spring, his family’s spiritual veins, or even the Sumeru Cave Heaven, could improve.
“If I’m lucky and find more Spirit Eye Springs or even higher-Tier ones, reaching a Third-Tier spiritual vein would be easy.”
Lu Changsheng couldn’t help but fantasize.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Changsheng, you really know a lot of skills.”
Li Feiyu marveled at the sight.
He had learned a lot about Lu Changsheng recently.
He knew that Lu Changsheng was a Top-Tier second-rank Talisman Master and a low-rank second-rank pill refiner.
Now, seeing that Lu Changsheng also knew the Dragon-Seeking Technique, he didn’t know what to say.
He thought that his good brother, despite having a poor talent for spiritual roots, had deep fortune and incredible comprehension.
Even as a rogue cultivator, he could live a prosperous life!
Then, he placed the skeleton into the deep pit left by the Spirit Eye Spring.
“Senior, we won’t be inheriting your legacy.”
“These treasures can’t be taken with you in life or death, so it’s too wasteful to bury them with you.”
“Today, we’ve laid you to rest, and these treasures will serve as our payment for your burial.”
Li Feiyu spoke solemnly.
Then he buried the skeleton and carved a tombstone with his long sword, engraving the words “Jing Jueming’s Grave.”
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng also stepped forward and bowed.
After all, he had taken the benefits, so it was only right to show some gratitude.
“Everyone says that cultivating immortality is great, but who sees the bones buried in the wild? Even a Golden Core cultivator ended up like this.”
Li Feiyu sighed.
In all his years of cultivation, he had seen very few Golden Core cultivators.
This was the first time he had seen the remains of one, and it made him reflect.
“That’s why we should cherish the present.”
Lu Changsheng smiled.
“Haha, I just can’t stay idle.”
Li Feiyu smiled bitterly and shook his head. “Besides, I couldn’t bear to give up.”
“We should clean up this place.”
Lu Changsheng frowned as he looked around.
He had opened a path here, and if others came, they could follow it.
After a moment of thought, he put the Spirit-Seeking Rat back in its Spirit Pet Bag and used an Iron Wall Talisman to solidify the stone chamber, forming an iron wall.
Then, with Li Feiyu, he exited the cave and used the Giant Sword Technique to collapse the cave.
“Boom, boom, boom—”
In an instant, the cave collapsed, and the two of them turned into streams of light, quickly leaving.
“Changsheng, Father, Uncle Li.”
Outside the mine, Lu Miaoge and Lu Quanzhen werr still waiting.
“We were surveying the situation inside, so it took some time. Now, let’s head straight for White Tiger Mountain.”
Lu Changsheng said to his wife and children.
Naturally, they had no objections.
Then they boarded the Spirit Boat and headed directly for White Tiger Mountain.
“Miaoge, we’re really lucky this time. I found a Spirit Eye Spring inside.”
On the Spirit Boat, Lu Changsheng transmitted his joy to Lu Miaoge..
“What? A Spirit Eye Spring!?”
Lu Miaoge was even more surprrsed than Lu Changsheng.
“Yes, although this Spirit Eye Spring isn’t as good as the one we previously obtained, it’s still quite remarkable.”
“And there was also the corpse of a Golden Core cultivator, but it belonged to a demonic cultivator who died hundreds or even thousands of years ago. He was severely injured, so there weren’t any valuable treasures.”
Lu Changsheng continued.
“That’s already great. Not only did we find a Spirit Stone vein, but we also gained so much. Changsheng, your fortune is truly deep.”
Lu Miaoge said softly, marvellng at her husband’s luck.
No wonder he possessed so many Natural Treasures, rare cultivation techniques, and spirit pets!
With such fortune, it’s like he’s blessed with opportunities wherever he goes!
It seems that ever since he found the Nine Abyss Mastiff in his early years, every time he goes out, he encounters good fortune.
White Tiger Mountain, Zhao Family.
At this moment, the Zhao Family’s grand formation was fully activated and slowly operating.
All the family disciples were on high alert, as if facing a great enemy.
Although the Zhao Family patriarch had invited people from the Jin Family of Jinlong Ridge to act as neutral mediators,
this situation was still an excellent opportunity to strengthen the family’s cohesion!
“Hmm, why hasn’t Lu Changsheng arrived yet? Didn’t he send word that he was heading for White Tiger Mountain?”
The Zhao Family Head looked at the situation outside, frowning and pacing anxiously.
It wasn’t that he was eager for Lu Changsheng to arrive.
But he had received news that Lu Changsheng was coming to attack, yet he hadn’t arrived, leaving him feeling uneasy.
After all, the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain was famous. Even though the old patriarch had invited people from Jinlong Ridge, he was still worried.
“Hmm!? They’re here!”
At that moment, the Zhao Family Head saw two small Spirit Boats flying toward them from the distant sky, growing larger and larger.
He immediately ordered the Zhao Family disciples, who were on high alert, “Prepare yourselves!”
He then sent a message to the family patriarch, informing him that Lu Changsheng had arrived.
“So this is White Tiger Mountain?”
On the Spirit Boat, Lu Changsheng looked at White Tiger Mountain.
The entire valley was shrouded in a pale golden formation, obscuring the view inside.
But from above, it looked like a crouching tiger.
From what Lu Changsheng knew, White Tiger Mountain had rich mineral resources.
In the past, the Zhao Family had relied on these resources and their refining skills. At their peak, they had five Foundation Establishment cultivators and controlled two Markets.
But later, for various reasons, they couldn’t advance further and began to decline.
Moreover, because mineral resources are non-renewable, the family’s income decreased as they were overexploited, leading to a worsening situation for the family.
In the last few decades, they had two Foundation Establishment cultivators.
But after the battle at Blackwater Pool, the Zhao Family lost one of their Foundation Establishment patriarchs, leaving them with only one. They were in dire straits.
“But the spiritual vein of White Tiger Mountain must be good. Even if it’s not Second-Tier high quality, it’s still Top-Tier Second-Tier, not worse than Bihu Mountain back then.”
Lu Changsheng thought to himself.
He wasn’t planning to establish a branch family at White Tiger Mountain just yet.
He intended to wait until his children broke through to Foundation Establishment before considering sending them to White Tiger Mountain.
However, with his Dragon-Seeking skills, he was tempted to try extracting a spiritual vein from White Tiger Mountain!
Soon,
the two Spirit Boats stopped at the gate of White Tiger Mountain, hovering in the air.
Lu Changsheng, dressed in a green robe, stepped off the Spirit Boat, stood in mid-air, and summoned a white Magical Sword, which he slashed at the pale golden formation of White Tiger Mountain.
“Boom, boom!”
The formation on White Tiger Mountain immediately flickered with spiritual light, with golden light flowing, and a fierce tiger seemed to be roaring within.
Second-Tier high quality—Crouching Tiger Formation!
“Master Lu, how dare you attack my Zhao Family! You’re pushing us too far! Do you think White Tiger Mountain is so weak that it can be easily bullied!?”
The Zhao Family Head, dressed in a purple robe, flew out of the formation, his face filled with anger and shock as he shouted.
He hadn’t expected Lu Changsheng to be so arrogant!
He attacked the formation without a word, showing no respect for White Tiger Mountain!
“Pushing too far!? Your Zhao Family coveted my Lu Family’s Spirit Stone vein and even tried to harm my daughter. How dare you say I’m pushing too far!?”
“If you know what’s good for you, open the formation yourself and apologize. I might spare your Zhao Family. Otherwise, today will be the day White Tiger Mountain is destroyed!”
Lu Changsheng sneered coldly, continuing to attack the formation with an indifferent expression.
Seeing this, Li Feiyu and the Lu Family disciples also summoned their magical weapons and attacked White Tiger Mountain.
“Boom, boom, boom—”
In an instant, the formation on White Tiger Mountain flickered with spiritual light, growing dim.
“Lu Changsheng, stop slandering us! You’re using this as an excuse to forcibly take White Tiger Mountain!”
At that moment, a powerful, slightly aged voice rang out.
A figure flew out from the depths of the mountain.
He had gray hair, a tall build, and wore a purple robe full of majesty. He was the Zhao Family patriarch.
But when he saw Lu Miaoge, his pupils shrank..
Although many believed that the battle at Red Leaf Valley had been greatly exaggerated,
some images from the floating stones showed that the two of them had indeed slain several Foundation Establishment cultivators!
“Slandering?”
Lu Changsheng had already guessed that they wouldn’t admit it when he saw the scene at the mine.
He sneered, “You Zhao Family know the truth.”
“Facts speak louder than words. Even if the higher sects ask about this, I have a clear conscience!”
“If you open the formation now and apologize, I might spare you.”
“But if you stubbornly resist and choose to oppose Bihu Mountain, I won’t show mercy.”
Lu Changsheng said, slapping his Storage Bag, and a black bead the size of a fist appeared.
This bead was called the “Prohibition-Breaking Pearl,” which Ling Zixiao had obtained from Xiahou Demon. It could break formations and prohibitions.
Then, from his sleeve,
talismans flew out one after another, floating around him.
“Lu Changsheng, you’re too arrogant!”
The Zhao Family patriarch’s face was filled with fear and anger as he saw the talismans, wanting to activate the formation immediately.
“Haha, Master Lu, you’re quite fiery and domineering.”
At that moment, a calm voice was heard.
A middle-aged man in his forties, with a square face, dark hair, and a dignified appearance, dressed in a golden dragon-patterned robe, walked out with his hands behind his back, looking at Lu Changsheng.