Chapter 413: I’m Almost Always Ridiculously Clever!

Reunion always feels like a new marriage.

In Hall of Everlasting Life, Lu Changsheng and his many wives engaged in a series of passionate battles. The experience was so intense that words can’t fully describe it.

Afterward!

Lu Changsheng shared the details of his journey to the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range with his wives.

However, he left out the part about being chased by the Demon King and killing Bai Feng Immortal to avoid worrying them.

Even so, his wives—Lu Miaoge, Lu Miaohuan, and QQ Zhenzhen—listened with rapt attention, exclaiming at the exciting details.

After all, apart from Ling Zixiao, who had seen a bit of the world, none of the other wives had traveled far from home.

Their understanding of the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and Third-Tier demon kings came mainly from books.

“Once things settle down, I’ll take you all to the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and to some of the Immortal Cities,” Lu Changsheng said with a smile.

But halfway through, he swallowed his words.

Turning to Lu Miaohuan and Lu Miaoyun, he gently said, “Dn’t worry, I’ll find a way to resolve the issues with the Heaven and Earth Longevity Technique.”

“Hmm~”

“Husband, it’s okay.”

“I think it’s fine this way, too.”

The three women understandingly nodded.

However, Lu Changsheng still noticed a trace of sadness on Lu Miaohuan’s beautiful face.

She had always been lively and playful, but after cultivating the Heaven and Earth Longevity Technique, she could not leave Bihu Mountain.

Especially since in recent years, her father, Lu Yuanshan Ding, was growing old and nearing death, and she couldn’t visit him, often feeling sad alone.

“Once we can shape Sumeru, we can transplant your Innate Spirit Plants into Sumeru Cave Heaven, and you’ll be able to leave Bihu Mountain,” Lu Changsheng explained softly.

“Or, if I find a treasure that can grow Heaven and Earth Spirit Plants, you’ll be able to travel freely without constraints.”

Over the years, he had studied the Heaven and Earth Longevity Technique deeply.

In theory, as long as there was a Cave Heaven treasure that could nurture Heaven and Earth Spirit Plants and with his help, they could leave.

“A Cave Heaven treasure…”

Lu Miaohuan and Lu Miaoyun’s eyes lit up with ope.

They naturally wanted to go out and explore with Lu Changsheng if possible.

But they knew the value of a Cave Heaven treasure.

Even ordinary treasures were incredibly precious, possessed only by Golden Core experts or False Core masters.

Cave Heaven treasures were even rarer, perhaps dozens of times more so, especially those that could grow Heaven and Earth Spirit Plants.

“Mhm, we’ll leave it to you, Husband!”

Among the three women, Qu Zhenzhen cared the least about traveling.

She was a serious homebody and didn’t like leaving the house.

Her son, Lu Quanzhen, was the only one who traveled far, while her other children stayed at Bihu Mountain, so she wasn’t really worried.

Everything she needed could be obtained by talking to her daughter Lu Caizhen or Lu Changsheng and Lu Wangshu.

After enjoying a few peaceful, relaxing days in Sumeru Cave Heaven with his wives, Lu Changsheng turned his attention to family matters, especially the condition of his children.

“Greetings, Father!”

“Father, Mother, Aunt!”

“Papa, Papa!”

Upon hearing that Lu Changsheng had left seclusion, all his children came to greet him.

Even Lu Lingxiao, Lu Xingcheng, Lu Qingsong, and Lu Ping’an were all recalled.

Lu Ruyi and Lu Xian’er were left to guard White Tiger Mountain with the Nine Abyss Mastiff.

As for Lu Xingyue and Lu Yunlou, they were still stationed at the Market according to their sect’s orders, so they hadn’t returned yet.

“Papa, Papa, Sister says you have gifts for us,” his youngest daughter, Lu Linghe, said with a joyful smile, running up to him with her adorable little head tilted up.

Lu Changsheng glanced at his daughter, Lu Wangshu, who was standing nearby.

She wore a pink and white dress, her flawless face bright with youthful energy, hands behind her back, looking around as if admiring the scenery.

“Hehe.”

Lu Changsheng chuckled, then reached out to ruffle his youngest daughter’s hair. “Of course. Here, Linghe, you take the Spirit Stones and give one to each of your siblings.”

“Wow, so many Spirit Stones! Thank you, Papa!”

Lu Linghe’s eyes sparkled as she saw the mid-Tier Spirit Stones in the Storage Bag. She happily began handing them out.

“One for Big Brother, one for me!”

“One for Brother Lu Yun, one for me!”

“One for Sister Caizhen, one for me!”

Lu Wangshu gave her a thumbs up and said, “Linghe, you’re so smart.”

“Heh heh.”

Lu Linghe straightened her small chest with pride and said joyfully, “You all think I’m silly, but I’m actually super clever most of the time!”

Then, with a giggle, she handed a Spirit Stone to Lu Wangshu. “One for you, Sister, one for me.”

“Hahaha!”

Laughter filled the hall, causing Ling Zixiao to sigh and rub her forehead.

“Hahaha!”

Lu Changsheng also laughed, saying, “What’s wrong with getting a little extra for our hardworking Linghe?”

After a bit more chatting, Lu Changsheng stood up and said, “Ping’an, Yun’er, Caizhen, Qingsong, Xingcheng, Chensha, Xiaoyao, come with me.”

“Yes, Father.”

Lu Yun and the others guessed what was coming.

Lu Chensha seemed a bit confused when his name was called.

He didn’t know why he was included, but quickly followed.

In a side hall, Lu Changsheng first turned to his son Lu Chensha and said, “Chensha, I have some Ironfire Ants here. Take them and nurture them well.”

As he spoke, he lifted his hand and handed over the Ironfire Ant larvae and eggs he had obtained from the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.

“Ironfire Ants!?”

Lu Chensha’s eyes lit up with joy as he respectfully saluted. “Thank you, Father. I’ll raise them well.”

He had read about them in the Exotic Insects Compendium before.

Even though these ants were ranked low, making the list showed how exceptional they were.

If he could raise them in the tens of thousands, even Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle against them.

As he looked at the dense cluster of eggs and larvae, he estimated there were nearly a thousand.

If nurtured properly, in the future there could be tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands.

“Yes, start by hatching and raising them normally, and come to me if you run into any issues.”

Lu Changsheng instructed.

The living conditions required by Ironfire Ants were harsh, but with the Insect Nest Pouch and Ancient Beast Taming Talisman, it wasn’t a problem.

Nonetheless, he planned to plant the Golden Flame Vine Tree after upgrading the spiritual veins.

“Yes, Father.”

Lu Chensha bowed respectfully.

“Do you have the Ancient Beast Taming Talisman with you?”

Lu Changsheng asked next.

“I do.”

Lu Chensha quickly handed it over.

After inspecting it, Lu Changsheng handed him a Storage Bag and said, “Pour all the Spirit Stones and materials in here into the talisman.”

Previously, due to limited resources, his Black Water Flood Dragon Dao Weapon had taken a long time to mature.

Now that they were wealthy, he planned to quickly nurture the first batch of Second-Tier Flood Dragons.

“Yes, Father.”

Lu Chensha responded obediently.

“Alright, you may go. Notify me when the first Second-Tier Flood Dragon appears.”

Lu Changsheng said.

“Understood.”

Lu Chensha couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the presence of his father.

As he left the side hall, he peeked into the Storage Bag and gasped.

“So many Spirit Stones and crystal nuclei, along with Natural Treasures. This must be worth over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones!”

He realized just how wealthy his father truly was.

But he had no thoughts of greed nor would he dare to.

Besides having Lu Changsheng as his father, his mother, although distant, always gave him plenty of cultivation resources whenever they met.

Without it, he wouldn’t have been able to cultivate so many spirit insects.

“Brother Chensha, here, one for you, one for me!”

Just then, little Lu Linghe handed him a Spirit Stone and placed another in her pouch.

“Thank you, Linghe.”

Lu Chensha smiled warmly as he accepted the Spirit Stone.

A mid-Tier Spirit Stone equals a hundred low-Tier ones, which wasn’t a small amount for him.

But after seeing what his father gave, this stone seemed less appealing.

“Once I break through Foundation Establishment, I should be able to earn Spirit Stones quickly, right?”

Lu Chensha pondered.

“Heh heh, you’re welcome.”

Lu Linghe grinned, then bounced off to give more Spirit Stones to any family members she hadn’t reached yet.

In the side hall.

“Ping’an, how’s the situation with the merchant guild?”

Lu Changsheng asked, looking at his tall and sturdy eldest son, whose features were strong and upright.

“Father, everything is in place.”

Lu Ping’an said in a deep voice.

Six months ago, the Lu Family had announced plans to establish a merchant guild, spreading the word and even involving the Qingzhu Mountain, Hundred Bird Lake, and Tiemulin families.

Now, they were just waiting for the nod from Lu Changsheng.

“Good. Pick a time that suits you.”

Lu Changsheng said.

After that, he took a closer look at Lu Ping’an and asked, “Ping’an, you’re almost ready to break through in your Hundred Refined Body Technique, right?”

“Uh, it should take another two or three years.”

Lu Ping’an scratched his head.

“Two or three years?”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on his shoulder to examine his physical condition.

A few moments later, he said, “Stay at Bihu Mountain for a while longer. I’ll prepare a medicinal bath for you. After that, you can break through to the eighth level of the technique.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Lu Ping’an bowed his head in gratitude.

“The eighth level of the Hundred Refined Body Technique!?”

The others looked at their older brother with admiration.

Especially Lu Lingxiao.

He also cultivated the Hundred Refined Body Technique.

He knew how significant the eighth level was.

Their eldest brother was still early in Foundation Establishment, and his body tempering was already at the quasi-third tier!?

“Hm, take this spirit beast,” Lu Changsheng handed Lu Ping’an a beast tamer token and a Spirit Pet Bag. “This beast has been tamed but remains wild. It will take time and effort to fully subdue it.”

“If you can tame it, it will be a fine pet.”

Lu Changsheng said.

Inside the bag was the Second-Tier spirit beast, the Silver-Winged Golden Lightning Falcon, which he had acquired earlier.

Lu Changsheng himself wasn’t interested in taming it, nor did he have the patience.

Of all his children, only Lu Ping’an was strong enough to tame it.

This would be a great mount for when he visited Ruyi County.

“Thanks, Father.”

Lu Ping’an accepted the Spirit Pet Bag, curious about the spirit beast inside.

He saw a majestic eagle shimmering with golden light, its fierce eyes like lightning.

Its wings were like thunderbolts, gleaming with a cold silver hue.

Lu Changsheng waved him off and then began examining the cultivation progress of his five children.

Lu Lingxiao and Lu Xingcheng had no problem with Foundation Establishment.

The key was what kind of Dao Foundation they could form.

As for Lu Yun, Lu Caizhen, and Lu Qingsong, their chances were slim.

Although Lu Caizhen had a Fifth-Tier Spirit Root,

she was very inconsistent in her cultivation and lacked strong aptitude.

“All of you should take some time to adjust. Later, I’ll prepare a medicinal bath for you to assist with your Foundation Establishment,” Lu Changsheng said.

After all, the battle with the Demon King was to prepare for these baths. Everyone would get their share.

But since Lu Lingxiao’s situation was special, his bath would be more intense.

“Yes, Father!”

“Thank you, Father.”

Everyone responded with joyful faces.

Lu Changsheng then addressed any training concerns they had.

“Alright, it’s just Foundation Establishment, nothing to worry about.”

Lu Changsheng said lightly as he walked out of the side hall with his children.

But even so, Lu Yun, Lu Caizhen, and Lu Qingsong were still a bit nervous.

After all, cultivating alone wasn’t the same as all five of them doing it together.

If everyone else succeeded except them, it would be embarrassing.

No one in the family had ever failed at Foundation Establishment.

If they became the first, they’d be recorded in the family’s shame book.

That evening, Lu Changsheng arranged a family banquet so everyone could gather.

With so many wives and children, the hall couldn’t fit them all.

But these gatherings were more about family bonding.

The next day.

“Xiaoyao, I remember your Vermilion Bird Sky Burning Scripture has a Fire Absorption technique, right?”

Lu Changsheng found his son Lu Lingxiao, ready to help him refine the Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire.

“Yes,” Lu Lingxiao nodded, guessing what his father was about to do.

His mother, Ling Zixiao, had mentioned the Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire before.

“Come, I have time now. I’ll help you refine the Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire.”

Lu Changsheng led Lu Lingxiao to find his wife Lu Miaoge..

Since his son was still in the Qi Refining stage, refining this Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire was dangerous, so Lu Miaoge’s help was needed..

“Husband, isn’t Xiaoyao too young to refine this fire? Shouldn’t we wait until after he achieves Foundation Establishment?”

Ling Zixiao was surprised that Lu Changsheng wanted to do this now.

She knew how fierce the fire was, even she couldn’t handle it easily, let alone Lu Lingxiao.

“Xiaoyao has the Dragon Chant Physique. Refining the fire now will strengthen his foundation.”

“With both Miaoge and I watching, nothing will happen.”

Lu Changsheng assured with a smile.

Then he turned to Lu Miaoge, “Miaoge, use the TTiji True Water to protect his meridians and dantian.”

“Yes.”

Her gentle and beautiful face smiled warmly.

“Thank you, Father, Aunt.”

Lu Lingxiao bowed, grateful for the chance to build a perfect Dao Foundation.

“It will be painful, though,” Lu Changsheng warned as he took out the porcelain bottle containing the Second-Tier flame.

“Father, don’t worry. I can handle it!”

Lu Lingxiao’s face showed resolve.

“Good, you truly are my son.”

Lu Changsheng smiled as he released the flame from the ice jade bottle.

The normally quiet black flame suddenly roared to life as it filled the air with intense heat.

“What a terrifying Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire! No wonder the old ancestor of the Ming family decided to sell it. It would be nearly impossible for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to subdue it,” Ling Zixiao murmured, realizing the flame’s true power was only revealed now.

“A Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire…”

“If the Second-Tier Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire is this terrifying, what about the Third-Tier ones?”

Lu Lingxiao felt the heat and instinctively stepped back.

“Hmm!”

Lu Changsheng saw this and gave a soft snort.

His jade-like hand grasped the roaring black flame.

“Hiss!”

The black fire surged, trying to engulf him.

But then a dragon-shaped purple-red flame emerged from his hand, forcing the black flame to retreat.

While without intelligence, these flames possess a primal instinct.

Heaven and Earth Spirit Fires tend to devour one another.

So, the black flame feared the Thunder-Reinforced Dragon Flame.

“Is that also a Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire?”

Lu Lingxiao asked suspiciously, sensing a strange connection with the flame in his father’s hand.

“Yes, it is.”

Lu Changsheng replied, then subdued the black flame into a weakened state with the Thunder-Reinforced Dragon Flame.

“Miaoge, your turn.”

Lu Changsheng nodded to Lu Miaoge, signaling her..

Lu Miaoge’s hand, glowing a ssft blue, pressed against Lu Lingxiao’s back.

“Xiaoyao,” Lu Changsheng called.

He then cut his palm, and as the blood flowed, he placed the black flame into his son’s hand.

“Ahh!”

The moment Lu Lingxiao held the flame, he felt searing pain, as if holding a red-hot iron.

The black flame flared up, trying to burn him completely, even resisting his blood.

“Hmph!”

Lu Changsheng immediately used his Yin-Yang Qi to force the flame and his son’s blood to merge.

As their blood and the flame fused, it dimmed, shrinking into a thumb-sized red flame.

Then Lu Changsheng used his Qi to wrap his son’s body, signaling him to proceed.

“Yes!”

Lu Lingxiao’s skin turned red, his face covered in sweat. Without hesitation, he swallowed the flame.

“Ah!”

Lu Lingxiao’s eyes widened, his handsome face contorting with pain.

Pain!

It was unbearable!

The moment the black flame entered, it felt like molten lava flowing through his veins.

If his father wasn’t protecting him, he felt he would’ve turned to ashes instantly.

Even so, it felt as if a fiery furnace was inside him.

The black flame scorched every inch of his body, blood, skin, bones, even his spiritual energy, causing excruciating pain.

Thankfully, a gentle warmth soon spread throughout his body, easing the searing heat.

Ling Zixiao didn’t say anything, but her eyes showed a hint of tension and worry.

Refining Heaven and Earth Spirit Fires was perilous.

One wrong move could cause severe injury or even death.

This black flame was so fierce that it was beyond a Qi Refining cultivator’s ability to withstand.

Without Lu Changsheng’s help, even someone as talented as Lu Lingxiao couldn’t have hoped to refine it.

“Xiaoyao, circulate your energy,” Lu Changsheng instructed, helping his son refine the black flame.

“Yes,” Lu Lingxiao rasped, his voice dry, as he focused on the Fire Absorption technique.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz—”

As the Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire moved through his meridians, Lu Lingxiao’s Dragon Chant Physique began to awaken.

A blazing Yang energy surged forth, overpowering the black flame.

But Lu Changsheng noticed a slight imperfection in this Yang energy, making it less effective.

“Still, it’s good enough,” Lu Changsheng muttered to himself.

Although the Dragon Chant Physique wasn’t perfect, it was still doing its job.

Lu Lingxiao also noticed his Spirit Body aiding in the refinement of the black flame.

As the flame circulated within him, subtle changes occurred.

But he was in too much pain to dwell on these changes.

Time passed slowly.

Lu Lingxiao’s skin flushed red, glowing with black fire.

Yin-Yang Qi protected his body, meridians, dantian, and organs.

Taiji True Water slowly nourished his burning flesh.

Eventually, the flame’s intensity waned.

In his dantian, a small black flame spun slowly.

This flame had blended with his Dragon Chant Yang energy, and a faint golden light glimmered within its depths.

Lu Lingxiao panted heavily, his throat parched.

But he was elated, knowing the worst was over.

Now, he only needed to fully integrate the flame with his body.

During this process, his Hundred Refined Body Technique accelerated, unleashing the source energy in his chest to strengthen his organs and limbs.

“Phew!”

Ling Zixiao exhaled in relief, seeing her son was safe.

She knew the worst part was over.

The upcoming steps were still risky, but with Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge there, it wasn’t a roblem.

Time continued to pass.

Finally, Lu Lingxiao refined the black flame.

“Boom!”

The black flame erupted from him, filled with a destructive aura.

At the same time, his blood surged like a river, forming a radiant pillar of light.

Lu Changsheng knew this signaled his son’s Hundred Refined Body Technique breaking through from the fourth to the fifth layer.