From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 286 Loyalty and Dawn Golden Elixir!

"Tuoba Hongyang! Where do you think you're going?"

The Golden Core cultivator let out a sharp shout, his voice echoing throughout the Demon Subduing Division's office.

Since Tuoba Hongyang was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, sending several people at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage to capture him might cause casualties. Therefore, a True Person at the early stage of the Golden Core stage was sent to ensure that nothing went wrong.

"I……"

Tuoba Hongyang felt as if a mountain was weighing on his shoulders, as if he were being pressed down by the aura of a Golden Core cultivator.

Even if one is very close to the Golden Core stage after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, it is still an insurmountable chasm between the two.

The power gap is too great.

"Please spare my life, Master! Please spare my life!"

Tuoba Hongyang begged for mercy repeatedly, trying to figure out what benefits he could offer to make the Golden Core cultivator in front of him let him go. But he saw that the Golden Core cultivator ignored him and turned his Golden Core essence into a sword beam to slash at him.

brush!
The sword light flashed, and Tuoba Hongyang's head flew more than ten feet away.

The commotion alerted everyone in the Demon Subduing Bureau.

The head of their county government's Demon Subduing Division was killed on the spot by a Golden Core cultivator.
The Golden Elixir Master didn't leave them puzzled for long, explaining, "I am the Deputy Commander of the Zhennan Prefecture Army, ordered to come and kill Tuoba Hongyang."

As he spoke, he put away Tuoba Hongyang's storage pouch, carefully collected his head, and prepared to return to report.

Out of curiosity, Deputy Director Jin Kuiyuan stepped forward and asked, "May I ask this gentleman, Director Tuoba... what crime did Tuoba Hongyang commit?"

"It wasn't him who committed the crime, it was the Tuoba family. You'll find out soon enough."

Without offering further explanation, the Golden Core cultivator flew away.

No one dared to speak while he was there, but people started talking about it after he left.

"What exactly happened? What's going on?"

"The director just died like that? His background was quite extraordinary."

"According to what that Golden Core cultivator said, something has happened to the Tuoba family. This is a big deal."

"Go and find out quickly."

"..."

Xu Xiaoniu happened to be in the Demon Subduing Bureau's office. He had just heard the commotion and rushed over, witnessing firsthand the scene of Tuoba Hongyang's execution.

After a while, through their inquiries, someone found out what had happened in Jiurong City.

The Tuoba family has been removed from the list of members in Zhennan Prefecture!
Of the million clansmen, all cultivators above the seventh level of Qi Refining died, and the other Qi Refining cultivators had their dantian and qi sea destroyed, and were stripped of their surnames and expelled from Zhennan Prefecture along with the mortals.

It is said that as many as 50,000 members of the clan were killed.

"Tsk, serves them right! The Tuoba family condones demonic cultivators, and some of the demonic cultivators we've captured are from the Tuoba family."

"They dare to offend the Carefree King; they must be tired of living."

"Do your own fault, don't live."

"A once-great Golden Core clan was wiped out overnight. Alas."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Upon learning of the situation, Xu Xiaoniu rushed back to his family immediately.

Ru'an Mountain.

"Xiaohou, where is your father? Is he over at Baihe Mountain?"

He found Xu Xiaohou.

"It should be. Father is either here at Ru'an Mountain or at Baihe Mountain. What happened, brother?"

Seeing Xu Xiaoniu's hurried expression, Xu Xiaohou worried that something serious had happened.

"Something big has happened. Quickly, call Zhongxu, Zhongche, Zhonghuai, and Yiqing. Get all the foundation-building members in the family to Baihe Mountain. It's urgent!"

"Ah."

Without hesitation, Xu Xiaohou enveloped Ru'an Mountain with his divine sense and, together with Xu Xiaoniu, went their separate ways to notify the Foundation Establishment cultivators in the clan to head to Baihe Mountain.

After a while, the group arrived at Baihe Mountain and met Xu Fugui.

"This is?"

Xu Fugui was puzzled as to why everyone was suddenly coming to Baihe Mountain to look for him.

The others were also unsure and looked at Xu Xiaoniu with puzzled expressions.

"Father, I went to the Demon Subduing Bureau today and witnessed the Director of the Demon Subduing Bureau, Tuoba Hongyang, being killed by a Golden Core cultivator who claimed to be the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. Not long after, I heard from others that the Tuoba family is finished and has been wiped out!"

Xu Xiaoniu explained the whole story, and continued: "I heard that the prefect personally led the people of the five major families and the prefectural army to Jiurong City, and sentenced the Tuoba family to be expelled from the list of criminals. The crimes were that the family had a large number of demonic cultivators, that they had sold information about Zhennan Prefecture in the Huangze Mountains, that they had almost killed the Xiaoyao King, and that they had killed Xiang Zhiye, a Golden Core cultivator from the Xiang family, in the Huangze Mountains."

Xiang Zhiye was the commander who led our Yuanli County Immortal Army back then, but he died at the hands of a member of the Tuoba family.

All Qi Refining cultivators of the Tuoba family at the seventh level or above were killed. The rest…

Upon learning of this momentous event that would shake Zhennan Prefecture, Xu Xiaohou clapped his hands in delight: "The Prefect has done a good thing! The Tuoba family should have died long ago!"

He still remembered how desperate they were when Tuoba Yaowu came to Baihe Mountain and faced the Golden Elixir Master.

Xu Xiaohou was very happy that the Tuoba family had been wiped out. Although he had not avenged the family, it was a rare opportunity to witness the fall of a large Golden Core family in his lifetime.

"Yes, that's a good thing. Uncle, why are you so nervous?"

The speaker was Xu Zhongxi.

Back then, she was also at the Foundation Establishment stage, and she felt powerless in the face of the Tuoba family's domineering power.

Xu Xiaoniu frowned: "I'm worried that this matter will affect our family. The evil of the Tuoba family is well known, but in a way, they have attracted outside attention for us."

Now that the Tuoba family is destroyed, then we…

He didn't finish speaking, leaving plenty of room for speculation and imagination.

Xu Fugui also thought of this, and he continued, "Regarding the martial arts stance training of the Tuoba family, many people outside know that the training originated from our Xu family. Although eighty or ninety years have passed, it's hard to guarantee that no one will notice us."

When the Tuoba family was around, whether out of fear of their power or for other reasons, they were the ones who attracted attention.

Now that the Tuoba family is gone, if another Golden Core cultivator were to come and force us to hand over the Five Elements Stance Technique, using all sorts of coercion and enticement, how could our family withstand it?

This is a very real concern.

Last time, thanks to the intervention of a Golden Core cultivator from the Nie family, the Tuoba family was spared the ruthlessness to exterminate the Xu family.

The Xu family's overall strength is now vastly different from what it used to be, but they still lack the confidence to contend with Golden Core cultivators.

Fortunately, the Tuoba family had just been exterminated by the prefect, which served as a warning to others. Even if a Golden Core cultivator had their eye on the Xu family, they wouldn't go so far as to confiscate their property, exterminate the family, or forcibly seize their property.

However, if a Golden Core cultivator sets their sights on the Xu family, they have many ways to keep them from having any peace.

"Father, what should we do?"

Xu Xiaohou felt that this concern was not unreasonable, but how should they deal with it?

What strategies can be effective against a Golden Core cultivator?

Xu Fugui looked at Xu Zhongxu: "There is no other way, only one: Golden Core! Our family has a Golden Core cultivator, so we have confidence."

This is indeed the simplest, most effective, and most practical method.

Xu Zhongxu suddenly felt an even heavier burden on his shoulders, as his cultivation level was related to the safety of the Xu family.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Give me twenty years, no, fifteen years, and I will definitely be able to advance to the Golden Core Realm!"

He possesses dual earth and wood elemental roots, has Golden Core cultivation techniques, and immortal spiritual plants. Recently, he also learned a secret method from "Thousand Methods of Soul Path" that can increase the power of the soul during cultivation in the Foundation Establishment stage.

Everything is ready; all that's left is for him to cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment!
"Alright! Fifteen years, just waiting for Zhongxu to advance to the Golden Core Realm. The Tuoba family has just been destroyed, and there will be a period of chaos. Let's all keep a low profile and not attract attention outside."

"Once Zhongxu advances to the Golden Core Realm, we will truly have the confidence to stand firm in Zhennan Prefecture." Everyone's hopeful eyes were focused on Zhongxu.

"Concentrate all the family's resources on him to help Zhongxu achieve the Golden Core stage!"

"Zhu Zhongxu Golden Elixir!"

"..."

This is the shared wish of the entire Xu family.

Other families need countless years and generations of joint efforts and trials to develop from Qi Refining families to Golden Core families, but the Xu family, with only a little over a hundred years of development, wants to cross this gap.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

time flies.

The news of the Tuoba family's extermination quickly spread throughout Zhennan Prefecture, causing a stir in the entire cultivation world.

A once-renowned and powerful Golden Core clan was thus destroyed.

It did indeed serve as a warning to others, and the entire Zhennan Prefecture, whether it was the Golden Core families, Foundation Establishment families, or even Qi Refining families, became much more restrained. In particular, some clandestine actions that encroached on the interests of the imperial court were stopped.

The government office was bustling with activity.

Destroying the Tuoba family was simple, but dealing with the aftermath was very complicated.

Escorting the Tuoba family members away from Zhennan Prefecture would require a great deal of manpower and time. Inventorying and disposing of the Tuoba family's resources and assets would also take time, and how to deal with Jiurong City and Jiurong Mountain would also be a problem.

This is a vast Golden Core family that has developed over thousands of years, and it has many families with which it has business dealings.

Now that their clan has been wiped out, all their former businesses need to be rebuilt.

During this process, countless families rose to prominence, while countless others declined because they became close to the Tuoba family.

Ups and downs are the norm in the world of cultivation.

Ordinary people are indifferent to the affairs of cultivators and continue with their lives as usual.

Although seemingly unrelated, the destruction of the Tuoba family would actually have a significant impact on the lives of ordinary people.

For example, the herb farmers in the mountain villages near Jiurong City are struggling to sell their medicinal herbs even after lowering prices due to a sharp decline in sales.

In recent years, everyone in the Tuoba family has practiced martial arts, causing the price of Qi and Blood Pills, a common medicine for ordinary people, to skyrocket. The medicinal herbs used to refine these pills have also become increasingly expensive. In the counties near Jiurong City, a large number of farmers have started cultivating medicinal herbs.

These herb farmers only grew medicinal herbs because of the Tuoba family. Now that the Tuoba family has been destroyed, no one wants the herbs anymore.

However, no one pays attention to the lives of these grassroots herb farmers.

The upper-class cultivation families are all vying for Jiurong City and various resources left behind by the Tuoba family.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Seventeen years later.

That year, Xu Fugui was 180 years old.

Ru'an Mountain, a sacred place deep within.

night.

Xu Zhongxu sat cross-legged on the mountaintop, the bright moon overhead, his eyes slightly closed.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his gaze shining brightly: "Seventeen years have passed. I've reached the limit of progress. It's time for a breakthrough."

He had originally set a goal to advance to the Golden Core realm within fifteen years.

Over the years, the family has indeed poured a lot of resources into him, and his grandfather gave him almost all of his spiritual dew.

However, he underestimated the distance from the seventh level of Foundation Establishment to the completion of Foundation Establishment.

Even if he has an earth elemental root, he cannot improve so quickly in the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

In seventeen years, he went from the seventh level of Foundation Establishment to the completion of Foundation Establishment, which is an extremely fast pace.

What he was practicing just now wasn't a cultivation technique, but a secret method of the Soul Path: Meditation.

This is a secret technique of the soul path similar to the "Meditation Soul Refining Technique," suitable for enhancing the power of the soul in the Foundation Establishment stage.

The spiritual power within his dantian reached the limit of Foundation Establishment Perfection half a year ago and could no longer be increased.

After practicing the Soul Dao Secret Technique for another six months, his spiritual power reached its limit.

Breaking from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage is similar to breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage; both spiritual power and divine soul power reach their limits, increasing the probability of a successful breakthrough.

However, the difficulty of breaking through is vastly different.

Foundation building is merely the foundation of the path to immortality.

The Golden Core cultivator, with a lifespan of up to five hundred years, is already among the strongest on the path of cultivation.

"The spiritual energy in the dantian is internalized, the liquid spiritual energy condenses into a solid state, the spiritual energy transforms into true essence, and the essence, energy, and spirit unite as one..."

Xu Zhongxu pondered the key to breaking through to the Golden Core Realm.

Everyone knows this, but only one in a hundred can successfully break through to the next level. Out of a hundred "geniuses" who cultivate to the peak of Foundation Establishment, perhaps only one can successfully advance to the Golden Core stage.

Everyone understands the theory, but the real challenge is putting it into practice.

"I have long since mastered the Shennong Creation Technique and know it by heart. But when I want to advance to the Golden Core stage, I always feel suppressed by the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, like a mountain pressing on my shoulders, making it impossible for me to stand up straight... Cultivating immortality is going against the heavens and being suppressed by the laws of the Heavenly Dao."

Xu Zhongxu thought to himself, this is the effect of the so-called "Golden Elixir Opportunity".

One must refine treasures containing the aura of immortality in order to reduce the suppression of the laws of heaven on cultivators.

This is just the Foundation Establishment to Golden Core advancement. He heard that when the Golden Core breaks through to Nascent Soul, the suppression of the Heavenly Dao will manifest as Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Punishment!
That's too far away for him to consider right now.

He took out a pure white jade box containing spiritual energy from his storage bag. This was the Phoenix Feather Flower, a spiritual plant he had kept for seventeen years.

"Refine the immortal spiritual plants and break through to the Golden Core realm now!"

He opened the lid of the jade box, revealing a phoenix feather flower inside, as beautiful as phoenix feathers.

The phoenix feather flowers looked so vibrant, as if they had just been picked, not much different from seventeen years ago.

He held it in the palm of his hand, suspended it in his dantian, and refined it with his soul and spiritual power, just like refining a spiritual weapon.

After a moment, he finally became immersed in it, his soul truly merging with the phoenix feather flower.

His consciousness entered another space, as if he had transformed into a plant that sprouted from the rock.

He was bathed in the brilliant sunshine and nourished by the gentle moonlight; he endured wind, frost, rain, and snow...

The place where he was located was a feng shui treasure land among the third-tier spiritual lands, with the highest concentration of spiritual energy among all third-tier spiritual lands.

Beneath his rock lies the closest point to the underground spiritual veins.

In such an environment, it grew for two or three hundred years and became a third-tier spiritual plant!
At this moment, he attracted the attention of the monks.

The monk removed the nearby spiritual plants, making it the only spiritual plant in the vicinity.

More than a hundred years later, after absorbing the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for so long, he was baptized by thunder on a stormy night. It was as if he had gained a bit of intelligence and was infused with a unique aura belonging to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

He became a celestial plant imbued with the aura of immortality.

He felt that if he grew for another few hundred years, he would be able to possess true intelligence.

……

Xu Zhongxu regained his senses; he had just witnessed the "life" of the Phoenix Feather Flower.

At this moment, he was no longer rejected by the laws of Heaven.

There are no longer any obstacles to advancing to the Golden Core stage.

(End of this chapter)