On the journey of life, it is impossible to always move forward relentlessly. Ups and downs are normal.
Just like the Lu Family, established for over a thousand years, has faced various crises and formidable enemies intent on annihilation. Once, during the darkest times, the clan was left with only one Ninth-Layer Qi Cultivator. But that cultivator, after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, rebuilt the Lu Family and led it to prosperity.
Currently, the Lu Family is in a dire situation, but compared to certain periods in history, it is still doing relatively well.
Soon after, he met his father and mother again.
The battle at Purple Sun Mountain cost many lives.
At that time, his father, Lu Jinwen, happened to be away, and his mother, Ye Xinlan, was visiting the Ye Family.
They escaped a disaster.
Seeing his parents still alive, Lu Xuanji was very happy.
However, he also confirmed one thing: he is not the protagonist.
The main characters usually have parents sacrificed to the heavens, becoming orphans; but he has both parents alive, clearly not the protagonist.
But who is the protagonist?
Ye Feixue.
Ye Feixue, in her childhood, was nearly drowned by her mother. Later, she became a child bride, suffering hardship and torment in that household, until she met an Immortal at thirteen and embarked on the path of cultivating immortality. She entered the Foundation Establishment Stage at fifty, the Purple Mansion at a hundred, the Golden Core at two hundred, and the Nascent Soul at four hundred. After a thousand years, she reached Divinity Transformation.
In ten thousand years, she became an immortal, ascending to the Immortal Realm.
After ascending to the Immortal Realm, she proved her Dao as an Immortal Emperor twelve thousand years later, known as Empress Feixue.
She once remarked she sought immortality not for its own sake, but to meet you after endless ages.
After proving her Dao as an Immortal Emperor, she forcibly reversed space-time, resurrecting her former Dao Companion, Lu Xuanji, from the river of time.
The plot is perfect, the character setting is perfect, truly the female version of Immortal Reverence.
The only imperfection is a certain male supporting role named "Lu Xuanji."
Haha!
Lu Xuanji shook his head, stopping these wild thoughts.
"Son, there's something you need to prepare for?"
After recounting the past years' experiences, his father spoke with a somewhat grave expression.
"Father, what happened?"
Lu Xuanji inquired.
"Son, Purple Sun Mountain has been breached, and the Lu Family's medicine garden has been overrun. In the medical garden, there were thirty Jade Marrow Lingzhi plants, two of which were meant for refining Foundation Establishment Pills. But because Purple Sun Mountain was breached and your fifth uncle perished, the family lacks an Alchemist."
"We lack both ingredients and an Alchemist; thus, Foundation Establishment Pills must be purchased externally. Buying Foundation Establishment Pills requires at least twenty thousand Spirit Stones. I have about five thousand Spirit Stones here, and the other fifteen thousand can only be borrowed from the family."
Father Lu Jinwen was talking about the extremely crucial matter of purchasing Foundation Establishment Pills.
In the past, the Lu Family had herbs and Alchemists, and Foundation Establishment Pills could be produced in-house, with even surplus to sell for profit.
Exchanging from within the family only required ten thousand Spirit Stones.
If lacking funds, they could borrow first and repay later.
Similar to mortgage loans from past lives.
But purchasing Foundation Establishment Pills externally requires at least twenty thousand Spirit Stones, and credit is not an option; the amount must be paid in full upfront.
"Does the family have the money to buy me a Foundation Establishment Pill?" Lu Xuanji asked.
"In the past, not to mention twenty thousand, even two hundred thousand Spirit Stones wouldn't matter. But now, it's tight and barely feasible." Father Lu Jinwen said.
"Father, I have over eight thousand Spirit Stones."
Originally intended to be kept in a small savings, but gritting his teeth, Lu Xuanji took out the storage bag and handed it over.
"Eight thousand Spirit Stones, how did you get so many?"
Father asked in bewilderment.
"The ancestor gave them to me." Lu Xuanji said, resolving to blame the ancestor since the deceased couldn't speak.
"So, that's why."
Father nodded.
Even though eight thousand Spirit Stones are quite a lot, for someone at the ancestor's level, it is nothing.
According to the family's rules, in resource allocation, the Purple Mansion ancestor takes fifty percent, Foundation Establishment Cultivators forty percent, and the remaining is for Qi Cultivation Cultivators. Ancestor Lu Fuming, as a Purple Mansion Cultivator, has the right to allocate the family's fifty percent fortune, gifting the younger generation over ten thousand Spirit Stones as pocket money is nothing.
Thus, totaling sixteen thousand, leaving four thousand to be borrowed from the family."
Father Lu Jinwen contemplated and planned for buying his son the Foundation Establishment Pill.
The son is already at the Eighth Layer of Qi Cultivation, and in at most five years, will enter the Ninth Layer, then continuously refine the True Qi, optimally taking another five years.
Within ten years, it is essential to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill for the son.
This ensures preparation for any eventualities.
Action must be taken now, seeking channels to buy the Foundation Establishment Pill for the son.
Foundation Establishment Pills are crucial.
Only those with Celestial Spirit Root can successfully establish a foundation without the pill, achieving one hundred percent success, Anomalous Spirit Root has a fifty percent success rate, and Dual Spirit Root has a forty percent chance.
Historically, there have been cultivators with Anomalous Spirit Root and Dual Spirit Root who considered themselves outstanding geniuses, attempted Foundation Establishment without the pill, and perished instantly.
Life should not gamble, for it is unbearable to lose, and one's life only comes around once.
Even with a ninety percent success rate, failure is still possible.
Attempting to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm without a Foundation Establishment Pill means either success or death.
Having the Foundation Establishment Pill ensures survival even upon failure.
"Recently, do not cause any trouble, just retreat at Changyuan Mountain!" Father Lu Jinwen said, "Study more on being a Spirit Plant Cultivator, specifically on how to cultivate Jade Marrow Lingzhi. Merely relying on purchasing Foundation Establishment Pills externally is neither effective nor sustainable; self-sufficiency must be achieved, rather than being at others' mercy."
Father continually advised as this son was excellent in all aspects, besides having a mysterious self-confidence, enjoying gambling, daring to fight tirelessly.
This kind of character, bold and aggressive, progresses swiftly.
The downside is, it is easy to crash head-on into walls, leading to death on impact.
After some advice, Lu Xuanji departed.
At Changyuan Mountain, he cultivated spirit fields, planting spirit medicine and spirit grass, making some plans for the future.
Most of the Lu family's industries have been lost, only a few stores remain in the marketplace, along with an ore vein of Spirit Stone. The industry has shrunk, making precision calculation of living expenses essential.
Fortunately, economically, the family is self-sufficient; spirit medicine, spirit rice, etc., are produced internally, negating the need for external purchases.
Many low-level talismans or magical artifacts are also refined by some elders within the family, supplying the family's cultivators.
Moreover, without middlemen profiting off the differences, profits are maintained at twenty percent, and prices are not too high.
...
In the Grand Elder's cave mansion, it appeared extremely simple without unnecessary embellishments.
The previously luxury-loving Grand Elder, during the family's reconstruction after the downfall, turned extremely frugal.
Observing the cave mansion's appearance, Lu Jinwen slightly frowned.
"Jinwen is here."
"Greetings, Seventh Uncle."
After seating themselves, Lu Jinwen said, "It is time to prepare Foundation Establishment Pills for Xuanji."
"This is a must." Lu Tianyi said, "Waiting for elixirs is always better than delaying them. Foundation Establishment Pills should not be postponed. Buying Foundation Establishment Pills requires at least twenty thousand Spirit Stones, how much do you have?"
"Sixteen thousand Spirit Stones, there is a need for the family to provide another four thousand Spirit Stones."
Lu Jinwen calmly stated.
"Four thousand Spirit Stones are not enough, at least an additional ten thousand Spirit Stones are necessary, totaling twenty-six thousand." Lu Tianyi stated the price.
"So expensive."
Lu Jinwen said, subconsciously clenching his fist, feeling the pinch of the expense.
"Is it too much? Indeed, it's substantial." Lu Tianyi sneered, "Certain people wish to exploit the Foundation Establishment Pills to heavily fleece loose cultivators and lower-level cultivators. Now, our Lu Family has also become a target of this exploitation. We must cultivate our own Alchemists for the family, and spirit medicine cultivation must keep pace."
"By the way, I must be stationed at Changyuan Mountain, unable to move. This time, you and Brocade must go; two Foundation Establishment Cultivators are enough to secure the Foundation Establishment Pill."