Chapter 848: A New Legacy of Spirit and Blood

“Spirit Body?”

Lu Changsheng suddenly paused, his heart skipping a beat.

Ever since his son Lu Yun had fathered two spirit bodies, no descendant of the Lu Family from three generations had ever been born with a spirit body.

As for the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations, not a single one had ever appeared.

That was entirely natural.

The innate talent of one’s offspring is closely tied to the cultivation and spirit root gifts of the parents.

Except for when precious natural treasures, miraculous pills, and elixirs are used to nurture and enhance talent, it all comes down to luck.

Thus, for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators to be blessed with extraordinarily gifted spirit body offspring is as rare as winning a lottery.

“Ping’an, is it?” Lu Changsheng guessed that this spirit-body child was most likely the offspring of his son Lu Ping’an and Qin Yi.

After all, judging by the timing, Qin Yi’s child in her womb was about to be born.

Before he could even check the system, a message from his son Lu Ping’an arrived, announcing the birth of the child.

“Miaoge, dear,” Lu Changsheng said with obvious delight as he glanced at his wife beside him.

He informed her about the birth of the child in little Qin’s womb and mentioned he would go take a look.

“Ping’an should have informed us earlier about such matters,”

Lu Miaoge, clad in a simple white dress with graceful poise and a delicately refined face as pure as freshly fallen snow, replied in a soft voice, hinting that such news should have been shared sooner.

“He was probably anxious in the moment and simply forgot,” Lu Changsheng explained with a smile as he squeezed his wife’s jade-like hand before stepping out of the cave residence in the Hall of Everlasting Life.

Thinking of his daughter Lu Wangshu, who had spent these recent days in the Pocket Dimension meditating on the Blood Talisman Spirit Body, Lu Changsheng sent his divine sense to check on her and, noticing that she wasn’t in an urgent situation, called out:

“Wangshu.”

“Your elder brother and his wife’s child has been born. Would you like to go see him?”

“Let’s go!” At once, Lu Wangshu opened her eyes, stepped out of the wooden house, and cheerfully called to the couple ahead who resembled celestial companions, “Father, Mother!”

Then, linking arms with Lu Miaoge, she stepped out of the Longevity Cave in the Pocket Dimension and headed toward Lu Ping’an’s courtyard.

“System.”

Taking the opportunity, Lu Changsheng quietly recited an incantation in his mind, wanting to check why this grandson was born as a spirit body.

【Name: Not Yet Named】

【Lifespan: 1/95】

【Talent: Second-Grade Spirit Root, Wild Wasteland Battle Body (top-tier spirit body)】

【Cultivation: None】

【Aptitude: Body Refinement (68%)}

“Wild Wasteland Battle Body?”

Lu Changsheng was taken aback—he hadn’t expected his grandson to possess a top-tier spirit body.

It was known that only very few in the entire Lu Family boasted such a distinguished spirit body.

“A second-grade spirit root giving rise to a top-tier spirit body, much like Xuanqian’s talent.”

Lu Changsheng recalled his other grandson, currently the foremost figure of the three-generation Lu Family, Lu Xuangen.

Yet, the spirit bodies between the two were markedly different.

The Five Elements spirit body is one of the most common top-tier spirit bodies.

With its cultivation of the Five Elements techniques and arts, progress is rapid and its might far exceeds that of ordinary practitioners!

Records of the Wild Wasteland Battle Body are few—it is a rather rare, physically focused spirit body.

It endows its possessor with exceptional physical strength and fighting prowess that only intensifies in battle.

“Could it be that this Wild Wasteland Battle Body has inherited some traits from Ping’an’s Wild Dragon Spine?”

Lu Changsheng mused quietly.

In the cultivation world, genetic inheritance from parent to child was common.

If the parents possessed spirit roots, their children had a high likelihood of inheriting them.

Likewise, if both parents possessed spirit bodies, there was an increased chance for their offspring to be born with one too.

Lu Ping’an’s body was already intimately fused with one of the nine divine bones of the Divine Bone Sect—namely, the Wild Dragon Spine—making any inheritance of its traits quite plausible.

Thus, the child might naturally inherit some of those characteristics.

Moreover, the use of Fusion Spirit Pills and the precious natural treasures from recent years could further amplify these inherited traits into a full-fledged spirit body.

However, whether there was any actual connection between the Wild Dragon Spine and the Wild Wasteland Battle Body remained uncertain to Lu Changsheng.

When Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge arrived at Lu Ping’an’s courtyard, Lu Miaoyun and the others had also been notified and were coming to pay their respects.

“Husband, Miaoge, Wangshu,”

Lu Miaoyun, in a vibrant azure dress with a fresh, pure face that bore the dignified air of someone long in charge of the Lu Family, greeted them.

As one of Lu Changsheng’s earliest wives and close to Lu Lanshu—the mother of Lu Ping’an—the two women maintained a friendly, sisterly bond.

In fact, due to her status, after marrying Lu Changsheng, Lu Lanshu, Lu Zier, and Lu Qing’er had all graciously ceded the position of the principal wife.

Thus, in her earlier years she had always paid extra attention to Lu Ping’an, the firstborn of the Lu Family with Qingzhu Mountain bloodline.

Over the years, the two had come to manage different facets of the Lu Family—she looked after the backyard while Lu Ping’an managed the disciples.

“Yun’er, Zhenzhen,” Lu Changsheng called out with a smile, as he and a few of his wives went forward to pay their respects.

Entering the room, they immediately saw Lu Ping’an—tall, robust, and with a stiff, reserved expression—holding a baby near the bedside.

Qin Yi lay on the bed, her face pale and fragile.

Regardless of a cultivator’s realm, the process of pregnancy and childbirth invariably leaves one weakened.

This was one reason why the children borne by high-level cultivators surpassed ordinary mortals in vitality.

“Father, Aunty, Wangshu, you’ve arrived,”

Lu Ping’an called out to everyone.

Qin Yi on the bed echoed the greetings one by one.

Immediately, Lu Miaoge went forward, grasping Qin Yi’s wrist and using the Supreme Goodness Like Water Method to nurture and warm her body.

Although the method wasn’t a conventional healing or health-preserving technique, it was exceptionally proficient at conditioning the body—often outperforming many renowned physicians.

“Thank you, Aunty,” Qin Yi said, though her naturally forthright nature rendered her somewhat reserved in the presence of her in-laws—addressing them just as respectfully as Lu Ping’an.

“Father, look,”

At that moment, Lu Ping’an carefully handed his son over for his father to see, his actions prompting amused glances from Lu Miaoyun and Lu Wangshu.

Everyone present was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Lu Ping’an himself was a Core Formation cultivator with a divine realm; even if the child slipped from his grasp, his magical energy would catch it seamlessly.

Not to mention, he had Lu Changsheng—a Nascent Soul True Lord—by his side.

“Wah, wah, wah!!!”

The baby, a chubby little boy with pristine, plump cheeks and a vibrant, almost crystalline physique, burst into booming cries as soon as Lu Changsheng cradled him.

His loud, powerful wails resonated with the boundless energy emanating from his tiny frame.

“Ping’an, this child clearly inherits your robust physique,” Lu Changsheng remarked with a hearty laugh as he admired his grandson.

“Father, let me see—let me see!” Lu Wangshu immediately piped up, eager to catch a glimpse of her nephew.

Lu Miaoyun and Qu Zhenzhen edged closer to observe the child.

“Elder Brother, have you decided on a name for my big nephew?”

Lu Wangshu gently poked the baby’s chubby cheek, reminiscing about the days when Lu Lingxiao and Lu Linghe were young.

Back then, with Aunt Ling Zixiao overwhelmed by endless affairs and lacking time herself, their father would often entrust the twins to her care, hoping they’d grow close.

Now that the little ones had grown, with Lu Lingxiao even having broken through Core Formation and marched off to the frontlines of battle,

Lu Ping’an declared, “Fine—let’s call him Lu Xuanfan.”

Earlier, he had asked his father to name the child,

but Lu Changsheng, having named hundreds of children in the past, had lost interest, leaving the task to his son.

After much deliberation between Lu Ping’an and Qin Yi, they chose the name Lu Xuanfan.

‘Xuan’ was the generational name for the three generations of the Lu Family,

and ‘Fan’ embodied his hope that the child would grow up quietly and safely.

They wished for him to lead an unassuming life while, deep within, harboring the potential to forge an extraordinary path and bring honor to the family.

At the same time, the name ‘Fan’ also reminded Lu Ping’an of his own humble beginnings.

Had it not been for his father, he would have been just another ordinary mortal—fated to perish like many of his siblings, turning to dust.

“Lu Xuanfan,”

Lu Wangshu and Lu Miaoyun softly repeated the name as they looked upon the infant.

Although the Lu Family had long spanned three generations with over a thousand members—and even four, five, or six generations—the birth of this child, as the firstborn of Lu Ping’an, carried extraordinary significance.

Lu Xuanfan’s arrival stirred only limited murmurs among a few Lu Family members.

However, when Lu Miaoyun distributed ten spirit stones each from Bihu Mountain as wedding gifts, everyone immediately learned that Lu Ping’an of Bihu and Qin of the Heavenly Sword Sect had fathered a child.

Dozens of second- and third-generation members came to congratulate their elder brother and uncle.

As for the fourth and fifth generations, most had not yet matured enough to pay respects, so they hurried forward at the earliest opportunity.

Neither Lu Ping’an nor Qin Yi cared much for formalities—no elaborate celebration for the child’s first month was planned.

They preferred not to have the child be the subject of too much attention from an early age.

With no further arrangements on the horizon, Lu Wangshu did not wait for a full-month celebration and returned to her secluded meditation, determined to push her Core Formation breakthrough in one fierce effort!

After years of accumulation with the Nine-Nine Profound Talisman Sutra, Fourth-Tier Talismans, and his clear Dao Heart Core Fusion, along with the Butterfly Transformation Gu and Ten Thousand Spirit Blood, his top-tier Blood Talisman Spirit Body had long shattered the limits of his magical energy and innate talent—making a Core Formation breakthrough almost a certainty.

In fact, his goal was no longer the Immortal Golden Core of old, but the Dao Golden Core his father had once spoken of.

Lu Changsheng didn’t remain by the bedside to watch over everyone.

He planned to step in with assistance when his daughter reached the final stage of Core Formation.

Taking advantage of the moment, he merged his grandson Lu Xuanfan’s Wild Wasteland Battle Body into his own Chaos Body.

Within the Lu Family, the cultivation and innate talent of the third generation declined by up to fifty percent compared to that of the second.

Yet even after this decline, a top-tier spirit body like the Wild Wasteland Battle Body was comparable to a superior spirit body.

Through this fusion, Lu Changsheng gained a deeper understanding of the Wild Wasteland Battle Body, discovering its uncanny similarity to the Undying Golden Body.

Robust flesh and blood, impervious to myriad evil energies and curses, with physical strength and self-healing far surpassing ordinary mortals.

However, unlike the terrifying life-force of the Undying Golden Body,

the Wild Wasteland Battle Body does not manifest eternal, indestructible matter or inherent immortality.

Instead, it gives rise to a substance known as “Battle Blood”!

During combat, this Battle Blood ignites and surges,

not unlike how Ping’an’s Hope Gu blazes into a phoenix-like flame when all seems lost—igniting a cultivator’s latent potential.

But while the Hope Gu burns in desperate circumstances, the Wild Wasteland Battle Body channels the fighter’s will into every drop of blood,

thereby enhancing physical strength, endurance, and all other attributes.

Moreover, in close-quarters combat, this spirit body confers combat instincts and sensory awareness far beyond that of ordinary practitioners.

For instance, its five senses and battle intuition far exceed those of typical cultivators.

“How is it that the Wild Wasteland Battle Body bears so many similarities to the Undying Golden Body? Could it be that the postnatal cultivation method of the Undying Golden Body drew inspiration from the Wild Wasteland Battle Body?”

While merging, Lu Changsheng entertained a fleeting thought:

Perhaps his grandson Lu Xuanfan’s spirit body was significantly influenced by Lu Ping’an’s own Undying Golden Body.

After all, Lu Ping’an’s Undying Golden Body originated from the legacy of Mount Da Luo’s Nine Cicadas Undying Body Technique,

which required the power of the Undying Golden Body’s essence to properly enter its cultivation path.

In Lu Ping’an’s case, he had been overtaken by the formidable True Lord of Dragon-Tiger from Mount Da Luo and had directly ascended to the top-tier legacy, condensing his Undying Golden Body.

As his cultivation advanced, his Undying Golden Body would continue to develop.

“Mount Da Luo is a top-tier force in the Central Region of the Southern Desolation, primarily focused on body refinement.”

They must have conducted extensive research on spirit bodies in body refinement—to fuse innate spirit bodies with acquired ones in a postnatal process.

Earlier, Lu Changsheng had sent Ling Zixiao to inquire about the Dragon-Tiger Immortal City and Mount Da Luo.

Although the information was scant, it was known that Mount Da Luo was one of the most formidable forces in the Southern Desolation, with power that was truly extraordinary.

Otherwise, even a mid-stage Nascent Soul giant like True Lord Tiancang or Yu Tiansheng wouldn’t have met such a tragic fate.

After a long while, Lu Changsheng finally integrated the weakened version of the Wild Wasteland Battle Body into his Chaos Body.

His current Chaos Body had already been merged with the Undying Golden Body, the Kunpeng Body, and the remnants of his daughter Lu Jiangtang’s fragmented Chaos Body.

Thus, this fusion didn’t provide a significant boost to his physical strength,

but it did grant him enhanced Battle Blood and sharper combat awareness and sensitivity.

For instance, once his body refinement reached Fourth-Tier, his flesh became reminiscent of a spirit treasure—infused with a faint liveliness,

making him extremely perceptive to various energies, perils, and even divine senses.

Now that his Chaos Body was merged with the Wild Wasteland Battle Body, his sensitivity to these phenomena was even more acute.

In dangerous situations, his battle instincts would kick in as an almost instinctual survival mechanism to evade or counterattack.

What might seem ordinary was, in a life-or-death skirmish, vitally important—bridging the gap in Lu Changsheng’s close combat capabilities.

After all, for centuries, Lu Ancestor’s fighting style had always been about overwhelming force—brute strength overpowering technique, with little need for flashy maneuvers.

“System, lottery draw.”

After fusing the spirit body, Lu Changsheng quietly recited a command, preparing to initiate a lottery draw.

Aside from receiving one ordinary lottery draw for his grandson Lu Xuanfan’s birth,

a few days ago, when his number of descendants surpassed twenty thousand, he had received another ordinary lottery draw.

【Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained the cultivation method: Perfect Seamless Robe!】

【The reward has been sent to the system space. You can view it at any time.】

A jade book with an intricate design appeared accompanied by the system’s prompt sound.

“Huh!?”

Lu Changsheng frowned slightly upon seeing the name of this cultivation method, feeling it resembled the name of a set of robes.

He glanced at his system space.

【Cultivation Method: Perfect Seamless Robe】

【Rank: True Authentic】

【Description: Created by the Seamless Maiden, this method, when perfected, forms a robe without seams that cloaks one’s internal energy and divine secrets. It appears almost ethereal as one moves, rendering one’s true state imperceptible to others.】

“A method to conceal one’s cultivation and magical energy?”

Lu Changsheng’s brows arched in curiosity.

Breathing techniques were among the most commonly used secrets by cultivators, though most of these methods had limited effects.

In his younger days, he had relied heavily on the sealing divine light of the Nine Treasures Dao Bone to conceal his own cultivation by sealing himself off.

After breaking through Fourth-Tier in body refinement, he would use his flesh and blood to seal off his energy and magical aura, thereby masking his true power.

In simpler terms, he concealed his cultivation aura using nothing but his physical body, energy, and magical force.

Yet, ironically, Lu Changsheng had never personally cultivated such a method.

“System, inherit!”

Lu Changsheng’s interest spiked as he examined the details of the Perfect Seamless Robe. In an instant, the complete teachings associated with the method flooded his mind like a torrent of enlightenment.

He became completely absorbed, assimilating every nuance of the cultivation method.

“What an intriguing Perfect Seamless Robe…”

After what felt like an eternity, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes. He had now thoroughly comprehended the method.

The cultivation method comprised five layers.

The first layer, named the Dust Robe, involved using magical energy in cultivation to cover one’s flesh with an invisible layer of “dust” that masked both one’s power and appearance.

The second layer, known as the Fa Robe, consolidated one’s internal energy into a unified mass; it was as if one were donning a magical robe with not a single trace of aura leaking out.

Even when moving, sitting, or exerting magical energy through secret techniques, not an iota of aura would escape.

The third layer, titled No Robe, allowed one to conceal one’s cultivation and magical energy completely without needing to actively use the method—rendering one almost indistinguishable from an ordinary person while also hiding injuries, scents, or traces.

The fourth layer, named the Calamity Robe, required the use of corresponding natural treasures for its cultivation.

Once perfected, one’s aura would form intricate calamity patterns that confused even the most skilled diviners, making it impossible for others to accurately divine one’s fate.

The fifth and final layer, called the Celestial Robe, was completely seamless and formless—an embodiment of the laws of the void.

Once activated, not only would one’s internal aura and magical energy be completely hidden, but even one’s divine secrets would blur into obscurity.

Any attempts to track life force, energy, or use any means of detection would be thwarted—rendering the practitioner almost utterly invisible.

Even to the naked eye, it was as if one were seen through a hazy veil, with facial features instinctively blurred and forgotten.

“Even though the Lu Family Record ensures that Lu Family disciples need not fear having their destinies divined, mastering this method would be of immense help when venturing out into the world.”

For Lu Changsheng—a mid-Fourth-Tier body refinement cultivator, master of the Lu Family Record and Heavenly Yuan Lotus—the effect of this method on him would be limited.

But for the other Lu Family disciples, the benefits were significant.

Even just the first layer was superior to many conventional breathing techniques.

If one could master the second layer, then while out in the field, fellow cultivators of the same rank would be unable to discern one’s true cultivation or detect disguises.

Moreover, this method would prove invaluable in emergencies.

For instance, if one were cursed or poisoned, it could help in masking the symptoms to a certain extent.

It reminded Lu Changsheng of his own early days in the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands, when True Lord Tiancang had used intricate energy techniques to track him.

Had he cultivated the Perfect Seamless Robe back then, he would have been able to completely mask his aura and evade detection.

Furthermore, once perfected, the effects of the cultivation method for Lu Changsheng would fully manifest.

These five layers bore similarities to his own divine ability, the Yin-Yang Glass Wall, yet they were distinct and complementary.

If one could master the Perfect Seamless Robe to its fullest and attain a state of near-void, then combine it with the Yin-Yang Glass Wall to isolate oneself within a Nascent Soul Domain, the practitioner would become an almost invincible force.

Not only could one lurk beside other Nascent Soul cultivators undetected, but one could also conceal fluctuations in magical energy—catching adversaries completely unawares.

There was an instance when Lu Changsheng had decimated the Fuhai True Lord in a single strike, his Nine-Leaf Sword Technique turning the tide so quickly that his target barely had time to register the attack.

Should he reach that level, his opponents would scarcely be able to react.

Especially now that Lu Changsheng’s body refinement had broken through to mid-Fourth-Tier—if he engaged in close combat, it would be a nightmare for any adversary!

“This cultivation method can be added to my training list,”

Lu Changsheng exhaled a wisp of turbid air, planning to cultivate the method when time permitted.

Given his innate talent and understanding of such methods, as long as he gathered the required materials for the fourth and fifth layers, cultivation would not be difficult.

It would only take a little time.

However, contemplating the many other cultivation techniques and secret methods awaiting his attention, Lu Changsheng felt a pang of headache at the thought of it all.

“System, lottery draw.”

Lu Changsheng proceeded with his second lottery draw, his expression calm and unruffled this time.

【Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained a puppet: Faceless Homunculus】

【The reward has been sent to the system space. You can view it at any time.】

“A puppet?”

In his early days, he had drawn the Thousand-Faced Fox Puppet—a sentient construct.

Later, when he acquired Qian Zhuyan—the prodigy of puppet cultivation—Lu Changsheng’s interest in puppets grew even more.

Seeing that the system had granted him another puppet, he felt a surge of anticipation, wondering if it might inspire new insights.

“Extract!”

Without a second glance, Lu Changsheng directly extracted the Faceless Homunculus from his system space.

In an instant, a completely transparent, crystal-like, faceless puppet materialized before him.

According to the system’s description, he quickly absorbed all the details about this faceless construct.

It was classified as a Third-Rank Puppet.

Unlike most puppets, this construct was not designed for combat.

Its primary function was to simulate the energy pathways and breakthroughs of human body cultivation.

For example, if Lu Changsheng acquired a particular cultivation method and feared errors during training, he could transfer his condition and the method details to the Faceless Homunculus,

allowing the puppet to simulate the cultivation process.

Should any mishaps occur, the puppet would alert him.

Of course, as a Third-Rank Puppet, the Faceless Homunculus could simulate at most the breakthroughs of a Core Formation cultivator, and only for relatively simple methods.

It was best suited for Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment practitioners to use for simulating their cultivation,

thereby verifying their compatibility with the method and checking for any potential issues during training.

Furthermore, if a cultivator felt uncertain about a breakthrough during Qi Refining or Core Formation, they could input their condition into the Faceless Homunculus,

which would simulate the breakthrough process.

While it couldn’t simulate the nuances of one’s state of mind, it could at least provide a rough approximation.