Hearing what Ren said, both of his parents were completely stunned.
For a moment, they froze in place.
Then, almost at the same time, both of them stood up from the sofa, their expressions filled with disbelief and excitement.
"Say that again… what did you awaken?" Adrian asked, his voice slightly trembling.
Elena also leaned forward, her eyes wide, clearly wanting to confirm that they hadn't misheard him.
Seeing them this excited, Ren felt confused, but still answered honestly,
"Yes, I awakened the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent… but why are you both so excited?"
"I mean, even though it's the strongest talent, there should still be a lot of people awakening it every year, right?"
Hearing his answer, both of his parents looked at each other and smiled.
They could clearly see that Ren didn't understand the significance of what he had just said.
Elena took a step forward and spoke gently,
"Son… you might not know this because it's not exactly a secret, but it's also not something schools openly teach."
She paused for a moment before continuing,
"Compared to the other two talents, the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent has the lowest awakening rate in the entire world."
"How low?"
She raised one finger.
"Out of 100,000 people who successfully awaken, only one or two people will awaken this talent."
"And sometimes… not even one."
Her voice softened slightly.
"That's why your father and I reacted the way we did."
Adrian nodded in agreement.
"It's not just rare… it's unbelievably rare."
Hearing this, Ren was genuinely shocked.
'So this talent is THAT rare…'
'Good thing the system helped me awaken it… otherwise, the chances would've been almost zero.'
While Ren was still processing this information, Adrian spoke again,
"Did you receive the gift we sent you?"
Ren quickly nodded.
"Yes, I got it just a while ago."
Adrian relaxed slightly and said,
"Good."
"We prepared both plant-based and animal-based genetic materials, just in case you awakened either the Plant Pathway or the Bloodline Pathway."
"But now that you've awakened the Bloodline Plant Lord Talent, you can actually use both types of materials when you reach the third stage of your pathway."
He continued explaining in detail,
"However, even with these materials, you will still need to enter Secret Realms in the future."
"Most of the truly rare materials and special genetic resources can only be found there."
He then shifted his attention to the jade box.
"As for those crystal spheres… they are called Energy Cores."
"They contain condensed energy and can be directly absorbed during the second stage of your pathway to speed up your cultivation."
"We obtained them during one of our missions inside a Secret Realm."
His tone turned more serious.
"But listen carefully."
"Do not try to save them for later stages thinking they will become more useful."
"According to our team leader—who is a descendant of a Stage 5 Bloodline Plant Lord family—these are only low-level Energy Cores."
"They are most effective during Stage 2."
"Once you reach Stage 3, their effect will drop significantly."
Hearing this, Ren nodded thoughtfully.
'Just like I expected… resources are stage-dependent.'
After thinking for a moment, Ren asked,
"So… can these Energy Cores be bought? Or are they only found in Secret Realms?"
Adrian answered calmly,
"They can be obtained in three main ways."
"First, they can be purchased from high-level markets, but those markets are not accessible to ordinary people, and the prices are extremely high."
"Second, they can be found inside Secret Realms, which is the most common method."
"And third…"
He paused briefly before continuing,
"They can be created by cultivators who have reached Stage 5 of the Bloodline Plant Lord Pathway or higher."
"These cultivators can condense energy into cores themselves."
Hearing this, Ren slowly nodded.
"I understand."
At that moment, Elena spoke again, her tone softer but filled with concern,
"We'll also try to gather more information about your pathway from our team leader before we enter the Secret Realm."
"Your pathway is extremely rare, so having more knowledge will give you a huge advantage."
Ren felt a sense of reassurance hearing that.
"Thank you, Mom."
The conversation didn't end there.
They continued talking for quite some time—about cultivation, safety, his daily routine, and what he should and shouldn't do while they were away.
After a while, Adrian spoke again,
"This Secret Realm exploration will take at least one year, possibly longer depending on what we find inside."
"So don't expect us to return anytime soon."
Ren nodded.
"I understand."
Adrian then added,
"We've already transferred some money to your account."
"Use it wisely—for cultivation resources, daily needs, or anything else you require."
Elena smiled gently.
"And don't hesitate to contact us if you need anything."
"Take care of yourself, okay?"
Ren's expression softened.
"I will."
After a few more words, the call finally ended.
The hologram disappeared.
The room became quiet again.
Ren stood there for a moment, then looked down at the items in front of him—the genetic materials, the jade box, and the Energy Cores.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"…Looks like everything is set.
(Author Note: If you enjoyed the chapter, please vote, rate, and leave a comment if you can. Thank you for reading!)