Seedling's Gift

Seedling picked up the booklet with the blue cover and explained:

"Dad, I remember you seem to have a Five-Element Spiritual Root. This is a wood-element cultivation technique called the Eternal Spring Technique.

"If you practice it for a long time, it can prolong your life. When you have some free time, you might as well give it a try."

Jiang Fu'an was stunned.

His daughter had only just stepped onto the path of immortality, yet she was already thinking of preparing a cultivation technique for him!

He accepted the booklet with both hands. On its cover, the three inked characters, "Eternal Spring Technique," were written in a neat hand.

"This secret manual couldn't have been cheap, could it?"

Seedling shook her head.

"Dad, don't worry. It wasn't expensive.

"This is one of the most basic cultivation techniques in the immortal world. It's widely circulated, and one Lower-Grade Spirit Stone can buy it."

After chatting with Miao Ruolan before, Jiang Fu'an had gained some understanding of Spirit Stones in the immortal world.

One Lower-Grade Spirit Stone was roughly enough to buy only a single ordinary talisman paper.

As for the cheapest magical artifact, without several dozen Spirit Stones, one could not hope to get it.

By comparison, this technique truly was not expensive.

At that moment, Seedling took a small milky-white porcelain bottle from her not-so-large storage pouch.

Holding it in her palm, she offered it before her father.

"Dad, there are also around ten Qi-Nourishing Pills in here. Taking them can help speed up cultivation.

"Our family doesn't have a Spiritual Vein, and the spiritual energy is thin. With these pills, it'll be easier for you to get started."

Pills that could speed up cultivation!

Jiang Fu'an was startled.

"These pills must be expensive, right? Where did you get so many Spirit Stones?"

He remembered Miao Ruolan mentioning that among pills, those that helped one break through bottlenecks were the most expensive.

Next came this sort, which could improve cultivation efficiency.

Seedling explained:

"I didn't buy these. They're the monthly allowance the sect gives new disciples."

Seeing that her father still hesitated, she simply reached out, intending to stuff the porcelain bottle straight into his hand.

But Jiang Fu'an drew his hand back and avoided it.

"Dad can't take them. Dad's aptitude is poor. Using this bottle of pills on me would yield twice the effort for half the result, wasting them for nothing.

"You should keep them for yourself. You're talented, and you have a Spiritual Vein in the sect nourishing you. You should devote yourself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

"Once you successfully reach Foundation Establishment in the future and gain the ability, it won't be too late to help Dad then."

Those were his sincere words.

With resources limited, they naturally ought to be used by the family member with the best aptitude.

In any case, he still had a long life ahead of him. He could wait slowly.

But Seedling would not agree. The hand holding the porcelain bottle remained outstretched.

"Dad, the spiritual energy of the sect's Third-Order Spiritual Vein is incredibly rich. As long as I work harder, I'll catch up in my cultivation very quickly.

"These few pills won't make much difference to me, but they'll be very helpful for you when you're first stepping through the gate.

"Just take them. Otherwise, I'll keep worrying about it, and it'll affect my cultivation instead."

Jiang Fu'an did not agree with his daughter's reasoning.

There were many disciples in a sect, so the competition was surely fierce.

Sometimes, being one step slower in breaking through could mean the difference between heaven and earth in one's future circumstances.

But then he suddenly remembered the ring in his robes.

If that Storage Ring could be opened, perhaps there were good things inside.

With that thought, he stopped insisting and reached out to accept the porcelain bottle.

He would keep it for now. Once the ring was opened and its contents inventoried, they could allocate the resources as a whole.

Seeing her father accept it, Seedling's face immediately blossomed into a smile.

In high spirits, she took two eggs, each a circle larger than a chicken egg, and a sheathed dagger from her storage pouch.

She picked up the two eggs first and explained:

"Dad, these are two Blazing Fire Eagle eggs. They're for Yue'er.

"My little sister has been close to small animals since she was little. Maybe she has some kind of special constitution.

"Blazing Fire Eagles count as Half-Spirit Beasts. Their temperaments aren't especially fierce, and with my sister's talent, raising them should not be difficult.

"When the eagles grow up, perhaps they can help guard the house, or even lend a hand when hunting."

This time, Jiang Fu'an did not refuse.

He carefully accepted the two eggs, a smile appearing on his face.

"I'll thank you on Yue'er's behalf. She'll definitely like this gift."

Seedling then pointed at the dagger.

"This dagger has some Purple Essence Iron mixed into it. It isn't a magical artifact, but it's far sharper and tougher than ordinary weapons.

"This is for Stone. He's been strong since childhood, and his body is sturdy. He's good material for martial arts.

"If he doesn't test positive for a Spiritual Root this year, Dad, let him properly study martial arts.

"Even if he does have a Spiritual Root, he can take the path of cultivating both the Dharma and the body in the future."

On the way back earlier, there had been too many people and too many eyes around, so Jiang Fu'an had not mentioned the cultivator's cave dwelling.

Thus, Seedling still did not know that Stone had long obtained the martial arts manuals within and was already practicing martial arts.

Jiang Fu'an took the dagger and gently pulled it free by the hilt.

A cold gleam flashed out. The blade cut through the air with a faint hum.

He nodded.

"That boy Stone already likes brandishing blades and spears. He'll definitely like this gift."

At this moment, a trace of apology appeared on Seedling's face.

"But I haven't had time to prepare gifts for Mom and little brother this time."

Jiang Fu'an smiled and waved his hand.

"It's all right. What you've prepared is already very thoughtful."

Then his tone shifted, and a mysterious glint flashed in his eyes.

"Actually, Dad has prepared a gift for you as well."

As he spoke, he reached into his robes and took out the ring he had kept hidden close to his body.

Jiang Fu'an had long made up his mind that if it could be opened, most of the things inside would be left for Seedling.

Now that she had entered the Melodious Sound Sect and could make use of a Third-Order Spiritual Vein, she was undoubtedly the family's brightest hope.

As long as she could successfully reach Foundation Establishment, perhaps the Jiang Family could become a second Wang Family.

Watching her father's movements, Seedling's eyes were full of anticipation.

When she was little, every year on her birthday, she would receive a gift handmade by her father.

Every one was unique and thoughtfully made, and she had treasured them to this day.

The gifts she had prepared for her family this time were, to some extent, also influenced by her father.

"Seedling, look what this is."

Jiang Fu'an spread open his palm with a smile, the ancient-looking ring lying quietly in it.

Seedling was puzzled at first. Then her gaze turned somewhat astonished, and uncertainty entered her voice.

"This is... a Storage Ring? Dad, where did you get it?"

"I found it in a cave in the Mizhang Mountains. It seemed an immortal had once lived there.

"Besides this ring taken from a corpse's hand, there were some other things, but they were too large to bring back."

The instant she heard the words "Mizhang Mountains," Seedling's expression changed.

That was a forbidden land for mortals. Even low-level cultivators did not dare venture deeply inside lightly.

Her voice suddenly rose.

"Dad! How could you dare go to that kind of place? Do you know how dangerous it is?"

Jiang Fu'an smiled faintly and reassured her.

"Don't worry. I didn't go deep inside, only around the foot of the mountain. Besides, Dad went only after making thorough preparations.

"You know my temperament. I've always sought stability and would never act recklessly."

He handed the ring to his daughter.

"Take a look first and see whether you can open this ring."

Seedling knew her father's temperament well and knew he had always been cautious in his actions.

Only then did she relax slightly, her gaze returning to the ring.