9: The desolate path of immortals

The West Market in Shangya Prefecture City was only open to Cultivators on the first and fifteenth of each month.

When Chen Xu arrived, it was already bustling with people.

The market wasn't large, just a hundred-zhang long street covered by a Formation. On both sides of the street, there were legitimate shops and pavilions, but more often, there were Loose Cultivator stalls that had simply spread a cloth on the ground to open for business.

The air was filled with a mix of strange smells from various Spirit Medicines, the aroma of roasted Yao Beast meat, and the burnt smell of low-quality Talismans after burning.

Shouts of vendors and the sounds of bargaining were endless.

Chen Xu was dressed in the most ordinary gray short shirt, which was his work uniform as an apprentice at Hundred Herbs Hall. He had suppressed his aura to the extreme, making him look like a young man who had just stepped onto the Immortal Path, curious about everything but with shallow pockets.

He didn't rush to browse the shops; the items inside were too highly priced for him to afford.

His gaze primarily fell on the street stalls.

The items on the stalls were varied and diverse, mostly Low Grade Materials, Yao Beast furs, claws, and teeth, unknown Ores, and some dimly glowing Talismans drawn by Cultivators themselves.

Chen Xu walked very slowly, his gaze sweeping over each stall, but his mind was calculating rapidly.

He was currently penniless, so trying to get higher-grade Spirit Medicines to help Bu Yifan recuperate her body was wishful thinking. The most urgent task was to earn his first startup capital.

"Fellow Daoist, look at my Flying Sword. It's a yellow grade mid-rank, it can cut hair, and it only costs fifteen Spirit Stones!"

"Freshly made Qi Gathering Powder, three Spirit Stones a bottle, hurry and buy!"

Chen Xu paid no attention to these shouts; he believed in one principle.

The louder the shouting, the less likely there were good things.

He stopped in front of a stall in a corner.

The stall owner was a thin, small old man with a worried expression. Scattered on his stall were a few items: some dark Ores and a small pile of withered yellow herbs. They all looked like they had been stored for a long time, and their Spiritual Qi was almost dissipated.

Chen Xu's gaze fell on the pile of herbs.

He had worked at Hundred Herbs Hall for two years, dealing with Medicinal Materials daily, so his eyesight was already extraordinary.

Most of the herbs in the pile were indeed worthless common herbs, but mixed among them were a few plants with curled leaves and dark red spots on their stems, blended in and inconspicuous.

"Elder, how much are these herbs?"

Chen Xu squatted down, casually picked up the most common herb, and asked.

The old man weakly lifted his eyelids: "They're all just worthless mountain goods. If Fellow Daoist likes them, give one Spirit Stone, and you can take them all."

Chen Xu's heart stirred, but his face remained impassive. He pretended to be troubled and said, "One Spirit Stone? Elder, the Spiritual Qi in these herbs is almost gone; you won't be able to refine any Medicinal Pills from them even if you take them back."

"How about this, I don't have many Spirit Stones on me, only fifty copper coins. If you're willing, I'll take them as helping you clear them out."

In the Cultivation World, one hundred copper coins were equivalent to one Low-Grade Spirit Stone.

Upon hearing this, the old man's face showed some displeasure, but he looked at the dismal scene of his stall, which had been ignored for a long time, then sighed and waved his hand impatiently: "Fine, fine, take them. It's better than them being stuck with me."

Chen Xu's heart was delighted. He quickly pulled out fifty copper coins from hisHuai and handed them over, then put the small pile of herbs into the cloth bag he had brought.

After completing this transaction, he didn't leave immediately but continued to stroll through the market, spending a few dozen more copper coins to buy some cheap herbs from other stalls and mixing them together.

After doing all this, he unhurriedly walked into a Medicinal shop called "Spring Return Pavilion" in the market.

This Medicinal shop was even larger than Hundred Herbs Hall.

The manager behind the counter was a middle-aged man with a goatee, whose Cultivation was at Qi Refinement Seventh Layer. Seeing Chen Xu enter, he merely glanced at him indifferently.

Chen Xu didn't mind. He walked to the counter, placed his cloth bag on it, and politely said, "Shopkeeper, I'd like to sell some Medicinal Materials."

The goatee manager lazily opened the cloth bag, swept his gaze inside, and immediately showed a look of disdain: "Fellow Daoist, are you making fun of me? Bringing a pile of common herbs to my Spring Return Pavilion, do you think we don't know our goods?"

"Shopkeeper, you've misunderstood."

Chen Xu smiled, unhurriedly picking out the few herbs with curled leaves from the pile of weeds and placing them separately on the counter.

"Please take another look at these."

The goatee manager suspiciously picked up one, brought it to his nose to smell, then used his fingernail to break open a bit of the stem, carefully examining the patterns inside.

A moment later, his expression subtly changed, and he looked up at Chen Xu with some surprise: "This is... a seedling of Crimson Blood Vine?"

"Shopkeeper has good eyesight," Chen Xu nodded.

This Crimson Blood Vine was a High Grade Spirit Medicine of the first order, one of the main ingredients for refining the healing Medicinal Pill "Blood Coagulation Powder."

Although it was just a seedling, its medicinal properties were insufficient, but it was rare.

The goatee manager re-examined Chen Xu, his attitude becoming much more polite: "Fellow Daoist, where did you obtain this Crimson Blood Vine seedling?"

"I accidentally found it while gathering herbs in the mountains. Unfortunately, I didn't recognize it and mixed it with weeds, almost burning it as firewood."

Chen Xu explained, half-truths and half-lies.

The goatee manager nodded; such things were common among Loose Cultivators. He pondered for a moment and said, "These few seedlings are of average quality and young in age. My Spring Return Pavilion can offer a maximum of fifteen Low-Grade Spirit Stones for them. If Fellow Daoist thinks this is acceptable, we can trade now."

"Twenty Spirit Stones."

Chen Xu spoke calmly: "Shopkeeper should know that Crimson Blood Vine is extremely difficult to find. Although these are seedlings, if they are transplanted into a spiritual field and carefully cultivated, they will become mature High Grade Spirit Medicines of the first order within ten years. Twenty Spirit Stones for a hope is not expensive."

The goatee manager hadn't expected this seemingly inconspicuous young man to also know how to bargain. He stared at Chen Xu for a long time, then finally nodded: "Alright, considering Fellow Daoist is also knowledgeable. Twenty Spirit Stones, deal."

Soon, a bag containing twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones was handed to Chen Xu.

Walking out of Spring Return Pavilion, Chen Xu weighed the heavy bag of Spirit Stones in his hand and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With these twenty Spirit Stones as capital, his next plan would be much easier.

He didn't rush to buy any High Grade Spirit Medicines. Instead, he used this money to carefully select and purchase a batch of inexpensive, immature, but potentially valuable Low Grade Medicinal Materials in the market.

After completing all this, it was already late, and the market was about to close.

Chen Xu did not linger in the Prefecture City but rushed back to Ninghai Town overnight.

When he returned home, Bu Yifan and the children were already asleep.

He looked at his wife's sleeping face and the four children in the cradle, his heart filled with motivation.

In the following days, Chen Xu no longer went to Hundred Herbs Hall.

He devoted all his energy to cultivating those inexpensive Medicinal Materials.

He simply isolated the courtyard with a Formation.

Every day, he used the "Spiritual Rain Art" to promote their growth.

His Spiritual Rain Art was no longer what it used to be; his control over Spiritual Qi was exquisitely precise, allowing him to adjust the concentration and frequency of the spiritual rain according to the habits of different Medicinal Materials.

In just three months, those inexpensive Medicinal Materials that the market's Medicinal shops had looked down upon all sprang to life under his careful cultivation, their age and quality improving by a notch.

Chen Xu took these cultivated Medicinal Materials in batches to Spring Return Pavilion in the Prefecture City to sell.

Gradually, he and the goatee manager became familiar with each other.

The manager simply assumed he was a Loose Cultivator with good luck, always finding good things.

He was quite polite to him.

Chen Xu's Spirit Stones also accumulated from the initial twenty to over three hundred.

With money, he immediately bought a second-order Low Grade Spirit Medicine, "Warm Jade Blood Ganoderma," for Bu Yifan.

This item had mild medicinal properties and was best for nourishing a woman's Qi and blood, strengthening her Foundation and cultivating her Origin.

Under the long-term conditioning of the Warm Jade Blood Ganoderma and spiritual rain, Bu Yifan's physical condition reached an unprecedented Peak.

At over forty years old, she looked like she was in her early thirties, with a rosy complexion and abundant energy.

Chen Xu felt the time was ripe.

That night, he told Bu Yifan his thoughts.

After listening, Bu Yifan's cheeks flushed, and she nodded shyly... Ten months later, the fifth cry of an infant was heard from the small courtyard in Ninghai Town.

It was a girl.

As Chen Xu held the child in his arms, the System's voice once again sounded in his mind.

It boomed.

"[Host has given birth to the fifth offspring, Bloodline evaluation: Profound Grade Low-Rank!]

[Immortal Clan prosperity has significantly increased. A leapfrog high-quality Bloodline has been detected. Super rewards are being issued:]

[One: Host's Lifespan increased by one hundred years!]

[Two: Host's Cultivation Aptitude greatly enhanced!]

[Three: Reward Dao of Alchemy insight "Initial Understanding of Alchemy Heart"!]

Boom!

Chen Xu only felt a warm current, more immense than any previous one, pouring into him from the top of his head.

It instantly swept through his entire body.

His body, his Meridians, his Spiritual Root, all were undergoing a transformative change under the influence of this power.

That Qi Refining Tenth Layer Bottleneck that had troubled him for many years was as fragile as a thin piece of paper before this power, easily pierced through.

Qi Refining Eleventh Layer!

This was not all; a vast amount of knowledge and experience regarding Alchemy, like a sudden enlightenment, flooded into his mind.

From pharmacological analysis to fire control, to the proportioning of various Pill Formulas... it was as if he had been immersed in the Dao of Alchemy for decades.

Chen Xu suppressed the ecstasy in his heart and named this daughter, who brought him such a huge surprise, "Chen Xi."

Xi, meaning morning light.

She was like the first ray of dawn illuminating the future of the Chen Family.

Days passed, and Chen Xu was immersed in the joy of his rapidly improving Cultivation and Dao of Alchemy insights.

But in Bu Yifan's heart, a shadow quietly fell.

That night, she leaned in Chen Xu's arms.

Stroking her husband's increasingly youthful and handsome face, she sighed softly.

"What's wrong?"

Chen Xu noticed her mood.

"Chen Xu, we've been married for almost ten years, haven't we?"

Bu Yifan said softly, "You don't seem to have changed at all; on the contrary... you've become younger and younger. I looked in the mirror today, and there are a few more wrinkles at the corners of my eyes. In a few more years, I'm afraid people will truly mistake me for your mother."

A woman's anxiety about her appearance was hard to avoid, even for a Cultivator.

Especially when her husband became more and more outstanding while she herself was aging day by day.

That sense of insecurity would be infinitely amplified.

Chen Xu's heart ached, and he hugged her tightly: "Silly girl, what are you thinking nonsense about?"

He knew this couldn't be solved with just a few words of comfort. Bu Yifan was already forty-five years old, and for a female Cultivator only in the Qi Refinement Early Stage, her youth was already running out.

He had to find a way.

Perhaps Heaven heard his prayer.

After another year or so, Bu Yifan became pregnant again and gave birth to their sixth child, also their third son.

This child, perhaps, had exhausted Bu Yifan's Origin Qi.

His Spiritual Root Aptitude was very ordinary, just a common grade.

Chen Xu was not disappointed by this; he already had Chen Xi, who had a Profound Grade Low-Rank Bloodline, so his mindset was much calmer.

And this time, the System's reward made him overjoyed.

"[Host has given birth to the sixth offspring, Bloodline evaluation: Common Grade.]

[Immortal Clan prosperity has increased. Special reward issued: Host's Lifespan increased by thirty years, one 'Youth Preserving Pill' rewarded.]

Youth Preserving Pill!

It can permanently fix a woman's appearance at the moment she takes the Medicinal Pill!

Chen Xu almost jumped up in excitement, looking at the Medicinal Pill in the System space that glowed with a faint, precious light.

This was simply like someone sending a pillow when he was sleepy!

He immediately told Bu Yifan the good news.

Bu Yifan looked at the Youth Retaining Pill, her eyes first bursting with immense surprise, but soon, the joy on her face gradually faded, turning into a hint of hesitation and struggle.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

Chen Xu was puzzled.

"I like it, how could I not like it."

Bu Yifan shook her head, she looked at Chen Xu and said earnestly, "But, Chen Xu, I don't want to keep my appearance as it is now."

"I'm almost fifty now, even if I take the Medicinal Pill, I'll only look like an old woman who doesn't age. I want... I want to recover to a younger age before taking it."

"Younger?"

"Mhm."

Bu Yifan's gaze became incredibly firm, "I want to Foundation Establishment!"

"As long as I can successfully Foundation Establishment, my Lifespan will increase, and my Qi and blood will rejuvenate, allowing me to return to the appearance of a thirty-year-old, or even a twenty-something-year-old! At that time, when I take this Youth Retaining Pill, I can truly... be worthy of you."

Chen Xu was completely stunned.

He looked at the unprecedented light in his wife's eyes.

It was a desire not to be ordinary, a longing to walk side by side with him.

He suddenly understood that what Bu Yifan wanted was never just an ageless face.

What she wanted was to be able to go further with him.

"Good!"

Chen Xu nodded heavily, he held his wife's hand, his voice full of support and determination.

"I support you!"

"From today onwards, we won't have any more children. I will spare no effort to help you Foundation Establishment!"

This decision, for Chen Xu, meant that he would temporarily give up the shortcut of relying on procreation to improve himself.

But he didn't hesitate in the slightest.

Because he knew that a wife who could Foundation Establishment would be able to give birth to descendants with a Bloodline quality that was absolutely incomparable to Bu Yifan in the Qi Refinement Stage.

For the entire year that followed, Chen Xu paused all his Cultivation plans.

He used the insights from "Elementary Elixir Heart" to begin attempting Alchemy.

He invested all three hundred-plus Spirit Stones he had accumulated.

He purchased a large quantity of Low Grade Spirit Medicine and a second-hand Pill Furnace.

From repeated Pill Furnace explosions to refining the first batch of low-quality waste pills.

Then to successfully refining first-order Low Grade Qi Gathering Pills.

A year later, on Bu Yifan's forty-eighth birthday.

Chen Xu solemnly handed three bottles of Medium Grade Qi Gathering Pills he had personally refined, along with a foundation establishment pill he had painstakingly acquired at a high price from the Spring Return Pavilion, to Bu Yifan.

"Yifan, go."

"I'll take care of the Family, and I'll take care of the children."

"I'll wait for you to come out of seclusion."

Bu Yifan's eyes were filled with tears, she nodded heavily and walked into the quiet room Chen Xu had specially prepared for her, which was protected by layers of Formation.

The stone gate of the small courtyard slowly closed.

The stone gate of the quiet room remained closed for a full year.

During this year, Chen Xu turned down all plans to sell medicinal Materials in the Prefecture City and stayed in the small courtyard every day.

He dedicated most of his energy to teaching his children.

In his leisure time, he would sit cross-legged by the quiet room's entrance, silently sensing Bu Yifan's fluctuating and sometimes silent aura behind the stone door.

Foundation Establishment is a natural chasm, like a carp transforming into a Dragon.

Ninety-nine percent of Qi Refinement Cultivators are blocked outside this threshold.

Even with the aid of a foundation establishment pill, the success rate is less than thirty percent.

Chen Xu knew this in his heart, but he was willing to trust Bu Yifan.

He was also willing to trust all the preparations he had made for her.

However, the path of Cultivation never changes according to human will.

Just in the thirteenth month of Bu Yifan's seclusion, on a night when the moon was bright and stars were sparse.

Chen Xu was meditating in the courtyard when his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he abruptly opened his eyes.

"Crack—"

A crisp cracking sound came from the direction of the quiet room.

That was the sound of the protective Formation he had set up being breached by violent Spiritual Qi from within!

Not good!

Chen Xu's face changed drastically, and he appeared before the stone door in a flash.

He pushed it open without hesitation.

A chaotic and violent Spiritual Qi rushed out, making his clothes flutter.

Inside the quiet room, it was a mess.

The walls were covered with cracks, and the meditation cushion had long turned to dust.

Bu Yifan was slumped on the ground, her white clothes stained red with blood, her face as pale as paper, and a trace of striking blood still hung from the corner of her mouth.

Her hair was disheveled, her eyes unfocused, and the Spiritual Qi fluctuations within her body were weak and chaotic.

She had clearly failed in her attempt to Breakthrough the Realm and suffered a severe backlash.

"Yifan!"

Chen Xu rushed forward in a single stride, helped her up, and pulled her into his embrace.

He reached out and placed his hand on her wrist.

A surge of Spiritual Qi entered her body, and his heart instantly sank to the bottom.

Her Meridians were damaged in multiple places, her Dantian Qi Sea was almost dry, and her Realm had regressed instead of advancing.

Foundation Establishment, she had failed.

Bu Yifan seemed to sense Chen Xu's aura, her unfocused eyes slowly focused, she looked at her husband's anxious face, her lips moved, and tears silently fell: "I... I failed... That foundation establishment pill... was wasted..."

Before she could finish speaking, she tilted her head and fainted.

"Don't speak, I'm here!"

Chen Xu picked her up by the waist and quickly walked back to the bedroom.

There was no trace of disappointment or blame in his eyes.

Only an unresolvable heartache.

The next half a year became the busiest and most anxious period for Chen Xu since he came to this world.

Bu Yifan's injuries were more severe than imagined; it wasn't just the Spiritual Qi backlash, but the collapse of her state of mind was even more fatal.

After she woke up, she became silent and withdrawn.

She often stared blankly at herself in the mirror.

Watching the new wrinkles around her eyes and the white hairs at her temples, she cried silently.

She felt she had become a useless person, a burden.

Not only did she waste that foundation establishment pill, which would drive countless Cultivators mad, but she also turned herself into an invalid who needed care, dragging down the entire Family.

Chen Xu saw it and felt the pain in his heart.

He didn't say many comforting words, but expressed everything through his actions.

He took out all the Family's savings and bought various nourishing Spirit Medicine at a high price in the Prefecture City.

He locked himself in the Alchemy room, working tirelessly, repeatedly blowing up the Pill Furnace and trying again and again.

Finally, with the insights from "Elementary Elixir Heart," he refined the most suitable nourishing Medicinal Pills for Bu Yifan's current physical condition.

Every day, he personally cooked porridge and fed her medicine, using his pure Spiritual Qi to soothe her damaged Meridians.

At night, he would hold her to sleep, gently patting her back like he was coaxing a child.

Under Chen Xu's meticulous care, Bu Yifan's body gradually improved day by day.

A touch of color finally returned to her pale face.

One day, half a year later, she was able to get out of bed and walk.

Chen Xu supported her as they walked in the courtyard, watching the children playing nearby.

Bu Yifan leaned on her husband's shoulder and whispered, "I'm sorry, Chen Xu... I messed everything up."

Chen Xu stopped, cupped her face, and looked earnestly into her eyes: "Yifan, look at me. I ask you, why did I support your Foundation Establishment in the first place?"

Bu Yifan lowered her head: "Because... you wanted me to regain my youth, you wanted me to be able to go further with you..."

"Not entirely right."

Chen Xu shook his head, "I supported you because that was your wish. I want you to be happy."

"Now that you failed in your Breakthrough and got injured, I only think about one thing, and that is to make you well again."

"What I want has never been a Foundation Establishment Stage Dao Companion, but a complete, laughing and playful Bu Yifan."

He gently embraced her: "If Medicinal Pills are gone, they can be earned again. If Cultivation drops, it can be practiced again. As long as you are by my side, this Family will be here!"

Bu Yifan could no longer hold back, she buried herself in her husband's arms, transforming all the grievances, unwillingness, and fear of the past six months into tears, and sobbed uncontrollably.

After this big cry, the knot in her heart finally untangled.

In order to better care for his wife and six children.

Chen Xu for the first time entertained the idea of hiring servants.

His Family now had a solid financial Foundation, so he bought a diligent and honest woman from the town's brokerage to cook and wash clothes, and hired a half-grown boy to chop wood, carry water, and manage the courtyard.

The small courtyard suddenly became lively.

Chen Xu was finally able to free himself from the complicated household chores.

He enjoyed the rare Family life.

After Bu Yifan fully recovered, although she was still a bit thin, her state of mind had changed.

She no longer dwelled on her appearance and Cultivation, and her eyes became peaceful and gentle.

She would patiently teach her daughters breathing techniques, check her eldest son's homework, keep the house in order, and a smile returned to her face.

That night, after the children had fallen asleep, Bu Yifan nestled in Chen Xu's arms.

"Chen Xu..."

She whispered, "Let's... have another child."

Chen Xu was startled.

Bu Yifan's cheeks were slightly flushed, but her eyes were very serious: "I've thought it through. My entire life is in this home, with you and the children."

"I want to bear children for you, a seventh, an eighth... as long as I can still bear them."

A warm current surged in Chen Xu's heart, and he nodded heavily: "Good."

Several months later, Bu Yifan became pregnant again.

This news filled the entire Family with joy.

The children gathered around their mother's belly, curiously listening for movement.

Even the new servants couldn't help but sigh behind their backs, remarking that the master's Family was truly blessed with fertility.

Just when Bu Yifan was five months pregnant, an old acquaintance, whom they hadn't seen for a long time, visited alone.

It was Sun Xiaoyue.

After several years, she had shed her youthful shyness and had grown into a heroic and spirited young woman.

Her Cultivation at Qi Refinement Great Perfection made her appear capable and efficient.

However, there was a trace of unresolvable fatigue and hardship in her brows.

"Brother Chen! Sister-in-law!"

Seeing Chen Xu and the pregnant Bu Yifan, Sun Xiaoyue's face showed a genuine smile.

"Come in and sit."

Chen Xu and his wife were also very happy and welcomed her into the house.

After some pleasantries, Sun Xiaoyue looked at their warm and harmonious home, her eyes full of envy: "Brother Chen, your place here is truly wonderful. Like a paradise."

She sighed, her expression suddenly dimming: "Unlike us, constantly fighting and killing outside, we've almost forgotten what a stable life feels like."

Bu Yifan poured her a cup of hot tea and asked softly, "Is the Sect mission not going well?"

"It's more than just not going well."

Sun Xiaoyue gave a bitter smile, "I came this time, besides passing by to see you all, also to tell you something... Do you still remember Senior Sister Xu Qianqian?"

Xu Qianqian?

Chen Xu and Bu Yifan exchanged glances.

Both retrieved the name from their memories.

She was also a well-known female Cultivator in the Outer Sect, with a proud personality, often competing with Chen Qingqing.

She was considered one of the outstanding individuals in their generation.

"What happened to her?"

Chen Xu asked.

Sun Xiaoyue's tone became very heavy: "A few years ago, she also went to Breakthrough Foundation Establishment. She was ambitious and didn't use the Medicinal Pills provided by the Sect, wanting to force her way through on her own... The result... she failed."

Bu Yifan's hand, holding the teacup, trembled imperceptibly.

"She was more severely injured than anyone I could have imagined."

Sun Xiaoyue's voice was a little hoarse, "Her Spiritual Root is damaged, and her Foundation is completely destroyed... She will never have the possibility of Foundation Establishment in this life. Now she is disheartened, locking herself in her Immortal Cave, refusing to see anyone, no different from a living dead person."

The room was silent.

Xu Qianqian's fate made Bu Yifan empathize.

A layer of cold sweat seeped from her back.

"During this period, new demonic Cultivators have appeared, but this time, the one who appeared is even more powerful!"

Sun Xiaoyue forced herself to cheer up: "That guy is very slippery. In recent years, our team has lost two Junior Brothers. Fairy Chen is under a lot of pressure. After her Foundation Establishment, she has spent almost all her time hunting down demonic Cultivators, and she has also become... colder."

Chen Qingqing's almost fanatical obsession with hunting down demonic Cultivators was because all her relatives had died at the hands of demonic Cultivators.

She didn't stay long, seemingly just passing by, looking for a place to catch her breath and speak her mind.

After drinking a cup of tea, she rose to take her leave, hastily departing on her Flying Sword, disappearing into the horizon.

After seeing off Sun Xiaoyue, Bu Yifan's emotions remained unsettled for a long time.

She turned and tightly hugged Chen Xu, burying her face in his chest, her voice trembling with lingering fear: "Chen Xu, I'm so scared... If I had also damaged my Foundation back then, if I didn't have you... Would I be like Senior Sister Xu now?"

"No, you won't."

Chen Xu gently patted her back, comforting her: "You are not her, you still have me, and six... no, soon to be seven children waiting for you. You will never be alone."

Bu Yifan nodded heavily.

The last trace of gloom in her heart completely dissipated.

Yes, although she failed, she preserved her Foundation and her future.

More importantly, she possessed the most precious treasure in this world—a husband who would always be by her side, and a lively, warm home.

Striving against fate and seeking the Dao of Immortals was indeed magnificent.

But in this Mortal World, guarding a small courtyard and watching children play around her knees, was that not another kind of Perfection?

In early winter, Bu Yifan successfully gave birth to their seventh child.

A healthy baby girl.

When Chen Xu heard that loud cry outside the delivery room, the tension in his heart finally eased.

And in his mind, the System's voice arrived as promised.

[Host has given birth to the seventh offspring. Bloodline rating: yellow grade mid-rank.]

[Immortal Family prosperity increased. Stability reward issued: 1. Host Lifespan increased by twenty years; 2. Host Cultivation Aptitude slightly increased; 3. Reward: one random Low Grade Spiritual Artifact.]

Another Aptitude increase!

Chen Xu was overjoyed. Although it was only a slight increase, accumulation adds up, and this was the fundamental way he could break through Mortal shackles and ascend to a higher level!

"Extract reward!"

He silently chanted in his mind.

[Reward: Wuxu Seven Star Swords set, already stored in System space, can be extracted at any time.]

A warm current once again surged through his body, transforming his Spiritual Root and physique.

At the same time, detailed information about a set of Flying Swords and their usage methods were imprinted into his mind.

This was a set of Flying Sword Spiritual Artifacts consisting of one main sword and six secondary blades.

The main sword controlled, the secondary swords followed, with various transformations.

It was most suitable for sneak attacks and prolonged combat.

It was countless times more sophisticated than his chipped iron sword.

His strength had once again received a tangible increase.

Chen Xu suppressed his excitement and quickly pushed open the delivery room door.

In the warm room, Bu Yifan held her newborn daughter, a satisfied smile on her face.

Chen Xu walked over, leaned down, and gently kissed her forehead.

Then he carefully took the seventh member of their Family from her arms.

He looked at the tiny, wrinkled life in his arms, his heart filled with an unprecedented sense of peace and pride.

Time flew by, and another four years passed.

The joy in the Chen Family's small courtyard in Ninghai Town seemed to be continuous.

This morning, with a loud cry, the Chen Family's eighth child, and fourth son, was born.

Chen Xu stood outside the door, and upon hearing the cry, a familiar smile appeared on his face.

He was now over sixty years old, but time seemed to have paused for him.

His hair was thick and black, his face firm, looking no older than thirty-five or thirty-six.

He appeared more energetic than many of the strong young men in town.

In his mind, the System's voice arrived as scheduled.

[Host has given birth to the eighth offspring. Bloodline rating: yellow grade mid-rank.]

[Immortal Family prosperity increased. Reward issued: 1. Host Lifespan increased by twenty years; 2. Host Comprehension Ability Aptitude increased.]

A cool sensation spread through his mind!

Chen Xu inwardly examined himself. After years of continuous improvements, his Spiritual Root Aptitude had steadily entered the ranks of High Grade yellow grade.

This Aptitude, placed among the outer Disciples of Qingyun Sect, would be enough to be groomed as a Core Disciple.

If placed in a Cultivation Family in the Mortal World, it would be a Genius rarely seen in a century.

With his current profound Cultivation of Qi Refining Eleventh Stage and High Grade yellow grade Aptitude, if he wished to achieve Foundation Establishment through the Mortal path, his success rate would be at least seventy percent.

But he was not in a hurry.

The System had once hinted that when the offspring's Bloodline reached a higher level, the method of Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment would be rewarded.

Mortal Foundation Establishment, in the eyes of those great Sect Disciples, was already the difference between an Immortal and a Mortal, but in Chen Xu's eyes, it was merely the lowest option on his path of Cultivation.

His Dao lay in his Family, in his offspring. What he sought was not a temporary Breakthrough, but an eternal Foundation.

After seeing off the beaming midwife, Chen Xu walked into the room.

Bu Yifan leaned against the headboard. Although her face was a little pale, her eyes were full of happiness.

"It's another son," she said with a smile.

Chen Xu walked over, held her hand, and then leaned down to look at the infant waving its tiny fists in the cradle.

"You've worked hard."

His voice was as gentle as ever.

This Family now had eight children.

The eldest son, Chen Ping, was almost fifteen years old, studying in the county town academy, and excelling in his studies.

The daughters were also gradually growing up. The youngest, Chen Xi, the daughter with a Low Grade Profound grade Spiritual Root, was now seven years old!

Her displayed Cultivation talent far surpassed her older brothers and sisters.

Chen Xu named his youngest son Chen An, wishing him peace and joy, which was his greatest hope for this Family.

Late at night, Chen Xu was practicing the Wuxu Seven Star Swords in the courtyard.

Under the control of his Divine Thought, the seven Flying Swords weaved like swimming fish, silently, leaving only silver trails in the moonlight.

Suddenly, he felt something, stopped his movements, and the seven Flying Swords instantly returned to their sheaths.

He looked up at the night sky. A blue sword light approached from afar, landing precisely outside the courtyard gate.

The newcomer had restrained his aura, not disturbing the Mortals in town, but simply stood quietly at the entrance.

Chen Xu walked over and opened the courtyard gate.

In the moonlight, Chen Qingqing wore a blue robe, her posture tall and straight, her face still cold.

But the fluctuations of her magic power were much more profound than a few years ago.

Foundation Establishment Mid Stage.

Chen Xu understood, gaining a new appreciation for the talent of his former companion.

"Fairy Chen, you visit late at night, I apologize for not welcoming you sooner."

Chen Xu spoke calmly.

"Aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"

Chen Qingqing looked at him, her tone indifferent.

Chen Xu invited her into the courtyard and they sat by the stone table. Bu Yifan was already asleep, so he personally went to brew a pot of hot tea.

"You are quite leisurely."

Chen Qingqing looked at the courtyard, which was full of life, and frowned slightly.

"With eight children at home, I can hardly be called leisurely."

Chen Xu poured her tea.

Chen Qingqing did not touch the teacup, only looked at him: "Junior Sister Sun came to see you last time and told me when she returned that you had two more children."

"Yes."

"Your Cultivation is still Qi Refining Eleventh Stage, no change."

"The matter of Cultivation follows its natural course."

Chen Xu's words made Chen Qingqing's expression a few shades colder.

"Natural course? Chen Xu, do you know what it's like outside now?"

Her voice carried a hint of suppressed anger, "Do you know what Senior Sister Xu Qianqian is like now?"

Chen Xu was silent.

"Her Foundation Establishment failed, her state of mind collapsed. Now she is like auseless person in the Sect's back mountain. She watches the mountain below every day, silent, what's the difference from a living dead person?"

Chen Qingqing's gaze was sharp as a sword, piercing Chen Xu: "You are more talented than her, more stable than her. Even the Sect Elders praised your strategy against the Iron-Tongued Demon back then."

"But what about you? You hide in this small town, having children, living the life of a Mortal! Don't you want to achieve Foundation Establishment at all? Don't you want to see the scenery from a higher place?"

Her tone was full of the meaning of 'hating iron for not becoming steel'.

In her opinion, Chen Xu's wasting his years like this was simply a squandering of his talent.

Chen Xu picked up his teacup and gently blew on it.

The steam blurred his expression.

"Our Dao are just different."

He replied calmly.

"Different Dao?"

Chen Qingqing sneered, "Is your Dao to guard your wife and children, watching your Lifespan run out, eventually turning into a mound of yellow earth?"

"Fairy Chen,"

Chen Xu put down his teacup, looked up, and seriously looked at her, "Do you think I'm not living well now?"

Chen Qingqing paused.

Well or not?

She didn't know.

She only knew that Cultivators should advance bravely and strive against fate.

But Chen Xu's current life, in her opinion, was comfortable, it was decadence.

"If..."

Chen Qingqing took a deep breath, as if she had made a decision. She stared into Chen Xu's eyes, "If I want you to achieve Foundation Establishment quickly, what will you do?"

She asked very directly, even with a hint of a commanding tone.

Chen Xu looked at her somewhat unexpectedly, not understanding why she asked this.

"Why?"

He retorted.

Chen Qingqing seemed not to have expected his reaction. She thought he would ask for conditions, or directly refuse.

This "Why" instead choked the words she had prepared in her throat.

She looked at Chen Xu's calm, unmoving eyes. There was no curiosity, no ambition in those eyes, only a kind of indifference she couldn't understand.

She suddenly felt a little powerless.

She wanted to say that the Sect needed talent like him. She wanted to say that on the path of hunting down demonic Cultivators, she needed a trustworthy helper.

She even wanted to say that she didn't want to see another Xu Qianqian appear.

But looking into Chen Xu's eyes, she couldn't say anything.

In the end, all her emotions turned into a soft sigh.

"It's nothing."

She stood up, no longer looking at Chen Xu: "Pretend I was never here."

Before her words finished, she had already transformed into a sword light, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the night.

Chen Xu sat still, looking in the direction she had left, silent for a long time.

He picked up the cup of tea that Chen Qingqing hadn't touched and drank it in one gulp.

The tea was already cold.