Chapter 4: Special Spiritual Aperture
Zhao Kang and his wife were truly surprised. When the two of them washed up and went out, they found that those companions had already gathered in the accommodation hall outside, each of them also wearing an expression of shock.
“Old Zhao, you’re here. Did you notice that when we got up today, this Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex felt a bit different?”
“Yeah, when we first came yesterday, I didn’t think this place was that beautiful.”
“Yeah, but getting up today, it feels like all the buildings around us have an antique charm. It’s really attractive.”
“……”
Zhao Kang and his wife were astonished. It seemed it was not just the two of them who felt this way; the others did as well, which was very miraculous.
At this moment, Zhao Kang saw Xiao Yu, who had received them yesterday, walk in. He could not help asking curiously, “Xiao Yu, when we got up this morning, we found that the ancient buildings here had become more beautiful. We didn’t have this feeling when we arrived yesterday. It’s really amazing.”
Xiao Yu herself was very surprised. When she got up this morning, she felt that her room had become different.
Clearly, it was still the layout she had arranged herself, but it now had a very strong sense of aesthetics, and also that simple and unadorned feeling, as if at a glance one could sense a deep foundation.
She had thought it was just her illusion, but now it turned out that Mr. Zhao and these tourists felt the same.
But she did not know what was going on either. Seeing Mr. Zhao ask, she had a sudden idea and explained, “Mr. Zhao, you drove over yesterday and it was a hard trip. You didn’t have the mood to appreciate the scenery. After a good night’s sleep, recharged, of course it feels different now.”
When Zhao Kang and the others heard this explanation, they felt it was possible. Besides, when they came yesterday, their attention was focused on discussing that Chen Family Head’s ancient technique, and they were attracted by the Chen Clan’s historical foundation. After that, they went to the Vegetable Garden to experience rural fun. Their mentality was to tour the ancient architectural complex properly this morning.
Now that they had slept and gotten up, putting all their attention on the ancient buildings, naturally they felt it.
Isn’t there a saying: only by observing with your heart can you discover the beauty of things.
Xiao Yu did not want to tangle further on this topic and immediately invited them, “Dear tourists, our Chen Clan has already prepared breakfast for everyone. After breakfast, we can take you to experience the scenery of our Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex.”
Mr. Zhao and the others nodded. After all, they had come here because of the Douyin Video the other side had filmed, so of course they had to take a good look around.
On the other side, Chen Han was already looking at the interface in his mind. There was now an additional sect residence interface. When he opened it, attribute information appeared:
Sect residence: Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex
Level: Level One sect residence.
Effect: simple and unadorned +2, ornamental value +2
Upgrade requirements: 100,000 money （25,400/100,000）. reputation 500 （3/500）.
Special functions: can retrieve the sect residence effect and transform it into a Sect residence Construction Tablet. Special Spiritual Aperture （not constructed. Construction condition: find a Place with Spiritual Benefit within the sect residence）.
Obviously, this sect residence could be upgraded.
And, just like those pay-to-win games, this kind of setup existed to serve pay-to-win harvesting leeks.
Except this game system harvested even more ruthlessly than those pay-to-win games.
Previously, construction had required only 10,000 money and 10 reputation; now that it was built, upgrading actually required 100,000 money and 500 reputation.
This was treating him like a Japanese player to be harvested.
He wondered whether he could settle it in yen.
However, he had already witnessed the renovation effect of the Sect residence Construction Tablet on the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex. If this sect residence could be upgraded, then after upgrading there should be new attribute effects, right?
Now it was only simple and unadorned +2, ornamental value +At higher levels, would there be something like a great sect-protecting formation?
Thinking this, Chen Han looked at the special spiritual aperture function, wanting to know what effect this spiritual aperture had.
It was just that the spiritual aperture had not yet been constructed and required construction conditions.
Also, he did not understand what “find a place with spiritual benefit” meant.
So he had no clues.
Fortunately, the note specified to search within the sect residence range, which meant he had to look within the Chen Clan’s territory.
Since he did not understand, he might as well start searching.
He started directly from his own courtyard, then moved to the surroundings of the ancient architectural complex. Everywhere he went, he tried once, and the game prompt he received was always: 【The current location is not suitable for constructing a Special Spiritual Aperture!】
Instead, from walking too much, his physical condition could not take it. He was already panting and somewhat exhausted.
He had no choice but to sit down and rest at the performance square.
This place used to be the square where the Chen Clan organized martial arts performances for the young and strong from the ten miles and eight villages. Some simple and unadorned martial arts facilities still remained.
He had just sat down for a moment when he saw Xiao Yu leading Mr. Zhao and the others walking toward this side.
“This Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex is really excellent. This kind of returning-to-simplicity feeling is truly rare.”
“Yeah, it’s better than those scenic spots that claim to focus on ancient buildings. We went to that ancient city before, and it didn’t have the feeling of the Chen Clan here at all.”
“……”
Zhao Kang and the others were full of emotion. The more they toured the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex, the stronger this feeling became. That antique charm was truly eye-catching, making people feel as if they had been transported to ancient times.
Xiao Yu, however, found it increasingly unbelievable.
As she led Mr. Zhao and the others around, she was also taking photos and videos. First, to give them as a gift to Mr. Zhao and his group, and second, to turn them into material to edit and post on Douyin for promotion.
Today she clearly felt that the photos and videos she took looked better than before. That sense of simplicity and ornamental value seemed ready to spill out of the screen, especially in several of the more distinctive places of the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex.
Anyway, something was very off.
She was not a member of the Chen Clan by blood, and did not mind becoming one in the future, but after acknowledging her master she had been connected with the Chen Clan for more than ten years and knew the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex very well. It had definitely not been like this before.
After she finished explaining the martial arts field to Mr. Zhao and the others, she saw her senior brother lounging lazily to the side. She let Mr. Zhao and his group roam freely in the martial arts field, then walked angrily toward her senior brother.
Since her senior brother had returned this time, he had truly become lazier. She often saw him lying there like this and not caring at all about tourism promotion for the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex.
She felt she ought to properly school him.
“Senior brother.” Xiao Yu reached him and called out in a resentful tone.
“Xiao Yu, you’ve worked hard.” Chen Han looked at his charming junior sister, smiling as he praised, “Your hanfu today is also very beautiful.”
“Senior brother, really?” When Xiao Yu heard his praise, her puffed-up look instantly turned into a sweet smile. “I bought it on Taobao especially and spent a long time picking it out.”
“Yeah. The key is that you’re beautiful, junior sister. You look good in anything.” Chen Han smiled, not stingy with his compliments.
“There are plenty of women prettier than me!” Xiao Yu was modest in words, but the corners of her mouth were lifted higher than the recoil of an AK.
Senior brother was really something, complimenting her so straightforwardly. Since he knew how to praise, he should praise her more.
Then she could not help asking, “Senior brother, it feels like our Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex has become a bit different.”
Chen Han was not surprised by this question. The effect of the Sect residence Construction Tablet was too obvious.
However, he pretended not to know and said, “There’s no change. Isn’t it just the same? The same trees, the same buildings, the same square…”
Xiao Yu hurriedly said, “These haven’t changed, but it just feels different.”
Chen Han explained seriously, “I think this is the halo effect. When a person’s mentality changes, their view of a person or a thing changes. Junior sister, has your mentality changed recently?”
Hearing this, Xiao Yu’s pretty face flushed. Her mentality had indeed changed recently.
Because her senior brother had come back. She was very happy.
But she felt that was not right and asked again, “Senior brother, what about Mr. Zhao and the others? They also feel that today is different from last night and even asked me about it.”
“How did you answer?” Chen Han asked subconsciously.
Xiao Yu explained, “I told them they drove here yesterday and it was a hard journey, so they weren’t in the mood to appreciate the scenery. Today, after a good night’s sleep, recharged, of course it feels different.”
“You’re right. That must be it.” Chen Han nodded with great certainty.
“……” Xiao Yu was speechless. That was something she had made up. She then added, “Senior brother, when I take photos and shoot videos, I also feel the surrounding buildings and scenery have more ornamental value.”
Chen Han congratulated her with a smile, “Xiao Yu, that means your photography skills have improved. You’re really impressive.”
Being praised again, Xiao Yu felt a bit embarrassed. “Not really…”
But the corners of her mouth kept rising like an AK that was impossible to keep down.
Senior brother really did not seem to feel that change. Maybe it really was just her illusion.
Could it be that her photography skills had truly become better?
Chen Han did not want to keep dragging out this topic with his junior sister. After resting a while, he simply slipped away and continued searching for that “place with spiritual benefit.” But after tiring himself out and trying every place he could think of, he still did not find a suitable location.
In the end, he simply left the ancient architectural complex and went to the pavilion under the three elm trees to lie down lazily again.
This pavilion had clearly been renovated as well, exuding the same simple and unadorned feel, full of ornamental value. At a glance it looked very pleasing.
Since returning to the Chen Clan, this had become his favorite place to rest. The surroundings were well-ventilated, the air was good, and most importantly, there was this pavilion under the three old elm trees, cool and refreshing.
Thinking of the three old elm trees, his eyes suddenly lit up, because in the Daoist Sect, the elm was also considered one of the spiritual trees.
Moreover, these three old elm trees had been planted a long time ago when the Chen Clan Ancient Architectural Complex was expanded. The Chen Clan had planted them deliberately because elm trees in the Daoist Sect carried meanings of protection, guarding, and suppressing evil spirits, which aligned with the teachings of the Heavenly Lord of Demon Subjugation.
The key point was that many folk legends also said that elm trees over a hundred years old gained spirit and could protect the people of an area. At the end of the Qing dynasty, there had been a plague and malaria outbreak in some region, but the people near one old elm tree were not affected at all.
There were even some places where elm trees over one hundred years old were called “Qinian trees,” in the belief that the trees had spirits.
These three old elm trees of the Chen Clan were not just over a hundred years old; they had already passed three hundred years. They counted as ancient trees. Hadn’t he seen that each of the three old elm trees had a numbered sign hanging on it?
His father had gone to the forestry bureau before his death to obtain special identity plates for the three old elm trees.
With this kind of identity plate, if you dared to cut into the tree a few times, you would be working a sewing machine until it smoked.
Thinking of this, Chen Han immediately tried to construct the Special Spiritual Aperture.
This time, it actually worked.
【Congratulations, you have found a Place with Spiritual Benefit. Do you wish to construct a Special Spiritual Aperture here?】
Chen Han directly chose yes. In the next moment, he saw a beam of White Light appear in the middle of the three old elm trees, right where the pavilion was located. This light spread out, instantly filling the entire pavilion.
Within it, he could see mysterious special runes quickly moving about.
Then his eyes lit up as a very wonderful sensation appeared.
