Chapter 160: Heavenly Spirit Plant!

Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue, having disguised themselves, arrived at the auction venue in Hongye Valley’s marketplace under new identities.

Although the auction was still more than a month away, the three-month prelude had already begun.

The event not only invited major powers to participate but also welcomed rogue cultivators to bring their rare treasures for appraisal and auction.

Many rogue cultivators, who might have obtained rare treasures they could not identify, had to spend spirit stones to hire appraisers.

To attract more attendees, the four major families had invited several appraisers to station at the auction venue, offering free appraisal services.

“Greetings, seniors!”

“Have you come to appraise or auction treasures?”

As soon as Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue entered the auction hall, the steward inside trembled all over, quickly stepped forward, and displayed a respectful and ingratiating expression.

The reason was simple: Xiao Xiyue had not concealed her aura, revealing traces of her Foundation Establishment cultivation.

In the cultivation world, revealing a bit of one’s strength often made things much easier.

“Both.”

Xiao Xiyue spoke in a calm tone, her voice altered to sound colder and more noble.

“Please proceed to the second floor, seniors!”

The steward bowed respectfully and escorted them to the second floor of the venue.

The rogue cultivators waiting in line for appraisal saw this scene and did not find the steward’s behavior inappropriate.

Instead, they looked at Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue with respect, admiration, and curiosity.

The environment on the second floor was very elegant.

Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue were invited to a private room.

Shortly after they sat down, a middle-aged man in luxurious attire hurried over. He had a refined appearance and wore a blue robe that shimmered with spiritual light.

Bowing to the two, he said, “Greetings, seniors. I am Yu Zhengguang, the steward of this auction venue and an appraiser. May I ask what treasures you wish to auction or appraise?”

Entering the marketplace required identity verification and registration.

If a Foundation Establishment cultivator visited, the marketplace would naturally extend a respectful reception.

However, there were no records of recent visits from Foundation Establishment cultivators matching these two, indicating they did not wish to reveal their identities.

Yu Zhengguang dared not inquire further, understanding the need to show utmost respect to unknown Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Take a look at these talismans.”

Xiao Xiyue took out a stack of talismans and gently placed them on the table.

“Talismans?”

Yu Zhengguang carefully took the talismans, examined them briefly, and then looked at Xiao Xiyue with even greater reverence in his eyes.

“Senior, these talismans are all low-grade second-tier talismans, but I can tell that they are all exquisite pieces,” Yu Zhengguang said respectfully.

“Do you wish to auction them or sell them directly?”

“To auction,”

Xiao Xiyue responded calmly.

“No problem, I will arrange it for you right away. However, the auction will not start for some time. Would you prefer to temporarily store the talismans with us, or will you bring them when the auction begins?” Yu Zhengguang inquired.

“I will come back at that time,” Xiao Xiyue replied.

“Very well, when you come, you can present this token, and I will make the necessary arrangements immediately,”

Yu Zhengguang said, handing over a token.

At this moment, Lu Changsheng took out a pale blue egg from his storage bag and placed it on the table. “Do you recognize what kind of demonic beast egg this is?” he asked.

This egg was obtained from Meng Yibai’s pet pouch.

Given the vast variety of demonic beasts, identifying one based solely on its egg is quite challenging.

Lu Changsheng had tried to identify it but to no avail. Now, with this opportunity, he decided to see if Yu Zhengguang knew.

“A demonic beast egg?”

Yu Zhengguang examined the egg closely, his eyes gleaming with golden light as he used a special eye technique to appraise it.

“Please wait a moment, senior, while I confirm,” he said, bowing to Lu Changsheng before retrieving several jade books from his storage bag and flipping through them.

After consulting two volumes, he finally spoke.

“Senior, if I am not mistaken, this should be the egg of a ‘Jade Luan Bird.'”

“Jade Luan Bird?”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, this is information about the demonic beast, Jade Luan Bird,”

Yu Zhengguang said, handing the jade book to Lu Changsheng.

“The Jade Luan Bird has a mid-tier earth-grade bloodline. It is said to possess a trace of the true spirit bloodline of the Azure Luan, making it outstanding among earth-grade bloodlines. With proper nurturing, it has the potential to become a third-tier great demon,” the jade book read, describing the bird as a beautiful, jade-like creature, brimming with immortal aura.

Below was a simple introduction about the Jade Luan Bird, but there was no information on how to hatch and nurture it.

“Do you know how to hatch and raise this Jade Luan Bird?” Lu Changsheng inquired.

Currently, his mount was the subpar Steel-feathered Eagle. If he could learn how to hatch and raise the Jade Luan Bird, he might as well give it a try. Besides its potential battle capabilities, the Jade Luan Bird was undoubtedly beautiful.

“Senior, regarding the hatching and nurturing method of the Jade Luan Bird, I do not know either,”

Yu Zhengguang replied with a bitter smile.

“However, I have heard that the Jade Luan Bird favors Sky-blue Warm Jade. You might try building a nest with Sky-blue Warm Jade in a place abundant in spiritual energy to hatch the demonic beast egg. It might help.”

“Alright, thank you,”

Lu Changsheng nodded and put away the pet egg.

Knowledge about the hatching and nurturing of demonic beasts was often a closely guarded secret, especially for those like the Jade Luan Bird with an earth-grade bloodline.

“No need to thank me, senior,”

Yu Zhengguang replied, looking flattered.

Next, Lu Changsheng inquired about any valuable items available at the auction.

Yu Zhengguang, facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator, did not dare to withhold any information and shared what he knew.

Lu Changsheng listened but did not find much of interest.

After a brief conversation, Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue stood up to leave.

“If you encounter any issues in the marketplace or have any small requests, feel free to come to the Yu Family. We, the Yu Family, are the hosts of the Hongye Valley marketplace,”

Yu Zhengguang said respectfully, handing over a jade token as Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue were about to leave.

“Alright,”

Lu Changsheng replied with a light smile, accepting the jade token. He understood that the Yu Family intended to foster goodwill and establish connections with them.

After Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue left, Yu Zhengguang let out a long breath, his expression extremely solemn. “Although he did not reveal his cultivation aura, this person is likely also a Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

“Two unknown Foundation Establishment cultivators visiting the marketplace – this needs to be reported to the patriarch.”

“Xiyue, you might want to keep this jade token,” Lu Changsheng said as they exited the auction house, tossing the token to Xiao Xiyue.

Since he couldn’t reveal his true identity in the marketplace, he had no use for the token. Xiao Xiyue might find it handy from time to time.

Xiao Xiyue caught the token and nodded, understanding the potential benefits of having it.

“Mm-hmm,” Xiao Xiyue acknowledged, putting away the jade token.

She then said, “Changsheng, regarding the hatching and nurturing method of the Jade Luan Bird, if you need, I can check the sect’s archives later.”

“There’s no rush. You can look into it when you have some free time,” Lu Changsheng replied casually.

At this moment, he also realized the benefits of being part of a sect.

Treasures and knowledge that were hard to come by for ordinary cultivators were much more accessible to disciples of immortal sects.

“By the way, this Jade Luan Bird egg was obtained from Meng Yibai. So when you look up information, be a bit cautious,” Lu Changsheng reminded her.

Although the probability of complications was low, it was still wise to be careful, especially since being targeted by a Fake Core cultivator could be quite troublesome.

“Alright, I’ll be careful,” Xiao Xiyue nodded gently.

Given their new identities as Foundation Establishment cultivators, Lu Changsheng and Xiao Xiyue decided to rent a courtyard in the marketplace for convenience.

They lived there like a pair of wandering cultivator couples, sometimes strolling through the marketplace or staying secluded in their courtyard.

In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.

“Mm, this child has a seventh-grade Spirit Root?”

One day, Lu Changsheng felt a mysterious and profound sensation, indicating the birth of a child with a Spirit Root.

Based on the timing, he guessed it should be Yun Qianqian’s unborn child.

Thinking of Yun Qianqian, he couldn’t help but recall his old friend from Jiulong Market, Yu Maocheng.

Their relationship had become somewhat distant after Yu Maocheng tried to recruit him, and they hadn’t been in contact since Lu Changsheng stopped visiting Jiulong Market.

Only Yun Qianqian occasionally exchanged letters with Yu Ningrong.

“There’s only half a month left until the auction starts. I should head back soon,”

Lu Changsheng thought.

He had promised several of his wives that he would take them to Hongye Valley’s marketplace to see the auction.

He also needed to return to give lessons to the Lu Family disciples.

After informing Xiao Xiyue and Lu Miaoge, Lu Changsheng rode back to Qingzhu Mountain.

“Ninth Elder!”

“Master Lu!”

“Brother Changsheng”

“Brother-in-law Changsheng!”

Returning to Qingzhu Mountain, many members of the Lu Family greeted Lu Changsheng along the way, to which he responded with smiles and polite nods, without any airs of an elder.

After discussing teaching matters with Uncle Fu, Lu Changsheng returned home.

Upon learning of Yun Qianqian’s daughter’s birth, Lu Changsheng went to check on them, though he felt somewhat indifferent toward the growing number of children. Nevertheless, he still fulfilled his duties as a husband and father.

After staying at home for ten days and handling various affairs, Lu Changsheng piloted a spirit boat and set off for Hongye Valley’s marketplace with Lu Miaohuan, Lu Miaoyun, and Qu Zhenzhen.

As a senior elder of the Lu Family now, piloting a spirit boat was not particularly conspicuous.

“Cheng, what are you doing here?”

Lu Changsheng greeted a familiar patrolman upon arriving at the entrance of Hongye Valley’s marketplace.

“Changsheng.”

“It’s my first time at the auction, and we can’t afford any mistakes, so the family assigned me to maintain order,” Lu Miaocheng said lazily, his spirits lifting upon seeing Lu Changsheng.

He then greeted Lu Miaoyun, Lu Miaohuan, and Qu Zhenzhen before registering them and letting them enter through a special channel without identity verification.

Due to the increased flow of people in Hongye Valley’s marketplace, special channels were established for some distinguished guests.

Upon entering the marketplace, Lu Changsheng accompanied his wives as they toured around. Due to the upcoming auction, the marketplace was bustling with activity, reaching its peak in terms of foot traffic.

“Hmph!”

Suddenly, the Second Miss snorted disdainfully as they walked down the street.

A woman in a yellow dress approaching them also sneered at Lu Changsheng.

Seeing this, Lu Changsheng was momentarily puzzled, unsure of what was happening. It took him a moment to remember that the woman was Zheng Family’s legitimate daughter, Zheng Yongshan, who had some conflicts and grievances with the Second Miss.

He shook his head and smiled at the lingering enmity between them over the years.

“Are you Mr. Lu Changsheng, the Talisman Master? I am Yu Ninghai. Nice to meet you,” a blue-clad young man walking alongside Zheng Yongshan greeted Lu Changsheng with a smile and a courteous bow.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yu,”

Lu Changsheng replied, recognizing the name as being from the Yu Family of Green Lake Mountain.

He had heard that Zheng Family had no successor now, not even a new Foundation Establishment cultivator, and their patriarch had only a few decades left. Therefore, Zheng Family had formed a relationship with the Yu Family, with many marriages between the two families.

After exchanging a few polite words, they each departed with their respective entourages.

“Looks like Huan’er still remembers old grudges,” Lu Changsheng teased as he glanced at the Second Miss.

“Psh, what grudges? I don’t hold grudges,” the Second Miss replied, her slender figure adorned in a black exquisite gown, her chin lifted delicately.

Since becoming a mother of two, she had become more conservative in her attire. Although she still had a fondness for buying little dresses, she only wore them at home or when she was with Lu Changsheng.

“Hehe, did that person just offend Sister Huanhuan?”

Qu Zhenzhen, who was nearby, chimed in with curiosity.

Lu Changsheng chuckled and recounted the incident.

After spending half a day accompanying his wives on their leisurely activities, Lu Changsheng went to the Lu Family compound in Hongye Valley.

On the third day, Lu Yuanzhong, the ancestor of the Lu Family, also arrived at Hongye Valley with a group of high-ranking members to inspect the situation of the Lu Family’s shops in the marketplace.

As the ninth elder of the family, Lu Changsheng naturally accompanied them.

During the inspection, Lu Changsheng gained a rough understanding of the situation of some of the Lu Family’s inns and restaurants.

The profits were average, but the Talisman shops were doing relatively well, thanks to the numerous first-tier Talisman masters in the Lu Family and the good reputation of the Talisman paper and spirit ink produced by the Lu Family.

【Congratulations to the host for reaching thirty descendants with Spirit Roots, earning one lottery chance!】

Just then, accompanied by a mysterious sensation, the sound of the system notification rang out.

Knowing that another child with Spirit Roots had been born in his family, Lu Changsheng remained calm and continued the inspection with no change in expression.

After the inspection, Lu Changsheng returned to his residence and silently invoked the system to initiate the lottery.

The familiar lottery wheel appeared before him.

“Start the lottery!”

With a slight mental fluctuation, a golden light swiftly spun on the wheel.

Soon, the light stopped at “Treasure.”

【Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the ‘Heavenly Spirit Plant’!】

【The reward has been sent to the system space. The host can check it at any time.】

“Heavenly Spirit Plant?” Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow as he looked at the reward he had just won.

Previously, when he obtained the Six-Winged Golden Silkworm under the “Pets” category, Lu Changsheng had thought that Heavenly Spirit Plants might also appear in the same category.

“Well, some plants and trees can become spiritual beings, but not every plant can achieve that,” Lu Changsheng chuckled lightly.

Without dwelling on these thoughts, he shifted his focus and glanced at the information about the Heavenly Spirit Plant in the system space.

【Spirit Plant: Heavenly Spirit Plant】

【Tier: Third Tier】

【Description: The Heavenly Spirit Plant condenses Spiritual Brilliance Nectar from its roots every thirty years. This nectar can be used to cleanse the eyes, making them clear and bright, and enhances spiritual eye techniques and abilities.】

“Heavenly Spirit Plant, Spiritual Brilliance Nectar, cleanses the eyes, enhances spiritual eye techniques and abilities,” Lu Changsheng read the description in the system space with a pleased expression.

Without mentioning anything else, just the fact that it was a third-tier spiritual plant made him realize its extraordinary value.

Moreover, the ability to produce Spiritual Brilliance Nectar from its roots every thirty years was particularly impressive.

In the cultivation world, rare treasures that could enhance a cultivator’s abilities and techniques were highly prized and costly.

The spiritual eye, in particular, was in demand among most cultivators for tasks such as assessing the strength of others, deciphering formations, and identifying treasures.

This Heavenly Spirit Plant, continuously producing beneficial Spiritual Brilliance Nectar for the spiritual eyes, could indeed be considered a money tree.

“However, this Heavenly Spirit Plant only condenses Spiritual Brilliance Nectar once every thirty years, which is too long. And for a third-tier spiritual plant like this, it needs to be planted on at least a second-tier Spirit Vain. Although it can be planted in Qingzhu Valley, it’s not as convenient as the Golden Armor Bean Mother, which can simply be planted in the courtyard. It seems quite large and conspicuous.”

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath, realizing the shortcomings of this spiritual plant.

In the long run, it was indeed a valuable treasure, especially for a cultivation family.

However, for him personally, it was currently quite impractical.

“Never mind, I’ll see if I can plant it in the Lu Family when the time comes. After all, this kind of spiritual plant can be transplanted, but when it comes to transplantation, I’ll have to hire a spiritual plant master.”

Lu Changsheng chose not to extract the Heavenly Spirit Plant from the system space for now. He decided to wait until he needed to plant it before extracting it.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t know how to arrange it once it was extracted.

As for the ‘Heaven And Earth Immortality Method’ he obtained, which could refine the Heavenly Spirit Plant into a ‘Lifebound Spirit Root’, he temporarily set aside the idea of having his wives and children refine the plant.

It wasn’t that he was unwilling to part with this treasure. Even after being refined into a ‘Lifebound Spirit Root’ by the ‘Heaven And Earth Immortality Method’, it would continue to grow as before.

Even cultivators could gain some mysterious abilities from the Heavenly Spirit Plant. However, Lu Changsheng needed to consider whether he should plant it in the Lu Family or not.

It was impossible for him to use this treasure to assist his wives in cultivating the Heaven And Earth Immortality Method.

As night fell, Lu Changsheng went to Xiao Xiyue’s courtyard. Tomorrow, he would be attending the auction with his four wives. Unfortunately, he couldn’t accompany Xiao Xiyue, so he had to trouble her to assist with the auction.

The next day, Lu Changsheng, accompanied by his four wives, went to the auction venue in Hongye Valley, along with Lu Yuanzhong, Lu Yuanding, and others.

To enter the auction, there were certain requirements: either having a certain status or verifying one’s wealth. However, as one of the hosts, Lu Family naturally arranged a special VIP area.

“Brother Lu, greetings sisters-in-law’s.”

Hong Yi also came to Hongye Valley Market to attend the auction.

After seeing Lu Changsheng, he immediately stepped forward to say hello and make himself familiar with him.

Even though he already knew that Lu Changsheng held a distinguished position in the Lu Family, seeing him with several wives and walking alongside high-ranking members of the Lu Family still made him marvel.

Recalling their past, when he and Lu Changsheng, along with Li Feiyu, failed to enter the immortal sect, he couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful.

He used to think that Lu Changsheng and Li Feiyu could only become son-in-laws in cultivation families, while he could return home to cultivate.

But now, Lu Changsheng had married the brightest pearl of the Lu Family and become a high-ranking member, making him look up to him.

“Brother Hong, you’re here too,”

Lu Changsheng nodded with a smile, briefly introducing his wives.

Qu Zhenzhen and Lu Miaoyun had met Hong Yi before, so only Lu Miaohuan hadn’t.

Although the Second Miss’s temperament had improved slightly, she still remained indifferent towards people like Hong Yi. She only nodded lightly in acknowledgment, respecting Lu Changsheng’s face.

Not wanting to disturb them too much, Hong Yi quickly left after exchanging greetings.

“Friend Yu, Friend Bai, Friend Zheng, Friend Huang, Friend Xu.”

Once they entered the venue, Lu Yuanzhong greeted each of the Foundation Establishment cultivators present, engaging in small talk.

Facing this, Lu Changsheng didn’t interfere and took his wives to sit at the Lu Family’s VIP area.

Seats in such VIP areas not only had excellent views of the entire auction, but they also provided attendants who served spiritual tea and fruits.

Lu Changsheng also noticed Xiao Xiyue in the distance, seated at the VIP area.

As Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was natural for them to have prepared VIP seats for the auction. However, Hong Yi was seated in the regular section, with only a simple cushion, indicating his lower status.

About half an hour passed, and the auction venue was almost full.

“Hum!”

A young man dressed in azure robes, adorned with a jade crown, and with sharp brows and bright eyes ascended the auction platform.

“Welcome, friends, to Hongye Valley Market to join us for this auction. I am Yu Ningjun from the Yu Family, and I am honored to host this auction. I hope everyone can find what they desire,” the young man said with a warm and gentle smile, bowing to the audience.

His voice was warm and clear, reaching everyone’s ears, indicating his considerable cultivation, likely at the peak of Qi Refining.

“Dad, why do I feel like this auction is completely dominated by the Yu Family?” Lu Miaohuan furrowed her brows slightly as she observed the auctioneer, who was also from the Yu Family.

During her days of exploring Hongye Valley Market, she had noticed that both the patrols and the auction seemed to be predominantly Yu Family members.

Lu Changsheng glanced at Lu Yuanding upon hearing this, as if he had also noticed something.

Not to mention Lu Miaohuan, he himself had sensed this during his many years in Hongye Valley Market.

However, he had a vague guess as to the reasons behind it.

“Hongye Valley Market is indeed jointly hosted by our four major families, but as you know, our Lu Family only has Elder Yuanzhong presiding over it now.”

“Yu Family not only has two Foundation Establishment Elders but also possesses overall strength far superior to our Lu Family. Therefore, over the years, our Lu Family’s influence over Hongye Valley Market has been steadily decreasing,” Lu Yuanding explained with a sigh.

Despite Lu Family occupying forty percent, strength ultimately dictated everything in the cultivation world.

After the death of the Lu Family Elder, only Elder Yuanzhong remained to support the family.

As a result, the influence over Hongye Valley Market gradually fell into the hands of the Yu Family.

Although the Bai Family stood with the Lu Family, their main goal was to vie for influence and gradually gain benefits from the Yu Family.

Thus, even though they understood the principle of mutual benefit, the Bai Family couldn’t afford to stand up for the Lu Family’s interests.

After all, the situation hadn’t reached that point.

“Although Lu Family gained many benefits from the battle that destroyed the Chen Family, it takes time to translate those gains into power.”

“So, for now, we can only yield to the Yu Family.”

“After all, Elder Yuanzhong only recently broke through to Foundation Establishment, while the two Elders of the Yu Family have been Foundation Establishment cultivators for many years.”

Lu Changsheng thought to himself. He knew that although the Lu Family was steadily developing, the situation wasn’t particularly favorable.

However, now that he himself had reached Foundation Establishment, if the Lu Family were to face a crisis, he had the capability to lend a hand.

Under normal circumstances, the overall strength of the Lu Family would hardly surpass that of the Yu Family.

However, with Lu Miaoge reaching the peak of Qi Refining, Lu Changsheng had about sixty to seventy percent confidence in helping his wife successfully advance to Foundation Establishment.

Once Lu Miaoge achieved Foundation Establishment, the Lu Family’s stable development would no longer be a concern.

In the future, surpassing the Yu Family wouldn’t be much of a problem.