Yang Shi and Jiang Xiaobai were married.
Every notable person in Bluestone County came, and even several rogue cultivators arrived to offer their congratulations.
The banquet stretched across several streets. Anyone who came could eat, and even passing dogs were stuffed with two basins of leftovers.
This was also the grandest wedding Bluestone County had seen in years.
Of course, there was one transcendent presence that paid Yang Shi no heed: the Xiang Residence.
Within that towering manor, its inhabitants were almost like monks detached from worldly affairs. For all these years, the people of Bluestone County had barely seen anyone from the Xiang Family.
Perhaps too much time had passed, or perhaps the surname Yang was simply too common, so no one had yet realized that Yang Shi was a surviving child of the Yang Family that had once been exterminated.
The wedding ended amid splendor and clamor. Yang Shi, who never drank, had drunk too much that day as well.
After returning to their room, the two stood before the bed, clasping each other's hands tightly as their eyes met.
That skinny, filthy little girl had already grown into a graceful young woman. Her gaze at Yang Shi brimmed with love.
"Brother, we're family now, aren't we?"
"We always have been."
Yang Shi embraced Jiang Xiaobai. At that moment, the two people who had each been alone in the world finally had someone to rely on.
Everything was so natural.
"Brother, I want to hear you tell me the story of the day you brought me home."
"Alright."
"At last, it's done. You two should work hard now and try to have a few little babies."
Though Yang Genshuo had single-handedly brought this marriage about, and it had carried a purpose from the very beginning, the two of them had ultimately come together.
Two lonely souls could find echoes of each other in countless places.
Ding~ Your descendants have formed a joyous union, unlocking a new Blessing—Spirit Infusion: You may bestow a blessing upon a pregnant Yang Family member, increasing the initial talent of the Yang Family fetus. 200 Incense Value/use (each fetus may only receive this once).
"Two hundred!?"
Yang Genshuo cried out directly.
That number startled him.
"Good heavens, spend money and get talent, is that it?"
"But with so much Incense Value, how am I supposed to save it up?"
That amount of Incense Value was enough for Yang Shi to train under Vitality every day for two hundred days!
It was also enough for Yang Shi and Jiang Xiaobai to use Calm Mind for one hundred days to break through their realms.
It was only because Jiang Xiaobai could cast the Spirit Rain Art herself to tend the Spirit Fields. Otherwise, even his limited Incense Value would not have been enough to make it rain.
He glanced at his remaining Incense Value.
Incense Value: 168
"Not even enough to use the new Blessing once."
This was after Yang Shi's consecutive two-level advancement last year had brought in the hefty sum of 150. The rest was merely a few dozen points each year from the various Spirit Fields.
"To bless one child, I'd need to save up one or two years of Incense Value."
Then he could not keep giving Yang Shi special treatment to speed up his Body Refining.
"I'll save up 200 first and try it once. Let's see the effect. If it can give the child an advantage in Spiritual Roots, it'll be worth it. Never mind a Heavenly Spirit Root—even a Triple Spiritual Root would be incredibly strong."
Yang Genshuo temporarily filed the matter away in his mind.
He stopped watching the newlyweds and activated the time acceleration button.
Year 4, Day 120: Liu Wuhen brought his daughter Liu Zihan to visit. They had a delightful conversation with Yang Shi and his wife.
Year 4, Day 185: The Yang Family's spirit rice paddies and spirit wheat matured. Because Jiang Xiaobai often used the "Universal Growth Art" to nurture the fields, and wood-element techniques suited the growth attributes of spirit rice and spirit wheat, the Spirit Fields' harvest increased noticeably.
Year 4, Day 204: Jiang Xiaobai achieved entry into the "Mind Illumination Formula," sensing a faint inner breath. Her talent, 'Wood Affinity,' increased to 'Wood Affinity+.'
Yang Genshuo opened Jiang Xiaobai's character card.
Wood Affinity+ (Earth Grade): Wood-element technique cultivation speed +13%, wood-element spell power +13%
"As expected, after cultivating this inner breath, Jiang Xiaobai's talent evolved as well. What powerful martial arts. Cultivation is all about the years—an increase of 3% in cultivation speed becomes an enormously noticeable difference across a long lifespan."
"With 3% more power, she'll be a little stronger both in farming and in fighting spells against others."
If Yang Shi's Mortal Grade talent, Neither Laughing Nor Crying, improving had seemed normal to Yang Genshuo, then this increase to a cultivation talent's attributes made him realize that this inner-breath mental art was far from simple.
Manifestation.
"Go ask your master who created this 'Mind Illumination Formula' and what its origins are."
"Yes, Ancestor!"
Yang Shi had never looked deeply into where this mental art came from before. He had only felt that after learning it, his heart became peaceful, he remained unruffled in the face of changing circumstances, and he could focus better on whatever he did.
When he arrived at Liu Wuhen's home, Liu Zihan came out first.
"Senior Brother, did you come to see your Junior Sister?"
"Uh, I came to see Master."
"He's busy. Why don't we go enjoy the spring scenery together? He'll be done by the time we return."
"Then I'll come back later."
"Hmph~ How dull. He's inside."
Liu Zihan stomped off in a huff.
Yang Shi gave a bitter smile. His master's daughter was wonderful in every way, except that ever since he had saved her, she had always held a certain... special fondness for him. Even after he had married Jiang Xiaobai, it remained the same.
"You still don't understand my Zihan's feelings for you? You've truly disappointed your master."
Liu Wuhen came out, shaking his head.
Yang Shi cupped his hands. "Master! Zihan is the apple of your eye, and she herself is exceptionally outstanding. Why must she entangle herself with a married man like me?"
"Hmph! No ambition!"
Liu Wuhen snorted coldly. "A good man born between Heaven and Earth should have three wives and four concubines—that is true capability! What does being married matter!"
"Then why have you remained single all this time, Master?"
Liu Wuhen: "..."
"Come, let your master see how well you've practiced the Trace-Free Sword Technique. Let me see whether your swordsmanship can match that skill of yours with words."
"Master, I'm not here to practice swordsmanship today. I have important business!"
Yang Shi hurriedly asked about the "Mind Illumination Formula."
Liu Wuhen was not particularly surprised.
"I did not create this inner-breath mental art. I obtained it through a fortunate encounter in my youth.
"This mental art benefited me greatly. Especially after I reached the Innate Grandmaster Realm, I truly grasped its mysteries—and it was also what led to the good fate between your mistress and me."
"Oh? I have a mistress?"
"You brat, your skin is really itching. Then where do you think Zihan came from?"
"Then Mistress, she..."
Yang Genshuo asked cautiously, afraid of stirring up painful memories for his master.
Liu Wuhen shot him a speechless glance.
"Don't let your imagination run wild. Your mistress is alive and well. Even if you died, she still wouldn't die."
"Mistress is a cultivator?"
"Not completely stupid." Liu Wuhen's gaze deepened, as though he had recalled the events of the past.
It was Yang Shi's first time hearing his master speak of his mistress's identity.
"Forget it, enough about your mistress. Let's talk about this 'Mind Illumination Formula.' It was created by an extraordinary man. Though he was an Innate Grandmaster, he could slay Qi Refining cultivators!"
"Hiss~ He was that powerful?"
It might have been understandable for an Innate Grandmaster to deal with a few minor cultivators at the Embryonic Breath Stage, but the Qi Refining Realm was when one truly stepped onto the path of immortality!
Immortal arts were endlessly wondrous. An Innate Grandmaster had only brute strength; he would likely be slain from a hundred meters away before he could even touch his opponent.
At most, he would have the ability to flee.
After all, he was tough and could take a beating, and his legs were not slow either.
"Who was this person?"
"His true name is unknown. In the martial world, he is called the Great Nai Martial God, the number-one Innate Grandmaster under Heaven."
Yang Genshuo recorded this clue in his notebook.
"If there's a chance in the future, Yang Shi can take him as his master and study under him. Perhaps he can learn a few martial arts on the same level as the 'Mind Illumination Formula.'"
Based on the information he had learned at the market last time, especially from chatting with those four Blackstone Sect disciples, it was nearly impossible for someone without a Spiritual Root to embark upon the path of cultivation.
Unless they found one of those legendary Innate Spirit Treasures capable of remolding a person's body, but even the Blackstone Sect did not possess such a thing.
Yang Genshuo felt that if even the Blackstone Sect could not obtain such a treasure, then unless Yang Shi stumbled upon tremendous luck, he would not be qualified to seek it in his entire life.
And if he stumbled upon tremendous luck? That was even less likely. Yang Shi's fortune was only 10 points, an extremely ordinary level—barely enough to maintain a normal life without suffering misfortune.
So it was better to first walk the martial path. As for cultivation... let the descendants handle that.
As Yang Genshuo was thinking this, a message that thrilled him popped up in the game.
Year 4, Day 265: Jiang Xiaobai became pregnant.
There was still one month until Bluestone Market opened.
There would be another update later.
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