Chapter 229 - 228: True Inheritor’s Benefits
Chapter 229: Chapter 228: True Inheritor’s Benefits
"Everyone, we’ll meet again in the True Inheritance Courtyard."
Fang Han said no more. Leaving behind only this encouragement, he picked up his bags and turned to leave the Sub-Branch.
His figure receded down the bluestone path, eventually disappearing among the trees.
The Sub-Branch disciples who witnessed his departure were filled with a myriad of emotions.
Envy, admiration, motivation... a complex mix of feelings swirled within them.
An even more resolute light shone in the eyes of Yun Qianyue and Li Feng. Fang Han had entered the True Inheritance Courtyard. They had to work even harder, or the gap between them would only continue to widen.
Carrying his bags, Fang Han arrived once again at Courtyard Thirty-Five of the True Inheritance Courtyard.
He pushed open the courtyard gate, far more exquisite and substantial than those in the Sub-Branch. The first thing he saw was a grove of lush, verdant bamboo. A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves. The environment was truly serene.
Ten people were already waiting respectfully inside the courtyard.
Five Maids, dressed in uniform pale-cyan dresses, were between sixteen and twenty years old. While not breathtaking beauties, all of them were pretty and charming.
The other five were male servants who appeared to be simple and honest young men.
When they saw Fang Han enter, all ten bowed in unison, their voices synchronized.
"Greetings, Senior Brother!"
Fang Han’s gaze swept across them. They all had a spirited and pleasant demeanor; clearly, Steward Zhao had put some thought into their selection.
He gave a slight nod, his tone calm.
"You may all rise. My surname is Fang, and I am the master of this residence. I prefer quiet and do not wish to be disturbed when I am in Cultivation. Each of you is to perform your duties diligently. Merits will be rewarded, and transgressions will be punished. Do you understand?"
"We will obey Senior Brother’s commands!"
The ten responded in unison, their attitude deferential.
"Good. You may go."
Fang Han waved his hand.
The ten bowed once more before dispersing to continue cleaning and tidying the courtyard, their movements swift and efficient.
Fang Han entered the main house. The furnishings were simple yet elegant, with tables, chairs, and a bed all crafted from high-quality wood.
On a desk by the window sat calligraphy supplies and a potted orchid. The air was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, making the place far more comfortable and spacious than his old quarters in the Sub-Branch.
He set down his bags and walked to the window. Gazing at the swaying bamboo shadows outside, he took a deep breath of the air, so much fresher than that of the Sub-Branch.
’This is a new beginning.’
His cultivation journey as a True Disciple would officially set sail from this place, Courtyard Thirty-Five.
...
Early one morning at the start of the month, Fang Han finished cultivating his Inner Qi.
After that morning’s session, the Inner Qi in his Danzhong acupoint was already ninety percent full.
In two or three days at most, he would be able to completely fill his Danzhong acupoint with Inner Qi and reach the bottleneck of the Late Stage of the Sixth Grade.
It had only been half a month since he had broken through to the Middle Stage of the Sixth Grade, a testament to his terrifying cultivation speed.
Exiting the Quiet Chamber, Fang Han went into the courtyard. He stood silently beside the bamboo grove, breathing in the fresh morning air.
The sound of approaching footsteps made Fang Han turn his head in their direction.
One of the four Maids, a young woman named Qiu Lan, approached and reported.
"Senior Brother Fang, Steward Zhou from the True Inheritance Courtyard is here to see you."
"Show him in."
Fang Han said.
Qiu Lan departed and soon returned, leading a middle-aged man in a navy blue Steward’s Robe and several servant disciples into the courtyard.
The middle-aged man had a profound aura and a steady gait. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as they opened and closed, a clear sign of his considerable Cultivation.
"True Inheritor Fang, I am Steward Zhou Heng of the True Inheritance Courtyard. I have come to deliver this month’s resource allotment for True Disciples."
Steward Zhou Heng stopped about ten feet from Fang Han and offered a cupped-fist salute.
"Thank you for your trouble, Steward Zhou."
Fang Han returned the salute, his mind stirring.
’Today is the first of the month. I was just wondering where I was supposed to collect my monthly rewards, but I never expected someone to deliver them personally.’
’I just wonder how generous the resource allotment for a True Disciple really is.’
"True Inheritor Fang, please present your Identity Jade Token."
Steward Zhou Heng said as he took out an ancient-looking, black, inkstone-shaped artifact. It was the "Inheritance Jade Inkstone," which the Sect used to transfer Contribution Points.
Fang Han untied the Jade Token from his waist and handed it over. It had already been replaced with the official True Inheritor version, warm to the touch with a faint, flowing luster.
Steward Zhou Heng took the Jade Token and placed it gently into the recess on the Inheritance Jade Inkstone.
With a slight movement of his fingertips and a soft exhalation of Inner Qi, the White Jade at the center of the Jade Inkstone began to glow. Streams of faint light, like living things, traced the Xuan patterns on the Jade Inkstone and flowed into Fang Han’s Identity Jade Token.
A moment later, the light faded. He removed the Jade Token and handed it back to Fang Han.
"The base resource allotment for rank 30 on the True Inheritor list is five thousand Contribution Points. They have been transferred to your Jade Token. Please verify, True Inheritor."
"Five thousand points?"
Even with his steady temperament, and though he had expected the benefits of being a True Disciple to far surpass his previous ones, an undeniable flicker of surprise still crossed his eyes upon hearing the number.
’Just for being last among the thirty True Inheritors, I get a monthly reward of 5,000 Contribution Points? That’s almost double what I earned last month.’
’The benefits of being a True Disciple are truly far beyond what an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple could ever imagine.’
He channeled a wisp of Inner Qi into his Identity Jade Token.
The Jade Token showed that after his expenditures on the Flowing Wind Sword, True Spirit Pills, and other items last month, he had 1,850 Contribution Points remaining. Now, that number had become 6,850.
’I won’t have to worry about exchanging for a top-level Cultivation Technique now. If I save up for just one more month, I’ll have more than enough Contribution Points.’
"This is this month’s exclusive rare resource allotment for True Disciples: a bottle of Vajra Pills, ten in total. Please inspect them as well, True Inheritor."
Just as Fang Han was reeling from the revelation, Steward Zhou Heng took a small Jade Bottle from a servant disciple and presented it to him.
Fang Han composed himself and accepted the Jade Bottle.
The Jade Bottle had a lustrous texture. Inscribed on its surface in an ancient seal script were two powerful, golden words: Vajra Pill.
’Vajra Pill?’
Fang Han’s gaze fell upon the words on the bottle, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
’I’ve been to the Pill Hall many times and consider myself quite familiar with the Sect’s common elixirs. I’ve seen or heard of Peiyuan Pills, True Spirit Pills, and even some elixirs with special effects, but this is the first time I’ve ever come across a "Vajra Pill."’
’The name sounds incredibly potent, but I have no idea what its specific effects are.’
He looked up at Steward Zhou Heng, his tone carrying just the right amount of inquiry.
"Steward Zhou, forgive my ignorance, but... what kind of elixir is this Vajra Pill? What are its effects? I hope you can enlighten me."
"It’s understandable that True Inheritor Fang is unaware. This elixir isn’t normally stocked in the Pill Hall. In fact... even if they had the Contribution Points, ordinary disciples wouldn’t be able to exchange for it."
Steward Zhou Heng seemed to have anticipated the question. A faint, slightly envious smile touched his lips as he explained.
He paused, his tone growing serious.
"The Vajra Pill is refined using the essence blood of several rare Demon Beasts as the main ingredient, supplemented by a variety of precious Spirit Grasses."
"Its medicinal power is domineering, specializing in tempering the physical body and strengthening the muscles and bones. After consumption, the Medicinal Power spreads like a vajra furnace forging the body from within, greatly enhancing physical strength, durability, and regenerative ability."
"As for its value..."
Steward Zhou Heng shook his head slightly and sighed.
"A single bottle of Vajra Pills is worth more than ten times a bottle of True Spirit Pills. The refinement process is difficult, the materials are rare, and its production is extremely limited."
"It is said that long-term consumption of this pill can even temper one’s physique to a state of near-invulnerability, making it possible to clash with Divine Weapons with your bare hands!"
Hearing this, Fang Han’s fingers tightened slightly around the Jade Bottle, a flash of amazement in his eyes.
’The monthly rewards for a True Disciple... those five thousand Contribution Points are generous, but they’re probably just a bonus.’
’The truly precious things are core Cultivation Resources like this Vajra Pill—rare finds that money can’t buy!’
"Thank you for the explanation, Steward Zhou. I understand now."
Suppressing his excitement, Fang Han carefully stored the Jade Bottle and thanked Steward Zhou Heng sincerely.
"It is merely my duty; there is no need for thanks, True Inheritor. The resources have been delivered, so I shall not disturb you any longer. Farewell."
Steward Zhou Heng gave a cupped-fist salute, then turned and departed with the servant disciples.
Fang Han personally escorted Steward Zhou to the courtyard gate. He watched until the man’s figure disappeared at the end of the path before turning back into the courtyard.
The bamboo leaves rustled. A cool breeze brushed his face, yet his heart was stirred with excitement.
’Five thousand Contribution Points and a bottle of rare Vajra Pills... The resources that come with being a True Inheritor far exceeded his imagination.’
His gaze fell on the Vajra Pills. He couldn’t wait to test the effects of this elixir.
"Do not allow anyone to disturb me."
Fang Han instructed Qiu Lan, who was standing in the distance, before stepping into the Quiet Chamber designated for Cultivation and bolting the door behind him.
Sandalwood incense curled through the air in the Quiet Chamber. The room was sparsely furnished, containing only a meditation cushion and a low table.
Fang Han sat cross-legged on the cushion and took out the Vajra Pills. The Mutton Fat Jade Bottle glowed with a warm luster in the soft light of the Quiet Chamber.
He pulled out the stopper, which was sealed with Spirit Wax. Immediately, a strange, potent aroma washed over him—so thick it was almost tangible, carrying the faint scent of blood mixed with the fresh fragrance of herbs.
A single sniff was enough to invigorate his spirit, and he could feel the qi and blood in his body stir in response.
Peering into the bottle, he saw ten pills lying quietly within. Each was the size of a longan fruit, perfectly round, and the color of pure gold.
A faint radiance seemed to flow across their surfaces, as if they contained immense power.
He carefully tipped one Vajra Pill into his palm. It was warm and surprisingly heavy, much more so than an ordinary elixir.
GULP.
Fang Han tilted his head back and swallowed the elixir.
The Vajra Pill didn’t dissolve immediately. Instead, it felt like a scalding golden pearl sliding down his throat and into his stomach.
At first, there was no significant sensation. But just a few breaths later—
BOOM!
An indescribable, scorching torrent erupted from his abdomen.
It was as if he had swallowed a mouthful of lava. The fierce, domineering Medicinal Power surged like a wild, unbridled horse, instantly rushing to his limbs and bones, seeping into every inch of his flesh, every fragment of his skeleton, and even every single fiber of his sinews.
"Ugh!"
Fang Han grunted, fine beads of sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead.
He felt as if his blood was boiling. A stinging, itching sensation spread across the surface of his skin, as if countless tiny flames were searing him from just beneath it.
Stranger still, a faint golden luster, as if his skin were forged from pure gold, began to spread across his exposed flesh at a visible rate!
This golden sheen was not static. It flowed slowly like a living thing, giving him a solemn, majestic appearance, much like a Golden Body Arhat enshrined in a temple.