Chapter 138

Chapter 138: The Fifth Layer of Qi Refinement

Time flew by. More than three months after Zhou Luo’s tenth child was born, the two sisters, Lin Yi Yi and Lin Zi Er, also gave birth to one child each.

However, neither of these two children had spiritual roots.

As a result, he only gained twenty years of lifespan.

Regarding this, Zhou Luo had gradually become indifferent because he knew it could not be forced.

Moreover, his current lifespan bonus had reached two hundred years, which was almost catching up to that of a Foundation Establishment strong person. He did not need to worry about the problem of lifespan depletion at all.

At present, the key was still to improve the quality of spiritual roots.

Therefore, in the future, the focus should be on the three women: Lin Xi, Lin Jin Xuan, and Bai Zhi Yan.

Although this way of thinking was somewhat unfair and biased.

But there was no other way.

Matters between men and women hindered cultivation, and it was impossible for him to cover every aspect…

Before obtaining the dual cultivation technique, he had to make choices.

After eight months of Closed-Door Training, Zhou Luo had touched the threshold of the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.

Continuing with arduous training would not yield much effect.

So he simply returned to Zhou Garden, planning to continue his baby-making mission.

After all, conception could trigger a lottery, giving birth could increase lifespan and improve the quality of spiritual roots. More Children, More Blessings was indeed his main profession.

If his body had allowed it, he would not have stayed at the spiritual vein every day for these eight months.

He returned to Zhou Garden with enthusiasm.

In the blink of an eye, his eldest child, Zhou Chang An, was already five years old.

With the help of the Spirit Gathering Technique and the Qi of Innate Origins, he smoothly embarked on the path of cultivation and became a Qi Refinement cultivator at the lowest level.

However, with only a Ninth Grade spiritual root, his training speed would still be very slow.

There was no choice; the quality of spiritual roots determined a person’s achievements in this lifetime.

Even Zhou Luo, relying on system rewards, as well as aids like the Gathering Spirit Potion and the Fire Spirit Ring, had only touched the threshold of the fifth layer of Qi Refinement after more than five years.

If it were a cultivator with a mid-grade spiritual root, they would probably have already reached the fifth layer and be striving for the sixth layer.

Regarding this, Zhou Luo was not too disappointed.

Anyway, with his long lifespan, if he couldn’t match them in talent, he would outlast those geniuses!

After returning to Zhou Garden, he first instructed the training of some young ones.

Apart from Zhou Chang An, Shi Wen, Shi Yi, and Chang Shu, who possessed spiritual roots, had all started training.

He also taught the Spirit Gathering Technique to these three young ones and told them not to spread it to outsiders.

The young ones nodded in agreement.

During this period of Closed-Door Training, Master Lin Zhi Shou, after taking the Lifespan Pill, became radiant and no longer needed to worry about lifespan issues in the short term.

Unfortunately, the efficacy of the Lifespan Pill wasn’t sufficient, and coupled with the fact that he was already severely injured, at most he could only live for another three to five years.

Upon hearing of his exit from seclusion, the elderly man, freshly recovered from a serious illness, personally came to Zhou Garden.

Seeing Zhou Luo’s numerous children, wives, and concubines, he earnestly advised him. He hoped Zhou Luo would not indulge in lust but focus on cultivation and alchemy, ensuring he didn’t squander his excellent talent.

Zhou Luo readily agreed, then plunged headfirst back into the business of procreation.

Simultaneously, from Lin Zhi Shou, he learned another piece of news.

It was a family rule that children without spiritual roots would be sent to the secular world after they turned ten years old.

To an Immortal Sect, long-life families represented the secular world.

And to long-life families themselves, the realm beyond the family was the secular world.

Like Maple Leaf City, or the other small towns nearby.

Since these children lacked spiritual roots, they could never pursue cultivation. Staying within the family, they would only be able to perform menial tasks.

Rather than let them become servants or maids within the family, it was better to set them free to seek their fortunes in the secular world.

Given the Lin Family’s reputation and influence in these smaller cities, they could at least guarantee these children a life free from hunger and cold. Who knew, they might even carve out a little niche for themselves in the wider world.

This revelation came as something of a surprise to Zhou Luo, and it inevitably weighed on him a little.

After all, these were his own flesh and blood. The thought of them leaving at such a tender age felt unsettling.

He had once heard this saying:

Accept the ordinariness of your parents; accept your own ordinariness; accept the ordinariness of your children.

He might still manage to improve the first two. But the last one truly was beyond remedy.

Perhaps it was for the best.

Without the ability to cultivate, they would face immense pressure within the family setting.

Might as well let them go to the secular world and live happily as wealthy commoners, eventually retiring comfortably to spend their remaining years.

Moreover, sending these children into the secular world early for experience meant that later, when he founded his own family branch, they, having spread their branches afar, might even be able to assist him.

After all, a long-life family couldn’t focus solely on cultivation; it also needed to manage industries to provide a constant stream of wealth for the lineage.

…

The tenth day after returning to Zhou Garden.

Sitting in meditation in his training room, Zhou Luo suddenly felt the Qi energy within his body surge violently. A powerful wave of spiritual energy erupted from his core.

His Qi sea, originally only about the size of a volleyball, abruptly expanded. Torrents of spiritual energy roared out, causing his entire body to glow with an ethereal light.

The fifth layer of Qi Refinement!

After cultivating for five whole years, he had finally reached it.

The fifth layer of Qi Refinement represented a turning point for any Qi Refinement cultivator.

From this moment on, he could finally cultivate Battle Techniques with relative ease, use spiritual energy in prolonged combat, and truly become a member of the cultivation world.

Though he was still the very lowest stratum of the cultivation world, it was undeniably a positive beginning.

Zhou Luo opened his eyes. His starry eyes shone with delight and exhilaration.

Among cultivators with a Ninth Grade spiritual root, his training speed was already remarkably fast—impressively so, even comparable to those with a mid-grade spiritual root.

This was mainly the result brought about by various blessings and aids.

Moreover, for the sake of his cultivation, he had used a large amount of spiritual stones.

Luckily, the rewards he had obtained were plentiful enough; otherwise, he truly wouldn’t have been able to sustain it.

He slowly got up, and the Moon-white Robe gifted by Wang Xian shone brilliantly, seemingly congratulating him on his realm breakthrough.

Standing before the bronze mirror, he gazed at his erect figure and handsome, sharply defined face in the reflection, then smiled faintly.

At that moment, he was emitting an unshakeable composure and calm aura. Paired with that gleaming Moon-white Robe, he appeared impressively elegant and distinguished.

No wonder it was the fifth layer of Qi Refinement—his very aura seemed transformed.

Now that the fifth layer of Qi Refinement had been achieved, the Third Level of the Bear Body Refinement Technique should be completed next.

He walked out of his room. All his wives and concubines saw his look and sensed an indescribable change in him.

This change made them feel an uncontrollable urge to draw closer to him.

Even the servants at Zhou Garden inexplicably felt a sense of closeness.

Zhou Luo was unaware that at the exact moment of his cultivation breakthrough, the favorability-boosting reward he had once drawn was quietly undergoing a change.

This change wasn’t obvious, but it was definitely there.

At that point, he still thought it was an effect brought by the breakthrough.

He arrived outside the main building and coincidentally ran into Xu Changsheng.

"Brother Zhou, what’s your current level?" inquired Xu Changsheng.

He sized up Zhou Luo, sensing a shift in the other’s aura yet unable to gauge his true cultivation level.

"Fifth layer of Qi Refinement," replied Zhou Luo calmly.

Upon hearing this, Xu Changsheng was struck with shock. He stared at him in disbelief, asking, "You’ve really made it to the fifth layer of Qi Refinement?"

"Oh my god!"

He, with his Seventh Grade spiritual roots, had toiled in cultivation for over five years and only just entered the mid-stage of the fourth layer of Qi Refinement.

Yet the other was already at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.

Wasn’t Zhou Luo supposed to have Ninth Grade spiritual roots?

Instantly, Xu Changsheng’s mind reeled; he couldn’t accept it.

"Mmm," nodded Zhou Luo and walked away with a calm expression.

Xu Changsheng stood frozen like a statue, as if struck by lightning.

His troubled mind took a long time to settle.