Family, Training

"I really didn't know what to do with you. Fine, I'll use your Divine Sense to demonstrate." Bai Xing raised her hand and guided Tang Chenfeng's Divine Sense into operation.

Outside, Village Chief Ye and Ling'er were still waiting for Tang Chenfeng to finish meditating. Even Grandma Ling was waiting nearby.

"Grandpa, Grandma, how much longer will Brother Feng take to wake up? We've been waiting all afternoon." It had been three days since Ye Hongling woke up, yet Tang Chenfeng was still meditating in the same spot without moving.

"I thought that even if he meditated with you, he would only finish a few hours later at most. I never expected another day to pass and for him to still be at it. But this also proves his remarkable talent and confirms some of my suspicions about him." Village Chief Ye's suspicion was naturally related to the part of the Three Lives Martial Soul that excelled at Spiritual Power, which he had mentioned before. Usually, the higher one's Spiritual Power, the longer one could meditate. Tang Chenfeng's current state certainly matched that.

"Let's wait a little longer. At most, it shouldn't take more than three days. Still, Little Feng has been meditating for far too long. He looks like he's gotten thinner." What Grandma Ling cared about most was his physical condition. After all, he had been meditating continuously for five days.

In any case, all three of them were worried about Tang Chenfeng's condition. Just then, the surrounding Spiritual Energy began fluctuating violently again, and the Spiritual Energy in the air crazily compressed toward Tang Chenfeng. The three were overjoyed, thinking that his meditation was finally about to end. But what happened next nearly shattered the old couple's worldview.

A solid silver Light and Shadow appeared behind Tang Chenfeng. It looked like Tang Chenfeng himself, except much stronger and more muscular. Then, a Black Soul Ring actually appeared beneath him. The two elders stared wide-eyed. That was a Black Soul Ring—a black Soul Ring representing ten thousand years!

"Wait! Why is it a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring? Isn't that way too conspicuous?" Tang Chenfeng was the one who cried out. Bai Xing had allowed him to see the changes outside so that he could better feel his Divine Sense, then used it to alter the color of his Soul Ring. But... sigh. He still remembered Bai Xing telling him that he absolutely had to keep a low profile.

"Isn't ten thousand years low-key enough? Any lower than that would be too low-key." Hearing Bai Xing's answer, Tang Chenfeng only wanted to say, You must have some serious misunderstanding about what 'low-key' means.

"It's already been seen, so there's nothing we can do. Your cultivation is more or less complete now. You can figure out the rest yourself."

Don't pin an accident you caused on me! Before Tang Chenfeng could finish his thought, his vision went black, and he woke up.

After waking up, Tang Chenfeng opened his eyes and discovered two more pairs of eyes staring at him. Now, he could only think of a suitable excuse for what had just happened.

"Um... Village Chief Ye, Grandma Ling, did you see what just happened...?" Tang Chenfeng hesitated. He truly had no idea how to explain the changes that had happened to him. He had already prepared himself for the worst.

"Little Feng, you've meditated for five days. Hurry home and wash up. Have Grandma Ling make you something to eat and nourish your body."

"Huh?" The questioning Tang Chenfeng had imagined never came. Village Chief Ye was still smiling and caring for him, just as he always had.

Tang Chenfeng asked in confusion, "Village Chief Ye, don't you suspect anything about me?"

Village Chief Ye replied, "We're family. Why would family members suspect each other? We'll always believe in you."

Tang Chenfeng felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he tried hard not to let them fall. That was right. Why should family members need trust mixed with suspicion? There was no need for it at all!

Ye Hongling walked over and took Tang Chenfeng's hand. "Brother Feng, let's go back together. You should wash up first, then we can eat together."

"Mm, let's go." Today, Tang Chenfeng felt the warmth of family once again.

After returning home, the first thing Tang Chenfeng did was take a bath. After meditating for five whole days, the grime on his body had practically caked over. While he was soaking in the bathroom, Bai Xing's voice sounded by his ear again.

He looked around and discovered that the voice was actually coming from Starshine.

Bai Xing said emotionally, "It seems you have a good family too."

"Mm... Sister Bai Xing, so you can talk to me while I'm awake now." Before this, Bai Xing could only speak with Tang Chenfeng in his spiritual world.

Bai Xing replied, "To speak with you directly, I have to rely on Starshine. The sound is projected outward, so of course I won't use it casually, especially in front of others."

"I see." Tang Chenfeng added, "I really want everyone at home to meet you, but you probably wouldn't agree, would you?"

"Actually, I do want to meet them. But just as you said, I won't do that. It would be too dangerous for you. I only came out this time to say that your family is wonderful—better than I imagined. You'll have to work hard from now on." After saying that, her voice disappeared.

Holding Starshine in his hand, Tang Chenfeng thought, How could I not work hard after being given so much hope? Then he put on a fresh set of clothes and headed for the kitchen.

When he arrived in the kitchen, he found that the other three had already gathered there. Tang Chenfeng found a seat and sat down. Naturally, the meal had been made by Grandma Ling, and its fragrance was as rich as ever. Drawn in by the aroma, Tang Chenfeng and Ye Hongling launched another fierce assault on the food. Before long, the plates on the table were as clean as though they had just been washed, without a trace of food left.

"Ahem." Village Chief Ye cleared his throat and said to the two of them, "You're full, right? Make sure you're prepared for tomorrow."

The two answered in unison, "Don't worry, no problem."

Another peaceful night passed. Before the sun rose, the two got up, ate breakfast, and came to the front door. Village Chief Ye was waiting for them as usual.

"Not bad. It seems you haven't forgotten what I told you. Based on your recent performance, I've decided to revise the original plan. Little Feng, step forward first." Tang Chenfeng obediently stepped out.

"Little Feng, although I don't know how that Spirit Domain of yours appeared, this ability will be very helpful to your cultivation. Can you still use it?"

Tang Chenfeng replied, "Yes, I can still use it." The night before, he had specifically asked Bai Xing where the Spirit Domain came from. Bai Xing's answer was that the ability came from Starshine. Starshine was like a funnel, gathering the surrounding Spiritual Energy and concentrating it around Tang Chenfeng, forming a domain-like skill to assist his cultivation.

After hearing Tang Chenfeng's answer, Village Chief Ye said, "Good. My plan is for the two of you to do more physical training in the mornings from now on. In the afternoons, you'll use this ability to meditate and cultivate. Understood?"

The two answered together, "Understood."

Village Chief Ye said, "Good. First, run one lap around the village and come back. You may use your Martial Souls or Soul Power without restriction. Return as quickly as you can."

Without another word, Tang Chenfeng and Ye Hongling ran off.

Tianhun Town's land area was actually very small, only a little larger than an ordinary rural village. One lap around it was about ten kilometers. With a Soul Master's physique and the help of their Martial Souls, the two finished a lap in roughly twenty minutes. Tang Chenfeng had only broken a slight sweat, while Ye Hongling was merely a little out of breath. Overall, neither of them felt very tired.

Just as they thought that this level of difficulty was manageable, Village Chief Ye walked over and asked, "How do you feel?"

The two immediately declared that there was no problem at all. Just then, Village Chief Ye suddenly jabbed their shoulders hard. The pain made them cry out, but they soon had no time to care about it, because they discovered that their Soul Power had been sealed.

Village Chief Ye said that their earlier performance had been decent, so they should run another lap—but with their Soul Power sealed.

Tang Chenfeng asked in confusion, "Village Chief Ye, why seal our Soul Power? Aren't Soul Masters people who use Soul Power?"

Village Chief Ye replied, "Before a Soul Master truly becomes powerful, their Soul Power is limited. If it runs out while the enemy can still attack, then physical fitness becomes extremely important. Even if you can't win, at least you can still run."

Ye Hongling asked, "Then Grandpa, I'm a support-type Soul Master. I normally won't face enemies head-on. Do I still need this kind of training?"

Village Chief Ye said sternly, "Of course. In fact, support-type Soul Masters are even more easily targeted. And this kind of training can improve the results of cultivation, so it must be done no matter what."

Perhaps recalling his former self, Village Chief Ye grew more excited as he spoke. The two understood that they would not be escaping this run, so they immediately set off again.