The Green Bud

After that, Liu Qingyuan warmly led Gulanxiu into a spacious hall.

In the center of the hall stood a table over a hundred meters wide, laden with all kinds of delicious food.

Rare delicacies and exotic fruits were casually arranged on platters across the table. Right in the middle lay a roasted lamb over ten meters long. From the traces of energy it gave off, the lamb had been a Second Stage Wild Beast when it was alive!

"Brother Jia, I only heard you'd arrived in the city after you were already here. We were short on time, so this was all I could prepare. Please forgive us for the poor hospitality," Liu Qingyuan said.

Gulanxiu quickly replied with a smile, "Brother Liu, you're too kind. This is already wonderful. I've been immersed in cultivation for years and haven't had food like this in a long time!"

As they talked, everyone took their seats, with the hosts and guests arranged separately. Only five people sat at the table, despite its length of over a hundred meters.

They were Gulanxiu, Liu Qingyuan, Liu Jiang, Liu Qingyuan's wife, Shui Rou, and Liu Qingyuan's daughter, Liu Li, who was Liu Jiang's older sister.

A pair of pretty twin maids had been assigned to sit beside Gulanxiu and pour his wine and serve him food. The meal was a delight for both hosts and guests.

Afterward, the two maids led Gulanxiu to a spacious courtyard. He was fairly satisfied with the temporary lodging. Once he declined the twins' offer to spend the night with him, he was left alone in the courtyard.

To be honest, Gulanxiu had hardly transcended worldly desires. The two young maids were certainly alluring, but he could never have a relationship with them. The Swallowed Star World was a world of the strong, and what Gulanxiu wanted was a genius who could grow alongside him. He had no interest in taking on someone without any talent for cultivation.

Besides, even setting that aside, Gulanxiu had no intention of finding a woman on Bloodfall Continent. He didn't want his descendants to be stuck as natives of Bloodfall Continent!

Meanwhile, in the back courtyard of Liu Manor, the four members of the Liu Family had gathered to discuss something.

"Jiang'er, tell us again how you met Jia Ming," Liu Qingyuan said sternly. "You and Li'er, analyze it with your mother and see if anything seems suspicious."

Liu Jiang nodded and described in detail once more how he had met Gulanxiu.

A moment later, Liu Qingyuan's wife, Shui Rou, said, "Going by Jiang'er's account, there shouldn't be a problem. His guards are all trustworthy, and Jiang'er went to the Blood Spirit Grassland on a whim. It's unlikely anyone arranged it in advance."

Liu Li thought it over, then added, "Mother is right. Jia Ming really does seem like a cultivator devoted to his training. People like that pursue nothing but their own strength. They don't bother with all those schemes."

After hearing the two women out, Liu Qingyuan stroked his chin and said, "In that case, Jia Ming really is a good candidate. We should keep a close eye on him. Li'er, spend more time with him during this period, too."

Liu Li wasn't surprised by her father's words. She had known about his plans for a long time and wasn't going to refuse. Still, she couldn't help asking, "Father, is Jia Ming really that strong? Why do you think so highly of him?"

Liu Qingyuan nodded. "That's right. I've seen the Silver Moon Sky Wolf on the Blood Spirit Grassland once. It was among the strongest at the Cloud Soaring Level. Jia Ming defeated it with ease, which means his Domain has reached a profound level. With his talent and my guidance, he'll surely reach the Domain Level within a hundred years. Then he'll be able to protect you and your brother."

Hearing this, Liu Jiang hurriedly asked, "Father, is your body really at its limit?"

Liu Qingyuan nodded. "Yes. A thousand years ago, in that battle, the Wild Beast's attack left a crack in my Core Nucleus. It hasn't recovered at all over the years. In fact, it's only gotten worse. As things stand, if I avoid fighting anyone, I might live another thousand years. But if I fight, my Core Nucleus could explode and kill me at any moment.

"So I want to find you a powerful ally while I'm still alive. After all, you'll inherit a vast fortune when I die. With cultivation at no higher than the Cloud Soaring Seventh Order, you won't be able to protect either your wealth or your own lives!"

At this, Liu Qingyuan sighed deeply. "If only Hai'er were still here. With his talent, his cultivation might be no weaker than mine by now."

"Father, it's all my fault for being useless and unable to shoulder the burden for you," Liu Jiang said hurriedly.

Liu Qingyuan shook his head. "You've done enough. With your talent, it'll be difficult for you to reach the Domain Level within a thousand years. I'm the one at fault for leaving you so little time. What we need now is a powerful fighter. Jia Ming isn't quite there yet, but he's the best we can find at this point."

Of course, Gulanxiu had no idea Liu Qingyuan had set his sights on him. All he could think about now was cultivation.

Gulanxiu made a cut on his arm, then quickly pressed a Bloodfall Crystal against it.

The moment the Bloodfall Crystal touched his blood, it melted and turned into a stream of energy that merged with Gulanxiu's body.

At that moment, the Green Seed in Gulanxiu's Sea of Consciousness rapidly emitted a green glow, absorbing all the energy from the Bloodfall Crystals in his body.

"One!" "Two!" "Three!" As time passed, the Green Seed in his Sea of Consciousness absorbed the Bloodfall Crystals faster and faster. In just over a day, it had absorbed ninety-seven of them.

By now, the Green Seed's shell was covered in countless cracks. A delicate fragrance drifted from them, and Gulanxiu had a feeling that the Green Seed was nearing saturation. Just one more would bring about its transformation.

"Let's see just how much stronger you can make me!" Gulanxiu murmured. He cut his arm once more and pressed another Bloodfall Crystal against the wound!

A peal of thunder rang out in Gulanxiu's Sea of Consciousness. With a loud boom, green energy enveloped it.

The Green Seed's shell shattered at once, and a Green Bud began growing rapidly in Gulanxiu's Sea of Consciousness.

Only after the Green Bud had filled half of Gulanxiu's Sea of Consciousness did it stop growing.

Streams of green energy once again enveloped Gulanxiu's entire body.

Gulanxiu felt every cell in his body madly absorbing this energy.

The cells in his body divided at a frenzied pace. The new cells then began greedily absorbing the green energy, continuously elevating his very essence of life.

Fortunately, all of this happened inside Gulanxiu's body. His body absorbed every bit of the green energy without wasting any, so the outside world showed no reaction at all.

Gulanxiu felt completely at ease, his body relaxing all over. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.