A year passed in the blink of an eye!
The night was black as ink, so thick it seemed capable of swallowing all things.
Inside the main hall of the Lu Family Residence, faint candlelight flickered unsteadily, casting two silent, lonely figures upon the walls.
Seated in the place of honor, Lu Jiahe kept his back straight, though his knuckles had turned faintly white from gripping the armrests too tightly.
Time had mercilessly carved deep ravines across his brow, every line telling of the vicissitudes of years gone by.
Yet at this moment, those deep furrows could not conceal the intense shock in Lu Jiahe's eyes.
Standing before him, Lu Xuan wore Mysterious Black Clothing. His eyes resembled bottomless, shadowy pools—calm on the surface, yet concealing turbulent undercurrents.
After several breaths, Lu Xuan slowly spoke.
"Father, tomorrow, your son will enter seclusion."
Lu Xuan's voice was neither loud nor soft, steady and powerful, yet it was like a heavy hammer carrying the force of a thousand jun, crashing straight onto Lu Jiahe's heart.
Every word that followed was weighted heavily.
"This seclusion may last several decades at the shortest... or a century, even a thousand years, at the longest!"
The moment his words fell, Lu Jiahe reacted violently and swiftly. He abruptly rose to his feet and hurried across the room to Lu Xuan.
Lu Jiahe's aged hand trembled slightly, filled with reluctance and worry.
It was as though he wished to seize his son tightly, yet his hand stopped in midair before ultimately falling helplessly to his side.
He stared fixedly at his son's face, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
It was as if he wanted to use this final look to engrave his son's appearance forever into the deepest recesses of his soul.
"A century... a