Chapter 179 - 178: A Birthday Gift That Crushes the Competition

Luo Tian stepped forward to present a birthday gift on behalf of Lin Dongfeng.

Miao Jiang, Yuwen Zhou, and the other second-generation elders were not optimistic.

They could only produce such extremely precious birthday gifts because they were backed by large Martial Arts Families with profound resources.

Miao Jiang and his son settled in, ready to watch the drama unfold.

Besides his normal preferences, Hermit Hidden Dragon also had some taboos and eccentricities.

Those who didn’t understand him might give the wrong gift, waste their money, and end up displeasing the Hidden Dragon Ancestor.

"I wish the Ancestor eternal youth!"

Composed and unhurried, Luo Tian walked toward Hermit Hidden Dragon.

"This disciple will present two birthday gifts. One of them is a token of my own sentiment."

"Oh?"

A trace of interest appeared on Hermit Hidden Dragon’s face.

Hermit Hidden Dragon greatly admired this grand-disciple. Luo Tian’s talent, potential, and character were all top-notch; he could be called a dragon among men.

"Are there a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone available?"

Luo Tian’s gaze swept across the room.

Huh?

Everyone was stunned, not quite understanding.

"Nephew Luo, are you planning to recite a poem or paint a picture to celebrate the Ancestor’s birthday?"

A playful smirk touched the corners of Miao Jiang’s lips.

Hermit Hidden Dragon had achieved an extremely high level of mastery in calligraphy and could be considered a grandmaster of his generation.

Moreover, this hermit held himself in high regard and utterly detested works that lacked any spiritual quality.

If Luo Tian were to present his own work, it would be no different from showing off one’s meager skills before a true expert.

"Yes."

Xia Bingyue brought out a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone.

SWISH! SWISH!

Luo Tian’s brush danced like a dragon and phoenix as he freely scrawled a few lines of characters on the Xuan paper.

Luo Tian’s writing looked very casual, with no aesthetic appeal whatsoever.

’This kid, showing off his calligraphy in front of a grandmaster...’

Miao Feng almost burst out laughing, a mocking expression on his face.

Yuwen Zhou and the other second-generation elders secretly shook their heads. ’Luo Tian is really going to make a fool of himself this time.’

"Ancestor, please have a look."

With an air of light-hearted nonchalance, Luo Tian handed his work to Hermit Hidden Dragon.

"What is this?"

Hermit Hidden Dragon frowned. The few lines on the paper didn’t resemble a poem, nor did they look like lyrics.

Furthermore, in the eyes of a grandmaster like him, Luo Tian’s calligraphy was somewhat clumsy and unbearable to look at.

Seeing Hermit Hidden Dragon’s furrowed brow,

Lin Dongfeng thought to himself, ’This is bad.’

The Hidden Dragon Sect disciples present felt embarrassed for Luo Tian, though quite a few were also taking pleasure in his misfortune.

"Luo Tian! Take your work back!"

"Your Ancestor is a grandmaster of calligraphy! A clumsy piece like this is an insult to his discerning eyes."

Miao Jiang, his son, and others chided him out loud.

Luo Tian stood with his hands behind his back, smiling without a word.

Just then, Hermit Hidden Dragon finished reading the nondescript text.

’A mere scribble!’

Hermit Hidden Dragon sighed lightly, a little disappointed.

If Luo Tian hadn’t already left such a good impression on him, he wouldn’t have even been able to endure reading it to the end.

"Luo Tian! This is utter nonsense! Apologize to the Ancestor at once!"

Lin Dongfeng berated him anxiously.

"No, wait! This text..."

Hermit Hidden Dragon suddenly jolted, staring at the few lines of scribble-like text in his hand.

Those seemingly ordinary lines suddenly formed an incantation, which he subconsciously began to circulate.

VMMM!

The abnormal True Essence in Hermit Hidden Dragon’s body pulsed with a profound tremor and returned to normal.

A few breaths later.

WHOOSH!

Hermit Hidden Dragon’s face grew ruddy and his expression became vigorous, a complete reversal of his previous unwell state.

"Excellent! Excellent! The Ancestor is very pleased with this sentiment of yours."

Hermit Hidden Dragon was overjoyed and gave Luo Tian a deep look.

"What... what’s going on?!"

The faces of Miao Jiang, his son, and the others froze.

Luo Tian’s scribble had actually delighted a Great Power of the Earth Element Realm and seemed to have some kind of miraculous effect.

"Master, what just happened?"

Yuwen Zhou asked in astonishment.

"Some time ago, I was practicing a peculiar technique when something went awry, causing my True Essence and Vitality to become unstable and leaving me in poor condition," Hermit Hidden Dragon explained with a smile.

"I never expected that Luo Tian would gift me an incantation that would resolve that negative state."

After hearing the explanation,

everyone stared at Luo Tian with wide eyes, as if looking at a freak.

A piece that looked like a mere scribble from Luo Tian had actually made the Ancestor vigorous and healthy.

This was ten, even a hundred times better than any other birthday wish.

The faces of those who had been reveling in his misfortune, like Miao Jiang and his son, became so ugly they nearly suffered an internal injury from holding back their frustration.

"This incantation was passed down by that master of mine. It can calm the negative states brought on by Cultivation," Luo Tian explained.

He had already laid the groundwork by using the name of that non-existent master to help Lin Dongfeng repair his foundation.

This time, it was just an incantation, so it was a logical extension.

Moreover, Luo Tian had discovered something: Hermit Hidden Dragon had not cultivated his Spiritual Sense.

Therefore, it hadn’t cost him much to directly observe the situation with his Spiritual Sense and have the Celestial Book perform an Inference to produce the incantation.

According to the Celestial Book’s reply, only a peak Earth Element Realm expert on the verge of the Celestial Pool Realm could possibly cultivate Spiritual Sense.

...

"Next, the second birthday gift, which this disciple is presenting on behalf of Master Lin."

A wooden box appeared in Luo Tian’s hand.

The wooden box opened.

It revealed a vibrant red lotus fruit that emitted a unique Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.

The entire room was filled with a warm, exotic fragrance.

"This Spiritual Qi fluctuation! Could it be a Three-star Treasure?!"

Miao Jiang, Yuwen Zhou, and the others couldn’t help but exclaim in shock.

Three-star Treasures corresponded to the Earth Element Realm. On the Continent today, they were exceedingly rare and priceless.

"A Red Lotus Fruit!"

Hermit Hidden Dragon’s gaze trembled, and he blurted out the name.

"What?! This is the legendary Red Lotus Fruit?"

The disciples were so aghast they were speechless.

The Red Lotus Fruit contained Earth Vein Pure Fire Qi, which could provide a huge boost to those with a Flame Sun Attribute Technique.

Furthermore, this fruit could improve one’s constitution, perform a Marrow Washing, and even had the miraculous effect of preserving one’s youth.

The appearance of the Red Lotus Fruit moved even Hermit Hidden Dragon.

The hearts of all the disciples present pounded, burning with desire.

’This boy, Luo Tian, actually managed to produce such a rare fruit from Ancient Times!’

Miao Jiang and his son were filled with jealousy and greed.

It could be said that this one fruit from Luo Tian completely overshadowed all the other birthday gifts.

No matter how precious the Spirit Dragon Ancient Tea was, it couldn’t raise the Cultivation of an Earth Element Realm expert.

But the Red Lotus Fruit was a Three-star Treasure that could benefit the Earth Element Realm, and its Marrow Washing effect was even more potent for the Spirit Sea Realm.

"Good heavens, kid! To think you possess such a great treasure!"

Lin Dongfeng was dumbfounded, his heart trembling.

Even if he sold his entire being, he wouldn’t be worth a single Red Lotus Fruit.

As a Mentor, he felt so pathetic; he was so much poorer than his own student.

How could Lin Dongfeng know that a single Red Lotus Fruit was just the tip of the iceberg of Luo Tian’s wealth?

Compared to the Red Lotus Sword, the Red Lotus Fruit wasn’t even worth mentioning.

"Luo Tian, how did you come to possess such a rare fruit from Ancient Times?"

Hermit Hidden Dragon calmed his emotions.

This Lotus Fruit was indeed very attractive to him.

However, he felt a bit bad accepting such a momentous gift from a grand-disciple he had just met.

"This fruit was obtained from the temporary cave residence of a Martial Venerable. Nun Xia was also there at the time..."

Luo Tian explained briefly.

Xia Bingyue nodded slightly, but ripples stirred in her heart.

On that day,

Luo Tian had wanted to compensate her, and the Red Lotus Fruit was one of the items he offered.

But she had refused.

Luo Tian had many considerations in presenting the Red Lotus Fruit this time.

First, of the four treasures, the Red Lotus Fruit was the least useful to him, and he had three of them.

A Flame Attribute treasure did not align well with his Cultivation Divine Vein.

Trying to sell a Three-star Treasure on the open market would be both troublesome and very risky.

Second, Luo Tian offered this fruit so that Xia Bingyue could benefit from it indirectly.

When Hermit Hidden Dragon received the Red Lotus Fruit, he wouldn’t consume it directly. He would refine it into Spirit Pills to maximize its value.

This was a skill Luo Tian did not possess.

Once the Spirit Pills were refined, given how highly Hermit Hidden Dragon regarded Xia Bingyue, he would surely give her some to achieve the effects of Marrow Washing and youth preservation.

Ultimately, Luo Tian still wanted to compensate Xia Bingyue. After all, she was the first woman in his life, and he absolutely could not treat her unfairly.

"This fruit is not of great use to this disciple. The Ancestor can accept it without worry."

Seeing Hermit Hidden Dragon’s hesitation, Luo Tian said with a smile.

Although Hermit Hidden Dragon was a bit pedantic and traditional, his character was beyond reproach.

"Alright! The Ancestor will shamelessly accept this great gift. When the time comes, a portion of the ’Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills’ refined with this fruit as the main ingredient will be sent to you."

Hermit Hidden Dragon’s face was full of gratification.

This Red Lotus Fruit, as the main ingredient, was enough to refine several Fire Element Spiritual Pills and Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills.

Among them, the Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill could slightly increase a Spirit Level Martial Artist’s chances of breaking through to the Earth Element Realm by ten percent.

If a Meridian Opening Martial Artist took it, their chances of advancing to the Spirit Sea Realm would increase by fifty percent.

’This Luo Tian has had such a great opportunity, and he’s even earned the deep affection of the Hidden Dragon Ancestor.’

All the disciples present were eclipsed.

Compared to the two birthday gifts Luo Tian presented, their own gifts had been reduced to dust.

During the sect gathering that followed,

Hermit Hidden Dragon frequently asked after Lin Dongfeng and Luo Tian with great concern, showing them a level of importance far exceeding that of the other disciples.

Miao Jiang and his son were filled with jealousy and frustration, but there was nothing they could do.

Without a doubt, through this birthday celebration, Lin Dongfeng would reclaim his position as the head of the "Three Hidden Dragon Heroes."

And Luo Tian had become the most admired and favored third-generation grand-disciple of the Ancestor.

With this level of protection,

Luo Tian could walk sideways in the Azure Cloud Kingdom, and even the Royal Family would have to be wary of him.

「As evening approached.」

The Hidden Dragon Sect’s birthday celebration for their master was drawing to a close.

Lin Dongfeng stood in the crowd, receiving friendly gestures and compliments from several of his sect brothers. It felt as if he had returned to his most glorious moment, thirty years ago.

Lin Dongfeng was filled with emotion, but he did not get carried away.

He understood that all of this was bestowed upon him by Luo Tian, this "bargain" of a student.

From repairing his foundation to regaining his status within the sect,

Luo Tian was like a second parent to him, the turning point that had changed his destiny.

Lin Dongfeng deeply wanted to express his gratitude.

His gaze searched and found Luo Tian leaning in a corner, watching him with a faint smile.

The two exchanged a smile, and for a moment, it seemed they were no longer master and student.

"Dongfeng, come in for a moment."

Just as everyone was about to leave, Hermit Hidden Dragon suddenly spoke.

"Yes, Master."

Lin Dongfeng was a little surprised. He followed Hermit Hidden Dragon into the study alone.

This scene made Miao Jiang’s face turn pale, his expression dark and stormy.

This kind of treatment—a private conversation—was extremely rare. Miao Jiang had only experienced it a few times in several decades.

「Inside the study.」

Only Hermit Hidden Dragon and Lin Dongfeng were present.

"Dongfeng, this student of yours is a peerless genius. His aptitude and potential are even greater than Bingyue’s, not weaker,"

Hermit Hidden Dragon said in praise.

"Master, you praise him too much. This kid is quite a handful..." Lin Dongfeng said with a laugh.

"I have made a decision."

Hermit Hidden Dragon’s tone was calm, but his expression was solemn and grave.

SHH!

A Token and a letter appeared in his hand.

Seeing these two items,

Lin Dongfeng’s body suddenly trembled. "You intend to..."

"That’s right! I intend to give this fateful opportunity to Luo Tian," Hermit Hidden Dragon said with a faint smile.

"But..."

Lin Dongfeng looked conflicted, his heart a mix of emotions.

Thirty years ago.

It was in this very place.

Hermit Hidden Dragon had placed his high hopes in him and bestowed upon him this very same opportunity.

In the end, he had suffered a crushing defeat and experienced the greatest humiliation of his life. He had been beaten so badly that his foundation was damaged, his Cultivation regressed, and his life was plunged into darkness.

Lin Dongfeng was terrified that Luo Tian would repeat his own disastrous mistake.

"You make the decision yourself."

Hermit Hidden Dragon handed the Token and the letter to Lin Dongfeng.

"Do you want him to reach the peak of the Continent and enter the real world, or be confined to a corner of the Azure Cloud Kingdom?"