Chapter 626: Master of Goddess Palace, Lu Xuanqian Breaks Through, Lu Lingxiao Finds Treasure!

A few days ago.

Just as Lu Changsheng brought Lu Quanzhen to the Feiyan Islands to investigate the situation, Shen Wanzhao finally received her rescue.

“Wanzhao.”

A voice, soft and elegant, noble and dignified, of a mature woman echoed between heaven and earth. It was incredibly melodious, as if it had a natural grace from birth, beautiful and enchanting.

From just the voice, one could imagine that its owner must be a peerless beauty! How else could such a lovely voice match anything less than a stunning face? Any less would be a waste of nature!

“Godmother!”

Shen Wanzhao immediately looked in the direction of the voice, shouting joyfully.

She saw the space ripple, a dazzling brilliance of vibrant light erupted, and an elegant, peerlessly beautiful figure appeared.

Her waterfall-like black hair was coiled into a flying celestial hairstyle with a phoenix pin fixing it in place. A golden hairpin adorned her temple, and jade-colored beads hung down, exuding elegance and grace.

Her stunning face was like a blooming rose, cold as ice, yet it held an irresistible charm that could steal one’s soul.

Especially those striking red lips, full and luscious, as if they held fragrant waves of enchanting allure, bewitching with a strong maturity that made one want to savor her.

She wore a luxurious palace gown that seemed to shimmer like a flowing galaxy. Though it didn’t reveal much, her creamy, glowing skin, her elegant swan neck, her exquisitely beautiful collarbone, her towering bosom, and her provocative curves all displayed her peerless grace!

The moment this woman appeared, it was as if heaven and earth lost their color, transforming into a masterpiece of a peerless beauty!

“I told you to break through to the Golden Core before going out, yet you sneaked out anyway. After we return, you aren’t allowed to leave Penglai Island until you do!”

The woman took light steps, her figure swaying, her graceful legs hidden by her long skirt, but faintly visible, shining like jade pillars, slender and dazzling. An aura of powerful presence radiated from her whole being.

“Yes, godmother.”

Shen Wanzhao obediently responded. Even though her godmother adored her, she was also strict.

“Tell me, how did you end up in danger the moment you left?”

Shen Jianjia’s eyes were clear as the water, brilliant with a mesmerizing charm. However, the noble grace and majesty in them made it impossible to stare at her directly. One could only withdraw in awe.

Her goddaughter was merely in the late stages of Foundation Establishment.

But with the secret treasures she had gifted her, unless a Golden Core cultivator intervened, there was no need to use a teleportation talisman.

“I heard rumors of the Kunpeng Nest and wanted to check it out, but unexpectedly encountered deception by an evil practitioner.”

Shen Wanzhao said, somewhat ashamed.

She had hoped to achieve something impressive and boast to her godmother and senior sisters. But shortly after leaving, she ended up calling her godmother for help.

“Kunpeng, such an existence… A single feather stirred endless bloodshed in bygone days!”

“There have been at least eight hundred rumors about the Kunpeng Nest over the years. Some are even deliberately spread by factions to lure and trap wandering cultivators.”

“Even if there truly were a Kunpeng Nest, it’s not something you could interfere with at your current level.”

Shen Jianjia’s voluptuous figure stood tall. Her face was both stunningly beautiful and stern at the same time. She spoke softly.

“Godmother, I know I was wrong.”

Shen Wanzhao lowered her head, staring at her toes in discomfort.

“Alright then. Since you’ve recognized your mistake, let’s return together.”

Shen Jianjia said no more, intending to take her back.

Shen Wanzhao glanced at her godmother’s impressive figure with admiration and jealousy. She remembered her earlier situation and couldn’t hold back. “Godmother, when I used the teleportation talisman and arrived here…”

“The Strange Ghost Flower?”

Shen Jianjia paused mid-step, her beautiful eyes studying her daughter closely.

She had already sensed something was amiss earlier.

Although she had come in haste, her daughter had no visible injuries.

Given her character, unless facing mortal danger, she would not have called out for help.

Now, hearing mention of the Strange Ghost Flower, her suspicions deepened.

Immediately, she extended her jade-white palm and grasped Shen Wanzhao’s wrist to check her condition.

At her cultivation level, with just a single thought, she could gather much information, discovering that her daughter had been severely injured and then extraordinarily healed by an immense and pure life force.

Though she couldn’t pinpoint the exact source of this life force, it most likely wasn’t from the Strange Ghost Flower.

“Could it be…”

Shen Jianjia’s mesmerizing eyes shimmered, a plum blossom mark at her brow flashing.

“So it’s true!”

A few moments later, she discerned that someone’s Divine Soul had tampered with her daughter’s sea of consciousness.

Shen Wanzhao’s sea of consciousness was sealed by the soul prohibition of Goddess Palace, which even a Golden Core True Person couldn’t breach, meaning a Nascent Soul cultivator had interfered with her daughter!

Why would a Nascent Soul cultivator suddenly act against an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator? It had to be connected to Goddess Palace!

“I will discover who dared take action against my Goddess Palace!”

A bone-chilling cold surfaced on Shen Jianjia’s breathtaking face. Her skirt fluttered, producing sharp gusts of wind as she stood like a divine goddess descending upon the world. Authority and dominance exuded from her brow, distorting the surrounding space as if about to collapse.

“Wanzhao, release your Divine Soul.”

She spoke calmly as the plum blossom mark on her brow began to spin, releasing a mysterious glow that enveloped Shen Wanzhao’s sea of consciousness.

After a moment, several images appeared before her eyes.

The memories Lu Changsheng had altered in Shen Wanzhao’s mind surfaced, revealing the man himself, clear as day, in her Divine Soul.

“Who is this man?”

Shen Jianjia gazed at the handsome, peerlessly beautiful Lu Changsheng dressed in an azure robe, furrowing her brows.

As the master of Penglai Island and Goddess Palace, she knew of most top-tier Nascent Soul True Lords in the Star Sea.

But she had never once heard of this man.

“Could it be… that he is from the other side of the Mist Sea?”

As the head of Goddess Palace, she was privy to many unknown secrets.

For instance, the Star Sea not only had the four great cataclysms of Heavenly Wind, Ghost Mist, Beast Tidal, and Phantom Ships but also numerous regions of the Mist Sea.

Some areas of the Mist Sea connected different cultivation realms.

She recalled that this particular section of the Mist Sea connected to some sort of cultivation kingdom?

“It seems this person was merely asking for directions, gathering information, and had no ill intent, only erasing traces of himself.”

Upon further inspection of her daughter’s Divine Soul, Shen Jianjia confirmed that only a small portion of her memory had been altered with no additional restrictions imposed, setting her heart at ease.

But this added yet another mysterious Nascent Soul cultivator to the Star Sea, which was certainly worth caution.

Additionally, based on her daughter’s memory, although it was difficult to discern the power of this cultivator’s mount, it could traverse the Mist Sea, showing undeniable strength.

“Uh!”

At that moment, beneath the pressure of Shen Jianjia’s Nascent Soul Divine Soul, Shen Wanzhao moaned softly and fainted.

Even though the inspection of her sea of consciousness was carried out with utmost care, it still placed an enormous burden on her.

Seeing this, Shen Jianjia raised her pure white jade-like hand. A lone boat resembling a flowing galaxy appeared, and she grasped her unconscious daughter before departing into the skies.

With her clothes fluttering and her long hair dancing, her divine and singular grace reached its peak, exuding both beauty and inexpressible majesty.

Lu Changsheng had no idea that the Divine Soul he had tampered with had been detected.

After all, this kind of method was near impossible to unravel, unless a Nascent Soul True Lord interfered.

And encountering a random Foundation Establishment cultivator with a Nascent Soul elder was as rare as winning the lottery.

Besides, even if one had a Nascent Soul elder, it was unlikely they would inspect the sea of consciousness of a junior.

After dropping off his son, Lu Quanzhen, in the Feiyan Islands, Lu Changsheng began his return journey aboard the Splitting-Sea Profound Whale.

At the same time.

On Biyun Peak of Bihu Mountain, a massive vortex of spiritual energy formed, signaling that someone was breaking through to Foundation Establishment.

For decades, such occurrences had become commonplace for both the Lu disciples and guest cultivators.

Ever since the Lu Family announced they had an alchemist capable of refining Foundation Establishment Pills and offered free refining services, breakthroughs happened every few years.

Nowadays, it wasn’t unusual to see at least one breakthrough each year.

It could be a Lu disciple or a scattered cultivator who gathered materials for a Foundation Establishment Pill and sought the Lu Family’s help.

Today’s breakthrough, however, attracted much attention.

This breakthrough had a particularly large commotion, indicating that the cultivator making the leap had quite the solid foundation.

As time passed bit by bit, nearly half a month later, the turbulent vortex finally settled, releasing multicolored clouds that gradually dispersed.

“It’s a success! I wonder if this person is a disciple of the Heavenly Talisman Lu Family or just a scattered cultivator using Bihu Mountain to break through?”

“There’s no question! With such a phenomenon, how could it be an ordinary scattered cultivator? It’s definitely a Lu Family disciple!”

“Rumor has it that above shattered flawed and flawless Dao Foundations, there exists a perfect Dao Foundation. Could this be a perfect Dao Foundation?”

Lu Family guest cultivators and foreign cultivators gossiped incessantly.

However, the Lu Family kept the event tightly under wraps. Even most Lu disciples remained unaware of who had broken through.

Perhaps, they thought, it would be revealed at the next family gathering, at which point they’d learn that a sibling or cousin had become a full-fledged cultivator.

“Mother, I did not fail you.”

At the back of Biyun Peak, a young man in a Lu disciple’s robe emerged from a cave dwelling. He respectfully cupped his fist and bowed to the dignified, gentle-looking woman in front of him.

“Qian’er, could it be a perfect Dao Foundation?”

Wang Yanjing gazed at her son with concern.

The cultivator who had successfully established their Foundation was Lu Xuangen, son of Lu Xingchen and Wang Yanjing, a member of the third generation of the Lu Family! He possessed the rare Five Elements Spirit Body.

“Mother, please, have a look.”

Lu Xuangen extended his hand, indicating that his mother could inspect his Dao Foundation.

In the cultivation world, both the Dao Foundation and the Golden Core were considered a cultivator’s most closely guarded secrets. Only those closest to the cultivator would be given the honor of observing them.

Wang Yanjing grasped her son’s wrist, and with her spiritual sense, she scanned his dantian. Immediately, the sight of a brilliant five-colored glow emanating from a solid and overflowing Dao platform greeted her.

She could clearly see that her son’s Five Elements Dao Foundation was much more stable and refined than her own.

“Excellent! With this Dao Foundation, carefully tempered by the Heavenly Dao, you are certain to form a High-Tier Golden Core in the future, with hopes of reaching the Nascent Soul stage!”

Wang Yanjing was ecstatic.

Though she had refined the Five Elements Mirror into her Shared Path Treasure and used it to break through to the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, giving her a chance at Golden Core Formation…

But after settling down with Lu Xingchen, becoming a wife and mother, her desire to forge her path had waned. The mere prospect of Golden Core Formation satisfied her.

Yet for her son, Lu Xuangen, she had placed great expectations upon him!

The fact that she had only broken through to the seventh stage of Foundation Establishment at this time was because she had spent so much of her energy and time nurturing and teaching him.

And her son, Lu Xuangen, hadn’t disappointed her.

At twenty-three, he had successfully broken through to Foundation Establishment, forming a perfect Dao Foundation!

Following the advice of her father-in-law, Lu Changsheng, she originally wanted him to further temper his foundation and not rush the breakthrough.

But the match between her son’s Five Elements Spirit Body and the Five Elements Fusion Technique was so perfect. Coupled with the jade pendant constantly nourishing his spirit day and night, during his Qi tempering, the Heavenly Dao Dao Foundation appeared naturally!

With that in mind, Wang Yanjing dared not hesitate and immediately arranged for her son to establish his Foundation.

“Mother, please don’t worry!”

Thanks to his mother’s teachings, he remained humble, though the influence of the cultivation world, combined with his Five Elements Spirit Body, instilled a bit of pride within him. He had great ambition.

He believed that Foundation Establishment was just the beginning. His sights were set on Golden Core Formation, and even the Nascent Soul!

At this point, seeing that the breakthrough had concluded, Lu Xingchen came over from the pill refining hall with a joyful expression.

“Father!”

“Husband.”

After a brief family reunion, Lu Xingchen led his son to pay respects to his mother, Xia Zhiyue, and various other relatives like Lu Miaoyun.

Even though Xia Zhiyue and Lu Miaoyun were already aware f their grandson’s talents, they couldn’t help but marvel.

They could only say that the Five Elements Spirit Body was truly extraordinary!

This was when Lu Miaoyun informed Wang Yanjig of some news regarding the Five Elements Wang Family.

The Five Elements Wang Family had sealed their mountain.

During the Pioneering War, the Wang Family Patriarch had passed away. Two years later, the family failed at their attempt to produce a Golden Core, which marked the complete decline of their renown.

Their territory was being gobbled up by other powers, and many of their vassal forces had begun severing ties to avoid being purged by their enemies.

Facing such circumstances, the Wang Family was utterly powerless and chose to recall their members and seal their mountain, ending all contact with the outside world.

The saying goes, ‘A dying camel is still larger than a horse!’

Some speculated that the Wang Family was conserving their strength while hoping to raise a Golden Core cultivator using their natural resources.

Others suggested they were putting on a façade while secretly sending their core children out into the world to seek the chance for Golden Core Formation elsewhere.

Whatever the case, most believed the Wang Family was finished, now known as nothing but the Wang Family of Five Elements Mountain.

Allowing others the use of Five Elements Mountain and hoping for a resurgence was seen by most as their final, futile struggle.

“Thank you, Grandma.”

Hearing what was happening to her old home, Wang Yanjing felt a deep pang of emotion.

After all, it was the spiritual land that had birthed and nurtured her.

She had even written to the family, offering to give up Five Elements Mountain in exchange for sending some of their elites out or to Cangyun Mountain under Qingyun’s command.

But in response, the family had only sent a few ordinary disciples and continued to hold onto the last shred of hope.

Under these circumstances, there was little more she could do.

Qingluan Immortal City.

Aside from sparring and training in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, Lu Lingxiao would often visit Qingluan Immortal City to handle affairs and purchase cultivation materials.

Because Lu Wangshu frequently called him over to help search for and appraise treasures, he had developed quite an interest in treasure hunting and appraising.

As a result, whenever he had free time, he would casually browse the street markets or exchange areas, hoping to encounter hidden gems.

After all, the world of cultivation was no stranger to stories of a small-time cultivator stumbling upon a dusty spiritual treasure and skyrocketing to fame.

And with his Heavenly Son’s Vision, he could observe divine abilities, environments, and even the spiritual energy of treasures.

Even treasures that concealed themselves from the world could sometimes be noticed through subtle clues.

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Lu Lingxiao spotted a rough and ancient-looking bronze ring in the market area.

The ring looked plain, appearing to be made of ordinary materials, yet it gave off an oddly mysterious feeling.

“Are you interested in this ring, my friend? Not to brag, but I found this in a cave mansion during the Pioneering War.”

Most of the sellers in the market were scattered cultivators.

With the recent Pioneering War, almost any ancient relic of interest was claimed to have come from a relic or cave mansion discovered during that time.

Some cultivators even purposefully forged ancient ‘relic’ treasures and weapons like these.

Lu Lingxiao didn’t bother replying. He picked up the ring, rubbing his fingers over its surface, carefully observing it. He even attempted to inject spiritual power, but the ring didn’t give any reaction.

He squeezed it lightly, but it was incredibly hard. He couldn’t figure out what material it was made of.

“What’s the price?”

Lu Lingxiao asked, thinking there was something unusual about the ring and wanting to buy it.

“My friend, you’ve got a good eye. I struggled immensely to obtain this. It’s five thousand Spirit Stones, not a penny less.”

The stall owner raised a hand, offering his price.

“Hiss!”

The traders around who overheard couldn’t help gasping, thinking to themselves that this guy was trying to rip off this wealthy young master.

While this young noble seemed affluent, asking for five thousand Spirit Stones for a worn-out ring was bold.

“Two thousand and five.”

Lu Lingxiao didn’t enjoy haggling much, so he roughly halved the price, as Lu Wangshu had once taught him.

To him, if there was actually something special about this ring, the price was justified.

“Fine. First deal of the day, and you seem like a man of fate. Two thousand five hundred it is! Deal!”

The stall owner thought to himself, ‘This nobleman really is rich!’ He immediately agreed to the sale.

“…”

Lu Lingxiao knew he had still overpaid, but said nothing. With a cold expression, he threw over the Spirit Stones and put the ring away.

“Hey, my friend! Check out my wares! These are all from a cave mansion during the Pioneering War!”

“Brother! These treasures are from a Nascent Soul True Lord’s relics, all top-quality!”

Several nearby vendors clamored for Lu Lingxiao’s business, eager to strike gold from him too.

However, Lu Lingxiao merely glanced coldly at them in silence, causing these vendors to shake. Their faces paled.

Foundation Establishment late stage!

This young master was a high-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Immediately, their hearts quivered in fear. They wondered if that ring truly was a treasure after all?

Even the vendor who had just sold the ring couldn’t help but speculate.

He had studied the ring for a long time.

It was incredibly durable, even to the point that not even spiritual tools could scratch it. But no matter what he tried, it showed no signs of significant power, as if it were just an ordinary ornament.

Still, now that it was sold, he dared not ask further, content with the two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.

Lu Lingxiao continued strolling through the market. Soon, he spotted a palm-sized, broken, mottled bronze mirror.

He studied the mirror carefully for a while, uncovering its deeper wonders.

It likely was a magical treasure, though due to damage and neglect, it had lost its brightness and spiritual energy over time.

Although its value seemed mediocre, when Lu Lingxiao injected a bit of spiritual power, he felt a faint resonance between the mirror and his Dragon Chant Physique.

“Is this a treasure of extreme yang and hardness?”

Lu Lingxiao frowned slightly, pondering.

After examining it for a while longer, he asked the vendor for a price.

The vendor, who seemed more knowledgeable, immediately stated that it was a broken magical treasure with sealed powers.

If he could hire a third-tier artifact refiner to repair it, the treasure’s true glory could be restored, and its value would rise. He asked for fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

“That’s too expensive. Fifteen thousand.”

Even for Lu Lingxiao, fifty thousand Spirit Stones was far too much. That price was beyond what a Foundation Establishment cultivator could afford.

After a brief negotiation, they settled on twenty-three thousand Spirit Stones.

It wasn’t a low price, but it wasn’t overly expensive either.

Lu Lingxiao hoped it was worth it, as he was betting on the treasure’s original rank being good. Maybe its damages weren’t too serious.

After paying for the mirror, he continued browsing the market but found nothing else of value and soon left.

Spending more than twenty thousand Spirit Stones on this trip wasn’t too significant for him.

Since he often helped Lu Wangshu explore and search for treasures, he frequently went on hunts alone and could kill late-stage second-tier Spirit Beasts. Thus, he had accumulated more wealth than most Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Moreover, his mother, Ling Zixiao, was very kind to him and had given him a generous sum of Spirit Stones before his journey.

After completing his procurement and handling the Spirit Beast materials at Qingluan Immortal City, he returned to the inn to rest and began examining the bronze ring and broken mirror again.

The ring remained inert, but when he injected spiritual power into the mirror, he felt a faint reaction.

However, with his current level of cultivation, fully activating the treasure was impossible.

After fiddling with them for a good while, he placed them back into his Storage Bag intending to ask for advice from his master or father when he returned.

The next day, he left Qingluan Immortal City and was ambushed by four Foundation Establishment cultivators on his way back to Qingxuan Mountain.

Although Qingluan True Lord had regained control of the Immortal City and the number of bandits had decreased since the Pioneering War,…

As long as people exist, so does the jianghu. Anyone could become a bandit, and there was no way to fully eliminate them.

Lu Lingxiao was used to such events by now.

He was a generous spender and dressed in fine robes. Even though he had reached late-stage Foundation Establishment, many still saw him as an easy target.

But as his pupils dilated into dragon-shaped vortexes, like the sun and moon rotating within them, he immediately saw through the weaknesses in the four attackers’ cultivation. Then, with a mighty roar, a blazing flaming firevine tree appeared in his hands, which he fiercely swung.

“Boom!”

The Golden Flame Vine Tree exploded with dazzling golden light, bursting into roaring fire dragons and phoenixes.

“Ahhh!”

One of the Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivators had his protective aura shattered and his body reduced to ashes, burned beyond recognition.

“Clang!”

At the same time, a flying sword slashed toward Lu Lingxiao. He clenched his fist, igniting a blazing dark-gold flame, and punched it head-on, smashing the spiritual weapon.

“Boom!”

The Golden Flame Vine Tree swung once more, its terrifying force unstoppable, obliterating another cultivator and turning him into charred remains.

The remaining two attackers quailed in fear, realizing they had messed with the wrong man. This wasn’t some foolish rich boy. It was a top-tier battle cultivator!

They crushed their talismans and fled.

But Lu Lingxiao had no intention of letting them go. He hurled the Golden Flame Vine Tree like a blazing golden phoenix, chasing down one of them and striking him so hard that he coughed up blood.

“Pfft!”

His body shot forward like an arrow, the tree obliterating him before turning him to ash. Then he activated a talisman and sped after the last man.

Lu Changsheng had provided ample talismans to all his children, and Lu Lingxiao was no exception.

Additionally, as Lu Wangshu’s top customer, he enjoyed discounts on her talismans, so he was never short of them and always carried plenty of different kinds.

With the help of a second-tier top-quality Wind Talisman, he eventually caught up to the fleeing man within half an hour, killing him and turning his body to ashes before collecting the loot and heading back to Qingxuan Mountain, as if nothing had happened.