Han Xuan entered his meditation room, closing the wooden door behind him with a soft thud. The faint fragrance of spiritual herbs lingered in the air—evidence that the room doubled as his private cultivation chamber.
He sat cross-legged on the woven mat, exhaled deeply, and finally pulled up the system notifications he had ignored earlier.
A list of glowing prompts appeared before him.
Twin pregnancy.
Investment Phase activated.
Treasure contribution required.
Han Xuan massaged his temples.
The fact that Shui Huoyan is pregnant is a great blessing. Moreover, they are twins.
That was fortune beyond anything he had dared pray for.
More children meant more rewards.
Double the children meant double the rewards.
But…
"It also means double the investment." Han Xuan groaned.
He was in trouble.
For years, he had prepared a carefully planned investment set for the next pregnancy—spiritual herbs, rare ores, one Rank 2 spiritual weapon, several cultivation techniques, and even a bottle of high-grade pills he had been reluctant to use himself.
With this set, he was confident the child's innate talent would surpass Han Qixing's.
But twins?
He didn't have enough for two sets.
"Haah… just my luck." Han Xuan rubbed his face.
Then he grabbed the plump toad that had been sitting comfortably on his shoulder. He said solemnly, "Baobao, take out all treasures."
Baobao blinked twice, its round golden eyes full of confusion. Then it croaked and turned its head away defiantly.
"Don't pretend not to hear!" Han Xuan's mouth twitched.
Baobao closed its eyes.
Truly pretending not to hear.
"You…" A vein pulsed on Han Xuan's forehead.
This toad is his spirit beast—its true name is the Myriad-Gate Toad.
It was one of the precious rewards Han Xuan had received from the system on the day Han Qixing was born.
On the surface, Baobao looked no different from an ordinary, plump little toad. It hopped lazily, croaked annoyingly, and even rolled around like a spoiled pet. But that appearance was nothing more than a disguise.
Its true form was so magnificent and awe-inspiring that Han Xuan had been stunned speechless the first time he saw it. That alone convinced him to forbid Baobao from showing its real appearance. A single curious glance from an outsider would be enough to drag endless trouble to his doorstep.
Later, after digging through countless books from the market's bookstores, Han Xuan finally learned the weight behind the system's description:
True Spirit.
Among demon beasts, True Spirits were the highest-grade lifeforms—existences born with supreme bloodlines and abilities. Even in the entire continent, True Spirits had not been seen for countless generations. At most, people occasionally heard of a demon beast possessing a trace of True Spirit blood.
But a pure-blooded True Spirit?
Not a single confirmed case.
If word got out that Han Xuan, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, owned one…
It wouldn't be called "good fortune."
It would be called a catastrophe.
Especially since Baobao possessed the rarest of attributes—space. Every ability it had was tied to spatial manipulation.
One such ability was something Han Xuan privately called:
Infinite Gate Belly—an innate ability that allowed the toad to swallow and store endless treasures in a pocket dimension within its belly.
Because of this, nearly all of Han Xuan's valuables were kept inside Baobao. Far safer than any storage bag.
The only downside is that once something went in, Baobao only regurgitated it when it felt like it.
Unless…
Han Xuan slowly flipped Baobao upside down. Baobao's short limbs wiggled in alarm.
"Don't give me that look." Han Xuan smirked, "You brought this upon yourself."
Baobao's round eyes widened in betrayal.
Without hesitation, Han Xuan began to mercilessly tickle its stubby belly.
"Grrrk—! Gwah—! Krrrk—!"
The toad convulsed, croaking in hysterical laughter before—
Glooop—!
Treasures spilled out in a shining cascade—spirit coins, jade bottles, scrolls, ores, spiritual herbs, even a few items Han Xuan didn't remember storing.
They clattered against the floor one after another, forming a glittering pile that nearly reached his knee.
Han Xuan released Baobao, who lay on the mat like a defeated lump of jelly, twitching pitifully.
"Hmph." Han Xuan crossed his arms with a smug snort, "Serves you right."
He kicked the last rolling jade slip toward the pile.
Then he knelt down and began sorting through the mountain of treasures, eyes turning sharp and focused.
Among the scattered pile of treasures, one item stood out—a set of precious materials Han Xuan had painstakingly prepared long ago for the next Investment Phase. And at the center of that preparation was a single, sealed wooden box.
Han Xuan reached toward the box with deliberate care.
The surface was engraved with faint formation lines, each stroke thin and elegant, weaving together to create a protective seal that preserved the spiritual herb inside. He pressed two fingers together and drew a few swift gestures in the air.
Click.
The seal loosened.
As the lid slowly lifted, a gentle wave of cool, refreshing spiritual energy washed over the room.
Inside lay a lotus.
It rested quietly within a soft bed of silk, its petals a pure, frosted white at the base, gradually transitioning into an ethereal azure blue at the tips. Even without blooming, each petal emitted a faint, soothing light, like moonlight reflected upon calm water. A subtle fragrance drifted out—calming, clear, washing away stray thoughts with ease.
This was the Clearheart Azure Lotus, a top-grade Rank 1 spiritual herb and one of the main ingredients required to refine a Foundation Pill.
Its greatest effect was cleansing impurities in the mind and stabilizing the spirit—an essential step for cultivators preparing to break through to Foundation Establishment.
Han Xuan gazed at it with a complicated expression.
A year ago, Blueleaf Market held a large-scale auction. Most cultivators were fighting tooth and nail for a rare Foundation Pill being auctioned that day, leaving fewer buyers interested in its ingredients.
Taking advantage of the chaos and after disguising himself meticulously, Han Xuan had quietly bid for and won this lotus for 700 spirit coins.
Only because he had gone in disguise had he escaped trouble. If word had gotten out that he possessed a Clearheart Azure Lotus…
Forget Chen Wuye. Even peak Qi Refining cultivators, desperate to advance, would have stormed his doorstep. Some would bargain; others would simply kill him and take it.
Han Xuan carefully closed the box again, relief in his eyes.
The second treasure he had prepared consisted of three porcelain bottles, each sealed with talisman paper carrying faint medicinal fragrance. Inside them were three types of pills he had painstakingly collected over the past year: Rejuvenation Pill, Spirit Recovery Pill, and Azure Detoxification Pill.
All three were top-grade Rank 1 recovery pills—one to mend physical injuries, one to restore spiritual energy, and one to neutralize poison.
A complete emergency set.
Han Xuan arranged the bottles neatly beside the box containing the Clearheart Azure Lotus. Seeing the combination laid out together, it became clear what direction of talent he hoped to shape for his future child.
A calm mind, steady spirit, strong survivability, and resistance against poison.
It wasn't geared toward raw combat power like Han Qixing's sword physique.
This one… leaned more toward a supportive, healing, or stabilizing foundation—a talent ideal for a daughter with gentle affinity or growth in alchemy, medicine, or defensive arts.
Han Xuan couldn't help whispering under his breath:
"I hope at least one of the twins is a girl…"
His eyes softened with anticipation.
The third treasure he prepared was a Rank 2 spiritual weapon—the Moonpetal Silk Ribbon.
A soft, shimmering length of silk lay neatly coiled inside a jade-lined box. Even sealed away, it emitted a faint moonlit glow, like gentle ripples over still water.
Han Xuan had purchased this Moonpetal Silk Ribbon from the Hundred Treasures Pavilion while using a carefully crafted disguise.
The Hundred Treasures Pavilion was a massive business network, its branches spread across countless markets in the Qingyuan Continent. Rank 2 spiritual weapons were nothing special to them—some branches even displayed Rank 3 or Rank 4 spiritual weapons in their showcases. As long as one had sufficient spirit coins, the Hundred Treasures Pavilion could provide almost anything.
Compared to those treasures, the Moonpetal Silk Ribbon was the lowest grade among Rank 2 spiritual weapons, which was precisely why Han Xuan was able to buy it.
Its price was a steep 2,500 spirit coins, but still—barely—within an affordable range for him.
Han Xuan looked at the ribbon, its faint radiance dancing across the room, and sighed, "All this… for the sake of my future children."
He placed the ribbon beside the other treasures.
Lastly, he set aside 5,000 spirit coins, just as he had done ten years ago.
Originally, he had planned to invest far more this time. After all, his financial situation—though still strained—was not as miserable as it used to be. But the Chen Family's recent harassment had disrupted many of his business channels. Several suppliers had cut ties with him, and his tavern's income had plummeted.
Under such circumstances, he simply could not gather more spirit coins on short notice.
In the end, he could only make up the difference with a few additional treasures: some defensive talismans, a bundle of low-grade spiritual herbs, and several minor spiritual materials. Compared to the three primary treasures, these were hardly worth mentioning, but they were the best he could manage for now.
Now that he had prepared an investment for one child…
It was time to consider what he should invest in the other.
The thought made him frown.
The Clearheart Azure Lotus, the healing pills, the Moonpetal Silk Ribbon—these items clearly leaned toward nurturing a supportive, gentle talent. If one of the twins happened to be a girl, it would be perfect.
But what about the second child?
What direction should that talent take?
As he pondered, Han Xuan's eyes slowly swept across the room, over the treasure pile, over the shelves, over the scattered papers and old tools, until they landed on a certain object tucked in the corner.
A broken red cauldron.
Its surface was cracked. Half of its inscriptions were dim. It looked more like scrap metal than a treasure.
But the moment Han Xuan's gaze fell upon it, his eyes narrowed slightly.