A Auspicious Marriage, The Test Spirit Stone
A short while later...
Qin Lu paid a formal visit to both the Zhao and Chu households.
He personally presented precious pills as betrothal gifts, which once again caused an uproar!
That single Ziyun Wood Essence Pill was treasured even more by the Zhao household. Although precious pills had a price, they had no market, and every single precious pill could be considered foundation-building heritage.
Especially the Ziyun Precious Pill; its efficacy already possessed fifty percent of the potency of a Yang-Strengthening Pill!
Old Man Zhao was naturally overjoyed.
His marriage alliance with Qin Lu was precisely for the sake of these precious pills.
A few days later, he personally sent his own granddaughter off in a red sedan chair. Although it failed to stretch for ten miles of red dowry, it still spanned several li, looking quite grand and magnificent!
This was to display the union of the two households and the match between a talented scholar and a beautiful woman.
As for the Chu household--
They were by no means inferior either. Chu Shan even married off his own biological younger sister.
To express his sincerity, they cultivated a fine relationship between the Qin and Chu.
The wedding processions of the two households met beneath Muxuan Mountain and proceeded together to the courtyard on the summit.
At the foot of the mountain, large tables were set out to provide food and drink for over a hundred people, bustling with extraordinary liveliness. There was even a theatrical troupe singing tunes, stirring up a wave of commotion!
Inside the courtyard--
The newlywed brides sat upright on the bed, filled with anticipation and nervousness.
As daughters of prominent families, becoming objects of a marriage alliance seemed to be an unavoidable matter, much like a predestined fate.
To put it nicely, they mortal women were young ladies of noble birth.
To put it bluntly, they were merely slightly prettier gifts.
Who knew when they might be given to some senior predecessor to serve as a concubine or plaything...
Today.
Being able to marry Qin Lu was already a great stroke of fortune.
They asked for nothing else, only hoping that their husband would treat them a bit better in the days to come...
A moment later--
After the wine had gone around three rounds.
Qin Lu joyfully entered the bridal chamber. Glancing at the two women, he simply proceeded according to the rules. They shared no affection; what they possessed was entirely interest...
But at least.
For the rest of their lives, they would suffer no bullying and could spend their days in peace.
Until the morning of the second day.
Qin Lu awoke from the room, inevitably feeling somewhat drained and weak...
Stunned for a long time, he finally cleared his head slightly.
Tossing and turning all night without sleep, it was hard for him not to find it a bit too much to bear. Sure enough, although he had cultivated into a Warrior, he was ultimately still a mortal.
He lacked the ability to match a thousand men single-handedly.
But perhaps, once he broke through to the Qi Condensation Realm, he would be able to?
It was right at that moment--
Qin Lu suddenly discovered that, without realizing it, he had broken through to the Second Layer of the Martial Realm!
"The Azure Wood Scripture, it even has this ability?"
Qin Lu felt puzzled, yet as though he had gained a faint realization, he could not help but comprehend inwardly:
"Azure wood, azure wood, vitality bursts forth, absorbing the essence of myriads of grasses and trees to strengthen oneself. This is azure wood..."
"So that's how it is... So that's how it is!"
"The true meaning of the Azure Wood Scripture is to use all things to nourish and support a single body. Thus, this azure body is like wood, living alone through myriad ages and all eternity."
"No wonder that when cultivating, one needs to absorb the purple qi of the starry firmament-this is nourishing the body with heaven. And one also needs medicinal pills as an aid-this is nourishing oneself with the myriad grasses and trees of the earth."
"Finally, the union of yin and yang uses the pure yin of humans to nurture the primordial source."
"Regarded as the three paths of heaven, earth, and humanity, seizing the fortune of heaven in this manner is indeed rather heterodox. Could such a technique be an Immortal Method?!"
"But it is a pity the Cultivation Method is incomplete, and it can only be cultivated up to the True Martial peak..."
After a series of summaries, Qin Lu had grasped one or two parts of the true meaning within the Azure Wood Scripture.
However, in the future--
Heaven and earth as external objects were fine, but he should still use humans as medicine sparingly. If this continued for long, he feared the fair maidens would turn to dust.
Indulgence in this sensation would likely lead him down the Evil Dao.
"Hn~"
Upon the bed, that Qin Chushi uttered a soft moan and was the first to wake up.
Seeing her husband sitting alone in the receiving parlor, she picked up her clothing and went forward to wait on Qin Lu as he dressed, appearing poised, graceful, and natural.
"I was a bit hasty last night and have yet to ask your name."
"I hope my wife will not blame her husband and will bear with it a little."
Hearing these words--
That Qin-Chu Clan member smiled gently, her eyes brimming with sweetness.
She had originally thought her husband was of an impatient temperament; now it seemed he was as mild and lustrous as jade, which could still be considered a good match, and she naturally beamed with joy.
"This lowly one has no name to speak of."
"Born a female, that is my destiny."
"As the saying goes, a wife follows her husband's surname; from now on, I am the Qin-Chu Clan, a daughter-in-law of your Qin Household. If my husband is willing to address this lowly one by name, simply call me: Chu'er."
"Those brothers Chu Shan and Chu He are my biological elder brothers."
"That's right, Husband."
"My eldest brother once entrusted me to hand this item over to you, saying that since Brother Qin has newly entered the True Martial realm, if there are any matters he does not understand, he can consult this object."
With that--
The Qin-Chu Clan member retrieved a package from a wooden chest.
Upon opening it, she revealed a book, a black round stone, and a letter.
Qin Lu raised an eyebrow and opened the envelope to inspect it.
Before long--
He understood Chu Shan's intentions. It seemed this Chu household had no small ambition, wanting to reach a deeper level of cooperation with him!
In return--
Chu Shan hoped Qin Lu could help him break through the True Martial Three Realms.
In the future, the two households would join forces to divide Bayi between them!
They were certainly calculating quite cleverly.
Although Qin Lu merely smiled it off, Chu Shan's action happened to suit his own wishes precisely!
Immediately, Qin Lu's gaze shifted to the book.
This book was named: Hundred Tales Oddities.
It detailed matters concerning Warriors, mortal kingdoms, and immortals.
It even briefly outlined the imperial court's attitude toward True Martial Realm Warriors, as well as some essential rules, the distribution of factions, and the like.
It was equivalent to an encyclopedia.
--
As for the black stone at the side.
It was named: Test Spirit Stone!
One merely needed to hold it in the hand to detect whether another person possessed the aptitude for cultivation.
The quality of one's aptitude was judged by the length of the spiritual light.
The highest could reach nine inches and nine points, or even be a Born Spiritual Body.
Take Qin Lu--
When he tested himself, he had a pitiful nine points of spiritual light, indicating extremely poor aptitude. Without a fortuitous opportunity, his life would likely stop right at the True Martial Realm!
Other Warriors of various families in the town.
Were even worse off than Qin Lu; their spiritual light mostly hovered around three or four points, while the better ones reached around six or seven points.
Almost imperceptible--
Yet people like this were as numerous as the hairs on an ox!
Judging by the proportion, out of roughly a thousand people, four or five immortal seedlings of this caliber would appear. They possessed immortal affinity, but no Dao Path.
As for spiritual light reaching the proportion of one inch.
That stood at one in ten thousand, or even tens of thousands, showing just how vast the gap was.
In the cultivation world--
This category of those with affinity but no Dao path.
Was collectively termed: Pseudo-Immortal Seedlings! Or alternatively: Heaven-Forsaken!
Yet even more mortals lacked even the qualifications to cultivate, never generating a single point of spiritual light, and were doomed to live out mediocre lives.
Only those with one inch of spiritual light.
Could have the opportunity to break through the True Martial realm and step into the Qi Condensation Realm.
Be warned--
One inch of spiritual light merely meant a possibility; as for the probability.
That depended on the individual, leaving it to the Mandate of Heaven.
Once one cultivated to Qi Condensation, one could ride swords through the air, summon wind and rain, and gain a lifespan close to one hundred and fifty years, worthy of the name of a terrestrial immortal!
Able to live nearly twice the lifespan of an ordinary person, did that not make one an immortal?
The immortals praised by mortals were mostly of this sort.
Only upon reaching this realm could one truly be called: a Cultivator!
Going further up--
Was the legendary: Dao Foundation Realm Great Expert.
Their lifespan could reach three hundred years, sitting and watching the vicissitudes of the mortal world.
It was rumored that with a mere wave of the hand or stamp of the foot, they possessed the ability to move mountains and fill seas. They were truly great masters of Divine Abilities, capable of soaring through the heavens and plunging into the earth, able to do anything.
Even--
Manifesting gigantic forms and turning words into reality...
Above the Dao Foundation was named: the Golden Core Realm!
Upon reaching this realm, it was no longer a degree that mortals could imagine.
Its numinous and marvelous aspects were recorded in merely a few sparse strokes.
It was only known that such an entity could roam carefree through the mortal world for at least six hundred years!