Chapter 629: The Everlasting Universal Bone, Lu Miaoge’s Challenge to Golden Core Formation!

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—”

The paper figures swelled in the wind, transforming into stoic warriors, their bodies covered in intricate talismans.

“Talisman Soldiers!?”

Lu Qingxian immediately recognized the technique.

He had seen Lu Wangshu use talisman soldiers before but didn’t expect there would be so many. Upon closer inspection, there were exactly thirty-six, and most of them appeared to have the aura of the Second Tier.

If one were to exchange them for Spirit Stones, how many would that cost!?

He suddenly understood where all of Lu Wangshu’s money went.

Lu Wangshu distributed a thick stack of talismans to the thirty-six talisman soldiers.

After that, Lu Wangshu summoned four top-tier Second-Tier puppets, placing them around herself for protection.

“???”

Lu Qingxian was at a loss.

Damn it, is this really the wealth of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

He thought he was already doing quite well among cultivators of his level.

With two high-grade Spirit Tools, one Second-Tier mid-grade puppet, several top-tier Second-Tier talismans, and even a Heavenly Spiritual Flame.

But compared to Lu Wangshu, it was utterly laughable.

Even more shockingly, Lu Wangshu could control four puppets and that many talisman soldiers at the same time?!  ”Get ready.”

Lu Wangshu turned to the two of them and said, “You charge straight ahead; I’ll handle the rest.”

“Alright.”

Lu Lingxiao, holding the Golden Flame Vine Tree, exuded an imposing aura like a towering mountain holding up the heavens.

Lu Qingxian, gripping the Lightning Fire Staff and clad in a Thunderfire Robe, had a serious expression.

“Let’s go!”

With those words, the three of them rushed into the valley.

“Roar, roar, roar—”

The ape demons immediately bellowed at the trio, with some even charging right at them.

“Bang!”

Lu Lingxiao was the first to strike, his body enveloped in a dark golden flame. Wielding the Golden Flame Vine Tree, he swung it, unleashing a scorching fire that obliterated an ape demon, reducing it to ashes.

Not to be outdone, Lu Qingxian waved his purple-red staff, from which arcs of lightning surged, intertwining with the crimson gem at its top, releasing a terrifying thunderfire that roared like a dragon.

But two hands are not enough to fend off many.

In the next moment, the thirty-six talisman soldiers behind Lu Wangshu formed a coordinated formation, and under her control, they launched talismans at the charging ape demons.

Thirty-six talismans ignited at once, intertwining like a miniature sun, crashing toward the ape demons and exploding violently.

“Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—”

The talisman soldiers continued unleashing talismans, each one forming a different-colored small sun, triggering a series of earth-shaking explosions that made the mountains tremble.

The terrifying firepower, along with the thunderous explosions, could easily be seen from dozens of miles away, leaving some cultivators in the secret realm dumbfounded, unsure of what was happening.

But amidst the rising dust and flashing thunderfire, it seemed as if even the valley was collapsing, with rocks flying in all directions.

At that moment, not only were the ape demons bewildered by the blast.

Even Lu Qingxian, running ahead, was stunned.

“Even if a False Core True Person showed up, they’d be in trouble, wouldn’t they!?”

His heart raced with shock.

However, aside from the shock, he felt a stab of pain.

The money.

That terrifying firepower was fueled by burning Spirit Stones!  Although he wasn’t poor, compared to Lu Wangshu and Lu Lingxiao, he was far behind.

Meanwhile, Lu Lingxiao remained cold and expressionless, accustomed to his elder sister’s terrifying number of talismans.

Even though his cultivation had surpassed hers, when faced with her many tricks, he couldn’t help but feel a tingling scalp, knowing he had no chance of victory.

As Lu Wangshu’s firepower surrounded them, the trio continued their advance.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, an ear-piercing roar echoed as an enormous ape demon, towering a few meters tall, appeared and charged toward them.

“A quasi-Third Tier Spirit Beast!”

Lu Qingxian’s eyes narrowed as his face turned grim before glancing at Lu Wangshu.

Under normal circumstances, Lu Wangshu wouldn’t tangle with a quasi-Third Tier Spirit Beast. She would usually flee.

But now, having spent so much money, not seeing a return on the investment would hurt more than death.

“Divine Thunder Talisman!”

A nine-colored talisman mark flickered on Lu Wangshu’s forehead as she unleashed a Third-Tier talisman.

The thirty-six talisman soldiers also cast talismans simultaneously, linking with her talisman and blasting it toward the quasi-Third Tier ape demon.

The ape demon wasn’t stupid. It ignited a layer of black flames, attempting to dodge the assault. But Lu Lingxiao seemed to predict this and released a Binding Talisman midair.

The ape demon’s body slightly stiffened, then it was engulfed by the thunderfire storm created by Lu Wangshu’s talismans.

“Kill!”

Seeing this, Lu Lingxiao immediately rushed out, wielding the Golden Flame Vine Tree like a solar deity, charging at the ape demon.

Two of Lu Wangshu’s four puppets joined the melee, one provided long-range support, and one stayed by her side for protection.

Lu Qingxian, seeing this, unleashed a dazzling bolt of lightning from his staff, providing Lu Lingxiao with cover.

A moment later, the quasi-Third Tier Spirit Beast was easily slain by the three.

After extracting the ape demon’s core, the trio headed deeper into the valley, where they saw a formation gate.

“Be careful.”

Lu Lingxiao’s gaze, filled with celestial radiance, scrutinized the formation gate but couldn’t see through it.

A bronze ring appeared in his hand, and after injecting some spiritual energy, he could sense that the mysterious pull originated from the formation gate.

“Sister Wangshu.”

He glanced at Lu Wangshu.

Lu Wangshu rolled her eyes gracefully, pointed her jade-like finger, and sent a talisman soldier forward.

However, the formation gate emitted a peculiar energy wave, instantly repelling the talisman soldier.

Lu Wangshu frowned slightly and sent a puppet forward, but it too was repelled.

Then she summoned the Cold Jade Mysterious Turtle from her Spirit Pet Bag, but it was also bounced back, landing on its back with a thud.

“Does it need this ring to get through?”

Lu Lingxiao narrowed his golden eyes, analyzing the situation, and then said to the two, “Let me go check.”

He put the ring on his finger and stepped up to the formation gate. As his palm touched it, it bathed him in a beam of light, and in the next moment, he vanished.

“Wait a bit. He should be fine.”

Lu Wangshu and Lu Qingxian exchanged glances before she softly reassured him.

Lu Lingxiao felt his body grow heavy, as if spinning in a whirlpool, before finding himself in a desolate, abandoned garden.

In front of him stood a gazebo shrouded in spiritual light, with a stone tablet inscribed with blurry, twisted characters nearby.

Those weren’t modern characters; they resembled the ancient Bird & Flower Talisman Script, their meaning deeply mysterious. Lu Lingxiao couldn’t understand them.

His eyes sparkled as he studied the characters, his gaze so intense that they began to sting. He then took out a Jade Slip and copied the talisman text, intending to study it later.

Lu Lingxiao continued walking and saw three bronze boxes on the stone table inside the gazebo.

At that moment, the bronze ring on his hand flew out, resonating with the three boxes, causing them to open with a click.

In the first box was a crystal the size of a fist, appearing to flow like liquid.

In the second box was a bracelet inlaid with six differently-colored gemstones.

The third box contained a purple-gold scroll.

Lu Lingxiao stepped forward and reached for the glowing seed in the first box, only to feel it liquefy and seep into his hand.

“Hiss!”

Faced with this sudden change, Lu Lingxiao felt a creeping sense of dread but soon found himself unable to resist, oddly welcoming the white jade liquid as it coursed through his body.

Once inside him, the liquid traveled through his body, refining both his flesh and spiritual energy before settling into his left hand.

At that moment, Lu Lingxiao realized what this crystal was.

An Immortal Bone!

This bone was called [Everlasting Universal]. With this Immortal Bone, his left hand’s strength would be greatly enhanced, making him immune to various techniques. From now on, his spellcasting speed and power would improve tremendously.

“This…”

Lu Lingxiao was bewildered by the existence of something as rare as Immortal Bones and that it had directly merged into his left hand.

In the past, when casting spells, his left hand had always felt smoother than his right. Now, with the integration of the [Everlasting Universal Bone], he didn’t know what to say.

Perhaps his left hand was more suited for this Immortal Bone.

“But how is this Immortal Bone so similar to the natal Treasure Bone described in the Hundred Refined Body Technique?”

Lu Lingxiao glanced at his left hand as he recalled his family’s body-refinement technique.

That technique, upon reaching the fifth layer, allowed one to fuse the effects of their magic treasures with their bones, making them part of their innate abilities.

However, most magic treasure effects couldn’t compare to the potential of this Everlasting Universal Bone.

Knowing he had to fully refine this Immortal Bone, Lu Lingxiao wasted no time and quickly stored away the bracelet and the scroll from the second and third boxes.

From the moment he entered this place, he knew that the force pulling him came from the bronze ring in his hand.

All he had to do was inject spiritual energy into the ring, and by using the ring’s power, he could leave.

“Buzz!”

Infusing the ring with spiritual energy, he felt the world spin once again before appearing outside the formation gate.

“Lingxiao!”

Lu Wangshu and Lu Qingxian immediately approached.

“I obtained three items inside. One item fused directly with my hand, and I need to refine it now. Here are the other two; take a look.”

Lu Lingxiao explained as he handed over the bracelet and scroll before sitting down to refine the Immortal Bone in his left hand.

“Huh?”

Lu Wangshu and Lu Qingxian examined the items closely.

One month later.

In the Sumeru Cave Heaven, inside Hall of Everlasting Life.

Lu Changsheng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and piercing. His aura carried an air of cold dominance mixed with a serene, sacred tranquility.

This unique aura made him stand out wherever he went, drawing attention easily.

But as the silence settled, Lu Changsheng’s robes remained immaculate. Soon, his whole demeanor returned to its usual serene and otherworldly state, like an immortal descending upon the world, peaceful and pure.

Many top-tier techniques affect not only a cultivator’s cultivation but also their temperament and even appearance.

However, since Lu Changsheng’s main technique was still the Yin-Yang Creation Sutra, no other techniques could significantly influence him.

“System, draw.”

During this time of seclusion, five second-generation Lu Family members had advanced to Second-Tier Talisman Master, while five direct descendants had broken through to Foundation Establishment, earning him two regular lottery draws.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Second-Tier Puppetry Technique!]

[The reward has been stored in the system space, accessible at any time.]

“Puppetry? A repeat?”

Lu Changsheng checked the system space and saw that he could still convert this puppetry technique into experience for other techniques.

After contemplating, he decided to convert the puppetry technique into formation technique experience.

While crafting Third-Tier puppets was highly valued, it required at least a year, maybe longer, to produce one puppet.

Given that, Lu Changsheng didn’t have much time to spare, so he opted to upgrade his formation technique, which had more practical uses.

After upgrading to Third-Tier in formations, Lu Changsheng continued with the second lottery draw.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining Golden Core Pill!]

[The reward has been stored in the system space, accessible at any time.]

“A Third-Tier Breaking Stage Pill.”

As a Third-Tier pill refiner himself, Lu Changsheng was, of course, familiar with the Golden Core Pill by its other name.

As the name implies, it aids Golden Core cultivators in overcoming bottlenecks from the early to mid stages.

First-Tier Breaking Stage Pills were available in many markets.

Second-Tier Breaking Stage Pills were much rarer, and hard for average Foundation Establishment-level powers to obtain.

As for the Third-Tier Breaking Stage Pill, even in the Four Great Immortal Sects, it was considered highly valuable, reserved for strategic purposes.

During the Pioneering War, several Golden Core True Persons fought ferociously just for a chance to exchange for one of these Third-Tier Breaking Stage Pills.

After all, not everyone could break through bottlenecks as effortlessly as Lu Changsheng, advancing with ease as long as their cultivation was solid.

Take Nangong Mili for example.

She had been stuck at the peak of the sixth layer of Golden Core for ages, slowly refining her spiritual energy while waiting for the right opportunity to break through.

“I’ll hold onto it for now and see if it becomes useful later or maybe trade it for something of equal value.”

Though the pill was meant for the early to mid-stage transition, it would also somewhat help those trying to progress from the mid to late stage.

Many who couldn’t acquire an even higher-tier Golden Core Pill would settle for a Golden Core Pill to help with their breakthrough.

Thus, the pill was almost as valuable as a Condensing Crystal Pill.

Leaving the cave and Hall of Everlasting Life, Lu Changsheng was surprised to find that his seclusion had lasted a year and two months.

During that period, he hadn’t felt like much time had passed.

They say time doesn’t exist for cultivators deep in practice.

At his level, even progressing through the basics of cultivation techniques required at least a year.

“But why hasn’t Qingshan broken through yet?”

Lu Changsheng thought of his son, Lu Qingshan, still in the Yue Kingdom.

When he last saw him, Qingshan had been preparing for Golden Core Formation and, without interference, would have completed it within a year or two.

It’s been two years since I sent him back to the Golden Sun Sect.

“Maybe he finally learned to be more cautious?”

Lu Changsheng mused.

Before, his son’s approach to breaking through was all about momentum—when his cultivation and sword intent reached their peak, he wouldn’t hesitate and would charge straight toward Golden Core Formation.

After obtaining the Da Luo Sword Embryo, his son had clearly benefited, but that approach had lost its momentum.

However, after solidifying his spiritual foundation further and acquiring the Five Elements Spirit Fruit, Qingshan might be adopting a more careful approach to prepare for Golden Core Formation.

“That’s a good thing.”

Lu Changsheng nodded approvingly, glad his son seemed more level-headed now.

Given that Lu Yuanzhong had almost reached the end of his lifespan, with only a breath left in him, he hoped to witness Lu Miaoge breaking through tooGolden Core before he passed.

So Lu Changsheng didn’t waste time and signaled for Lu Miaoge to begin her GoldennCore Formation process.

Using the Sun Moon Yin-Yang Profound Light Mirror, Ling Zixiao set up a large formation in Immortal City to fake an astronomical phenomenon, and later, he and Lu Miaoge would personally heed there.

“Sister Miaoge.”

A few days later, inside the Sumeru Cave Heaven, Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge sat cross-legged, wwiting for her to begin the Golden Core Formation process.