The fifth prize draw!

Several hours later, Lu Changsheng opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

"It's a little better than Little Seven's spiritual root."

Through his cultivation just now, he could tell that his cultivation speed had increased by a little over ten percent.

That meant this child's spiritual root was better than that of Lu Xianzhi, his first child to possess one.

But it wasn't much better.

Lu Changsheng estimated that it was also a low-grade spiritual root, either eighth or seventh grade.

As for his previous child Lu Xianzhi's spiritual root, Lu Changsheng had long since formed a rough estimate.

At best, it was an eighth-grade spiritual root.

More likely, it was a ninth-grade spiritual root, just like his father's.

"That's good enough. With this ten-percent boost added to Little Seven's spiritual root enhancement, my cultivation speed is already almost on par with someone who has an eighth-grade spiritual root."

"As long as I have enough children, even if they all have low-grade spiritual roots, quantity can bring about a qualitative transformation."

"Who knows? In the future, my cultivation speed might even surpass that of the legendary heavenly spiritual root!"

Lu Changsheng murmured to himself, delighted.

He didn't mind much that this child only had a low-grade spiritual root.

For him as he was now, having a child with a spiritual root was already more than good enough.

How could he possibly demand a particular grade?

Besides, once these two children grew older and their spiritual roots fully developed, they would give him another considerable boost.

Most importantly, once the children reached adulthood, they could cultivate, and their strength would enhance his own as their father.

And since these children possessed spiritual roots, when they married and had children of their own, there would also be a chance of their children possessing spiritual roots.

Generation after generation-that was hope, that was the future!

Thinking of having more children with spiritual roots, all of them achieving success in cultivation and spreading branches and leaves, allowing him, their father, to simply lie back and relax, Lu Changsheng felt a sweet glow of satisfaction. The future seemed bright.

Three days later, Lu Changsheng received another letter.

It was from Hong Yi.

He said that as long as Lu Changsheng had a certain quantity of talismans, he could send a trusted subordinate with spirit stones to Green Bamboo Mountain to trade. His sincerity was clear.

After reading the letter, Lu Changsheng considered it for a moment.

He wrote back that if Hong Yi came in three or four months, he should be able to offer around a hundred talismans.

After all, so much time had passed that putting a hundred talismans up for sale wouldn't be excessive.

Besides wanting to earn some money by selling talismans, Lu Changsheng also wanted to use their shared interests and the talisman business to strengthen his connection with Hong Yi.

In an earlier letter, Hong Yi had mentioned that he was responsible for certain affairs at the Ruyi Marquis Manor.

These involved dealing with immortal cultivators and gathering information about the cultivation world.

At the same time, he used people from the martial world to search the mortal world for individuals with spiritual root aptitude, as well as cultivation resources and treasures that had been lost there.

Thus, Lu Changsheng felt that Hong Yi might prove useful to him in the future.

If nothing else, he could at least have Hong Yi purchase cultivation materials and resources on his behalf, sparing him the need to go out himself.

And there was something else.

As the number of his children increased, Lu Changsheng had also become aware of a problem.

He seemed to be having children a little too quickly.

Originally, he had planned to wait until his children were in their teens before sending them to the mortal world.

But Lu Changsheng realized that, at his current pace, by the time Lu Ping'an and the other children in his first batch reached their teens, he would have seventy or eighty children in total-perhaps close to a hundred.

Having lots of children was no problem in itself. With his current means, he could afford to raise even more.

The problem was that Green Bamboo Valley had never seen a situation like his.

Some time ago, the steward, Uncle Lu, had come to chat with him and tactfully suggested that, while having children was certainly allowed, Lu Changsheng ought to pace himself.

Lu Yuanding had previously said that the children needed to be sent away at six, though keeping them another three to five years until they were a little older wouldn't matter.

But with so many children, he estimated that the Lu Lineage would most likely refuse to let him keep them in Green Bamboo Valley until their teens.

That was another reason Lu Changsheng wanted to strengthen his relationship with Hong Yi.

When the time came to settle his children in the mortal world, besides his connection to Li Feiyu and the Red Whale Gang, he could also ask Hong Yi to help look after them.

After all, compared with the Red Whale Gang, Hong Yi's connection to the Ruyi Marquis Manor was clearly more secure.

As for placing his children with the Lu Lineage's mortal branch, Lu Changsheng was rather unwilling.

He worried that, growing up among the Lu Lineage, his children would be brainwashed and filled with ideas about loyalty to the lineage.

In the blink of an eye, another two months passed.

Lu Changsheng's eighteenth and nineteenth children were born.

Unsurprisingly, neither child had a spiritual root.

After these two children were born, Lu Changsheng eagerly anticipated the next child, who was due in about a month.

That would be his twentieth child.

Based on his guesses about the system's achievements, reaching twenty might trigger an achievement reward.

Seeing the crisp autumn weather outside, Lu Changsheng carried a swaddled infant in each arm and went to the backyard for a stroll.

In the yard, his eldest son, Lu Ping'an, who was now three-four by traditional age reckoning-was leading several little ones in chasing the Nine Nether Mastiff around.

After being raised for over a year, the Nine Nether Mastiff had grown considerably.

He stood over a foot tall, his ink-black fur smooth and glossy as silk. Fearsome fangs had grown in his mouth, and the scarlet vertical mark between his brows struck terror into the heart.

Lu Changsheng estimated that even an ordinary martial artist would be no match for the Nine Nether Mastiff now.

A demon beast with a heaven-tier bloodline was no joke.

Yet faced with human cubs at that age when even people and dogs found them a nuisance, the Nine Nether Mastiff, despite possessing a trace of true spirit bloodline, could only flee and dart about as they chased him.

Whenever he saw a human cub fall, he even had to hurry back and help them up.

He was bearing burdens no one his age should have to bear.

Compared with Lu Ping'an, his second son, Lu Wuyu, and his younger daughter, Lu Wuyou, were much quieter, watching from the side as their older brother and younger siblings ran about.

Looking at the children playing in the yard, his wives holding infants, and his pregnant wives, Lu Changsheng smiled faintly.

Wasn't this simple life of leisure, peace, and happiness-cultivating a little and spending time with his wives, concubines, and children-exactly what he sought?

However.

Lu Changsheng knew very clearly that, in this world and in these times, such a peaceful, happy, beautiful life was a bub-

ble that would burst at the slightest touch.

Only with strength could he protect this peace and beauty.

That's why I have to work hard-to protect this peaceful, beautiful life and make the future even better.

Lu Changsheng said to himself.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed.

The twentieth child Lu Changsheng had been eagerly awaiting was finally born.

With this child's birth, there was still no stirring from his spiritual root.

But the system notification he had been hoping for rang out.

[Congratulations, host! Your number of offspring has reached twenty. You have earned one prize draw!]

"My anticipation wasn't wasted after all!"

Lu Changsheng was overjoyed to hear the system notification.

After settling the child, Lu Changsheng went to his study to begin his fifth prize draw.

System, I want to draw a prize.

Lu Changsheng silently called out.

Immediately, the familiar Prize Wheel appeared before his eyes.

I wonder if I'll be able to draw a cultivation method this time?

Lu Changsheng gazed at the Prize Wheel and thought to himself.

At this stage, what he wanted most was a good cultivation method.

After all, a towering building rose from level ground; its foundations had to be laid solidly.

With a good cultivation method, both his foundation and his cultivation speed could rise to another level.

Anything would be better than this rubbish Returning Origin Technique.

Lu Changsheng was deeply worried that, once he reached a higher cultivation realm, the terrible method he had used in the beginning would leave his foundation unstable and weak, less substantial than other people's. That would be miserable.

Putting aside his wandering thoughts, Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and said, "Begin the draw!"

Immediately, golden light appeared on the pale red wheel and spun rapidly.

A moment later, the golden light slowed. Under Lu Changsheng's expectant gaze, it stopped on cultivation methods.