36: Chapter 36: Sixteen babies born, Foundation Establishment successful.

As news of Huo Linger's pregnancy spread, the joy in the Xu Family's backyard grew even more intense. Even busier days followed.

The sixteen concubines rescued from the demonic cultivators had regained their rosy complexions after months of recuperation. At this moment, their bellies were growing larger by the day, and they were clearly nearing their due dates.

Xu Changkun had originally planned to go into seclusion for Foundation Establishment, but seeing his wives and concubines struggling to walk in the courtyard with their large bellies, he could not bear it.

"Although Foundation Establishment is urgent, a few days won't make a difference." Xu Changkun helped a concubine who was about to give birth sit down and said gently, "I will wait until the children are born and you are all settled before I go into seclusion."

Upon hearing this, all the concubines were deeply moved. They had originally been pitiful women who were abducted, and now, receiving such consideration from their husband, they were devoted to him heart and soul.

Sure enough, a few days later, the first concubine began to experience contractions.

Outside the delivery room, Xu Changkun stood with his hands behind his back. Although his expression was calm, his tightly clenched hands betrayed his inner nervousness. This was not just the birth of new life, but a sign of the family's prosperity.

Painful groans came from the delivery room, followed by a clear, loud cry.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for the birth of an offspring! Fifth son (no spiritual root), reward: lifespan + 5 years, marrow cleansing pill × 10]

"Congratulations, Master, it's a little young master!" The midwife carried the baby out, her face full of joy.

Xu Changkun took the baby, looking at the wrinkled little face with eyes full of tenderness. Although the child had no spiritual root, it was still his own flesh and blood.

Immediately after, as if they had agreed upon it, the second concubine also began to give birth.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for the birth of an offspring! Eighth son (no spiritual root), reward: lifespan + 5 years, marrow cleansing pill × 10]

On this day, the cries in the Xu Family's backyard followed one after another, and the midwives and maids were too busy to even stop for a moment.

The third, the fourth...

Xu Changkun stood in the courtyard, and the system prompts sounded one after another, like the most beautiful music:

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for the birth of an offspring! Tenth son (no spiritual root), reward: lifespan + 5 years, marrow cleansing pill × 10]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for the birth of an offspring! Sixth daughter (white spiritual root), reward: lifespan + 20 years! Reward: mid-grade spirit stone × 20!]

...

Until late at night, the last child was finally born.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for the birth of 16 offspring! Reward: "Ningyuan Zhudao Jue" (Foundation Establishment cultivation technique)!]

Sixteen children, nine sons and seven daughters. Among them, three children possessed white spiritual roots. Although their aptitude was average, as long as they were carefully nurtured, they might not be unable to embark on the path of immortality. The other children, though lacking spiritual roots, could still practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies and manage the family's secular businesses.

Xu Changkun's lifespan had skyrocketed, and he had accumulated over a hundred bottles of marrow cleansing pills, enough to improve the aptitude of the core members of the family.

He took a deep breath and checked the system panel:

[Name: Xu Changkun]

[Age: 84]

[Lifespan: 580]

[Wives and concubines: 51]

[Offspring: 20]

Looking at these magnificent figures, Xu Changkun felt a surge of pride in his heart. This was just the beginning; the future Xu Family would surely become a behemoth in the world of cultivation.

The backyard had completely turned into a nursery. Twenty children, their cries and laughter intertwined, making it incredibly lively. Nannies bustled about, and the concubines gathered together to share parenting tips, their faces glowing with maternal radiance.

Once these concubines who had just given birth recovered, their gazes toward Xu Changkun became eager. They all hoped to receive their husband's favor again, to add more offspring to the Xu Family. If they could give birth to a child with a spiritual root, they would rise in status because of the child.

Taking advantage of the time they were resting during their confinement, and with all matters of the Xu Family settled, Xu Changkun decided to officially go into seclusion for Foundation Establishment.

In the back mountain of the Xu Family, in a hidden quiet room.

Xu Changkun sat cross-legged, having set up a spirit gathering array around him. The spiritual energy in the quiet room was so dense it had turned into mist, almost liquefying.

In front of him lay the three crystalline foundation establishment pills, as well as various auxiliary pills and spirit stones. He first took a marrow cleansing pill to cleanse his meridians and remove impurities from his body, then used strengthening pills to adjust his energy and spirit to their peak state.

"Foundation Establishment, it happens today!"

Xu Changkun's gaze was firm as he picked up a foundation establishment pill and swallowed it.

The pill entered his abdomen, instantly transforming into a majestic medicinal power that rushed through his limbs and bones like a flood. He dared not be careless and immediately activated the "Ningyuan Zhudao Jue" rewarded by the system, guiding this violent medicinal power to break through the bottleneck.

Moving from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment required condensing gaseous spiritual energy into liquid true essence. The process was painful and long; any carelessness could lead to broken meridians.

Xu Changkun felt his meridians swelling with pain, as if countless small knives were scraping his bones from within. But he gritted his teeth and persisted, veins bulging on his forehead and sweat pouring down like rain.

Two hours later, the spiritual energy in his body gradually calmed down and began to show signs of condensing, but it was still a hair's breadth away.

"Not enough!"

Without hesitation, Xu Changkun swallowed another foundation establishment pill.

The medicinal power of the second pill was even more ferocious. The two medicinal powers overlapped, stirring up a stormy sea within his body. A trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but he did not stop his cultivation; instead, he accelerated the speed of his technique.

Under the impact of the medicinal power, his meridians continuously widened, and the spiritual energy vortex in his dantian rotated to the extreme—

Finally, a drop of golden liquid true essence condensed in the center of his dantian!

This was like the first drop of rain falling, and immediately after, countless spiritual energy turned into true essence, flowing into his dantian.

Xu Changkun's aura climbed steadily, his five senses instantly becoming incredibly sharp; every movement within a hundred feet was under his control.

After a long time, he slowly opened his eyes. The sharp light in his pupils was restrained, deep as an abyss, and his aura was as steady as a mountain.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!]

[Reward: Lifespan + 100 years!]

[Reward: Top-grade spirit stone × 50!]

[Reward: Artifact "crimson flame sword" crafting blueprint × 1!]

[Reward: Array "Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array" layout method × 1!]

Xu Changkun stood up, feeling his body as light as a feather, with terrifying power contained in every movement. Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining were indeed worlds apart.

Now, his strength had skyrocketed dozens of times, and his lifespan had reached a staggering 680 years!

The news of the successful Foundation Establishment spread, and the entire Xu Family was in an uproar.

Wives and concubines came to congratulate him one after another, their eyes full of admiration and love. Their husband was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a top-tier existence around Heishi Town.

Everyone surrounded him, laughing and rejoicing, and Lin Fenglan even wept with joy.

Although the backyard was busy, cultivation was not neglected.

Xu Changkun had long since taught the Yin-Yang Guidance Technique to all his wives and concubines. They all possessed spiritual roots, and although their aptitudes varied, it was not difficult for them to cultivate under Xu Changkun's unsparing investment of resources.

It was just hard on Xu Changkun, who was often dragged away by them to "ask for advice" on cultivation problems, and staying up all night was a common occurrence.

Zhou Xiaoyun was responsible for managing the spirit fields, and she passed the Lesser Cloud and Rain Art to the sisters with wood-type spiritual roots. Through her father's connections, she also obtained many rare medicinal seedlings.

Now, the scale of the spirit fields had expanded several times. Every day, three or four people cast spells in the fields, and various spiritual herbs were growing gratifyingly, providing the family with a steady stream of alchemy materials.

Zhao Hongling and Zhao Zhuoyao had fiery and capable personalities, and they were sent to manage the elixir shops and Zuihong House in Heishi Town and other industries.

The two of them, along with a few clever concubines, acted decisively and managed the business in an orderly manner. Those petty people who originally wanted to fish in troubled waters during the Xu Family's expansion were all brought to heel by them. Now, the monthly income of spirit stones was increasing, and the family treasury was becoming increasingly full.

As the primary wife, Lin Fenglan coordinated internal affairs and arranged the shifts. Who would take care of the children today, who would go to the spirit fields, who would go to the shops, and who would focus on cultivation—everything was arranged clearly, fairly, and justly.

The entire Xu Family was like a precision machine, running in an orderly manner, with the faint embryo of a cultivation family.

That night, the Xu Family held a grand banquet to celebrate the head of the family's Foundation Establishment.

Forty-nine wives and concubines, plus maids and nannies, filled over a dozen tables. Red candles were lit, and the fragrance of wine overflowed.

Xu Changkun sat in the main seat, looking at the beauties below, and a sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

"Husband," Huo Linger leaned over and whispered, with a look of expectation in her eyes, "You've reached Foundation Establishment, shouldn't you... help me improve too?"

Xu Changkun raised an eyebrow and asked, feigning ignorance, "How to improve?"

"Just... that thing." Huo Linger's cheeks flushed slightly, and she twisted the corner of her clothes with her fingers, "I also want to reach Foundation Establishment quickly so I can help share the pressure for my husband. I see that the sisters' cultivation has improved a lot, and I can't fall behind either."

Xu Changkun laughed, his eyes doting, "What's the rush? Once you give birth to the child and recover your body, there will naturally be rewards. By then, I will help you reach Foundation Establishment as well."

"Really?" Huo Linger's eyes lit up.

"Naturally it's true. When has your husband ever lied to you?" Xu Changkun pinched her smooth, tender cheek, "But for now, you need to rest and take care of the pregnancy."

"Mm-hmm!" Huo Linger nodded heavily, her face full of happiness.

The banquet was lively, and the women took turns toasting. Xu Changkun refused no one and became slightly tipsy.

Late at night, the guests and host were all satisfied. Xu Changkun returned to the study, but did not rest, instead beginning to plan the next steps.

A successful Foundation Establishment was only the first step on the long path of immortality. Next, he needed to consolidate his cultivation, refine his natal artifact, set up a spirit gathering array, and improve the overall strength of the family.

In addition, the industries in Yunyang City needed to be managed, and he also needed to visit the Yunxia Sect frequently to maintain relations.

And there was one more important point—continue to take concubines and expand the family line. If the family wanted to truly grow strong, population was the foundation, and talented descendants were the key.