Divine Blessing! That's a Lot to Take In

The next morning.

As the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, Jiang Yan's eyelashes stirred, and he emerged from meditation.

When he opened his eyes, a faint light flashed within them.

"Cultivating feels great."

He stretched without thinking. Who said cultivation was dull? This was amazing.

Though he had yet to become a Soul Master and his cultivation had shown no outward results, that did not mean his Soul Power had stopped growing within him.

Drops of water formed an abyss. This first session was only the beginning.

At that moment, two pairs of gentle eyes were watching him, and pleasant voices sounded by his ears.

"Young master, you're awake."

"How did your first cultivation session feel?"

Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue seemed to have been waiting for some time. They looked at him warmly as they asked.

"It felt wonderful. Getting stronger makes me..."

"Long for more."

Still a little unused to it, Jiang Yan nodded.

Cultivation was the first lesson in a Soul Master's growth. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, he would not fall behind anyone. He would work to become the strongest under heaven.

"But you two..."

"Have you been guarding me the whole time?"

He smiled politely, a thoughtful look on his face.

They had said they would enter his Sea of Spirit, but judging by what he saw now, it seemed things were not that simple.

If they really had been guarding him, though, having two God Rank beings protect him was almost too outrageous to imagine.

"Not entirely. But aside from the one time Old Master Jiang brought someone over, we haven't left your side."

"Dong'er and I are capable enough. As long as we choose to, the old master won't notice us."

Sitting beside the desk, Qian Renxue closed the reference book she had been reading and explained with a smile.

"That's good to hear."

"Grandpa brought someone over?"

Jiang Yan nodded as a guess crossed his mind. His grandfather had no children, and the person closest to him was Uncle Li, who worked in Eastsea City. Perhaps Uncle Li had come.

He needed a Soul Spirit, after all, and Eastsea City surely had a much larger supply than Aolai City. As he pondered this, the system's voice rang out in his mind:

[Congratulations, host. You have received Divine Blessing. Your chance of entering Deep Meditation while cultivating through meditation has increased significantly.]

[Sources of blessing: Qian Renxue / Bibi Dong]

[This blessing's effects will stack with those of other gods.]

"Divine Blessing?"

Jiang Yan froze. His gaze swept over the two harmless-looking goddesses before him, and he marveled inwardly.

No wonder this felt like the script of an invincible hero. His God Rank protectors even came with blessings...

They really couldn't bear to let him suffer the slightest setback.

Meanwhile, the system continued:

[Congratulations, host. You have successfully meditated for the first time and achieved a new milestone in life. Reward: one million Federation Coins.]

"Huh?"

Jiang Yan said nothing. The corner of his mouth twitched.

"System, if I may ask..."

"Is it even possible to fail at meditating?"

By now, he understood just how authoritative and capable the system was. But it was also absurd.

[You've got it wrong, dear host.]

[Have you forgotten Yu Xiaogang, the useless boy who awakened the Holy Dragon Bloodline twenty thousand years ago? It took him months of hard work to grasp the basics of meditation. His peers left him in the dust. He was a disgrace to dragonkind.]

[Had he lived in the same era as you, he might finally have understood what it means to be outclassed.]

"..."

Jiang Yan smiled helplessly. Since when did Yu Xiaogang even belong in the same conversation as the Dragon God? And this business of putting him down...

Yu Xiaogang, huh.

Interesting.

"..."

After finishing his cultivation, Jiang Yan did not stay in the bedroom. He left Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong to continue browsing the Douluo encyclopedia, then quietly headed for the living room.

Jiang Luochuan, who had been waiting outside, immediately brightened, his face breaking into a smile.

"Yan'er, you've finished meditating already? How was it? This was your very first time cultivating..."

He smiled kindly as he asked.

"Grandpa, I can feel my Soul Power has grown quite a bit."

"Little by little, drops of water form an abyss. I don't think cultivation will put much pressure on me in the future."

Jiang Yan sat beside him and spoke with a smile. "Not much pressure" was putting it rather modestly.

With the Dragon God Bloodline, perfect talent, and a cheat like Divine Blessing, cultivation might not be quite as easy as drinking water, but no one in this era could put pressure on him.

Not even the Silver Dragon King, who would arrive in the next few days...

What, did she think she could surpass him?

Not a chance!

If the Silver Dragon King dared provoke him, he would make sure she never left!

"A-Achoo!"

Far away, a silver-haired girl who had not slept in two days suddenly sneezed. Bewilderment crossed her adorable face as she looked around, unsure what to make of it.

What just happened...?

"Silly boy, of course I trust your talent. I expect your future cultivation to progress by leaps and bounds."

"But you entered Deep Meditation on your very first attempt. You have no idea how remarkable that is. Still... it's a pity."

Jiang Luochuan's aged eyes held a complicated look, torn between joy and worry. He was delighted that Yan'er's first meditation had been a Deep Meditation session, but that was also the source of his concern.

Deep Meditation was one of the greatest opportunities a Soul Master could encounter while cultivating, but chances to enter that state were limited. Yan'er could not do it every time.

Ah, heavens above, why must you make things so hard for Yan'er?

"Deep Meditation?"

"I didn't expect that. But Grandpa, you don't need to worry. It can happen again. For me... this is only the beginning."

Jiang Yan put on a surprised look, then shook his head. He knew perfectly well how difficult Deep Meditation was...

But he had a cheat.

This was his first time, but it definitely would not be his last this month.

"I'm glad you see it that way. I have every confidence in you, and so does your Uncle Li. He rushed over yesterday afternoon, then went straight to headquarters to report your talent."

"We can't let someone with your gifts languish in our hands. At headquarters... a powerful expert will surely take you as a disciple."

Jiang Luochuan stroked his beard with a smile. By his reckoning, Uncle Li should be returning with a Soul Spirit soon. He wondered what kind it would be.

"Yan'er, the Spirit Pagoda is currently led by Qian Gu Pagoda Master and Heavenly Phoenix Pagoda Master. One reached the Limit Douluo realm years ago, while the other has long stood at the peak of level 98. Both are among the strongest people alive."

"With your talent, you're certain to catch the eye of one of them. Either would be an immense help to you in the future."

His expression turned solemn as he spoke.

Qian Gu Pagoda Master was one of the eight known Limit Douluos among the continent's four foremost powers: Shrek Academy, the Spirit Pagoda, the Tang Sect, and the War God Temple.

He had the Qian Gu Clan behind him, and his father, the former pagoda master, had once been one of the three strongest Douluos. His backing ran deep.

Heavenly Phoenix Pagoda Master's foundations were not as deep, but with the Heavenly Fire Phoenix, a superior Martial Soul, and cultivation at the peak of level 98, she too ranked among the strongest under heaven.

Both had wealth, power, and strength. Jiang Luochuan did not want Yan'er to depend on others forever. But a dead genius was often worth nothing at all.

Staying alive came before everything else.

In this era, young talents dying early was no rarity. He could not protect Yan'er for life, but either of the two pagoda masters...

Could keep the boy safe.

"I understand, Grandpa."

Jiang Yan smiled and nodded. He knew enough about this era to understand the old man's deeper meaning.

This world was riddled with dangers. Rival factions clashed, Evil Soul Masters attacked, and even the Demon Empress might emerge and deepen the abyss's influence. Whatever the threat, going without powerful backing was out of the question.

Whether it was Spirit Pagoda Douluo or Heavenly Phoenix Douluo, both were formidable. Having a powerful teacher to protect him would bring many benefits. Of course...

The power already standing behind him was unfathomable.

"..."

"Young master, who are the Qian Gu and Heavenly Phoenix people the old gentleman mentioned? What are their foundations and backgrounds? Would it be wise to take one as a teacher?"

Inside Jiang Yan's Sea of Spirit.

Qian Renxue sat on a cozy bed in a sacred golden room, asking curiously.

She had never heard of the Spirit Pagoda.

But she understood what a Limit Douluo and someone at the peak of level 98 were. Their cultivation was clearly comparable to her grandfather's and Golden Crocodile Douluo's. If their backgrounds were clean, one of them might be a fine choice of teacher for Jiang Yan.

After all, she and Dong'er could not show themselves lightly. In this era unfamiliar to them both, the young master needed someone better suited to guide him.

"Xue'er, I disagree."

"If they're merely Limit and Super Douluos, he may as well not bother. A Limit Douluo is still only a Limit Douluo."

Bibi Dong quietly voiced her objection.

Unlike Qian Renxue's, her room in the Sea of Spirit was rather plain. Beneath its dark violet glow, strange stonelike patterns showed faintly through the walls.

It looked like...

Some kind of mysterious chamber?

"Gods are gods, and Titled Douluos are Titled Douluos. You and I can see to the young master's safety."

"If our relationship with him weren't unsuitable, either of us would be a better choice as his teacher."

A light flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes as she spoke in earnest.

"But you just said it was unsuitable," Qian Renxue replied quietly.

"..."

Jiang Yan smiled without speaking.

Before long, though, his attention settled on Bibi Dong. Her fondness for younger men, her tendency to lose herself in love, and that "chamber" made him feel that something was off.

This former pope...

There was a lot going on with her.

At that moment, the system chimed softly.

[Stage mission: A Great Teacher and an Outstanding Student—Seek a Master to Hone Your Skills]

[No one can wander this dangerous world without getting hurt. As the brightest young talent of this era, you should, if possible, find a kind and caring teacher and shelter beneath her body... ahem, wing.]

"..."