30: Growing increasingly prosperous

"Ah--"

A shrill scream echoed through the Dense Forest Prefecture, but quickly died out.

As the lightning faded, only a bottomless, charred pit remained where Yue Guanshan had been.

Yue Guanshan's figure had vanished.

Only a few shattered Magical Artifact fragments proved his former existence.

Chen Xu walked to the edge of the pit with an expressionless face, his Divine Sense sweeping over it, confirming that Yue Guanshan's body and soul had been annihilated.

"A False Core Cultivator is nothing more than this."

He muttered to himself.

However, he didn't relax in the slightest, skillfully beginning to clear the scene.

He first put away the Formation Plate of the Inverting Five Elements Array, erasing all traces of the Formation's existence.

Then he walked to the edge of the giant pit and flicked out a Fireball Talisman.

He burned the Magical Artifact fragments and residual aura at the bottom of the pit to ashes.

After all this, he carefully checked the surroundings again, making sure no clues were left behind.

The entire process was smooth and fluid!

A moment later, this Dense Forest Prefecture returned to its previous silence, as if nothing had happened.

Only then did Chen Xu turn around and set off on the road back to Ninghai Town.

However, Yue Guanshan's dying threat made him understand a truth.

In this Cultivation world where the strong prey on the weak, mere low-key behavior and tolerance would not bring peace.

Only by displaying strength that no one dared to covet could he truly protect his Family.

When he returned to Ninghai Town, it was already late.

The Chen Family Mansion was brightly lit, and the laughter of children could be heard from afar.

Chen Xu stood at the entrance, looking at the warm scene inside the courtyard. The killing intent in his heart slowly dissipated, replaced by a sense of softness and tranquility.

He pushed open the main gate and walked in.

"Husband, you're back!"

Bu Yifan and several of his wives and concubines came forward, their faces full of joy.

"Daddy!"

A group of children also scampered on their short legs, throwing themselves into his arms like young swallows returning to their nest.

Chen Xu smiled as he picked them up one by one, feeling the warmth that belonged only to him... The night was deep, and the Chen Family Mansion was still brightly lit, filled with laughter and joy.

Chen Xu had been away from home for a long time this time, and his wives and children missed him dearly, surrounding him with questions.

The children even clung to him, eagerly recounting interesting stories that happened while he was away.

"Daddy, I made that little fatty from the Wang Family cry the day before yesterday!"

"Husband, did you encounter any dangers during this trip?"

At the dinner table, Bu Yifan served Chen Xu dishes while subtly observing his expression.

Although Chen Xu behaved as usual.

She still caught a hint of lingering coldness deep in his eyes.

She didn't ask further, only softly said, "It's good that you're back. Everything at home is fine."

"While you were away, our Talisman business became more and more prosperous. Several merchant houses in the city want to cooperate with us long-term, but the volume is a bit large, so I didn't dare to agree. I'll wait for you to decide when you return."

Chen Xu nodded, picked up a little daughter who was clinging to his arm, and said, "There's no rush for this. We don't lack Spirit Stones, so we'll proceed steadily. You can handle the shop's affairs as you see fit."

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over his wives and concubines.

Finally, it rested on the slightly bulging bellies of Zheng Ruoyu and Wang Yuyan.

His eyes softened considerably.

"You two are heavy, so you need to rest more. If you want to eat anything, just have the servants make it."

Zheng Ruoyu and Wang Yuyan exchanged smiles, their faces radiating happiness.

The meal was filled with joy!

After dinner, Bu Yifan arranged for the other sisters to take the children to rest, while she accompanied Chen Xu for a walk in the courtyard.

"Was this trip very unsuccessful?"

Under the moonlight, Bu Yifan asked softly.

Chen Xu was silent for a moment, then briefly recounted what happened at the Heavenly Talisman Assembly and the ambush by Yue Guanshan on the way back.

Of course, he downplayed the details of how he made a name for himself and how he counter-killed the False Core Cultivator.

Even so, Bu Yifan listened with a pounding heart. She stopped, clasped Chen Xu's hand, her palm icy cold.

"False Core Cultivator..."

She murmured, "Husband, you..."

"Don't worry, it's all resolved. It was just a pseudo-False Core forced out by a secret technique, nothing significant."

Chen Xu clasped her hand in return, gently comforting her, "However, this incident also gave me a reminder. Our Chen Family looks glorious now, but our Foundation is still too shallow to withstand storms."

Bu Yifan nodded; she understood Chen Xu's worries.

Ninghai Town, after all, was too small.

The two walked in the courtyard for a while longer, chatting about Family matters. The lingering killing intent in Chen Xu's heart completely dissipated in his wife's gentleness and the warmth of home.

Late at night, Chen Xu came to the study alone.

He set up a sound-insulating Restriction, and then took out another ancient-looking Storage Pouch from his Storage Pouch.

This was Yue Guanshan's Storage Pouch.

Yue Guanshan was dead, and the Divine Sense imprint on the Storage Pouch also dissipated!

Chen Xu easily opened it.

With a whoosh.

On the study floor, a small mountain of Spirit Stones instantly piled up.

Spiritual light flickered, almost dazzling one's eyes.

"As expected of a False Core Cultivator, his Family fortune is indeed abundant."

Chen Xu's Divine Sense swept over it, and he had a rough idea.

There were over 800,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones and more than 3,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, the total value of which was almost half of his previous entire net worth.

Besides Spirit Stones, there was also a large pile of bottles and jars!

They contained various Medicinal Pills, mostly for restoring Spiritual Qi and healing, and their quality was quite good.

What interested Chen Xu most were dozens of Talismans drawn on animal skins.

He picked one up for a closer look and found that it was an Intermediate High Grade "Five Ghosts Soul Locking Talisman," which was exactly the same as the method Yue Guanshan used when setting up the Formation in the Dense Forest Prefecture.

Besides this one, there were also more than a dozen Intermediate High Grade and Intermediate Medium Grade offensive and defensive Talismans.

"It seems this fellow was also a Talisman Master, no wonder he was so obsessed with the Divine Decree Talisman."

Chen Xu understood.

For him, these Talismans could save him a lot of effort in drawing them himself and could be used as regular means.

Besides finished Talismans, Chen Xu also found more than a dozen Jade Slips.

He investigated them one by one and found that they all recorded the methods for refining various Talismans.

Among them, five or six types he had never even seen before!

They were all rather obscure but powerful and strange Talismans, such as a "Spirit Contaminating Talisman" that could pollute Magical Artifacts, and a "Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts Talisman" that could temporarily summon Yin souls to fight.

These Talisman formulas greatly enriched his Talisman Dao knowledge base and would be of great benefit to his future development.

After inventorying these regular items!

Chen Xu's gaze fell on the last few items.

There was a pile of rare Artifact Refining Materials, among which a human-head-sized "Dark Sinking Wood" was an excellent Material for refining Yin-attribute Magic Treasures, worth a fortune.

There were also several Magical Artifacts, all of high quality, but they had all been reduced to fragments under the lightning spell, losing their value.

Finally, a completely black token, cold to the touch, caught Chen Xu's attention.

This token was neither metal nor jade, and its material was unknown!

On it, an ancient character, "quiet" (You), was carved.

Chen Xu probed it with his Divine Sense, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no reaction whatsoever.

He then tried to inject Spiritual Qi, but the token remained unchanged.

"Interesting."

Chen Xu toyed with this mysterious token, his intuition telling him that a significant secret was likely hidden behind it.

Yue Guanshan, a Genius from Dense Forest Prefecture, being able to disguise himself as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and possess False Core cultivation, was already strange in itself.

This token might be related to his origin.

After half a day of research with no clues, Chen Xu placed this token and the Legacy Jade Slip of the Divine Decree Talisman together into the deepest part of his Storage Pouch.

He planned to study them slowly when he had time in the future.

After dealing with the spoils of war, Chen Xu's life returned to peace.

His daily life was very regular: in the morning, he would guide his children's cultivation, and in the afternoon, he would stay in the study to research the Talisman Dao or refine some Talismans needed by the Family.

In the evening, he would unfailingly spend time strengthening his relationship with his wives and concubines.

With the Talisman formulas left by Yue Guanshan, his Talisman Dao skills gained new insights and improvements.

Especially the Advanced Low Grade Spiritual Talisman, the Divine Decree Talisman, whose structure was far more profound than any Talisman he had encountered before.

He spent a full month.

Only then did he fully comprehend it and successfully refine the first one.

When that Talisman, imbued with the power to imprison the Divine Soul, took shape, Chen Xu could feel that his use of Divine Sense had reached a new level.

Time quietly passed in such leisurely and fulfilling days.

In the blink of an eye, half a year passed.

Winter arrived in Ninghai Town, but the Chen Family Mansion was filled with warmth.

Zheng Ruoyu and Wang Yuyan gave birth consecutively half a month ago, adding a son and a daughter to the Chen Family.

Chen Xu named his newborn son Chen Ping'an.

His daughter was named Chen Nian'an, a simple meaning, yet it carried his most simple wishes.

The moment the two children were born, Chen Xu could clearly feel it.

Two warm streams of energy surged into his limbs and bones, nourishing his Physical Body and Divine Soul.

His Late Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation Bottleneck, under the impact of this energy.

Showed faint signs of loosening.

Unfortunately, both children's Spiritual Root Aptitude were only yellow grade mid-rank. Although the energy they brought was pure, the quantity was still a bit lacking, failing to allow him to break through the Bottleneck in one go.

Chen Xu was not too disappointed by this.

Spiritual Root Aptitude was predestined and could not be forced.

As long as the children could grow up safely and healthily, that was the greatest happiness for him.

On this day, Chen Xu was in his study, trying to improve the Talismanic structure of the Heavenly Vault Lightning Summoning Talisman.

He found that although this Talisman was extremely powerful, its consumption of Spiritual Qi was equally astonishing.

With his current cultivation, fully activating it once would drain 70% of his Spiritual Qi.

If he could optimize some of the nodes within it, perhaps the consumption could be reduced.

Just as he was engrossed in the deduction of Talisman runes, the study door opened, and Bu Yifan walked in, carrying a bowl of ginseng soup.

"Husband, take a break."

"What's wrong? You look delighted."

Chen Xu put down his Talisman brush, took the ginseng soup, and asked with a smile.

"It's Sister Wang Shihan..."

Bu Yifan's face was beaming with joy: "Just now, the midwife reported that she also gave birth to a big, healthy boy, and both mother and child are safe."

Chen Xu's heart also filled with joy upon hearing this, and he quickly put down the ginseng soup, stood up, and said, "Let's go take a look."

The two quickly arrived at Wang Shihan's courtyard, where the room had already been tidied up.

Wang Shihan lay weakly on the bed.

Looking at the infant in her arms, her face was full of maternal radiance.

Chen Xu stepped forward and first examined Wang Shihan's body, confirming that she was only a little exhausted and not seriously injured, before turning his gaze to the newborn baby.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on the baby's wrist.

He sent a wisp of Spiritual Qi into the baby's body.

The next moment, Chen Xu's pupils constricted sharply, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

"This... this is..."

In his perception, a Spiritual Qi fluctuation, far purer and more massive than that of other children at birth, came back from the baby's body.

That Spiritual Qi carried an innate, profound aura.

It seemed to subtly align with some ultimate truth between heaven and earth.

Earth-Grade Low Grade Spiritual Root!

This child actually possessed an Earth-Grade Low Grade Spiritual Root!

Although it was only the lowest rank within the Profound Grade, looking at the entire Great Feng Dynasty, it was enough to be called a Genius!

It was enough to be fought over by any Sect and taken in as a Core Disciple for cultivation!

The Chen Family had finally produced a true Genius!

At the same time, a vast energy, far exceeding any previous instance, descended from the ethereal Realm and surged into Chen Xu's body.

Boom!

The Bottleneck within his body could no longer be maintained under the impact of this energy.

Like a dam breaking, it shattered with a roar!

The Spiritual Qi of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage began to circulate, compress, and purify madly, launching an assault towards a completely new Realm!

The Qi Sea in his Dantian expanded dramatically, and his Divine Sense, like a wild horse unbridled,

Rushed towards a higher and more distant sky.

This energy was too vast and pure; it not only helped him Break through the Bottleneck!

It also continuously refined his Foundation, pushing him to an unprecedented height.

Foundation Establishment Perfection!

With just one more step, he would be able to attempt to condense a Golden Core and step onto the Great Dao of an Immortal Master.

Chen Xu forcibly suppressed the surging Qi and blood within his body and solemnly said to Bu Yifan beside him, "I need to go into seclusion immediately. Please take care of the Family matters."

Bu Yifan saw the fleeting, terrifying aura on Chen Xu's body and immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. She nodded heavily: "Husband, rest assured, I will take care of the Family."

Chen Xu said no more, his figure flickered, and he disappeared from the spot, entering the secret chamber deep within the manor.

This seclusion lasted for a full three months.

Three months later, the stone door of the secret chamber slowly opened, and Chen Xu emerged from it.

The aura on his body had completely receded, making him appear no different from an ordinary person!

Only his eyes were so deep that they seemed to swallow all light.

His Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivation had been completely stabilized, and his Foundation was more solid than ever before; every movement he made seemed to subtly align with the surrounding heaven and earth.

He stood in the courtyard, feeling the surging power within his body, and realized more and more clearly that the Spiritual Root Aptitude of his descendants was directly linked to the benefits he received.

The feedback brought by a yellow grade Spiritual Root was barely better than nothing.

A Profound Grade Spiritual Root could bring about a significant improvement in his Cultivation.

And the birth of an Earth-Grade Spiritual Root directly allowed him to cross a threshold that countless Cultivators needed decades of arduous Cultivation to reach, stepping into Foundation Establishment Perfection in one go.

If he wanted to condense a Golden Core, or even pursue a higher-grade Golden Core, he would need more descendants with higher Aptitude.

Spreading branches and leaves, strengthening the Family, this was not only for Legacy, but also his own Great Dao of Cultivation.

That night, Chen Xu and Bu Yifan sat facing each other in the room.

Under the candlelight, Bu Yifan looked at Chen Xu and softly said, "Husband, I am now at Qi Refining Layer Nine, but I feel that as I get older, my Qi and blood are not what they used to be. It will probably be difficult for me to bear you another child."

Her tone carried a hint of disappointment.

Chen Xu held her hand and said gently, "You have already given enough to the Chen Family. Now that the children are growing up, you should think more about yourself."

"I will prepare the foundation establishment pill for you. From now on, you should focus on Cultivating and strive to Break through as soon as possible."

Bu Yifan's heart warmed, and she nodded.

She pondered for a moment, then added, "Husband is now in his prime, and the Chen Family also needs new blood to join constantly."

"I observe that in Ninghai Town, there are several daughters from respectable families, who are excellent in character and appearance, and also admire husband..."

She was actively arranging for Chen Xu to take concubines.

Chen Xu understood her intentions, which were for the future of the entire Family.

He did not refuse, only saying, "You can handle this matter as you see fit."

In the days that followed, Chen Xu's life returned to peace once again.

Every day, besides stabilizing his Cultivation, he would research the Divine Decree Talisman and the various strange Talisman manuals he had obtained from Yue Guanshan.

His Talisman Dao attainments also made new progress daily through this dedicated study.

On this day, Bu Yifan called Sun Xiaoyue, Zhao Linger, Wang Shihan, and several other managing sisters to the main hall.

"Husband's Cultivation has now reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, which is a time when he needs strong support. As for me, I am getting old, my Qi and blood are declining, and I will soon go into seclusion to attempt a Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, seeking the Great Dao. From now on, this vast Family business will depend on you sisters to take care of it."

Bu Yifan's gaze slowly swept over everyone.

Sun Xiaoyue, who now managed the Family's general affairs, quickly said, "Sister, rest assured, we will handle the Family matters. You just focus on Cultivating and Break through as soon as possible."

"That's right, Sister, you've toiled for this Family for half your life, it's time you thought about yourself too."

Zhao Linger echoed. She was in charge of the Chen Family's Talisman shop business and was now a famous female shopkeeper in Ninghai Town.

Bu Yifan nodded with satisfaction, then changed the subject, her expression becoming serious: "I trust you can handle the Family affairs well. But I called you here today for an even more important matter."

She looked at everyone and said, word by word, "For our Chen Family to prosper long-term, the current scale is far from enough. Husband's Cultivation also needs more assistance. Therefore, nine sisters are still too few."

As soon as these words were uttered, even Sun Xiaoyue was stunned.

"From now on, when you are out and about, pay more attention. If there are women of excellent character and Spiritual Root, whether they are humble maidens or Sect Fairy, you can keep an eye out for husband."

"This matter concerns the Chen Family's century-long plan, you must keep it in mind."

Bu Yifan's words completely set the overall tone for the Chen Family's future development.

After completely handing over the Family affairs, Bu Yifan went into seclusion.

Chen Xu's life, meanwhile, once again entered a regular cycle.

Half a year passed in a flash.

Relying on his Comprehension Ability, which far surpassed that of ordinary people, and his solid Foundation Establishment Perfection!

He had already cultivated a Cultivation Technique called "Tide of the Returning Sea Art," which he had obtained from Yue Guanshan's Storage Pouch,

To the Minor Achievement Realm.

This was a top-tier Cultivation Technique that directly pointed to the Golden Core Great Dao, capable of repeatedly refining Spiritual Qi.

It laid a solid Foundation for condensing a High Grade Golden Core in the future.

Besides Cultivating, his research on the Talisman Dao never stopped.

Over the past six months, he meticulously analyzed numerous ancient Talismans recorded in the Rune Pavilion, as well as Yue Guanshan's mysterious Talisman manuals, integrating them into his own Talisman Dao system.

He even successfully created a brand new Talisman, the "Demon-Slaying Talisman," based on a fragmented Buddhist Talisman and his own understanding.

This Talisman, powered by righteous Qi, had a strong suppressive effect on Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques and evil spirits.

After all, this world was not as peaceful as it seemed on the surface.

It was always good to have more means to counter Demonic Cultivators.

On this day, he was in the secret chamber drawing a more complex Demon-Slaying Talisman, his mind completely immersed in the strokes of the Talisman.

Suddenly, the Restriction outside the secret chamber was gently touched.

"Head of the Family, Young Miss Li Xueer of the Li Family has come to visit and is waiting in the main hall."

It was the butler's voice.

The Li Family?

Upon hearing this, he tidied himself up slightly, then removed the Restriction and walked out of the secret chamber.

In the Chen Family's main hall, the robust Li Xueer immediately stood up and bowed gracefully, her demeanor poised and proper.

"Xue'er greets Head of the Chen Family. I apologize for my unannounced visit, and I hope Head of the Family will forgive me."

"Young Miss Li is too polite, please sit." Chen Xu waved his hand, sat in the main seat, and directly asked, "May I ask, Young Miss Li, what brings you here today?"

Li Xueer smiled slightly and said, "I came today for two reasons: first, to express gratitude, and second, to offer congratulations."

"Oh?"

"Some time ago, my Li Family successfully seized the Profound Iron ore vein in the Yunlong Mountain Range, thanks to the batch of high-quality offensive and defensive Talismans purchased from Head of the Family!"

As Li Xueer spoke, she took out an exquisite Jade Box and pushed it towards Chen Xu.

"This is a small token of appreciation, 'Star Essence Spirit Fruit,' harvested from the Spirit Vein accompanying that ore vein. Although it is only a Medium Grade Spirit Medicine, it has miraculous effects on stabilizing the Divine Soul and refining Spiritual Qi. I ask Head of the Chen Family to please accept it."

Chen Xu glanced at it. He had seen this Star Essence Spirit Fruit in an ancient text before; it was indeed a rare Spirit Item.

He did not decline, nodded, and motioned for the maidservant beside him to accept it.

"This was merely a small effort. The Li Family's ability to seize the ore vein still relied on its own strength."

"Head of the Family is too modest."

Li Xueer's smile grew wider, and she took out another slender brocade box.

"The second matter is to congratulate Head of the Family for winning first place in the Heavenly Talisman Assembly, bringing great honor to our Ninghai Town, and even the entire Shangya Prefecture."

"My Li Family doesn't have much to offer, only knowing Artifact Refining. These are a pair of Flying Swords recently refined by the Artifact Refiner in our clan, named 'Flowing Radiance.' Although they are only top-grade Magical Artifacts, they represent a small token of our Li Family's sincerity."

The brocade box opened, and two three-foot-long swords lay quietly inside, their blades like a clear autumn stream, shimmering with brilliant light.