Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Qi Refinement Level 2!_1
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Half a year later.
"Qi Refinement Second Level!"
In the practice room, Lu Changsheng's robe fluttered without any wind as he emerged from his meditative state and expelled a breath of turbid air, his face revealing a joyful expression.
After a year and a half of arduous cultivation, he had finally broken through from the first level of Qi Refinement to the second level.
The process had taken such a long time partly because he had been delayed by both childrearing and talisman making.
Otherwise, with his current monthly resource of five spirit stones and the occasional purchase of some spiritual tea and spiritual medicine to supplement his practice, he would have progressed in his cultivation as well.
However, Lu Changsheng felt that the delay was worthwhile.
During the past six months, Lu Changsheng had taken the seventh concubine and two women from the Lu Family, who were sent over by Uncle Fu, as his wives, and all of them were successfully pregnant.
Meanwhile, Lu Lanshu, Lu Zi'er, and Lu Qing'er were all expecting their second child as well.
In half a year's time, Lu Changsheng had six more children on the way.
This caused Uncle Fu, who had always been keeping an eye on Lu Changsheng's situation, to come over and advise him to exercise restraint when it came to pleasures of the flesh, emphasizing that there was no rush with having children.
As for talisman making, he had drawn over two hundred talismans in the past six months.
Fifty of these were made into basic talismans, which he took to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to exchange and supplement his household expenses.
He also expressed to Uncle Fu that he was already fifty to sixty percent confident in succeeding in making peace charms.
He estimated that in a few months, he would be able to attempt making first-grade talismans.
As soon as he could successfully draw a lower-grade first-grade talisman, he would be considered an Elementary Talisman Master.
"At the Qi Refinement Second Level, my spiritual power is nearly twice as dense as it was at the first level."
"Now, drawing middle-grade first-level talismans poses no difficulty for me. It's not like before when drawing a single middle-grade talisman would leave me nearly depleted, and drawing more difficult talismans would result in failure."
"If I had the materials, I could even try to draw some superior-grade first-level talismans for self-defense."
Lu Changsheng stood up, feeling the spiritual power within his Dantian's sea of Qi.
The bottleneck in his talisman drawing was not his skills but rather his own cultivation level.
As long as his cultivation reached the threshold for talisman making, he would be able to successfully draw talismans.
However, his current tools and materials limited him to drawing only middle-grade first-level talismans and did not yet allow him to attempt superior-grade first-level talismans.
Even though he had maxed-out second-rank talisman-making skill, without the necessary materials, he would be like a skilled woman without rice, unable to cook.
If he were to go to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to purchase high-level talisman-making materials, he would not know how to explain it, as he didn't have the extra money.
"I can also try to cultivate spells now."
"Otherwise, apart from talismans, I have no other means."
Lu Changsheng murmured to himself.
He had not yet cultivated any techniques.
Apart from using talismans, he was essentially powerless.
And on the path of cultivation, conflicts and battles were inevitable.
Even if Lu Changsheng didn't wish to compete or fight and only wanted to live a peaceful life marrying and having children, trouble would still find its way to him.
Counting on just getting by safely all the way was impossible, a clear case of self-deception.
"But there's no need to hurry. As long as I don't leave the Lu Family, there shouldn't be any danger for now."
Lu Changsheng shook his head, left the practice room, and went to relax and play with his children.
No sooner had he picked up a child to go to the courtyard than he saw Li Feiyu arrive.
He playfully addressed his eldest son in his arms, "Come, call him Uncle Li."
However, the child was only a little over a year old and could only babble repetitive syllables.
"Changsheng, congratulations on breaking through to the Second Level of Qi Refinement."
Li Feiyu congratulated Lu Changsheng as he approached.
He lived next door to Lu Changsheng.
Just now, while practicing martial arts in the courtyard, he had sensed the fluctuation of spiritual energy here and knew that Lu Changsheng had broken through to the Qi Refinement Second Level.
"Heh, it's about time I made the breakthrough," Lu Changsheng responded with a chuckle.
Li Feiyu, possessing a Seventh Grade Spiritual Root and dedicating himself completely to cultivation without wasting time on the distractions of women, had made his breakthrough to the second level of Qi Refinement half a year ago.
"Changsheng, why do I feel like you've gotten a lot fairer than before, and you look quite a bit better overall? What have you been doing?"
At this moment, Li Feiyu looked at Lu Changsheng, who was holding his child, and suddenly remarked with a click of his tongue.
Although the two lived next door, they only got together once every month or two.
"Oh, really?"
Hearing Li Feiyu's words, Lu Changsheng paused for a moment.
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He immediately thought that it must be the effect of cultivating the Immortal Beauty Technique.
Although he did not pay much attention to this cultivation technique, he would still cultivate it whenever he remembered.
Cultivating Qi Refinement does have the effect of cleansing the marrow and reshaping one's features, but in the early stages, there isn't much improvement in terms of appearance and changes to the fairness of the skin.
Soon, Lu Changsheng said nonchalantly, "Maybe it's because I used to do farm work, but now I've been living a life of luxury, and it's also the age when I'm growing, so naturally, I've become a bit more well-nourished."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, originally, the two of us together were like a beautiful flower paired with green leaves. If you keep this up, won't I lose my ability to set you off?"
Li Feiyu teased.
"Get lost! Wait a few more years, and you will be the green leaves that set me off,"
Lu Changsheng laughed and cursed.
...
The next day, Lu Changsheng came to the Lu Family's library, spent a Spirit Stone, and rented the "Primary Level Spells Introduction" to start cultivating spells.
"Zzzt!"
In the practice room, Lu Changsheng extended a finger of his right hand, and sparks and fire stars appeared half an inch above his fingertip.
But just as the spark formed a fireball, it extinguished.
The spell Lu Changsheng was practicing was one of the primary spells, the Flame Bullet Technique.
It allowed the release of a small fireball to be shot out.
However, this spell was not easy to practice.
Not only did it require the cooperation of Spiritual Power, but also the chanting of a mantra.
And this mantra was not something like shouting "Flame Bullet Technique"; it was a series of ancient and obscure syllables.
Coordinating them with Spiritual Power was very awkward, so even after practicing for so long, Lu Changsheng still hadn't gotten the hang of it.
After practicing for an hour, Lu Changsheng's Spiritual Power was nearly depleted, and he began to sit and rest in meditation.
And so, practicing spells became another part of Lu Changsheng's daily life.
A month later.
"Crackle!"
A red fireball the size of a thumb appeared on Lu Changsheng's fingertip.
The fireball was not large, but it emitted an intense heat, causing the temperature in the practice room to rise.
Looking at the small fireball on his fingertip, Lu Changsheng continued to pour Spiritual Power into it, letting the flames of the small fireball start to grow.
When the small fireball reached the size of an egg, Lu Changsheng's fingertip holding the fireball began to quiver.
With a sharp flick of his finger, he targeted the front target and released the flame bullet.
"Bang!"
The flame bullet hit the target, and in an instant, it melted the fine iron-made target into molten iron.
"Whew!"
"No wonder Feiyu said that the strength of a Martial Dao Innate is only comparable to the Third Level Energy Refinement."
"In front of such a fireball, even if one's martial skills are high, a direct hit would undoubtedly be fatal."
After seeing the power of the Flame Bullet Technique, Lu Changsheng felt somewhat emotional.
He thought back to the confrontation between the Lu Family and the Chen Family on the road to Qingzhu Mountain.
The spells released by both sides were much faster than his own.
And they could release multiple fireballs, water arrows, and wind blades at once, which was very difficult to defend against.
"But this spell is too difficult, I've only mastered a single Flame Bullet Technique after a whole month."
"There's also the Wind Control Skill, Object Manipulating Technique, Spiritual Eye Technique, Sound Transmitting Technique, Aura Concealment Technique, and a whole bunch of other basic spells. How long is it going to take to learn all of these?"
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath, shaking his head in frustration.
If an elementary spell took so much time, what about more advanced spells?
Cultivation truly consumes a great deal of time, effort, and money.
This made him think of the Talisman-Making Skill he had obtained.
He now understood why such a skill was so precious and sought after.
It wasn't just because of the difficulty.
Cultivation itself was already a massive drain on time, effort, and finances.
To practice an additional skill meant to spend even more time, effort, and money.
Most cultivators simply did not have the time, effort, or finances to practice other things.
They could only focus on cultivating one aspect.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone