Grandpa Tu and Mu Chen walked toward one of the shops in the village. The shop door was open, and Grandpa Tu turned his head to see a young woman sitting behind a wooden counter.
The woman immediately stood up and greeted them with a smile.
"Welcome. Is there anything I can help you with, Elder Tu?"
"Yes. He wants to sell something. I thought you might be interested in buying it."
Mu Chen stepped up to the wooden counter, took out a Primordial Origin Qi Seed, and placed it on top.
The stone immediately shone with a golden light, radiating a pure and dominant qi aura. The woman's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly ran into the back room to call her father.
Her father came out, a middle-aged man younger than Grandpa Tu. He was just as stunned as his daughter. It was his first time seeing a stone like this.
"Isn't this..."
"An Ancient Energy Stone," Grandpa Tu interrupted.
"That's right. This stone is far rarer than a rare artifact. Its value is extremely high."
"I know," Grandpa Tu said. "It's worth one thousand low-grade spirit stones. Do you have that much?"
The middle-aged man turned to look at his daughter. A moment later, the two exchanged faint smiles, a sign that did not sit well with Mu Chen.
"We only have 200 spirit stones and 150,000 taels."
"That's far too low," Grandpa Tu said, glancing to the side, "What do you think?"
"I'll sell it."
I need spirit stones to complete the second Heavenly Refinement mission.
"Are you sure? You could probably get much more if you sold it in the city."
Mu Chen nodded. "It's too dangerous for me to go into the city right now. It's fine. They can keep the rest."
The middle-aged man and his daughter immediately broke into wide smiles, repeatedly thanking Mu Chen for his generosity.
Grandpa Tu was somewhat stunned that Mu Chen was willing to give up the remaining value so easily.
If it were him, he would definitely have sold it in the city for a much bigger profit. Mu Chen was simply too kind-hearted.
Not long after, the middle-aged man handed over 200 spirit stones and 150,000 taels to Mu Chen. On top of that, they also gifted him a bag of holding.
He had done so after noticing that Mu Chen did not have one. Mu Chen naturally accepted it, though he had no idea how to use it.
The young woman taught him how. Mu Chen watched carefully and succeeded on the first try. The woman standing before him looked impressed.
"Thank you, Lu Tong," Grandpa Tu said.
"You're welcome. I should be the one thanking you."
"Don't tell anyone it came from me. Just say you got it from a wandering cultivator."
"Of course. I'll follow your advice."
After finishing their business, Mu Chen and Grandpa Tu left the village and headed toward the fields. The distance was not too far, and they could reach it within an hour.
Once they arrived, Mu Chen took the initiative to help Grandpa Tu tend the fields. However, the old man refused, saying he could handle it himself.
"You just go cultivate over there," Grandpa Tu said, pointing beneath a large tree.
Mu Chen turned and nodded. Grandpa Tu began working in the fields while Mu Chen sat cross-legged beneath the large tree, its shade cool and sheltering.
He formed a hand seal and began clearing his mind, calming his heart. As his eyes slowly closed, streams of spiritual qi steadily flowed into the meridians throughout his body.
He cultivated using the Heavenly Refinement Art, First Layer, refining spiritual qi into Primordial Origin Qi.
Even though the process was painful, Mu Chen had to endure it. After all, it was the only cultivation technique truly suited to him.
From time to time, Grandpa Tu glanced at Mu Chen, but he sensed nothing unusual. To him, Mu Chen looked like an ordinary cultivator in meditation.
They spent the entire day there, from morning until dusk. Mu Chen continued cultivating, while Grandpa Tu rested nearby and kept watch over the fields.
"If you become a great cultivator one day, what do you want to do, Mu Chen?"
"I don't know," Mu Chen said, "I haven't decided yet."
"The path of cultivation is long, Mu Chen. The road to immortality and Dao enlightenment is even longer, almost endless."
"There's no need to rush after power. You'll obtain it when you are worthy of it."
"I'm trying to focus on cultivating, old man. Can you keep quiet?"
"HAHA!"
The two spent the afternoon together until an orange glow began to appear along the western horizon. Grandpa Tu looked up and realized it was time for them to head back.
"Get up, Mu Chen. Time to go home."
Mu Chen stopped cultivating, paused his session, and deactivated his technique. He turned to the side, looking in the same direction as Grandpa Tu.
He stood up and left the fields, following Grandpa Tu away. There was still no sign of a breakthrough.
Even so, he remembered Grandpa Tu's words. Cultivation could not be rushed. Everything had to proceed according to its natural course.
They walked past the village and climbed the forest hill, following the narrow path as the sky gradually dimmed.
From afar, their old house came into view. Grandma Si was already waiting for them on a chair in the front yard.
The moment Mu Chen and Grandpa Tu arrived, she immediately stood up and waved at them.
"Welcome back. Dinner is ready."
A wide smile spread across Mu Chen's face. His heart felt the warmth of their little family.
Even though he was a stranger, Grandma Si and Grandpa Tu had always treated him kindly, as if he were their own child.
His heart was deeply moved. Having someone waiting to welcome him home gave Mu Chen a feeling unlike anything else.
After tidying themselves up, the three of them had dinner together. Mu Chen talked a lot about what had happened during the day with Grandpa Tu, and Grandma Si listened enthusiastically.
Night soon fell, and dinner came to an end. Grandpa Tu went to sleep first because he was tired, while Mu Chen and Grandma Si went out to the front yard to enjoy the night air.
"You still haven't broken through?" Grandma Si asked.
Mu Chen shook his head.
"It's alright. You can continue cultivating. I'll stay here with you."
Having Grandma Si by his side made Mu Chen feel reassured. He formed a hand seal and activated the Heavenly Refinement Art, First Layer.
His mind became clear, and his heart gradually calmed. Grandma Si remained seated nearby, quietly sipping green tea from the teapot.
Through his senses, Mu Chen felt no obstacles at all in his cultivation. The flow of spiritual qi within him was clear and smooth.
Three hours passed.
Mu Chen suddenly began to feel violent fluctuations of qi inside his body. His abdomen and chest burned with intense heat. Grandma Si immediately noticed what was happening.
A burst of white qi erupted.
As a Nascent Soul cultivator, Si You naturally understood the meaning of that burst.
"Finally... a breakthrough."
The bursts of white qi continued, only to gradually transform into pure golden qi explosions. Si You was startled.
Golden qi was not a common spiritual qi color among cultivators.
"Golden qi?"
The golden spiritual qi burst forth even more fiercely, shaking the leaves around the old house.
With a single motion of his hand, Mu Chen stabilized the fluctuations in his spiritual qi until the bursts finally came to an end.
Mu Chen's eyes snapped open, only to see Grandma Si standing in front of him with a mix of joy and confusion on her face.
"Congratulations, Mu Chen. Your cultivation has risen to the fourth layer of Qi Condensation."
Mu Chen nodded. His body felt light and refreshed, and all traces of fatigue had disappeared. He rose to his feet, noticing that the qi aura around his body had become even clearer.
"Thank you for staying with me, Grandma Si."
"You're welcome," Grandma Si said, "May I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"A golden qi energy appeared from your body. Do you know where it came from?"