"T-that was dangerous," I mumbled, taking a deep breath the mont I reached my room.
Calming myself, I pressed the [Yes] button.
Nurous plum blossoms surged out of the ring, taking the shape of a human figure. Once the petals dissipated, U’s serene figure erged from within.
She carried a grim expression on her face.
"What happened, U?" I asked, sensing her distress.
"I’m sorry, Taranis," U murmured, her head lowered. "I cannot enter Everfrost Peak."
"Co, take a seat first," I said, holding her hand and guiding her to the short-legged table placed at the center of the room.
After sitting face to face, she revealed, "A Demi-God resides on Everfrost Peak. If I try to sneak in, the Demi-God will instantly sense my presence."
Instead of the troubled expression U expected, a faint smile appeared on my face.
"So he finally made a breakthrough," I murmured.
U raised an eyebrow in confusion, so I clarified, "The Demi-God you sensed on Everfrost Peak must be Aurelion El Snowbane, Nyria’s father."
"So how do you intend to et Nyria?" U asked. "Will you reveal your identity to Nyria’s father?"
"In normal circumstances, I would have," I replied, shaking my head. "But we do not know what exactly is transpiring behind the scenes. Even Nyria’s statent from the Ultimate War was fake. We must remain as vigilant as possible."
"So what should I do now?" U asked. "All my efforts in setting up teleportation arrays on different peaks have gone to waste."
"Your efforts are not in vain, U. I will explain it later. First, I need your help with sothing else."
"Tell ."
My expression turned serious as I held her hand between both of mine and said, "I need your help in healing Mother."
She withdrew her hand hesitantly and murmured, her eyes lowering, "I do not possess any healing abilities. I cannot heal Mother Aestra."
"I will guide you, just as I did while unlocking the Royal Gates," I replied.
I explained the details of the operation and the ability of my eyes. She wanted to refuse, since it involved operating on Mother, but realizing that only soone with Divine Soulforce could heal her, she agreed. She had better control over her Divine Soulforce than I did.
After talking for a while longer, the two of us reached the mountain’s zenith and inford Mother about the operation.
Surprisingly, she agreed instantly, without hesitation or fear in her eyes. She did not show it, but she must have been frustrated as well, having lost her ability to walk.
"Mother, we need to examine your condition," I inford her. Turning to U, I continued, "Help her. I will wait outside."
"Why would you go outside?" Mother murmured with a sly smile. "You used to bathe naked with ."
"Mother, I was one month old at that ti!" I snapped, instantly rushing outside.
"Hehehe~ look at him getting embarrassed," Mother’s sly laughter echoed from within.
After a few minutes, U called inside. Mother lay on her stomach, a blanket covering her body. On the blanket on her back, a square-shaped cut had been made, exposing the area where she had suffered the injury.
The sword mark on her back brought back mories of that treacherous night, making my blood boil. As my eyes turned bloodshot, U held my hand and murmured, "They will pay for their sins when the ti cos. Focus on this for now."
I took a deep breath to steady myself and activated my Eyes of the Fallen. I inford U about the condition of her back, the exact location of her fractured spinal cord, and the surrounding veins. She drew a detailed diagram on paper, capturing every minute detail.
After gathering all the information, we stayed with Mother for a few more hours before moving to the back of the zenith.
"U, could you create a teleportation array here that connects to all the arrays you established on the other peaks?"
She nodded and began tracing intricate patterns on the ground with her finger. Another hour passed before she finished.
"Now you can teleport to any peak you wish," she said, drawing a similar small pattern on my hand as well. To charge the array, she used the essence of a High-Tier Soul Stone, directly infusing it into the patterns instead of using a separate pole to supply energy, as Nyx had done in the Abandoned Lands.
"Only call in case of an ergency or when Mother Aestra is ready for the treatnt. I will spend this ti practicing for her operation," U said.
Stepping closer, she gave a warm hug, resting her head against my chest, and whispered, "Taranis, I have a request."
"Say it, U."
"Do not use Jambavan’s blessing unless you have no other choice."
"Huh? Why is that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"Just promise ," she insisted, offering no explanation.
"Alright, I will avoid it as much as possible," I replied, gently patting her head.
After remaining in my embrace for a few more minutes, she reluctantly pulled away and vanished, returning to Everbloom Peak.
The next month passed swiftly. My days were spent training the Thunderbanes, my early nights devoted to practicing the Thunderbane Swordsmanship, and from midnight until dawn, I left the mountain to infiltrate the other peaks in search of any leads regarding the traitors.
---
"Brother Lucifer, are you not feeling well?" Thorin asked, worry evident in his expression.
"Yes, Senior Brother Lucifer, tell us if sothing is troubling you," Cedric added, stepping forward.
"If anyone dared to bully you, just give us the na," another chid in.
Within seconds, I was surrounded on all sides, all of them demanding to know what was wrong with .
Due to the continuous beating... ahem, training over the past month under my supervision, these Thunderbanes had grown much closer to . Their bratty behavior had completely disappeared, and they now respected the sa way they respected the elders of the Sect.
"I’m fine," I replied in my usual cold tone. "If you have ti to worry, worry about yourselves."
Rising to my feet, I commanded loudly, "Since you have so much free ti, co and spar with ."
"Brother Lucifer is completely fine. I was worried for nothing."
"Oh, I just rembered, I need to ditate."
"I must return, my child is waiting at ho."
"You are not even married. Oh right, I also need to take care of my sick grandfather. I must leave as well."
In the blink of an eye, they all scattered, fleeing with their tails between their legs.
"Tsk, tsk," I clicked my tongue and walked away from the training ground, heading toward the pond at the corner of my abode.
Sitting by the pond to wash up, my gaze fell on my reflection. Although I wore a mask, it could not conceal the exhaustion in my heavy eyes. Cultivators could go many days without sleep, but even they had their limits. An Awakened Sage could endure a maximum of ten days without rest, yet it had been a month since I last slept.
"So this is why they were worried about ," I chuckled. "I look like a ghost."
User Comments
0 comments from readers