SPMT : Chapter 105 Being Targeted

Every day, Xiao Jingting would take Xiao Xiaofan to scour the gambling stone shops before returning to their cave residence. Xiao Xiaofan’s ability to choose stones was exceptionally strong, and with the replenishment of spiritual stones in Xiao Jingting’s jade pendant space, the spiritual energy within it grew denser rapidly. The illusionary snow lotus within the space began to bloom one after another, and Xu Mu’an’s strength also reached the eighth layer of Qi Cultivation.

“When the illusionary snow lotus matures into lotus seed, I should be able to advance to the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation,” Xiao Jingting said with satisfaction.

The ninth layer of Qi Cultivation! If he reached that level, he would be comparable to the top figures of the family, including the one who always acted like a high-born lady behind the scenes. With Qi Cultivation at the ninth layer, he would become a figure that could rival the top members of the clan. When he returned to the family, it would surely astonish everyone, and he would enjoy immense glory.

However, reaching the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation meant his lifespan would still be around a hundred years. He needed to establish his foundation to extend his lifespan to two hundred years. Therefore, he needed to find a way to establish his foundation. Before major powers like the Hou Family, being at the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation was still somewhat inadequate. Establishing his foundation was necessary to have equal footing in dialogues with them.

Thinking about establishing his foundation, Xiao Jingting couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. Although Ouyang Mingyue’s attitude towards them was good, it unintentionally carried a sense of grace. His current level of cultivation was still somewhat lacking in the eyes of those major families.

“Where’s Xiaodong? He hasn’t gone out to play with me these past few days,” Xiao Jingting asked Xu Mu’an.

Xu Mu’an sighed lightly and replied, “Xiaodong seems to have sensed a bottleneck in his cultivation at the third layer of Qi Cultivation, so he’s gone into seclusion to cultivate.”

Xiao Jingting: “…”

His eldest son was truly diligent! He would always be cultivating whenever he had the chance, making Xiao Jingting, as his father, feel a bit ashamed.

“Xiaodong seems to be under a lot of pressure,” Xu Mu’an said with some concern.

Xiao Jingting shook his head helplessly. “At such a young age, he’s already so sensitive and anxious. I’ll go check on him.”

Xu Mu’an sighed inwardly. Xiao Xiaofan’s cultivation had already caught up to Xiaodong’s. Back then, Xiaofan had lagged far behind Xiaodong. Now, with the responsibility of supporting the family falling on Xiaofan’s shoulders, Xiaodong must feel some urgency. After all, back then, Xiao Jingting favored Xiaodong more, and Xiaodong was more capable. 

Ultimately, their childhoods were too harsh, leading to their current anxieties.

Xiao Jingting entered the room and saw Xiaodong sitting cross-legged on the bed, his face solemn. Xiaodong was startled when he saw Xiao Jingting.

“Dad, why are you here?” Xiaodong asked.

Although Xiaodong’s expression seemed calm, Xiao Jingting could still sense his son’s uneasiness. Xiao Jingting rubbed Xiaodong’s head and said, “I noticed you hadn’t eaten, so I came to check on you.”

Xiaodong shrugged and said, “I’m not hungry, Dad. I’m a cultivator, skipping a meal or two is no big deal.”

“You’re still a kid, and kids should eat well. Don’t worry too much,” Xiao Jingting advised.

Xiaodong lowered his head, fidgeting with his clothes. He struggled to say, “What if my cultivation stagnates and I can’t earn money? Dad, would you stop liking me?”

Xiao Jingting: “…”

This child was so young yet had such heavy thoughts.

Xiao Jingting tapped Xiaodong’s forehead and said, “What are you thinking? Of course not. You’re Dad’s child. Even if you’re not successful and only cause trouble, Dad will still like you. Making money is Dad’s responsibility. As for your cultivation, take it slowly. Look at Dad; I only reached the third layer of Qi Cultivation when I was in my teens. You’re still so young; why rush?”

Xiaodong chuckled and leaned affectionately against Xiao Jingting. “Dad used to be quite useless.”

Xiao Jingting rolled his eyes inwardly. This kid, given an inch, he’d take a mile. Just a few words of comfort and he started criticizing his father.

Xiao Jingting hugged Xiaodong, feeling warm inside. Xiao Jingting pinched Xiaodong’s cheek and asked, “Hungry? What do you want to eat?”

“I want rose cakes, fried bananas, donuts, caramel pudding, coconut osmanthus cake…” Xiaodong rattled off a list, astonishing Xiao Jingting. Every time Xiaofan ate these pastries, Xiaodong always looked disdainful. Xiao Jingting thought Xiaodong didn’t like them, but it turns out…

Xiao Jingting widened his eyes, surprised, while Xiaodong blushed with embarrassment.

“If Xiaodong wants to eat, Dad will get it for you, or I’ll make it if we don’t have it,” Xiao Jingting promised, patting his chest. It was rare for his eldest son to make requests, so he naturally wanted to fulfill them.

Xiaodong ate until his belly was round and didn’t think about advancing his cultivation anymore. He lay down on the bed and fell asleep.

Seeing Xiao Jingting’s actions, Xu Mu’an said, “You made a lot of delicious food for Xiaodong.”

Xiao Jingting nodded and said, “Yes!” He knew Xiaofan had a big appetite, but he didn’t expect Xiaodong to be not much different from Xiaofan. “Kids, as long as there’s good food, everything is fine.”

Xu Mu’an: “…”

“Yesterday, Xiaofan said he found a lot of empty cake wrappers and cups in the bedroom, but he doesn’t remember eating them,” Xu Mu’an said.

Xiao Jingting: “…”

The next day, Xiaodong excitedly ran out. “Father, Mother, I’ve advanced to the third layer of Qi Cultivation! I don’t know how it happened; I just advanced suddenly.”

Xiao Jingting, somewhat thoughtful, said, “Perhaps you were too full, and it caused you to advance. Advancement happens naturally with enough Qi.”

Xiaodong blushed a bit, feeling embarrassed.

Xu Mu’an pinched Xiaodong’s cheek and said with satisfaction, “Xiaodong, you’re amazing.”

……

Xiao Jingting shook his head in his heart and thought: Xiao Xiaodong should have reached the bottleneck of the third level of Qi training long ago, but he has been worrying about gains and losses. Therefore, it has been difficult to overcome this hurdle.

“It seems that Xiaodong will eat more in the future! You see that you ate too much last night, so you will naturally be promoted, so you must eat on time.” 

Xiao Xiaofan, who followed Xiao Xiaodong out, his eyes lit up when he heard Xiao Jingting’s words, pointed at Xiao Xiaodong and said: “Brother, it turns out you ate it! You lied to me and said it was… I ate so much that I thought my appetite had grown again.”

Xiao Xiaodong glanced at Xiao Xiaofan and said disapprovingly: “Who makes you so easy to deceive? You believe everything you say.”

Xiao Xiaofan stamped his feet bitterly. , said dullly: “Brother is so annoying, brother is bullying.”

The corners of Xiao Xiaodong’s mouth raised briskly, obviously in a good mood.

After breakfast, Xiao Jingting took Xiao Xiaofan to a stone gambling house as usual and brought back a pile of stones.

Xiao Jingting planned to retreat for a period of time after improving the Snow Lotus plant. In order to prepare sufficient resources for another retreat, Xiao Jingting took Xiao Xiaofan to the Stone Gambling Shop quite frequently.

When Xiao Jingting carried Xiao Xiaofan out of the stone gambling shop, someone stopped him.

Sensing the majestic spiritual energy emanating from him, Xiao Jingting became alert.

“Is there something wrong, sir?” Xiao Jingting asked nervously. Jian Yi was dressed in blue, the standard attire for a foundational disciple of Qingyun Immortal Sect.

“I’d like to talk somewhere private,” Jian Yi said.

Xiao Jingting, feeling uneasy, agreed, “As you wish.”

At Jian Yi’s request, Xiao Jingting took him to their temporary residence. Xu Mu’an, who stayed behind, felt nervous seeing a foundational cultivator visiting.

“Sir, what do you need?” Xiao Jingting asked.

“I’ve been observing you and your son for a while now. You’ve spent quite a bit at the gambling stone shops recently. I inquired about your background; you’re not from a prominent family. Normally, you wouldn’t spend so much at the gambling stone shops. Is your son the one providing the funds?” Jian Yi inquired.

Xiao Jingting: … He had been cautious, but it seems someone still noticed. And a foundational cultivator had been observing them for some time.

“I’ve noticed that every time you go to the gambling stone shops, you bring your son along, and the stones he chooses are of excellent quality. However, he’s still so young and probably hasn’t learned how to discern stones. He must be choosing them based on intuition. I believe your son is naturally attuned to spiritual energy,” Jian Yi explained.

Xiao Jingting: … He had considered the possibility that Xiaofan was naturally attuned to spiritual energy, but with his limited knowledge of cultivation, he couldn’t confirm it.

“I’ve learned a bit about stone discernment. The stones your son picks are of high quality, indicating his intuition. He’s probably naturally attuned to spiritual energy,” Jian Yi continued.

Xiao Jingting: … Even if Xiaofan was naturally attuned to spiritual energy, it was surprising for a foundational cultivator to be interested in him.

“Your son’s potential is remarkable. In fact, Qingyun Immortal Sect is recruiting disciples, and your son’s natural talent is precisely what we need,” Jian Yi said.

Xu Mu’an hesitated for a moment and then said, “I heard that Qingyun Immortal Sect’s recruitment has already ended.”

Jian Yi nodded and said, “As long as your son’s talent is outstanding, obtaining an additional spot shouldn’t be difficult.”

Xu Mu’an looked at Xiao Jingting, feeling uneasy.

Xiaofan blinked, his face showing confusion.

Xiaodong stood by with a tense expression, saying nothing.

Jian Yi took out a roulette wheel. “This is a roulette wheel used to test attributes. Little guy, why don’t you give it a try?”

Xiaofan glanced at Xiao Jingting, who nodded.

Xiaofan placed his hand on the roulette wheel, and it immediately emitted a dazzling red light.

“A pure fire spiritual root! He has a pure fire spiritual root!” Jian Yi exclaimed excitedly.

Even a three-element spiritual root would be welcomed by sects. But to have a pure fire spiritual root? A single spiritual root was already rare, but coupled with Xiaofan’s natural talent, the rewards from the sect would undoubtedly be substantial.

Xiao Jingting looked at Jian Yi, seeing his enthusiasm, and realized that the man was highly satisfied with his son’s talent.

“Xiao nephew, your son has exceptional potential. With his talent, staying in this realm would be a waste. If I bring him into the sect, with his aptitude, the elders may even take an interest. His future will be limitless,” Jian Yi said.

Xiao Jingting hesitated, furrowing his brow. Jian Yi seemed to be seeking their opinion, but in reality, their opinion held little weight. Seeing Jian Yi’s demeanor, Xiao Jingting understood that he wouldn’t give up on Xiaofan. Though entering the sect was a good thing, Xiao Jingting still had concerns. “When Xiaofan was young, he had a fever and that damaged his brain, so he’s a bit slow.”

Xiaodong stood there with a tense face, silent.

On the side, Xu Mu’an looked uneasy.

“This isn’t a problem. If it’s due to a high fever, a single Awakening Pill can make up for it,” Jian Yi said without hesitation.

Awakening Pill? Xiao Jingting was astonished. Awakening Pills were extremely precious spiritual pills that could repair damaged spiritual roots. If Xiaofan’s condition was caused by a high fever, this pill could indeed rectify it.

“Dad, Mom, I’m going to be a disciple of Qingyun Immortal Sect!” Xiaofan exclaimed excitedly.

Xiao Jingting sighed inwardly, feeling conflicted. Qingyun Immortal Sect was a good place, but it was still a nest of vipers. Would Xiaofan be comfortable there?

Xiao Jingting felt a sense of melancholy. Jian Yi appeared to be seeking their consent, but it was clear that he wouldn’t let Xiaofan go. Though entering the sect was a great opportunity, Xiao Jingting still couldn’t shake off his worries.

Rain : Will Xiaodong have this time to shine ???