After taking Lian'er as his concubine, Liu Changxu and his household returned to their normal cultivation routines. As for his mother's Foundation Establishment banquet, they planned to hold it together with the Sixth Elder Liu Shisheng's celebration once he successfully reached Foundation Establishment.
Liu Changxu entered seclusion in the alchemy chamber at home to study artifact refining.
Artifact refining was the Liu Lineage's weakest discipline. Its most accomplished refiner was the Sixth Elder Liu Shisheng, and even he could only refine upper-grade first-tier magical artifacts.
Liu Changxu wanted to learn artifact refining partly out of interest. Besides, he was not particularly close to the Sixth Elder Liu Shisheng. Believing that relying on himself was better than asking others for help, he made up his mind to learn the craft.
Some members of the Liu Lineage still harbored misgivings about all three members of Liu Shihao's household being Foundation Establishment cultivators. Thus, despite his disagreements with the Sixth Elder Liu Shisheng, Liu Shihao did everything he could to help him reach Foundation Establishment for the sake of the lineage's unity.
Liu Changxu had his own reservations about his father's generosity. In truth, the lineage had provided little help when Lin Yulian and Liu Changxu reached Foundation Establishment. Liu Changxu had achieved natural Foundation Establishment, while Lin Yulian's Foundation Establishment Pill had also come from him. Yet some members of the lineage still refused to acknowledge this.
Nevertheless, whether for the lineage's overall interests or to strengthen it, they had to support the Sixth Elder Liu Shisheng's advancement to Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, discontent might unsettle the lineage.
Liu Changxu had already committed the texts on artifact refining to memory. All that remained was practice.
He formed a hand seal, and the palm-sized Ruyi Purple-Gold Furnace flew out of his Storage Bag. It