Chapter Ten: Guanyue Star

"He's back, he's back! Master, the Third Young Master has returned!" In the Guan family residence on Guanyue Star, the butler shouted as he hurried toward the main hall.

"Hmph, so he's back. Is there any need to make such a racket?" Guan Shengtian tossed the object in his hand onto the table and grumbled irritably.

"My dear," Yue Qiuying said from the side, "stop putting on an act. If you were truly still angry, why would you have taken this out? Old Guan, go tell Heng'er to rest for a moment before coming to the hall."

The Guan family butler, Guan Jiayuan—a man born to be a butler—was a natural at his trade. To be fair, Guan Zhiheng was actually quite well-liked in the Guan household, and the butler shared a very good relationship with him. This was due to his personality; he was a forthright man who treated friends, family, and servants with equal respect—a rare quality in the Immortal Realm, a world governed by tiers of power.

"I'm on my way," Guan Jiayuan replied, then walked out with quick steps.

"Hmph!" Guan Shengtian snorted at Yue Qiuying and picked up the object on the table to fidget with it again.

"Butler, this is my master. Please arrange a top-tier guest room for him. I am going to see my parents first," Guan Zhiheng said to Guan Jiayuan.

The butler glanced at Zhang Sanfeng; though he found the man a bit curious, he said nothing and led him to a room. Guan Zhiheng headed to the main hall to see Guan Shengtian.

"Father, Mother, your third son has returned," Guan Zhiheng said, bowing respectfully to his parents.

"Good, good, it is good to have you back, it is good to have you back!" Yue Qiuying said with affection.

"Hmph, finally decided to come home!" Guan Shengtian said, looking thoroughly displeased.

"Oh, stop it. Third is back now, so don't be angry anymore," Yue Qiuying said, soothing him.

"So, you sent word that you had found a master. I’ve helped you find so many before, and you had complaints about every single one. Why the change of heart this time?" Guan Shengtian asked.

"Father, I naturally have my own standards. When I met someone who met them, I became their disciple!" Guan Zhiheng said nonchalantly. He had always maintained this attitude toward his father.

Guan Shengtian didn't mind his son’s attitude. He tossed the object he had been holding to him and said, "This item was meant for you long ago, but since you were on Qijie Star, you were the last of your siblings to receive it. You must be tired. Tomorrow morning, invite your master to join us. Since you have become his disciple, as your parents, we should present him with a gift. That is all." He stood up and returned to his quarters. Yue Qiuying cast a loving look at her son and followed.

*Tch, a welcome gift. I doubt it’ll be better than what Master gave me!* Guan Zhiheng knew the family's situation well. While the Guan family was one of the hundred great clans of the Immortal Realm, they ranked quite low, around eighty-eighth. Having existed for tens of millions of years, the family was vast and controlled three star systems, yet resources were spread thin. What they could offer wasn't exactly extraordinary, though it was quite impressive compared to smaller clans. Against the giants of the Immortal Realm, like the top ten sects, they were like a drop in the ocean.

The next day, in the Guan family hall, Guan Shengtian brought out a box containing materials—a collection of Tier 4 materials, ranging from third to first grade, though the first-grade items were few. Although Guan Shengtian found Zhang Sanfeng’s cultivation level curious, he did not ask about it. Zhang Sanfeng accepted the gift without ceremony. Why? Because he had a plan in mind.

The previous night, when Guan Zhiheng told him the family would offer a gift, Zhang Sanfeng had carefully inquired about various materials in the Immortal Realm. He eventually decided to reveal something that would make even an Immortal Monarch drool: Divine Beast Incense.

In the mortal world, divine and immortal beasts were so rare that the incense had little value. But in the Immortal Realm, they were more common, and the incense was a rare commodity. More importantly, the source of the incense was controlled by one of the ten great sects, the Myriad Beast Sect. Their cultivation techniques were unique. Generally, in the Immortal Realm, one person could only bond with one immortal beast at a time, regardless of their level—even an Immortal Venerable was bound by this. But the Myriad Beast Sect’s techniques defied this rule. Even an ordinary disciple could bond with two, and based on their classification system—Ordinary, Fine, Excellent, Peerless, Immortal, and Divine—the potential of the beast determined the limit.

Ordinary beasts could reach the Great Luo Golden Immortal stage, Fine beasts the Nine Heavens Mysterious Immortal, Excellent beasts the Ancient Spirit Immortal, Peerless beasts the Immortal Monarch, Immortal-grade beasts the Immortal Emperor, and Divine beasts could reach the Immortal Venerable stage, or even ascend to the God Realm.

While the sect’s techniques were special, they weren't omnipotent. A disciple might bond with three ordinary beasts but couldn't necessarily bond with one Fine beast alongside a normal one. However, bonding with two Excellent beasts was equivalent to bonding with a dozen ordinary ones. Of course, a dozen ordinary beasts couldn't match a single Excellent beast; just as an Ancient Spirit Immortal could easily dispatch ten Great Luo Golden Immortals, the gap between two major realms was immense.

Legend had it that the most gifted member of the Myriad Beast Sect had already bonded with three Divine beasts. If those three beasts reached the Immortal Venerable level, his individual strength would be equivalent to four Immortal Venerables, perhaps even stronger, as the bond allowed for a psychic connection.

So, what was the use of Divine Beast Incense? As the name suggested, it could lure divine beasts. If an immortal possessed a piece of this incense, when the Divine Beast Star opened once every century, they were all but guaranteed to bond with at least one Peerless-grade beast. It wasn't that the incense was weak; it was that Immortal-grade and Divine-grade beasts were simply too rare. Peerless beasts were not abundant, but with the Divine Beast Star open for a decade, finding one was well within reach.

Without the incense, the chance of bonding with a Peerless beast was minuscule—roughly one in a thousand. In ten years, encountering three or four Peerless beasts would be a miracle; actually bonding with one would require the luck of the gods.

Therefore, when Zhang Sanfeng produced a sandalwood box, Guan Shengtian and Yue Qiuying were initially indifferent. Guan Shengtian even said, "Immortal Friend Zhang, you are too kind. This is not appropriate, and we cannot accept it." Guan Zhiheng grew anxious. This was Divine Beast Incense—eight whole pieces! He had helped Zhang Sanfeng pack them the night before. He interjected, "Father, don't be so hasty. Why don't you see what it is before you decide?"

"Well, alright then!" Guan Shengtian took the box and opened it. A faint, ethereal fragrance wafted out. Guan Shengtian and Yue Qiuying were stunned, gasping in unison, "Divine Beast Incense!"