Fang Yuan inhaled sharply.
That... was a lot of SP.
His gaze darted to the corner of the interface. The Nascent Soul Pills in the shop glimred temptingly.
Price: 5,000 SP each.
He was already at the peak of Nascent Soul.
To break through to the Hollow Spirit Realm without relying on a traditional Hollow Spirit Pill, he’d need ten Nascent Soul Pills, just to stabilize himself.
That ant at least 50,000 SP just to prep.
"Okay, okay... task 3, huh?" He tapped his fingers against the table.
Task 3 was already done... ten Qi Condensation juniors? He had that in the bag. Instant reward. Easy points.
But... his eyes drifted back to Task 1.
100,000 SP.
So. Tempting.
He gnawed the inside of his cheek, staring hard at the line like it might blink and turn into a freebie.
But reality slapped him in the face just as quickly.
Fang i had only just stepped into the Qi Transformation Realm.
Her foundation was still unstable, her breathing rhythm uneven, she was far from ready to advance again, let alone leap into Golden Core.
It would be reckless to even consider pushing her so soon.
As for Fang Tian... that boy wasn’t even at Qi Transformation yet.
He lingered at the peak of Qi Condensation, teetering on the edge but never quite crossing it.
Yes, Fang Yuan admitted, the boy had secrets.
There were signs, unusual speed in cultivation, instincts getting too sharp for soone at his stage but the most important of them all, a quiet confidence that bordered on arrogance.
But secrets alone didn’t make a cultivator.
Not when it ca to breaking into Golden Core.
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes.
Even if Fang Tian was hiding so miraculous trump card, so hidden inheritance or forbidden technique... would it really be enough?
To reach Golden Core?
In two months?
He sighed.
Unlikely. Too unlikely.
Then, a sudden thought occurred to him—
Why not wait?
There were two months. If by then he had two Qi Transformation juniors, he could pick Task 2.
If not, he could settle for Task 3 and still walk away with 30k SP.
And if sohow, miraculously.... Fang i hit Golden Core?
Jackpot.
Just then, the system flickered and a tir appeared in the upper corner.
60...
59...
58...
57...
Fang Yuan squinted. "Wait... What’s this? What are you doing?"
The system chid coldly:
[If no task is selected within 60 seconds, Task 3 will be automatically chosen.]
45...
44...
His jaw dropped. "WHAT?!"
He leapt up from his chair. "You manipulative, rotten—! I hate you! I hate you! You dirty, cheating—"
40... 39...
He clutched his hair. "I can’t do Task 1 yet—i isn’t ready—Tian’s a maybe—I need more ti!"
28...
27...
"I can’t pick Task 3! It’s a waste of potential!"
14...
13...
"AAAAAAAARGH—FINE! Pick Task 2!"
The system pinged:
[Congratulations. You have selected Task 2.]
Fang Yuan slumped into his seat, exhausted.
The glowing golden text faded from view, but the decision hung heavy in his chest.
Now, he had two quests weighing on his mind.
The first:
[Quest: Win the Championship in the Upcoming Coldwind City Tournant]
Reward: 100,000 SP
Divine-Grade Cultivation Manual
And the second:
[Quest: Cultivate Two Junior Disciples to Reach Qi Transformation Realm]
Reward: 60,999 SP
Fang Yuan sighed, dragging a hand down his face.
Two quests. One for glory. One for groundwork.
And both very tempting.
But then again... he allowed himself a small smile.
"At least it’s sixty-one thousand spirit points," he muttered.
A fortune to most. A step toward the next realm for him.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
"...How can a single man be this greedy?"
Just then, a knock tapped softly against the office door.
Fang Yuan sat up straighter.
"Co in."
The door creaked open, and in stepped Fang Tian, calm, casual, hands tucked behind his back.
"Brother," he greeted, voice light. "You called for ?"
Fang Yuan studied him in silence for a mont.
The boy looked the sa as ever, slightly disheveled hair, faint smile, eyes that gave away nothing but hinted at everything.
"Yes," Fang Yuan finally said. He gestured for him to sit. "I did."
Fang Tian raised a brow but obeyed, perching lightly on the chair across from the desk.
Fang Yuan didn’t waste ti.
He leaned forward slightly, fingers steepled.
"What are you up to lately?"
Fang Tian blinked. "Up to?"
"You’ve been snooping," Fang Yuan said calmly, "around the family treasury."
That wiped the faint smile off his brother’s face.
Fang Yuan’s gaze didn’t waver.
"Unsupervised and not once but twice. And you didn’t even bother to get my permission. I’ll need an explanation for this."
A long pause followed.
Fang Tian didn’t speak. Just tilted his head a little, as if weighing sothing.
Then, he smirked.
"...Snooping is such a strong word, Brother."
Fang Yuan’s voice dropped to a dry murmur. "Would you prefer ’breaking and entering’?"
Fang Tian raised both hands quickly. "Okay, okay, Brother, I’m sorry. I’ll tell you why."
He rubbed the back of his neck and offered a sheepish grin. "I was looking for the family ring."
Fang Yuan didn’t respond imdiately.
Instead, he reached into the drawer of his desk and pulled out a small red box, dark wood, inlaid with silver threads that shimred faintly in the light.
The crest of the Fang Clan was carved proudly into the lid: a soaring raven entwined in crackling lightning.
He placed it on the table between them with a quiet thud.
"You an this?"
Fang Tian’s breath caught.
His eyes locked on the box, his body instinctively leaning forward but before he could reach out, Fang Yuan slid the box back toward himself in one smooth motion.
"Like I said," Fang Yuan said quietly.
His tone, calm but edged with steel, was the most serious Fang Tian had ever heard from him.
"An explanation."
Fang Tian sat frozen.
There was no room for jokes or smirks.
Just the weight of silence between them and Fang Yuan’s eyes watching him like a hawk.
This ti, he knew... dodging wouldn’t work.
User Comments
0 comments from readers