Divine Seal Throne of Doom and Slaughter (Part Two)

Gazing into the distance, Long Xingyu sighed. "It seems the Devil Race can no longer bear the silence. Haochen, remember this: the Devil Race is powerful, but we must never yield. As knights, we fight to protect our homeland, until the very last drop of blood has been shed."

"Mm." Long Haochen nodded forcefully. At this moment, his father was no longer merely his teacher in his heart—he had become an object of worship, almost a faith. Without experiencing it firsthand, one could never imagine the Divine Seal Throne's sheer power. That vast, ocean-like surge of spiritual power, that Judgment of Light capable of destroying heaven and earth—both had carved indelible marks into his heart.

"Dad, are we leaving this place?" Long Haochen asked.

Long Xingyu lowered his head to look at him. "The 'we' doesn't include you."

"Huh?" Long Haochen was startled, staring at his father in confusion.

Long Xingyu said calmly, "A fledgling that never leaves the shelter of its parents' wings can never become the king of the skies, soaring through the nine heavens. I had originally planned to guide you for three years, but it seems that must end early. I'll take your mother back to the Holy Temple Alliance to deal with some matters, and then I have an agreement to fulfill."

"The Holy Temple Alliance is not suitable for you. If you go there with me, then I'm afraid you may never become a Divine Seal Knight like me. Only by climbing step by step, earning everything through your own efforts, can you truly possess a knight's glory."

"Dad, I don't want to be separated from you and Mom." Long Haochen abruptly threw his arms around his father's waist, his eyes filled with reluctance.

Bai Yue looked at Long Xingyu, her eyes also full of pleading.

Long Xingyu stroked Long Haochen's head. "Silly child, if you remain by your mother's and my side, then your heart will always have something to rely on and worry about. Besides, even if you returned to the Holy Temple Alliance with us, you still couldn't stay by my side. I've been away for several years, and too many matters are waiting for me to handle. I've already decided this. You must stay."

Long Haochen's body trembled slightly as he fought to keep his tears from falling. Bai Yue, however, was already crying as she ran back into the wooden cabin.

Long Xingyu pulled Long Haochen before him and said in a deep voice, "Haochen, before I leave, there are still some things Dad must teach you."

Long Haochen asked distractedly, "What are they?"

Long Xingyu said solemnly, "Spiritual furnaces."

"Spiritual furnaces?" At those words, Long Haochen's body jolted. In the two and a half years he had trained under his father, he had heard Long Xingyu mention spiritual furnaces more than once. Yet Long Xingyu had never taught him anything about the abilities related to them.

Long Xingyu nodded. "A spiritual furnace is a furnace of spiritual power. It is not an ability we cultivate, but a supreme treasure born from nature's wonders. As knights, we have many knight skills to choose from. Aside from certain self-created skills that we develop ourselves, most skills can be cultivated once our Cultivation Level is sufficient. But spiritual furnaces are different. Nearly every spiritual furnace possesses unique properties. Even the same spiritual furnace produces different effects when cultivated by different people."

"There are many kinds of spiritual furnaces. At present, seventy-four types are known. They suit different professions, and twenty-three of them are suitable for knights like us. Some can also be shared by knights, assassins, and warriors."

Long Haochen was gradually drawn in by what Long Xingyu was saying about spiritual furnaces. "Dad, where can one obtain a spiritual furnace?"

Long Xingyu replied, "Generally speaking, spiritual furnaces can only be found in places where heaven and earth's spiritual energy gathers, or within certain ancient ruins. Among practitioners of any profession, those who possess a spiritual furnace are one in a thousand—knights included. Yet spiritual furnaces are the goal pursued by every profession. Because even possessing a single spiritual furnace can make us stronger than experts of the same rank."

As he spoke, Long Xingyu removed a black ring from his hand and slipped it onto Long Haochen's right index finger. Like the Forget-me-not Ring, the black ring contracted on its own, fitting snugly around Long Haochen's finger.

"This Seal Ring contains six seals. I have sealed within it various powerful skills of a Punishment Knight, nearly all of them from the Fourth Order through the Ninth Order. Once your spiritual power reaches the required level, you can use it to break the seals inside and learn these skills one by one."

Then, he took out a book and handed it to Long Haochen. "This contains my own insights into spiritual furnaces, as well as a detailed introduction to them. There's no time to guide you any further. You'll have to comprehend it yourself. Do you understand?"

"Dad..." Long Haochen called out, but his eyes had already reddened beyond his control.

"Put it into your Forget-me-not Ring."

Long Haochen nodded gently. After he had gained Internal Spiritual Power, Long Xingyu had taught him how to activate the ring Little Mute Girl had left him.

As spiritual power flowed into it, the pale golden patterns on the Forget-me-not Ring seemed to come alive. Faint blue light flowed over it, and with a flash, the book recording the mysteries of spiritual furnaces was stored inside.

This Forget-me-not Ring was an exceptionally precious spatial ring, capable of storing roughly ten cubic meters' worth of items. It also came with a defensive skill. Once activated, it could release a pale blue shield. So long as spiritual power continued flowing into it, the shield would remain. Its strength would also increase according to the amount of spiritual power supplied. Even Long Xingyu had said that it was an exceptionally rare magical accessory.

Watching Long Haochen put away the book, Long Xingyu let out a soft sigh. "Haochen, Dad has quite a lot of good equipment. But I don't intend to leave it to you. Because only weapons and equipment earned through your own efforts can teach you to truly cherish them."

"Dad, I don't want to be separated from you." Long Haochen's tears finally could no longer be held back.

Long Xingyu drew his son into an embrace and sighed. "Haochen, being deeply attached is both your strength and your weakness. Remember, with neither Dad nor Mom by your side, you must only speak thirty percent of what you know to others—never lay your whole heart bare."

"Don't cry. This is only a temporary parting. Dad hopes that when I see you again, you'll already make me look at you with new eyes."

"Your mother and I are about to leave. Though I can't leave you any equipment, there is a gift I've prepared for a long time that I want to give you."

As he spoke, Long Xingyu released his son and struck his chest with his right hand. Immediately afterward, a strange white radiance emerged from his chest.

The white light was very gentle, yet it pulsed with a peculiar energy fluctuation, somehow giving off an impression of steadfast calm.

It was neither sacred light energy nor Long Xingyu's spiritual power. When Long Xingyu slowly opened his palm, Long Haochen saw, to his astonishment, a cluster of white light resting in it. A tiny white cauldron, no more than an inch tall, with three legs and two handles, appeared in Long Xingyu's palm.

That white radiance was emerging from the little white cauldron—gentle and pulsing, yet carrying an attraction that made it impossible to look away.