Chapter 39
After learning about the current state of the Zan Clan, Zan Yunxiao felt surprisingly relaxed.
The clan was developing steadily.
The Alchemy Pavilion was functioning well.
The disciples were growing stronger.
There was nothing urgent demanding his attention.
As he walked through the clan grounds, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"Solhaven..."
It had been decades since he last properly visited the place where everything began.
Back then, it was merely a small village on the edge of the empire.
Now, it had already grown into a city under the administration of the Zan Clan.
Thinking about it, Zan Yunxiao became interested.
"I should take a look."
Just as he made up his mind, two familiar figures suddenly appeared.
Xueyun and Jin Feixue.
Both had recently emerged from seclusion.
Compared to before, their auras had become much stronger.
Although neither could compare to Zan Yunxiao, they had worked hard over the years.
The moment they saw him, their eyes brightened.
"Husband!"
The two immediately approached.
Zan Yunxiao smiled helplessly.
"You two finally came out?"
Jin Feixue crossed her arms proudly.
"Of course."
"We've been cultivating seriously."
Xueyun nodded.
"We don't want to embarrass the Zan Clan."
As the wives of the Patriarch, they naturally didn't want to be viewed as decorations.
They wanted the strength to match their status.
After some casual conversation, Xueyun suddenly asked,
"Where are you going?"
"Solhaven City."
The moment they heard that, both women's eyes lit up.
"The old Solhaven Village?"
Zan Yunxiao nodded.
Without hesitation, Xueyun spoke.
"We're coming too."
Jin Feixue immediately agreed.
"It has been a long time since we visited."
Seeing their excitement, Zan Yunxiao simply nodded.
"Then let's go."
After arriving at the Solhaven City, the three spent several days enjoying themselves.
They wandered through the bustling streets.
Sampled various foods from vendors.
Visited familiar places that had changed beyond recognition.
The former village had become a thriving city, and seeing its growth brought a sense of satisfaction to Zan Yunxiao.
Eventually, they returned to the Zan Clan.
For the next several days, Zan Yunxiao spent time with Xueyun and Jin Feixue, enjoying a rare period of peace after decades of cultivation and clan affairs.
Morning sunlight filtered through the window.
Zan Yunxiao stood quietly beside it, looking out at the clan grounds below.
Disciples were already beginning their daily training.
Servants moved through the courtyards.
The Zan Clan continued operating as usual.
Behind him, Xueyun and Jin Feixue remained asleep beneath a blanket, exhausted after spending many days together with him.
A faint smile appeared on Zan Yunxiao's face.
As Zan Yunxiao stood by the window, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang out.
[DING!]
[Mission Issued]
[Option 1: Destroy a Demonic Sect
Reward: 120 Years of Cultivation
Option 2: Bless Your One Descendant
Reward: Seed of the World Tree]
Zan Yunxiao immediately looked at the mission panel.
Then he frowned.
"Destroy a Demonic Sect?"
He couldn't help but complain.
"Which Demonic Sect?"
"There are countless Demonic Sects in the cultivation world."
The system simply displayed the mission without further explanation.
Zan Yunxiao shook his head.
The reward was tempting.
But it sounded troublesome.
As for the second option.
His eyes landed on the reward.
Seed of the World Tree.
The name sounded extraordinary.
Anything involving the words World Tree could not possibly be ordinary.
Without much hesitation, Zan Yunxiao chose the second option.
[DING!]
[Host choose Option 2 ]
The mission was accepted instantly.
Zan Yunxiao stood by the window while pondering the mission.
Bless your descendants.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Which descendant should I bless?"
"And what kind of blessing should I even give?"
After thinking for several minutes, he still had no answer.
Finally, he decided to ask the system directly.
"System."
"How exactly am I supposed to bless someone?"
The system remained silent for a moment.
Then another notification suddenly appeared before him.
[DING!]
[New Function Unlocked: Blessing]
Zan Yunxiao blinked.
"A new function?"
A transparent panel unfolded before his eyes.
[Function: Blessing]
Description:
[The Host may bestow blessings upon others by sacrificing his own lifespan.
The greater the lifespan consumed, the greater the blessing.
Blessings may improve talent, comprehension, luck, destiny, bloodlines, physiques, and future opportunities.]
[Choose a Blessing]
Increase luck.
Improved vitality.
Improved talent.
Enhanced comprehension.
Strengthened cultivation foundation.
Alter destiny.
Awaken hidden physiques.
Purify bloodlines.
Forcefully change fate.
Create a Child of Fortune.
Grant heaven-defying opportunities.
[Restrictions]
[Lifespan consumed cannot be recovered through ordinary means.
Stronger blessings require greater lifespan expenditure.
Blessings cannot directly raise cultivation realms.
The Host may revoke blessings at any time.]
After reading the panel, Zan Yunxiao fell silent.
Then his expression became strange.
"So the price is my lifespan?"
For ordinary cultivators, this function would be nearly useless.
After all, who would willingly shorten their own life for others?
But Zan Yunxiao quickly realized something.
As a Nascent Soul cultivator, he possessed thousands of years of lifespan.
Losing a few years was insignificant.
What truly caught his attention was the effect.
Talent.
Luck.
Destiny.
Even fate itself.
These things were far more valuable than cultivation resources.
Zan Yunxiao nodded slowly.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The future of the Zan Clan had just become much more interesting.
Only then did he ask another question.
"System."
"How do I use it?"
The system immediately replied.
[Select a target and sacrifice lifespan.]
[The blessing will be delivered automatically.]
Zan Yunxiao's eyelid twitched.
"...That's it?"
[That's it.]
For some reason, he had expected a grand ritual.
Perhaps heavenly phenomena.
Maybe divine light descending from the heavens.
Instead, the system made it sound as simple as drinking water.
Zan Yunxiao shook his head helplessly.
At first glance, the function seemed underwhelming.
But after thinking about it carefully, his eyes gradually brightened.
Convenient.
Far too convenient.
There was no need to travel personally.
No complicated rituals. No rare treasures. No formation arrays.
As long as he selected a descendant and paid the lifespan cost, the blessing could be delivered instantly.
Even if the recipient was thousands or millions of miles away.
A smile appeared on Zan Yunxiao's face.
"This function is actually quite impressive."
"The Clan Interface lets me monitor the clan."
"The All-Seeing Eye lets me see their past and current life information."
"And now Blessing allows me to nurture talented descendants without even leaving the clan."
The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he became.
For a Clan Ancestor, this function was practically tailor-made.
If a talented junior appeared, he could invest in them.
If a descendant encountered a bottleneck, he could help them.
If a future genius was discovered, he could accelerate their growth from the shadows.
Everything could be accomplished with a single thought.
Zan Yunxiao couldn't help but praise the system.
"Not bad."
"Very not bad."
"I have to admit, this is one of the most practical functions you've given me."
The system remained silent as usual.
Clearly, it had no intention of accepting compliments.
After a while, Zan Yunxiao shook his head.
"Fine."
"Let's see which lucky descendant gets to become the first recipient of my blessing."
With a thought, a transparent panel appeared before him.
The entire Zan Clan lineage was displayed.
Countless names and faces filled the screen.
Xueyun.
Jin Feixue.
Zan Tianming.
Zan Wei.
Zan Moxuan.
Zan Yin.
And countless descendants stretching through several generations.
Zan Yunxiao leisurely browsed through the clan records.
Because the Clan Interface provided a real-time live feed, every clan member's current situation could be observed at a glance.
Some descendants were cultivating.
Some were managing businesses.
Some were serving in the imperial court.
Others were still children.
Then.
His gaze suddenly stopped.
A newborn infant appeared on the panel.
Zan Yunxiao clicked the information.
A new window opened.
[Name: Hong Yuanji]
[Age: 1 Month Old]
[Gender: Male]
The remaining information appeared beneath it.
Zan Yunxiao quietly read through it.
Then realization dawned on him.
"So this little fellow is one of my descendants."
"And a great-grandchild of Zan Yin."
The infant's image displayed a sleeping baby wrapped in blankets.
Completely unaware that the Clan Ancestor was currently observing him.
Zan Yunxiao smiled slightly.
A one-month-old child.
No cultivation. No ambitions.No schemes.
Just peacefully sleeping.
After thinking briefly, he nodded.
"Fine."
"You'll be the first."
"System. I choose a Luck Blessing."
[DING!]
[Ten Years of Lifespan Consumed.]
. . .
Inside an imperial residence.
Hong Yuanji slept peacefully within his cradle.
Suddenly, tiny specks of golden light appeared around him.
The lights resembled countless stars dancing in the air.
A warm aura enveloped the infant.
The blessing silently entered his body.
At that very moment, the fate surrounding the child began to change.
The fortune of heaven and earth subtly gathered toward him.
It wasn't enough to make him a Child of Fortune.
But from this day onward, his luck would far surpass ordinary people.
Moments later, the golden light disappeared.
The sleeping infant unconsciously smiled.
Completely unaware that the founder of the Zan Clan had just invested ten years of his lifespan into his future.
Back at the Zan Clan.
Zan Yunxiao felt a faint portion of his lifespan disappear.
The sensation was barely noticeable.
Looking at Hong Yuanji's profile, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"Let's see how far your fortune can take you."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
For the first time since obtaining the Blessing Function, Zan Yunxiao became genuinely curious about a descendant's future.
After all.
A fortunate person could become a genius.
But a truly fortunate person could become a legend.