Chapter 13: Breaking Three Mirrors in a Row, Space Ring!

"Here it comes!"

After he selected the option to receive, he immediately felt a massive surge of spiritual energy appearing within his body out of thin air!

The spiritual energy was so rich that it easily matched a thousand times the results of his entire night's cultivation!

This was the disparity between him and a tier-four Reach Profound Realm cultivator!

Fortunately, this time, there was no sense of his body being overwhelmed by the influx of spiritual energy. On the contrary, the energy automatically nourished his meridians, especially when paired with his own cultivation technique to channel it.

*Qi Condensation Realm, sixth tier!*

*Qi Condensation Realm, seventh tier!*

He continued breaking through one tier after another until his realm climbed three levels, reaching the eighth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm. Only then did the surge calm down.

The entire process took merely half of a two-hour period, quickly converting all of the incoming spiritual energy into his own cultivation.

However, based on his own cultivation experience, he noticed that the spiritual energy he received via his Daoist couple seemed to be already refined. It wasn't raw energy directly absorbed from heaven and earth.

This made it much smoother to use for cultivation, without causing even the slightest drawbacks!

It felt identical to spiritual energy he would have gained through his own cultivation efforts!

"Huff..."

"Breaking through like this is just too exhilarating!"

"Reaching the eighth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm—in comparison, if I were cultivating on my own, even with plenty of elixirs to assist, it would have taken at least half a year!"

"And now that time is compressed into just half a session!"

Feeling the significant surge in strength, Gu Changge couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

He used a wooden bucket to quickly wash himself, gazing into a bronze mirror to observe his reflection. His once slender and slightly frail frame now displayed well-balanced and fluid muscle lines, which further boosted his mood.

After changing into a clean, black robe, he returned to the courtyard to examine the stone table once again.

"Go!"

Slightly exerting his hands, he lifted the stone table weighing over a thousand pounds effortlessly. With a strong toss, the table passed beyond the courtyard wall, flying over ten meters before crashing heavily onto the ground outside!

Now, if he encountered an ordinary wild beast, as long as it wasn't a spirit-trained demon clan member, a single punch would suffice!

However, if he wished to attempt walking on air and achieving feats akin to those of immortal beings in the eyes of mortals, he would need to break through to the Sky-Controlling Realm. For him, though, this might only take a day or two to accomplish!

After familiarizing himself with his newfound strength for a moment, he decided not to idle around.

Having received power twice from his Daoist couple, he had already tasted its sweet benefits. Today, he planned to return the Soul-Shaping Pill and other supplementary elixirs to Liu Qingqing. If she took them for her cultivation, who knows what surprises might await!

But just as he was about to move the stone table back into the courtyard and put it into place, he noticed a figure standing off to the side, silently observing him for quite some time without his noticing.

"Changge greets Granduncle..." Gu Changge froze for a moment before quickly cupping his hands in a respectful bow.

In all his years living in the Back Mountain Courtyard, he had never seen the Family Head pay a visit before.

"Another breakthrough?"

"The eighth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm..."

"Kid, your breakthrough speed is a bit..." Gu Zhan furrowed his brows as he looked at him, his tone betraying no clear emotion.

Despite his outward composure, his inner thoughts were anything but calm!

Yesterday, Gu Changge broke through to the fifth tier of the Qi Condensation Realm. In his mind, this could only have been achieved with the help of the Ancestor and the effects of the Soul-Shaping Pill, a Heavenly Rank Elixir.

But now, after just a single night, how had he advanced three small realms, now attaining the eighth tier of Qi Condensation!? At this rate, wouldn't he be breaking through to the Sky-Controlling Realm by tomorrow?

"Well... This is mainly, um..."

"It's hard for Changge to explain—it's just that..." Gu Changge stammered, faltering for a while. He didn't know how to explain the situation to the Family Head. While he didn't believe his granduncle had ill intentions toward him, the existence of the system panel was something he refused to disclose to anyone.

Even if he did share it, it was unlikely that anyone could comprehend what he was talking about...

"Haha..."

"No need to explain. Each generation has its own blessings; you simply have your own opportunities. That's a good thing."

Gu Zhan waved his hand with a kindly smile, dismissing the matter. He didn't care for explanations and was confident that the Gu Family wouldn't exploit the fortunes of its future heirs.

Then, his brows furrowed again as he continued, "However, with your speed of advancement, even if your foundation remains stable, you might still attract trouble that would harm you."

"This storage ring contains concealment inscriptions—it's my wedding gift to you from your granduncle."

"Use caution in your daily pursuits, understood?"

As he spoke, he removed a space ring from his finger, transferring the contents into another ring before handing the original one to Gu Changge.

Seeing this, Gu Changge was visibly stunned.

Space rings were valuable treasures. Within the Gu Family, only those at the level of Deacon could afford them—for example, his uncle Gu Yixiao. As for his third uncle, despite the years of yearning, he'd never managed to purchase such a treasure, still relying on the more economical storage pouch.

"Take it. The future of the Gu Family rests in the hands of you younger generations!" Gu Zhan laughed when he noticed his hesitation, signaling him to accept it quickly.

Gu Changge nodded firmly and said, "Granduncle, rest assured. If the Gu Family ever needs my aid, I will never decline."

"Haha... There's no need to be so serious. We elders are still in our prime. However, should that day come, all I ask is that you do your best."

Gu Zhan turned and began walking toward the Inner Court, waving farewell to Gu Changge without turning back.

His visit to the Back Mountain was initially to see if he could meet the Ancestor who had been guiding Changge's cultivation. But since the Ancestor did not appear, he wouldn't insist further; it simply meant the Ancestor had no desire to meet him.

"The Gu Family has treated me well..." Gu Changge remarked, watching the Family Head's resolute figure disappear in the distance. His thoughts carried a genuine sense of gratitude.

Although Gu Zhan appeared outwardly no older than a man in his forties, his true age had already surpassed a century. Of course, for someone at the Heavenly Gate Realm, this was still considered youthful!

He didn't dwell on why the Family Head would suddenly visit the Back Mountain Courtyard, instead focusing on the space ring.

The inscriptions on the ring were incomprehensible to him, but he wasted no time slipping it onto his finger. He picked up a stone from the ground and tested it multiple times, placing it into the spatial dimension and removing it again.

He also discovered that by channeling spiritual energy into the inscriptions on the ring, he could conceal his cultivation level and aura.

The amount of spiritual energy channeled determined the degree of concealment, and with a lack of replenishment, the concealment would naturally wear off over time. Of course, he could also willingly dispel the effects to restore his true aura.

After a series of simple experiments, he activated the inscriptions to their highest level. At that moment, he appeared as someone with no cultivation—just like he'd been two days ago. However, his physical presence was entirely different, including his refined build.

"Unless someone physically touches me, ordinary cultivators shouldn't see through this."

"After all, coming from the Family Head, this treasure surely lives up to expectations." Gu Changge was deeply satisfied with the results. He placed the stone table back in its original spot in the courtyard and cheerfully headed toward the Inner Court. He couldn't forget his duty—the Soul-Shaping Pill had to be delivered to Liu Qingqing so she could use it as soon as possible!