Talisman Treasure: Golden Light Brick!

Two months later.

Lu Changsheng's seventh child was born.

Standing outside the delivery room, Lu Changsheng heard the cries from within. His spirits lifted, and delighted surprise spread across his face.

But a moment later, a trace of mixed emotion surfaced in his eyes.

The instant this child was born, Lu Changsheng felt something profound and mysterious stir within him.

A spiritual root!

His spiritual root was stirring!

At the same time, a system notification told him that what he had felt was no illusion.

[Congratulations to the host on fathering your first child with a spiritual root. You have earned one prize draw!]

My earlier guess was right.

If a child has a spiritual root, they have it from birth. It simply hasn't taken its final shape yet and needs time to develop. Only at five or six years old does it settle into shape and manifest enough to be detected.

But I have the system, and my children's spiritual roots enhance my own. That's why I sensed this child's spiritual root the moment he was born.

That also means my first six children... have no spiritual roots.

Knowing that this child had a spiritual root naturally filled Lu Changsheng with excitement and joy.

After all, only children with spiritual roots could cultivate.

Only then could their spiritual root aptitude enhance his own and increase his cultivation speed.

But having confirmation that none of his first six children had spiritual roots also left Lu Changsheng with tangled emotions and an ache in his heart.

Though he had long prepared himself for this possibility, it still hurt to see reality laid bare before him.

Having no spiritual root meant his children could only live as mortals. He would watch them grow old, fall ill, and die, one after another.

This was another of the cultivation world's cruelties.

"Husband, what's wrong?"

Beside him, Lu Lanshu noticed his sudden distraction and the expression on his face, and asked with concern.

"Nothing. I just suddenly thought of something."

Lu Changsheng shook his head and dispelled the thoughts crowding his mind.

Birth, aging, illness, and death were simply part of life.

It wasn't just his children who lacked spiritual roots.

None of his wives or concubines had spiritual roots either.

In the future, they too would grow old, fall ill, and die before his eyes.

Though he had the system and could cultivate, that didn't mean immortality was within his reach, or that he could become an immortal and live through the ages.

So why dwell on all this now?

With the system, it would naturally be best if he could one day help all his children set foot on the path of cultivation.

If that proved impossible, then with him as their father, he could at least spare them as much hardship as possible while they grew up, give them a good upbringing, and let them live happy, joyful lives.

"Congratulations, young master. It's a boy."

Just then, the midwife came out carrying a baby wrapped in a blanket.

A son?

A son is good. As my first child with a spiritual root, he may have to endure a little hardship following me along the path of cultivation.

Lu Changsheng took the baby. Looking at the red, wrinkled little boy in his swaddling, a smile spread across his face.

"This child shall be called Xianzhi."

Lu Changsheng lifted the child high and spoke softly.

This was his first child with a spiritual root.

He hoped this child would follow him all the way down the path of cultivation, until they became immortals.

"Xianzhi?"

Lu Lanshu, Lu Zi'er, and the other women were a little surprised by the name.

Previously, the names Lu Changsheng gave his children had all expressed wishes for peace, joy, freedom from worry, and tranquility.

Why had he suddenly changed his ways with this child?

Seeing their expressions, Lu Changsheng paused inwardly, then smiled. "I was planning to tell you a little later, but today I successfully drew a first-tier talisman and became a Ranked Talisman Master."

"That counts as taking my first step on the path of cultivation. Since this child happened to be born today, I named him Xianzhi in the hope that he too can one day set foot on that path."

Lu Changsheng offered an explanation.

It was not just for the women, but for the Lu Lineage as well.

If this child alone among all his children was later found to have a spiritual root, it might easily arouse suspicion and speculation.

"Congratulations, husband!"

"Congratulations, husband!"

"Two blessings have come to our door today!"

"This child was born just as you became a Talisman Master. What an auspicious sign!"

Hearing this, the women immediately lit up with joy and congratulated Lu Changsheng.

Through constant exposure, they had also learned quite a bit about talisman crafting.

They knew that now their husband had become a Ranked Talisman Master, his standing within the Lu Lineage would be entirely different.

As his wives and concubines, their own status would rise like boats lifted by the tide.

Filled with joy, the family entered the delivery room to visit the concubine who had just given birth.

Her name was Lu Yuzhu.

Hearing that Lu Changsheng had become a Talisman Master, along with the name he had given her son, filled her with joy as well.

After chatting for a little while, everyone left the delivery room. Lu Changsheng handed the baby to Lu Lanshu and went to his study to begin his third prize draw.

"System, I want to draw a prize."

The same familiar Prize Wheel appeared.

Even after two draws, looking at the Prize Wheel still made Lu Changsheng feel nervous anticipation.

Please don't give me another cultivation method like the Immortal Bearing Art. Give me something useful!

Lu Changsheng offered a small inward prayer, then silently commanded, Begin the draw!

Immediately.

A golden light began circling the pale red wheel.

Under Lu Changsheng's expectant gaze, the golden light slowed and finally stopped on the treasure section.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host on obtaining the Talisman Treasure "Golden Light Brick"!]

[The reward has been deposited in System Space. The host may inspect it at any time.]

Along with the system notification, a glittering golden talisman appeared, bearing the image of a long golden brick.

"A Talisman Treasure?!"

Hearing the notification, Lu Changsheng's expression instantly filled with delighted surprise.

He had read about Talisman Treasures in a book belonging to the Lu Lineage.

They were treasures that fell somewhere between talismans and magic treasures.

A portion of a magic treasure's power was sealed inside a specially made talisman.

This allowed even low-level cultivators to temporarily wield the might of a magic treasure.

Granted, they possessed only ten or twenty percent of the original magic treasure's power.

But even ten or twenty percent was already considerable.

After all, this was a magic-

Treasure!

A magic treasure that only a Core Formation True Person could wield.

Against ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, it already possessed overwhelming destructive power.

Talisman Treasures were extraordinarily rare, with prices quoted but none available to buy. Lu Changsheng had only ever seen them mentioned in books. He had never imagined he would actually obtain one from a prize draw.

Lu Changsheng immediately inspected the Talisman Treasure in System Space.

[Talisman Treasure: Golden Light Brick]

[Description: A Talisman Treasure refined by True Person Golden Light from his own upper-grade magic treasure, the "Golden Light Brick." When used, it manifests a Golden Light Brick that attacks the enemy, possessing twenty percent of the "Golden Light Brick's" power.]

[Note: Can be used three times at full power. Only the magical power of the Foundation Establishment Realm can unleash its full might. Spiritual power at the Chain Qi Realm can unleash only a portion of its might.]

"Refined from an upper-grade magic treasure. That means this Talisman Treasure is more powerful than ordinary ones!"

Reading the description, Lu Changsheng was delighted.

Talisman Treasures were refined by Core Formation True Persons from their own magic treasures, so their power naturally varied according to the grade and quality of the original treasure.

Since this Golden Light Brick Talisman Treasure had been refined from an upper-grade magic treasure, its power ranked among the best of its kind.

"After three uses at full power, this Talisman Treasure will become useless."

"With my Chain Qi Realm cultivation, I can only unleash ten or twenty percent of its power. That should let me use it a dozen times or so, right?"

Lu Changsheng pondered.

Every use of a Talisman Treasure consumed some of the magic treasure's power sealed within it.

Once that power was exhausted, the Talisman Treasure naturally became useless.

Unless it could be nurtured with the original magic treasure used to refine it and have its power replenished, it could not be restored.

Since this Talisman Treasure had come from the system's prize draw, he naturally had no way to find someone to restore it.

Besides, few Core Formation True Persons were willing to expend their own magic treasures' power to refine Talisman Treasures.

Most who did so were Core Formation True Persons nearing the end of their lifespan and about to pass away, seeking to leave their descendants treasures with which to defend themselves.