Fear

Looking at the weeds atop the two earthen graves, Locke sighed.

Perhaps, after burying their parents here, Cole had never come to visit them even once.

He stretched out his right hand, and frost condensed directly in his palm into a blue ice sickle.

Bending down, Locke acted like an ordinary man who had never cultivated. He grabbed the weeds from the ground with one hand and used the sickle in the other to cut them off.

The small courtyard was less than fifty square meters, yet it took Locke nearly an hour to clear away all the weeds.

Kneeling before the old couple's graves, Locke rambled on, telling the parents of this life about some of the things that had happened to him over the years, as well as some of his accomplishments in cultivation.

It was as if doing so could slightly make up for the debt he owed them.

"Ah..."

After talking for a long time, Locke let out a sigh.

"Father, Mother, thank you for giving me a second life."

"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Cole."

"At least, before I leave the Vakanda Plane, I'll make sure Cole and his family are safe and well."

"As for the future..."

Locke raised his head and looked toward the sky, as though he wished to see through the plane barrier of the Vakanda Plane, through the Spatial Turbulence of the Coiling Dragon Universe, through Primordial Space...

He smiled and shook his head.

After leaving the Vakanda Plane, he probably would not even be able to take care of himself. How could he possibly look after others as well?

Besides, Cole was already a mature adult. He had his own thoughts and his own will.

Locke could not interfere with Cole's fate using reasons or excuses like, "I'm your Big Brother, and everything I do is for your own good."

Having lived two lives, Locke had long since let go of his saintly compassion.

Respect others' fates!

The only thing he could promise his parents was the safety of Cole's family.

After all, in this life, Locke intended to devote all his energy to cultivating the vast laws. There was a good chance that he would never marry or have children.

In that case, Cole's branch would be the family's only continuation.

Of course, nothing was absolute.

If, on his journey to pursue the vast laws, Locke encountered the right person, it would not be impossible for him to slow his steps a little and appreciate the beautiful scenery along life's journey.

However, his pace could slow, but it would absolutely never stop.

After kowtowing to his parents three final times, Locke flew away from Pu'er Village.

He might never return here again.

His parents had died naturally, and their souls had already been drawn into the Undead Realm of the Underworld.

In accordance with their wishes while they were alive, even if Locke one day became powerful enough to ask the Underworld Overgod to revive them, he would not bring them back to life.

For ordinary people, living out an ordinary life was the greatest happiness Locke's parents could have.

If Locke awakened them from the Underworld and brought them back to life, then made them face the survival environment of God Planes and Supreme Planes—a place countless times more complicated and terrifying than a Material Plane—it would be no different from Hell for parents who had been ordinary people in life!

After returning to Locke Territory, Locke sent Cole a message through Spiritual Sense, then entered the cultivation chamber once more and began secluded training.

This time, unexpectedly learning of his parents' passing had left Locke deeply dejected, but it had also allowed him to comprehend some new things.

Among them, Locke had successfully made an initial breakthrough in the Law Profundity of Ice Sharpness of the Water Law.

Now, of the six law profundities of the Water Law, Locke had comprehended three.

The one he had comprehended the most was the Law Profundity of Mist Illusion.

Next was the most basic law profundity of the Water Law, the Law Profundity of Water Element.

The third was the Law Profundity of Ice Sharpness, which Locke had only just entered.

Furthermore, while immersed in the grief of his parents' deaths, Locke had discovered, through his own soul, the place within it where the emotion of "sorrow" resided.

Previously, Locke's understanding of the soul had been limited to the soul's Five Senses, memories, and insights.

Now, Locke could also sense the soul's "emotions."

Locke felt that if there were levels to the use of Soul Power as well, then at the very least, he could be considered a High God of the soul.

Although Locke could currently only sense the single emotion of "sorrow," every beginning was difficult. Since he had already found a clue, he was confident that, given some time, he would be able to sense the other seven emotions and six desires as well.

When researching such things allowed him to feel his own progress every day, who could resist that temptation?

"It seems Big Brother didn't notice what I did."

In the meeting room of Locke Territory, after hearing the voice by his ear, Cole finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he had not spent much time with his Big Brother, Cole's awe toward Locke was no less than that of Gask and the others.

However, upon learning that his Big Brother had entered seclusion once again, a smile also appeared at the corner of Cole's lips.

"Not bad. Everything is within the range of my expectations."

"Given Big Brother's passion for cultivation, if no one disturbed him during this secluded training, it would last at least ten years."

Cole had arrived at this estimate after analyzing Big Brother's actions over the years.

From the moment Big Brother returned to Pu'er Village, Cole had known that, in his heart, cultivation took priority over everything else.

Even family bonds.

Take Cole himself, for example.

When he broke through the shackles of Rank 6 and became a Rank 7 Warrior, he wished everyone in the world knew that he had become a Rank 7 powerhouse.

During those years, Cole personally led the Luqi Merchant Guild's caravans through various towns and cities.

On one hand, it was necessary for the Luqi Merchant Guild's expansion.

On the other hand, Cole wanted to show off his strength before others and earn their recognition and envy.

But what about Big Brother?

Without a word, no one knew where he had gone.

All Cole knew was that the next time he heard news of Big Brother, Big Brother had already become a lofty Saint-level Expert—and had even become the commander of the Frost Snow Empire's Tsunami Legion.

At the time, Cole himself was dumbfounded.

He was both excited and afraid.

Excited because his Big Brother was a Saint-level Expert.

From then on, even those nobles would have to show him some courtesy.

After all, offending him was the same as offending a Saint-level Expert.

But he was afraid because he and Big Brother did not seem to share such deep feelings.

He could not be sure whether Big Brother would stand up for him if he ran into trouble.

Fortunately, Cole had never encountered anyone who wanted to step on him just to test the relationship between him and Big Brother.