Along with the euphoric moment, Jin felt a pain in his eyes from having been deprived of sunlight for so long.
Instinctively, he covered his eyes with his right hand to avoid going blind again. Carefully, he crouched to pick up the blindfold that had fallen to the ground. After putting it back on, he entered his house, gradually trying to adjust to the brightness.
Inside, he removed the cloth from his eyes. This time, the soft light of the surroundings did not cause much discomfort.
Sighing in relief, Jin felt happy that his vision had finally recovered. From now on, he wouldn't need to worry his adoptive mother anymore.
His eyes scanned the familiar surroundings where he had always lived: a simple kitchen, about five meters in diameter. There was a wooden table with two chairs, a stove for cooking, a sink, and a shelf where everything was meticulously organized—plates, glasses, cups, and bottles, each thing in its place.
Sitting at the table, Jin took a sip of coffee. The bitter taste, which he had never appreciated before, now seemed incredibly delicious.
After finishing, he went outside again. This time, his eyes no longer hurt. He had already adjusted to the sunlight. In front of him, towering trees rose majestically. Jin and Rixin lived in the forest, an isolated place she had chosen so no one would disturb them.
While admiring the landscape, something strange caught his attention. He began to see information that hadn't been there before.
[Ten-Year-Old Common Tree - Planted by a cultivator from the Violet Mansion Realm...]
Jin blinked, confused. He looked at another tree, and the result was the same. Soon, he began examining everything around him, realizing he could obtain information about anything he looked at.
'This must be a side effect of that golden lightning.'
He still had no idea what it was, but the ability seemed real.
Suddenly, another thought crossed his mind.
'Violet Mansion? Is Rixin hiding her cultivation? Is she really that strong?'
He was surprised. He knew his adoptive mother was powerful, but he never imagined she was so extraordinary. This made him wonder why she worked as a servant. Still, he decided to ignore the matter.
Everyone has secrets, and if Rixin didn't want to reveal hers, he would respect that, until the day she chose to share it.
Remembering what he had learned in the palace before leaving, Jin reviewed the cultivation levels in his mind: Body Refinement, Spiritual Awakening, Vein Formation, Spiritual Sea, Soul Fusion, Violet Mansion, Calamity, Saint, Emperor, Great Emperor.
After the last level, ascension was required. He recalled the ancient ancestor, the Great Azure Dragon Emperor, who had reached that feat a million years ago. Since then, the Azure Empire had never seen another Great Emperor. Over the centuries, the empire had been slowly declining.
Thinking of the misfortune of those who had abandoned it, Jin smiled, but his face quickly returned to seriousness.
Now that he had this special vision, he decided to take advantage of the ability to try to find treasures. Remembering the stories Rixin had told him, he knew that, in this world, there were hidden fortunes destined only for certain people chosen by fate. Sometimes, even something seemingly ordinary could turn out to be an invaluable treasure.
'I'm not someone destined, but with these eyes, I'm sure I can find these treasures.'
As he thought seriously about this, a golden light shot from his eyes. His vision began to expand along with the light, revealing details he never imagined he could see. The scene was surreal, something that exceeded the limits of comprehension.
The vision only ceased when a black book appeared before his eyes. At the same time, a clear piece of information appeared in his mind:
[Fortune Eyes - Once per day, you can use them to locate the best object within a one-kilometer radius. This range will increase as your cultivation advances.]
"What?"
Jin was in shock. He never thought he would obtain something as insane as these Fortune Eyes.
'It looks like these years weren't in vain! From today on, my life will change. Father, mother, I hope you can enjoy the rise of the abandoned son Yun Jin, doing things that your declining empire never dreamed of. I'll make you regret it in the worst possible way.'
He smiled. The surname Yun suits him much better than Huo or Lan.
Finishing his thoughts, he quickly ran through the trees, heading toward the book.
Running non-stop for five minutes, he was out of breath. The exhaustion was insane, his body still weak, and it was hard to maintain the running pace for long.
But this didn't make him give up. His motivation was stronger. Continuing on his way, he soon came upon a cliff.
"Damn... Do I need to jump this? Why are these treasures always in places like this? Now I understand why they're for the destined ones; only crazy people have the courage to jump off a cliff..."
Taking a deep breath, Jin tried to calm his mind. He knew he needed a plan. Jumping without preparation would be suicide. After a moment of reflection, he came up with an idea: build a sturdy rope using nearby vines.
Returning quickly to the house, he grabbed a knife and started the meticulous work. Cutting, tying, winding... the process was slow, repetitive, and exhausting. Jin's hands began to shake from fatigue, but he didn't let that stop him. After two hours of uninterrupted effort, he managed to make a rope about fifty meters long.
Back at the cliff, Jin tied one end of the rope to a sturdy tree about ten meters from the edge and the other end around his waist. He took a deep breath, feeling his heart race.
"No turning back now," he murmured before jumping.
The fall was brief but full of adrenaline. He carefully controlled his movements while the rope supported him. About forty meters below, he spotted what he had been looking for: a cave entrance hidden behind a dirt wall.
With a firm kick, he broke through the dirt barrier, revealing the entrance.
"Finally."