All cultivation must pass through the five elements before reaching the singular element. This is why there is no such thing as luck at birth—cultivating quickly in the beginning means progressing more slowly later on, while slow cultivation early on leads to rapid growth in the future.
The only fortune one can be born with comes from the karma of past lives, and even then, it only determines whether one can become a cultivator at all. As for being born into a poor or wealthy family—every person has their own trials. Being poor does not necessarily mean life is harder than for the rich.
Yu Lingshe took the crown into her hands and calmed herself before biting her tongue.
In the world of cultivation, treasures were usually refined using lifeblood, but for a mortal like her, it was enough to use blood that was difficult to obtain naturally. After all, minor wounds and cuts happened frequently, but biting one's own tongue until it bled was rare.
The mechanism for recognizing the treasure lay within her bloodline, not in the method used to activate it. The use of tongue blood was merely a safeguard—to ensure that no outsider could refine it with another person's blood.
As her tongue bled, she let a few drops fall onto the jade centerpiece. At first, nothing happened. But as the blood pooled atop the jade, encircled by pearls, the treasure slowly reacted.
The jade absorbed the blood, and as the pool reached its limit, it began to glow.
Lingshe raised her hand and placed the jade crown upon her high-styled hair. The moment it touched her head, the light intensified.
Her grandfather shielded his eyes against the sudden brilliance.
But Yu Lingshe saw something entirely different.
The gathered light coalesced into an image before her. A beautiful blue lake stretched out before her vision, with an island resting at its center. Though small, the island housed an exquisite jade pavilion.
Inside the pavilion sat a man clad in white, adorned with jade ornaments of the same hue. He held a cup of tea in his hand and gazed into the distance as if watching the passage of time itself.
Then, as if sensing her presence, he turned toward her.
His calm eyes sparkled, and a gentle smile graced his face.
A voice resonated within Yu Lingshe's mind, warm and kind.
"Are you a descendant of my ___?"
Before she could fully process the words, the voice seemed to realize that she hadn't heard the last part clearly.
"Yu Clan?"
Yu Lingshe hesitated for only a moment before quickly bowing deeply toward the vision.
"Yu Lingshe of Blue Star's Yu Clan pays homage to the ancestor!"
The man regarded her with mild surprise.
"Blue Star…" he murmured.
He paused as if contemplating something, then spoke again, almost to himself.
"Has it already been past the tenth time…?"
Though he did not expect an answer, he smiled once more and turned his attention fully to her.
"You are the first direct descendant of my Yu Clan to appear on your planet in a very long time. I shall grant you a blessing."
His voice carried an ancient authority, but there was a hint of kindness beneath it.
"Our… Yu Clan's descendants all possess a Jade Root. I will grant you a small grace.
Your first Jade Awakening will be of a higher grade. Your second…" He paused, then chuckled softly. "Your name is very good."
His gaze deepened, and his next words were mysterious.
"As for your third awakening… it has been a long time since a Jade Clan member has awakened in the lower world. So, I shall alter it slightly and grant you ___ light."
This time, he made no attempt to explain the final part in a simpler way.
He smiled at her again, then spoke with a solemn tone.
"You have been given great blessings and an opportunity many would envy. But remember—this also means you bear a great responsibility."
His words echoed within her mind, weighty and profound.
"The heavens never grant something for nothing. They have chosen to bless the Yu Clan this time. For now, these matters may seem distant, but once you ascend to the Upper World, you will be required to carry the responsibility of our clan."
His expression turned serious, but there was still warmth in his eyes.
"Remember, the Yu Clan is responsible for the Aspect of Nourishment. Heaven has granted you this chance with the expectation that you will fulfill this duty. How you choose to do so will depend on your own efforts, but you must begin even in the Upper World.
This opportunity cannot be repaid in the Upper World. Instead, it will serve as a trial—a test of your ability to uphold this duty. If you succeed, then this responsibility will itself become an even greater chance for you."
He smiled once more.
"The Upper World is only the beginning. You should set your sights on the Immortal Realm."
Yu Lingshe bowed again.
There was much she didn't fully understand, but she felt these words held great significance, so she engraved them deep into her heart.
The vision faded, and the crown's glow disappeared.
The moment it dimmed, something within her reacted instantly.
The crown began to draw in a mysterious power from the world around her. A slow but steady force entered her body, filling her with energy. The exhaustion she had felt from the earlier chant was instantly replenished.
More importantly, a new technique appeared in her mind.
A jade pearl, identical to the one in the center of the crown, manifested within her consciousness. It passed down a cultivation method—
The Jade Heart Sutra.
Following the instructions, she directed the energy drawn by the crown into her chest, parallel to her real heart.
Her blood pulsed with vitality, circulating between her true heart and the new energy core, growing stronger with each cycle.
At the same time, the Jade Crown itself continuously nourished her.
As she absorbed the knowledge, her understanding of the crown deepened.
"This grants me the authority of a great elder of the Yu Clan…" she murmured, though she did not fully comprehend its implications.
She felt it, though.
A deep connection to jade itself.
She continued sensing the crown's effects.
"Besides the Jade Heart Sutra, it contains all the Yu Clan's techniques and arts. The Sutra is our core, but the crown also grants gradual nourishment—strengthening both body and soul.
It continuously draws in jade spiritual energy, ensuring that the wearer is always within the best cultivation environment."
Her lips curled into a sneer.
"There is no way that female lead will ever compare to this."
She clenched her hands.
"Even if she somehow awakened part of it, she wouldn't be able to use the true power of the crown. Without a Jade Spiritual Root, the effects would be greatly weakened.
If she had no Wood Spiritual Root, the crown would be completely useless to her."
Then, a realization struck her.
"If I had already begun cultivating, I wouldn't have awakened the first two aspects, and even the ancestor's image wouldn't have appeared."
Her brows furrowed.
"Any other cultivation method would have polluted my Jade Root—making it appear as a Wood Mutation instead. The crown would have treated me as a mere branch-line descendant."
She exhaled, suppressing a sudden chill.
"The wrong technique, even with the right root, would have been only slightly better than the female lead… It makes sense now."
She recalled an old saying from the cultivation world.
"A good master opens the door to cultivation for their disciple. A bad master closes a door with every piece of advice they give."
Every step of cultivation mattered. Every moment of poor guidance could ruin one's foundation.
And she… had been given a perfect start.