The Ancestor's Support

Jiang Yun had not been at Jade Cauldron Paradise for long, but he had already heard rumors about this ancestor.

This ancestor had been sent by the Jiang Family eighty years ago to oversee Jade Cauldron Paradise, making him the Jiang Family's representative in Yan Kingdom.

He had already been in the Dao Palace Realm when he first arrived, but he was too old and no longer had the potential to advance further. Otherwise, he would not have come to Yan Kingdom.

The ancestor had once been a knight of the Jiang Family. The exotic beast before Jade Cauldron Paradise's mountain gate had once been his mount.

Eighty years had now passed, and this ancestor's lifespan was nearing its end. No one knew how many more years he could hold on.

As he traveled, Jiang Yun recalled what he knew about this ancestor.

There was no special reason for the ancestor to see them; it was merely tradition. The Jiang Family cultivators currently in Jade Cauldron Paradise all belonged to the ancestor's branch.

Jiang Shuanglan was even his great-granddaughter. It was inconvenient for him to attend his great-granddaughter's wedding, so naturally, he had to see her after the marriage.

Grandma Feng brought the two of them to a small hill. This hill was the closest to the jade-cauldron-shaped peak within Jade Cauldron Paradise, and it was said that a blessed land lay within it.

Several thatched cottages stood atop the hill, simple and unadorned, blending into nature. The place was nestled against the mountains and beside the water, with beautiful scenery.

An old man sat before the door, so aged that he was nearly unrecognizable. Wrinkles covered his face, while his beard and hair were snow-white.

The old man sat quietly, looking at Jiang Yun with a kindly expression, like an ordinary centenarian from the mortal world.

"Greetings, Great-Grandfather." Jiang Yun and Jiang Shuanglan respectfully bowed.

Grandma Feng stood silently behind the old man.

"I called you here today because I wanted to see the talents of our Jiang Family."

The old man went on to say many things. Like an ordinary kind elder, he mostly spoke of his hopes and blessings for the younger generation.

For the most part, the ancestor spoke while Jiang Yun and Jiang Shuanglan listened.

At last, when they were about to leave, the ancestor became solemn for the first time.

"Jiang Yun, Shuanglan, perhaps the future of our Jiang Family branch in Jade Cauldron Paradise will rest upon the two of you. None of those sons and grandsons of mine have amounted to anything. Feng'er spent her whole life delayed by my dream of returning to the Jiang Family, yet in the end, she still fell just short. Now that I am old, I have come to accept it."

After pausing for a while, he continued.

"This body of mine can still last a few more years, enough to protect you for a time. I hope that you two, as husband and wife, will support each other and go farther in the future. You may return now. I had Feng'er prepare some things for you; they are my support for you. Cultivate well, and see the sights of higher realms on my behalf."

His words carried the tone of someone making final arrangements, and Grandma Feng and Jiang Shuanglan's eyes reddened.

"Great-Grandfather, rest assured. There are many items that can extend one's lifespan. I will do my best to find them. In the future, you will still get to see Shuanglan and me have children!"

Through their conversation today, Jiang Yun had come to respect the old man before him greatly.

The ancestor had wanted to return to the Jiang Family because he feared that his descendants would one day sink into the mortal world without anyone to rely on.

If he had the chance, there was naturally no harm in finding some lifespan-extending treasures for the ancestor. So long as he had sufficient resources, reaching the Four Extremes Realm was not particularly difficult.

"I am glad that you think this way. I will wait for that day."

The ancestor was quite pleased by Jiang Yun's words. Though he did not hold much hope, such filial devotion was still a good thing.

How could ordinary cultivators possibly find lifespan-extending treasures? Even in the Ancestral Vein, only certain Supreme Elders and renowned elders had the opportunity to obtain them.

Grandma Feng then brought Jiang Yun and Jiang Shuanglan back to their small courtyard, and they remained silent along the way.

"This is what the ancestor asked me to give you. I hope you will not disappoint his expectations."

Grandma Feng looked deeply at Jiang Yun, then took out a bundle and handed it to him before leaving.

Jiang Yun and Jiang Shuanglan took the bundle back to their room and opened it. Inside were two hundred bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid, along with three crystal-clear pieces of crystal that looked like water crystals and were exceptionally beautiful.

The faintly glowing crystal chunks were only the size of an infant's fist, yet they felt extraordinarily heavy. They seemed to contain surges of immensely vigorous life essence.

"This is Source!!!"

Jiang Shuanglan cried out.

Jiang Yun had already suspected as much, but only after hearing Jiang Shuanglan's exclamation did he confirm it. This truly was Source.

It was Jiang Yun's first time seeing Source, so he carefully studied it.

The Source in his hand was relatively pure, weighing roughly seven or eight jin. Pure Source Stone of such size was far more precious than five or six spirit herbs.

And there were three pieces of it.

Jiang Shuanglan was also very happy. She and Jiang Yun were now one, and seeing the ancestor value Jiang Yun so highly made her feel honored as well.

Jiang Yun and Jiang Shuanglan counted their assets after the wedding. Including the gifts from yesterday's wedding and the ancestor's reward, they now had more than three hundred bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid and three pieces of Source Stone.

After some thought, Jiang Yun took one hundred bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid and two pieces of Source Stone, leaving the remaining two hundred-odd bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid and one piece of Source Stone to Jiang Shuanglan.

Jiang Shuanglan wanted to refuse. She knew well that most of these things had been given for Jiang Yun. She would have been satisfied with just a dozen or so bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid.

"You and I are one as husband and wife. I hope you can walk through this life hand in hand with me. I do not want old age to appear on your face."

Jiang Yun spoke solemnly as he looked into Jiang Shuanglan's eyes.

[Companion Jiang Shuanglan's favorability increased: 81]

[Obtained 1 Reflection Point]

Jiang Yun's expression shifted.

Jiang Shuanglan slowly pressed herself against him.

The sky had already darkened, and Jiang Shuanglan was especially proactive that night.

Jiang Yun once again reviewed the Feng Shui Essential Art.

Her sash undone, her complexion already trembling; his hands grew ever busier, unaware of what lay beneath her silk skirt.

[Obtained Mark +1, favorability bonus Mark +2]

[Obtained Mark +1, favorability bonus Mark +2]

It sounded five times in succession.

However, after it was over, Jiang Shuanglan endured her exhaustion, left the warm and comfortable bed, drank a bottle of Hundred-Grass Liquid, and began cultivating.

Seeing Jiang Shuanglan work so hard, Jiang Yun felt somewhat ashamed. She still had the energy to cultivate—apparently, he had not tried hard enough!

Jiang Yun also left the room and went to the pill chamber to cultivate.

Though the night had been pleasant, Jiang Yun still felt somewhat heavyhearted.

The ancestor's kindness toward him was truly immense. Yesterday, he had gifted Jiang Yun a Green Gold Treasure Shield at the wedding, and today, he had given him more than twenty jin of Source and two hundred bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid. He truly treated Jiang Yun as a descendant of the Jiang Family.

Jiang Yun had originally harbored some doubts about this ancestor, fearing that, like Elder Han of Spiritual Void Cave Heaven, he might wish to refine Jiang Yun into medicine to prolong his own lifespan.

Now, Jiang Yun suddenly felt ashamed. He had judged a gentleman's heart with a petty mind.

Jiang Yun quickly put those thoughts behind him. He only needed to repay the ancestor properly in the future.

He opened the panel.

[Panel]

Realm: Sea of Bitterness cultivator

Physique: Mortal Physique (Sacred Physique 1.93%, Divine Physique 1.08%)

Bloodline: Hengyu Bloodline (1%)

Cultivation Technique: "Dao Scripture"

Reflection Points: 2

Source Space: 40*40*40

Companion: Jiang Shuanglan (Hengyu Bloodline 3.25%, Divine Physique 5.52%) Favorability 81

Marks: 15

Descendant Bonus: None

Jiang Yun first added all his Marks to the Divine Physique.

[Divine Physique 1.23%]

A strange energy immediately surged into Jiang Yun's body again. This time, Jiang Yun truly saw it. Though it lasted only an instant, the countless gates within his body were indeed glowing.

There were five more Marks than last time because his companion's favorability had reached the threshold of eighty, increasing the Mark bonus from one to two.

His physique was still far from undergoing a qualitative transformation, so Jiang Yun stopped paying attention to those changes.

Jiang Yun tried using a Reflection Point, wondering what kind of scripture he might obtain.