Cultivating a family of immortals

The Xu family's mansion is now built in a very orderly manner, with layers of green tiles and flying eaves, and two huge copper rings hanging on the vermilion gate. Even the stone bricks in front of the steps are paved very neatly.

Since Qingpingshan Village was renamed Guanyun Village, it has occupied a huge area and attracted countless villagers from nearby villages to register their household registration in Guanyun Village.

Originally there were several hundred households, now there are nearly a thousand.

The affiliation between Haoran Sect and Xu family still exists, and Haoran Sect provides spiritual seedlings to Xu family every year, but Xu family hardly relies on Haoran Sect for their livelihood anymore.

Seeing that the Xu family's power was growing stronger, the Haoran Sect did not suppress them. This was because Xu Jingheng was now an inner disciple of the Xuanyuan Sect, and the Haoran Sect would not make an enemy of him unless there was a huge benefit to be gained.

In Guanyun Village, spiritual seedlings, low-level talismans, magic treasures, and elixirs are all cared for or refined by dedicated personnel.

Among them, the talismans and magical artifacts were taught by Fang Shouzhuo to the Xu family, and the Xu family then selected suitable collateral disciples to refine them.

Over the past ten years, the Xu family has taken in sixty-two collateral disciples, while the direct line is nominally led by Xu Jingheng, who is away from home, but in reality, it is the Xu family as a whole.

As for accepting disciples, the previously agreed-upon rule that those with three spiritual roots must join the Haoran Sect has been abandoned.

The number of sixty-two villagers' sons who possessed spiritual roots was extremely exaggerated. Even Fang Shouzhuo couldn't help but marvel at it. He then speculated that perhaps the dragon had perished before the Mochuan River, causing the children born to the nearby villagers to be born with spiritual charm and thus develop spiritual roots.

However, there was one thing that Fang Shouzhou found very puzzling: of these sixty-two children with spiritual roots, fifty-three of them had spiritual roots that were formed between the ages of seven and ten. Such a ratio was extremely rare.

Ultimately, even the Haoran Sect concluded that it was caused by the dragon's fall in the Mochuan River.

All of this was naturally part of Xu Wanghe's plan.

At this moment, in the backyard of the Xu residence, there is a newly built high platform called the Qi Cultivation Platform.

The ground in front of the Qi-cultivation platform is paved with bluish-gray stone bricks, with fine sand embedded in the cracks between the stones. The platform is surrounded by a low stone railing about half a person's height, and a high platform is cast in the middle.

Xu Wanghe stood on the high platform, looking down at the disciples of the collateral lineage who were cultivating cross-legged, his face full of satisfaction.

At that time, the disciples all used their real names and were all incorporated into the collateral branch of the Xu family.

Fang Shouzhou, while nominally a member of the Haoran Immortal Sect, had long since become a member of the Xu family.

Fang Shouzhuo usually sits at the head of the table, responsible for answering the disciples' questions about cultivation. At this moment, he is sitting at the head of the Qi Cultivation Platform, explaining the essentials of the Five Elements Spirit Guiding Technique, and the disciples below are listening very attentively.

At this moment, Xu Changle and Zhou Xingyao walked over together. Xu Changle was holding a family letter, while Zhou Xingyao was holding the hand of a girl who looked about six years old. Xu Jingyao, who had grown up like a little adult, also walked up to the platform together, and the couple's faces were full of smiles.

"Father, Senior Brother Fang, Jingheng has sent a letter and will be back soon."

Xu Wanghe's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, and his eyes were full of joy as he said:

"Are you finally coming back?"

As he spoke, a hint of sorrow appeared in his eyes.

"Ten years have passed since we last met. I wonder how tall Jingheng has grown, and if he still remembers his home..."

Fang Shouzhou chuckled softly from the side, "Patriarch, Jingheng's spiritual root was born early, and he developed wisdom early on, so naturally he remembers these things!"

Xu Wanghe then nodded, "That would be best."

As he spoke, he bent down and took the little girl, whom Zhou Xingyao was holding, into his arms, saying affectionately:

"Jing Sheng, do you miss Grandpa?"

The girl named Jing Sheng is six years old this year. She is Xu Chang Le's third child and is extremely cute.

She nuzzled her face against Xu Wanghe's, her eyebrows curving upwards, and said in a childish voice:

"I miss Grandpa," she said, her eyes darting around as she reached out her hand. "Grandpa, I want some candy."

"Haha, Grandpa will get it for you." Xu Wanghe took a few candied fruits from the small table next to him and fed them to his granddaughter.

Xu Jingyao pouted, hands on his hips, and said, "Grandpa's biased!"

Xu Wanghe naturally wouldn't forget him. With a smile, he took out a book of Daoist techniques from his bosom and handed it to him along with two candied fruits.

"Jingyao, you developed spiritual roots at the age of five, and now you are ten years old. These are various Taoist manuals; take them and cultivate them diligently!"

Xu Jingyao took the book, put it in his pocket, picked up a candied fruit, ate it, and smiled happily.

"Alright, Grandpa, I will definitely master Qi Refining within twenty years!"

"Haha, good, good, good!"

As they were talking, a woman and a man entered the Xu residence. The woman was holding a young child's hand and called out to Xu Wanghe with a smile:

"Master!"

"Jing Tao, come quick!" Xu Wanghe raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Xu Jingtao had already married three years ago. The Xu family tried to dissuade her, but to no avail, so they went along with her.

The man she married was a villager who had just registered in Guanyun Village. Villagers are ordinary people and do not have the aptitude for cultivating immortality.

Xu Wanghe was utterly helpless when the topic of this marriage came up.

Back then, Xu Jingtao was ten years old and followed Xu Guanyi around playing all day. Although it was only a few days, the two siblings developed a deep bond.

Since Xu Jinglei and Xu Guanyi's accident, Xu Jingtao seems to have lost interest in cultivation. She is not depressed all day long, but there is always less of a smile on her face.

Until five years ago, they met a new villager. They became acquainted while doing things for the village, and eventually they got married.

Perhaps Xu Jingtao's state of mind had changed, because she no longer sought immortality and spent her days taking care of her family. She raised her daughter very well, and today the girl turned three. According to the village custom, she was brought in to have her spiritual roots examined.

The man beside Xu Jingtao is her husband, Meng Qingdeng. He had some schooling in his younger years, but due to poverty, he ended up making a living by farming.

He bowed somewhat woodenly to Xu Wanghe and said, "Patriarch!"

Xu Wanghe shook his head, then nodded, hummed in agreement, and then bent down to hold Xu Jingtao's child in his arms.

Do you miss Grandpa?

The little girl smiled sweetly, her voice crystal clear as she said, "Yes!"

"Alright, alright," he said, carrying the child to Xu Changle's side. Xu Changle had already taken out the spirit-testing plate and was waiting. Xu Wanghe placed her hand on the spirit-testing plate and then reached out and grabbed a few candied fruits from the table to feed her. The little girl smiled with her eyes crinkling.

After a moment, Xu Wanghe looked somewhat disappointed. Xu Jingtao's daughter had no spiritual root, which meant that even if she were to develop a spiritual root in the future, it would probably be a mixed spiritual root with four or five different types.

Putting the girl down, Xu Wanghe said softly, "Go and play with your brothers and sisters."

The children played happily nearby, while the Xu family stood on the high platform, chatting casually about trivial matters.

The disciples below the steps watched this scene with great enthusiasm and inspiration.

According to the patriarch, only those who cultivate to the sixth level of the Fetal Breathing stage within ten years can enter the direct line of the Xu family and be completely renamed with the character "Jing". For them, this is undoubtedly a chance to defy fate!

To date, apart from Xu Jinglei and Xu Jingtao, no one else has been granted the surname Xu and the character Jing.

Therefore, everyone looked at Xu Jingtao with envy.

Just then, a man dressed as a butler hurried into the inner courtyard and called out to Xu Wanghe:

"Patriarch, someone is requesting an audience at the gate. It's... Lin Wanxing from the Haoran Sect!"