The news from the Sixth Elder of the Heavenly Cold Sect was promptly relayed back to the sect.
However, after the Sect Master reviewed it, he decided to seal the information and did not inform the rest of the sect members.
"Soul-Shaping Pill handed over... sigh."
"But this matter may not require direct involvement from our Heavenly Cold Sect."
"By calculating the time, Wang Yu should arrive in Qingzhou in just a few days."
As the Sect Master of Heavenly Cold Sect looked at the message on the Communication Jade Token, he remained calm, showing no anger over handing a Heaven Rank Elixir to someone else.
Instead, he pondered calmly for a moment and decided to observe for now, using Wang Yu, this Prince, to probe the attitude of the Gu Family!
...
Within the Inner Court of the Gu Family, Gu Changge, who initially planned to head straight back to the Back Mountain, was intercepted by his third uncle.
"You brat, you really hit the jackpot this time!"
"Not only did you get a Heaven Rank Elixir, but you also snagged yourself a sensible and beautiful wife."
"Looks like I won't have to worry too much about you in the future."
"With that girl's talent, in another twenty or thirty years, she could be considered a remarkable expert in the Northern Domain. With this connection, even if your cultivation isn't high, no one in the Northern Domain would dare lay a hand on you."
Gu Sanfeng lazily chewed on a grass stalk he had casually plucked from nearby, grinning slyly at his nephew.
"In another twenty or thirty years, who knows, I might also become a Great Power. Since we share this uncle-nephew relationship, no one in the Northern Domain would dare touch you either."
Gu Changge spread his hands and shamelessly retorted.
This response thoroughly amused Gu Sanfeng. This kid really doesn't know his limits, does he? *After taking the Soul-Shaping Pill and jumping five small realms overnight, does he truly think he's some kind of prodigy?* Oh well, oh well... *This brat hasn't stepped onto the path of cultivation in eighteen years; it's natural for him to be a little conceited after his initial exposure. I can't be bothered to shatter his illusions for now—let's let him enjoy a few days of joy.*
"Here, these elixirs are for you to stabilize your realm after the breakthrough; don't let your cultivation fall back down." With a casual motion, Gu Sanfeng took out several Jade Bottles from his robes, each filled with common elixirs usually used for cultivation in the Gu Family.
Though, in terms of quantity, these were equivalent to an entire year's worth of Monthly Salary for Gu Changge.
Gu Changge accepted the elixirs without hesitation but wore an oddly hesitant expression.
"Spit it out, brat, don't act all shy around your uncle."
"Well... Third Uncle, did you perhaps prepare some elixirs to complement the use of the Soul-Shaping Pill?"
"Though the collection isn't complete, it's nearly there."
"However, since you've already taken the Soul-Shaping Pill, you don't need these anymore. I'll have to exchange these elixirs for the usual ones from the storage in the next few days."
"No need for that, Uncle. Since these elixirs are already prepared, why bother going through all the trouble of switching them back?"
"How about this? I'll trade with you."
Gu Changge grinned, shaking the Jade Bottles he had just received as if proposing a deal.
"That measly amount of elixirs wouldn't be enough for a trade. According to your allocated resources, it would take at least three years' worth of Monthly Salary to exchange for these elixirs."
"And anyway, you don't need them."
"Wait... your wife—that girl—could it be... she still has another Soul-Shaping Pill?"
"Are you planning to give it to her?"
Gu Sanfeng waved his hand dismissively with a look of disdain, but soon his eyes widened in disbelief. *Could it be true?* A single Heaven Rank Elixir would take him twenty years to save for, yet this girl could pull out two? *When did the Heavenly Cold Sect become so wealthy?* Or did the Liu Family discover another Spirit Stone vein? *I haven't heard anything about that!*
"Never mind that, Uncle. Just hand over the elixirs for me—I'll forgo my Monthly Salary for the next three years. You can collect it directly each month on my behalf." Gu Changge didn't want to explain further, fearing it might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
In the end, Gu Sanfeng could only sigh in amazement. This brat truly lucked out—he was ridiculously extravagant! Though he handed over the elixirs, he didn't deeply care about the three years of Monthly Salary. After all, someone who could set aside twenty years' worth of Spirit Stones for his nephew wouldn't be petty about such things.
...
Returning to his Back Mountain Courtyard, Gu Changge directly stored those complementary elixirs for the Soul-Shaping Pill in his System Space.
As for the common elixirs, he didn't bother to put them away. Instead, he sat cross-legged in the courtyard, preparing to try cultivation for himself.
At first, he didn't consume any elixirs; he simply began to activate his Cultivation Technique.
*The sensation was entirely different from the eighteen years of futile cultivation attempts.*
*Just sitting cross-legged and closing his eyes, he could distinctly feel the Spiritual Energy in the world around him.*
As his technique circulated, the Spiritual Energy surrounding him began to gather as if drawn to him, entering his body through his pores and meridians—even his breathing naturally absorbed some.
*An incredibly cool and soothing sensation coursed through him, almost making him moan.*
After circulating his energy for one complete cycle, he paused his cultivation.
"No wonder people can stay in seclusion for so long; turns out cultivation feels this good…" he murmured softly. Yet, he wasn't aware that this feeling came from having an exceptionally high Root Bone; for ordinary people, even sensing Spiritual Energy would take a while, and drawing it into the body would be far more difficult. There's no way it could feel so effortless.
Next, he tried consuming a common Qi Condensing Pill, spending a full two hours to fully absorb its energy.
"If I were to cultivate normally, breaking through a small realm might take about four months."
"With enough elixirs, this should be shortened to about two months."
After experimenting, he gained a rough understanding of his cultivation speed. In the Northern Domain, this was undoubtedly the level of a genius.
However, recalling his Daoist Couple's cultivation results earlier this morning—breaking through five small realms within an hour—he realized there was no point in focusing too much effort on his own cultivation. *His personal cultivation wasn't efficient enough!*
*Liu Qingqing's regular cultivation alone brought him such immense benefits. What if her realm were higher?*
*Or if she consumed elixirs—would he also experience unexpected gains?*
"Looks like I should find a chance to return the Soul-Shaping Pill to Qingqing."
"It wouldn't be easy to explain if I were seen taking it out within the Gu Family, though."
"Maybe arranging to meet in the city in the next few days would work—it could be nice, too."
Having decided on his plan, though he didn't intend to rely on his own cultivation to grow stronger, he found the process undeniably enjoyable.
So, he continued cultivating, sitting cross-legged and refraining from using more elixirs. Unknowingly, time slipped away, and night fell.
Only when the warm sunlight of the next morning poured over him did he end his cultivation.
"Wait… why wasn't there a notification today?"
Immediately, he accessed the Daoist Couple panel!
"Thank goodness. Even though there wasn't a notification, the option to claim is now active."
Seeing the highlighted option under the cultivation section of the panel, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Without hesitation, he chose to claim it directly!