After informing Luo Bigfoot, the two brothers carved out a pair of adjoining meditation chambers in a secluded corner of Tianluo Peak.
There was no need to prepare much for a meditation chamber. A single cushion would suffice.
Xu Zirong truly wanted to enter seclusion in the same chamber as his brother. Unfortunately, he had too many secrets he could not explain to Xu Ziyan. He was also afraid that the aura of the Blood Sea Heart Scripture might lead his brother to make some troubling connections while he cultivated.
Once every miscellaneous matter had been settled, Xu Ziyan steeled himself and refused to look at Xu Zirong’s reluctant expression. He sealed the chamber’s entrance completely and began his first long seclusion since arriving in the cultivation world.
A single day in the mountains, a thousand years in the world…
When Xu Ziyan finally woke, the passage of time had not been quite that exaggerated. But he never would have imagined that his retreat would last a full five years.
Five years…
It was neither an especially long time nor an especially short one. But it was enough to transform an exquisitely pretty boy into a young man of stunning beauty.
Xu Ziyan awoke as though from a long dream. At first he did not even realize how much time had passed. He merely thought his hair seemed rather longer and that a thick layer of dust covered his body.
Then, with a tremendous crash, the stone door sealing the chamber was shattered. A slender figure rushed in and threw itself into his arms.
“Big Brother, you’re finally out of seclusion.”
That clear young man’s voice had long since shed its boyish immaturity. Only…
Xu Ziyan stared, dumbstruck, at the devastatingly beautiful person clinging to him and acting spoiled. For a long moment, he could not find anything to say.
What the hell… who are you?!
Wait a minute! Why do you look so much like my little brother? Even your aura is practically identical!
“Zirong?” Xu Ziyan asked tentatively.
“Big Brother…” Xu Zirong pouted and regarded him with an aggrieved expression.
Xu Ziyan was horrified. Before he closed his eyes, Zirong had still been a little boy! How had he grown this much all at once? The height, the build, and that fully matured, beautiful face: this was unmistakably Xu Zirong, the adult edition!
Heavens, give me back my adorable little brother!!! Where has my little Zirong gone?!
Xu Ziyan felt utterly wronged. From the moment he transmigrated, he had resolved to raise Xu Zirong properly. He had not even had enough time to enjoy being a big brother before Xu Zirong suddenly grew up. How the hell was that scientifically possible?!
“Big Brother… do you not like Zirong anymore?” Xu Zirong bit his lower lip and looked at Xu Ziyan with tears in his eyes.
Xu Ziyan was speechless. Fine, fine. It was not that he disliked the adult version of Zirong. But going from a little boy to a gorgeous young man in the blink of an eye was too great a change for him to accept immediately.
“It’s nothing… It’s just… how did you grow up so suddenly?” This was still his little brother, after all. Xu Ziyan patted his head with practiced ease as he spoke.
Xu Zirong looked even more aggrieved. “Big Brother, do you know how long you’ve been in seclusion?”
“Uh…” Xu Ziyan froze. He had originally planned to cultivate for half a year, but once inside the chamber, he had spent his time studying the Nine Transformations of the Purple Firmament, the Azure Firmament Divine Lightning in his dantian, and how to devour that bolt of Purple Firmament Divine Lightning. Researching all of it took an enormous amount of time, and he had become so absorbed that he had completely lost track. In other words… he had no idea how long he had been inside.
“How long was I in seclusion?” Xu Ziyan asked, feeling terribly guilty.
Xu Zirong said nothing. The grievance in his eyes was practically overflowing, threatening to drown Xu Ziyan…
“Big Brother… you’ve been in seclusion for five whole years.” Xu Zirong held up a hand and waved it in front of his eyes.
“Five years?!” Xu Ziyan was stunned. “How is that possible?!”
Xu Zirong did not answer. He merely straightened and took Xu Ziyan’s hand to demonstrate how much taller he had become.
Xu Ziyan had nothing to say. The change was so obvious that he would have noticed it even if he were blind.
Xu Ziyan’s eyes remained full of bewilderment. Everything felt like a dream. In the original body’s memories, he had seen retreats lasting ten or twenty years, but he had never expected to experience one himself. Someday, if he encountered a bottleneck, perhaps he would need a prolonged seclusion to break through. But right now… that had never been his intention!
Whatever he had originally planned, the fact remained that his mistake had left Zirong without his guidance for a full five years. His memories of the world outside ended just before the retreat, when Luo Bigfoot’s attitude toward Zirong had been decidedly cold.
Without his brother looking after him, and with a master who barely seemed concerned, Xu Ziyan quickly constructed a tragic picture of Zirong being ignored and neglected.
Zirong had always liked clinging to him, and Xu Ziyan had heard that such behavior could be a sign of insecurity.
Yet he himself had disappeared from Zirong’s life for five whole years. Who knew how much the child had suffered during that time?
“Zirong… it must have been hard on you.” Guilt filled Xu Ziyan as he instinctively drew Zirong into his arms and gently stroked his long, silky hair.
The familiar motion felt slightly awkward because the person in his arms was now so tall. But Xu Zirong immediately adjusted his posture, allowing Xu Ziyan to recover that old, comfortable feeling…
Xu Zirong buried his face in his brother’s chest and breathed in deeply, taking in the familiar scent.
During those five years, he had wanted countless times to smash through the stone wall by force. But Luo Bigfoot had coldly warned him, ‘If you want the Flowing Light Sect to hunt down both you and Xu Ziyan, then go ahead and use your demonic arts.’
Those few words had struck Xu Zirong like a bucket of icy water poured over his head.
He knew!
Xu Zirong had always felt that he could not see through Luo Bigfoot. The man appeared to be an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, but Xu Zirong had never truly believed the disguise. Still, he had underestimated the resources of a great sect like the Flowing Light Sect. He had thought he was hiding his demonic cultivation perfectly, only to discover that Luo Bigfoot had seen through it long ago.
Xu Zirong did not ask how Luo Bigfoot had learned the truth; it would accomplish nothing. What bewildered him was that the man could crush him with a single finger, yet had not harmed him. Judging from his words, he might even have helped conceal certain things.
“Why?” Xu Zirong dropped his disguise and asked in an icy voice. Both of them knew what he meant.
Luo Bigfoot glanced at him indifferently. “Two reasons. First, I admire your brother. He has tremendous potential, and I don’t want a rat dropping like you spoiling the whole pot of soup. You’re the little brother he dotes on. If you die in the Flowing Light Sect, it will inevitably drive a wedge between him and this place.”
“Second…” This time, Luo Bigfoot looked directly at Xu Zirong and spoke slowly. “Although you cultivate a demonic technique, I’ve watched you for a long time and realized that you have never hunted human cultivators.” He paused briefly before continuing. “If I’m not mistaken, you cultivate the Blood Sea Heart Scripture. In fact, this technique was not originally a demonic art. It was created by a righteous-path cultivator and once played an important role on the battlefields of the Far Western Lands.”
“Unfortunately…” Luo Bigfoot shook his head regretfully. “People’s hearts went astray. This technique was originally meant to be cultivated using the blood of demonic beasts. But after some scoundrel discovered that the blood of human cultivators worked even better, it became a demonic art.”
He looked at Xu Zirong again. “I haven’t attacked you because a technique is neither good nor evil in itself. Everything depends on the person using it. So far, your conduct has been barely satisfactory. I don’t know where you obtained this inheritance, but you’ve managed to restrain your violent impulses and consistently targeted demonic beasts. That is commendable, and it is why I’ve spared you.”
Xu Zirong stared at Luo Bigfoot in silence. He had never imagined Luo Bigfoot had been observing him for so long. Thinking back, the master’s coldness before his brother went into seclusion must have begun when he discovered Xu Zirong’s demonic cultivation.
Cold sweat broke out on Xu Zirong’s forehead. Fortunately… out of consideration for his brother’s feelings, he had never hunted human cultivators. Even when his brother’s retreat left him irritable, only the various demonic beasts on the mountain behind the sect had suffered.
“I won’t tell anyone your secret. But remember this: if you ever use human cultivators to practice your demonic arts, I will kill you, no matter where you run!” Luo Bigfoot’s voice turned severe. He even released the oppressive aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator, trying to leave a lasting impression of fear in Xu Zirong’s heart.
This was one of the divine abilities of a Nascent Soul cultivator. By planting a seed of fear in Xu Zirong’s mind, Luo Bigfoot intended that, should Xu Zirong ever descend into madness and cultivate using human lives, that seed would take root. When Xu Zirong attempted a future breakthrough, it might even turn into a heart demon.
Luo Bigfoot had little choice. This method was somewhat unfair to Xu Zirong. He was concerned that Xu Zirong might someday commit atrocities with the Blood Sea Heart Scripture, yet he could not simply attack someone who had done nothing wrong.
Caught between these conflicting concerns, he could only resort to a rather underhanded method.
Naturally, this would affect Xu Zirong, especially his state of mind. Luo Bigfoot had done it as a precaution, but the method was still harmful to Xu Zirong. So after delivering his stern warning, he softened his tone and offered a few comforting words.
The instant Luo Bigfoot planted the seed of fear, Xu Zirong had lowered his head. He appeared to be so intimidated by the display of power that he did not dare look up.
Seeing him like this, Luo Bigfoot could hardly say more. He encouraged Xu Zirong again and promised that, as long as he did not kill indiscriminately, he would remain Luo Bigfoot’s disciple. Then Luo Bigfoot left in a hurry. After all, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator. Bullying a child by such means had already gone too far, and he did not want to provoke Xu Zirong into rebelling.