The feedback from the system's cultivation results wasn't limited to cultivation. Great Xia's artifact-refining results were also fed back to me. I've now become an artifact refiner and have refined supreme-grade Law Artifacts, which should make me a top-tier first-rank artifact refiner.
Artifact refining can bring me some income. Although my output falls far short of Great Xia's production lines, it offers the convenience of enjoying the results immediately. Besides, my status as a top-tier artifact refiner may be of great use to me in the cultivation world later. Everything is moving in a better direction.
Among the hundred arts of cultivation, alchemy, artifact refining, talismans, and formations stand at the forefront. The path of artifact refining is now open. I hope the country can conquer the other three paths, or even other auxiliary paths, as soon as possible. I'll do my best to search for relevant inheritances and send them back.
"..."
"Please pass a message to my parents and Little Yu for me. Tell them everything is well for me in this world, and not to worry. I'll definitely go back to see them!"
Mortals lived for a hundred years.
And that was only if they suffered neither illness nor calamity.
Lu Dahai and Jiang Rumeng were both almost sixty.
Could they really wait until the day Lu Chenxing returned?
It would be very, very difficult.
Even with the system, Lu Chenxing had no absolute confidence that he could gain the power to return to Great Xia on Blue Star within a mere forty years.
Forty years!
For cultivators, that was merely the time spent in a single secluded cultivation session.
Difficult. Far too difficult.
But however difficult it was, Lu Chenxing would still work at it with his life on the line.
He would strive to achieve it.
Didn't he want to lie flat?
Make a rocking chair and lie in the sun every day, sending some resources back now and then. It wouldn't matter much whether his cultivation stagnated. After all, the cultivation world operated on long spans of time.
There was more than enough time to enjoy himself.
But Lu Chenxing couldn't lie flat.
He had a reason he had to return to Great Xia on Blue Star.
And he had to do so while his parents were still alive.
That was why he exhausted every possibility to make good use of the system and develop its functions to the fullest. Even with Great Xia's Law Artifact production lines, he still refined artifacts without rest or sleep.
He would earn as many extra resources as he could.
After all, as long as he worked hard, there would definitely be rewards.
Another month passed.
The Spiritual Power in the Qi sea of Lu Chenxing's Dantian filled to the brim. He sat cross-legged in quiet concentration for three days and successfully broke through to the Foundation Establishment middle stage.
Ten months old, at the Foundation Establishment middle stage.
"Another two months until I turn one. I'll strive to break through to the Foundation Establishment late stage before then!"
A world-weariness that did not belong at his age appeared on his tiny face.
At ten months old, his cultivation had already drawn level with the Lu Household's other three great Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Over a hundred years for others.
A few months for him.
After his successful breakthrough, Lu Chenxing left the artifact-refining room and went to the secluded spot where he had once practiced Law Techniques.
He continually switched between the Sword Riding Technique and five-element Law Techniques.
He familiarized himself with his sharply increased strength.
Cultivation realm was the most direct, simplest, and best route for cultivators to grow stronger.
Even a breakthrough in a minor realm would bring a severalfold increase in strength.
Without relying on external aids, using only the might unleashed by Spiritual Power-
A higher realm meant a sure and absolute kill against a lower one!
The beginning of the month arrived right on schedule.
A new batch of Law Artifacts was transmitted over.
Great Xia's reply brought momentous news that filled Lu Chenxing with excitement.
Alchemy, ranked first among the hundred arts of cultivation, had been successfully conquered. With the assistance of cultivators, Great Xia had successfully refined a Spirit Gathering Pill using its own methods.
Where there was one, there would be two.
Where there were two, there would be a production line.
At present, Great Xia needed more alchemy materials for continuous experimentation and improvement, to raise the quality of its pills and refine other kinds.
In addition, Great Xia had made another request.
Foundation Establishment Pills.
With resources being directed toward him, Zhang Weiguo had reached the Qi Refining twelfth layer. Before long, he would reach perfection and qualify to attempt the next realm.
Someone with Heavenly Spirit Root aptitude could break through realms through their own strength.
But the assistance of a Foundation Establishment Pill would make it a little more certain.
Lu Chenxing had no problem with that. They were only Foundation Establishment Pills. However many Great Xia wanted, he could provide them.
The artifact-refining production lines, together with the alchemy production lines that would soon begin operating-
Were more than enough to support any cultivation expenditure.
Every batch of Law Artifacts Great Xia sent back was handed over to Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming to take to the market and sell.
This time was no exception.
The two hurriedly left the Lu Household together.
They did not notice that more than one figure was secretly following behind them.
The Wang Household.
"Patriarch, our scouts report that the Lu Household sends Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming to the market every two months. They're probably trading resources."
"But what precious resources require two Foundation Establishment cultivators to go? And strangely, they used to go only to Mist Spirit Market, but lately they've been going to Spirit Spring Market instead."
Spirit Spring Market.
That was the largest market within a thousand li.
What resources could they possibly need to trade that even Mist Spirit Market couldn't accommodate?
Watching Wang Haochang sink into thought, Wang Haofeng spoke again. "Patriarch, I suspect the Lu Household has secured a secret channel for obtaining resources. We absolutely cannot keep letting them grow stronger in peace!"
"Otherwise..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but its warning was self-evident.
The existing harmony between the Lu Household and the Wang Household was merely because neither was fully confident of crushing the other.
If one side became much stronger than the other-
It would inevitably take the initiative to launch a great war.
As one waned and the other waxed, the faster the Lu Household developed, the greater the crisis facing the Wang Household became.
That was why Wang Haofeng was so anxious.
He also deeply regretted not joining Wang Zhaoran in urging the patriarch to stake everything on a fight to the death back in Mystic Wood Forest.
Perhaps they could have dealt with the Lu Household then.
They wouldn't have ended up in this passive position.
How could Wang Haochang not be anxious too? If he sat and watched the Lu Household grow stronger, where would that leave his Wang Household?
As patriarch of the Wang Household-
He bore the fate of the entire clan on his shoulders.
"In your opinion, how should our Wang Household respond?"
Wang Haochang wanted to hear Wang Haofeng's opinion first, and the latter already had an idea.
"All four Foundation Establishment cultivators, including you, Patriarch, should set out together and intercept Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming on the road between Spirit Spring Market and the Lu Household!"
They would exploit their numerical advantage.
First, they would outnumber and kill Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming.
Then the Lu Household would have only Lu Changfeng left. So what if he was a sword immortal?
The Wang Household still had that powerful dagger, revered as its clan-guarding treasure.
At those words, Wang Haochang was initially tempted, but then he gently shook his head.
"You're thinking too simply."
"If our Wang Household can station informants around the Lu Household and observe Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming's movements, the Lu Household isn't stupid either. Why wouldn't they send people to watch our Wang Household? The moment we leave the clan, word might reach the Lu Household, and Lu Changfeng would immediately set out."
"Your idea is good, but it would be very difficult to carry out. In a head-on clash, we might not be able to defeat the Lu Household."
Wang Haochang's considerations were indeed comprehensive.
But to Wang Haofeng, he was simply indecisive, looking ahead and behind in hesitation.
He immediately grew agitated.
"If you think we can't touch Lu Changgeng and Lu Xuanming, Patriarch, then estimate when they'll reach Spirit Spring Market and seize the chance to attack the Lu Household. They definitely won't make it back in time to reinforce them. The Lu Household will have only Lu Changfeng. Kill him, and we can wipe out the Lu Household just the same."
That was another good idea, but it still had a flaw.
"The Lu Household has a clan-protecting formation. Breaking through it in a short time won't be easy."
Wang Haofeng suddenly felt rather at a loss.
In his daze, a thought sprang into his mind.
Was Wang Haochang really qualified to be the Wang Household's patriarch?
Under his 'wise' leadership, what end would the Wang Household meet? Prosperity, or decline and destruction?
He had originally firmly believed it would be the former.
Now, it seemed-
The latter was possible too.
Just as disappointment filled Wang Haofeng's heart, a voice like heavenly music suddenly rang beside his ears.
"I think that other proposal you made earlier was quite good."
"A bloodthirsty dagger shouldn't have its nature suppressed."
"Make the preparations. We set out in three days. We'll destroy Clear Breeze Temple first!"