Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Looking at his resolute profile, Chen Xueru suddenly recalled their first encounter five hundred years ago—back then, he was just a naive young man who had just transmigrated from Earth, yet he dared to venture alone into the Black Wind Valley, teeming with demonic beasts, to rescue her. Now, this man had grown into a powerful figure capable of shaking the spiritual veins of heaven and earth, but his desire to protect his family had never changed. "I'll go with you," she said firmly, leaving no room for doubt.

"No." He Damin pressed down on her shoulders, his gaze gentle yet unwavering. "Deep within the Demon Beast Forest dwell transforming-stage demon beasts, and the Endless Sea harbors ancient, slumbering creatures. You stay home, look after the children, and guard against those rogue cultivators who covet our valley's spiritual fields." He took out a jade slip from his storage ring, its surface covered with intricate array runes. "This is my newly constructed 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Array.' As long as true essence is injected, even a Nascent Soul cultivator cannot breach it."

Chen Xueru bit her lower lip, but finally nodded. She knew her cultivation level was truly useless and would only be a burden to him. "Then you must..."

"I will come back to see the first wisp of mist on Victoria Peak with you." He Damin interrupted her, lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, like a feather brushing across a lake.

As He Damin's figure vanished into the horizon in a streak of light, Chen Xueru remained standing atop the mountain, the spiritual tea in her hand long since cooled. Gazing at the vast northern horizon, she gripped the jade slip inscribed with the array tightly in her palm, her knuckles turning white from the force.

He Damin flew through the air for three days and three nights, his golden light piercing the clouds and leaving a long trail. His divine sense, like an invisible net, covered an area of ​​tens of thousands of miles, carefully probing the fluctuations of spiritual energy underground. The spiritual veins of the Xuan Tian Continent were extremely unevenly distributed; some places had spiritual energy as thin as a desert, while others were so dense that it was impossible to condense—for example, the Soul-Severing Cliff he had passed three days ago. Although the spiritual vein there was only a hundred feet long, it contained rare lightning-attribute spiritual energy, but its scale was too small to support the inheritance of a family.

On the morning of the fourth day, he arrived at the edge of the Demon Beast Forest. This primeval forest, stretching for millions of miles, was known as the "Forbidden Land for Cultivators," and it was said that demon beasts at the Tribulation Transcending stage resided in its deepest part. He Damin concealed his aura and transformed into a streak of green light, disappearing into the dense forest. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, with sunlight only filtering through the gaps to cast dappled spots of light, and the air was filled with the smell of decaying leaves and demon beast dung.

"Roar—" A deafening roar came from ahead, and the ground trembled violently. He Damin's escape light stopped abruptly, and he saw a black bear the size of a small mountain slapping a thousand-year-old pine tree with its sharp claws. Pine sap mixed with blood dripped down, and several cultivator skeletons lay at the foot of the tree. This was a peak fifth-tier Mountain-Splitting Bear, with thick hide and immense strength. Even ordinary Nascent Soul stage cultivators would give it a wide berth.

He Damin didn't want to get involved and was about to walk around it when suddenly his brow furrowed—he sensed a faint yet pure fluctuation of spiritual energy emanating from beneath the Mountain-Splitting Bear's feet. He quietly released his divine sense to investigate and discovered that the clumsy bear was standing precisely at the node of a spiritual vein. That spiritual vein was hidden a thousand feet underground, with spiritual energy flowing slowly like a trickle, stretching for over three hundred miles.

"What a pity," He Damin sighed softly. This spiritual vein was of decent size, but its spiritual energy was mixed and clearly had been polluted by the turbid energy of demonic beasts. Just as he was about to leave, the Mountain-Splitting Bear spotted him, its blood-red eyes fixed on the blue light in the air, roaring as it swung its sharp claws at him.

He Damin's eyes turned cold, and he flicked his finger. A condensed stream of true energy transformed into an invisible blade, precisely striking the Mountain-Splitting Bear's joint. With a crisp "crack," the Mountain-Splitting Bear's massive body crashed to the ground, howling and rolling on the ground. It couldn't understand how this seemingly unremarkable human possessed such terrifying strength.

He Damin didn't kill it; he merely glanced at it coldly before transforming into a beam of green light and continuing deeper into the forest. To him, this fifth-tier demonic beast was no different from an ant, not worth wasting time on.

The deeper they ventured into the forest, the higher the level of the demonic beasts became. A seventh-tier emerald-eyed golden eagle circled overhead, an eighth-tier hydra hissed in the swamp, and even a fox demon in its transformation stage chuckled seductively among the trees. He Damin maintained the imposing aura of a Tribulation Transcending cultivator throughout, and although these demonic beasts were ferocious, they dared not easily provoke this great deity.

On the evening of the fifth day, as the golden rays of the setting sun filtered through layers of leaves, He Damin finally stopped. He stood at the entrance of a valley, facing a bottomless darkness, from which he could faintly hear a low, rumbling sound like a dragon's roar. His divine sense surged into the earth like a tide, instantly covering an area of ​​a thousand miles—three thousand feet underground, a massive spiritual vein was slowly flowing, its spiritual energy so dense it was almost liquid, like a sleeping dragon.

"This is it." A hint of excitement flashed in He Damin's eyes. This spiritual vein was over six hundred miles long and more than twenty feet wide, with incredibly pure spiritual energy, and it also contained rare life-origin power. More importantly, there was no aura of any cultivators or powerful demonic beasts around it, clearly indicating that it was an unclaimed spiritual vein that had never been discovered before.

He slowly descended into the center of the valley. The moment his feet touched the ground, a faint golden light emanated from it. Countless ancient runes emerged from the soil, forming a massive array—a naturally formed protective array of the spiritual veins, capable of blocking the detection of ordinary cultivators. He Damin coldly snorted, his hands forming a hand seal, chanting, "Heaven and Earth, Profound Ancestor, Root of All Qi. Break!"

With a low shout, his peak Tribulation Transcending stage true essence surged forth like a tsunami, causing the ground to tremble violently. The ancient runes melted away rapidly, like ice and snow meeting the sun. The trees around the valley shook violently, countless birds and beasts fled in terror, and the uneasy roars of high-level demonic beasts echoed from afar.

He Damin sat cross-legged, his hands pressed to the ground. His divine sense, like a sharp scalpel, carefully severed the connection between the spiritual vein and the earth vein. This was the most crucial step; the slightest mistake could cause the spiritual vein to collapse. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his true essence surged into the ground like a flood, forming a huge golden shield around the spiritual vein.

"Roar—" A deafening roar echoed from the earth, and the slumbering spiritual vein, like a dragon awakened from its slumber, began to struggle violently. Dense spiritual energy surged from the ground, forming visible columns of energy that shot straight into the sky. The entire valley was enveloped in brilliant spiritual light, and even the clouds in the sky were tinged with gold.

He Damin's eyes narrowed, and his hands formed an even more complex hand seal: "Borrow the power of heaven and earth, reverse yin and yang, gather!" His divine sense transformed into a giant palm, tightly grasping the glowing spiritual vein, and slowly pulling it upward.

The ground began to crack, and huge rocks flew up like raindrops, revealing a bottomless fissure in the center of the valley. The full form of the spiritual vein gradually became apparent—it truly resembled a winding dragon, its entire body composed of dazzling spiritual light, its scales and claws lifelike, radiating a chilling pressure.

"You beast, you dare to resist!" He Damin roared, unleashing the full pressure of his peak Tribulation Transcending stage power. The giant dragon formed from the spiritual veins let out a resentful roar, but it was as if bound by invisible chains, and could only watch helplessly as it was slowly pulled out of the ground.

Just as the spiritual vein was about to completely detach from the earth's veins, a sharp hiss suddenly came from afar. He Damin's heart skipped a beat, and he saw a black shadow rushing out from the depths of the forest at an extremely fast speed, a foul stench spreading out. He scanned it with his divine sense and found that it was a nine-headed serpent at the peak of the ninth rank, clearly attracted by the aura of the spiritual vein.

"You're courting death." He Damin sneered, flicking his finger without turning his head. A golden true essence shot towards the hydra like a meteor. A shrill scream rang out, and the hydra's massive body exploded into a cloud of blood mist in mid-air. Even its primordial spirit couldn't escape.

Having dealt with the hydra, He Damin no longer delayed. He fully activated his divine sense, pulling the massive spiritual vein completely out of the ground. The dragon of the spiritual vein struggled frantically in the air, its spiritual light radiating, distorting the surrounding space. He Damin clasped his hands together and uttered a low shout: "Yin-Yang Space, retract!"

A beam of black light shot out from between his brows, and a deep spatial rift appeared in the air. The dragon of spiritual veins seemed to be drawn in by an invisible force, slowly being sucked into the rift. Only when the last wisp of spiritual light disappeared into the rift did He Damin breathe a sigh of relief, close the spatial rift, and stagger.

Excavating this spiritual vein had nearly exhausted all his true essence, leaving him as pale as paper. He took out a top-grade spirit stone from his storage ring, held it in his palm to replenish his true essence, and at the same time, smoothed out the cracks in the ground, erasing all traces. After doing all this, he transformed into a streak of light and flew towards Green Peak Mountain.

When He Damin's figure appeared in the sky above the valley, Chen Xueru was pruning a thousand-year-old Cymbidium goeringii in the yard. Seeing that familiar green light, the scissors in her hand clattered to the ground, and she quickly went to meet him.

"Brother Damin!" She caught He Damin, who had stumbled to the ground, and felt a pang of anxiety as she sensed the almost depleted vital energy within him. "How are you?"

"It's nothing, just a bit draining." He Damin smiled, a hint of fatigue showing on his pale face. "Found it, a spiritual vein six hundred miles long, enough for the children to use for several hundred years."

Chen Xueru helped him sit on the stone bench, then quickly took out a piece of jade marrow containing rich spiritual energy and carefully fed it to him. "I knew you could do it." She looked at He Damin's pale lips, her eyes slightly reddening.

He Damin swallowed the jade marrow and felt a warm current flow into his dantian, slightly relieving his fatigue. He held Chen Xueru's hand and whispered, "Once I recover my true energy, we'll return to Earth."

For the next few days, He Damin focused on restoring his true energy. Chen Xueru prepared food and medicine rich in spiritual energy for him every day, and the children sensibly refrained from disturbing him. The valley was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of birds and the sound of a stream.

On the morning of the fifth day, He Damin finally opened his eyes. The true energy within his body had fully recovered, and was even more refined than before. He stood up, stretched, and his bones made a series of crisp sounds.

"Xue Ru, let's go." He walked into the courtyard, where Chen Xue Ru was watering a rare ice crystal snow lotus. Hearing his voice, she turned around, a bright smile on her face.

He Damin extended his hand, and Chen Xueru handed the water jug ​​to the maid beside her, taking his hand in hers. They smiled at each other, and the surrounding space began to distort, forming a massive rift. Their figures gradually disappeared into the rift, leaving only the fragrance of flowers and spiritual energy filling the courtyard.

On Victoria Peak, the morning mist had not yet dissipated. He Damin and Chen Xueru appeared on the observation deck, overlooking Hong Kong below. Victoria Harbour shimmered, massive ships slowly passed by, skyscrapers stood side by side, and the bustling streets flowed like veins. Unlike the ethereal atmosphere of the Xuan Tian Continent, this place was filled with the warmth and vibrancy of everyday life.

"What a transformation." Chen Xueru looked at the newly built Global Trade Plaza in the distance, a hint of emotion flashing in her eyes. The last time they came back was ten years ago, when the building had just begun construction.

"Yes, time flows much faster on Earth than on the Xuan Tian Continent." He Damin took a deep breath. The air was thick with car exhaust and the salty smell of the sea, completely different from the fresh spiritual energy of the Xuan Tian Continent. "We need to bury the spiritual veins as soon as possible, otherwise the children's cultivation will become increasingly difficult."

He closed his eyes, his divine sense surging into the earth like a tide. The geological structure of Taiping Mountain appeared clearly in his mind—the mountain's base, located five hundred feet underground, was composed of hard granite and formed the foundation of the entire mountain. There was no trace of spiritual veins here, making it an ideal location for burying one.

"This is it." He Damin opened his eyes and pointed to the ground beneath his feet. He took a deep breath, formed a hand seal, and the deep spatial rift reappeared between his brows.

"Roar—" A deep roar came from the crack, and the giant dragon formed from spiritual veins slowly flew out, circled once in the air, and emitted a dazzling spiritual light. The surrounding mist was dispersed by the spiritual light, and the sunlight shone on the giant dragon, refracting into a seven-colored light.

Chen Xueru held her breath, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She had never seen such a magnificent sight before—a giant dragon of spiritual energy soaring through the air, its spiritual energy spreading outwards like a tide, even tinging the distant clouds with a faint golden hue.

"Go!" He Damin shouted, pushing forward with both hands. The dragon of the spiritual vein let out a deafening roar, swooping down like a golden lightning bolt and disappearing into the ground.

The ground shook violently, as if a small earthquake had occurred. Cracks appeared in the floor tiles on the viewing platform, and dust filled the air. He Damin and Chen Xueru hovered in the air, closely monitoring the movement of the spiritual vein.

The colossal dragon of spiritual energy stopped at the foot of the mountain, five hundred feet underground, and began to slowly coil up. The spiritual light emanating from its body gradually merged into the surrounding rocks and soil, forming a massive cycle of spiritual energy. The dense spiritual energy permeated upwards from the foot of the mountain, passing through the rocks and soil, and finally reaching the surface.

He Damin and Chen Xueru slowly landed on the ground, feeling the warmth beneath their feet. A faint spiritual energy began to permeate the air, still thin but much denser than before. The trees in the distance seemed to have become even greener, and the flowers were blooming more vibrantly.

"It's done." He Damin gripped Chen Xueru's hand tightly, a relieved smile on his face. "Taiping Mountain will now be the foundation of our He family."

Chen Xueru leaned on his shoulder, gazing at Victoria Harbour in the distance, tears glistening in her eyes. She seemed to see the children thriving under the nourishment of the spiritual veins, and the descendants of the He family multiplying and passing down their legacy for thousands of years.

"Brother Damin, do you think those ancient families might find out?" She suddenly remembered what He Damin had said before and asked with some worry.

"Discovery is certain." He Damin gazed at the distant horizon, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Such a large fluctuation of spiritual veins cannot escape the divine sense of those old monsters. But we need not be afraid. Although the He family is just starting out, we are not pushovers. We'll talk when they come knocking. If they want to resort to force, I, He Damin, am not afraid either. With this spiritual vein on Taiping Mountain, the He family descendants can cultivate here and protect their home. We have plenty of time to watch the He family take root and pass on its legacy on this land."