Why do my eyes well up with tears?

  Because my love runs deep.

  Brother Tree, every time I strike you with my axe, it's not just you that suffers—the pain cuts deep into my heart as well.

  Han raised his axe and swung it down with force, his heart aching with every blow.

  The first strike yielded only a single item. Rather than feeling disappointed, Han was actually pleased.

  At this stage, if only one item dropped, it likely meant that the quality was beyond ordinary expectations.

  [When the celestial dragon perished, its blood scattered across the land. This essence-infused dragon blood, merging with a sacred soulstone, formed the True Dragon Blood Soulstone. Placing it in the Soul Sanctum subtly enhances both the soul and physical potential, granting the bearer the aura of a true dragon.]

  What a treasure!

  This was the kind of artifact that could transform an ordinary person into a genius—or make a genius even more formidable.

  One could say it was a fate-altering treasure.

  With the True Dragon Blood Soulstone, Han’s foundation would be strengthened even further, benefiting him for a long time to come.

  It was a treasure on par with the Nine-Orifice Golden Core, and Han already knew firsthand the immense value of the golden core.

  His cultivation speed far surpassed that of ordinary people. While spiritual herbs served as support, it was the golden core that made a real difference.

  Even more valuable was that this stone directly strengthened the soul—an advantage that even the Nine-Orifice Golden Core couldn't entirely match.

  A truly magnificent treasure.

  Han chuckled. “Brother Tree, suddenly, my heart doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m sure you can feel my joy too.”

  The enhanced drop rate during the final day’s bonus period truly lived up to its reputation, offering treasures far beyond Han’s current level.

  Without hesitation, Han absorbed the True Dragon Blood Soulstone, placing it in his Soul Sanctum.

  At that moment, a faint dragon’s roar echoed in his ears, and a vision of a celestial dragon soaring through the skies unfolded before him.

  Majestic. Powerful. Unfettered.

  When Han snapped back to reality, he noticed red wisps of energy emanating from the stone, fusing with his soul and integrating into his body. At first, it felt cool, then searing hot—a sensation akin to experiencing both ice and fire simultaneously.

  Throughout this process, Han’s soul and spirit underwent an inexplicable strengthening, a slow but fundamental transformation.

  To put it in more mystical terms—his mortal form was beginning to evolve into something beyond ordinary.

  “I wonder how long this artifact will last…”

  Like the Nine-Orifice Golden Core, once Han completely absorbed its power, the True Dragon Blood Soulstone would disappear.

  [A mysterious stone containing faint traces of primal energy, its applications are limitless.]

  [A rare flower from the underworld. When it blooms, death follows, illuminating the path to the netherworld.]

  [A divine flower from the heavens. When it blossoms, ascension follows, revealing the celestial realm.]

  The second drop contained three more artifacts, all equally strange.

  The Nether Bloom and Celestial Bloom—one leading to the underworld, the other to the heavens.

  Han had no immediate plans to visit the realm of the dead or ascend to the celestial plane, nor did he believe a mere flower could actually grant immortality.

  As for the Source Stone…

  "It claims to have limitless applications, but would it hurt to be a little more specific?"

  Could this thing help him ascend to the rank of battle emperor?

  Han had obtained similar materials before—raw Source Stones—but this one seemed different.

  [Temporarily connects with the divine spirits of the five viscera, granting extraordinary enhancements. Those with supreme talent have an infinitesimally small chance of permanently awakening their inner spirit.]

  [Temporarily connects with the divine spirits of the six bowels…]

  An Earth-tier elixir!

  During the final day’s enhanced drop period, he had finally obtained something beyond the norm—an elixir that interacted with the divine spirits of the five viscera and six bowels, which would be immensely useful once he reached the Viscera Stage.

  The divine spirits of the internal organs… Even the name sounded extraordinary.

  [Allows the absorption of various natural energies to strengthen both body and spirit, sustaining life. Can be stacked with other auxiliary cultivation techniques.]

  A Daoist Art Seed—on the surface, it didn’t seem that powerful, merely another breathing technique.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  But its true value lay in its ability to be stacked with other techniques.

  Ordinary cultivators in the Night Roaming Realm could only rely on visualization and absorbing moonlight for cultivation.

  Han, on the other hand, could now add Breath of the Immortal to his arsenal.

  A technique that fundamentally accelerated his cultivation speed—priceless.

  Moreover, this technique seemed applicable across all realms, capable of refining spiritual energy, moonlight, and sunlight alike.

  A technique for eternity.

  Breath of the Immortal—the path of the celestial.

  [A burst-type combat technique with no progression tiers—once learned, it is mastered. Upon activation, it temporarily enhances the user’s power by one minor realm and instantly restores all true energy and stamina. The downside: three days of overall physical weakness, though training remains unaffected.]

  The fifth drop—a martial art seed. At first glance, the name had startled Han.

  Total Annihilation?

  For a second, he thought using it might actually obliterate him.

  After reading the details, though, he had to admit—this was ingenious.

  But then, Han frowned as he noticed the last part of the description.

  “All parts of the body will feel weak for three days…”

  Does that include… that part?

  He wouldn't say it. You wouldn't say it.

  Still, compared to other burst-type techniques, this downside was laughably mild.

  Han had heard from Bai Tian about techniques that required burning one’s own blood essence, pushing the body to its absolute limits—some left warriors bedridden for weeks, while others permanently crippled them.

  Three days of weakness? That was nothing.

  Especially since it didn’t hinder cultivation—though his training might look a bit off for a while.

  Han was quite satisfied with this technique. Anything that directly boosted combat power was a treasure worth having.

  The first five drops had already exceeded Han’s expectations, but he had one last attempt left.

  "Grand Celestial Tree, my unwavering faith—explode with all your might!"

  [A heart born with seven apertures, crystalline and flawless. It grants boundless wisdom, complete understanding of all principles, and an innate mastery of all techniques (upon reaching perfection).]

  [The Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart evolves as the player’s strength increases. The player can also actively cultivate it to accelerate its progression.]

  [This is the final special drop from tree-cutting.]

  Wait… it really exploded?

  The Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart—Han had heard of this before.

  In legends, those who possessed such a heart were often hunted by demons and spirits eager to devour it.

  Judging from its description, it seemed to be a treasure that enhanced comprehension.

  Then Han’s gaze landed on the last line.

  "This is the final special drop from tree-cutting."

  That phrase sounded eerily familiar…

  Right, he had seen it once before—the first time he ever cut the Grand Celestial Tree, when he obtained the Source of Life Essence.

  "The reward boost appeared for three days in total, but only the first and last instances of tree-cutting had special annotations..."

  "So, does that mean these special drops are even more valuable than those obtained during the general reward boost period?"

  A reward within a reward?

  Han pondered this and felt an even greater sense of value for these two unique items.

  Could that essence of life have an unknown use that he had yet to discover?

  While contemplating, he carefully planted the Dao Seed and Martial Seed. In his hand, he held the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart.

  It looked like a real heart—complete with seven orifices—but it wasn’t gory. Instead, it radiated an air of sacred solemnity.

  Legend had it that those born with the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart were destined for greatness, much like those born with dual pupils—an extraordinary sign of fate.

  Han placed the heart against his chest, and it silently fused into him, merging seamlessly with his own heart.

  "Boom!"

  A powerful heartbeat resounded, audible even from the outside.

  A surge of immense, deep-rooted vitality erupted from the Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, washing over Han's entire body.

  Yet, this was nothing compared to the transformation happening in his mind.

  The world suddenly became clearer, as if a thin veil had been lifted—revealing the truth of reality.

  As he recalled the Dao techniques and martial arts he had studied, the once perplexing aspects now unraveled effortlessly before him, as if divine insight had descended upon him.

  Han had been right—the greatest benefit of this heart at his current stage was its ability to enhance comprehension.

  Feeling its miraculous effects, Han nodded in satisfaction.

  "This is indeed a treasure."

  The importance of comprehension couldn’t be overstated—it only grew more crucial as one advanced further on the path of cultivation.

  At this point, Han had exhausted all six points of stamina. Once today ended, the cheat ability would reset.

  After that, he would no longer be able to return here to chop down trees.

  He reached out and touched the Grand Immortal Tree one last time.

  "Tree Bro, this is truly goodbye."

  But if we meet again…

  I’ll still chop you down.

  After lingering in the secret realm for a while, Han finally departed.

  All good things must come to an end.

  The Grand Immortal Tree no longer held any benefits for him—not even a second of his time was worth wasting on it.

  A useless cheat should be discarded without hesitation. (Cold-blooded.)

  "Young Master, your vitality has surged tremendously!" An Lang exclaimed in surprise when Han released her.

  As a ghost with a unique talent, she was highly sensitive to yin and yang energies.

  "A slight breakthrough," Han replied.

  "Huh? A breakthrough?"

  An Lang twirled a strand of her long hair and muttered,

  "You’re way too fast, Young Master. I only took a short nap, and you’re already done. I didn’t even feel anything."

  "…"

  Damn ghost, are you being suggestive?

  "Less talk, more cultivation." Han flicked her forehead before stepping out of his physical body himself.

  The immense lunar energy he had absorbed from Lu Qingmo still hadn’t been fully refined. Before he could cultivate by absorbing moonlight, he needed to process what was already within him.

  Both the soul and the body had limits to how much they could endure.

  However, thanks to the Moon God’s Mark, moonlight naturally gathered around him even without active cultivation—albeit in small amounts.

  Still, it was more than enough to assist An Lang in her training.

  "You coming or not?" Han glanced at An Lang, who was hesitating in the distance.

  "Young Master, your soul feels… strange," she said with a distressed expression.

  "You're… suppressing me."

  Han focused on himself and realized that his soul was indeed radiating a faint but imposing pressure.

  Vast, ancient, noble, domineering…

  Could this be… dragon might?

  Testing it out, Han found that he could control and restrain this aura at will.

  As soon as the pressure disappeared, An Lang immediately flew to his side, curiously observing him.

  Young Master is truly incredible. I only slept for a short while, yet he’s changed so much.

  She was certain that something significant had happened to Han between their return from the peach grove and the moment she was released.

  He harbored great secrets.

  But she was smart enough not to pry.

  She might not have belonged to Han in life, but in death, she was already his ghost. There was no leaving him now.

  That night, Han carefully observed the changes in himself.

  A breakthrough in martial arts, the acquisition of a mystical treasure—his power had soared once again, and his future looked brighter than ever.

  The next morning, Han, brimming with confidence, appeared before Lu Qingmo.

  She glanced at him once and immediately couldn’t look away.

  "You…"

  "That’s right, Aunt Mo. I broke through again!" Han declared proudly.

  Lu Qingmo was speechless. You always do things so suddenly—do you ever consider whether others can keep up?

  Besides, this isn’t just a simple breakthrough…

  "You reached the Meridian Stage? That’s not just body refinement anymore. It’s only been a dozen days—how did you advance again?"

  "I had a bit of…" Han started but quickly changed his words under Lu Qingmo’s gaze.

  "…good luck."

  That’s no different from saying ‘it was just a fluke.’

  Final revelation: The last day’s reward boost > the first day > the seventh day. But those two special drops? Both were invaluable.