Returning Home with a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Bone and Pills

"Phew, I've finally returned to the family's territory!"

Looking at the towering city ahead—Pure Yang Sacred Leopard City—Zhuang Xingyu slowly let out a breath.

"We can count this as returning home in glory!"

Zhuang Xingyu did not linger. He immediately passed through the Family Secret Passage and returned to the cultivation chamber in his courtyard.

The moment he stepped out of the chamber, he saw Zihan in his courtyard.

"Sister Han, what are you doing here?"

Upon hearing his voice, Zihan joyfully raised her head. The moment she saw the figure she had longed for, she immediately ran toward Zhuang Xingyu.

"You're finally back!" As she spoke, she threw her arms around Zhuang Xingyu.

She had wanted to lower her head and pinch Zhuang Xingyu's cheeks as usual, but she realized she could no longer reach them without raising her arms.

It turned out that after absorbing the Spirit Bones and obtaining his fourth spirit ring, Zhuang Xingyu was now several inches taller than Zihan.

"Sister Han, why are you in my courtyard?"

"Didn't you leave secretly to train? To keep others from becoming suspicious, I still came to your courtyard every day like usual, staying for a while and pretending to talk and eat with you."

"I see! Thank you, Sister Han. By the way, where are Grandma and Father? Take me to them quickly. I have something important to say."

"They're all discussing matters in the main hall today." Seeing the serious look on Zhuang Xingyu's face, Zihan realized that there truly was an urgent matter. She quickly asked worriedly, "What happened? Did you encounter any danger during your training? You're not injured, are you? Let me see."

"Don't worry! It's good news—enormous good news!"

In the secret chamber of the main hall at the City Lord's Mansion, Zhuang Xingyu, Zhuang Jingxing, Zhuang Jingxi, Murong Yunxue, Li Xuanhua, and Zihan had gathered together.

"Xingyu, what exactly is this good news? You're making it so serious. Hurry up and tell your little aunt." Unable to contain herself, Zhuang Jingxi asked.

Zhuang Xingyu promptly took out the Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Bone of the Blue Silver Emperor, two Forty Thousand Year Spirit Bones, two Twenty Thousand Year Spirit Bones, various pills such as Great Returning Pills—though it was naturally inappropriate to take out the Yang Strengthening Pills at this time, so he would secretly give those to his father later—Soul Tool blueprints, as well as the Jade Marrow Treasure Bead, gold and silver sculptures, and a vast number of other treasures. In an instant, they filled five-sixths of the secret chamber.

The entire chamber began to gleam with golden light!

"Th-This... My heavens! So many treasures! Nephew, did you rob the Heaven Dou Imperial Family's treasury?" Zhuang Jingxi asked jokingly.

"Such a powerful aura... This is actually a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Bone! Son, did you enter some Secret Realm? You aren't hurt, are you?" Zhuang Jingxing hurriedly inspected Zhuang Xingyu again. Only after confirming that he had no injuries and had instead become even stronger did he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Zhuang Xingyu also hurriedly used the Spring and Autumn Annals style to recount what had happened in the Secret Realm. Naturally, he did not mention that accident with Huangfu Ruiyao.

When it came to the pills and his own Spirit Bones, Zhuang Xingyu merely said that he had obtained them by chance from a cave in Sunset Forest. He did not reveal that he had refined the pills himself. There was no point in saying it anyway.

First, pill refining required talent, and no one in the family met the standard. Forcing themselves to learn would only waste time. They might as well spend that time accumulating more Soul Power. It was like asking an elementary school student to solve college physics or Advanced Mathematics problems—if their ability was insufficient, they could sit there for seven or eight days and still fail to solve a single question.

Second, they lacked the resources.

Third, the implications were too great. A common man was innocent, but possession of a treasure invited disaster. The rest of the family had no Chaos Bead to conceal them, and it would be troublesome if they were discovered by the God Realm.

Fourth, these pills were enough for now! Once they unified the Douluo Continent in the future, he could spread the methods of Pill Refining and artifact refining.

Zhuang Xingyu then took out the remaining Ice Fire Space Stone from the last time he had made Puppets and proposed his idea of forcefully ripening a soul beast over ninety thousand years old to provide his grandmother with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Jingxi happily jumped up. "A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring! Wonderful! If Mother can obtain a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, she'll be among the absolute strongest even among Titled Douluo. She may even become a level ninety-nine Ultimate Douluo in the future."

Zhuang Jingxing could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart. With trembling hands, he placed them on Zhuang Xingyu's shoulders and looked into his eyes as he said solemnly, "Xingyu, you truly are the family's lucky star! On behalf of the family, I thank you! Ever since your great-grandfather and grandfather passed away, the family has declined, and our affiliated forces left one after another."

"For safety, the family's territory kept shrinking as well. Now, only the area within several dozen li of Pure Yang Sacred Leopard City remains. Although this is all prosperous land and is already no small territory, and the family's strength can still rank seventh openly on the continent, the entire Northern Plains—the vast region near the Extreme North Ice Plains where people live—used to be within our family's sphere of influence! We even had hopes of challenging the Upper Three Sects!"

"Over the years, because your grandmother had hope of breaking through to become a Titled Douluo, the family gradually gained some breathing room and slowly recovered some of its strength. But fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. The family ultimately has no Titled Douluo, and because of that, we have been feared by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Empire. We have been treading on thin ice!"

"For all these years, everyone in the family has been holding back their anger! Everyone has been cultivating with all their might, longing for the family to regain its former prosperity!"

"Now, Xingyu, you have brought us this tremendous opportunity. You will allow the family to revive swiftly, perhaps even surpassing its former glory and reaching new heights!"

"Since you were young, you've been clever. You understood many things the moment they were explained. Now it seems that the greatest achievement of my life was having you, this son, with your mother! In a few days, come learn how to handle family affairs from me. But your Soul Power cultivation must still remain your priority."

This was the first time Zhuang Jingxing had discussed the family's plans with Zhuang Xingyu in such a serious and solemn manner. Zhuang Xingyu also realized that his father was beginning to train him to become a qualified successor to the family.

As the Young Clan Leader, every word and action of Zhuang Xingyu represented the family. When he traveled outside, even an unintentional action could be interpreted by outsiders, who would connect his behavior to the family's next plans.

This gave Zhuang Xingyu an even deeper understanding of how difficult the work of those diplomatic ambassadors in Nine Provinces had been in his previous life, especially Mr. Gu in "Bali" back then. Facing a powerful force and refusing to sign required immense courage and resolve!

The road to the family's revival was fraught with countless challenges. Zhuang Xingyu had to shoulder this burden! He had to ease Grandma and Father's worries and take responsibility for the clan!

"Grandma, Father, Mother, Little Aunt, rest assured! I will cultivate diligently and lead the family to ever greater heights in the future. I will not betray the trust and expectations of our clansmen!"

"Oh, right, I have three more pieces of good news. But after you hear them, you must stay calm. Don't get too excited."

"The first is that, in a cave, I was recognized as master by a Puppet. Her Soul Power is level ninety-six, and her Combat Power can even reach level ninety-seven without any support from external energy. After recognizing me as her master, her martial soul became the same as mine—the Extreme Yin Yang Leopard."