Chapter 618: Sword embryo effect, Nine Nether Mastiff impacts the third level!
Great Dream Marsh, with its vast and boundless misty waters, resembled an endless ink wash painting.
As they delved deeper, the water surface gradually became enveloped in grey mist, and the endless marsh seemed to connect tightly with the sky, water and sky merging into one.
Although the deeper parts of the Great Dream Marsh were more dangerous, Cultivators continuously braved them to hunt Yao Beasts and seek treasures.
“Splash, splash, splash—”
The water surged violently, as two Foundation Establishment Cultivators frantically fled from the water, looking disheveled with torn robes.
The middle-aged man among them had his right arm bitten off by a Yao Beast, blood gushing out, staining a large part of his clothes.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
The man’s face was as pale as paper, and he said with a bitter smile, “Sister Fu, hurry and leave, don’t mind me. If we delay any longer, it might attract other Yao Beasts. You should escape on your own.”
As he spoke, he endured the pain, urging his Magical Artifact, intending to block the pursuing Yao Beast for the woman.
“Yun Ge, since we are Husband and wife, we should share life and death. I won’t allow you to talk nonsense like that. If you die, I will never live alone!”
The woman’s face was solemn, and she said firmly, controlling her escape light to flee with the man for their lives.
However, with one being an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator and the other a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they were no match for the Yao Beast behind them.
Just then, a brilliant, heaven-piercing sword light suddenly shot down from the sky, dazzling and resplendent, like a scorching sun, radiant and eye-catching.
Facing this sword light, the man and woman not only couldn’t look directly at it, their eyes stinging, but their bodies also stiffened, their hairs stood on end, and their skin felt a tearing pain.
Immediately after, a ethereal and pure, gentle voice sounded in their ears.
“Such deep affection between Husband and wife, their hearts are commendable.”
The Husband and wife opened their eyes.
The peerless sword light from before had vanished as if it were an illusion.
But the boundless seawater before them seemed to have been cut open, enveloped by an indescribable terrifying Sword Qi.
As for the Yao Beast that had been chasing them, its flesh and blood body had turned into dust, leaving only a crystalline demon core floating.
“This, this, this…”
Seeing this scene, the two looked at each other, both seeing a sense of relief after escaping death and an indescribable shock and horror on each other’s faces.
“Many thanks, Senior!”
“Many thanks, Senior!”
The two swallowed their saliva and hurriedly bowed towards the sky to express their gratitude.
After collecting the demon core, they still couldn’t believe it, feeling as if they were dreaming.
After all, being saved by a powerful person and granted an Opportunity belonged to stories.
But they never expected such a thing to happen to them.
“Yun Ge, your arm.”
The woman looked at the man’s severed arm, feeling a pang of heartache.
For Cultivators, if their body is incomplete, it would affect their Realm Breakthrough.
“It’s just an arm, it’s nothing serious.”
The man said with a pale smile, then he and the woman quickly returned to the island using their escape light.
“Tsk, there’s still quite a bit of pure love in the Cultivation World.”
High in the sky, Old Ancestor Lu, dressed in a profound black robe, with a tall and slender figure, held a primitive and rough sword embryo in his hand, sighing.
That sword strike just now was something he casually unleashed.
For such casual acts, if he encountered them, Old Ancestor Lu was still willing to lend a hand.
Moreover, such heartwarming love was also worthy of Old Ancestor Lu, as a pure love warrior, to save them.
“This sword embryo is quite interesting. It seems unremarkable when not activated, but once spiritual power is injected, it unleashes a peerless sword light. I’m afraid even an ordinary Cultivator using it would be like a top-tier Sword Cultivator!”
Lu Changsheng looked at the sword embryo in his hand, very satisfied.
This sword embryo looked primitive and unremarkable, even a bit rough.
But as long as spiritual power was injected, it would burst forth with an indescribably brilliant sword light, making it difficult to look at directly.
After arriving at the depths of the Great Dream Marsh and seeing no one around, Lu Changsheng began to fully activate the sword embryo in his hand.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz—”
The primitive and dim sword embryo vibrated, and the patterns of the Dao began to intertwine and flow, like smoke and mist, extremely profound, bursting forth with a peerlessly brilliant and dazzling radiance, simply a hundred times more dazzling than the sun.
Even Lu Changsheng himself, looking at the Sword Dao Origin intertwined on the sword embryo, felt a stinging sensation in his eyes, making it difficult to see clearly.
“Pfft!”
Lu Changsheng struck out the sword embryo in his hand, and the brilliant sword light, like an endless rainbow, pierced through the heavens, earth, and Void Realm, directly splitting the boundless sea surface, forming a sharp and formidable Sword Qi capable of slaying a Tier 3 Demon King.
“Hiss, what a good sword embryo, what a good sword embryo!”
Lu Changsheng looked at the gradually dimming sword embryo in his hand, his eyes filled with joy.
Although this sword embryo was not a Magic Treasure and had not been forged into a heavenly spiritual treasure, in Lu Changsheng’s opinion, it surpassed many heavenly spiritual treasures.
Because at this stage, he truly had no way to use heavenly spiritual treasures.
He even struggled to activate Medium Grade and High Grade Spirit Treasures.
But this sword embryo was different!
Although it consumed more spiritual power than ordinary Magic Treasures and Spirit Treasures, it had no usage threshold.
Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who obtained this sword embryo and injected spiritual power would be able to use some of its abilities.
In other words, this sword embryo, even if not forged into a heavenly spiritual treasure, could still be used as a Spirit Treasure with high potential and a high upper limit!
“Although the spiritual power consumption is more than ordinary Spirit Treasures, its power also surpasses many Spirit Treasures. In my hands, its power is completely not weaker than ordinary Spirit Treasures.”
Lu Changsheng continuously swung his sword, and his second Dantian, the Heavenly Yuan Treasure Emperor Lotus, vibrated, spiritual power gushing out like a breached sea, pouring out frantically.
Beams of dazzling sword light illuminated the heavens and earth, causing a tumultuous storm of ten thousand feet.
At this moment, any Cultivator looking here would believe that a peerless Sword Cultivator was performing a Sword Dao Divine Ability.
But at this very moment, Lu Changsheng had not used any sword arts or performed any Sword Dao Divine Abilities; he was simply activating the power of the sword embryo.
“Hoo!”
A moment later, Lu Changsheng stopped, looking a bit tired and panting. He liked the sword embryo in his hand more and more, unable to put it down.
Holding this sword embryo was like mastering a top-tier sword art.
In fact, in Lu Changsheng’s opinion, performing the “Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Scripture” was not as simple and direct as activating the Origin of this sword embryo.
“Although I obtained the “Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Scripture” and am considered a Sword Cultivator, compared to Sword Cultivators like Xuanjian Zhenjun, I am still far behind.”
“If this sword embryo were in the hands of a Sword Cultivator like him, it would transform into a truly supreme divine weapon.”
Lu Changsheng was quite self-aware of his Sword Dao level.
Although he surpassed many Sword Cultivators by relying on the Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Scripture.
Compared to top-tier Sword Cultivators, there was still a gap.
For example, with the Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Scripture, at the same Realm, he might even be inferior to his son, Lu Qingshan.
And in the previous battle with the Two-Headed Flood Dragon, he had witnessed the Sword Dao level of Xuanjian Zhenjun.
Clean and decisive, without any flashy or muddled moves, a complete one-sword-breaks-all!
For him to raise his Sword Dao level to this point by relying on the System-inherited “Seven Luminaries Great Freedom Sword Scripture,” he would probably need to accumulate and Cultivate for over a hundred years.
This required him to forge his own Dao in Sword Dao! To comprehend his own Sword Intent!
“But it’s enough. If I had this sword embryo when facing the Sect Leader of Heavenly Corpse earlier, even if I couldn’t kill him, I could still defeat him.”
At this moment, Lu Changsheng thought of his previous encounter with the Sect Leader of Heavenly Corpse.
At that time, the Yin Yang Chaotic Grindstone was difficult to push through, and it was also unable to break through the defense of the opponent’s Natal Spirit Treasure.
But this Innate sword embryo in his hand was comparable to a Spirit Treasure embryo, or even some Low Grade Spirit Treasures.
And his state at that time had already reached the half-step Nascent Soul stage. If he exerted all his strength, he estimated that he could unleash the power of a Medium Grade Spirit Treasure from this sword embryo.
“Hmph, when I go to Jin Country, if this person dares to provoke me, I’ll use him to test my sword!”
Lu Changsheng snorted lightly, feeling that with a sword in hand, he owned the world.
“Moreover, if I refine it later, its power and effect can be improved by a few points.”
Although refining it would cause the sword embryo to be stained with his spiritual power Qi, affecting its future forging into a heavenly spiritual treasure or the nurturing of a sword embryo Dao Body.
But Lu Changsheng liked this sword embryo more and more as he looked at it now, and it became more and more convenient to use, so he decided to use it for now.
After all, for decades, apart from the Yin Yang Diagram he had crafted himself, he hadn’t had a truly handy Magic Treasure.
Now, this sword embryo gave him a feeling of excitement.
“Besides, this sword embryo will only be used to nurture a sword embryo Dao Body in the future. What’s wrong with it being stained with a bit of my spiritual power Qi? Perhaps it can even inherit more Chaos Body characteristics.”
Lu Changsheng didn’t care about this at all.
If there’s a good treasure, what’s wrong with me, as the father, using it first?
He definitely wouldn’t forge any heavenly spiritual treasures, but instead use it to nurture a sword embryo Dao Body.
But to nurture a sword embryo Dao Body, unless he had incredibly good luck, it would take decades.
During this time, he couldn’t just let it gather dust, right?
Although it could be used without refining.
But not refining it would not only slightly reduce its power, but there were also many Divine Ability methods in the Cultivation World, including some secret treasures that could seize other people’s Magic Treasures.
If he encountered such a Cultivator one day and his sword embryo was taken during a battle, he would have nowhere to cry.
“With this sword embryo, as long as I Breakthrough to the Late Stage Core Formation, refine my Divine Abilities, and upgrade my Law Domain, I can go to the Five Poison Sect!”
After witnessing the strength of a Nascent Soul True Lord before, Lu Changsheng felt that he could barely contend with one after breaking through to the Late Stage Core Formation.
Now with this Innate sword embryo, he felt even more confident.
Or rather, he wasn’t confident against Nascent Soul True Lords like Xuanjian Zhenjun or Qingluan True Monarch who possessed Dao soldiers and quasi-Tier 4 Spirit Beasts.
But against incompetent Nascent Soul True Lords like the Sect Leader of Heavenly Corpse and the Five Poison Sect Leader, who were defeated by Xuanjian Zhenjun in a one-versus-two battle in their early years, he still had some confidence.
Even if he couldn’t win, he could still retreat safely!
“If a Sword Dao Spiritual Body appears in the Lu during these days, that would be even better.”
Lu Changsheng thought of the improvement that the ‘Empty Spirit Body’ had brought him before.
If a Sword Dao Spiritual Body appeared at this time, even the worst Sword Dao Spiritual Body, he could quickly raise his Sword Dao level by one grade, thereby enhancing the power of the Innate sword embryo by a few points.
“It doesn’t matter if there isn’t one. When the sword embryo Dao Body comes into being in the future, Lu will be a truly peerless Sword Cultivator!”
Lu Changsheng twirled the sword embryo in his hand, then turned and returned to Great Dream Immortal City.
After returning to the City Lord’s Mansion, Lu Changsheng frowned slightly, always feeling as if he had forgotten something.
He pondered for a long time, then his expression dawned on him.
He was too excited about the lottery at the time and forgot to check on his son, Lu Quanzhen’s situation.
“System.”
Lu Changsheng silently chanted in his mind, then opened his son Lu Quanzhen’s System interface.
[Name: Lu Quanzhen]
[Lifespan: 80 / 320]
[Talent: Fourth Grade Spiritual Root, Kunpeng Demon Body (High Grade Spiritual Body)]
[Cultivation: Core Formation First Layer]
[Talent: Combat Compatibility (72%)]
“Tsk tsk tsk, an eighty-year-old Golden Core Cultivator. If this were to spread, it would surely cause a sensation in the Jiang Country.”
Lu Changsheng looked at his son’s interface, feeling quite accomplished.
In the Jiang Country Cultivation World, reaching Core Formation before the age of one hundred was considered a Genius.
And his son, Lu Quanzhen, was only eighty years old.
However, Lu Quanzhen’s Ningjing Pill and Core Formation Spiritual Objects were all given by Lu, making it even simpler than a true disciple of an immortal sect arriving, saving a lot of time.
Otherwise, under normal circumstances, obtaining Ningjing Pill and Core Formation Spiritual Objects would require at least ten to twenty years of busy work.
“But why is his lifespan only three hundred and twenty years? Foundation Establishment Cultivator Breakthrough to Core Formation, one should enjoy five hundred years of life.”
“A Supreme Golden Core would even add ten to twenty more years of life.”
Lu Changsheng frowned slightly, looking at his son’s lifespan.
His lifespan increase was already below normal levels.
“Is it because he burned his life potential before, or is it a Cultivation Technique problem?”
Lu Changsheng pondered in his heart.
Although Lu Quanzhen’s physical problems had been resolved by him, the lifespan aspect could not be recovered.
His Breakthrough to Core Formation under such circumstances might have a certain impact.
Then there was the Cultivation Technique aspect.
A Cultivator’s lifespan has always been affected by their Cultivation Technique.
Cultivators who Cultivate wood or water element health-preserving Cultivation Techniques undoubtedly live much longer.
Whereas Cultivators who Cultivate metal, fire, or lightning element, and overbearing combat Cultivation Techniques, tend to have shorter lifespans.
Lu Quanzhen’s “Kunpeng Devouring Heaven Demon God Art” was undoubtedly overbearing, and its Divine Ability, Kunpeng Demon Body, was indiscriminate, devouring and plundering the Origin of all spirits for its own use, naturally coming with a price.
“It’s barely justifiable that this Demonic Technique doesn’t grant a long lifespan.”
“Besides, two hundred and forty years is enough.”
Lu Changsheng felt that with his son Lu Quanzhen’s Heart-Nature and Genius, he should be able to reach Core Formation Peak in about two hundred years.
At that time, with his help as an Old Father, reaching Nascent Soul True Lord should not be a problem.
However, thinking of Lu Quanzhen’s early years of playing with burning his life, his mouth twitched slightly.
If the latter continued to play like this, no matter how much more lifespan he had, it wouldn’t be enough.
“Forget it, children and grandchildren have their own fortunes.”
Lu Changsheng did not continue to worry.
If he had to worry about everything, how could he possibly manage?
Considering that Lu Quanzhen had broken through to Core Formation and now needed to stabilize his Realm and Cultivate Divine Ability spells, Lu Changsheng was not in a hurry to go home and visit; he continued to Cultivate in Great Dream Immortal City, refining his Divine Ability and Innate Sword Embryo.
Just like that, in a blink of an eye, more than half a year passed.
Lu Changsheng completed the refinement of the Innate Sword Embryo, and a close connection formed between them.
“This sword embryo possesses a trace of Sword Dao Origin and contains various Sword Intent; to say it encompasses everything is not an exaggeration.”
“Since that’s the case, let’s call it ‘Great Luo’, meaning vast and immeasurable, encompassing all!”
Lu Changsheng looked at the simple and unadorned Innate Sword Embryo in his hand, pondered slightly, and gave it a name.
During this time, he refined the sword embryo day and night, gaining many insights into the Sword Dao.
If before, he felt he needed to accumulate for a hundred years, or even several hundred years, to hope to catch up to Xuanjian Zhenjun’s Sword Dao level.
But with the Great Luo Sword Embryo, a hundred years would probably be enough.
Of course, he had not had in-depth contact with Xuanjian Zhenjun, so he was unsure of the latter’s specific Sword Dao strength; it was purely his own feeling.
However, these Sword Dao understandings could be discussed with Chu Qingyi later.
Or, if he ever met a female Cultivator with a High Grade Sword Dao Spiritual Body, Lu Changsheng could expound the true meaning of Sword Dao with her, discussing for seven days and seven nights.
“Tsk, this is the foundation, it must be accumulated little by little over time.”
Lu Changsheng sighed, placed the Great Luo Sword Embryo into the crafted sword scabbard, retrieved his Universe Shadow Belt, and then spent his daily time with his wives, concubines, and children.
After all, Cultivation is Cultivation, but accompanying wives and concubines and teaching children cannot be neglected.
“Bang bang bang—”
Lu Changsheng came to the training ground in the backyard of the City Lord’s Mansion and saw two charming young girls engaged in close combat.
One was dressed in a red tight-fitting skirt, with a high ponytail, her fists flowing with a pure golden Buddhist light, wide and open.
The other was dressed in a white tight-fitting skirt, only eleven or twelve years old, yet she was like a humanoid Yao Beast cub, no less inferior to the red-clothed girl, her fists flowing with a pure white-gold luster.
Not far away, there was also a captivating woman in a white immortal-style dress, with a pure yet charming appearance, watching the battle with a Golden Peng Bird.
As Lu Changsheng’s time and energy were limited, and his daughters were already so grown, keeping them at home all day was not an option, so he had the Golden Winged Roc teach the two of them.
Although the Golden Winged Roc did not understand Human Race Body Cultivator Cultivation Techniques, the Kunpeng Race’s instincts for combat were ingrained in their Bloodline and bones.
For instance, its inherited Cultivation Technique, “Heavenly Demon Slaughtering Saint Art,” was a top-tier killing Divine Ability.
So Lu Changsheng instructed it to only teach fighting methods, not Cultivation Techniques, and then let his two daughters practice and spar with each other daily.
The two sisters, one with a delicate, cute, and heroic face, the other like a perfect masterpiece meticulously carved by heaven, were now like two Yao Beasts, their blows causing the air to explode repeatedly, creating a strong contrast.
Normally, anyone who saw such two cute and beautiful little girls would not think they were Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and possessed Tier 2 physiques.
“Brother!”
“Daddy! Daddy!”
Bai Ling immediately cried out happily when she saw Lu Changsheng approaching.
The two sisters who were sparring also stopped.
Lu Linghe was slightly out of breath, full of vitality and cuteness.
Lu Baixi, on the other hand, was as if nothing had happened, her figure standing gracefully, like a maiden stepping out of a painting, indescribably beautiful and moving, sacred and elegant, showing no signs of having just sparred with Lu Linghe.
“Xiao He, Xiao Xi.”
Compared to Lu Linghe, his daughter Lu Baixi was not as enthusiastic; she had a calm and quiet personality.
However, perhaps it was due to their complementary personalities that the two sisters had a very good relationship.
Immediately, at the suggestion of his daughter Lu Linghe, the two daughters attacked their Old Father.
Although Lu Changsheng never practiced this body technique or close combat.
But as a Core Formation cultivator, and possessing Fire Eyes Golden Eyes, his two daughters’ movements were like snails in his eyes, so after a moment, Lu Changsheng received his daughters’ adoring gazes, and then guided and taught them.
After dinner, Lu Changsheng took them, Bai Ling, and Meng Xiaochun and her daughter out to play.
Lu Changsheng went to the deep sea and looked at the Rift Sea Mystic Whale.
However, the latter had taken the Tier 4 Demon Core less than a year ago, and there was no change at all.
To completely refine the Demon Core and advance its Bloodline, it would take at least ten to twenty years.
For a Yao Beast, this speed could be called divine speed, but for Lu Changsheng, it was a bit slow.
“You rest well.”
Lu Changsheng had the Rift Sea Mystic Whale take them for a stroll around the Great Dream Marsh, then let it return to the deep sea to continue sleeping.
For Yao Beasts, being in a state of sleep helps in refining and consuming the energy of the Tier 4 Demon Core.
Half a month later, Lu Changsheng received a letter from his wife Lu Miaoyun, stating that the Nine Nether Mastiff could be promoted to Tier 3.
“It’s almost time to go back.”
Lu Changsheng thought for a moment; he had been in Great Dream Immortal City for quite some time.
Immediately, he took Lu Miaoge, Bai Ling, and the three sisters Lu Linghe, Lu Baixi, and Lu Mengchan home.
Not to mention how good the relationship between the children at Lu was, but they still needed to see each other more often.
After Lu Baixi came to Great Dream Immortal City, she hadn’t returned to Bihu Mountain for a long time.
As for Lu Mengchan, she had only visited Bihu Mountain once since birth.
And she was even Sealed by Lu Changsheng inside the Spirit Eye Spring.
Taking his wife and daughters, Lu Changsheng was not in a hurry to travel, slowly enjoying the journey and showing them the scenery along the way.
More than half a month later, the group finally returned to Bihu Mountain.
Hearing that his elder brother Lu Ping’an had gone out and not yet returned, Lu Linghe was a little disappointed.
If there was anyone she was close to at Lu, it was her elder brother Lu Ping’an; she was very fond of him.
However, she had a cheerful and lively personality, and after a moment, she took Lu Baixi and Lu Mengchan to find someone to play with.
“Hehe.”
Lu Changsheng held Lu Miaoge and Bai Ling, watching this scene, looking at Bihu Mountain, a faint smile on his face.
This was the fruit of his efforts over eighty years.
From a penniless young man who chose to be a live-in son-in-law, he gradually became a renowned Core Formation True Person in the Jiang Country Cultivation World, single-handedly creating Bihu Mountain and the Tianfu Lu Family.
Just seeing these made him feel that all the hardships and struggles he had endured along the way were worth it!
“Husband, Miaoge, Linger.”
When Lu Changsheng and the two women arrived at the Lu Family Mansion, Lu Miaoyun and Qu Zhenzhen immediately came to greet them.
After a brief chat, Lu Changsheng and the women went to Xumi Grotto-heaven.
There, the Nine Nether Mastiff was coiled in front of Chang Sheng Hall, its body massive, its fur thick and lustrous.
Upon seeing Lu Changsheng, it immediately stood up and approached, letting out a low growl.
Even though she already knew that the Nine Nether Mastiff was about to advance to Tier 3, Lu Miaoge couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
Once upon a time, the Nine Nether Mastiff was like a small wolf cub, but now it was about to Breakthrough to become a Tier 3 Demon King.
“Here you go.”
Lu Changsheng stroked the Nine Nether Mastiff’s wolf head and threw two Core Formation Spiritual Objects suitable for it from his storage ring.
Then he chose a spot for it, set up a ‘Demonic Sha Array’, and signaled for it to attempt the Tier 3 Breakthrough there.
“Awoo!”
The Nine Nether Mastiff roared, rubbed its head against Lu Changsheng’s arm, and then entered the Demonic Sha Array, beginning to circulate its Bloodline and demonic power.
Compared to a Cultivator’s Breakthrough to Core Formation, a Yao Beast’s Breakthrough to Tier 3 is simpler and more direct.
There are no Core Formation three stages; it’s simply elevating the demon core to a demon pill.
However, Yao Beasts also know to adjust their state, prepare themselves, and elevate their essence, Qi, and spirit to their Peak.
“Quanzhen.”
After watching for a while, Lu Changsheng called Lu Quanzhen, who was in seclusion.
“Greetings, Father, Mother, Aunt!”
A moment later, Lu Quanzhen walked out of Chang Sheng Hall, dressed in a loose black robe, his appearance refined and scholarly, and cupped his hands in greeting to Lu Changsheng and the others.
“Quanzhen, congratulations on your Breakthrough to Core Formation.”
Lu Changsheng scrutinized his son for a moment, then smiled and asked, “What Grade of Golden Core did you form?”
“Thanks to Father’s assistance, this child was fortunate enough to form a First Grade Golden Core!”
Lu Quanzhen said, cupping his hands.
Although he had been confident in forming a Golden Core beforehand, and even highly likely to form a High Grade Golden Core.
Only when he truly began the Core Formation process did he realize that forming a High Grade Golden Core was not that simple.
Without the Ningjing Pill, Five Elements Spiritual Fruit, Taiyang Essence, Taiyin Essence, and the Lingyou Whale’s life Origin, he would never have been able to form an Immortal Golden Core.
Moreover, at the final critical moment of Core Formation, all the negative emotions accumulated in his heart erupted, forming a Heart Demon.
Due to Cultivating the Kunpeng Devouring Heaven Demon God Art, his Heart Demon eruption was particularly severe; all the darkness, worries, guilt, and killing intent accumulated over time surged into his mind, filling his thoughts.
If not for the Xumi Tree King helping him quickly overcome the demonic obstacle, even if he could have overcome it on his own, he would have been affected to some extent.