What made him happy wasn't obtaining a Godhead, but the fact that under his cultivation, the Herbert Family finally had a true powerhouse!
It could be said that as long as Simon was willing, unifying the entire Rayast Plane would be entirely possible.
In the eyes of Patriarch Solo, the strength of a Midgod was already the most powerful existence in the entire plane.
"Since you've broken through to a Midgod, Simon, and your original body doesn't want to refine it, then let it stay in the family. It's a pity it isn't of the Wind Element; otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to resist refining it myself, haha."
Patriarch Solo laughed heartily.
"However, I've heard that after refining a Godhead, it is extremely difficult to make any further progress in strength. I still want to rely on myself to cultivate into a god, and I prefer the Law of Wind. Let others refine this Godhead. Currently, the only ones in the family capable of refining it are Second Elder Garrod and Third Elder Sanders. You two should discuss who will take it."
"I prefer the Law of Earth and also wish to rely on myself to cultivate into a god independently. I have no interest in the Lightning Element, so let this Godhead go to Sanders. It's perfect for him since he hasn't grasped any Laws yet."
Unexpectedly, Garrod also refused upon hearing this.
Garrod had once been a genius of the Saint Realm, and he was extremely confident in himself.
As for Sanders, having cultivated for hundreds of years without grasping any Laws, he knew that his chances of becoming a god through his own efforts were slim. Thus, he no longer declined and generously accepted the Godhead, even knowing that refining it would make further progress in strength very difficult.
Laughable, it's not like his strength would progress easily without refining the Godhead anyway...
"Thank you, Simon. Thank you, Patriarch and Brother Garrod, for your humility. I will certainly not let the family down. I will refine it successfully as soon as possible and add another god-level powerhouse to the family."
Sanders said excitedly, his hands trembling as he accepted the Godhead, which radiated a mesmerizing halo.
Under the leadership of Patriarch Solo, everyone in the Herbert Family was full of affection for the family. When there were benefits, they were humble toward one another, and the internal atmosphere was harmonious.
Even treasures like a Godhead were distributed to the most suitable person.
Seeing this, Simon felt very gratified.
He hadn't even brought out the Earth Heart Milk yet. He believed that with the assistance of this miraculous item, Patriarch Solo, who was already stuck at the limit of the Saint Realm, would likely be able to become a god on his own, and Elder Garrod, who had already cultivated the Earth Terrain Technique to a profound level, would also have a significant chance of breaking through.
"Since the Godhead is distributed, let this Lightning-attribute artifact battle blade also go to Elder Sanders. Matching the attribute will allow the artifact to exert its power better."
As he spoke, Simon gave John's battle blade to Sanders.
Following that, Simon continued to take out John's dragon tendons, dragon bones, and some ores and Saint Realm Magic Beast cores from his spatial ring.
Patriarch Solo and the others were stunned as they watched Simon pull out one rare item after another as if performing a magic trick.
In particular, the Saint Realm Magic Beast cores of various elements were almost piled into a 'small mountain,' and the shimmering light from them even outshone the magic crystal lamps.
Most of these magic cores were obtained while Simon was conducting life-stripping experiments. Since they were useless to him anyway, he decided to leave them all to the family.
Looking at the magic cores representing dozens of Saint Realm Magic Beasts, the three were completely shocked. It was easy for them to defeat a Saint Realm Magic Beast, but killing one was very difficult, so the family didn't have many Saint Realm Magic Beast cores. This was the first time any of them had seen so many.
As for Simon's introduction that the nearly transparent long tendon and the dragon bone radiating a deep purple glow were obtained from killing a god-level powerhouse, the three were completely numb. Only then did they have a profound realization of Simon's strength.
This youth, who was usually gentle, quiet, and polite to everyone, was ultimately a genuine god-level powerhouse. The number of powerhouses who had fallen by his hand had grown so high without anyone noticing.
After calming down, the group began to discuss the uses for these precious items.
The large tendon left behind by the god-level Magic Beast could be crafted into a rare bow weapon, which would have astonishing attack power when combined with the Law of Wind; it was perfect for the Patriarch, who cultivated the Law of Wind. As for the dragon bone, it was the hardest part of John's body and couldn't be utilized by the family for the time being, so it would be stored in the family treasury along with the rest. The large quantity of Saint Realm Magic Beast cores could be stored as strategic supplies or used to cultivate some Saint Realm Magic Beasts loyal to the family.
After Simon handed these miscellaneous items over to the Patriarch, he took out three long swords and a set of armor.
During his long period of secluded cultivation, Simon had nurtured quite a few weapons, so taking out three long swords was effortless. As for the god-level armor, he didn't have any extras, so this set would be perfect for the Patriarch to use after becoming a god.
After reaching the Midgod realm, Simon's soul power had surged again. The weapons he nurtured using fused divine power now reached the level of Highgod Artifacts, and the aura they emitted was so subtle that even an ordinary Highgod wouldn't notice anything unusual. This was the result of his tests in front of Fanny; she hadn't detected anything special about Simon's weapons during their several spars.
Only then did Simon feel at ease leaving them to the family.
"These long swords and this set of god-level armor were nurtured after I became a Midgod. The swords and armor should be kept for the Patriarch to use after you become a god. Please distribute the rest as you see fit. I hope the Patriarch will not refuse."
Seeing that Simon had made up his mind, Patriarch Solo, though unsure when he himself would become a god, no longer declined and accepted them directly. The two elders had no objections to this either.
"Alright, the items are mostly distributed. I'll save the final surprise for when my parents arrive. It will definitely be a real surprise for everyone then."
The three had wanted to say that the current surprises were already big enough, but upon second thought, if Simon considered it a big surprise, then it certainly wouldn't disappoint them.
And so, this small gathering ended with the three of them still feeling dizzy.
Especially Sanders; eager to become a god, he dripped his blood to refine the Godhead the moment he returned to his residence. Feeling the Godhead floating in his soul ocean, Sanders was so happy he nearly fainted. The once ethereal dream of becoming a god was now so close to him.
Similarly, the usually composed Patriarch Solo was also incredibly excited as he looked at the god-level sword and armor in his hands. Thinking of the big surprise Simon mentioned at the end, his heart couldn't help but burn with anticipation.
Although Second Elder Garrod hadn't received any tangible items, he knew from the meaningful look Simon gave him before leaving that he wouldn't be left out when the time came for more benefits.
Just like that, under everyone's anticipation, Darren and Iseline finally arrived.
Knowing they would arrive today, Simon had been waiting at the family gate early on. Fanny, standing to the side, was unusually quiet and stood by obediently.
Having not seen each other for so many years, Iseline's eyes turned red the moment she saw Simon. She hugged him tightly and only let go after a long while.
Darren also stood to the side, looking at his son who was excessively outstanding.
Seeing his parents after such a long time, Simon was also very happy.
"Father, Mother, let's go to the ancestral home. The Patriarch and the two elders are waiting."
Iseline didn't rush to leave, but instead looked at Fanny curiously and asked, "Simon, who is this young girl? Is she the daughter-in-law you've found for me?"
"Mother, don't talk nonsense. This is a friend I met while traveling; she is here to visit the family."
Simon did not reveal Fanny's identity as a Plane Overseer. For one, Fanny was leaving soon, so there was little point in introducing her; for another, it was to avoid trouble, which was something Fanny had requested before arriving.
"Oh..."
Iseline clearly didn't believe him. Friends didn't stand that close, nor did they look at each other with such lingering gazes.
However, as someone who had been through it all, Iseline didn't point it out.
As for Fanny, she was so shy that her entire face turned red. She hurriedly put some distance between herself and Simon, looking as guilty as a thief caught in the act.
Before long, the group arrived at the ancestral residence.
Once everyone was seated, Simon didn't beat around the bush. He took out the Earth Heart Milk stored in an exquisite jade bottle, along with several dozen Soul Golden Beads.
"These are treasures I obtained by chance. Drinking a drop of the spirit milk in this bottle has the miraculous effect of assisting cultivation and slowly nourishing the soul. As for these golden beads, they are called Soul Golden Beads. After absorbing them, you can immediately strengthen your soul, though they have no direct effect on comprehending the laws."
Simon looked at Darren and Iseline.
"Father, Mother, the reason I called you here so urgently is that with these treasures, there is a high probability that you can break through to the Saint Realm. At the same time, they will also be of great benefit to the cultivation of Patriarch Solo and Elder Garrod."
"What! There are such treasures?"
Darren jumped up in excitement. He knew his son was a genius and was now the absolute strongest in the family, so while he was shocked, he did not doubt the authenticity of these heaven-defying treasures.
Iseline's beautiful eyes were also filled with disbelief. Having struggled for many years to barely reach the level of a Level 9 Magician, she had long since lost confidence in ever becoming a Saint Realm expert.
But at this moment, as Simon produced the jade bottle and the Soul Golden Beads, her dormant heart finally began to beat fervently once more.
As for Solo and Garrod, they were completely stunned. Simon hadn't been boasting; this was indeed a massive surprise!
After everyone calmed down, Simon had the Patriarch and the others find quiet secret chambers. He then distributed one drop of Earth Heart Milk and ten Soul Golden Beads to each of them, explaining how to use them and noting a few precautions before letting them go off to seclude themselves.
According to Fanny, when she was still in the Saint Realm, drinking one drop of Earth Heart Milk had caused her soul to grow more than threefold within a few decades. During this period, she could clearly sense the fluctuations of the laws, making it much easier to comprehend them, while also subtly improving the user's cultivation aptitude.
To help their souls grow as quickly as possible, Simon didn't hesitate to let them use the Soul Golden Beads in conjunction with the Earth Heart Milk to comprehend the laws. In any case, he had plenty of Soul Golden Beads and didn't feel a pinch using them.
According to what Fanny had previously explained, the Earth Heart Milk shared a common drawback with other auxiliary cultivation treasures: using too much would lead to "drug resistance," where the effects would diminish sharply until they eventually became useless.
Fanny had discovered that after using five drops, the Earth Heart Milk had completely lost its effect in assisting her comprehension of the laws, though by that time her soul had grown to three times its original strength, which was a significant gain.
Another benefit of the Earth Heart Milk was its excellent healing effect on injuries caused by splitting the soul after becoming a god, which was why Fanny carried a few extra on her.
Over the years, Fanny had successfully formed a Lowgod clone of the Laws of Fate, but her talent in the Laws of Fate was quite average. Even with the aid of numerous treasures, she remained at the Lowgod level, though she had made great progress in the Law of Fire.
This resulted in Fanny not giving Simon a large quantity of Earth Heart Milk—only about a dozen drops in total. Simon planned to keep five for himself and leave the rest for the Patriarch to distribute.
Since Sanders had decided to refine a Godhead, he naturally had no use for these treasures, though Simon still gave him ten Soul Golden Beads.
After waiting for a while outside the secret chambers and confirming that the Earth Heart Milk was effective for Darren and Iseline, Simon and Fanny returned to their respective residences.
Soon, five years passed, and the Laws of Heaven and Earth descended abruptly over the place where the Patriarch was in seclusion.
Seeing this, Simon felt very gratified. The Patriarch's talent was not low, and it was no surprise that he had successfully broken through with the aid of the Earth Heart Milk and Soul Golden Beads.
After becoming a god, Solo only gathered the important members of the family for a brief celebration before hurrying back to his secret chamber to continue his cultivation. He knew very well that he had to cultivate with all his might while the Earth Heart Milk was still effective to maximize the benefits of such treasures.
Ten years later, Darren and Iseline emerged from seclusion one after the other; both had successfully reached the Saint Realm.
Seeing this, Simon let out a long sigh of relief. He no longer had to worry about his parents' lifespans.
After a brief reunion, the two returned to their secret chambers to continue their seclusion, hoping to see if they could comprehend the laws while the Earth Heart Milk was still effective.
Another ten years passed, and the Laws of Heaven and Earth descended over the place where Elder Garrod was in seclusion; he had successfully become an Earth-style Lowgod.
At this time, the Third Elder, Sanders, had also completely refined his Godhead, becoming a Thunder-style Lowgod.
Two more years passed, and the effects of the Earth Heart Milk were completely exhausted. The four people in seclusion emerged one after another. Solo and Garrod had both chosen to become gods outside their bodies, and with the help of the Earth Heart Milk and Soul Golden Beads, the injuries from splitting their souls had healed, and their soul strength had increased significantly.
Darren and Iseline had both successfully grasped the Profound Mystery of Wind Element and the Profound Mystery of Water Element respectively at the last moment, barely qualifying as peak Saint Realm experts.
With this, the Herbert Family added three god-level experts and two Saint Realm experts.
Afterward, Simon handed the remaining six drops of Earth Heart Milk and one hundred Soul Golden Beads to Patriarch Solo for distribution. Looking at such precious treasures, Solo felt a rare sense of nervousness and hurriedly urged the two elders and Simon's parents to keep it a secret, as these were true treasures that could determine the rise or fall of the family.
Following this, Simon and his clansmen celebrated lavishly for three days.
Then, he formally proposed his decision to head to Hell to his parents and the Patriarch.
The group was not surprised by Simon's decision. In their eyes, Simon, who was obsessed with cultivation, was always destined for this; this small material plane could no longer contain him.
Furthermore, the Herbert Family now had a solid foundation and no rivals left on the Rayast Continent, so Simon could venture into Hell with peace of mind.
After bidding a solemn farewell to his parents and clansmen and earnestly warning everyone not to leave the material plane without the strength of a Midgod, Simon took Fanny and flew toward the southern end of the Endless Sea.
Her successor should be arriving soon.
Before leaving, Simon prepared to formally say goodbye to his few friends, as he didn't know when he would return once he left.
Thus, Simon took a slight detour to bid farewell to Anthony of the Charles Empire and Loya of the Loya Empire.
Regrettably, after more than a hundred years, Anthony and Loya were still standing in place; the breakthrough seemed infinitely far away, yet at other times, it felt within reach.
When Anthony learned that Simon was already a Midgod, he was deeply shocked. At the same time, he was envious of Simon's plan to head to Hell, stating that he would also go to Hell once he became a god, jokingly telling Simon to go ahead and scout the path, and that he would follow once he made his breakthrough.
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