After hearing Lingshe's explanation, her grandfather was not disappointed in the least. Instead, he smiled.
"Little Lingshe, you don't have to worry about my lifespan! I may look old, but it's not because of age. Alas, it's a long story. I was injured when I was still in my middle years, right around the time you were born. Fortunately, the clan was already safe, and I was only in my forties. A martial artist of my strength can live up to 150 years… If I had been healthy, I could have lived my full lifespan!
Now that I no longer have to worry about my health, this blessing alone should allow me to keep my strength until my final day."
He was truly happy. This meant he could protect the clan for much longer. His concerns about the next clan leader vanished. While his granddaughter was more than capable, it would be best if she could focus on other things instead.
From the moment she was born, he had always felt that she did not truly belong to this world. For that reason, he had never set his sights on letting her inherit the clan. Instead, he had secured her a strong position—one that would protect her and prevent the elders from trying to push their own children forward.
Lingshe smiled at her grandfather and nodded. "I hope Grandfather can live as long as heaven and earth," she said with an inexplicable feeling in her heart.
She wasn't sure what it was, but somehow, she felt that if her grandfather could truly gain these extra years and use them to help the world, it was not an impossible thing.
But the feeling was fleeting, and she had no idea how to make it happen. Shaking off the thought, she turned her gaze to the middle pillar.
Her grandfather noticed her focus and smiled before walking toward it. This time, there was no particular pattern to his steps. He walked straight to the middle, then suddenly knelt down and kowtowed before the pillar, his forehead striking the hard ground.
The impact was solid, yet neither his head nor the floor broke. He repeated the action two more times before the jade panel in the middle slowly opened, revealing a small crown inside.
Instead of taking the crown himself, he remained with his head lowered and spoke to Lingshe, who stood behind him, shocked.
"Take the crown."
She hesitated for a moment, surprised by his solemnity, but followed his order. Carefully, she reached out and took the crown into her hands.
Nothing happened.
Only after seeing her take it out did her grandfather rise to his feet and return to the table.
"This is the Jade Crown—the main inheritance of our Yu clan. It represents supreme authority over our lineage. Those who rule naturally have servants who must remain loyal.
The mechanism of the inheritance is built on this principle: If one does not have a strong servant willing to risk their life by lowering their head in submission, or a servant who is both supreme in strength and still willing to bow before their master, then they will never be able to open the inheritance pillar.
A master without either a loyal or a powerful servant does not deserve a treasure as great as the Jade Crown."
He spoke without resentment, despite subtly referring to himself as a servant in the process. In fact, he seemed proud.
Lingshe said nothing in response.
She had her own ambitions, and her plans required supreme authority in many matters. However, she did not want to acknowledge that her grandfather, the only person she truly cared about, saw himself as a mere servant.
A silence fell over the room. But it was not an uncomfortable one.
Her grandfather eventually broke it with a gentle smile. "It is said that this Jade Crown is the true inheritance of the Yu clan. No clan records explain it in depth—only that once a chosen descendant awakens, they will naturally understand how to use it."
For the first time, Lingshe nodded. Unlike the other two treasures, which left her feeling uncertain, this one… she understood.
In the story, it was this very treasure that had led to her death.
In truth, the story itself had never explained what the Jade Crown was truly capable of. But this did not dishearten her. If anything, it reassured her.
Because whatever the crown could do in the story, it was surely even greater now that it was in her hands.
In the original timeline, Yu Lingshe had only learned of the crown's abilities after she had embarked on the path of cultivation. At that time, the Yu family had given it to her upon her departure, believing she would inherit the family name and continue their legacy in the cultivation world.
As for the other two treasures, by that time, the method to open the pillars had already been lost.
She recalled a small, easily overlooked line in the novel about her past self: "She did not miss anyone from her clan."
That simple sentence told her everything.
Her grandfather must have died. The next ancestor must have refused to give her the inheritance, believing she would never return. And now, hearing her grandfather explain how the middle pillar worked, she had a new suspicion—
Her usually unreliable father must have sacrificed his life to give her this inheritance.
A slow, burning rage ignited within her.
Unlike a raging fire, however, it was more like a hidden shadow, lurking silently, waiting to devour its enemies at the first opportunity.
Though the feeling quickly subsided, her grandfather, a martial artist with keen senses, still noticed it.
He said nothing.
Perhaps he thought it had something to do with her dream, but he was still pleased to see this side of her.
Lingshe smiled and lifted the jade crown, inspecting it closely.
It was beautiful, crafted from gold, with a large jade gemstone embedded at its center.
Four delicate branches extended from the crown's core—two diagonally upward like a butterfly's feelers, curving backward, while the other two stretched straight to the sides. The branches were adorned with intricate leaves, making them resemble tree limbs.
At the end of each branch, green jade pearls hung—slightly deeper in hue than the central jade. Three white pearl strings dangled from each, ending in aquamarine crystal pendulums that swayed lightly.
The design symbolized the transformation of water into wood and wood into jade—the natural evolution of elements.
In the cultivation world, the five elements formed the foundation of everything.
Wind, Fire, Earth, and Water were the primary elements—each representing both creation and destruction, manifesting as storms, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and floods.
The fifth element, Wood, completed the cycle, embodying life, death, and the growth of nature through the seasons.
All other spiritual roots were mutations formed from these five core elements, their properties determined by the way they intertwined.
For example, Thunder was formed from a Wind core, with Fire and Water as auxiliaries, while Wood and Earth played minor roles.
Jade, however, was unique.
Unlike other elements that relied on auxiliary aspects, Jade had two core elements—Water and Wood—without any supporting influences.
There was no hierarchy among single-element spiritual roots.
In the end, they all represented the supreme purity of nature itself.