Chapter 414: Annihilation Flame, Twenty at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining!

“Father, Mother, Aunt.”

Lu Lingxiao’s eyes opened, his pupils burst out two streaks of golden light, emitting a strong aura.

His tall and slender body was engulfed in a dark flame, making him look cold, dignified, and domineering.

“Hehe, not bad.”

Lu Changsheng glanced at his son’s condition and nodded in satisfaction.

Refining this Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire, not only did his son’s entire body undergo a cleansing, but his body tempering also broke through to the second rank, further solidifying his foundation.

“Xiaoyao, this Spirit Fire doesn’t have a name yet. You can name it yourself.”

Ling Zixiao’s captivating eyes observed the black flame on her son’s body and spoke with a light laugh.

The types of Heaven and Earth Spirit Fires are numerous.

Apart from a few well-known ones, most do not have names.

“Hmm…”

Lu Lingxiao pondered for a moment and said, “This Spirit Fire exudes a destructive aura. How about calling it Annihilation Flame.”

“Annihilation Flame, not bad at all.”

Ling Zixiao smiled slightly.

“Xiaoyao, go back and rest well first. In a few days, you will start attacking Foundation Establishment.”

Lu Changsheng spoke to his son, Lu Lingxiao.

His son had just refined the Annihilation Flame and was in a very weak state, needing a good rest.

“Yes, Father.”

“Mother, Aunt, Xiaoyao takes leave.”

The flames on Lu Lingxiao’s body slowly dissipated; his skin cracked as if dehydrated, like a snake shedding its skin, forming a layer of old skin.

This was the transformation of the flesh, experiencing a true purification from the inside out, shedding old skin and regrowing anew!

“Thank you for your hard work, Husband and Miaoge.”

At this moment, Ling Zixiao also spoke to Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge..

“We are family, Sister Ling, no need to be so polite.”

Lu Miaoge responded with a geetle smile.

After some light-hearted conversation, Lu Changsheng began preparing the medicinal bath with Ling Zixiao and Lu Miaoge..

He had already taught them how to prepare the medicinal bath.

However, this time the bath was extraordinary, using the blood and flesh essence of a third-rank Demon King as the main ingredient, so he needed to oversee it personally.

At the same time, Bihu Mountain released a piece of news.

It declared that they had a second-rank Pill Alchemist capable of refining Foundation Establishment Pills from special demon cores, guaranteeing at least one successful pill.

If unsuccessful, Bihu Mountain would fully compensate.

Currently, not only was pill refining free, but Bihu Mountain also offered Cave Dwellings to rogue cultivators for Foundation Establishment.

One only needed to provide 3000 Spirit Stones or agree to serve as a guest elder in Bihu Mountain to make use of their facilities for Foundation Establishment.

As soon as this news was released, it spread like a hurricane, causing a stir and sparking countless discussions.

Because this news was shocking.

In the entire Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world, apart from the Four Immortal Sects, only Danxia Mountain and the Three Immortal Cities had such Pill Alchemists.

Ordinary cultivators who wanted someone to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill had to travel to the Three Immortal Cities.

However, the Three Immortal Cities were far away.

Even if Qi Refining cultivators had all the materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill, they found it difficult to reach the Three Immortal Cities, fearing they’d be attacked along the way.

Moreover, even if they made it to the Three Immortal Cities, meeting the Pill Alchemists and requesting their services required connections and wealth.

Now, Bihu Mountain not only offered free pill refining but also guaranteed at least one pill along with providing a venue for breakthroughs.

This news was simply irresistible.

Especially for some family forces.

In the past, through a stroke of luck, they obtained Celestial Spirit Fruit or special demon cores but never dared to go to the Immortal City.

Now, Bihu Mountain provided a much simpler option.

However, this news also aroused suspicion and doubt.

“What?! Bihu Mountain has a second-rank Pill Alchemist who can refine Foundation Establishment Pills? And they guarantee at least one pill?”

“No wonder Bihu Mountain and Qingzhu Mountain these years have produced several Foundation Establishment cultivators, turns out they have such a Pill Alchemist in their family!”

“Why would such a Top-Tier Pill Alchemist not go to the Immortal City to make a name for themselves and instead stay in a small place like Bihu Mountain’s Lu Family?”

“I heard from my cousin’s third mother-in-law’s elder sister, who’s a concubine of the Lu Family patriarch. Apparently, this Pill Alchemist is also one of Lu Changsheng’s concubines!”

“What?! Such a Pill Alchemist as a concubine? What charm does this Lu Family patriarch have?!”

“Damn it! Lu Changsheng must’ve had some serious luck. I remember he’s married to a Top-Tier formation master, and now there’s also a Top-Tier Pill Alchemist.”

“Is this news true? Has anyone tried it?”

“If I go, will Bihu Mountain not kill and rob me?”

“Since Bihu Mountain dares to release such news, it’s likely not fake.”

“That’s right, Bihu Mountain’s actions have always been upright and respectable; they wouldn’t ruin their reputation for such a thing.”

Around Bihu Mountain, countless people engaged in heated discussions about this.

Moreover, the news quickly spread across the Qingyun region.

After all, Bihu Mountain already had quite a reputation in the Qingyun region.

Now that they had such a rare Pill Alchemist capable of refining Foundation Establishment Pills, they immediately became the center of attention.

Qingzhu Mountain, Lu Family.

“Refining Foundation Establishment Pills… Bihu Mountain indeed possesses a Pill Alchemist who can refine Foundation Establishment Pills.”

Upon hearing this news, Lu Yuanzhong and others thought to themselves, as expected.

Years ago, Lu Changsheng almost gave away two Foundation Establishment Pills, and they had already speculated along these lines.

“Refining Foundation Establishment Pills…”

Lu Yuanshan Ding, now old and gray, sat in his courtyard. Hearing this news, he remained indifferent.

Given the current strength of Qingzhu Mountain, he was already content and had long stopped caring about family affairs. He had no interest in exploiting Bihu Mountain for more benefits before his death.

Moreover, further exploiting their relationship with Bihu Mountain would only harm the bond between the two families.

“Especially with Qingshan and Qingxuan here.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding looked at Lu Qingxian, a young man in a green robe with an elegant appearance, and smiled with satisfaction.

His eldest grandson, Lu Qingshan, had deep feelings for Qingzhu Mountain. With him around, he was confident they could weather any crisis.

As for his younger grandson, Lu Qingxian, though not yet fully matured…

Lu Miaoge had told him that ttis grandson possessed a Third-Tier Spirit Root.

With such talent, he believed that under Lu Changsheng’s guidance, Lu Qingxian was destined for Foundation Establishment and would excel in his cultivation.

Given Lu Qingxian’s personality, as long as the family didn’t cross any lines, he would never stand by and watch Qingzhu Mountain decline.

Thus, between these two grandsons, let alone Miaoge, Miaohuan, Miaoyun, and Ping’an, Qingzhu Mountain was set for the next two hundred years.

“Two hundred years…”

Lu Yuanshan Ding mumbled to himself, imagining the day his grandson Lu Qingshan became a Golden Core cultivator.

Lu Qingxian’s Third-Tier Spirit Root might make his chances of Golden Core Formation slim…

But with his son-in-law Lu Changsheng’s skills, it wasn’t impossible.

Moreover, even if he couldn’t form a Golden Core, there was a good chance he could achieve False Core.

“Qingxuan, what’s wrong?”

Lu Qingxian noticed his grandfather smiling at him and gently put down his book, speaking with grace.

“Nothing, your grandfather was just thinking of something pleasant. Where did Qing’er go?”

Lu Yuanshan Ding’s aged face was full of wrinkles as he spoke with a smile.

“Sister Wangshu came yesterday, and Sister went out with her.”

Lu Qingxian spoke in a gentle voice that was as soothing as a spring breeze.

Though his sister came to Qingzhu Mountain to accompany their grandfather, she was an active person, often running to various places.

“Qingxuan, you should also interact more with your brothers and sisters in the family.”

Lu Yuanshan Ding softly advised his grandson.

Hundred Bird Lake, Bai Family.

“Bihu Mountain can refine Foundation Establishment Pills. I wonder if there are any extras. My family might be able to request one.”

Bai Family Ancestor Bai Yunyang muttered to himself after hearing the news.

Back then, when the Lu Family of Bihu Mountain replaced the Yu Family in the Four Major Families, they became a well-known Foundation Establishment family in the Qingyun region.

Qingzhu Mountain, due to its ties with Bihu Mountain, now had three Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The Zheng Family of Centipede Ridge had completely become vassals of the Yu Family of Yushui.

The Bai family of Hundred Bird Lake, while benefiting from their association with Bihu Mountain and Qingzhu Mountain, had yet to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Over the past decades, two family members had tried to achieve Foundation Establishment with Meridian Protection Pills and Foundation Establishment Spirit Materials but failed, leaving the whole family with only Bai Yunyang as their lone Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Now, hearing this news, he was willing to put his pride aside and ask for a Foundation Establishment Pill based on his relationship with both families.

“Amin, immediately send a message to Feifei to verify this news.”

Bai Yunyang instructed.

After speaking, he directly left his Cave Dwelling, saying, “No, I’ll go to Bihu Mountain myself.”

Many families had similar thoughts to Bai Yunyang.

They all realized that Bihu Mountain, since it had such a Pill Alchemist, must have been secretly acquiring special demon cores to refine Foundation Establishment Pills over the years.

Thus, they were willing to spend Spirit Stones or Natural Treasures to obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Jinlong Ridge, Jin Family.

“Bihu Mountain…”

The Jin Family Patriarch immediately held a family meeting upon hearing the news.

For he had instantly realized the severity of the situation.

Lu Family guaranteed at least one Foundation Establishment Pill.

But who could say for sure if more than one pill would be produced during the process?

If two pills were made, Bihu Mountain would keep one.

In such a case, Bihu Mountain would have a continuous supply of Foundation Establishment Pills.

He was especially concerned to hear that Bihu Mountain was offering to provide Foundation Establishment venues for rogue cultivators for just 3000 Spirit Stones or a guest elder position.

For countless rogue cultivators, this was a dream come true!

If this continued, it wouldn’t take long before Bihu Mountain’s strength would surge.

“Damn it! Where did Lu Changsheng find such a Pill Alchemist?!”

“With such a Top-Tier Pill Alchemist, in twenty years max, Bihu Mountain will become a giant!”

“What do we do? Should we consider assassinating this Pill Alchemist?”

“Lu Changsheng would surely protect such a Pill Alchemist well!”

In the discussion hall, the Jin Family’s higher-ups all wore grim expressions.

While they appeared to have no major grudges with Bihu Mountain…

…past actions of suppression and provocation had already sown enmity between the two families.

This enmity was nearly impossible to resolve.

They all knew, once Bihu Mountain amassed enough strength, they would undoubtedly settle their old scores with the Jin Family.

“Should we inform the ancestor and let him decide?”

Someone suggested.

“No, the ancestor is fully focused on nurturing his Magical Treasure. If he hears this news, it might…it might affect his cultivation.”

The Jin Family Patriarch immediately rejected the idea.

Their ancestor had been defeated twice by Lu Changsheng and his wife, nearly spawning a heart demon.

Now, just hearing any news related to Lu Changsheng disturbed his peace.

If he were to hear this news, he might actually attempt to ambush Lu Changsheng or this Pill Alchemist.

“Damn it! If it weren’t for the demon cultivators killing our ancestor, with two False Core cultivators, we wouldn’t fear Bihu Mountain!”

A Jin Family elder said bitterly.

The Jin Family had spent decades building up and finally saw the rise of Jin Zan, with their family reaching its peak.

But before they could enjoy their glory, their ancestor was killed by demon cultivators at Hujialing, causing severe damage to the family.

Even after all these years, the Jin Family had yet to recover from that setback.

“Don’t rush into this matter. First, send someone to gather information about this Pill Alchemist and confirm the situation.”

“Besides, it’s not just our Jin Family that’s anxious about this; other families won’t want to see Bihu Mountain rising like this!”

The Jin Family Patriarch spoke in a deep voice.

“Indeed! The Lu Family’s Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge are already equivallnt to a False Core cultivator; no one wants to see their family producing more Foundation Establishment cultivators!”

“Lu Changsheng has been rising too fast, he’s had such a smooth journey!”

“We absolutely cannot let the Lu Family continue to grow like this.”

“I heard the Lu Family is setting up a merchant association. This move might be laying the groundwork for the association. With such a Pill Alchemist, countless families and forces would want to forge ties with Bihu Mountain.”

The Jin Family’s higher-ups discussed, aware that although the Lu Family was becoming prominent, this also brought them considerable benefits.

After all, even if all families knew Bihu Mountain was on the rise, as long as there were no direct conflicts, no one would want to face them head-on.

Ordinary Foundation Establishment families wouldn’t care about Bihu Mountain’s rise.

They would only actively seek to build good relations with Bihu Mountain and try to gain as many benefits as possible.

Having such a relationship in place would also ensure they wouldn’t provoke Bihu Mountain and invite disaster.

“Sigh…”

After lengthy discussions, the Jin Family higher-ups realized that Bihu Mountain’s rise was most concerning to their own family, and they all fell silent.

Meanwhile, at Bihu Mountain.

Over the past few days, many family forces and even rogue cultivators had come to visit Bihu Mountain, either to verify the news about the Foundation Establishment Pill or to try and purchase one.

Lu Changsheng didn’t involve himself in these matters, leaving them entirely in the hands of his son, Lu Xingyang.

However, whenever a Foundation Establishment ancestor visited, Lu Miaoyun, the Lu Family’s mariarch, would come out to receive them.

Apart from Lu Changsheng, Lu Miaoge, and Ling Zixiao, LL Miaoge was one of the most prominent Foundation Establishment cultivators in the family.

Facing the visitors, Lu Miaoyun and Lu Xingyang conirmed that everything was true.

For those who came for pill refining, as long as they had a clear background, Bihu Mountain promised confidentiality and provided a Cave Dwelling for Foundation Establishment.

However, if their Foundation Establishment failed due to external forces, Bihu Mountain would not be held responsible.

As for those hoping to buy a Foundation Establishment Pill, Lu Miaoyun uniformly declined.

She was well aware that if the Lu Family were to offer even one Foundation Establishment Pill, countless people would swarm in, using various excuses to try and obtain it.

It might even attract demonic cultivators who kill for wealth to kidnap Lu Family members.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lu Miaoyun also announced thatthe Lu Family was continually purchasing materials for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

She even posted a list of wanted items.

The Lu Family promised that if anyone could supply the rare items on the list, they would be given priority if the Lu Family had any available Foundation Establishment Pills in the future.

Although this was essentially just a promise…

the allure of Foundation Establishment Pills, combined with the desire to build goodwill, led many people to take note of the list’s content and consider helping obtain those items.

Lu Changsheng was unaware of these external matters and didn’t give them much thought.

After arranging the ingredients for the medicinal baths for Lu Ping’an, Lu Lingxiao, and the others, he asked Ling Zixiao to take out the Mountain River Cauldron and use it to upgrade Biyun Peak’s spiritual veins, then went to the alchemy room to instruct Li Xingruo in refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

With the news of Foundation Establishment Pills out, it wasn’t feasible for him to personally refine all the Foundation Establishment Pills for the family.

So, he needed to teach Li Xingruo.

In the cultivation world, there were very few Pill Alchemists who could refine Foundation Establishment Pills. It wasn’t that the process was particularly difficult…

But the cost of materials for practicing Foundation Establishment Pills was too high, driving away 90% of Pill Alchemists.

However, Li Xingruo had considerable talent in alchemy. She could already barely refine top-notch second-rank pills and had watched Lu Changsheng refine Foundation Establishment Pills multiple times. His guidance meant it wasn’t too risky for her to try.

Lake Heart Island, in the alchemy room.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

Three alchemy furnaces were set up, with Lu Changsheng handling them all and refining three batches of pills simultaneously.

However, one furnace was managed by Li Xingruo. She first watched Lu Changsheng go through the process before trying it herself.

Whenever she had a problem, Lu Changsheng would offer advice and try to correct the error.

“Once Biyun Peak’s spiritual veins reach second-rank Top-Tier, a branch can be cultivated nearby. By merging it with the Earthly Fiend Fire Veins, we could grow Fire Mulberry Trees, Golden Flame Vine Trees, and establish an alchemy workshop.”

“This way, our family could refine nine batches of pills at once.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself as he watched the furnaces blazing with fire.

Operating three alchemy furnaces wasn’t his limit.

With his current Divine Sense, he could easily manage nine furnaces simultaneously.

But Bihu Mountain’s spiritual veins were primarily water-attributed.

The flames in the family’s alchemy room weren’t powerful enough to support many furnaces.

Moreover, his Thunder-Reinforced Dragon Flame was too fierce, suitable for refining items but not ideal for pill refinement.

“Xingruo, don’t be nervous. This step needs to be smooth, or the pill might lose balance during the fusion process.”

At that moment, noticing that the Foundation Establishment Pill in Li Xingruo’s furnace was forming irregularly under the intense flames, Lu Changsheng gave her a reminder.

As he spoke, he raised his hand to adjust the fire and channeled several incantations, helping the pill round out as it was being baked.

“Now, use the Locking Essence Tempering Technique to temper the pill. Each tempering should last three breaths, with a pause for nine breaths. Repeat this eighty-one times.”

Lu Changsheng’s mind was multitasking, managing his own furnaces while instructing Li Xingruo.

When he first obtained the second-rank pill refinement technique, he was already highly skilled in alchemy but couldn’t manage such complex tasks so easily.

This was all due to his cultivation breakthrough, reaching Golden Core Formation, and the awakening of his Taiyi Divine Soul.

If he wanted to, he could calmly delve into alchemy, puppetry, and other arts, and reaching the third rank wouldn’t have been too difficult.

“Alright.”

Li Xingruo nodded seriously, though still a bit nervous.

After all, this was a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Each batch had a cost of tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.

Much later…

“Boom—”

Three batches of Foundation Establishment Pills emerged from the furnaces.

From Lu Changsheng’s two furnaces, six Foundation Establishment Pills appeared, three of which were Top-Tier and three of high quality.

Due to some issues during the process, despite Lu Changsheng’s intervention, Li Xingruo only managed two inferior pills and one failed pill.

“Hehe, for your first time refining Foundation Establishment Pills, producing two pills is quite impressive. Xingruo, your talent in alchemy is truly extraordinary.”

Lu Changsheng chuckled.

Though inferior-Tier Foundation Establishment Pills only increased the Foundation Establishment probability by 10%,

for a rogue cultivator, they were still immensely valuable.

If auctioned at the Hongye Valley Marketplace, they might fetch as much as ten thousand Spirit Stones.

So, these two inferior Foundation Establishment Pills weren’t a total loss.

“Husband, please don’t tease me like that.”

Li Xingruo understood that it was mainly due to Lu Changsheng’s continual guidance that she had managed to preserve those two pills.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have even made it to pill formation.

“I’m being honest. With a few more batches, my Xingruo will surely produce high-quality Foundation Establishment Pills.”

Lu Changsheng spoke softly, with a smile.

“Mm~”

Looking at Lu Changsheng’s handsome face, Li Xingruo’s eyes were filled with admiration, affection, and tenderness as she nodded.

“The pills are ready, so it’s time to start Foundation Establishment.”

Lu Changsheng collected the Foundation Establishment Pills and exhaled softly, looking forward to the advanced reward after his ten children completed Foundation Establishment.

However, at that moment, a system notification sounded in his mind.

【Congratulations to the host for having twenty offspring reach the Ninth Level of Qi Refining. You have earned a lottery draw!】