7. Bowing to the Past, Budgeting for the Future

First things first. The rings.

There are two. I remove them carefully, sliding them from the crystalline finger bones one by one. The skeleton doesn’t resist—it’s been dead for centuries, and the Spirit Lock is gone. Still, I’m careful not to disturb the bones more than necessary. Respect, and also self-preservation. No need to tempt fate.

I hold each ring up to the lantern light and activate the Gaze.

I stare at the numbers.

Two thousand eight hundred forty-seven low-grade stones. Four hundred thirty-two middle-grade. Seventeen high-grade.

In my head, I’m already calculating. That’s enough to pay off all debts ten times over. Enough to repair every building. Enough to buy techniques, pills, weapons. Enough to hire more labourers and recruit better disciples. Enough to build a foundation that can actually support Ling’er and the sect’s growth. But another part of me, this body’s part, the part that’s spent forty years as a poor sect leader in a poor sect… it’s screaming internally. My hands are trembling. I’ve never seen such wealth. Never imagined such wealth. This is the equivalent of finding a million yuan in a briefcase in an alleyway next to a corpse.

I breathe. I put the rings in my pocket.

Second: the jade pouch.

It’s attached to the rotted belt at the skeleton’s waist, a small pouch of green jade that looks completely untouched by time. I unhook it carefully, feeling the weight. Heavier than it should be. Storage treasure, specialized.

I open it and peer inside with spiritual sense, then use the Gaze.

Enough food to feed my sect for years. Enough to strengthen Ling’er’s mortal body with proper spiritual nourishment. No more thin cheeks and bare feet. No more surviving on kitchen scraps.

I secure the pouch and move on.

Third: the sword.

This is the moment I’ve been building toward. The weapon that’s been singing to my spiritual sense since I entered the chamber. I lift it from the stone where it’s rested for nine centuries. It’s heavier than it looks, perfectly balanced, singing with power even in my mediocre hands. The blade is dark but unrusted, its edge still sharp enough to draw blood with a whisper. I can feel the weight of its history, its pain, its loss.

A sword I can barely use. Ten percent of its power is still more than anything I’ve ever held, but it’s a shadow of what it could be. And to repair it, I’ll need resources I don’t have, techniques I don’t know, craftsmen I can’t afford. But someday, if I reach Core Formation, if I find someone who can restore damaged spirit artifacts… someday it will be mine. For now, it stays here. Hidden. Safe. Waiting for me to become worthy.

Fourth: the jade box in the alcove.

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I retrieve it on my way back across the dragon-tail path, following the safe pattern carefully. The box is cool in my hands, heavy with promise. I open it inside the chamber, where the light is better. Three manuals, each inscribed on spirit jade slips; the kind that never degrade, that preserve knowledge for millennia.

Azure Frost Breathing Method – Grade: High Type: Cultivation Technique Continue Reading You are reading a free preview (50%). Log in to unlock the full chapter and join comments. Log In to UnlockCreate Account Related chapter tags #mediocremaster:icanseeyourhiddenpotential!(axianxiasect-buildinglitrpg)chapter7#mediocremaster:icanseeyourhiddenpotential!(axianxiasect-buildinglitrpg)chapter8#mediocremaster:icanseeyourhiddenpotential!(axianxiasect-buildinglitrpg)chapter9#mediocremaster:icanseeyourhiddenpotential!(axianxiasect-buildinglitrpg)latestchapter#mediocremaster:icanseeyourhiddenpotential!(axianxiasect-buildinglitrpg)readonline 0 chapter views Related Novels A Dirge for the Sun [Max-Level Mesozoic Dark Fantasy Isekai] Metaworld HopeCore Nobody Saves the Princess [Comedy, LitRPG, Dungeon Crawler, Progression] He Who Fights With Monsters 0 Comments You must be logged in to comment. Bookmark Quote TTS Link Play Pause Stop Skip Scroll Settings Note DMCATermsPrivacyContact 0 online