Chapter 24: Cultivation not enough
After arriving home, Lin Yuan carefully carried his wife and gently laid her down onto their bed.
"We are home," Lin Yuan said softly, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead.
Bai Qingyue let out a long, exhausted sigh, the tension finally leaving her shoulders. The events of the day—the auction, and the terrifying clash with a Core Formation expert—had been incredibly draining on her mind. Yet, looking up at the handsome, invincible man who stood over her, she felt an unparalleled sense of safety.
"Rest your mind," Lin Yuan instructed, offering a warm smile. "I will prepare us something to eat."
Without delaying, Lin Yuan stepped into the kitchen. Although the morning had been filled with life-and-death stakes, he easily shifted back into the role of a devoted husband. Using the remaining premium ingredients Bai Chen had delivered, Lin Yuan meticulously prepared a serving of noodles paired with Mushroom Broth.
His movements were fluid and precise. Within moments, the savory, mouth-watering aroma of roasted mushrooms and rich spices filled the house.
Lin Yuan brought the steaming tray into the bedroom and took his seat on the edge of the mattress.
"Come, sit up slightly," Lin Yuan murmured, his voice incredibly tender.
Bai Qingyue adjusted herself against the headboard. As Lin Yuan scooped up the first bite of the noodles, blowing gently to cool them, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The lingering adrenaline of the morning melted into a thick, palpable romantic tension.
When she leaned forward to take the bite from the spoon, her eyes locked onto his. The physical proximity was intoxicating. Lin Yuan could feel the soft warmth of her breath against his knuckles, and he could smell the faint, natural scent of lotus blossoms radiating from her skin.
He fed her slowly. Each bite was an intimate exchange. When a tiny drop of the rich broth escaped the corner of her lips, Lin Yuan didn’t use a cloth. He leaned in slightly and wiped it away with his thumb, his gaze dropping to her soft, pink lips for a lingering second before returning to her eyes.
Bai Qingyue’s heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Her cheeks burned with a brilliant blush, yet she did not look away. The former genius of the Bai Clan was completely melting under his attention.
As she swallowed the final bite of the meal, then....
[Ding!]
[Host has invested: Time spent cooking a nourishing meal for Dao Companion.] [Triggering critical multiplier... calculating...]
[Congratulations to the Host! You have triggered a Recipe Return!]
[Reward: Top-Tier Recipe - True Dragon Dumplings!]
Lin Yuan smiled internally, acknowledging the new culinary treasure.
[Ding!]
[Host has invested: Time spent affectionately hand-feeding Dao Companion.]
[Triggering critical multiplier... calculating...]
[Congratulations to the Host! You have triggered an Attribute Upgrade Return!] [Reward: +300 Points added to Root Bone!]
Boom!
A profound transformation surged through Lin Yuan’s body. If the Comprehension points had evolved his mind, this reward evolved his very being. In the Nine Provinces, a cultivator’s ’Root Bone’ dictated their innate talent—their physical capacity to absorb, refine, and retain the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.
The previous owner of this body had possessed a trash-tier Root Bone, a meager 20 points, which was why he had drowned in debt trying to reach the 3rd level of Qi Condensation. But now, with a staggering addition of 300 points, his meridians expanded, eagerly drinking in the ambient energy of the world without him even trying. He had been elevated to the ranks of a supreme, once-in-a-millennium genius!
Setting the empty tray aside, Lin Yuan decided it was time to take a proper look at his current standing.
"System," Lin Yuan commanded internally. "Display interface."
A translucent screen materialized before his eyes, invisible to Bai Qingyue.
[Millionfold Return System]
[Host:] Lin Yuan
[Wife:] Bai Qingyue
[Root Bone:] 320 (Supreme Heavenly Talent)
[Comprehension:] 2500 (High-Tier Perception)
[Lifespan:] 215 years
[Realm:] Foundation Establishment Realm (Peak Stage)
[Divine Skills:] Death Gaze, Rain Dao Intent, Immortal Cloud Step
Lin Yuan looked over his stats with profound satisfaction. In just a matter of days, he had transformed from trash into a someone who could slay Core Formation experts and comprehend the Heavenly Dao.
’With this new addition to my root bone, my cultivation talent has improved tremendously. I can now be considered a true genius. Reaching the Core Formation Realm is only a matter of time.’
’Previously, I didn’t dare cultivate and relied almost entirely on the system to increase my strength because this body’s talent was simply too poor. But now, things are different.’
’With my newfound aptitude, my cultivation speed will soar. Increasing my cultivation level will no longer be a difficult task.’
His eyes then shifted from the interface to his spatial ring. With a flick of his wrist, the weathered painting—the copy of the legendary Mountain and River Screen that he had spent three hundred thousand Spirit Stones to acquire—materialized in his grasp.
He unrolled the dilapidated canvas across his lap.
"Is that the painting from the auction?" Bai Qingyue asked softly, leaning closer to inspect the it, depicting a jagged mountain and a torrential river.
"Yes," Lin Yuan replied.
Using his top Comprehension, projecting his Divine Sense into it. Instantly, the painting transformed before his mind’s eye. He felt the overwhelming, tyrannical intent of ’Rivers’ hidden within the brushstrokes, left behind by the person who had forged this replica.
His own Dao of Rain trembled hungrily, eager to devour this newfound intent and fuse it with his own to elevate his mastery.
However, as Lin Yuan attempted to extract the Dao trace using his Foundation Establishment cultivation, he hit an impenetrable wall.
A sharp headache pierced his temples. Lin Yuan frowned, quickly severing the connection and retracting his Divine Sense.
"What is wrong?" Bai Qingyue asked, noticing his sudden wince.
"A man cannot swallow an ocean in a single gulp," Lin Yuan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
His comprehension was definitely high enough to understand the Dao intent within the painting, but his cultivation realm was simply too low to actively manipulate it. Extracting a Dao law from an artifact required vast amount of spiritual energy. His peak Foundation Establishment cultivation, while powerful, was like a small pond trying to pull a massive boulder.
He needed to form a Golden Core, or perhaps even reach the Nascent Soul realm, before he possessed the spiritual power required to truly decipher and absorb the hidden Dao intent within the painting.
Lin Yuan rolled the painting back up and returned it to his spatial ring. The events of the day had left his mind feeling slightly overheated.
He looked at Bai Qingyue, whose eyes were watching him with deep, empathetic concern.
"Wife," Lin Yuan said gently, his voice weary but incredibly fond. "My mind feels a bit heavy from the chaos of the day. Would you be willing to play something for me?"
Bai Qingyue’s eyes softened. A gentle, loving smile graced her beautiful features.
"Of course, Husband," she replied softly.
With a thought, Lin yuan retrieved the Zither from the spatial ring. The magnificent instrument then rested perfectly across his wife lap. Though she could not infuse it with spiritual qi, she still possessed the peerless skills of her past. She raised her delicate hands and positioned her fingers expertly over the strings.
"Close your eyes," Bai Qingyue whispered.
Lin Yuan leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes, letting the cool, serene aura of the zither wash over him as his wife prepared to play a melody just for him.