Starting From A Son In Law To Build An Long Lasting Family Chapter 1869: 482: Fame Spreads Across the Southern Wilderness, Quasi-Spirit Treasure! (part 3)

As soon as Yue Country declared the outbreak of war, Lu Qingshan dashed right to the front lines, commanding his soldiers in a fierce assault on the Spirit Land outpost.

Mysterious Leopard Valley.

Clutching the Heavenly Circulation Starry Sword, Lu Qingshan radiated an unmatched presence, locked in a brutal clash with a Core Formation Demon Cultivator.

Even though the demon cultivator facing him boasted Core Formation Third Layer strength, he found himself pushed back relentlessly by Lu Qingshan’s sword qi that ripped across the skies, his defensive magical shield flickering weakly.

"Pfft!"

The Heavenly Circulation Starry Sword shattered the demon cultivator’s protective magical barrier, carving a deep gash into his flesh that bared the pale bones beneath.

"Retreat!"

Faced with the dire turn of events, the demon cultivator had no choice but to pull back, forsaking the Spirit Land stronghold entirely.

Do not pursue cornered foes.

Observing the fleeing forces from Liang Country, Lu Qingshan refrained from slaughtering them all.

In truth, these demon cultivators always kept escape plans ready; if cornered too harshly, they could detonate their magical artifacts and cores, inflicting serious harm on him.

Suffering wounds amid the chaos of battle would hinder his future moves.

Once Lu Qingshan had combed through the battlefield over several days, fresh reinforcements arrived to secure the newly captured Spirit Land.

"Brother Qingshan!"

A graceful woman of slender and charming build, clad in the elder robes of the Primordial Sect, spotted Lu Qingshan and cried out in delight.

She then showered him with admiration, "True to form, Brother Qingshan, that demon cultivator defending this Spirit Land was the Heavenly Fiend Sect’s Real Man of Fiery Hell, who advanced to Core Formation ages ago..."

"Fairy Shen Yu."

Spotting the arriving figure, Lu Qingshan gave a faint nod, upholding his distant air.

Yet, when his eyes fell on a woman among the reinforcements, garbed in the disciple robes of the Jinyang Sect, her features calm and exquisite, he broke into a warm smile, lifted his hand, and called out, "Little Bamboo!"

Beneath the admiring stares of the onlookers, he fondly tousled the poised and soft locks of his sister Lu Qingzhu, exchanging easy words with her, shedding all traces of his earlier detached Sword Immortal vibe, which left the surrounding cultivators green with envy for Lu Qingzhu.

After all, boasting a brother so remarkable, who doted on her endlessly, stirred jealousy beyond years of their own toil.

"Brother."

Lu Qingzhu signaled subtly, urging her brother to keep his composure and attend to the business before them.

"What matters more than my little Bamboo?"

Lu Qingshan brushed off the worry, inquiring into his sister’s latest doings, and proposing that if she found it tough, she should head back to watch over the sect.

Truth be told, he preferred his sister far from the perils of war, yet she had stubbornly signed up for supply duties after learning of his own enlistment.

...

Months afterward, across the war-torn fields of Yue Country.

The Immortal City sprawled over the endless peaks, enveloped by a mighty Quasi-Fourth Rank Formation.

Lacking the guardianship of Heavenly Silkworm True Monarch and Yun Mei Monarch, Liang Country faced Yue Country’s fierce resurgence with nothing but desperate defense, drawing on the early-gained Spirit Lands and Spirit Veins to steadily drain their enemy’s might.

Still, Liang Country’s past crushing triumph over Yue Country stemmed not just from Nascent Soul True Lords holding the fort, but from their supreme ace: a Fourth Rank Beast King!

In the heat of combat, a Fourth Rank Beast King proved nearly invincible, demanding a squad of Core Formation experts arrayed in formation just to slow its rampage.

"Roar!!!"

Confronting the endless ranks of Yue Country’s forces, beyond the Immortal City walls, a colossal Fourth Rank Beast King, towering like a peak, unleashed a thunderous bellow.

Its dark violet coat bristled like iron spikes, gleaming with a cold edge, etched with faint arcane runes from ancient times. Though barraged by countless mystical arts, its gaze burned like crimson stars, wreathed in scarlet mist that pulsed with savage dominance, poised to devour all, unleashing blasts of dreadful blood fire.

"This Beast King is utterly fearsome, shrugging off strikes beneath Nascent Soul True Lord power..."

From afar, Lu Qingshan eyed the Fourth Rank Beast King with a grave look.

Though he wielded immense power himself, he lacked the standing to challenge such a beast directly.

Beholding this Fourth Rank Beast King stirred memories of the Fourth Rank Void Kun he had glimpsed in Great Dream Immortal City.

Against a genuine Fourth Rank Demon King, these Beast Kings—bred via hidden arts—fell short in wisdom, speed, mystical abilities, and demon king domains, among other traits.

Even so, these manufactured Beast Kings struck such terror; a real Fourth Rank Transformed Demon King had fallen swiftly to the Great Dream City Lord...

"Kill!"

Noting the Fourth Rank Beast King stalled by a Late Stage Core Formation powerhouse via array, Lu Qingshan wasted no time, struck his sword case, and unleashed seven flying swords that whirled about him, morphing into radiant sword beams as he charged forward.

...

Meanwhile.

Bi Lake Mountain, Refining Hall.

"Boom boom boom——"

Atop the dark-golden Treasure Forging Platform, the Thunder Gang Dragon Flame twisted like a vivid purple-red serpent, snarling amid raging infernos.

Within those vivid purple-red blazes, a scroll pulsing with Yin Yang Energies bobbed and swayed, blending the real and the illusory threads of Yin and Yang.

As Lu Changsheng kept hurling spells and channeling the purified essence from heavenly materials of earth and sky, the scroll appeared to swallow the cosmos, birthing skies and lands, sun and moon, stars and streams, peaks and flows, akin to a gleaming span.

Long after, Lu Changsheng invoked a spell, causing the Yin Yang Chart ahead to shimmer brightly and soar skyward, before settling into his grasp.

"Phew, I truly overestimated my limits."

Gazing at the Yin Yang Chart in his hands, Lu Changsheng let out a tired breath.

He had planned to forge his Yin Yang Chart up to Spiritual Treasure grade, then apply the hidden art "Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinement Technique" to swiftly awaken its spirit and fully elevate his core magic treasure to Spiritual Treasure realm.

But upon diving in, he discovered his forging prowess fell short for Fourth Rank Spiritual Treasures, and the home Earth Fire Spirit Veins proved too weak.

Without this Treasure Forging Platform, and powering it with top-grade Spirit Stones to unleash its full might, his Yin Yang Chart wouldn’t have touched quasi-spirit treasure status.

"It’s tough."

Lu Changsheng abruptly understood why Heavenly Silkworm True Monarch, Lou Mountain True Monarch, and Purple Grey True Monarch each possessed just a single Spiritual Treasure.

Typically, Nascent Soul experts could only harness the spiritual rhythms of heaven and earth plus their Nascent Soul essence during the breakthrough to that stage, then gradually foster it over time, lifting their bound magic treasure to Spiritual Treasure rank.

Commissioning another to craft one demanded scarce and costly materials, while masters skilled enough for Fourth Rank Spiritual Treasures were vanishingly few.

Should the crafting fall shy of ideals and standards, the tiniest flaw might squander a hundred years of labor.

"But it suffices for my needs right now."

In everyday scenarios, a quasi-spirit treasure Yin Yang Chart served Lu Changsheng well, since sustained bursts weren’t in his style.

Still, pondering his impending body refinement leap to Fourth Rank, which would vastly boost the Nine Treasures Ruyi Bone’s bounds, Lu Changsheng shook his head, yearning to push his forging to Fourth Rank.

Yet beyond forging, skills in divination, talisman crafting, and dragon seeking weighed heavily on his priorities too.

"The pressing goal is to advance in body refinement first."

Lu Changsheng glanced toward Great Dream Immortal City’s direction.

Body refinement breakthrough strayed from the Nascent Soul path; it craved spirit veins yet wasn’t so demanding, resembling a demon beast’s evolution.

Given that it would summon heavenly tribulation, Lu Changsheng aimed to achieve it at the sea eye deep within Great Dream Marsh.

As for conquering the heavenly tribulation, Lu Changsheng brimmed with assurance.

Via dual cultivation with Azure Phoenix True Monarch, bathed in both Mystic Dragon Nirvana Power and Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Power, his flesh and mana neared their peaks, with the body especially primed to shatter the Fourth Rank Body Refinement barrier.

Building on this base physique, plus the Nine Treasures Ruyi Bone, Great Luo Sword Embryo, Yin Yang Chart, Five Directions Tribulation Stone, talisman arrays, and sundry treasures seized from Lou Mountain True Monarch and kin, elite pills, and Heavenly Spirit Medicine, barring self-sabotage, death seemed improbable.

Beyond that, his Chaos Body, merged with Flawless Heavenly Fragrance Body, gained the bonus of diluting heavenly tribulation!

Lu Changsheng hoped to test this perk now and gear up for the looming Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation.

"Alas, time presses on, or else fully refining a handful of magic treasures and whipping up some tribulation-defying items would offer greater safety."

"Or nourish Ping’an with the Fourth Rank Void Kun’s Blood Essence; should he hit quasi-Fourth Rank Body Refining, he could aid in shattering my body’s ceiling, emulating the Sea Splitting Mysterious Whale to endure the heavenly tribulation."

The Sea Splitting Mysterious Whale’s True Spirit Tribulation had gifted Lu Changsheng deep understandings, revealing how heavenly tribulation could serve as a forging bath for rebirth.

Dismissing further musings, Lu Changsheng exited the Refining Hall, made his way back to the Lu Family Mansion, savored a few days alongside his wives Lu Miaoyun, Lu Miaoge, Lu Miaohuan, and Qu Zhenzhen, then quietly departed Bi Lake Mountain bound for Great Dream Marsh to attempt his breakthrough.

For extra certainty, he carried the [Sun and Moon Taiji Mysterious Light Mirror] along.

After all, from the secret realm venture, he knew this Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure proved invaluable, nearly blocking all scrying or surprise assaults.