Bestowing the Spirit

There were now five such spirit pearls within Chen Yang's body. They had resided within that white space ever since he awoke.

This was the absolute limit of spirit pearls he could currently hold.

Even if he manifested one outside his body, he could no longer draw upon the Power of Prayer to condense any more.

"That old fellow must be too aged; the spirit pearl refuses to reside within him."

With this thought, Chen Yang once again transmitted his intent to Elder Yu, instructing him to bring over the Yang family child who had recently entered the Dao.

Yang Shu was cultivating in quiet meditation within the courtyard when Elder Yu roused him.

Upon learning that he would be allowed to enter the Restricted Grounds of the valley today, Yang Shu's eyes lit up, his heart surging with excitement.

He had previously heard from Elder Yu and Yang Lingqing that only cultivators of the Yang bloodline were permitted to touch upon the secrets of the Restricted Grounds.

Even then, he had guessed that the Restricted Grounds must conceal the true foundational treasure of the Yang family.

Before becoming a cultivator, he possessed no right to enter.

Now that he had stepped upon the Dao, he finally had the fortune to witness it for himself!

His heart pounding with anticipation, Yang Shu was led by Elder Yu to the cave dwelling at the bottom of the valley.

"Have you memorized everything I told you earlier?"

"Answering Elder Yu, I have memorized it all!"

"Mm. Go in yourself."

Yang Shu straightened his robes, took a deep breath, and stepped into the cave dwelling with a look of utmost reverence.

This was his first time meeting Chen Yang.

"Is this the Immortal Venerable of our family, the one the ancestor and Family Head spoke of?"

After devouring the Mother Jade, Chen Yang's appearance had changed once again. His stone body was now far more lustrous and translucent than before, possessing a rich, jade-like texture.

Many vivid, verdant patterns had surfaced across his exterior, giving him an even more wondrous and precious air.

Upon seeing Chen Yang's true stone form, Yang Shu was startled for a moment. He offered a silent word of praise in his heart, then immediately collected his thoughts and sank to his knees to perform the grand rite of worship.

"Yang family disciple Yang Shu, kowtows before the Immortal Venerable!"

"That the Yang family has reached such heights is entirely due to the Immortal Venerable's sheltering grace! Yang Shu has now entered the Dao and is permitted to gaze upon the Immortal Venerable. Knowing the Immortal Venerable's benevolence toward the Yang family, my heart is filled with boundless gratitude, and I dare not forget..."

After Yang Shu finished his long litany of veneration, Chen Yang extracted a portion of the Power of Prayer from him.

Yang Shu then rose, forced out a drop of Essence Blood from his body, and ignited it with a Fire Talisman.

"Today's Blood-Burning Spirit Sacrifice cannot repay even a ten-thousandth of the Immortal Venerable's grace. From this day forth, for ten thousand generations, the descendants of the Yang family shall honor this vow..."

Chen Yang absorbed Yang Shu's blood energy, and the eighth Soul Flame ignited within his body.

Yang Shu's Soul Flame was still small, yet it bore a certain resemblance to Yang Lingqing's.

Once the Blood-Burning Spirit Sacrifice concluded, Yang Shu felt a gentle force brush over his body.

"Mm, this child's aptitude is passable. Although not a match for Yang Lingrui, it can still be considered quite good."

Chen Yang extended his perception, sweeping his Divine Sense over Yang Shu to examine him inside and out.

He then summoned a spirit pearl and directed it into the boy's body.

Sensing the strange occurrence within his body, Yang Shu realized the Immortal Venerable was bestowing a technique upon him. He immediately calmed his mind and began to comprehend.

Looking inward, he saw a lustrous white spirit pearl traveling through his meridians, finally coming to rest at his Dantian.

Chen Yang then transmitted an instruction to his mind. Yang Shu's spirit trembled for a moment before he hastily sat cross-legged on the spot, circulating his cultivation technique to begin refining the spirit pearl.

Under the urging of his cultivation technique, the spirit pearl slowly began to dissolve, eventually fusing completely with Yang Shu's Dantian.

In that instant, Yang Shu suddenly felt his body grow light, followed by a wave of comforting warmth spreading through his limbs and bones.

"This... how miraculous!"

Yang Shu's eyes were wide with shock.

He discovered that after refining the spirit pearl, even without actively circulating his cultivation technique, the Qi Mansion at his Dantian operated on its own, drawing in and converting the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth!

Its pace was not slow, either-almost matching two or three-tenths of his speed during focused meditation!

And when he did actively cultivate, his overall cultivation speed surged by more than sixty percent!

"Yang Shu bows in thanks to the Immortal Venerable! Thank you, Immortal Venerable, for bestowing this divine ability!" Yang Shu hastily offered his gratitude.

Chen Yang was similarly observing the boy's body. As Yang Shu refined the spirit pearl, Chen Yang perceived a brand new connection.

This connection was unlike the Blood-Burning Spirit Sacrifice, which linked them via Soul Flames. Instead, it used the Power of Prayer as a medium, building a bridge between himself and the cultivator who refined the pearl.

Even though the spirit pearl had fused completely with the cultivator, Chen Yang could still clearly sense its existence.

"I understand now. This object is not a Spiritual Treasure or a divine ability, but an extension of my very body."

Chen Yang came to a sudden realization. When a cultivator refines a spirit pearl, depending on the bodily vessel they fuse it with, they receive different kinds of assistance in their cultivation. But should they perish, this spirit pearl will automatically return to me, bringing back a portion of reciprocated Power of Prayer.

After a moment of pondering, Chen Yang roughly grasped the true utility of the spirit pearls.

He then called Elder Yu in from outside the cave dwelling and transmitted a thought into his mind.

"Ling."

The character "Ling" manifested in Elder Yu's Sea of Consciousness, and the old man instantly understood the Immortal Venerable's intent.

"The Immortal Venerable has bestowed a character upon you. From this day forth, your name shall be Yang Lingshu," Elder Yu said, turning to Yang Shu.

Hearing this, Yang Shu's expression shook with emotion. He solemnly bowed to the Immortal Venerable and declared, "Yang Lingshu thanks the Immortal Venerable for bestowing this name!"

Chen Yang was quite satisfied with this child.

From Elder Yu's previous accounts and his own observation, Yang Lingshu possessed both excellent aptitude and a steadfast temperament. For the Yang family to produce such a junior was truly a great fortune.

With this matter settled, it was time for Chen Yang to attend to his own proper business.

He transmitted a burst of intent to Elder Yu, conveying a specific message.

The core of that message lay in two words.

"Cheng Yang."

Elder Yu absorbed this thought, his expression turning solemn. He bowed deeply toward Chen Yang and spoke with utmost seriousness, "I receive the Immortal Venerable's decree! This old servant shall see it done at once!"

Upon reaching the Qi Gathering Perfection realm, Chen Yang had finally confirmed his previous speculation.

If he wished to break through to Condensed Origin, the Power of Prayer was the absolute key.

He could now sense an invisible barrier looming above him, obstructing his path forward.

Only by accumulating enough Power of Prayer could he shatter it.

Chen Yang had already tried; with the meager Power of Prayer he currently possessed, he could not shake this barrier in the slightest.

To achieve Condensed Origin, he needed to absorb far more Power of Prayer.

Relying solely on the sacrifices of a few cultivators was far from enough. The true bulk of the Power of Prayer must come from the incense and worship of countless mortals.

Therefore, Chen Yang had quickly devised a method: erecting steles and sculpting statues.

Was it not merely gathering incense? It was no different from what the temples and Daoist shrines did.

By establishing himself as an object of faith for the commoners under the Yang family's rule, he could ensure an unbroken, continuous stream of incense.

Here, he employed a clever trick. He ordered Elder Yu to construct "Cheng Yang" halls and erect "Cheng Yang" stone steles across Songshan and Sanglu Valley.

This way, whoever saw them would merely assume they were shrines built by the common folk to honor and bear the grace of the Yang family.

None would ever suspect that they were actually worshipping Chen Yang himself. All the incense offered in gratitude to the Yang family would ultimately flow into his hands, transforming into an endless tide of Power of Prayer.

After accepting Chen Yang's decree, Elder Yu took him and Yang Lingshu back to the main family estate at Songshan.

Chen Yang settled back into his usual spot in the ancestral hall.

He bestowed another spirit pearl upon Yang Lingqing. This pearl eventually came to rest within her Sea of Consciousness.

After refining the spirit pearl, Yang Lingqing's Divine Sense was vastly enhanced, with both its strength and sensitivity rising to a completely new level.

Afterward, he turned his attention to Wu Tong.

The young woman he had once protected on the road was now a married wife, carrying the first cultivator child of the Yang family's next generation.

Chen Yang carefully extended his consciousness to inspect the state of the fetus within her womb.

"Hoh, truly worthy of being Linghu's cub. At barely six months, its vitality is already this vigorous! Its bones, flesh, blood, and Qi are all exceptionally robust!" Chen Yang praised in his mind.

The child had perfectly inherited Yang Linghu's formidable physical talent. Once born, it was destined to be another fierce warrior for the family.

"Excellent! Then let me lend you a helping hand!"

Chen Yang guided a spirit pearl into the unborn child's body. Without the slightest hesitation, the pearl settled directly at the infant's heart.

Then, Chen Yang personally took action, refining the spirit pearl until it seamlessly merged with the child's heart.

Three spirit pearls had now found their owners. The remaining two were reserved for Yang Lingrui and Yang Linghu.

Looking for more free chapters? Visit www.skynovelvault.com to read over 5,000 free chapters and continue exploring more stories from SkyNovelVault.

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2