Chapter 507: Second-Tier Formation Techniques, Lu Qingshan vs. Lu Ping’an!

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.

During this period, besides spending time with his wife, concubines, and children, Lu Changsheng focused his remaining time on Equipment Refining.

He began crafting his envisioned ‘Flame Tower’ and the ‘Wind Thunder Wings’ from Fenglei Hou’s wings, among other Magical Treasures.

After all, as a Golden Core cultivator, he currently lacked sufficient Magical Treasures.

Moreover, once these functional treasures were completed, even if he no longer needed them, they could be passed down within the family.

‘Clang! Clang! Clang!’

‘Ding! Ding! Ding!’

At this moment, several Lu Family members, craftsmen, and equipment refiners were building a nine-story tower under the instructions of Lu Changsheng and Ling Zixiao beside Biyun Peak.

For something like the ‘Flame Tower,’ if it were to be refined entirely as a large-scale Magical Treasure, it would not only consume a lot of time but also waste materials.

Therefore, after discussing it with Hong Lian, Lu Changsheng decided to first build a nine-story exquisite tower using ‘Wushi Refined Iron’ and then add other materials to lay down formations and restrictions.

This approach was simpler while still meeting Lu Changsheng’s needs, and was sufficient for Lu Family members’ use.

At that moment, a system prompt suddenly sounded in Lu Changsheng’s mind.

[Congratulations to the Host’s first offspring for becoming a Second-Tier puppeteer, earning one lottery chance!]

‘Second-Tier Puppeteer.’

At this moment, Lu Changsheng didn’t even know which child at home had advanced to become a Second-Tier puppeteer.

Since the puppetry business was a backbone of Bihu Mountain, many Lu Family members with average talent had dedicated themselves to the art of puppetry early on.

Moreover, after returning from the Heavenly Yuan Secret Realm, Lu Changsheng brought back a Fourth-Tier puppetry inheritance, which further advanced the family’s puppetry skills.

‘I seem to have forgotten about Qingyue’s lottery before.’

At this moment, Lu Changsheng remembered that he had earned an ordinary lottery opportunity when Zhao Qingqing’s son was born with a Wood Spirit Body.

But at the time, he was chatting with Chu Qingyi, so he hadn’t been distracted by the lottery and later dismissed it from his mind.

‘System, draw the lottery.’

Immediately, Lu Changsheng silently recited in his heart, preparing to use both lottery chances.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills!]

[The reward has been sent to the system space, and the Host can check it at any time.]

‘A bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills?’

Lu Changsheng felt a bit speechless.

Decades ago, if he had drawn a bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills, he would’ve been excited for a long time.

But now…

‘However, the family does need some Foundation Establishment Pills at the moment.’

Lu Changsheng didn’t think it was a waste.

After all, it was just an ordinary lottery with limited value.

In terms of value, a bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills, which contained ten pills, was already very good.

‘Speaking of which, if I can draw a bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills, could I draw a bottle of Condensing Crystal Pills in a high-level lottery?’

Lu Changsheng pondered silently.

Compared to Foundation Establishment Pills, Condensing Crystal Pills were much harder to obtain.

The only way he could currently obtain Condensing Crystal Pills was by purchasing the herbs needed for them and having Hong Lian refine them.

However, the materials for Condensing Crystal Pills were very rare.

Moreover, given the current situation at Bihu Mountain, it wasn’t convenient to openly buy the herbs needed for Condensing Crystal Pills.

If he could obtain a bottle through a high-level lottery, then there would be no need to worry about his wives and children breaking through to Golden Core Formation in the future.

‘Continue.’

Lu Changsheng’s heart stirred, and he proceeded with the lottery.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Second-Tier Formation Techniques!]

[The reward has been sent to the system space, and the Host can check it at any time.]

‘…’

Lu Changsheng was completely speechless.

He hadn’t expected both lottery draws to be so underwhelming.

‘Or perhaps, ordinary lotteries have become underwhelming for me now.’

Lu Changsheng sighed inwardly.

In the past, both a bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills and Second-Tier Formation Techniques were rewards he would have eagerly awaited.

Obtaining either of these rewards would have caused him great excitement.

But now, with his cultivation and strength having grown, he no longer lacked Foundation Establishment Pills, which he could expedite through the Wanling Bottle.

The Second-Tier Formation Techniques were the same.

Not to mention his own research.

Currently, with Ling Zixiao and Hong Lian at home, there was no need for him to master formations.

Besides, it’s just Second-Tier Formation Techniques.

‘But it’s better than nothing.’

Lu Changsheng sighed softly, comforting himself.

With these Second-Tier Formation Techniques, at least tackling formation problems in the future would be much simpler.

It might even come in handy if he needed to set up a formation during an emergency.

Immediately, Lu Changsheng went to Biyun Peak, and with a thought, he retrieved the Foundation Establishment Pills he had just drawn.

‘Ten Top-Tier Foundation Establishment Pills; not bad.’

Lu Changsheng glanced at the bottle of Foundation Establishment Pills, nodding in satisfaction.

Once the Purple Secrets Realm was over, these ten Foundation Establishment Pills would be put to good use.

‘Inheritance!’

Lu Changsheng’s heart stirred, and he used the Second-Tier Formation Techniques from the system space.

In an instant.

A vast amount of knowledge and information flooded his mind.

‘Introduction to the Path of Formations.’

‘Comprehensive Guide to Basic Formations.’

‘Complete Collection of First-Tier Formations.’

‘Complete Collection of Second-Tier Formations.’

‘On Formation Patterns and Setup.’

‘Formations: From Beginner to Advanced.’

After a long time, Lu Changsheng’s mind was filled with a wealth of knowledge and information about formations.

The information was extensive, and even he would need time to digest it.

Immediately, Lu Changsheng used the Formation Techniques in his mind to analyze and comprehend the Sumeru Illusion Sky Formation at home.

Previously, he had only seen a vague outline of the grand formation.

But now, with the top-level Second-Tier Formation Techniques, he instantly understood many principles.

However, this Sumeru Illusion Sky Formation was a simplified version of a Third-Tier Formation, ranked as Quasi-Third-Tier. Even now, it was still somewhat difficult for him to analyze.

‘Buzz!’

Lu Changsheng slightly activated his Fiery-Eyes, and the formation patterns before his eyes instantly became much clearer, as if he could perceive their essence.

Given enough time, he would be able to analyze the situation of this grand formation.

‘With Fiery-Eyes and Taiyi Soul, if I have enough time, I could even analyze and find the flaws in a Third-Tier Formation.’

‘However, once the formation is activated, the situation changes rapidly, and things become different then.’

Lu Changsheng pondered silently, realizing that the top-level Second-Tier Formation Techniques not only helped him with formations but also allowed him to perceive their essence and break them effectively.

‘Hmm? Looks like Miaoge’s back?’

Just then, Lu Changsheng suddenly saw someone at the mountain gate.

He saw Lu Miaoge returning with Lu QQngshan, Lu Qingzhu, Lu Qingxian, Lu Qingqi, and Lu Wangshu.

‘Miaoge!’.

Lu Changsheng immediately flew over, calling out with a smile as he looked at his children.

‘Dad!’.

‘Father!’.

The children all called out to Lu Changsheng, their expressions filled with warmth.

Lu Qingshan grinned, his entire demeanor carefree and unruly.

Lu Qingxian slightly cupped his hands in respect, his movements elegant and polite, showing both respect and not straining the father-son relationship.

Lu Qingzhu’s eyes were filled with joy, but unlike her younger years, she no longer rushed into her father’s embrace. Instead, she looked at him with admiration and delight.

Lu Wangshu, in her pink and white skirt, exuded a youthful charm similar to Lu Qingzhu, though with a slightly more lively and joyful temperament.

Lu Qingqi, unlike her two elder sisters, lacked any ladylike grace. She quickly approached her father and pointed at the Flame Tower in the distance, asking what it was for.

‘That, it’s going to be named ‘Flame Refining Tower,’ helping with cultivation and refining spiritual power.’

Lu Changsheng smiled as he replied, asking her if she had fun on her trip.

‘Not at all. Both my brother and sister were busy, and they couldn’t take me anywhere to play.’

The girl pouted as she spoke.

She had planned to enjoy herself during this trip.

But when they reached Crane Ming Mountain, her brother and sister were busy with their own matters.

Even younger brother Lu Qingxian was occupied with handling the affairs at Crane Ming Mountain, the Spirit Tiger Association, and the surrounding forces, leaving her bored and idle.

‘Haha, in a while, Dad will take you out to play.’

Lu Changsheng ruffled her hair and said with a smile.

In a while, he would almost finish refining the Heavenly Yuan Imperial Lotus.

After solving the ‘Heaven and Earth Longevity Technique,’ he planned to take Lu Miaoyun, Lu Miaohuan, and Q Zhenzhen out for a trip.

‘Dad, you have to keep your promise!’

Although Lu Qingqi was the same age as Lu Qingxian, she was older by half a year.

However, perhaps due to Lu Changsheng’s different approach toward his sons and daughters, the cherished daughters in the family matured slower.

‘Of course.’

Lu Changsheng smiled and then looked at his other children, asking how things were at Crane Ming Mountain.

‘There wasn’t much happening, just the Sima Family stirring up trouble in secret. We just needed to give them a slight deterrent.’

Lu Wangshu raised her chin slightly, speaking lightly.

However, Lu Changsheng could sense a hint of pride in her tone.

‘With Wangshu on guard, I naturally feel at ease. This time, I prepared a few little gifts for you. See if you like them later.’

Lu Changsheng never hesitated to praise and reward.

‘Hehe, thank you, Dad.’

The usually cool and elegant Wangshu, who was admired by many, instantly transformed into a playful young girl, completely shedding her earlier dignified demeanor.

‘You all have gifts as well.’

Lu Changsheng noticed Lu Qingqi looking at him eagerly and pinched her delicate cheek, smiling as he said this to a few others before heading to the Lu Family Mansion.

After they sat down, Lu Miaoge briefly discussed tte situation at Crane Ming Mountain with Lu Changsheng.

During this time, they mainly focused on stabilizing the situation at Crane Ming Mountain and taking over the Spirit Tiger Association’s assets.

‘Spirit Tiger Association.’

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly, not too concerned.

After all, in his view, these were minor issues that his children could handle on their own.

‘Qingshan, Xiaozhu, when do you plan to return?’

Lu Changsheng looked at Lu Qingshan and asked.

He knew these two children couldn’t stay home for too long, and this time they’ve already been home for half a year.

Considering their travel time, they might have to leave soon.

‘Xiaozhu and I have been out for quite a while, so we plan to return after a few more days.’

Lu Qingshan glanced at his sister and spoke.

‘Hmm, if there’s no rush, you can stay a little longer.’

Lu Changsheng said, inquiring about their life at Golden Sun Sect.

Knowing that his children were doing well in the Yue Kingdom, he didn’t ask further.

‘Dad.’

At this moment, Lu Qingshan mentioned the reason for his return.

‘Alright, hand over the Sword Embryo.’

Lu Changsheng said.

He had promised earlier to help his son recast it, and now, with Hong Lian around, it was the perfect time.

‘Hehe, thanks, Dad.’

Lu Qingshan immediately grinned and handed over the Zhoutian Xingdou Sword Embryo along with the various materials he had collected to Lu Changsheng.

‘Alright, you’ve been busy for quite some time, so take a good rest. Later, there’ll be a medicinal bath at home; you should try it; it’ll be good for you.’

Lu Changsheng glanced at his son’s full Storage Bag, thinking that this son was quite wealthy.

‘Medicinal bath!?’

Lu Qingshan’s brows raised, knowing this should be some kind of body refinement, a secret formula to stabilize one’s foundation.

Such secret formulas also existed in Golden Sun Sect.

However, most of them were beneficial for Qi Refinement cultivators and ineffective for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

But since his father said so, he didn’t ask further and planned to try it out later.

‘Here, these are gifts for you.’

At this moment, Lu Changsheng looked at his daughter, Lu Wangshu, who was sitting idly by. He tossed three Gu Jars to her, giving them to her, Lu Qingqi, and Lu Qingzhu respectively.

This daughter’s interests were very wide-ranging.

From Talisman Making, refining pills, Equipment Refining, puppetry, formations, spirit plants, music, brewing, and more, she had dabbled in everything.

Oh, and fishing too.

So, during his time in the Jin Kingdom, when Lu Changsheng saw Nangong Mili’s interesting Gu Worms given to Lu Quanzhen, he decided to ask for a few from her to give as gifts to his daughters.

However, since a few daughters were present, it was best to share them equally.

‘Hmm? This is… a Gu Worm?’

Lu Wangshu opened the Gu Jar and saw a crescent-shaped blue crystal lying inside, emitting a faint glow.

‘That’s right. This Gu Worm is called ‘Moonlight Silks.’ When used, it forms a Moonlight Garment that can withstand one Foundation Establishment technique and also conceals Spiritual Energy fluctuations.’

Lu Changsheng replied with a smile.

‘Dad, who gives someone a Gu Worm as a gift? You have no sense of romance at all.’

Lu Wangshu wrinkled her delicate nose, speaking like this.

‘If you don’t want it, return it to me.’

Lu Changsheng wasn’t indulgent, replying directly.

‘Once a gift is given, how can it be taken back!’

Lu Wangshu immediately covered the Gu Jar in her hands, placing it in her Spirit Pet Bag.

Lu Qingzhu, watching this, lightly chuckled, before looking at the Gu Jar in her hand.

‘Xiaozhu, yours is called ‘Peace Butterfly.’ It calms the mind and wards off Divine Sense attacks.’

‘Little Qi’s is called ‘Wanderer Butterfly Gu.’ It can transform into a butterfly and fly with you, but your current cultivation is too low. You can’t refine it yourself yet, so ask your brother to help you refiner it later.’

Lu Changsheng introduced the items.

These Gu Worms weren’t particularly rare or valuable, just charming and somewhat useful.

After all, they were just small gifts prepared for his daughters.

‘Thank you, Dad.’

‘Thank you, Father.’

Both girls voiced their thanks.

‘Dad? What about mine?’

Lu Qingshan immediately chimed in.

‘Shoo, shoo! What use do you have for such things?’

Lu Changsheng waved him away.

These Gu Worms wouldn’t last even a moment against his son’s sword, so they were useless for him.

However, after thinking it over, he gave one Gu Worm to his son Lu Qingxian, letting them enjoy themselves.

‘Changsheng, did you encounter something unexpected on this trip?’

After the children left, Lu Miaoge, dressed in a plainnwhite robe, her aura fresh and ethereal, asked softly.

Earlier, Lu Changsheng mentioned that this trip to the Jin Kingdom might take two or three years.

Now, he was back in just over a year, leading her to wonder if something had happened.

‘Things went smoothly, so I returned earlier.’

Lu Changsheng smiled and told her about Meng Xiaochan, expressing his intention to take Meng Xiaochan as his wife.

‘Meng Xiaochan?’

Lu Miaoge was surprised to heer that Meng Xiaochan had come to Bihu Mountain.

After all, the matters between Qingzhu Mountain and Red Leaf Valley left a deep impression of Meng Xiaochan on her.

‘It appears to be destined.’

Lu Miaoge wasn’t aware of theeenmity between Lu Changsheng and Meng Xiaochan.

She thought they had fallen in love when they were younger and had been separated due to circumstances, so she had no objections.

In fact, she suggested that if Lu Changsheng was going to marry Meng Xiaochan, they should also hold a wedding for Xia Zhiyue.

Xia Zhiyue had given Lu Changsheng six children, all of whom had a Spirit Root.

Now, with her children Lu Xingyue and Lu Xingchen having both advanced to Foundation Establishment and the others also showing promise, this would be a fitting recognition.

‘Alright.’

After a brief consideration, Lu Changsheng nodded.

‘By the way, Changsheng…’

At this moment, Lu Miaoge brought up the matttr of their son, Lu Qingshan.

In front of her, this son was carefree and unruly.

But after observing him for some time, she also noticed that this son was indeed a bit arrogant, even conceited.

This arrogance was not wanton or reckless.

Instead, it was a state of mind.

Other than Sword Dao and the people he cared about, he showed indifference to everyone and everything else.

He was like the bright moon in the sky, the sun shining down, viewing all others as mere grains of sand.

To him, anyone less than him was just a slightly larger or smaller grain.

Although Lu Qingshan had the talent to justify this.

As a mother, she thought this might not be a good thing.

Especially after being with Lu Changsheng for so many years, she deeply understood that there were always more powerful people out there.

This kind of temperament might make him overlook potential dangers.

He could suffer a significant setback one day because of it, so she hoped that Lu Changsheng could guide him.

‘Looking down on all the heroes of the world, is it?’

Lu Changsheng found his son’s demeanor quite understandable.

This son had always been a fearless and bold child.

As he grew older, he caught the attention of Immortal Tian Yuan and became his disciple, gaining fame in the Golden Sun Sect.

Later, he obtained a Law Seed, further advancing his talent, and his mindset gradually affected him.

Given these circumstances, it would be more unusual if he weren’t so arrogant.

However, Lu Miaoge’s concerns were valld.

There were always more talented and powerful people out there.

While Lu Qingshan was formidable, he certainly wasn’t invincible.

In the world of cultivation, there would always be some monstrous geniuses far better than him.

Besides, who said that battles had to be among peers?

Some old, ruthless individuals might just play dirty tricks on you.

‘Alright, I’ll have a talk with him later.’

Lu Changsheng thought it over, deciding that it was better for his son to learn a hard lesson at home rather than out in the world.

This way, his son wouldn’t underestimate everyone around him.

The next morning.

At Biyun Peak, in the back mountain.

‘Dad, why did you call me out here so early in the morning? What’s the matter?’

Lu Qingshan was now dressed in the Golden Sun Sect’s robe, a long blue robe, standing tall as a carefree swordsman.

‘Hmm, Big Brother is here too.’.

He noticed Lu Ping’an beside Lu Changsheng, his brows raised as he greeted him with a smile.

‘Qingshan.’

Lu Ping’an smiled and nodded, his demeanor friendly.

‘I’ve heard about your achievements at Golden Sun Sect. I’d like to see how strong you’ve become, so I called your big brother to spar with you.’

Lu Changsheng, dressed in a deep black robe, his appearance handsome, spoke gently with a light smile.

‘Oh?’

Lu Qingshan raised an eyebrow, looking at his big brother as a faint smile tugged at his lips. Then he said, ‘I heard big brother’s body refinement has already reached the quasi-third level?’

‘Just with the help of external resources.’

Lu Ping’an smiled, without a trace of arrogance.

He knew precisely how his body refinement strength came to be.

It was entirely due to the massive resources poured in by his father that he had managed to cultivate the Hundred Refined Body Technique to this extent in just a few decades.

‘Big Brother is too humble. Achieving quasi-Third-Tier Body Tempering in just thirty to forty years and being able to cultivate both the body and Spiritual Energy is very rare, even across the entire Jiang Kingdom and Yue Kingdom.’

Although Lu Qingshan had an eye for the extraordinary and didn’t regard others highly, he respected his big brother’s accomplishments.

Hearing that his father had called him here to spar with his big brother, his eyes gleamed with a tinge of battle intent.

He wanted to see just how strong his brother’s quasi-Third-Tier Body Tempering really was.

‘In that case, you two brothers should test each other’s strength. Qingshan, you can compare your brother’s strength to that of other Body Tempering and False Core cultivators you might encounter.’

Lu Changsheng said with a smile.

Among all his children, Lu Ping’an and Lu Wangshu were the ones he had invested the most effort in.

As these two children grew up and earned fame, this father couldn’t help but feel both proud and a bit smug.

‘Since Dad says so, I won’t hold back.’

Lu Qingshan’s entire aura sharpened. A platinum Magical Sword appeared in his hand as he looked at Lu Ping’an, his voice deepening, ‘Big Brother, please enlighten me.’