Building a long-lasting family lineage starting with genealogy

Chapter 206 At the End of Cangwu, in the Forest of Qinghai, a Marriage Alliance with the Cao Family (10k-word long chapter)

"Third brother!"

Taishu Feng cried out in grief.

"Uncle Three!"

The younger generation, including Tai Shuyuan, were also terrified and turned pale.

With a wave of her hand, Xu Mingshu retrieved the storage bag and the two high-grade magic artifacts that had fallen from it.

"A life-or-death battle, the spoils belong to the victor, if I remember correctly."

"Fellow Daoist Taishu, it would be impolite of me to refuse such gifts."

"You vixen!" an elder of the Taishu family gritted his teeth and said, "You're definitely more than just a Qi Refining cultivator at the seventh level; you're too insidious!"

A young man from a prominent family sneered, "When it comes to treachery, who can compare to your Taishu family? Isn't it because you took the initiative to propose a life-or-death battle just because the fairy is only at the seventh level of Qi Refining?"

Every cultivator has a trump card; are you suggesting we reveal all our secrets and resources before a deadly battle?

"Exactly, even after they're dead, they still want to cause trouble. Is that all the Taishu family can be?"

"you."

"Shut up!" Taishu Feng suddenly shouted, "Since my Taishu family has signed a life-or-death battle, we will settle all grudges after the battle. We will come when it comes."

"It's only natural to feel grief when a loved one dies before your eyes. I'm sure you fellow cultivators can understand that."

“This is only natural. Fellow Daoist Taishu, please take your brother back for burial,” Xu Mingyuan said.

"Thank you." Tai Shufeng calmly clasped his hands in thanks, then looked at Xu Mingshu and said, "Fairy Xu, you have reached the peak of Qi Refining, haven't you?"

Xu Mingshu smiled faintly, then stopped concealing her aura.

The pressure of a Qi Refining Perfection cultivator was released.

"I heard about the Foundation Establishment battle the other day. Your Xu family's Foundation Establishment cultivators repeatedly displayed their prowess with their divine sense secret techniques. It seems that Fairy Xu has also mastered this secret technique. It is truly admirable."

After speaking, Taishu Feng led his people back to the main tent in the camp.

Xu Mingshu curled her lips and whispered to Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan, "That old sly fellow, even before leaving, he made people wary of our Xu family."

"There are many experts present, and quite a few of them can see through it. However, there are very few magical artifacts and secret techniques that can defend against divine sense attacks. Basically, they can only rely on their own strength to resist."

Even if they knew, there was nothing they could do!

"Let's go back too."

Xu Mingwei and the other three immediately returned to their own tents.

Seeing that the excitement had died down, the rest of the people dispersed.

This battle brought the Xu family fame once again.

Although their clan is small, they have many elite members.

a few days later.

The Prince Cao's Mansion.

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered to discuss the spoils of war.

"Thank you all for leading your clansmen to Tongshan County to help. In addition to the distribution of monster materials later, the various families of Tongshan County have also prepared some gifts."

This gift will be presented to the ten clans that made the greatest contribution during this beast tide war.

"The top three are the Li family of Taiyuan County, the Wang family of Langya County, and the Liu family of Longjiang County,"

Cao Jinming flicked his sleeve, and a fine magic weapon landed in front of the Li family's Foundation Establishment cultivator; the other two families had high-grade magic weapons.

"The fourth family is the Taishu family of Qiyun County, and the fifth family is the Xu family of Yuehu County. Each family has given a bottle of high-grade Breakthrough Pills, with twelve high-grade Breakthrough Pills in each bottle."

Two bottles of pills flew to Taishu's Foundation Establishment stage and Xu Chuan's side.

Many people looked surprised and turned to look at the Xu family.

The top four are all third-rank families with profound foundations, yet the Xu family managed to rank fifth, demonstrating their truly remarkable foundation and strength.

The sixth to tenth items are all top-grade Qi Gathering Pills.

The Zhou family did not make the top ten.

Then came the distribution of materials from Qi Refining stage demon beasts, with the amount depending on their contribution.

Finally, there are the materials from Foundation Establishment monsters. Even the worst materials from Foundation Establishment monsters can be used to refine high-quality magic weapons, and many can be used to refine top-tier magic weapons.

"For the top ten families, we have prepared Foundation Establishment materials and second-tier pills as rewards. For the rest, we will only provide pills. Please see if you are satisfied."

The rewards for the top ten were all kept in storage bags, while the rest were kept in porcelain bottles containing pills.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators from various families glanced at the document and mostly nodded in approval, but a few were not entirely satisfied.

For example, the Li family of Taiyuan County and the Wang family of Langya County wanted the inner core of a demon beast.

After discussing with the Foundation Establishment experts from the five major families of Tongshan County, Cao Jinming agreed to make the change.

Of course, all the other Foundation Establishment monster materials are gone.

Among the corpses of demonic beasts, demon cores and essences are naturally the most precious, and can even help demonic beasts that have reached the Qi Refining Perfection stage to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Besides that, there are all the materials used for forging weapons, and finally, there is flesh and blood.

Xu Chuan had requested a demon beast's essence early on, and Cao Jinming gave him the essence of a White Scaled Flood Dragon at the fourth level of Foundation Establishment.

In addition, the Xu family also demanded a significant amount of the essence blood of the Purple Lightning Thunder Eagle and the Blood Python Tiger, as well as a small amount of Foundation Establishment demon beast materials.

It can be said that the total compensation received by the Xu family was second only to that of the Li family of Taiyuan County.

Soon everyone was preparing to leave.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Taishu family walked up to Xu Chuan and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I heard that a few days ago, the younger generation of my Taishu family had some conflicts with your children. I hope you will not hold a grudge."

"Fellow Daoist Taishu, you are too kind. I have also heard about this matter. It was my daughter who was ignorant and presumptuous. Fortunately, this matter has been resolved satisfactorily and the grudges have been settled."

Otherwise, if we offend the Taishu family, my Xu family will likely live in constant fear.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Xu is too modest. Most of your offspring are quite outstanding, which is truly enviable. If you have time to come to Qiyun County, my Taishu family will certainly treat you well."

"Farewell!"

After saying this, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Taishu family soared into the sky and disappeared.

Zhou Qingfang came over, and the three of them went to the camp together, returning to Yuehu County with their respective clansmen.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, I must say your Xu family is truly audacious. You killed a direct descendant of the Taishu family without hesitation. Aren't you afraid of making an enemy of us?"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, what are you saying? I heard that it was that man from Taishu's family who proposed a life-or-death battle, and then he was defeated and died."

Zhou Qingfang chuckled and glanced at Xu Mingyuan. "Fellow Daoist Xu, stop playing games with me. When it comes to scheming, how many of those present could outsmart your second son?"

Xu Chuan chuckled, "I'll take this as Fellow Daoist Zhou's praise for my son."

Upon arriving at Yuehu County, the two families bid each other farewell and returned to their respective ancestral lands.

Later, Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingxuan also led some people back to Guangling County.

We arrived at Dongxi.

Xu Chuan called Xu Deling over.

“Grandfather, Aunt,” Xu Deling said, bowing.

"Ming Shu, hand the Black Fiend Flag over to Ling'er."

Xu Mingshu was slightly taken aback, but then did as she was told.

"Grandfather, what is this?"

Xu Chuan smiled faintly, patted his storage bag, and a ball of light flew out, inside which was a miniature White Scaled Flood Dragon.

"The essence of a Foundation Establishment level demon beast!" Xu Deling exclaimed in surprise, "Tongshan County is actually willing to hand it over!"

"This is the extra price they paid for me to refine pills," Xu Chuan said. "Ling'er, using this essence to upgrade the Black Fiend Banner should make things much simpler."

"Once you've truly mastered forging the top-tier magic weapon, the Black Fiend Banner, forging other top-tier magic weapons will be much easier."

Xu Deling took the essence and examined it carefully. He was surprised again and said, "It's a demon beast essence from the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, containing some dragon bloodline."

The people of Tongshan County are so generous!

“That must be because Father’s alchemy skills are high enough, and there must be some intention to befriend him.” Xu Mingshu then asked, “After the Black Fiend Banner is refined into a top-grade magic weapon, will Father use it himself?”

"I'll keep it for now. Even if you can't unleash its full power, the Black Fiend Banner's defensive capabilities will be enhanced after it's upgraded to a top-tier magic weapon."

"Thank you father."

Then, Xu Chuan handed the storage bag containing materials from Qi Refining stage demon beasts and Foundation Establishment stage demon beasts to Xu Deling.

"Grandfather, rest assured, once Ling'er is able to refine top-tier magic weapons, I will definitely make good use of these materials!"

"Ah."

Xu Deling and Xu Mingshu then took their leave.

Time flies.

The Xu family returned to its former peace.

Both the main vein of Dongxi and the branch vein of Guangling are steadily accumulating strength.

Besides the Xu family producing immortal seedlings, immortal seedlings with cultivation potential have also begun to appear in various vassal families and even among the residents of Dongxi.

Although most of them have pseudo-spiritual root aptitude, there are also two or three with mixed spiritual roots.

They were all sent to the Xu family for training.

In return, the Xu family also bestowed a great deal of resources upon them.

Immortal seedlings were also discovered in various counties in Guangling and were incorporated into the Guangling branch.

At this rate of development...

Before the "Wuhua Dharma Assembly", the number of Qi Refining cultivators in the Xu family should have reached the scale of a top-tier fifth-grade Qi Refining family.

Even more.

at the same time.

The overall strength of martial arts in Yuehu County is also rapidly improving.

Two or three decades ago, it was extremely rare to find a martial arts family with a ninth-rank martial arts background in any county town.

Now, more than half of the counties have produced martial arts families with strength of the ninth or even eighth rank.

Its rapid development even prompted cultivation families to try to eradicate the threat in advance.

However, the Xu family was the one that caused this change, and now the undisputed dominant family in Yuehu County.

Without the Xu family's permission, almost none of the other Qi Refining families dared to interfere, fearing it would ruin the Xu family's plans.

Since the Yuan family was destroyed, no powerful family has dared to target the Xu family.

Now that the Xu family has been promoted to a fourth-rank family, and their Foundation Establishment combat power has surpassed that of the Zhou family in just a few years, they are now keeping a low profile and developing quietly.

Two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

While Yuehu County remained peaceful, seven or eight of the twenty-two counties of the Great Wei Dynasty experienced the massacre of entire Qi-cultivation families.

At first, the first few companies didn't pay much attention.

They simply assumed it was revenge.

However, after the number exceeded five or six prefectures, the news gradually spread, causing the foundation-building families in each prefecture to become suspicious.

For a period of time, all the Qi-cultivating families in the prefectures were on edge.

However, after that, there were few reports of any clans being wiped out in any prefecture.

Since Xu Chuan opened up the Tongshan County route, Xu Mingwei, Xu Mingshu and others have frequently gone to the Cangwu Mountains for training.

Because Cao Jinming acted as guarantor, the Xu family members did not encounter any difficulties from the powerful families of Tongshan County.

Although there are occasional conflicts.

However, even a Foundation Establishment family would give face to the Xu family, which has unlimited potential.

Two years have passed, and Xu Mingxuan's cultivation has recovered to the ninth level of Qi Refining. He should be able to return to the Qi Refining Perfection stage in another year or so.

To hone his combat skills, he also led the team in training exercises.

Xu Deling also crafted the Five Elements Box for him. Under Ren Xiaoyao's guidance, he became increasingly adept at controlling the Five Elements Flying Swords, and it was only a matter of time before he mastered the Five Elements Sword Formation.

If successful, he would be able to rival the top geniuses of the Foundation Establishment families in various counties.

Moreover, he also possessed the Mirror of Light.

The exquisite defensive artifacts recorded in the "Shaohao True Yang Manual" can suddenly unleash a dazzling beam of light. Although they have little killing power, if aimed at a person's eyes, they are enough to cause the enemy to be temporarily blinded.

Combined with the Shadowless Cone, it becomes an excellent weapon for surprise attacks.

Ren Xiaoyao would also go out every now and then to seek opportunities or hunt monsters.

The Wei family is relatively well-behaved, but they keep making small moves.

In the shops of the Immortal Cultivation Market, the Wei family mainly deals in elixirs and magical artifacts.

However, even second-rank aristocratic families cannot compare to the Xu family in this respect, not to mention that the Xu family has all kinds of cultivation items such as pills, artifacts, arrays, and talismans.

High-quality array artifacts and talismans are almost never found in the trading company.

The rest were exchanged for rare materials or spiritual herbs, which were then used to refine high-grade magic artifacts and bestowed upon the clan's members, thus gradually deepening the Xu family's foundation.

The Wei family, on the other hand, has been on a downward spiral, showing a trend of gradual decline.

Of course, if another Foundation Establishment cultivator could emerge, it might delay the process.

In the wild, when the two sides met, they would often fight each other, resulting in casualties on both sides.

The Xu family was injured, but the Wei family perished.

The Xu family possesses all the essential cultivation resources, including alchemy, artifacts, arrays, and talismans. When Xu family members travel, they typically bring along some of these four types of cultivation resources.

In a one-on-one duel, few aristocratic families could surpass him.

Even the martial artists are equipped with the most advanced armor and weapons.

Over time.

When the Wei family saw members of the Xu family, they all went out of their way to avoid them.

In addition, the Xu family rarely tries to suppress the Qi Refining families in the county, so even those who were previously on the same side as the Wei family are now gradually leaning towards the Xu family.

Guangling Commandery, Wei family.

“Ancestor, now most of the aristocratic families in Guangling County have aligned themselves with the Xu family. It has only been two years. In another ten years or so, I am afraid that all the aristocratic families will follow the Xu family’s lead.”

Wei Changkong wanted to deal with the Xu family, but he was truly powerless to do so.

He still held a grudge against his great-grandson.

"The Xu family possesses all the essential skills in alchemy, weaponry, array formations, and talismans. It's only a matter of time before they become a third-rank family, and they may even become the first second-rank immortal cultivation family in all the prefectures outside the capital."

"Can't this be done?"

The Wei family patriarch glanced at Wei Changkong and said indifferently, "Have you ever heard of any third-rank family in any prefecture that is proficient in all these cultivation arts?"

Even though the Li family of Taiyuan County and the Wang family of Langya County have profound backgrounds, it is still difficult for them to have master-level figures in charge of alchemy, artifact crafting, array formations, and talismans.

Acquiring one of these means one has the potential to become a third-rank family; acquiring two means one has the potential to become a top-tier third-rank family.

The Xu family simply needs time.

After a pause, the Wei family patriarch continued, "They are probably waiting for an opportunity."

"Is the Ancestor referring to the 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly'?" Wei Changkong's eyes lit up.

The Wei family patriarch nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Wei Changkong pondered for a moment and said, "Among the Xu family members, Xu Mingwei is the most famous. Last time, during the beast tide in Tongshan County, everyone gave him the title of Arrow Demon."

However, he was already over sixty years old and unable to participate.

The others are good, but it's practically impossible for them to stand out in the "Wuhua Dharma Assembly."

"You're right. In the previous times, it was the Cao family of the royal family and the three first-rank families that dominated the spotlight. Even the second-rank families didn't always have anyone squeeze into the top ten."

But I have a feeling that the Xu family will do something unexpected this time.

Wei Changkong remained silent.

After a short while, the Wei family patriarch said again, "But the more dazzling the Xu family is, the more attention it will attract. If someone really makes it into the top ten this time, then the second-rank families and first-rank families will be eyeing him."

Upon hearing this, Wei Changkong pondered for a moment before looking up. "Does the Ancestor mean to wait and see, and that my Wei family only needs to push things along?"

“Exactly.” The Wei family patriarch nodded with a smile, but then said solemnly, “If this also fails, then we should follow the Feng family’s example and leave Guangling County for the capital.”

There are many prominent families that built the imperial city, and the Cao family, a member of the imperial clan, is also present, making the competition naturally fierce.

Unlike in the county town, where Foundation Establishment families are local tyrants who practically control the cultivation resources of the entire county.

Therefore, most fourth-rank Foundation Establishment families would choose to settle in various county cities unless absolutely necessary.

After a moment's hesitation, Wei Changkong sighed softly, cupped his hands, and said, "Changkong understands. For the long-term survival of the Wei family, I will prioritize the overall situation."

Tongshan County.

The main hall of the Prince's Mansion.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, is there something you need today?"

Cao Jinming sat in the main seat, glanced at Xu Chuan, and saw that his cultivation had deepened again, and he was not far from the second level of Foundation Establishment.

However, Xu Chuan restrained his cultivation level.

We are now not far from the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

Currently, the Xu family only has three Foundation Establishment cultivators. With the pills Xu Chuan has, he can naturally nurture them with all his might. After the "Wuhua Dharma Assembly," there should be a few more.

At that time, the pills for improving foundation building cultivation may not be available in time.

At least it can't be as unrestrained as it is now.

Therefore, Xu Chuan planned to prepare more of these cultivation pills in advance.

Based on their current cultivation progress, Xu Chuan and Ren Xiaoyao are both confident that they will break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage before the "Wuhua Dharma Assembly".

After all, Xu Chuan is currently at the third level of Foundation Establishment and is approaching the bottleneck of the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Xu Deling had just entered the third level of Foundation Establishment, while Ren Xiaoyao was on par with Xu Chuan.

This is the cultivation aptitude of the Earth Spirit Root!

Given sufficient resources, achieving the basic perfection of Foundation Establishment should not be a major problem.

Although Xu Chuan's spiritual root purity is not as high as the other two, the presence of multiple destiny talents means that he is not too bad.

However, there is a mid-term bottleneck.

Xu Chuan and Xu Deling should both take Chongxu Pills and advance to the middle stage in one fell swoop.

This elixir is precious!

Cao Jinming, for example, did not receive any reward, but entered the realm through his own arduous cultivation.

This is probably also the reason why there are quite a few Foundation Establishment stage cultivators in the Cao family.

Xu Chuan smiled faintly, “The Wuhua Dharma Assembly is only three years away. This is the first time my Xu family has participated, and we are quite nervous. That's why we have come to bother you.”

"I see." Cao Jinming was not surprised.

Given the Xu family's foundation and strength, which are close to those of a third-rank aristocratic family, it would be strange if they didn't participate.

Even among the Cao family members, the vast majority had to increase the number of people who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage through the "Wuhua Dharma Assembly".

"Brother Xu, how much do you know about the 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly'?"

"I only heard that it's a competition for a spot in the 'Wuhua Secret Realm,' with a total of one hundred spots available, and that both the Great Liang and the Great Jin will send one hundred people to enter."

Fighting and slaughtering each other in the secret realm.

Cao Jinming nodded and said, "That's right. The 'Wuhua Secret Realm' requires a Golden Core cultivator to expend a great deal of effort to open, and it will last for three months."

That place was the battleground for the top Qi cultivation cultivators of the Three Kingdoms period.

Whether it's our Great Wei, Great Liang, or Great Jin, none of us will give up the cultivation resources within, and the only solution is through fierce battles.

Nearly 70% of the materials for Foundation Establishment Pills come from here, with some originating from dangerous areas nearby.

Xu Chuan was startled upon hearing this, "Are there other places to obtain Foundation Establishment Pill materials?"

"Of course, but those places are even more dangerous, unless there are six or seven early Foundation Establishment cultivators together, or two or three mid Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"If I were to go alone, I would need at least the strength of a fully established Foundation Establishment cultivator." "Brother Cao, could you tell me about these places?"

"This is not a secret among third-rank families. There are many dangerous places outside of the Great Wei, Great Liang, and Great Jin, where there are many monsters."

Rumors also suggest the existence of demonic beasts at the Golden Core stage.

The nearest one is the vast forest at the eastern end of the Cangwu Mountains, called the "Qinghai Forest". The reason why the Cangwu Mountains are rich in monster resources is because they are connected to the "Qinghai Forest".

If a large number of monsters from there were to rush out and form a beast tide, it would not be a small-scale skirmish like last time.

I first learned that the Golden Core forces that dominated the Great Wei region thousands of years ago perished because of this.

Although the "Forest of Qinghai" is rich in resources, we Foundation Establishment cultivators only dare to search for rare and precious materials or hunt monsters in the outer areas.

As for the deeper parts, even my ancestor Cao dared not venture there lightly.

"Brother Xu, if you are interested, once you reach the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, we can travel together."

"Then Brother Cao will have to wait a while."

Xu Chuan has better options. Once Mo Yue escapes from the Three Absolute Dragon Locking Formation, he can go with him.

"However, after so many incursions by cultivators from the Three Kingdoms period, the 'Wuhua Secret Realm' has lost much of its spiritual herb resources, and they can only be found in some dangerous areas."

"Are there dangerous places even in secret realms?"

Cao Jinming laughed heartily, "That's for sure. There are many Foundation Establishment stage demonic beasts in those places, which are dangerous even to Foundation Establishment stage cultivators."

Of course, the greater the danger, the greater the reward.

"Brother Cao, do you have a map? I would like to buy one."

Cao Jinming shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Brother Xu. I've never entered the 'Wuhua Secret Realm,' and the map of the secret realm is considered a secret even to everyone."

"So that's how it is; it was Xu who was greedy."

"If Brother Xu is truly willing, he could form an alliance with some established families, which might allow him to obtain relevant intelligence. Otherwise, anyone who enters, even if they are from our Great Wei, will be an enemy."

Xu Chuan nodded slightly.

Even among members of the same clan, conflicts can arise in the pursuit of opportunities to establish a foundation.

"By the way, Brother Xu, do you have anything else to do? I would like to ask you to refine a few batches of pills."

"What kind of elixir is it?"

"High-grade divine mind pill."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan's pupils constricted slightly, and he asked, "The superior-grade Divine Sense Pill is not very effective for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Could it be for your son's sake?"

"It is indeed my son!"

"Cao only wanted offspring after he had established his foundation. After many years of hard work, he finally had a son and a daughter. Yang'er has good talent and he plans to marry into the Qin family."

"Is it as a betrothal gift?"

"That's right. The Qin family is the strongest family in Tongshan County, ranking third. Their ancestor's strength has reached the peak of the fifth level of Foundation Establishment. The Qin family wants three high-grade Divine Sense Pills as part of the betrothal gifts."

I must also respect that.

Xu Chuan pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly, "It seems that the Qin family woman has quite a talent, otherwise why would she ask for such a high price?"

"True spiritual root aptitude." Cao Jinming didn't hide anything. "If the 'Wuhua Dharma Assembly' weren't approaching, the Qin family probably wouldn't have married off their daughter."

I originally intended to return to the main branch to ask for a favor, but since Brother Xu happened to be here, I, Cao, have taken the liberty of asking for your help.

No wonder he always answered my questions before.

Given that Cao Jinming's connections would be very useful to the Xu family, Xu Chuan naturally wouldn't refuse.

Xu Chuan nodded. "This is not a big problem. However, I am very curious. With Brother Cao's cultivation at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he should have a say in the Cao clan. Getting a few high-grade Divine Sense Pills should not be difficult, right?"
Why bother asking an outsider like me?

Cao Jinming hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "It wouldn't hurt to talk to Brother Xu about this. My lineage has been stationed in Tongshan County for five generations and has long been considered a branch of the Cao family."

Some human relationships have long since faded with time. The Foundation Establishment Pill I used for Foundation Establishment was obtained by my grandfather from the main lineage, and it was lost with his passing.

My Tongshan branch can only rely on itself for development.

Of course, if any outstanding members achieve remarkable results in the clan's grand competition, they will also receive considerable resources.

"I understand. I will provide you with a list of materials shortly. Brother Cao, you can collect them and deliver them to Yuehu County once you have succeeded."

"Brother Xu, don't you plan to stay a few more days this time?" Cao Jinming said, "In ten days, it will be the once-in-a-decade treasure trade fair of Tongshan County."

At that time, there will be thousand-year-old spiritual herbs, rare spiritual medicines, spiritual wood, cultivation techniques, materials, and even the inner cores of demonic beasts.

Brother Xu, you may stay at my residence and await the trade fair.

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan's heart stirred.

I had planned to return soon, but now it seems that staying a few more days won't hurt.

"Since Brother Cao has extended the invitation, then I, Xu, will not be so polite as to refuse."

A few moments.

Xu Chuan provided a list of materials, which Cao Jinming glanced at. "As expected of the Divine Mind Pill, although it is only suitable for cultivators in the Qi Refining stage, the materials are precious. Even I, Cao, would need six or seven days to collect them all."

This is not one serving, but five servings.

"Thank you, Brother Xu. No matter how many Divine Sense Pills these materials yield, I, Cao, will only take six high-grade Divine Sense Pills."

After saying that, he explained, "My son has now reached the peak of Qi Refining. If he wants to advance further, he can only take this high-grade Divine Sense Pill to enhance his divine sense power."

"Understood. It's still early today, so I'll go out for a stroll."

"Brother Xu, please feel free to do as you please. Tonight, I will bring my family to welcome you back."

Xu Chuan nodded.

He went out to buy Moonlight Grass to refine the Divine Advancement Pill.

As for the six superior-grade Divine Mind Pills, they can be refined in one or two batches, or with a bit of luck, one batch will suffice.

night.

The dinner table.

"Madam, let me introduce you. This is Xu Chuan, the eldest elder of the Xu family in Yuehu County, and one of the top alchemy masters in our Great Wei."

"Years ago, the poison that afflicted your soul was also treated with the Jade Sprout Pill, which he helped to refine."

“Brother Xu, this is my wife, Consort Yun.”

Xu Chuan looked over and saw the other person sitting upright in a rosewood chair.

A gold phoenix hairpin with filigree is slanted into her raven-feather-like hair, and the pearl hanging from the phoenix's beak sways gently with her breath.

On her jade-like face, two arched eyebrows were dyed with the dark blue of snail shell ink, and a vermilion flower between her brows resembled a winged flame.

The crimson brocade robe with gold cloud pattern spread out in layers, with a 1-inch wide kesi dragon pattern border at the collar, and the eight treasures pattern embroidered in the cuffs appearing and disappearing.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Xu." Yun Feier nodded slightly.

She was at the peak of Qi Refining. Although she was a decade or two younger than Cao Jinming, she was already over sixty years old, and her face bore the marks of time.

"Fellow Daoist Yun is indeed worthy of being Brother Cao's wife. She is elegant and graceful with extraordinary bearing. I have a Youth Preservation Pill in my hand, which I will give as a gift."

"A youth-preserving pill!" Cao Jinming was slightly surprised. "I didn't expect Brother Xu to have such a pill."

Yun Feier glanced at Cao Jinming, and seeing him nod slightly, she accepted it as well, saying, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Xu."

"Fellow Daoist Yun, you're too kind."

Then Cao Jinming introduced, "These are my son Cao Shengyang and my daughter Cao Shenglin. You two, please greet Uncle Xu."

"Uncle Xu," the two said in unison, bowing with their hands clasped.

"Brother Cao's children are all handsome and beautiful, making them the envy of many."

"Brother Xu is joking. How can they compare to your children?"

"I wonder how old they are this year?"

"Yang'er is twenty-nine, and Lin'er is a little younger, twenty-one."

"They're not young anymore." Xu Chuan nodded slightly.

Cao Jinming's eyes lit up, and he smiled, "What does Brother Xu think of my daughter?"

"It is a place of outstanding natural beauty, and people like it at first sight."

"Then why don't our two families become in-laws?"

Cao Jinming's words surprised everyone present, but neither Yun Feier nor Cao Shengyang, the brother and sister, spoke.

Xu Chuan glanced at Cao Shenglin before turning his gaze back to Cao Jinming and said, "Brother Cao, are you willing to marry your only daughter off to such a poor and remote place as my Yuehu County?"

"The Xu family has unlimited potential, so how could I, Cao, be reluctant to part with them? I just wonder if your Xu family has any suitable men?"

A marriage alliance with the Cao family's Tongshan branch would be a good choice.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Chuan said, "My son Mingwei's eldest grandson is named Xu Chonghui. He is twenty-three years old and has reached the eighth level of Qi Refining. He should have a good chance of becoming the head of my Xu family in the future."

There is also my youngest son, Xu Mingqing, who is eighteen years old now. He is exceptionally talented and can be considered for future appointments. However, he will likely only serve as an elder in the clan and will not become the head of the family.

The rest I won't go into detail about.

The only two people in the Xu family who are worthy of Cao Shenglin are the two of them.

"Lin'er, what's your opinion?" Cao Jinming asked.

"It's all up to Father." Cao Shenglin offered no resistance, as if he already knew his future.

Although Cao Jinming and his wife doted on her, they also wanted to make a profit for the Tongshan branch.

"Brother Xu, why don't I send some people tomorrow to visit my Tongshan County?"

“Sure,” Xu Chuan said with a smile.

"Haha, Brother Xu, let's have a good drink together today!"

The dinner is over.

Cao Jinming's study.

"Father, didn't you originally intend to marry my sister to the Li family of Taiyuan County? Why did you suddenly arrange for my sister to marry into the Xu family ahead of schedule?"
His Xu family has only been a Foundation Establishment family for a short time, right?

Can their heritage compare to that of the Li family?

"The Xu family is indeed not as good as the Li family of Taiyuan now, but the future is hard to say. You have been to the Xu family business, right? They have no shortage of pills, artifacts, arrays and talismans, and high-grade resources appear from time to time."

"Father, do you mean that the Xu family has cultivated or recruited master-level figures in four immortal arts?"

“Otherwise what?!” Cao Jinming said, “In other prefectures, top-grade magic weapons and top-grade pills are rare, and top-grade array weapons are even rarer.”

Xu Chuan's alchemy skills are beyond doubt, and as for the Xu family's weapon-refining master, he must be capable of refining exquisite magic weapons or even top-tier magic weapons.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many high-grade magical artifacts.

I've heard that the Xu family's trading company in Yuehu County and Guangling County frequently produces high-quality magical artifacts.

As for the skill level of that array master, it's hard to say. Compared to elixirs and magical artifacts, high-grade array artifacts are almost nonexistent.

“Father, your analysis is very reasonable. If that’s the case, the Xu family is indeed a suitable choice.” Cao Shengyang nodded and said, “Then, of the two men Uncle Xu suggested, which one should we choose?”

"Let your sister choose for herself; after all, it's the man she'll marry."

the other side.

Cao Shenglin was in his bedroom.

Yun Feier was also communicating with Cao Shenglin.

Although she did not refuse at the banquet, Yun Feier could tell that she was upset.

"Lin'er, don't blame your father. Our branch is not as prosperous as the second and third branches. Your father is only thinking of your brother."

I've heard of the Xu family; they're developing extremely rapidly. They'll definitely be a great asset to your brother in the future, stabilizing our eldest son's branch and preventing power from slipping away.

"Mother, Lin'er understands and will prioritize the greater good, but who should I choose?"

Cao Shenglin looked at Yun Feier and asked, "One is likely to be the future head of the family, but of a lower generation; the other is Uncle Xu's son, who will be an elder in the future."

"I've discussed this with your father, and you can decide for yourself who to choose."

"I understand. Let my daughter think about it."

Afterwards, Yun Feier left her room.

The next day.

Cao Jinming sent men to Yuehu County.

Of course, Xu Chuan's handwritten letter was brought along; otherwise, there would have been little hope of getting the two of them to come.

Dongxi, Qingjiang County.

The main hall of the Xu family.

"Patriarch Xu, this is your First Elder's handwritten letter. Please take a look."

Xu Dezhao took it and saw that it also bore Xu Chuan's private seal.

“It is indeed my grandfather’s handwriting. Please wait a moment, fellow Daoist. I will find my son and uncle right away.”

After a while.

Upon their arrival, the two men bowed to Xu Dezhao and greeted him, "Patriarch."

Xu Dezhao said, "This is a handwritten letter from the Grand Elder, asking the two of you to go to Tongshan County."

"What are you going to do?" Xu Mingqing asked in surprise.

As Xu Dezhao's elder, he naturally didn't have as much reverence for Xu Dezhao.

"It wasn't mentioned in the letter, but since the Grand Elder has, you two should go with this fellow Daoist."

"Understood, Chonghui and I will go."

One day later.

Tongshan County, Prince's Mansion.

Xu Chuan was invited to the main hall, where he met Xu Chonghui and Xu Mingqing.

“Father (great-grandfather),” Xu Mingqing and Xu Chonghui called out respectively.

"You've arrived," Xu Chuan said calmly. "Greetings, Prince Cao."

"Your Highness." The two men also bowed to Cao Jinming.

next moment.

Then Cao Shengyang and Cao Shenglin entered the hall, bowed to Cao Jinming and Xu Chuan, and then looked at Xu Chonghui and Xu Mingqing.

Cao Jinming smiled faintly and said, "Yang'er, Lin'er, these two have come all the way from Yuehu County. You two should show them some hospitality and take them around the city."

Xu Chonghui and Xu Mingqing looked at Xu Chuan, somewhat confused about what the Cao family was up to.

Xu Chuan nodded slightly.

Only then did they agree to leave with them.

On the road.

Xu Mingqing transmitted his voice, "Chonghui, what do you think my father called us here for? Just for sightseeing?"

"I don't know, but my great-grandfather always had his reasons for doing things. Perhaps he was just unwilling to tell us. We'll just have to act according to the circumstances."

"That's true, we should just deal with whatever comes our way."

As the four walked down the street, Cao Shengyang suddenly asked, "Brother Chonghui, Brother Mingqing, what do you think of the city of Tongshan County?"

"It's magnificent and imposing; it's probably the most impressive county town I've ever seen," Xu Chonghui said.

How does it compare to Moon Lake County?

"It may not be as good as it is now, but the future is uncertain," Xu Mingqing said with a smile.

"Oh, judging from Brother Mingqing's tone, Yuehu County, under the leadership of your Xu family, will surpass my Tongshan County in the future?"

“These are the words of Brother Shengyang himself,” Xu Mingqing grinned.

"Let's go check out the market. It wasn't open during the last chaos, so it's a good time to go. There are some shops belonging to the Xu family there," Cao Shenglin said.

The two did not refuse.

"I heard from Uncle Xu that Brother Chonghui will inherit the position of family head in the future?"

Xu Chonghui's pupils contracted slightly, and he replied with a faint smile, "Brother Shengyang, you must have misheard. Anyone in my Xu family who is outstanding has the opportunity to inherit the position of family head."

There is no such thing as a pre-arranged decision.

"Oh, does that mean that besides your direct line, all the other branches also have a chance to inherit the position of family head?"

"nature."

"And what about you, Brother Mingqing?"

Xu Mingqing smiled and said, "I am the youngest of the second generation. The family headship has been passed down to the third generation. It can't be passed down back to the second generation, so I definitely have no chance."

I guess he'll become an elder.

The group chatted along the way, and Cao Shengyang also intended to test the two men's speech and behavior.

However, in Cao Shenglin's eyes, Xu Mingqing was more impulsive and not as steady as Xu Chonghui. If she were to choose a family head, she would definitely prioritize someone with Xu Chonghui's personality.

When prominent families arrange marriages, they are mostly looking at the benefits that can be brought about.

The status of the matriarch of the family is naturally higher than that of the matriarch of the family.

soon.

They then arrived at the Xu family's trading company.

Then I saw that the entrance to the shop was crowded with people.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a female cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining seeking elixirs, with a pale-faced young male cultivator lying on the ground beside her, barely breathing.

"Shopkeeper, please, just sell me one top-grade Rejuvenation Pill. I can help your business draw talismans to pay off its debts."

“It’s not that I’m unwilling, but I really can’t make the decision. And judging from your brother’s condition, I’m afraid it can’t be cured with just one high-grade Rejuvenation Pill, can it?”

"Why don't you go and ask a master alchemist to take a look first?" the shopkeeper suggested.

Xu Chonghui stepped forward and said, "You say you can make talismans? Then why not use the talismans you've drawn to exchange for them? My Xu Clan Trading Company is a barter firm."

The shopkeeper turned around and asked in surprise, "Young Master Hui, Young Master Qing, what brings you to Tongshan County?"

"I have something to attend to; let's deal with that first."

"Yes, Young Master Hui," the shopkeeper said, clasping his hands in greeting.

"It's the direct descendants of the Xu family. Are the young master and the princess next to them?"

People around them were talking about how they didn't recognize Xu Chonghui and Xu Mingqing, but they did recognize Cao Shengyang and his sister.

"I heard that the eldest elder of the Xu family is a guest of honor at the Prince's mansion. It seems the rumors are true."

The female cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining had tears streaming down her face as she said, "I have already used the money to buy some antidote and healing pills, and I don't have any extra spirit stones to buy materials now."

"Then how can you prove that making talismans for my business will definitely be profitable?"

The female cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining didn't know how to answer, and she was about to burst into tears again.

Xu Mingqing chuckled and said, "Chonghui, if you keep pressing them, they might cry themselves to death in front of our shop. People who don't know the situation might think we've done something to them."

Since she puts it that way, let her give it a try. If her talent for talisman making is indeed promising, my Xu family might be able to accept her."

Xu Chonghui nodded, dispersed the onlookers, and then led his men into the trading company.

“This fairy, you go with them to test your talisman-making skills. Your brother can stay here for now. I’ll take a look and see what’s wrong with him, okay?”

"Thank you, senior."

Cao Shengyang looked at Xu Mingqing in surprise, "You also understand pharmacology?"

"I know a little; my father taught me some things."

Xu Mingqing had sensed something was wrong with him when he used his divine sense to investigate. His face was as pale as snow, unlike a normal injury with excessive blood loss.

After examining it closely, he frowned.

"He has indeed suffered serious injuries. A top-grade Rejuvenation Pill can heal him, but the biggest problem is that he is unconscious, which is probably due to damage to his spiritual power."

He suffered a mental injury at the fourth level of Qi Refining; it's quite remarkable that he's managed to hold on until now.

"I guess only my father can save him."

(End of this chapter)