Chapter 430: Spiritual Vein Advancement, Two New Branch Veins!

Xuanwu Ridge.

Sima Family Ancestral Hall.

“How can this be possible?!”

The Sima Family head saw four broken Soul Tablets before him and trembled all over, his face deathly pale.

It wasn’t just fear from the death of his four uncles.

He also feared the wrath of his family’s ancestor after their deaths.

After all, these four uncles were the hope of the Sima Family’s current generation and had the potential to reach Golden Core Formation.

Now, they have all perished.

“They only went to deal with the Lu Family caravan from Bihu Mountain. How could they have all died outside?”

“Could it have been an ambush by another family’s False Core ancestor?”

The Sima Family head’s body shook, muttering in disbelief.

“No, that’s absolutely impossible. If another family’s False Core ancestor dared to do that, it would lead to mutual destruction with our Sima Family. No one would dare to act so recklessly.”

“Moreover, my uncles were extraordinary. Even a False Core cultivator would find it hard to kill them all.”

The Sima Family head’s throat went dry, and his mind quivered with fear, wondering whether his four uncles encountered some other danger along the way.

He didn’t dare think more and hurriedly flew towards the top of Xuanwu Peak, landing in front of a Cave Dwelling, kneeling and shouting, “Ancestor, something terrible has happened!”

“Why are you shouting so loudly?”

A heavy and imposing voice full of authority echoed from within the Cave Dwelling.

“Ancestor…”

The Sima Family head knelt before the Cave Dwelling, his face pale and soaked in sweat, his voice dry as he said, “Sima Bo, Sima Zhong, Sima Shu, Sima Ji—my four uncles’ Soul Tablets have shattered.”

“What?!”

A surge of powerful and startling energy erupted from the cave, pressing down on the kneeling Sima Family head, causing his blood to churn and his chest to feel heavy.

He didn’t dare move, lying prone on the ground, his voice trembling as he said, “Not long ago, the four uncles heard about the situation with Bihu Mountain and went to intercept the Lu Family caravan, saying they wanted to dampen their spirit.”

“The Lu Family caravan from Bihu Mountain? How could a mere Lu Family from Bihu Mountain possibly kill the Sima Family’s pride!”

An old man with gray hair, a rough face, and wearing a black brocade robe walked out of the Cave Dwelling. His eyes glowed with a fearsome light as he stared at the Sima Family head, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

“Ancestor, I don’t know either…”

The Sima Family head trembled as he spoke.

He knew all too well that this ancestor of his did not have a good temper.

It was only after breaking through to the False Core that his temperament had improved a great deal.

“I remember that brat from the Lu Family, Lu Changsheng, and his wife cultivate a Dual Cultivation Method, giving them the battle power to rival a False Core. They also have a Talisman Formation technique.”

The Sima Family’s ancestor’s voice was filled with authority and dominance, his sharp eyes continuing to question. “Did Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge personally oversee hat caravan?”

“The Lu Family caravan was overseen by Lu Ping’an, the eldest son, and Lu Changsheng’s Dao companion, Ling Zixiao,”

the Sima Family head replied.

After speaking, he added, “A month ago at the Bihu Mountain Hongye Valley Marketplace’s Foundation Establishment Pill auction, Lu Changsheng didn’t show up. So it’s possible that Lu Changsheng was hiding among the caravan.”

Although he didn’t think Lu Changsheng had the strength to kill his four uncles, he suspected they might have encountered some other danger.

However, with his ancestor’s fury, he definitely wanted to vent it out.

If he continued to analyze and speculate, his ancestor’s anger might land on him.

“Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge relied on the Dual ultivation Method. Without Lu Miaoge, how could Lu Changgheng have such skills?”

The Sima family’s ancestor appeared to be furious but still maintained some reason.

“Ancestor, not long ago at the Hongye Valley Marketplace, Lu Changsheng’s daughter, Lu Wangshu, used a Talisman Formation to kill five Foundation Establishment cultivators on her own. It shows that Lu Changsheng’s Talisman Making Inheritance is extraordinary, likely a top inheritance.”

“Many years ago, after Lu Changsheng had just made a breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, he used a Talisman Formation to kill three Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Yu Family and took over Bihu Mountain.”

“It’s been years. No one knows how much Lu Changsheng’s talismanic skills have improved. If my four uncles were careless and got caught in his Talisman Formation, perhaps…”

The Sima family head suddenly felt it made a lot of sense. It seemed very likely.

Immediately, he looked up at his ancestor with a mournful expression and said, “Otherwise, with their strength, even a False Core cultivator could not have killed all of them.”

“I heard from the 19th Elder that all four Soul Tablets shattered around the same time, which is similar to the effect of Lu Changsheng’s Talisman Formation technique.”

“Ancestor, we must seek justice for the four uncles!”

The Sima family head cried out loudly as a wave of sorrow surged within him.

But as soon as he finished speaking, a sudden thought halted him.

If Lu Changsheng could kill his four uncles, could his ancestor really kill Lu Changsheng?

“Lu Changsheng, what nerve! How dare you kill the pride of the Sima Family! This ancestor will destroy your Lu Family of Bihu Mountain!”

The Sima family ancestor roared in fury.

It must be known that Sima Bo and his brothers had gained a great opportunity years ago and learned a supreme secret technique.

When one of them attempted Golden Core Formation, the other three could sacrifice their life forces to increase his chances by 20 to 30 percent.

With the Sima Family’s resources and this supreme technique, they might have succeeded and made the Sima Family a Golden Core lineage.

But now, with the fall of the Sima Bo brothers, the Sima Family’s dream of becoming a Golden Core family is shattered.

How could he not be enraged by this?!

“Third and Fourth Uncles, are they home? Tell them to come and see me!”

The Sima family ancestor was furious, his False Core energy spread, making the Sima family head beside him feel suffocated.

Though angry, he was also aware that if Lu Changsheng could kill his four geniuses, it might be difficult for him to kill Lu Changsheng.

After all, one could never know just how many talismans a Talisman Master might have.

“Fourth Uncle is at home. As for Third Uncle, it seems he went to Thunder Cliff a few days ago.”

The Sima family head said with some difficulty.

“Fourth Uncle, come to me!”

The Sima family ancestor’s voice roared like thunder. Then he looked toward the back mountain and called out in a low voice, “Shadow.”

“Kree!”

Moments later, a piercing screech echoed through the air.

A giant hawk with sleek black feathers appeared, spreading its wings as it approached.

Its eyes were deep and sharp, its hooked beak curved and gleaming with a cold metallic luster, and its talons were like forged steel, exuding a terrifying demonic aura.

A family like the Sima Family, with a thousand years of history, would not only groom family members but also cultivate several spirit beasts to reinforce its foundations.

However, the most famous spirit beast of the Sima Family was still the Black Tortoise left behind by the early ancestor.

It was rumored that this Black Tortoise had an extraordinary bloodline and was advancing toward becoming a third-rank demon king. In fact, the name Xuanwu Ridge was related to this Black Tortoise.

“Second Uncle.”

An old man, emitting Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure, arrived moments later and cupped his hands in respect to the Sima family ancestor.

“Where is the Lu Family caravan now?”

The Sima family ancestor’s gray hair fluttered wildly, radiating authority. He looked toward the Sima family head and asked in a deep voice.

“Based on the previous information, they should be near Nine Linked Mountains.”

The Sima family head quickly responded.

“Fourth Uncle, come with me.”

As soon as the Sima family ancestor heard this, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Immediately, he and the old man called Fourth Uncle mounted the back of the black hawk.

“Kree!”

The hawk let out a long cry, stirring up a fierce wind as it soared out of Xuanwu Ridge, heading toward Nine Linked Mountains.

At the same time.

Bihu Mountain, Lu Family Mansion.

“The Xie Family of Lingxi Lake, the Yuan Family of Great Ape Mountain, the Sima Family of Xuanwu Ridge…”

Lu Changsheng glanced at the letters in his hand, chuckling softly, “It seems the situation at Hongye Valley Marketplace has made some of these factions with ulterior motives back off.”

“However, these False Core families can no longer sit still.”

After the recent incident at Hongye Valley Marketplace, he had already anticipated that his caravan would be targeted.

Several False Core families in Qingyun Region might directly take action.

Now, seeing the letter from Ling Zixiao, his suspicions were confirmed.

Nevertheless, he found the Xie Family’s attitude rather commendable.

It showed that not all False Core families bore him ill will.

Which was quite normal.

After all, those False Core families were not a unified front; they were in competition.

Although Bihu Mountain was growing powerful, without direct conflicts, no one would want to go all out.

No one was so altruistic that they would fight Bihu Mountain solely for the benefit of other forces.

“Yun’r, send Xingyang to pay a visit to the Xie Family at Lingxi Lake later, and deliver an invitation.”

Lu Changsheng pondered for a moment and spoke to his wife, Lu Miaoyun.

Currently, the family was preparing for Lu Wangshu’s Foundation Establishment ceremony.

Given the current situation at Bihu Mountain, the ceremony held little significance. Just a small family celebration would suffice.

But this time, under the pretext of Lu Wangshu’s Foundation Establishment ceremony, they invited other factions to Bihu Mountain for discussions on cooperation, seeking partners.

After all, establishing a business alliance with only themselves, Qingzhu Mountain, and Hundred Bird Lake families clearly wasn’t enough.

Moreover, it wouldn’t be possible for them to monopolize the profits from a business alliance without sharing some benefits.

Doing so would make them enemies of all factions, and the Lu Family couldn’t handle everything by themselves.

So they needed to cooperate and form a community of shared interests through the business alliance.

With mutual benefits, the partnership would also become more solid.

At that point, other factions would be fully willing to protect Bihu Mountain.

“Alright, I’ll have Yun’r or Qingsong go later.”

Lu Miaoyun responded.

While it was just a simple visit for an invitation,

considering the Xie Family at Lingxi Lake was a False Core clan, it was essential to show respect.

“Hmm.”

Lu Changsheng nodded, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the words ‘Yuan Family of Great Ape Mountain’ and ‘Sima Family of Xuanwu Ridge’ on the letter.

According to the investigations of Xiao Xiyue and Xia Zhaoyang, the incident at Hongye Valley Marketplace had traces of these two families’ involvement.

However, they acted very discreetly.

So far, they had only found clues pointing to a vassal family of the Yuan Family.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator that Xiao Xiyue killed back then came from this vassal family.

“It is rumored that the Heavenly Yuan Secret Realm has attracted many Golden Core cultivators to the Jiang Kingdom. Even Bai Feng Immortal’s death is assumed to have been caused by this group of demonic Golden Core cultivators.”

“Maybe I should take advantage of this time to stir up some trouble for the Yuan Family and Sima Family.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself.

After constantly hunting demon kings in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, he had gained some experience in ambushing.

If he could come up with a good plan to create some noise and lure their ancestors out of their family formations, he might be able to kill them instantly.

If he were willing to take on some risk, he could even use the Void Robes and the Nine Treasures Dao Bone’s restriction-breaking light to storm Great Ape Mountain and Xuanwu Ridge directly.

“Forget it, it’s not necessary yet.”

“Moreover, a family’s rise can’t happen without some troubles and obstacles.”

After thinking for a moment, Lu Changsheng shook his head and dismissed the idea.

All around, aside from the Jin Family, no one else was a match for Bihu Mountain.

If he were to sweep away the Sima and Yuan Families, leaving only the Xu Family of Beast Taming at their level, there would be no rivals for the Lu Family.

Such a situation wouldn’t be good for the development of the Lu Family or the growth of his children.

Besides, could a family’s prosperity always rely on him eliminating all potential dangers in advance?

“Hum…”

At that moment, Lu Changsheng suddenly felt the ground pulse slightly beneath Bihu Mountain.

“Hmm?”

Lu Changsheng frowned, his pupils gleaming with gold and purple light as he observed Biyun Peak before him.

Biyun Peak was the main vein of Bihu Mountain, connected to the earth’s veins. Unless someone attacked the formation, it shouldn’t experience any tremors.

“It appears those two branch veins are finally forming.”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes sparkled as he gazed through the mountain rocks, seeing the two branch veins he had been nurturing through Biyun Peak, a delighted smile forming on his face.

Originally, Biyun Peak’s spiritual vein should have long advanced to second-rank Top-Tier.

But the nurturing of these two branch veins had delayed that.

“Husband, what’s going on?”

Lu Miaoyun and Qu Zhenzhen tured toward Lu Changsheng and asked.

“Hehe, the two small peaks are finally about to form,”

Lu Changsheng chuckled.

He had not hidden the matter of nurturing the two spiritual veins, and many in the family were aware of it.

After all, hiding the advancement of a spiritual vein was possible.

But cultivating branch peaks was impossible to conceal.

Immediately, Lu Changsheng called for his son, Lu Xingyang.

He pointed to the positions on the left and right sides of Biyun Peak, where two small hills were rising, and instructed him to move the family members away and avoid getting close.

Then, he informed everyone in the family who was in meditation to temporarily stop their cultivation.

“Yes, Father.”

Lu Xingyang had known these two small hills, connected and nourished by Biyun Peak’s spiritual veins, for a long time.

Once the spiritual veins were mature, the hills would rise several feet higher and form small peaks.

“Sumeru.”

After finishing the arrangements, Lu Changsheng ascended to the peak of Biyun Peak and called out to Sumeru.

Indicating that when Biyun Peak’s spiritual vein advanced next, it should suppress the spiritual energy of Biyun Peak to avoid any disturbances.

After all, Biyun Peak’s spiritual vein had just advanced to second-rank Top-Tier thirty years ago.

If it advanced to second-rank Top-Tier now, it would make the Lu Family appear too rich.

“Understood, Master.”

Sumeru’s light and pleasant voice echoed in Lu Changsheng’s mind.

As it was rooted in Biyun Peak’s spiritual vein, it could suppress the vein’s spiritual essence by swallowing excess spiritual energy into Sumeru Cave Heaven, preventing any disturbances.

At most, the mountain’s height would increase slightly.

But as long as it didn’t advance to third-rank, the changes in terrain wouldn’t be overly significant.

“Rise!”

After instructing Sumeru, Lu Changsheng chanted incantations and performed the Dragon-Seeking Technique, causing Biyun Peak to tremble gently, as if shaking.

The spiritual energy in the earth veins began to flow, and the two small hills on either side suddenly resounded like flying stones and landslides.

Moments later, wisps of gray-black mist rose from the small hills, and the ground slowly began to rise.

This was the formation of a spiritual vein, the dissipation of turbid energy.

“What’s happening?”

“A spiritual vein is forming!”

“Apart from Biyun Peak, Lake Heart Island, and Lingcui Cliff, the family is getting another spiritual vein.”

“It’s not just one; it’s two.”

“Is this what it looks like when a spiritual vein forms? How miraculous.”

Many Lu Family youths and disciples, as well as guest cultivators, heard the commotion and looked from afar at the two small hills beside Biyun Peak with amazement.

After all, most had only read about the formation of spiritual veins in books.

Seeing such a scene with their own eyes made them feel highly knowledgeable.

“Even with Biyun Peak connected to the branch veins, nurturing such a branch vein would require at least two or three spirit source beads, right?”

“Spirit source beads?! I remember a single one of those spiritual treasures is worth tens of thousands of Spirit Stones.”

“Yes, and such treasures are priceless. Only wealthy families like Bihu Mountain can afford to buy them.”

A few knowledgeable guest cultivators spoke with admiration as they witnessed the scene.

Even though they all had their own specialties and earned nearly a hundred Spirit Stones a month in salary.

However, if they wanted to buy a spirit source bead, they would need to save for most of their lives without spending anything.

And now, Bihu Mountain was using two spirit source beads to nurture spiritual veins. They might not be able to afford it even if they worked their whole lives.

Half an hour later.

The commotion on the two small hills beside Biyun Peak gradually settled, transforming them into two small peaks about thirty feet high.

“Although they’re merely first-rank Top-Tier, now that the spiritual veins have formed, nurturing them further will be easy.”

Lu Changsheng gazed at the two small peaks with a faint smile on his face.

As for the spiritual veins’ origin in his hands, forget about these two small peaks.

Even if he wanted to nurture three to five more peaks to second-rank Top-Tier, it wouldn’t be a problem.

However, he had no intention of raising these two peaks to second-rank right now.

He would first nurture them to first-rank Top-Tier, and later, once Ling Zixiao set up a formation to conceal them, he would decide how to proceed with their cultivation.