His Parents Urged Him to Have a Child!

A person's aptitude determined their limits, as well as how smoothly they could cultivate.

If he didn't improve his aptitude, then even if he forced his way into Foundation Establishment, he would probably end up with the weakest kind. And the road ahead would only grow narrower.

"I hope this pill doesn't disappoint me."

Zhang Chen stopped hesitating and tipped his head back, swallowing the Marrow Cleansing Pill.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. It didn't taste bitter like he'd imagined; instead, it was like a cool, sweet spring, sliding down his throat and into his stomach.

In the next instant, that coolness turned into a scorching torrent and roared through every inch of his body.

Pain!

A searing agony, as though every bone in his body were being taken apart and put back together, struck him at once.

Zhang Chen let out a muffled groan and clenched his teeth. Cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.

Yet he could feel the pill's power washing through him, gradually stripping away the impurities that had accumulated in his body over the years and pushing them out through his pores.

His meridians grew broader and more resilient, while his once-cloudy Spiritual Root began to shine with its original luster.

After an unknown amount of time, the excruciating pain gradually faded.

In its place came a sense of ease and clarity unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Zhang Chen slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of Turbid Qi.

"So this is what it feels like to improve your aptitude?"

He clenched his fist, sensing how attuned the Spiritual Energy around him was to his body.

Before, absorbing Spiritual Energy had been like drinking through a straw—slow and laborious.

But now, he felt as though he had become a tiny vortex. The Spiritual Energy around him no longer needed to be drawn in deliberately; it surged into his body of its own accord.

His aptitude had already risen from "Mid Yellow Grade" to "Mid Profound Grade."

He had leaped an entire grade!

Though he was still a long way from the so-called Earth Grade or Heaven Grade aptitude of a true Heavenly Pride, in a remote place like the East Mountain Islands, with enough resources, someone with Mid Profound Grade aptitude was all but guaranteed to reach the Golden Core Stage.

Zhang Chen even had a vague feeling that the solid barrier between the Qi Refining Stage and Foundation Establishment Realm—the one that had stymied countless cultivators—was now as thin as a cicada's wing before him.

It was as if he could enter an entirely new realm just by giving it a little push, if he wished.

"No rush."

Zhang Chen quashed the urge to immediately break through to Foundation Establishment. "The firmer the foundation, the higher the building you can raise in the future. With the system here, reaching Foundation Establishment is only a matter of time. I might as well take things slowly for now."

He went to the washroom to rinse off the layer of black, greasy impurities expelled from his body, then changed into a fresh, moon-white robe.

When he opened the door, the sunlight outside was just right, warm against his skin.

Lin Qingxue sat at the stone table in the courtyard, reading an ancient book.

At the sound, she looked up, a flicker of surprise in her cool eyes.

As a former genius, her senses were exceptionally sharp.

"Husband, you... seem a little different."

Lin Qingxue set down the book and rose, studying Zhang Chen with some uncertainty.

His cultivation aura hadn't changed at all, yet something about him felt different.

He seemed purer, clearer, like a piece of uncut jade that had been wiped free of dust.

He was beginning to give off a gentle luster.

"I had a few small insights."

Zhang Chen walked over naturally and took her slightly cold hand. "Maybe it was thanks to last night's Spirit Rain."

Lin Qingxue nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any more.

Too many miracles had happened around this man. She had learned to accept them instead of questioning them.

"Come on. My parents sent someone to hurry us along. They've made breakfast and asked us to join them."

Zhang Chen smiled as he spoke.

The two of them walked down the covered corridor to the main courtyard where the Family Head lived.

As soon as they entered, they heard Zhang Yunshan's hearty laughter.

Ever since he had broken through to the Late Golden Core Stage, the Family Head had been in a constant state of elation. Even the crooked old tree in the courtyard seemed pleasing to his eye.

"Oh, my dear daughter-in-law is here!"

The moment she saw them enter, Mother Liu Yueru dropped the spirit fruit she had been peeling and hurried over with a beaming smile.

She walked right past her own son, Zhang Chen, and took Lin Qingxue by the hand. Her gaze was so eager, you'd think she were looking at some priceless treasure.

"Come, come. Let Mother have a look at you."

"How have you been resting these past few days? Are you comfortable in the Side Courtyard? If you find it too noisy, move to Listening Waves Pavilion behind the Main Peak. It's quiet there, and the Spiritual Energy is plentiful."

Lin Qingxue was a little overwhelmed by the attention, her cheeks flushing. "Thank you for your concern, Mother. The Side Courtyard is lovely, and Husband treats me very well."

"Of course he should treat you well!"

Liu Yueru glared at Zhang Chen, then slipped a jade-green bangle off her wrist and, without another word, slid it onto Lin Qingxue's.

"This was part of my dowry. It's a Mid-grade defensive magic treasure. It's nothing particularly rare, but there's a Spirit Gathering Array carved inside. Wearing it will help nourish your body."

"Mother, this is too valuable..."

Lin Qingxue tried to refuse.

She meant it. This was a genuine magic treasure!