The Peach Blossom Mountain Liu Lineage

In the boundless cultivation universe, on a cultivation planet called the Mysterious Yellow Star, lay the Divine Splendor Continent, where kingdoms abounded and sects stood like trees in a forest.

In the continent's southeast lay a mortal nation called the Great Tang Dynasty.

Within Yunping County, Eastern Splendor Province, in the Central Southern Circuit of the Great Tang Dynasty, stood a superior-grade tier-one spiritual mountain called Peach Blossom Mountain.

The mountain was occupied by a Qi Refinement cultivation lineage known as the Peach Blossom Mountain Liu Lineage.

The Peach Blossom Mountain Liu Lineage had been founded by Liu Wu, an outer disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. With no hope of breaking through to Foundation Establishment, he had applied to the sect for permission to open up new territory.

Years earlier, while gaining experience with his fellow disciples on the outskirts of the Azure Cloud Range, Liu Wu had stumbled upon this tier-one spiritual mountain.

Peach Blossom Mountain's territory was not large, spanning only fifty-odd li, but its highest summit, Peach Blossom Peak, soared a thousand zhang high. Its slopes were magnificent and graceful, with numerous spiritual springs, abundant spiritual energy, and a superior-grade tier-one spiritual vein.

Nourished by the tier-one spiritual vein and spiritual springs, the mountain boasted beautiful scenery and lush vegetation. Many precious tier-one spiritual plants grew there, including medicinal herbs, trees, and fruits. Most valuable of all were twenty-four tier-one jade spirit peach trees.

Jade spirit peaches were precious spiritual fruits that could increase a Qi Refinement cultivator's magical power.

At the foot of Peach Blossom Mountain lay a lake spanning thirty li. The mountain's spring water eventually flowed into this small lake, where thirty-six tier-one Azure Jade Lotuses grew, along with various tier-one spiritual fish, including silver saberfish and golden-red carp.

The fertile soil beside the lake could be developed into Spirit Fields for growing Spirit Rice and medicinal herbs.

Moreover, the hundreds of li surrounding Peach Blossom Mountain consisted entirely of low mountains, hills, and valleys. There were no tier-two spiritual veins where tier-two demonic beasts could make their lairs, making it an excellent place to establish a lineage.

Liu Wu therefore contacted several friends from his sect. Together, they killed the black bear demonic beast occupying the mountain, claimed it, and named it Peach Blossom Mountain.

He then applied to the sect for a land-clearing permit, married, and had children there, spreading branches and leaves to establish a cultivation lineage.

Early one morning in March of the year 3165 of the Great Tang Calendar, a handsome youth dressed in blue sat meditating in a cultivation room within a large courtyard halfway up Peach Blossom Mountain's main peak.

He sat cross-legged on a yellow rush cushion, his eyes lightly closed and his palms, soles, and crown facing heaven. As he circulated his cultivation method and regulated his breathing, red, green, and blue spiritual energy in the air slowly entered his body with each breath.

Suddenly, the youth opened his half-closed eyes, and a cold gleam flashed through them!

A clear, ringing note sounded, and the surrounding spiritual energy surged into his body like young swallows returning to their nest!

The youth's name was Liu Changxu. Sixteen years old, he was at the fifth level of Qi Refinement and possessed Three-Element Roots: water, wood, and fire. He belonged to the Peach Blossom Mountain Liu Lineage's sixth generation and ranked seventh in the Chang generation.

"Looks like I'll need a little longer to break through to the sixth level of Qi Refinement! Today's my first time joining a demonic beast hunt in the mountains. I'd better hurry and eat!" Liu Changxu muttered to himself.

He stopped cultivating, stood, left the cultivation room, and hurried to his family's dining room.

He found his father, Liu Shihao, his mother, Lin Yulian, his father's two concubines, and his younger siblings already seated and ready to eat.

The broad Azure Jade dining table was laden with delicacies served on white-jade plates, along with spiritual fruits and fine wine.

At the head of the table sat a handsome middle-aged man in a blue robe. He had a square face, skin as fair as jade, and eyes like lightning. His carefree, ethereal bearing made him particularly striking.

This middle-aged man was Liu Changxu's father, Liu Shihao.

Liu Shihao was forty-five years old and had already reached the ninth level of Qi Refinement. Ranked fifth in the Shi generation, he was the lineage's seventh elder, possessed wood, fire, and earth spiritual roots, and was both a superior-grade tier-one spiritual plant grower and an alchemist. He was the Liu Lineage member most likely to reach Foundation Establishment and currently had a wife and two concubines.

Seated to Liu Shihao's left was Liu Changxu's mother, Lin Yulian, who was also Liu Shihao's principal wife.

Thirty-eight years old, she wore a long blue dress. Her skin was like congealed cream, her face like a peach blossom, and her appearance dignified and lovely. She possessed four spiritual roots and a seventh-level Qi Refinement cultivation base. The Liu Lineage's eighth elder, she was a mid-grade tier-one spiritual talisman maker and spiritual chef, born into the Lin clan, a Qi Refinement lineage.

Lin Yulian had a son and a daughter. Liu Changxu was her eldest child, while her younger daughter, Liu Changxue, ranked nineteenth in the Chang generation. She was ten years old, possessed four spiritual roots, and had reached the second level of Qi Refinement.

The second wife, Liang Yuniang, came from the Liang clan, a Qi Refinement lineage. She possessed a Five-Spirit Root and was at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement. Thirty years old, she was slender, alluring, and delicately beautiful, and had borne a son and a daughter.

Her daughter, Liu Changxin, was only thirteen. Ranked fifteenth in the Chang generation, she possessed a Five-Spirit Root and a second-level Qi Refinement cultivation base.

Her son, Liu Sheng, was eleven and handsome, but unfortunately possessed no spiritual roots. Under the lineage's rules, he would have to move down the mountain to Peach Blossom Town when he turned sixteen.

The third wife, Shi Wenxia, was twenty-six, possessed four spiritual roots, and had reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Refinement. A former rogue cultivator, she had a voluptuous figure and a wild beauty. Her daughter, Liu Ling, was four years old, mischievous and adorable—the entire family's little bundle of joy.

Liu Changxu hurried forward and bowed. "Greetings, Father, Mother, and Aunties!"

Liu Shihao felt deeply gratified at his son's arrival. At only sixteen, the boy had already reached the peak of the fifth level of Qi Refinement and stood an excellent chance of attaining Foundation Establishment. He had not disappointed his father's expectations.

Smiling, he said, "Xu'er, your mother knew this would be your first Demon Hunting trip in the mountains. Worried you wouldn't eat well there, she got up early especially to prepare this lavish breakfast for you. We're all benefiting from it too."

His father's words filled Liu Changxu with gratitude toward his mother and family. Looking at the sumptuous spread, he suspected his mother and his father's concubines could not have rested well the night before.

Liu Shihao continued, "Since this is your first Demon Hunting trip in the mountains, we're all worried about your safety. But there's no helping it. You've grown into a man, and from now on, you must shoulder the responsibility of protecting our lineage too. As your father, I wish you a safe return!"

As he spoke, he took a magical sword roughly three feet long from his storage pouch and said to Liu Changxu, "Your grandfather gave me this mid-grade tier-one Dragon Spring Sword. Today, I'm passing it on to you. I hope you'll use it to continue protecting our lineage!"

Liu Changxu solemnly accepted the magical sword and said earnestly, "Thank you, Father. I'll remember your teachings and protect our lineage with the sword in my hand!"

His mother, Lin Yulian, also took fifteen talismans from her storage pouch and pressed them into his hands. "You must be cautious on your first hunt. Above all, stay safe. Now sit down and eat!"

"Don't worry, Mother! I'll be careful," Liu Changxu promptly replied. Accepting her talismans, he went to his seat.

Once Liu Shihao saw that everyone was present, he said, "Let's eat!" The family began their meal.

His mother, Lin Yulian, had carefully prepared today's lavish Spirit Cuisine for Liu Changxu's departure.

Twelve white-jade plates stood on the blue-jade table: a spiritual fruit platter containing mid-grade tier-one jade spirit peaches and low-grade tier-one purple-gold plums, crystal-white pears, blue-jade jujubes, amethyst grapes, and more; matsutake and spiritual chicken soup; steamed spiritual egg custard; steamed silver saberfish; braised golden-red carp; stewed lamb; apricot-yellow mushroom broth; clear-stewed venison; soy-braised beef; steamed crystal shrimp; blue-jade spiritual jujube cake; and steamed blue-armored crab. All the ingredients were graded demonic beast meat or spiritual produce.

The staple was mid-grade tier-one crystal rice, accompanied by a pot of their home-brewed mid-grade tier-one spiritual wine, Peach Blossom Brew.

Cultivators had demanding dietary requirements. Ordinary food hindered their cultivation, so those who could afford it generally ate Spirit Cuisine.

Since Liu Changxu's younger siblings were still children, the meal was lively and cheerful!

After breakfast, Liu Changxu bade his family farewell and hurried toward the Clan Affairs Hall.

Only a little over a hundred and thirty years had passed since Liu Wu founded the Liu Lineage on Peach Blossom Mountain. Yet it had already grown into a small Qi Refinement lineage with nine Late Qi Refinement cultivators, twenty-five middle-stage, and fifty-two early-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, along with tens of thousands of mortal members.

The Liu Lineage's territory extended over three hundred li around the mountain. Its holdings included the mountain's Spirit Fruit Garden and Spirit Herb Garden, the Spirit Fields below, and the Azure Jade Lotuses and spiritual fish in the lake.

The Liu Lineage's cultivators all lived in Peach Blossom Manor on Peach Blossom Mountain.

Peach Blossom Manor had been built around the mountain. After more than a century of construction, it had grown to a respectable size, with walls three zhang tall. The lineage had also spent a vast sum of spirit stones to commission a tier-two formation master to install a Second-Tier Lower-Grade Evergreen Yi-Wood Formation, capable of withstanding attacks from Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivators.

Liu Changxu soon reached the lineage's Clan Affairs Hall, a red building five zhang tall.

Upon entering, he found seven people already inside.

At their head stood the captain of this mountain Demon Hunting expedition, the lineage's fourth elder, Liu Baichuan. The other six cultivators were also members of the Demon Hunting Team.

Since its founding ancestor, Liu Wu, had established the ten generational names-Qian, Qiu, Bai, Shi, Chang, Fu, Ze, Yong, Xiang, and Chuan-the Liu Lineage had continued through six generations.

To ensure his lineage endured, Liu Wu had drawn upon many systems used by the Azure Cloud Sect and other great lineages to establish the Liu Lineage's rules.

Situated on the edge of the Azure Cloud Range, Peach Blossom Mountain frequently faced threats from demonic beasts deep within the mountains.

Under these circumstances, the lineage assigned all its cultivators aged sixteen and older to its Demon Hunting Teams, which took turns hunting within its territory and the surrounding regions.

This prevented demonic beasts from breeding and settling there, threatening the safety of the lineage's mortals and cultivators. It also yielded medicinal herbs and other spiritual resources.

Although Demon Hunting carried some danger, fighting demonic beasts tempered the lineage's younger members and greatly benefited their cultivation. The demonic beast materials and spiritual resources they gathered could also meet some of their cultivation needs.

Demonic beast materials, medicinal herbs, and other spiritual resources obtained during mountain Demon Hunting could either be turned over to the Family Treasury or kept for personal use.

For every demonic beast killed, the lineage awarded contribution points according to the beast's tier.

The lineage also awarded contribution points according to the value of demonic beast materials and spiritual resources deposited in the Family Treasury. Each contribution point was equivalent to one low-grade spirit stone.

Members could exchange their contribution points for the cultivation resources they needed from the Family Treasury. This system encouraged every member to acquire cultivation resources.

Contribution points were primarily earned by completing lineage assignments. These took many forms: refining pills, making talismans, fighting, Demon Hunting, and more. In short, those who worked more earned more; those who did no work earned nothing.

Besides Liu Baichuan, the party on this mountain Demon Hunting expedition included Liu Shijie, third in the Shi generation; Liu Shijia, ninth; Liu Shiju, thirteenth; Liu Shichao, fifteenth; and Liu Changchun and Liu Changshun, third and fifth respectively in the Chang generation.

"Greetings, Seventh Grandfather! Third Uncle! Ninth Uncle, Thirteenth Uncle, Fifteenth Uncle! Third Brother, Fifth Brother!" Seeing everyone, Liu Changxu immediately stepped forward to pay his respects.

Liu Baichuan, who was nearly seventy, was deeply pleased as he looked at this outstanding young member of the lineage. The boy had only just turned sixteen, yet he was already at the fifth level of Qi Refinement. He could well be called the fastest-cultivating member of the Chang generation.

"Are you ready, Changxu?" Liu Baichuan asked.

"I'm ready," Liu Changxu replied.

"Good. Let's set out!" Liu Baichuan ordered.

This was a cultivation story about a small lineage battling heaven and earth as it steadily grew stronger. There were no cheats in this book. Its focus was simply on an ordinary cultivator who, driven by an unwavering belief in longevity, led a small Qi Refinement lineage to become a great cultivation lineage. The protagonist aspired to longevity but also loved life. He did not seek longevity merely for its own sake; he loved beautiful women, cherished family bonds, and forged a vivid, colorful path toward immortality.