From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 297 Various Tribes Arrive to Offer Congratulations; The World Has Changed

Ru'an Mountain.

After news of the Xu family having a Golden Core cultivator spread throughout Yuanli County, things became very busy.

People from various families would come from time to time to give gifts and offer congratulations.

Therefore, the Xu family specially arranged for several clansmen to be stationed at the edge of Ru'an Mountain to welcome visitors.

Two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators flew over side by side.

Greeting the two was Xu Lijing, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, who bowed and said, "Greetings, Clan Chief Baili and Supervisor Baili Wei."

The two returned the greeting: "Respectfully, Fellow Daoist Jing."

One of these two was Baili Ming, the patriarch of the Baili family, and the other was Baili Wei, the deputy director of the Mountain Forest Supervisory Office and a Foundation Establishment Stage 7 expert.

Previously, the head of the Baili family was Baili Yi, and the deputy director of the Forestry Bureau was Baili Wei's great-grandfather, Baili Xi.

Decades ago, Baili Yi and Baili Xi, both at the Foundation Establishment stage, passed away one after the other.

Bai Liwei also went to the Wilderness Mountains back then, where he gained a lot and his cultivation level rose rapidly. A few years ago, he reached the seventh level of Foundation Establishment. Just then, the elderly deputy director of the Forest Forest Bureau retired, and he took over the position.

The Baili family and the Xu family have had business dealings for many years and are very familiar with each other.

Especially Bailiwei, who was an old friend of Xu Xiaoniu and also very familiar with Xu Xiaohou.

"We learned that your Zhongxu has advanced to the Golden Core stage, so we came here to pay our respects and offer our congratulations."

Bailiwei explained his purpose.

Xu Lijing made a "please" gesture: "Please come with me, fellow Daoists, and wait for a moment in my reception hall. I will go and inform them."

He led the two to the main hall of the meeting place in the second-tier spiritual area of ​​Ru'an Mountain, and then informed Xu Zhongxu of the news.

In recent days, a steady stream of cultivators have come to visit the Xu family.

Some members of Foundation Establishment families were received by the family head, Xu Zhonghuai.

Some cultivators from Qi Refining families don't even have the right to meet Xu Zhonghuai.

Only those of high status or with deep connections to the Xu family were allowed to see Xu Zhongxu. As a Golden Core cultivator, Xu Zhongxu was not someone just anyone was qualified to meet.

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.

After a while.

Xu Zhongxu and Xu Xiaoniu came together.

"Master Zhongxu, it's been a long time. More than twenty years have passed, and you've quietly advanced to the Golden Core realm. Congratulations!"

Although Baili Wei knew Xu Zhongxu when they were in the Wilderness Mountains, their statuses are now vastly different. He smiled, bowed respectfully, and introduced the person beside him: "This is Baili Ming, the patriarch of my Baili family."

"Chief Baili, I have long admired your name."

Xu Zhongxu nodded slightly.

"Master Zhongxu, no, no, you can just call me Baili Ming."

Bai Liming was quite reserved, as it was his first time meeting Xu Zhongxu.

Fortunately, the Baili family and the Xu family had a good relationship, otherwise he might not have been able to meet Xu Zhongxu.

"Uncle Wei, we've been through thick and thin together in the Wilderness Mountains, you don't need to be so polite."

Seeing that Bailiwei was being so polite, Xu Zhongxu said...

Back then, because of his relationship with Xu Xiaoniu, he called Bailiwei "Uncle Wei".

Baili Wei dared not say such a thing and quickly waved his hand: "Master, you flatter me. In the cultivation circle, the most accomplished are respected. Whoever has the higher cultivation level has the higher status. We dare not break the rules."

"It doesn't matter."

Xu Zhongxu waved his hand, no longer dwelling on the issue. Within the Xu family, seniority was highly valued, but it was difficult to use "seniority" to determine seniority with other families. They could only use cultivation level as the standard in the cultivation world.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Xiaoniu remembered something: "Oh right, I was just about to send you an invitation. My family will be hosting a banquet on an auspicious day two months from now to celebrate Zhongxu's advancement to the Golden Core stage, and we'd like to invite guests from all over."

"It should have been done long ago. What kind of person doesn't hold a celebration banquet after advancing to the Golden Core realm? I will definitely come."

Because the Xu family keeps a low profile, they don't hold banquets for many things, resulting in very little social interaction with other families.

Many Foundation Establishment families would celebrate wildly even if a member of the family had a true spiritual root.

The Xu family held this banquet out of necessity. Everyone knew that their family had a Golden Core cultivator, and people would come to offer their congratulations every few days.

A banquet should be held to celebrate in a grand manner.

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.

Two months later.

Mount Ru'an was incredibly lively, as all the families that had received invitations arrived as scheduled to celebrate the birth of a Golden Core cultivator in the Xu family.

Many unknown Qi-cultivating families or independent cultivators did not receive invitations, but this did not stop them from coming to join in the fun and presenting a congratulatory gift after hearing the news, leaving a good impression on the Xu family.

The banquet was very grand, and even the prefect Xiang Liuyun came in person.

It should be noted that Xiang Liuyun from the Xiang family would not attend the wedding banquets or other important events of ordinary Foundation Establishment families.

Most of the cultivators were Foundation Establishment cultivators from various Foundation Establishment families in Yuanli County.

The group exchanged pleasantries and chatted casually.

It is extremely rare for a banquet in Yuanli County to gather so many Foundation Establishment cultivators together, making it an opportunity for many to make connections with important figures.

Besides Bailiwei, Jiang Hao also came.

Jiang Hao and Xu Zhongxu are closer; Jiang Hao is also at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment.

Previously, Jiang Hao was an unknown, low-level Foundation Establishment cultivator in such situations. Now, at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, he is a figure of considerable status among the immortal officials of Yuanli County.

"Da Niu, how is your old man Xu doing lately?"

When Jiang Hao met Xu Xiaoniu, he inquired about Xu Fugui.

“My father is doing very well.”

In the eyes of others, Xu Zhongxu was the most powerful member of the Xu family, while Xu Xiaoniu, Xu Xiaohou, and a few others who held high positions and were celestial officials were of similar cultivation.

Only a few individuals, such as Jiang Hao and Bailiwei, knew that the highest-ranking member of the Xu family was the very low-profile Xu Fugui.

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.

The main figure at this banquet was Xu Zhongxu, a Golden Core cultivator.

However, at the height of the banquet, two people with "special" identities arrived.

One of the two was an old man with white hair, who looked extremely old and on the verge of death, but his eyes were very clear and his aura was terrifying: he was a Golden Core Realm cultivator!

The other person was also at the Golden Core stage, and appeared to be a middle-aged man.

Given the Xu family's current network of relationships, they have no connection with or ability to establish connections with other Golden Core families.

However, the Xu family specially sent an invitation to the Nie family for this banquet.

The Nie family, a Golden Core clan, is a long-established and renowned family in Zhennan Prefecture. However, they have few Golden Core cultivators, and their overall strength is slightly inferior to that of the Tuoba family in its heyday.

The two Golden Core cultivators who came were Nie Tingjun and Nie Haiping, the prefects of Yuanli County who had once been kind to the Xu family.

The appearance of the two Golden Core cultivators attracted the attention of everyone present.

Since Nie Tingjun had only advanced to the Golden Core realm and stepped down as prefect for about forty years, many people present recognized him.

"Isn't this the former prefect?"

"Greetings, Master Tingjun!"

"Meet the real person!"

Everyone bowed to Nie Tingjun and the old man Nie Haiping beside him.

Xu Zhongxu didn't recognize the two of them; he was too young. He wasn't even born when the Nie family helped the Xu family back then.

However, Xu Fugui and Xu Xiaoniu had told him about the Nie family beforehand, so he knew about them. "Xu Zhongxu of the Xu family pays his respects to the two seniors."

“Fellow Daoist Zhongxu, I dare not call myself a senior. I am over a hundred years older than you, and I am only at the second level of Golden Core, about the same age as you.”

It was Nie Tingjun who spoke.

The old man beside him, Nie Haiping, was only at the fourth level of the Golden Core realm.

Nie Haiping looked Xu Zhongxu up and down and couldn't help but say, "Fellow Daoist Zhongxu is really young. To advance to the Golden Core stage at such a young age, his future is limitless."

When he came to Yuanli County more than a hundred years ago, he was already quite old and only had a three-patterned Golden Core.

Now, old and frail, nearing the end of his life, he only possesses four golden pills.

The arrival of Nie Tingjun and Nie Haiping attracted Xu Xiaoniu and Xu Xiaohou.

Those who had the deepest impression of that incident were Xu Xiaoniu, Xu Xiaohou, and a few others who were at the Foundation Establishment stage back then.

"Greetings, Master Tingjun. It was thanks to your help back then that our Xu family was able to develop to where we are today."

Xu Xiaoniu said.

"It's because your Xu family has good fortune."

Nie Tingjun felt ashamed as he recalled the scene from back then. He had initially coveted the Xu family's secret technique, but unfortunately Yan Yijin revealed the information to Tuoba Yaowu, a Golden Core cultivator from the Tuoba family, which made Nie Tingjun give up the idea.

As the governor of Yuanli County, Nie Tingjun did not want to see the Tuoba family running rampant in Yuanli County. Born into the Nie family, he was not afraid of the Tuoba family, so he chose to confront the Tuoba family head-on and protect the Xu family.

He never expected that his "good deed" would be "rewarded" just over a hundred years later.

The Xu family was too weak back then, so weak that Nie Tingjun never imagined it could develop into a Golden Core family.

In just over a hundred years, a Golden Core family was born.

The good karma that Nie Tingjun cultivated back then has already yielded results so quickly. Although Xu Zhongxu is still very weak, he is at least a Golden Core cultivator, a Golden Core cultivator who can befriend the Nie family.

Nie Haiping chuckled as he recalled the events of that time: "I've dealt with the Tuoba family before, and we've had some disagreements and frictions. I know their character. I had a premonition that the Tuoba family would cause a great disaster, and sure enough, only a hundred years later, I witnessed the Tuoba family being wiped out. Hehe."

He still considers himself wise for not competing with the Tuoba family for the Xu family's secret standing meditation techniques.

The fact that the prefect has now ordered that the Xu family's secret standing meditation technique be kept secret proves that Nie Haiping's view is reasonable.

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.

After the Xu family's banquet ended.

The number of people coming to visit and offer congratulations has decreased, but many miscellaneous matters have arisen.

The number of independent cultivators coming to seek refuge is much greater than before.

The number of families seeking marriage alliances has increased more than tenfold compared to before.

The Xu family used to keep a low profile, and even though they were a Foundation Establishment family, not many people paid attention to them.

The Xu family is now the only Golden Core family in Yuanli County, and its status can be described as "ascended".

Xu Xiaohou, who serves as a demon-slaying guard in the Demon-Slaying Division, has reached the seventh level of Foundation Establishment and is showing signs of being nominated as the deputy director of the Demon-Slaying Division.

With his qualifications and experience, he is not quite qualified to be a deputy director.

In short, after the Xu family became a Golden Core family, it entered another stage of development.

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 years are like a shuttle.

Year after year.

As the older generation of cultivators passed away, a new generation of cultivators rose to prominence.

Years later, the Xu family learned of the death of Nie Haiping from the Nie family and sent people to attend his funeral.

……

More than a decade has passed since Xu Zhongxu planted that giant sycamore tree.

As Xu Fugui grew older, he passed 190 years old and reached 200 years old!

Ru'an Mountain.

Core Tier 3 Spirit Region.

On the mountain peak with the most abundant spiritual energy, grows a towering tree that is hundreds of feet tall!
From a distance, it covers the hills below, resembling a giant umbrella or mushroom standing between heaven and earth.

The trunk was a full three zhang thick, so thick that ten people couldn't encircle it. The canopy was lush and green, and each leaf was as big as a door panel.

It is a third-tier spiritual plant evolved from the giant-leaved parasol tree: the Mountain-Suppressing Parasol Tree.

Xu Zhongxu has cultivated it to this day, and it has been more than a thousand years since then.

After reaching a thousand years, its growth slows significantly.

In recent years, Xu Zhongxu has reduced its nourishment considerably, using the "Shennong Creation Technique" only once every ten days to half a month.

According to the age of the Zhenshan Wutong tree, it may acquire the aura of immortality at any time and become a "spiritual plant of immortality" with the opportunity to obtain the Golden Core.

It reached the age of a thousand years ago, but several more years have passed and it still hasn't changed.

Obtaining the aura of immortality requires both a specific opportunity and Xu Zhongxu's low level of cultivation, resulting in insufficient comprehension of the "Shennong Creation Technique".

Xu Zhongxu has been at the Golden Core Realm for twenty years, but he is still only at the first level of the Golden Core Realm.

The advancement to the Golden Core realm is not greatly aided by external resources; it can only be achieved through years of dedicated cultivation and practice.

The core area of ​​Ru'an Mountain is a third-tier spiritual land, but it is too difficult to advance to the Golden Core realm. As a result, even though Xu Zhongxu felt his cultivation improving year by year, he has not been able to break through and advance for so many years.

The Golden Core Realm involves absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and transforming it into true essence to nourish the Golden Core. This process is extremely slow. Only after years of nurturing can the Golden Core within the abdomen grow by even a tiny, imperceptible amount.

When the Golden Core expands to a certain extent, a stripe will form on its surface, which means that it has been upgraded to a higher level.

At this moment, Xu Zhongxu stood beside the Zhenshan Wutong tree, forming hand seals to perform the Shennong Creation Technique, and infused it with a golden elixir of true essence.

Given the current state of the mountain-suppressing parasol tree, this wisp of golden core essence is barely worth anything.

"When exactly will it be able to acquire the aura of immortality?"

Xu Zhongxu thought to himself.

This sycamore tree, which is believed to bring good fortune to the mountains, was cultivated for Xu Yiqing.

Xu Yiqing possesses a triple-elemental true spiritual root and is the next Golden Core cultivator nurtured by the Xu family!
Xu Xiaohou's cultivation level was similar to Xu Yiqing's, but Xu Xiaohou was older and had a poorer spiritual root aptitude, making it much more difficult for him to break through to the Golden Core stage.

Advancing to the Golden Core stage with five pseudo-spiritual roots is extremely difficult.

Therefore, to be on the safe side, the Xu family chose Xu Yiqing as the next Golden Core "candidate".

With the support of resources, Xu Yiqing broke through to the eighth level of Foundation Establishment in his early years, and is now not far from the ninth level.

When it reaches the completion of its foundation building, it needs a mountain-guarding parasol tree, which serves as a spiritual plant for immortals.

However, the mountain-suppressing parasol tree has never obtained any immortal aura, and the Xu family still lacks the opportunity to achieve the Golden Core stage.

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.

The core area is a sacred place.

Xu Zhongche handed a Foundation Establishment Pill to Xu Renkai: "Renkai, this Foundation Establishment Pill can increase your chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage by at least 50%. Seize this opportunity!"

"Yes, thank you, Grandfather Chungche."

Xu Renkai accepted the Foundation Establishment Pill.

He was a genius in formations, but not outstanding in cultivation. He struggled to break through the Foundation Establishment stage, a threshold that was relatively easy for others.

With the support of his family's resources, he had long since reached the pinnacle of Qi cultivation.

However, he failed three times in his attempts to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

(End of this chapter)