Chapter 104: Gifts Beyond Expectation

After two days of making love and a third spent simply lying tangled together, Ji Yan went off to deal with the sect’s affairs, since Ji Yue was no longer around to handle them. Gu Yuan returned to his own room.

The silence settled around him. For a long while he did nothing, only stared at the polished wall in front of him while his thoughts ran in every direction.

During the past ten years, he had been so absorbed in comprehending the Ascension Stele left behind by Emperor Tianwu that he had lost track of time. Naturally, he had assumed Ji Yan had done the same.

Apparently, that wasn’t the case.

Although she had also been comprehending the stele’s teachings, she had continued cultivating at the same time.

He had discovered this the previous day when he appraised her and found that she had already reached the Fourth Stage of the Embryo Realm. According to Ji Yan, she had unconsciously circulated her cultivation technique while comprehending the stele, allowing her to advance without deliberately setting aside time to cultivate.

How was that even possible?

Gu Yuan had no idea. For him, such a thing was practically unimaginable.

Regardless, this discovery had once again reminded him of just how difficult it would be to surpass the twins.

Even though he rarely ventured outside and spent most of his time in seclusion, Gu Yuan had still encountered plenty of cultivators. Compared to them, his cultivation speed was astonishing. Yet, when measured against the twins, that advantage meant almost nothing.

And so, fifteen years into his married life, Gu Yuan had finally decided to put his goal of surpassing them on hold.

There were two reasons for this. First, he had come to understand that surpassing them was currently beyond his reach. Second, he wanted to do something for the twins in return for everything they had done for him.

Rather than obsess over a goal he couldn’t achieve anytime soon, he would focus on honing his other skills. Forging and array formation were both worth pursuing, and he could continue practicing his other techniques along the way.

If he couldn’t help the twins through his strength, then he would find other ways.

It wasn’t too late to chase that goal again once his Spiritual Root reached Immortal Grade.

Thinking about his Spiritual Root, Gu Yuan turned his attention inward, and a smile gradually appeared on his face.

His Spiritual Root had already advanced from First Grade to Top Grade.

The transformation had most likely occurred shortly after he began comprehending the Ascension Stele. He remembered feeling something change within him at the time, but he had been so immersed in the stele’s teachings that he hadn’t been able to stop and examine it.

Now, the result was clear.

It was a genuine step forward.

Gu Yuan felt a surge of satisfaction at his progress. His Spiritual Root was still some distance from the Immortal Grade, but every improvement brought him closer.

He let himself enjoy the feeling for a moment before turning his attention to the next item on his list.

Cultivation.

The Orb of Creation continued its constant work in the background, drawing in Spirit Qi for him, but it could not carry him through a breakthrough on its own. Over the past fifteen years, ten spent before the stele and five before that, he had accumulated a substantial reserve of Metal Qi. He directed it carefully.

The barrier of the fourth stage gave way first. Almost immediately afterward, the fifth followed. When the surge subsided, Gu Yuan stood at the fifth stage of the Spiritual Core Realm.

He didn’t continue. The more pressing concerns had been dealt with; the rest could wait.

His attention shifted to the Orb of Creation and the new ability it had granted him.

- Door: Allows the host to open a door toward any target with whom sufficient Karma has been established.

Gu Yuan read the description several times before closing his eyes. He focused on the ability, trying to sense which people he could reach through it.

The next moment, his perception seemed to expand into a vast starry expanse.

Or perhaps calling it vast was an exaggeration. There were only a few dozen stars scattered through the darkness, each representing someone he had once crossed paths with. Most shone with an ordinary light, but six stood out with distinct hues.

Among these seven, two of them shone so intensely that their brilliance overwhelmed all the others.

Naturally, they belonged to the twins.

The next belonged to his master, Luo Yunjin.

Even though he have only spoken with her a handful of times, the bond between master and disciple has established such a strong karma?

Gu Yuan considered this for a moment before turning his attention to the remaining four stars.

Deacon Zhao, Lin Hao, Bai Yuning, and lastly Su Yulan, his mother-in-law.

Why only his mother in law, not his father-in-law too? Gu Yuan didn’t know.

"That’s actually more than I expected," he murmured.

He was tempted to test the ability immediately. The thought of opening a door and appearing directly before someone was certainly intriguing, and he was eager to find out how it worked in practice.

However, after a moment’s consideration, he restrained himself. For now, he wanted to keep this ability a secret.

Putting the matter aside, Gu Yuan turned his attention to his storage ring. There was something else he had been meaning to examine: the gifts he had received on his wedding day.

He didn’t expect much. Yet as he went through them one by one, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

"Maybe I’m really destined to be rich in this life?" He muttered.

The quality of the gifts was far beyond what he had anticipated. There were Heaven-Grade treasures among them, but what truly stunned him was the final item he examined.

A Half-Immortal Grade Treasure.

It had come from the Ji Clan, presented by his mother-in-law. That probably explained why they had been so generous.

Even so, a Half-Immortal Grade Treasure?

Isn’t this a little too much?

Gu Yuan stared incredulously at the miniature palace resting in his hand. After thinking it over, he decided to consult the twins once they were both available. Perhaps it was time for them to consider moving out.

For now, he put the miniature palace aside and turned to the remaining gifts. Perhaps word of his circumstances had spread further than he thought, because most of the gifts were things that could be of use to him.

Gu Yuan sorted them into categories. The first consisted of things he might use in the future, such as materials for Forging and Array Formation. The second contained things he could use immediately, including pills, naturally formed heavenly treasures, and other treasures such as defensive items and weapons.

Finally, there were the things he wasn’t sure what to do with.

There were only two items in this category.

The first was a book containing a body-tempering technique. It was a Heaven-Grade technique, making it quite valuable. Even so, Gu Yuan hesitated over whether he should practice it.

Cultivators generally focused on one path, either Qi Cultivation or Body Cultivation. While it was possible to pursue both, doing so required more time, resources, and effort. Unless a cultivator had the necessary talent and resources, splitting their attention between the two could slow their progress on both paths.

Given his circumstances, Gu Yuan couldn’t help but consider whether it was worth the trouble.

After thinking it over, however, he decided to give it a try. Before practicing the technique, he would visit the Scripture Pavilion and see whether the Black Desolation Sect had anything better.

Most likely, it didn’t. Still, there was no harm in checking first.

With that settled, Gu Yuan turned his attention to the final item... a seed.

What kind of seed was this?

Rather than waste time guessing, Gu Yuan decided to appraise it directly.

[Bodhi Tree Seed]

[Grade: Divine Grade]

[Description: A seed of the legendary Bodhi Tree, an ancient tree renowned throughout the Immortal Realm. The Bodhi Tree possesses an extraordinary affinity with the Laws of Heaven and Earth, and cultivators who comprehend the Dao beneath its branches find their minds exceptionally clear. The longer a Bodhi Tree grows, the more profound the effect of its presence becomes.]

[This seed originated from an ancient Bodhi Tree in the Immortal Realm. After an Immortal obtained it, the seed was brought to the lower realm and entrusted to his sect. Despite the sect’s repeated attempts to cultivate it, the seed never germinated. Believing that the seed had lost its vitality or possessed some unknown defect, the sect eventually placed it in its treasury. Later, that sect was destroyed, and the seed changed hands repeatedly over the course of countless years.]

[Cultivation Method: Break the outer shell of the seed and plant it in ordinary soil. Expose it to sunlight and water it with ordinary water. The seed will germinate naturally.]

Gu Yuan read the last line twice.

Ordinary soil. Ordinary water. Sunlight.

How simple... and how ridiculous. He could only imagine the spirit springs and treasured earth that had been lavished on it for generations, when all it had ever asked for was dirt.

But... a Divine Tree, this easily? Gu Yuan was speechless.