novelapdf Chapter 85: Marrying into the Family
Chapter 85: Marrying into the Family
Yang Jiuli also looked at Lu Wenzheng, wanting to know what Li Yourong had said.
"Master Li said I have no talent for alchemy, and that it would be better for me to learn other skills sooner rather than waste another two years on it."
Lu Wenzheng said.
"What Master Li said is true!" Yang Jiuli said, "but you cannot become an alchemist. You will have to marry into the Li family in two years."
He looked at Lu Wenzheng.
"Marry into the family?" Upon hearing this, Huang Cheng frowned. His grandfather had specifically mentioned that he must not marry into the family and break the family line.
"Haha, I don't see anything wrong with marrying into the family. It's just that the children can't have the surname Lu!" Liu Yuelong laughed and said.
He was quite pleased with himself.
Both being geniuses from the same town, he is now a first-grade low-level alchemist with a promising future.
My cousin is about to become a son-in-law, and his family will depend on others for survival for generations.
A strange sense of superiority arose in Liu Yuelong's heart, making him feel quite cheerful.
They felt extremely pleased with themselves.
Yang Jiuli remained silent and instead looked at Lu Wenzheng.
"A month ago, Brother Yifan wrote to say that he had another son... The Zhou family rewarded him with a first-grade high-quality magic robe... His monthly salary was also increased to ten low-grade spirit stones per month... The Zhou family even suggested that he take a few more concubines, but he declined. Brother Yifan said that he is now focused on cultivation in order to establish his foundation, and he will consider concubines in a few years."
Lu Wenzheng said.
Yang Jiuli also received the letter.
"The Zhou family is treating Fellow Daoist Tang like a breeding boar!" Liu Yuelong exclaimed in astonishment.
Huang Cheng looked on with envy.
However, his gaze quickly hardened.
Although being a live-in son-in-law is desirable, the offspring don't bear the same surname as the father, and once the bloodline is broken, there's nothing left after a hundred years.
"Now, Yifan's treatment in the Zhou family is comparable to that of the Zhou family's direct descendants. I don't think being a live-in son-in-law is so bad." Lu Wenzheng was very indifferent, thinking that Tang Yifan's life was quite leisurely. In fact, he had already made up his mind.
He knew he was unlikely to become an alchemist.
So he read Tang Yifan's letter more than a dozen times.
"If you've come to terms with it, becoming a live-in son-in-law isn't necessarily a bad thing!" Yang Jiuli said. "After all, it's just a surname; the bloodline is still yours, the Lu family's... Being able to cultivate using the Li family's spiritual veins and raise your offspring with the Li family's resources—isn't that a good thing?"
He comforted her.
However, it is absolutely unacceptable for Yang Jiuli to marry into the family.
"I also think being a live-in son-in-law is great!" Lu Wenzheng nodded and said, "These days I've seen many beautiful female cultivators from the Li family on Little Flame Island, far more beautiful than the women in my Dragon Lake Town..." His eyes shone.
Clearly, after realizing he lacked talent in alchemy, this little guy had paid a lot of attention to the girls from the outer islands of the Li family's collateral branches.
"Although being a live-in son-in-law is great, you must not neglect your cultivation... After all, only when you are strong enough can you have face in front of your wife and children... Otherwise, if your cultivation is too weak, not to mention others, even your wife and children will look down on you!" Yang Jiuli said.
"I understand!" Lu Wenzheng said.
"Very good!" Yang Jiuli patted Lu Wenzheng on the shoulder and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless, he had relied on this young man to enter Longhu Town and successfully arrive at the Li family in the past, which was how he entered Tianyun Star.
He still remembered this kindness, and Yang Jiuli naturally didn't want Lu Wenzheng to live a bad life.
……
In the days that followed, Lu Wenzheng did not continue to study alchemy, but instead focused on cultivating his magical power on Golden Cloud Island.
If he wants to marry a good wife to the Li family, he must first reach the fourth level of Qi Refining.
However, the bottleneck between the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining is not so easy to break through.
Within a year, Yang Jiuli had successfully refined a first-grade mid-level "Blood Coagulation Pill".
Lu Wenzheng has not yet reached the fourth level of Qi Refining.
January 19th, sunny.
By this time, they had been living in the Li family for four years.
Yang Jiuli has already turned twenty-eight.
Finally, Yang Jiuli found Lu Wenzheng.
In the pavilion, Yang Jiuli and Lu Wenzheng brewed a pot of spiritual tea.
Lu Wenzheng looked somewhat dejected at this moment.
He is now nineteen years old.
When Lu Wenzheng first entered the Li family, he was already at the second level of Qi Refining, but four years later he still hasn't reached the fourth level.
Seeing that Huang Cheng, who had undergone a complete overhaul, had already reached the second level of Qi Refining and even become a first-grade low-level alchemist.
This left Lu Wenzheng feeling somewhat frustrated and disillusioned, as if he had lost the vigor of youth.
Upon seeing this, Yang Jiuli sighed softly.
I still remember how clever the young man was when the two met.
Unfortunately, Lu Wenzheng, with his mere low-grade spiritual root, was destined to have a short time on the path of cultivation.
After a brief moment of reflection, Yang Jiuli took out a mid-grade first-level 'Qi Condensation Pill' that Luo Qiuping had given him years ago.
"This is a Qi Condensation Pill, which can help you break through your bottleneck." Yang Jiuli gave the pill to Lu Wenzheng.
"'Qi Condensation Pill'... How can this be!" Lu Wenzheng was initially overjoyed, but then quickly declined.
A high-quality Qi Condensation Pill is worth thirty low-grade spirit stones.
Over the years, he has lived frugally in the Li family and accumulated quite a few spirit stones.
However, thirty dollars of that money was used to pay off debts and provide subsidies to the family.
When Lu Wenzheng entered the Li family, the old man bought him a low-grade magic sword and a storage bag, which cost twenty spirit stones. Although Lu Wenzheng still had thirty spirit stones, it was all his savings, and he was a little reluctant to buy a Qi Condensation Pill.
In the past year, after he stopped being an alchemy apprentice, the Li family reduced his monthly salary by as little as one low-grade spirit stone.
As for Yang Jiuli's "Qi Condensation Pill," it was fragrant and crystal clear, clearly of superior quality.
This kind of pill has very little toxicity and is worth far more than thirty low-grade spirit stones.
They were hard to find elsewhere, so each family would keep them for their own descendants.
"There's no need for such formality between us," Yang Jiuli said.
"In that case, I will accept it!" Seeing Yang Jiuli's sincere expression, Lu Wenzheng took the pill and stood up to bow.
Yang Jiuli waved his hand and said, "The path of cultivation is long and arduous, and this is all I can do to help you."
"I understand!" Lu Wenzheng said.
He knew, of course, that he only possessed a low-grade spiritual root, and achieving anything was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
The fact that Ninth Brother was so generous is already a huge favor!
After accepting the Qi Condensation Pill, Lu Wenzheng went into seclusion and, in just half a month, advanced to the fourth level of Qi Refining.
Upon hearing the news, Li Feiyu came to congratulate him and found him a woman from a collateral branch of the family named Li Qianyun.
The woman was also beautiful, eighteen years old, with a low-grade spiritual root and a maximum attribute compatibility of 24, which was similar to Lu Wenzheng's.
Lu Wenzheng had already informed his grandfather, Lu Bingzhi, of his plan to marry into the family, and the old man had not objected.
He only hoped that his grandson could live a peaceful life.
February 8th.
Lu Wenzheng and Li Qianyun got married with Li Wannian as their witness.
Yang Jiuli, Liu Yuelong, and Huang Cheng also went to pay their respects.
However, Lu Bingzhi and other members of the Lu family did not come here.
Firstly, the old man was busy with family affairs, and the fish farm needed someone to guard it.
Secondly, the Lu family is a minor clan, not worthy of being mentioned. Their presence might embarrass Wenzheng and make him feel awkward later.
After becoming a son-in-law, Lu Wenzheng moved away from Jinyun Island.
He went to an outer island and settled down.
Only three people remain on Jinyun Island.
"As time goes by... friends and family will eventually part ways and embark on their own journeys..."
Upon returning from the wedding, Yang Jiuli murmured something while gazing at the empty courtyard before heading back to Jinyun Island.
……
The following day was the ninth day of the second lunar month.
Upon returning to the island, Yang Jiuli broke through to the third level of Qi Refining that very night, and his internal magical power surged, resulting in a qualitative improvement.
Yang Jiuli's mind sank into his sea of consciousness.
Name: Yang Jiuli.
Lifespan: 28/123.
Martial Arts: "Treading Snow Without a Trace," "Heavenly Fiend Body Refining Technique," "Snowflake Swordplay," "Thirteen Sword Styles"
Location: Chu Kingdom, Tianyun Star (a third-level cultivation kingdom)
Immortal cultivation level: Qi Refining Level 3.
Mastery of spells: Wind Control, Object Manipulation, Green Wood Cage, Wooden Spikes
……
Spiritual Root: Superior-grade spiritual root. (Damaged state, under repair (7800/10000), now repaired to mid-grade spiritual root state).
Spiritual energy attribute:
Gold: (31/58)
Wood: (55/99)
Water: (36/66)
Fire: (38/79)
Earth: (36/51)
The Three Lives Talisman (Past Life Talisman) Tier 1. Usable 5 times.
Mental strength: Level 9.
Soul Arrows: Three.
Flame Talisman: Three.
Taiyin Qi Talisman: Two.
"As expected, each minor advancement in the cultivation of the 'Azure Emperor's Longevity Technique' increases one's lifespan by five years!"
Looking at these data, Yang Jiuli showed a satisfied expression.
At the same time, he focused his gaze on the spiritual root attributes below.
"A spiritual energy compatibility of 55... just one step away from reaching the superior-grade spiritual root level!"
As the repair progressed and the quality of his spiritual root improved, Yang Jiuli's speed in drawing upon the wood elemental energy also increased.
As a result, the subsequent repair speed also increased exponentially.
In just over four years, he repaired his spiritual root from low-grade to mid-grade.
As a result, Yang Jiuli's speed in condensing magical power also increased.
He was quite satisfied with this.
Everything was progressing according to his expected trajectory.
"From now on, I can slow down the repair speed of my spiritual root. Otherwise, if the speed at which I draw spiritual energy is too fast, it will attract the attention of Foundation Establishment cultivators, which would not be good." Yang Jiuli whispered. Foundation Establishment cultivators are extremely sensitive to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and can detect the abnormality of his drawing spiritual energy.
"Now I can try to dedicate some time to honing my swordsmanship!"
Yang Jiuli's eyes flickered, and he got up and went to the courtyard to practice his swordsmanship.
……
half a month later.
"The power of my sword is almost at the peak of the Grandmaster level!" In the courtyard, Yang Jiuli used the Qingxia Sword to perform the "Qingyuan Sword Technique" he created. A sword aura burst out from the tip of the sword, piercing through the boulder and sweeping across ten zhang.
Having long since comprehended the state of harmony between man and nature, Yang Jiuli's sword strike was naturally far more powerful than that of an ordinary grandmaster.
As for the "Qingyuan Sword Manual", it was actually an improvement by Yang Jiuli based on the "Floating Snow Sword Technique" and the "Thirteen Sword Styles".
There are nine styles in total.
"My swordsmanship has reached a minor level, and I've also become a mid-grade first-tier alchemist... It's time to find an opportunity to improve my support combat capabilities."
"While changing to a different magic sword could increase my combat power, it wouldn't make much difference for someone like me who's only at the third level of Qi Refining!"
"Other support forces are needed!"
"For example: puppets, talisman making, spirit beasts!" Yang Jiuli muttered to himself after sheathing his sword, beginning to plan for the next few years.
For more than four years, he had been practicing alchemy and cultivating qi, and had not left the Li family in Yunmeng Lake.
Having lived several lifetimes, he naturally knew the dangers outside. With his weak strength, he could easily be killed by a treacherous cultivator if he wasn't careful.
Therefore, Yang Jiuli has been secretly working to improve his strength.