Chương 110: Relaxing

"Are these mortal kingdoms?" Tianyue asked, looking out over the side of the flying ship.

"That's right," Shu Yang said with a nod.

"It's a strange place, really. Not like home, where there is still body cultivation as an option to grasp power for many people."

"They don't even have body cultivators here?" Tianyi asked.

"I didn't feel the presence of any when I passed through," Shu Yang answered.

"I'm sure some are born with some talent for it from time to time, but traits are hard to pass down as they are. They should be even harder to pass down if you don't nurture the talent you have."

"I guess they have better odds of being born with spiritual roots," Tianyi mused.

"And they know about the sects and the cultivators there. It might be a bit discouraging being born without the talent for that world. Still, I'd like to think I would have tried everything in order to gain power even if I were born in this place."

"You forget that most people aren't as well off as you are," Shu Yang said.

"They have to work all day just to have enough to eat. They can't waste hours every day practicing martial arts."

"I guess that's true," Tianyi said with a small pout.

"Anyway, how long until we get back home?"

"We should reach the Desolate Mountains soon," Shu Yang answered.

"At most two hours. After that, I don't have as good an estimate. It will probably take a month or so to cross them; it depends on how fast the flying ship can go through that area."

"That long?" Tianyi asked.

"It's not that long," Shu Yang said.

"We can study the formation inheritance together while we travel. I want to see how much you've learned over the years."

"I have to study again? No way, right?" Tianyi asked, looking a bit pale. Shu Yang rolled his eyes.

"You have a perfect trait for it, and have already laid a good base in the Song Family. Now you have access to a rare formation inheritance at the Golden Core level, and you're not going to make use of it?" Tianyi smiled cheekily, "But if you learn it, isn't that like I've learned it?"

"No way," Shu Yang said.

"You have to develop your own abilities."

"Fine," Tianyi said with a sigh. She stepped away from the deck rail and came over to take a seat next to Shu Yang. She patted Xiaorong, who was lazing in the sun, on the back as she sat down.

"But if I study, you'll have to give me something to give to my nieces and nephews."

"They won't lack anything with the resources I brought back," Shu Yang said.

"That's not the point. I haven't even met them all yet. I want to make a good impression," Tianyi said.

"And since I don't have any resources myself, I have no choice but to take some from you."

"Fine," Shu Yang said, shaking his head. It didn't matter who gave them the resources.

"If you study well, you can give the gifts to the third generation."

"It's a deal," Tianyi said with a grin.

"Oh, now I really miss home. How do you think they'll react to seeing us? Are we going to have a big celebration? And when should we tell them about the Sword Sect? Can I be the one to tell them?"

'Weren't we supposed to study formations?' Shu Yang thought to himself. He found it strange, as Tianyi had always seemed so focused on her studies every time he looked at her through his Bloodline Ability.

'I guess it just shows how lonely she was over there.' Shu Yang suddenly felt it might not be so bad for his daughter to relax a little.

"You can tell them if you want," Shu Yang said.

"Great! Oh, how shocked they'll be. Do you think even Tianhu will make a surprised face? I don't think I've ever seen that," Tianyi asked. Shu Yang chuckled.

"Maybe."

'Tianhu will probably be the one most excited. As for the others… I really don't know.' Bian Fenglin had been more than happy to accept the twins and escort them back to the Sword Sect. Though the fact that they didn't have any spirit roots and would have to follow the path of body cultivation cooled his enthusiasm somewhat. Shu Yang felt at ease accepting the offer on Tianhu's and Xiaoshi's behalf. This was certainly something they wished for.

Tianhu himself had always been curious about the Sword Sect, and Xiaoshi was about to advance to the Foundation stage. They were both more than ready to journey to a bigger world. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Especially when it would benefit their children. Xinjiang and Xinxi really couldn't reach their true potential if they were stuck south of the Desolate Mountains. But as for the rest of his family, Shu Yang wasn't so sure what they wanted to do.

Shu Yang himself certainly wanted them all to go there. Settling in the area near the Sword Sect would benefit everyone. The resources available there couldn't be compared to back home. Shu Yang also thought that having some of his grandchildren get partners with spirit roots would be very valuable for his bloodline feedback. His spirit roots wouldn't really see much advancement if all his future descendants were stuck down south. But that was only his opinion.

He would have to consider how his family felt about it. Should they all want to come along, Shu Yang would be more than happy. He had even asked Bian Fenglin if he could prepare a flying ship big enough to take them all, which he had agreed to. It wouldn't just be Shu Yang's direct family, after all. It might be that Qianyue's brothers, nieces, and nephews wanted to come along. Shen Ye, his wife, his son, and all sorts of in-laws made for quite a big group in case they all wanted to come.

But Shu Yang doubted they'd agree. Just like Bian Fenglin had said when Shu Yang told him about his big family, the world of cultivators wasn't suitable for everyone. In the big families of the cultivation world, descendants without spirit roots were still born. But they never stayed with their families after they reached adulthood; they were sent to the mortal world. It might seem cruel, but as Bian Fenglin had explained, it was even more cruel to let them stay. It wasn't hard to see, really.

Staying in the family and being surrounded by cultivators, seeing your own brothers and sister advance on the path of cultivation, staying young for a hundred years while you grew old, was very harsh. Besides, in the cultivation world, cultivation was everything. Every single moment of every day revolved around it. If you didn't cultivate, you could never truly connect to those who could. It was a lot better to spend your life among other mortals.

With the resources of a cultivation clan behind you, you could live like a king or queen, and never have to worry about food or safety. Shu Yang's own family was a bit different, as many had the talent for body cultivation. But there were also a lot of them who didn't have any talent either. Even if Shu Yang stuffed them with resources, it would be hard to reach just the Innate stage. Was that really so different from ordinary mortals?

'Whatever. It's still only my children and grandchildren. The family hasn't grown too big yet. I can look after everyone who wants to come along.'

'I just hope they choose to give it a chance.'

"How long do you think it will be before Senior Bian Fenglin comes to get us?" Tianyi asked.

"I don't know. Maybe a year or so," Shu Yang said. Bian Fenglin needed to visit the Green River Sect before leaving. Even with his background, he couldn't just come and take the inheritance they had been looking for without showing his face and giving an explanation. After he made peace, and made sure no one would go after Shu Yang, he would purchase a flying ship and come down to get the Shu Family. Shu Yang really didn't know if the twins would be worth all that effort, but he wasn't going to try to stop him.

He could just pay him back once he had the ability to.

"A year is so long," Tianyi said with a sigh.

"What are you so impatient about? It's not like you're going to join the Sword Sect yourself," Shu Yang said.

"But my nieces are! Since I'm their aunt, that's like I'm a disciple there too," Tianyi said, lifting her head proudly.

"Besides, don't you want to see what it's like there? I thought Shenchu Immortal City was as big as a city could be. But the cities in the east must be bigger, right?"

"I suppose," Shu Yang said, nodding.

"And I feel bad for Aunt Jiangxi for waiting so long!" Tianyi exclaimed.

"And I want to see sister Hongchi and explain things to her properly."

'I guess that's true.' Shu Yang had thought about going back and visiting Lady Jiangxi after Bian Fenglin solved their troubles, but in the end, he decided not to. He was pretty certain that she wouldn't leave now that she had her son to take care of; at least she wouldn't want to go back south of the Deoslate Mountains with him. Besides, he really couldn't relax straight away.

People were still out looking for him and his flying ship even days after Bian Fenglin showed up, and Shu Yang just wanted to return home with his daughter as quickly as possible, before any more complications came up. But he still stopped briefly in a market town along the way and wrote a letter to her, explaining everything that had happened, and that he would be returning to see her soon enough, and that she was welcome to join them on their journey to the Sword Sect if she wanted.

"Either way, it's good that we'll have some time. It will give everyone some time to think about how to proceed. Besides, your brother Tianxu is still out adventuring. I can't leave him here if we all go to the Sword Sect."

"I can't believe he's still not back," Tianyi said, shaking her head.

"He doesn't even know I ever went missing. Isn't that too much?"

"It certainly is," Shu Yang agreed with a smile. He had thought he would let his son adventure until he decided to come back, but now things had changed. Either way, Shu Yang wasn't very worried about it; getting Tianxu back should be child's play compared to the difficulties he had to go through to get Tianyi. Tianyi kept chattering on, mixing questions about what had been happening back home with her longing for the Sword Sect and the sights she would see there.

Shu Yang decided that the studying could wait for another day. He leaned back on the deck and enjoyed the sun on his face and his daughter's voice in his ears.