Chapter Eleven: Giving and Giving Again
Cold Feng Zhenjun carried Jiang Wan and went to the library pavilion, using the sect leader’s token to ascend directly to the top floor.
“Wanwan, what I’m about to show you is extremely important. You must not tell anyone.”
[Cold Feng Zhenjun’s cultivation has been nullified by you, his spiritual root extracted, rendering him a cripple. Yet he is willing to reconcile with you. Please seek spiritual herbs from the Four Seas and Eight Deserts and search the myriad worlds to find secret methods to help him regain the path to enlightenment.
Mission Difficulty: Hell-level
Mission Reward: Extreme Yin Pearl.]
Jiang Wan fell silent upon hearing the system’s task.
What on earth is the system saying?!
Cold Feng Zhenjun carefully took out a jade slip and handed it to her.
“This is an ancient cultivation technique of the sect. I fear unforeseen changes may come.
I know you have an eidetic memory, but these characters are all ancient script. It’s fine if you don’t recognize them; just memorize them first, and slowly comprehend them later.”
Jiang Wan placed the jade slip against her forehead and closed her eyes.
The moment she saw the ancient characters inside, she was stunned.
She dared not open her eyes, afraid it was just an illusion.
The ancient script was actually pinyin?!
“Daddy, I think I recognize this ancient script you spoke of.”
Cold Feng Zhenjun was shocked.
“What? How is that possible?
This is ancient script; how could you know it?”
Jiang Wan tilted her head and blinked.
“Maybe there was an old white-bearded man in my dream who taught me?”
Jiang Yao had even received sword techniques taught by a sword immortal in a dream; why couldn’t she have an old white-bearded man teaching her pinyin—cough, ancient script?
Cold Feng Zhenjun was overjoyed.
“Really?
You truly know what is written here?”
Jiang Wan nodded seriously.
“This is the ‘Laws Governing Heaven and Earth’; symbols communicate with the Dao, and the Dao manifests naturally...”
She recited everything she had pieced together from the jade slip, then turned to find her father sitting with closed eyes, surrounded by layers of spiritual energy.
Soon, countless neighbors surged toward them; a spiritual energy whirlwind seemed to form around her father. Jiang Wan quickly grabbed a pillar.
Her small body was swept upward, but her little hands tightly clung to the pillar, preventing her from being drawn into the spiritual vortex.
Outside, a natural phenomenon startled all the leaders of the Ten Thousand Symbols Sect.
Fairy Xueyun was also shocked by the spiritual energy fluctuation. Moments later, she stood up joyfully from her seat, looking toward the library pavilion.
“Has your father broken through?!”
With that, she vanished from sight, leaving Jiang Yao frowning as she stared in the direction of the library pavilion.
That can’t be right. In the previous life, Cold Feng Zhenjun was useless, unable to break through his bottleneck. Otherwise, the Ten Thousand Symbols Sect wouldn’t have been suppressed. How could he have broken through now?
Cold Feng Zhenjun sat cross-legged inside the library pavilion. Once he absorbed all the spiritual energy storm around him, he opened his eyes, which shimmered brightly.
He had broken through—the bottleneck that had lasted for years was finally shattered!
Looking around at the mess in the library pavilion, beneath a pile of jade slips and ancient books, he found his little daughter. His heart jumped as he hurriedly cleared away the books and lifted her up, shaking her gently.
“Wanwan, are you alright?”
Jiang Wan flailed her limbs in midair; she really didn’t like being carried like that!
“Daddy, I’m fine. Put me down quickly!”
After being set down, the system’s voice echoed in her mind.
[You searched for medicine for your father, enduring countless hardships, traversing the myriad worlds and the Four Seas and Eight Deserts, surviving numerous trials and injuries at the edge of life and death. Your filial devotion is truly moving.
After tens of thousands of years, you finally found the secret method that allowed the once-crippled Cold Feng Zhenjun to walk the path to enlightenment again. It must have been very difficult!
Mission complete.
Mission reward: Extreme Yin Pearl!]
Looking at the black pearl-like Extreme Yin Pearl in her system inventory, Jiang Wan was wondering about its use when instructions appeared on the pearl.
It turned out that wearing the Extreme Yin Pearl beautifies and nourishes the skin, much like cultivators with a pure Yin constitution, and can double cultivation speed. If paired with the Extreme Yang Pearl, the complementary Yin and Yang boost cultivation speed by a hundredfold.
Jiang Wan thought about it—so that meant she had to find an Extreme Yang Pearl as well?
Cold Feng Zhenjun tidied his precious daughter's hair.
“My dear daughter, your father has been stuck at a bottleneck for years. Unexpectedly, today, thanks to the ancient cultivation technique, I have a chance to break through. I must undergo a tribulation soon and then enter seclusion. I will send you away first.
After the tribulation, I’ll be in seclusion, probably for ten years. Here are some cultivation resources I am giving you, enough to cultivate until the Golden Core stage.
Remember, do not reveal these resources to others. Keep your wealth hidden.
Come, I will take you back now.”
Sensing his urgency, Jiang Wan obediently agreed, smiling as she looked at the storage ring containing many cultivation supplies in her hand.
As the two left, they encountered Fairy Xueyun.
“Husband, you’ve broken through?!”
Cold Feng Zhenjun placed Jiang Wan into Fairy Xueyun’s arms.
“I’m going to undergo the lightning tribulation and then enter seclusion. The child is in your care!”
Fairy Xueyun took Jiang Wan and watched Cold Feng Zhenjun head toward the rear mountain’s tribulation site.
Jiang Wan nestled in Fairy Xueyun’s arms, feeling a crisp scent of snow pine.
“Mother, can we watch Father undergo the tribulation?”
Fairy Xueyun set her down, her expression softening slightly.
“You go back yourself. I will watch your father’s tribulation.”
Jiang Wan watched her fade away in a streak of light, wanting to say that taking her along wouldn’t be a big deal.
Maybe it was her imagination, but she felt her mother’s attitude toward her was somewhat distant.
At that moment, Jiang Yao approached and asked,
“Why did Father suddenly break through?”
Jiang Wan shrugged.
“I don’t know. If you have questions, ask him, not me.”
She realized that only her biological father was the most lovable in this family; the others were second best.
As Jiang Wan turned to leave, Jiang Yao’s gaze landed on the Spirit Taming Ring on her hand.
Because the storage ring was invisible on her hand, but the Spirit Taming Ring, resembling a golden bracelet, was visible. Jiang Yao immediately stepped in front of her, blocking her way.
“Little junior sister, I want to take you somewhere really fun. Let’s go secretly and not tell anyone!”
Jiang Wan rolled her eyes with a chubby little face.
“Sounds so mysterious. No interest.”
Jiang Yao smiled and glanced at the Spirit Taming Ring on her wrist.
“Father gave you a Spirit Taming Ring. Don’t you want to catch a spirit beast and raise it? I know Spirit Beast Peak just got a few spirit beast cubs. Let’s each pick one. How about that?”
Jiang Wan was tempted by the idea of raising a little animal. She thought that sounded good!
[Your first spirit beast, a tabby cat with White Tiger bloodline, died protecting you in battle. Please revive the tabby cat from the river of time and re-accept her as your spirit pet.]
[Mission Difficulty: Hell-level.]
[Mission Reward: Extreme Yang Pearl!]