Chapter 172: Final Decision Regarding The Shelbys

Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Final Decision Regarding The Shelbys

Liam didn’t respond.

He couldn’t exactly announce in front of everyone that the rest of the Shelby Family wanted nothing to do with Maya. Even someone as straightforward as him understood that family disputes shouldn’t be exposed to outsiders without good reason.

His silence was enough to explain his position.

Xavier understood.

He remembered their phone conversation earlier that day. Liam had already told him about the resistance he faced from his family, so there was no need to press him for an explanation.

However, since Liam wasn’t willing to speak openly about it, Xavier decided to make sure Maya understood the situation.

He turned toward the young woman.

"Maya, there’s something you should know. Your uncle is the only person in the Shelby Family who welcomes you. The other members of your mother’s family don’t want you back."

He paused, giving her time to absorb his words.

"Now, I want you to think carefully about what you want. You can remain here with your uncle and wait for us to return, or you can go to the Shelby Family with us and find out the truth for yourself. The choice is yours."

Maya lowered her head.

She had no idea how to respond.

Finding her maternal uncle should have been a happy occasion. For the first time, she had met someone from her mother’s family who genuinely wanted to acknowledge her. She had even started imagining that perhaps the other relatives would welcome her once they learned about her existence.

But Xavier’s words had shattered that hope.

The people who were supposed to be her family didn’t want her.

And there was an even more painful possibility.

Her mother might feel the same way.

Ever since her father had told her about her mother’s existence, Maya had imagined countless possibilities. She had wondered why her mother had left, whether she had ever thought about her, and whether they would eventually be reunited.

She had even prepared herself for the possibility that her mother might not want to see her.

But knowing something was possible and hearing that it had actually happened were two entirely different things.

Her eyes gradually filled with tears.

She struggled to hold them back, but after a while, she looked up at Xavier with a trembling expression.

"Martial Uncle... I still want to go to the Shelby Family."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I want to meet my mother and ask her myself. If she doesn’t want me, then... then I want to hear it from her directly. After that, I’ll know whether I should cut ties with her completely."

Xavier looked at her for a moment before gently patting her head.

"That’s fine. Whatever you decide, your uncle will support you."

He spoke in a reassuring tone.

"Don’t be too upset. The Shelby Family isn’t anything special. Even if they refuse to accept you, you still have your martial uncle. I’ll make sure you’re properly taken care of."

Xavier genuinely felt sorry for Maya.

She had been abandoned during her childhood and had spent years living without the affection and protection a child deserved. Now that she had finally learned about her mother’s family, she was faced with another rejection.

It was a heavy burden for someone so young.

If she didn’t have people she could rely on, the emotional blow might have been too much for her.

Victoria stepped forward and offered her support as well.

"Count me in. Mr. X is a man, after all. There may be certain things Maya finds easier to discuss with another woman. If she needs someone to talk to or rely on, she can always come to me. I’ll be there for her."

"Me too!"

Liam immediately raised his hand.

"I may not be good at comforting people, but I’m her uncle. I’ll protect her, no matter what happens."

Maya looked at the three people surrounding her. The sadness in her eyes gradually gave way to warmth.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle. Thank you, General Quill... and thank you, Uncle."

She wiped away her tears and managed a small smile.

For the first time in a long while, she felt that she wasn’t facing everything alone.

Victoria nodded.

"Good. Then it’s settled. There’s no reason to delay this any longer. We’ll leave for Groundcrest tomorrow and visit the Shelby Family."

Xavier agreed with her decision.

With that matter settled, the atmosphere became more relaxed. However, Xavier had another reason for coming over, and he hadn’t forgotten about it.

He looked at Maya.

"By the way, your master asked me to check on your progress. How much have you improved since we last met? Tell me about your cultivation and the martial arts techniques you’ve been studying."

When Xavier had first taken Maya in as his disciple under the identity of Graham Cole, he had given her a specific target. She was expected to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm within one month.

For an ordinary martial artist, that would be an almost impossible achievement.

However, Maya wasn’t an ordinary cultivator. She possessed the Calamity Poison Body, and Xavier had provided her with abundant cultivation resources. Naturally, he expected her progress to be far faster than that of an average person.

Maya straightened her back and began reporting her results.

"Martial Uncle, I’ve reached the eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm."

She paused before continuing.

"I’m still at the Beginner Stage of the Everlasting Life Technique, but I’ve made quite a bit of progress with the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique. I think I’ll be able to master the basics in another three to five days."

She looked slightly embarrassed as she mentioned the remaining techniques.

"I’m still trying to understand the Seven Waters Profound Technique and the Starry Sky Body Tempering Technique. I haven’t had enough time to practice the other martial arts manuals yet."

Her expression carried a mixture of pride and disappointment.

On one hand, she had gone from an ordinary person to an eighth-level Body Tempering Realm martial artist in just over half a month. That was an astonishing improvement, and she was naturally proud of herself.

On the other hand, she felt that her progress in the martial arts techniques was too slow.

But there wasn’t much she could do about it. She had only recently begun her cultivation journey. Learning several powerful techniques at once was naturally difficult.

Xavier frowned as he listened.

"Why are you progressing so slowly?"

Maya lowered her head.

He immediately continued before she could explain.

"Are you running short of pills or spirit stones? If you need more resources, you should tell me. There’s no need to hold back."

Maya quickly shook her head.

"No, Martial Uncle. I still have more than half of the resources you gave me last time."

"More than half?"

Xavier looked at her as though he had just heard something unbelievable.

"That’s exactly the problem! You’ve barely used the resources I gave you, yet you’re wondering why your cultivation isn’t advancing quickly enough?"

He shook his head and continued in a deliberately stern tone.

"I really need to have a serious talk with you about this. Those resources are meant to be used. Don’t just keep them sitting around!"

Before Maya could protest, Xavier took out another collection of pills and handed them to her.

"Here. Take these as well. Don’t be afraid to use them when you need them."

He then brought out a martial arts manual.

"There’s also a new movement technique. It’s called Ghost Shadow Flash. It’s extremely powerful, so make sure you study it whenever you have time."

Maya tried to refuse, but Xavier ignored her objections and placed everything directly into her hands.

This was the real reason he had asked about her cultivation progress.

He wasn’t simply checking whether she had been diligent. He wanted to make another investment in his disciple.

As soon as the resources changed hands, a series of system notifications began appearing in his mind.

Congratulations, Host! Your investment in a fifth-grade Creation Pill has been successful. The investment triggered an eightfold return! You have received four fifth-grade Star God Pills, three Saint Essence Pills, and one Marrow Cleansing Pill!

Congratulations, Host! Your investment in a fifth-grade Lesser Enlightenment Pill has been successful. The investment triggered a tenfold return! You have received one sixth-grade Qiankun Pill!

...

Congratulations, Host! Your investment in a sixth-grade Divine Descent Pill has been successful. The investment triggered a two-hundredfold return! You have received one eighth-grade Primordial Chaos Pill and one Divine Gift Pill!

Congratulations, Host! Your investment in a top-grade spirit stone has been successful. The investment triggered a tenfold return! You have received one low-grade Source Stone!

Congratulations, Host! Your investment in the seventh-grade martial skill, Ghost Shadow Flash, has been successful. The investment triggered an eightyfold return! Ghost Shadow Flash has been upgraded from the Beginner Stage to the Mastery Stage!

More than twenty notifications appeared in quick succession.

Xavier was delighted.

The most valuable reward from this round was undoubtedly the improvement to Ghost Shadow Flash. The technique had gone from the Beginner Stage straight to the Mastery Stage, giving him another significant boost in combat ability.

However, two other rewards also caught his attention.

The first was the Divine Gift Pill.

Divine Gift Pill

Grade: Eighth Grade

Effect: Upon consumption, temporarily increases the user’s supernatural power and comprehension of laws by a considerable amount. When the effect wears off, there is a chance that part of the enhancement will become permanent.

Xavier’s eyes brightened.

"A pill that temporarily increases supernatural power and law comprehension, with a chance of permanently retaining part of the improvement?"

He was quite impressed.

"That’s an excellent item. It doesn’t come with any obvious side effects, either. I’ll keep it safe and use it when I encounter a suitable opportunity."

The second reward was the Source Stone.