605: Chapter 605 Good Fortune

With trade cut off with the Azure Profound Sect, the prices of some scarce resources in the Southern Border soared, while the prices of various products from the Liu Clan Merchant Alliance dropped because exports had ceased.

However, the Liu Clan Merchant Alliance changed its development strategy, shifting from expanding operations to deep internal cultivation, squeezing the profits of the smaller Schools under the Beast Taming Sect.

This move not only maintained the momentum of the Merchant Alliance's industrial expansion but also forced the various forces under the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect to integrate into the Liu Family's power.

The Azure Profound Sect lost the Southern Border trade market and gradually began to fill with complaints. Subsequently, countless smuggling teams crossed the border to trade with the Southern Border Beast Taming Sect due to the profits.

The Liu Clan Merchant Alliance specifically dispatched Thousand Star Sword Array guard teams to maintain border security and provide paid protection for these smuggling teams.

Through this series of operations, the transaction costs and risks were entirely borne by the smuggling teams, and there was no need to pay taxes to the Azure Profound Sect. The Merchant Alliance's profits gradually began to recover.

“Husband, Heavenly Sword True Monarch and Lu Chen True Monarch seek an audience, saying they wish to discuss border trade matters,” Xiao Ran came to report.

“I won't see them!” Liu Xuan pondered for a moment and then instructed, “Let Demon Lord Chixia talk to them. If they lack sincerity, just tell them to get lost.”

Liu Xuan did not take the Azure Profound Sect seriously. If it weren't for the constraints of the Dao Court's rules, he would have planned to deal with them just as he had dealt with the Endless Demon Court.

“Yes!”

Xiao Ran took the order and withdrew, heading to the City Lord's Mansion to inform Demon Lord Chixia.

...

Clan School.

Enlightenment Tower.

As the Family's offspring increased, the ninety-nine Enlightenment Tower Cultivation Chambers gradually became insufficient, and competition grew fierce, especially for the higher-level chambers with better effects.

The Liu Family children did not lack resources; the greatest obstacle to their cultivation progress was their Comprehension Ability.

Therefore, the value of the Enlightenment Tower Cultivation Chambers that could enhance Comprehension Ability grew higher and higher. Only the top-ranked children of the Family could obtain the Opportunity to enter them to Cultivate.

Top floor of the Enlightenment Tower.

Liu Xuan stood at the top, and below him were the twelve top-ranked Cultivators of the Family.

The eldest, Lin Eldest Son, was at the Peak of the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment. He was sixty-one years old, and if nothing unexpected happened, there was a great hope he would Breakthrough to the Golden Core before the age of one hundred.

The fourth, Lin Dao Cheng, had a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and Sword Intent at Major Achievement. He also had a chance to reach the Golden Core by one hundred.

The fifth, Ling Hui; the ninth, Ninth Son; as well as the 80th-ranked Nickname, the 163rd Dao Long, the 164th Spirit Phoenix, the 166th Dao Zi, the 208th De Yun, the 258th Xinrou, the 273rd De Ming, and the 295th Xin Ci.

As they grew older, the Family rankings were gradually caught up by children with better talent.

Except for the eldest, fourth, fifth, and ninth, the children ranked in the top eighty were completely wiped out, all having been kicked out of the top twelve.

Among them, Ling Hui and Ninth Son's rankings were also very precarious, ranking twelfth and eleventh respectively. If Liu Xuan only allowed the top ten to come up, the two of them would have been eliminated.

This was without even counting those siblings with Yao Race Bloodline. If they were included, most of those present would have been kicked out.

“Do you know why your father called the twelve of you here?” After everyone had arrived, Liu Xuan asked with a smile.

“Why else? Father must have gotten his hands on some good stuff again!” Daocheng took a deep breath with an enjoying expression. “I sense the scent of True Qi.”

“Father, stop keeping us in suspense and bring it out quickly!”

Liu Xuan's smile froze. This fourth fellow was nearly sixty years old, yet his speech and actions were still as frivolous as they were back then.

Ignoring the fourth, Liu Xuan raised his hand to perform a hand seal. Countless milky-white threads flew from his hand and then condensed into twelve seeds.

“This item is called the Seed of Creation. There are currently twelve in total, transformed from the Heaven-Seizing One-Qi Creation Technique...”

Liu Xuan gave an overview of the effects and origins of the Heaven-Seizing One-Qi Creation Technique, omitting some parts they did not need to know.

“The qi of creation, a level of Qi even higher than True Qi, and it won't consume Lifespan?!!”

The fourth son blurted out in a daze, a brilliant light gradually blooming in his eyes as a wisp of Sword Intent solidified into substance.

Every time their father gathered the top-ranked children, he would bestow an Opportunity, but he hadn't expected this time's Opportunity to be so exaggerated!

If everything their father said was true, as long as they refined this Seed of Creation, it would be equivalent to possessing endless cultivation resources.

From now on, the only things hindering their cultivation progress would be the speed of True Qi refinement and the Comprehension Ability needed to Breakthrough a Bottleneck. Beyond that, they wouldn't even need ordinary Medicinal Pills.

“Father, is this Seed of Creation truly so Heaven-Defying?” The usually steady eldest son also spoke up to ask.

The Seed of Creation fed on True Qi. Nowadays, the number of Cultivators in the Southern Border who Cultivate True Qi is countless. By refining this qi of creation, not only would their cultivation speed skyrocket, but they could also pick up Body Refining again.

Liu Family children would Cultivate the Martial Dao from a young age, but once they began to Cultivate Qi Refining Methods, their focus would shift toward Qi Refining, because tempering dharmic power was faster than Body Refining.

But with the qi of creation, Qi Refining omitted the tempering process, leaving them with enough energy to pursue Body Refining.

Furthermore, the Liu Family was currently in its Early Stage of development, and True Qi was almost inexhaustible. They could completely Cultivate both to enhance their combat power.

Liu Xuan nodded slightly and waved his hand. A complex Formation pattern appeared on the floor and walls, then spread throughout the entire Enlightenment Tower.

“I have already set up the ‘Creation Array.’ All the True Qi that dissipates after Cultivators of True Qi die will slowly gather here. By refining the Seed of Creation, you can directly use that True Qi to Cultivate.”

“Buzz~”

As the runes of the Creation Array linked together, dense True Qi surged out of thin air on the top floor of the Enlightenment Tower, stopping only when it reached a concentration comparable to a Level 3 Spiritual Vein.

The true Creation Array was not actually in the Enlightenment Tower, but in the Grotto-Heaven Small World inside Liu Xuan's body. This was merely a node he had drawn out using a space Formation.

The children's Realm was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, so the concentration of True Qi at a Level 3 Spiritual Vein was already sufficient. Too high a level would instead be a burden for them. As their cultivation improved, he could gradually increase the concentration.

The Grotto-Heaven Small World was combined with the wither-thrive life-death cauldron, and no one in the Cultivation World could discover it. Even if the Liu Family fled the Southern Border, as long as people continued to Cultivate True Qi, the entire Southern Border would continuously provide cultivation resources for the Liu Family children.

‘It's a pity my comprehension of the Great Dao of Space is not yet enough. Otherwise, I could directly link the Seed of Creation to the Grotto-Heaven Small World, and the children would be able to call upon True Qi to Cultivate no matter where they were.’

“Cultivate well and achieve the Golden Core as soon as possible. I still have matters to attend to, so I won't say more!”

With a turn, Liu Xuan vanished. The twelve siblings each returned to their own Enlightenment Tower Cultivation Chambers to focus on refining the Seed of Creation.

They had already previously Cultivated the Heaven-Seizing One Qi Secret Art, so they only needed to fuse the True Qi in their bodies with the Seed of Creation.

However, the qi of creation was essentially just an auxiliary cultivation method. To raise one's cultivation Realm, it still had to be combined with one's own primary Qi Refining Method.

Breaking through to the Golden Core was easy, but achieving the Nascent Soul and comprehending the Dao was different. Even after refining the qi of creation, there was no guarantee of a successful Nascent Soul Formation.

The Dao is difficult, primarily in comprehending the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. Any high-level Cultivation Technique is merely an aid, differing only in efficiency and upper limits. To achieve success, one must still Cultivate diligently.