NOVPUB
Chapter 752: Chapter 758: Siblings
Li Zhirui managed to suppress a laugh upon hearing about Cang’s plight and said, "Well then, you might as well hide in the space."
While it was important for the family to breed Dragon Beasts, he could not force Cang to mate with the female dragons against his will. He always respected their personal wishes in these matters.
After he had taken care of Shen’s issue and with Cang’s help in teaching, Li Zhirui then felt at ease to concentrate on his cultivation.
Time passed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, the harsh winter season arrived. Dark clouds blanketed the skies, and the biting cold wind began to rise. A heavy snowfall covered the heavens and earth, and snowflakes whirled through the air, enveloping the whole of Wanxian Island in an endless white expanse.
Such a severe winter day was a rarity that only occurred once every few decades!
Yet in the midst of the swirling snow, someone returned to the clan.
"Sheng, are you... are you all right?" Jiang Fengwu, with tears spurting forth, looked at Li Chengsheng in front of her—disheveled and ragged, with some unmelted snow still on him—and choked up with emotion.
"Mother! Rest assured, I’m fine! I’m really okay!"
Li Chengsheng flashed a bright smile and loudly declared, "Mother! I’ve broken through the Nascent Soul bottleneck. All I need to do now is to enter secluded cultivation to attract the Thunder Tribulation!"
Hearing this wonderful news, Jiang Fengwu was taken aback and immensely moved. Yet again, tears welled up in her eyes that had just stopped crying, and after a long while, she finally calmed down, her voice hoarse, "Very good, very good! My son is truly the pride of the heavens!"
But with a hint of regret, she added, "It’s a pity your father is still in secluded cultivation; otherwise, he would be so happy to hear this great news!"
"Is father trying to achieve Divine Transformation?"
Li Chengsheng’s face rarely showed such urgency as he eagerly inquired, "Does mother know how father is doing now?"
"Sheng, is there something urgent?"
Li Chengsheng nodded, explaining the reason he was looking for Li Zhirui.
After listening, Jiang Fengwu couldn’t help but be stunned, followed by an uncontrollable rush of exhilaration. Her eyes shone with a bright and dazzling light, and in an excited whisper, she exclaimed, "With this, Zhirui could attain the fruits of Divine Transformation in less than fifty years!"
Li Chengshuo, who had hurried over without having the chance to speak a word to his elder brother, was promptly taken along to the front of the quiet room, full of confusion as he asked, "Mother, brother, why have you brought me here? Could it be that you want to call father out of his seclusion?"
"Yes, there is a piece of great news waiting for him," she replied.
Without further explanation, Jiang Fengwu proceeded to strike the hanging Jade Bell in front of the door.
Li Zhirui, who had been in the midst of his practice, instantly sensed something, but since the bell only rang once and it didn’t seem to indicate an extremely urgent matter, he immediately calmed himself and circulated his energy until his practice concluded before opening his eyes and stepping out of the quiet room.
"Sheng?"
Seeing Li Chengsheng, who looked almost indistinguishable from a beggar, Li Zhirui, remembering that he had used the Soul Dividing Jade Slip, promptly asked, "Are you severely injured?"
"I’m not injured. I’ve particularly sought you out this time to give this treasure to father," Li Chengsheng said.
As he spoke, he handed over the Jade Box that contained the Great Illusionary Dream Fruit.
A treasure? What kind of treasure could make Fengwu interrupt his cultivation? Li Zhirui opened the Jade Box with a heart full of surprise and confusion. As soon as he saw the Spirit Fruit placed quietly inside, its entire body showing a dreamlike purple hue, seemingly made of clouds and not solid, his heartbeat skipped a beat.
"The Great Illusionary Dream Fruit!" With characteristics so distinctive, how could he, a fourth-tier Alchemist, not recognize it?! He exclaimed with some loss of composure.
Jiang Fengwu already knew and thus was quite composed, while Li Chengshuo found it vaguely familiar but didn’t immediately recall the effects of this treasure.
However, the next instant, Li Zhirui composed himself and asked, "Sheng, where did you get this treasure from? Why didn’t you consume it yourself?"
"Father, this is the fruit of my experiences gained from a secret realm during my travels; as for why I didn’t keep it, it’s because I’ve already broken my shackles and will soon transcend tribulation! I don’t need this Spirit Fruit anymore." By the end of his speech, pride involuntarily crept onto Li Chengsheng’s face.
As for keeping it until he advanced to Divinity Transformation, that was too far in the future! Even if it were preserved well, its effectiveness would have diminished greatly.
"It seems my son has reaped much from this experience!"
After a pause, Li Zhirui finally spoke, "Since that’s the case, I shall shamelessly accept it."
"Father, this is a son’s filial respect for his father—there’s no need for talk of shamelessness."
Seeing Li Chengsheng like this, Li Zhirui was more surprised than when he heard of his son’s Nascent Soul breakthrough, and even more so than the mention of the Great Illusionary Dream Fruit, shaking his head with a smile, he said, "It looks like you’ve been through a lot in your travels; even your temperament has greatly changed."
He noticed Li Chengshuo silently bowing her head, understanding she felt lost and despondent upon hearing of her elder brother’s Nascent Soul breakthrough while she was still struggling at the Golden Core stage.
"Shuo, the difference in progress for the moment doesn’t count for much. You must not let yourself become discouraged; instead, you should be motivated to work hard and catch up. Who’s to say that one day Sheng won’t be overtaken by you?" The last sentence was delivered in a teasing tone by Li Zhirui.
"Child respectfully heeds father’s teachings," Li Chengshuo replied in a muffled voice.
He knew it wasn’t realistic for her to come to terms with this so quickly, but as long as she listened, she would eventually understand.
"I didn’t expect that after so many years apart, I’d hardly recognize you. The Li Chengshuo in my memory is not one to wallow in self-pity." Li Chengsheng shook his head and clicked his tongue as if it were a pity.
"Hmph!"
Suddenly invigorated, Li Chengshuo said, "You’re just one step ahead for now. If I catch up to you later, let’s see what face you’ll have left to show!"
"Brother awaits with great anticipation."
"Just you watch!"
Listening to the siblings’ banter, a satisfied smile spread across Li Zhirui’s face. They were, after all, the closest people in the world to each other, and they should support and progress together along the lengthy journey ahead.
"Alright, alright, if you two want to argue, find your own place to do it. I need to focus on assimilating this Spirit Fruit before its potency continues to diminish."
Despite Li Chengsheng’s utmost efforts to preserve the Spirit Fruit, the Great Illusionary Dream Fruit had still dimmed somewhat. After all, several years had passed, and the grade of both the Jade Box and the Spirit Talisman he used for the sealing was only so-so.
With that, he hurriedly turned and walked into the quiet room.
"Fengwu, thank you for all the trouble you’ve gone to for Sheng’s breakthrough." As he said this, Li Zhirui looked somewhat guiltily at them.
Transcending to the Nascent Soul stage was such an important event, and he, as a father, was unable to be there as a protector, which was indeed shameful.
"You just focus on your meditation; Sheng is also my child, and I am, of course, extremely attentive," Jiang Fengwu gently replied with a smile. "Besides, there are others like Da Qing and Xiaoqing on the island."
"Father, rest assured. By the time you emerge from seclusion, I will have certainly reached the Nascent Soul, and then, I will be able to help as well," Li Chengsheng quickly promised.
"Hmph! Even if I haven’t broken through, I can still be of help!" Li Chengshuo said, unwilling to be outdone.
"Very well, we’ll meet again when I achieve Soul Sunification and transcend the tribulation."
With a lingering gaze at the three of them, he slowly closed the heavy doors with both hands.
