Qingzhu Mountain is not a single mountain, but a range filled with crystal clear, translucent green bamboo.
Upon entering the mountain, Lu Changsheng could clearly feel that the air was much fresher and more humid.
There were streams in the mountain valleys, and colorful birds chirping, with terraced fields on some slopes cultivating grains and vegetables, much like a utopian paradise.
The Lu Family had built a number of villages and manors throughout these mountains.
Lu Changsheng and the group of Immortal Seedlings were settled in Qingzhu Villa located in the outer periphery.
"Beneath Qingzhu Villa lies a First Grade Spirit Vein, from now on, you will live here and focus on your cultivation."
"Rest assured that as long as you fulfill the previously agreed-upon conditions, you're free to leave the Lu Family or stay in the future."
"Uncle Fu, settle them in."
After giving some brief instructions, Lu Yuanding left.
"I am in charge of Qingzhu Villa; you can call me Uncle Fu. Come with me now," he said.
Uncle Fu was an old man with grey hair and a slightly stooped body.
After introducing himself, he led everyone to go through the formalities, and also introduced them to various aspects of Qingzhu Villa.
Qingzhu Villa was vast, home not only to them but also to the Lu Family's own Immortal Seedlings who were cultivating there.
However, they were mostly collateral family members with average talent.
If anyone had exceptional talent, they would usually reside in the core area of Qingzhu Mountain, where the concentration of spiritual energy was much thicker due to a Second Grade Spirit Vein.
Along the way, the group saw many Lu Family disciples.
These people also looked at Lu Changsheng and the others curiously, as if watching monkeys, with a hint of disdain and arrogance in their eyes.
Regarding this, Lu Changsheng was quite calm.
To put it nicely, they were sons-in-law who had married into the family from different ethnic groups.
To put it unpleasantly, they were here to breed.
However, through observation, he could tell that the Lu Family's disciples, both male and female, were quite good-looking.
This made him somewhat relieved about the subsequent 'breeding' part.
After all, who didn't hope for a good-looking partner when coming to be a son-in-law and have kids?
Lu Changsheng admitted he was quite superficial.
An hour later.
Under Uncle Fu's arrangements, Lu Changsheng and the others signed the marital contracts, processed their identity plaques, received Cultivation Techniques, and were allocated living quarters.
The living space was a separate courtyard covering nearly two hundred square meters, replete with pavilions, terraces, and towers; it was fully equipped.
Lu Changsheng sat on the large bed in his room and took out the Cultivation Technique.
Return to Origin Technique
Upon opening the technique manual, an image of a man in a grey robe appeared, demonstrating poses and began explaining in detail how to cultivate.
"Worthy of being a cultivation method, it even has video functionality," Lu Changsheng couldn't help but admire the manual in his hands for a few moments. He couldn't figure out how the book projected the image and produced sound but found it quite magical.
Following the guidance of the figure in the manual, he began to try cultivating.
After attempting for a long time, Lu Changsheng finally entered the right state; his Mental Spirit became lucid, sensing the wisps and strands of colorful spiritual energy around him.
Knowing he had completed the first step, sensing the Spiritual Energy, he then tried to draw the energy into his body.
Under his control, the Spiritual Energy slowly converged towards him, entering his body through the pores all over his skin.
This process was very slow, and once the Spiritual Energy entered the body, it had to circulate a full cycle before a strand of it could remain in the Dantian Qi Sea.
While the Spiritual Energy circulated, it also nourished the body's flesh, veins, and bones, slowly expelling impurities from the body and thus performing a Marrow Cleansing.
The night passed.
"So, this is what having a Ninth Grade Spiritual Root is like."
"At this rate, breaking through to the first level of Qi Refinement will take ages."
Looking at the faint trace of cool aura in his Dantian Qi Sea, Lu Changsheng gave a wry smile.
And this was while cultivating in a place with a Spirit Vein.
Without a Spirit Vein, the process would have been even slower.
At that moment, Lu Changsheng gained a profound understanding of the difficulties of cultivation.
"Sigh! Looks like I have to rely on the system," Lu Changsheng exhaled deeply.
Knowing that relying solely on his own efforts to cultivate was simply unrealistic, the only option left was to depend on the system.
"I wonder when the Lu Family will arrange a wife for me?" Lu Changsheng thought.
"Ding ding ding!"
It was at that moment the bells in the courtyard rang out.
Someone had come.
Lu Changsheng left his room and opened the courtyard door.
"Lu Changsheng, the Lu Family has already organized a reception banquet to welcome and cleanse the dust of travel for you. Follow me," Uncle Fu spoke from the doorway.
Behind him were the other Immortal Seedlings.
"A welcome reception?"
Hearing about this welcome reception, Lu Changsheng had a hunch and nodded, "Alright."
Then, Uncle Fu gathered all twelve Immortal Seedlings and took them to a spacious and elegant hall within Qingzhu Villa.
There was no one else inside, only twelve seats were arranged, adorned with fine wines and delicacies.
After everyone took their seats, it was not long before a stream of graceful and enchanting young ladies entered one by one, proceeding into the hall.
Indeed.
Seeing these ladies, Lu Changsheng immediately knew his guess was right.
This welcoming feast, intended to cleanse away the dust of travel, was meant for 'breeding' arrangements.
The women entering the hall numbered fifty or sixty, all of them pleasant to look at.
Although none were as stunning as Lu Miaoge, there were still many beauties, comparable to some online celebrities from his previous life.
These women had clearly made an effort to dress up, each bearing a unique style.
Some had a petite build, with a cute appearance;
Some wore simple makeup, gentle and graceful;
Some had brows like sharp swords, dressed in vigorous attire, their demeanor spirited and bold;
Some were dressed in ornate court attire with their hair coiled up, dignified and elegant;
There were also those with ice-cold faces, like icebergs; their figures graceful, seductive and alluring; dressed in diaphanous gauzy fabrics, with long legs and high heels, beguiling and tempting...
One could say, with so many types available, there was bound to be one to stir your heart.
"This gesture, quite impressive indeed!"
Amazed by the bevy of beauties before him, Lu Changsheng couldn't help but praise inwardly.
He felt that the Lu Family was indeed generous in this regard, no two ways about it.
They truly were a proper cultivation family!
"All these ladies are outstanding women from our Qing Zhu Lu Family's secular branches, not only literate and well-mannered but also virtuous and wise, and well-versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting... all of them pure..."
"Today, they will provide a warm reception for the gentlemen."
"You may choose the one you favor, and this old man will arrange the wedding for you," Uncle Fu said.
After he finished speaking, he left the hall, leaving only Lu Changsheng and the other eleven with the multitude of Lu Family women.
There was no need for Lu Changsheng and the others to take the initiative; the women approached their seats on their own.
Although they were secular women from the Lu Family, most were descendants of cultivators.
Coming here was a matter of personal choice, without any coercion involved.
The women hoped to select desirable Immortal Seedlings, bear children with Spiritual Roots, and thus, benefit from association with their offspring.
Therefore, in this welcoming and dust-cleansing feast, the women generally had more say in the matter.
In this life, Lu Changsheng had the background of a peasant, and in terms of appearance, he was quite plain.
With his Ninth Grade Spiritual Root, only three women approached him.
He didn't mind this and simply embraced all three of them.
One must learn to be content.
Having three was fairly good.
Moreover, all three young ladies were quite attractive.
One was pure and lovely with a playful personality.
Another was innocent and charming, giving off a sense of both purity and desire.
And the third was gentle in appearance, graceful in character, exuding an air of a well-bred young lady.
The first two girls looked somewhat similar in features, likely sisters.
That would do!
In his previous life, if he could have had three wives like these, his ancestors would have been bursting with pride.
In contrast to Lu Changsheng's initiative, the other eleven were much more resistant.
For instance, Li Feiyu, with his handsome and valiant appearance along with a Seventh Grade Spiritual Root, had seven ladies approach him.
However, he only chose one lady of exquisite beauty, sending the others away.
An hour later.
The reception feast concluded.
Everyone had made their 'chosen one' selections.
Aside from Lu Changsheng, who chose three, the others only selected one or two.
They still had aspirations for cultivation.
It was simply because of the contract they signed with the Lu Family that they temporarily chose one for the sake of formality.
They hoped that once their cultivation reached a certain success, they would be able to change their status.
Afterward, under Uncle Fu's arrangements, the twelve held a simple wedding banquet that very day.
The wedding was kept simple, and once the formalities were completed, it was time for the bridal chamber.
"My lady."
"Husband x3!"
In the bridal chamber, Lu Changsheng gazed at the three charmingly alluring ladies in front of him and drew the bed curtains closed.
This year, Lu Changsheng was eighteen and had taken three wives.
The gentle and well-bred one was named Lu Lanshu.
The pure yet charming one was named Lu Zi'er.
The pure and lovely one was named Lu Qing'er.
They were sisters.