Chapter 162

"Haha, this is truly 'finding iron shoes with no place to look, it takes no effort to get it'!" Xia Daoming looked at the cultivation secret map in his hand and finally could not help but laugh heartily.

After a long time, Xia Daoming calmed his mind and observed this scroll.

Xia Daoming's spiritual sense was now very powerful and refined.

Once his heart was calm and he focused his gaze to observe, his whole person seemed to enter the world within the painting.

A very mysterious realization arose in his heart.

He seemed to see a green pine seed fall to the ground, sprout, break through the soil, grow into a small tree, experience wind and rain, and finally grow into a towering tree.

He also finally saw the direction of the six meridians among the eight extraordinary meridians, and also saw how to operate the cultivation method, guide Qi into the body, let it circulate and refine in the meridians, and finally become true qi and magic power, gathering in the dantian.

After a long time, Xia Daoming withdrew his spiritual sense from the secret map.

Relying on his powerful spiritual sense, he already knew the cultivation method of the Azure Wood Evergreen Art from the first to the sixth layer.

That's right, this secret scroll actually recorded the cultivation method of the first six layers of the Azure Wood Evergreen Art.

But he had no way to cultivate now because he had not yet been enlightened; his eight extraordinary meridians, that is, his innate eight meridians, were blocked.

However, Xia Daoming was not in a hurry.

He had the Spirit-Connecting Profound Fruit and the introductory cultivation method of the Qingyuan Sect; wanting to step into the immortal path was no longer a difficult matter. He was not in a hurry to start here in the wilderness; it was better to return to Seeking Immortal Cliff before making plans.

Carefully putting away the "Azure Wood Evergreen Art" scroll, Xia Daoming flipped through the remaining scrolls, among which there was one called "Ten Thousand Vine Entanglement Technique".

This technique allowed the cultivator to control special vine wood seeds or the roots and branches of surrounding plants to grow rapidly and entangle the enemy.

This technique not only paired well with the "Azure Wood Evergreen Art", but if it could be combined with his martial arts, the lethality it could exert would definitely be extremely astonishing.

So after Xia Daoming saw this spell, he liked it very much in his heart and decided that after stepping into the immortal path and cultivating true qi and magic power, this would be the first spell he would cultivate.

Besides this spell which caught Xia Daoming's eye, among the remaining scrolls, there was also a "Earth Mountain Suppressing Origin Formula" secret manual, which actually recorded a cultivation method for the Foundation Establishment stage.

This made Xia Daoming very pleasantly surprised.

Although he would not cultivate this method, he could take it to be sold, or use it as a cultivation method inherited by the Tenglong Mansion.

"This secret manual is very likely the method the rogue cultivator cultivated, so he carried it with him. But what about the 'Azure Wood Evergreen Art'?

This is one of the introductory cultivation methods of the Qingyuan Sect; if taken to the black market to be sold, it would definitely fetch many spirit stones, and he himself could not cultivate it, so there was no reason to keep it in his hands.

Right, that Zishan was a secret agent he planted in the Lingrui Pavilion; could it be that Zishan first learned the introductory cultivation method from him, and then joined the Qingyuan Sect to become an outer sect disciple of the Qingyuan Sect?

It must be so, otherwise, as a disciple of the Qingyuan Sect, why would she act as a secret agent for a rogue cultivator? It seems the cultivation world is very complex, with crises hidden everywhere!" Xia Daoming looked at the secret manual, flipping it back and forth, pondering to himself.

——

Several days later.

Xia Daoming arrived at Jin Guifeng, travel-worn.

Before entering the valley, Xia Daoming sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat abnormal.

In the mountains outside Jin Guifeng, there were many more wandering strangers.

These people were almost all cultivators, among whom several were in the late stage of Qi Refinement.

The security of Jin Guifeng was clearly much stricter than when he left.

Returning to Seeking Immortal Cliff, Xia Daoming first returned to Lingyun Hut.

In Lingyun Hut, only Lu Ye was sitting alone in the courtyard facing the cliff, watching the clouds rolling and relaxing right before his eyes.

"Xu Shixiong!" Xia Daoming called out, looking at Lu Ye's somewhat lonely back.

"Daoming, you've finally returned!" Hearing Xia Daoming's voice, Lu Ye turned around with excitement on his face.

Come to think of it, Xia Daoming had been gone for a month and a half.

"Why are you the only one here? Where are the others?" Xia Daoming asked.

"After you left, Huiyun received special permission from the clan to enter the Lu Clan's Martial Treasury Pavilion at any time to observe the clan's inherited 'Giant Rock Formula' Grandmaster secret map.

Not only that, but she could also ask for advice at any time from the Pavilion Master, Xu Shixiong Lu Rendu, who is currently sitting in the Martial Treasury Pavilion; he is a tenth-rank Martial Grandmaster.

Huiyun's heart for martial arts is firm, and now she basically spends her days in the Martial Treasury Pavilion. Coupled with the fact that she has been nourished by spirit rice porridge every day and some spirit medicines to replenish her blood and Qi, her martial arts progress has been very fast.

Yesterday, she even told me that the Pavilion Master said she has hope of stepping into the Grandmaster realm within the next few years." Speaking of this, Lu Ye's expression was clearly somewhat subtle.

"Really? That's great!" Xia Daoming said.

"It is great!" Lu Ye's expression became even more subtle.

Married for more than ten years, he had finally managed to assert his husbandly authority a few days ago, but it turned out to be just a flash in the pan!

"Lu Zhen is already old, and although he has had some opportunities, he is ultimately hopeless of becoming a Grandmaster. Recently, many people have been coveting the Lu Clan's foundation, and some have been lurking outside Jin Guifeng, just waiting for someone to attack the Lu Clan so they can loot the burning house. Lu Zhen has been transferred to the valley below to help patrol." Speaking of this, Lu Ye's eyes revealed a trace of worry, and he temporarily forgot that his husbandly authority would soon be weak again.

"So that's how it is. I was wondering why there were so many people wandering outside; it turns out they are all eyeing the Lu Clan like a piece of fat meat." Xia Daoming said indifferently, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, revealing a cold sneer.

"Yes, it's rumored outside that the Patriarch's injuries cannot be healed and his time is near. Once the Patriarch truly passes away, the Lu Clan's situation will be dangerous; perhaps we will have to learn from the Yan Clan and submit to the Xie Clan, becoming a complete vassal of the Spirit Ba Dao Men." Lu Ye sighed.

"Xu Shixiong, you don't need to worry about this; don't I still have you? If those people really dare to have designs on the Lu Clan, they will definitely end up with broken heads and bleeding faces in the end." Xia Daoming said.

Lu Ye smiled dismissively and said, "It's good that you have this heart. This time is different from the last; if the Patriarch really passes away, you should return to Li Cheng immediately and take Jin'er to Li Cheng as well. I will always have to accompany your sister-in-law.

However, you don't need to worry too much. If the Patriarch really passes away, there should still be a few years left; by then, perhaps Ziying will have truly grown up."

Regarding Xia Daoming killing the new generation of the Heart-Devouring Old Demon and saving the entire Lu Clan, Lu Ye, his wife, and Lu Zhen did not know yet.

"Oh, you have so much confidence in Ziying?" Xia Daoming's face revealed a trace of pleasant surprise.

Because listening to Lu Ye's tone, in just a few years, Lu Ziying had hope of supporting the Lu Clan.

To support the Lu Clan, she would at least need to reach the Qi Refinement Great Perfection realm.

Lu Ziying was only seventeen this year, and because of previous delays, she was currently at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement. To reach the Qi Refinement Great Perfection realm in just a few years, unless a large amount of high-quality spirit elixirs were poured into her, she must have extremely high cultivation talent.

Xia Daoming had made a killing by intercepting and killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator halfway this time, and he had many elixirs in his hands, many of which were elixirs collected by Foundation Establishment cultivators; these elixirs were naturally very high-grade elixirs for Qi Refinement cultivators.

Xia Daoming had already thought on his way back that he had no foundation or background in the cultivation world, and if he wanted to carve out a world in the future, he would definitely need some staff and people to help him do things and run errands.

Lu Ziying was one of the candidates he valued.

He had already prepared to take out a portion of the elixirs he obtained this time to cultivate her.

As long as her talent was relatively good, in just a few years, even if he had to use elixirs to smash her into a Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator, he would do it.

As a result, hearing Lu Ye's meaning now, Lu Ziying's talent seemed to be extremely high, and she didn't need a large amount of high-quality elixirs to be smashed into her; she had hope of growing into a Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator in just a few years, which naturally made Xia Daoming pleasantly surprised.

"That's natural! After you left, Ziying basically lived in the Patriarch's mansion and rarely returned to Lingyun Hut. Two days ago, when she broke through the fifth layer of Qi Refinement and became a sixth-layer Qi Refinement cultivator, she specifically returned to Lingyun Hut to report the good news to me." Lu Ye said.

"She actually broke through again! Counting it up, it seems to be less than three months since the last breakthrough." Even though Xia Daoming had always thought highly of Lu Ziying, he was still shocked to hear this news.

"So, as long as Ziying is given a few more years, she still has a great hope of reaching the Patriarch's height and becoming a Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator." Lu Ye said.

"Haha, that's for sure!" Xia Daoming laughed affirmatively upon hearing this.

With such high talent, coupled with the high-quality elixirs in his hands being smashed into her, and the Foundation Establishment Pill, let alone the Qi Refinement Great Perfection realm, even Foundation Establishment had hope.

By then, when he joined the Qingyuan Sect, although he would only be an outer sect disciple, he would already have Foundation Establishment cultivators outside helping him do things and run errands; just thinking about it made him look forward to that day.

Uh!

Seeing Xia Daoming, who was just surprised, now so convinced, Lu Ye could not help but look stunned and puzzled.

"Xu Shixiong, are you hoping that your wife will break through and become a Grandmaster sooner, or are you worried that after she becomes a Grandmaster, you will be suppressed by her again?" Xia Daoming suddenly asked.

Uh!

Lu Ye was caught off guard by this soul-searching question from Xia Daoming.

But soon, Lu Ye shook his head repeatedly and said, "Worried that your sister-in-law will become a Grandmaster and suppress me? How could that be! Am I, your Xu Shixiong, such a person without stature, so vulgar, and so lacking in confidence?

It's just a Grandmaster; even if I am only an eighth-rank Great Wu Shi, I can still train your sister-in-law to be gentle, virtuous, and obedient."

"Really?" Xia Daoming asked.

"Of course it's true!" Lu Ye patted his thick chest without hesitation, but facing Xia Daoming's smiling gaze, Lu Ye soon lost the battle, slumped his waist, and sighed, "False. Men, who doesn't want to hold their head high in front of their own woman.

When I was young, I was handsome and dashing, and I was a fifth-rank Great Wu Shi; I had high self-esteem and confidence, and I considered myself to be condescending to marry your sister-in-law. But now look at my appearance, and in the Lu Clan, I am ultimately a son-in-law.

Once your sister-in-law becomes a Martial Grandmaster, think about it, a Martial Grandmaster, how majestic. And she is in her prime; perhaps she can go a step further and become a tenth-rank Martial Grandmaster.

A tenth-rank Martial Grandmaster has a status in the clan comparable to a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator. At that time, I will still be just a lame eighth-rank Great Wu Shi, and a son-in-law at that; tell me, how will others and the people of the Lu Clan look at me?"

"Xu Shixiong, your thinking is a bit vulgar! Isn't it enough that your wife treats you sincerely? Why care about so much!" Xia Daoming said.

"That's true, but your Xu Shixiong is ultimately a vulgar person!" Lu Ye said.

"Right, I forgot to tell you, Xu Shixiong, Master, as well as Xu Shixiong Yuchi and Xu Shixiong Zhuo, are already Martial Grandmasters. If there are no accidents, Xu Shixiong Jiao and Xu Shixiong Gu Ren, whom you don't know, should also have broken through to become Martial Grandmasters recently." Xia Daoming looked at Lu Ye and smiled.

"Oh, they have also become Grandmasters!" Lu Ye nodded subconsciously in agreement, then suddenly jumped up, his eyes wide as he stared fixedly at Xia Daoming, saying, "What did you say? What did you just say? Master, and Yuchi Xiao and the others are already Martial Grandmasters?"

"Yes!" Xia Daoming smiled.

"They have all become Grandmasters, they have all become Grandmasters, then couldn't I also?" After receiving the affirmative answer, Lu Ye kept muttering to himself, and then seemed to think of something, his whole body shaking violently.

"This, Junior Xu Shixiong, didn't you say last time that you would help me become a Grandmaster? This, when?" Lu Ye rubbed his hands together, the fat on his face rippling, like a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't dare to dream of being a Martial Grandmaster in this life?" Xia Daoming said.

"Hehe, this, your Xu Shixiong was just joking, joking; only a fool wouldn't want to become a Martial Grandmaster!" The fat on Lu Ye's face rippled even more violently.

"Haha!" Seeing this, Xia Daoming finally could not help but laugh heartily, and without any movement, a bottle of elixirs and a Transforming Dragon Fruit appeared in his hand.

The elixirs were naturally high-quality elixirs for replenishing blood and Qi energy, which Xia Daoming had specifically purchased for Lu Ye at the Yanyang Ridge market this time.

Lu Ye's talent and foundation were already better than Yuchi Xiao's and would not lose to Liang Jingtang's; when Xia Daoming first met him, he was already a sixth-rank Great Wu Shi.

These days, he had been nourishing his body with spirit rice porridge every day, and from time to time he ate some elixirs to replenish blood and Qi, and he had even eaten a small section of a four-hundred-year-old Dragon-Pattern Purple Blood Ginseng; now his vitality was vigorous, and the blood and Qi in his body were very surging and surging.

As long as he took a few more high-quality elixirs specifically purchased for him by Xia Daoming, refined and absorbed them well, and then took the Transforming Dragon Fruit, he would definitely be able to break through the ninth meridian in one fell swoop and step into the Martial Grandmaster realm.

"Take one of these elixirs every day for the next few days. After you finish them, take this Transforming Dragon Fruit, and you will definitely be able to break through and become a Martial Grandmaster in one fell swoop." Xia Daoming smiled.

"You mean, I can become a Martial Grandmaster in these few days?" Lu Ye was stunned, unable to believe it.

He had thought that even if Xia Daoming could really help him become a Martial Grandmaster, it would take at least a few years, just like Lu Huiyun.

As a result, listening to Xia Daoming's meaning, it seemed that as long as he took the elixirs and the fruit, he could smoothly become a Martial Grandmaster!

This was too inconceivable.

"This is a Transforming Dragon Fruit; not only does it contain rich vitality energy, but it can also help you directly comprehend the mysteries of the Transforming Dragon realm of the Snake Dragon Art." Xia Daoming explained.

"Transforming Dragon Fruit! There is actually such a miraculous fruit in the world!" Lu Ye was extremely shocked.

"Haha!" After the shock, Lu Ye could not help but look up to the sky and laugh, his lame leg shaking toward the cliff, his long hair flying in the wind.

"Xu Shixiong, you are laughing a bit wildly!" Seeing this, Xia Daoming could not help but say.

"Is that so?" Lu Ye asked back, then immediately restrained his smile, gathered his scattered and flying hair, straightened his clothes, put his hands behind his back, and said seriously, "Right, I must be low-key!"

Uh!

Xia Daoming was speechless.

Is this what you call low-key? You might as well have written "I am a high-level expert" on your face.

"I'm going to the Patriarch's mansion." Xia Daoming said quickly.

"Go, remember, don't reveal anything to your sister-in-law for now; be low-key." Lu Ye said.

Xia Daoming rolled his eyes and turned to leave.

Is this what you call low-key? It's clearly wanting to show off.

——

Patriarch's mansion, Patriarch's study.

Only Xia Daoming and Lu Jinglong were present.

"Three, three Foundation Establishment Pills!"

Lu Jinglong took the elixir bottle handed over by Xia Daoming, pulled out the stopper, glanced inside, and could not help but shudder, his legs softening, almost kneeling down.

At that time, he had said two Foundation Establishment Pills; in reality, if Xia Daoming could safely exchange for one Foundation Establishment Pill, he would have been very satisfied.

After all, that was the Lingrui Pavilion opened by the Qingyuan Sect; if they really wanted to suppress the price, could a mere Martial Grandmaster dare to bargain?

If it were him, a Qi Refinement Great Perfection cultivator, he wouldn't dare either!

Moreover, the Foundation Establishment Pill had to be safely sent back from far away.

In reality, Xia Daoming had been gone for more than a month, and Lu Jinglong was very panicked in his heart.

He had even made the worst plans.

As a result, he did not expect Xia Daoming to bring him three Foundation Establishment Pills at once.

"I also asked for a few more Spirit-Connecting Profound Fruits; I'll keep them, I won't give them to you." Xia Daoming said very frankly.

"The Young Master can keep them, keep them. As for this Foundation Establishment Pill, logically speaking, I have confidence in succeeding in Foundation Establishment with one, but to prevent accidents, I will keep one more, and please let the Young Master keep one first.

If the other one is not used, I will return it to the Young Master then." Lu Jinglong quickly and decisively poured out two Foundation Establishment Pills and put them away, and handed the other Foundation Establishment Pill along with the elixir bottle to Xia Daoming with both hands.

Xia Daoming looked at the Foundation Establishment Pill offered by Lu Jinglong with both hands and was very satisfied in his heart.

He acted openly and honestly; not embezzling the Foundation Establishment Pill exchanged for the Dark Nether Ice Marrow and taking them all out for Lu Jinglong was one thing, but whether Lu Jinglong took them all or took the initiative to yield was another.

If Lu Jinglong took them all, it would mean that this person had strong greed, and the previous contract, even if there was a component of gratitude, was largely just for self-protection.

Once there was a greater interest in front, or once the Lu Clan became truly powerful, things later would be hard to say.

Then Xia Daoming would definitely adjust his relationship with the Lu Clan.

Now, facing the huge temptation of the Foundation Establishment Pill, Lu Jinglong could decisively return one, and even said that if he could succeed in Foundation Establishment once, the other one would also be handed back to him, which meant that Lu Jinglong was now truly wholeheartedly serving him as his master.

Only then would Xia Daoming truly take his relationship with the Lu Clan seriously.

"Very well! I will keep this Foundation Establishment Pill for backup. As for the other two, even if you only use one, keep the remaining one yourself, to be used for the future Foundation Establishment of the Lu Clan's disciples." Xia Daoming put away the elixir bottle very crisply and said.

"Speaking of Foundation Establishment, the most promising among the Lu Clan's disciples next is Lu Ziying. This child is truly a rare cultivation genius; if the Young Master hadn't discovered and excavated her, the Lu Clan would have truly buried a genius disciple who could make the clan flourish." Lu Jinglong said with excitement on his face.

"I have heard that she broke through again; did you give her any special elixirs?" Xia Daoming's heart moved slightly, and he asked.

"I did give her some elixirs to increase magic power, but with the Lu Clan's foundation, how could we directly give special elixirs that allow people to improve a small realm? Her being able to break through so quickly is mainly due to her talent." Lu Jinglong said.

"Haha, then I must congratulate your Lu Clan; perhaps there will soon be two Foundation Establishment cultivators." Xia Daoming laughed.

"It's all thanks to the Young Master's blessing!" Lu Jinglong said modestly, unable to hide the joy on his face.

"When are you planning to start Foundation Establishment?" Xia Daoming asked.

"The injuries last time were too heavy; I estimate I need to recuperate for another two or three months before I can start Foundation Establishment. However, there has been a rich harvest in Cold Star Valley recently, and this news is spreading very quickly. Wealth moves people's hearts; I am worried that those people outside probably won't be able to wait that long!

But with the Young Master secretly sitting in command, those people shouldn't be able to stir up any waves; what I fear is that Elder Luo of the Spirit Ba Dao Men will also be jealous and not act according to the rules." Lu Jinglong replied.

"Why, is there any movement from the Spirit Ba Dao Men?" Xia Daoming narrowed his eyes slightly and asked.

"A few days ago, Elder Luo's Wei Shusheng specifically went to Cold Star Valley to inspect it, and then came to visit me again on behalf of Elder Luo.

Although he didn't say anything about Elder Luo having designs on Cold Star Valley, his words revealed that there are many forces that had slight grievances with the Lu Clan in the past, as well as some rogue cultivators, who are all jealous of the Lu Clan's current income and are very likely to join forces to deal with the Lu Clan.

He also said that Elder Luo's granddaughter, Luo Ying, has good cultivation talent and is already at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement at a young age, with hope of Foundation Establishment in the future; Elder Luo values this granddaughter very much." Lu Jinglong replied.

"It seems Elder Luo's meaning is to let your Lu Clan spend money to eliminate the disaster and hand over Cold Star Valley directly to his granddaughter! Otherwise, if those people really use the excuse of seeking revenge to come and make trouble, he won't be able to do anything about it." Xia Daoming sneered.

"The Young Master is wise and sees through everything!" Lu Jinglong offered a flattery upon hearing this.

Of course, Xia Daoming was so young, and he could see through Elder Luo's thoughts as soon as he spoke; he was naturally formidable.

"Right, what is Luo Li's cultivation level? And how many Foundation Establishment cultivators does the Spirit Ba Dao Men have?" Xia Daoming asked.

"The entire Spirit Ba Dao Men has three Foundation Establishment cultivators; the Sect Master is at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and the other two, including Luo Li, are at the early stage of Foundation Establishment." Lu Jinglong replied.

"In that case, as long as your Lu Clan produces two Foundation Establishment cultivators, you should no longer need to look at the Spirit Ba Dao Men's face to act in the north, and there is no need to pay tribute to them anymore." Xia Daoming said.

"There are only three Foundation Establishment forces in the north: the Spirit Ba Dao Men, the Xie Clan, and the Meng Clan; their forces are all about the same. In fact, as long as I can break through to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator, to prevent me from defecting to other Foundation Establishment forces, they will definitely want to win over our Lu Clan and will not dare to be as bossy and arrogant as they are now.

If our Lu Clan wants to continue maintaining the relationship with the Spirit Ba Dao Men, offering a little tribute will be enough." Lu Jinglong replied.

"I don't like the Spirit Ba Dao Men's style of doing things, at least the style of Luo Li, who takes money but doesn't do things and wants to greedily seek more money; there is no need to continue maintaining the relationship with them.

However, it is too early to say these things now; everything will be discussed after you become a Foundation Establishment cultivator and sweep away those villains who covet the Lu Clan's family business and want to kick you when you are down and loot the burning house." Xia Daoming said.

"I'm just afraid they won't be able to wait, and then I'll have to trouble the Young Master to secretly help and take action." Lu Jinglong said.

PS: Today continues with two chapters combined into one, over six thousand words updated, today's update completed, continuing to beg for monthly ticket support.

(End of chapter)