Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace (2)

"Dad, even if you kept me by your side, I still wouldn't stop working hard!" Choking back sobs, Long Haochen bent over in anguish, his fingers digging fiercely into the ground as his turbulent emotions refused to subside.

It was only after the time it took to eat a meal that Long Haochen finally climbed to his feet. His nature was actually quite resilient, but what he valued most in his heart was his family. With no warning at all, his father and mother had suddenly left, and he simply could not accept it.

Standing up, Long Haochen's gaze was somewhat dazed. Everything that had happened over the past two years—the severity of his father, the tenderness of his mother—kept surfacing in his mind.

"Why are happy, joyful days always so fleeting?" Tears nearly fell again, but at that moment, Long Haochen noticed two letters lying on the wooden table not far ahead.

He rushed over in two or three strides and snatched the letters into his hands.

The envelopes were respectively addressed: "For Haochen's Eyes Only" and "Forward to Nalan Shu." Clearly, one letter was for him, while the other was for the hall master of the Haoyue Branch Temple.

After calming himself slightly, Long Haochen slowly opened the letter his parents had left for him.

"Haochen, by the time you see this letter, your mother and I will already be gone. Neither of us wished to face the pain of parting. This separation is only temporary. You have grown up; you are a man now. Be strong. From now on, the only strength you can rely on is your own."

"After reading this letter, go straight to Bright Moon City and learn the various skills of a Guardian Knight at the Haoyue Branch Temple. There is an outstanding instructor there. Remember, unless absolutely necessary, do not easily reveal that you are also a Punishment Knight. I will also remind Nalan Shu of this in my letter to him. Nalan Shu is someone worthy of trust; you may follow his arrangements. At the same time, you must master all Guardian Knight skills below the Fourth Order and be able to use them proficiently before going to the Holy Mountain to obtain the mount that belongs to you."

"The Holy Mountain is spiritually attuned. If it cannot draw out your innate talent and the direction of your future abilities, you will be unable to obtain a mount partner suited to you. At the same time, learning the abilities of a Guardian Knight will greatly strengthen your ability to survive. Remember this. Remember it well."

"You must continue cultivating your spirit furnace. Once you possess a spirit furnace, it becomes the medium through which you cultivate Internal Spiritual Power, thereby increasing your Cultivation Level. You have now fused with the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace. Your Internal Spiritual Power may decrease somewhat because of that fusion, but there is no need to worry. This is the process of your own Internal Spiritual Power merging with the spirit furnace. It will recover in as little as half a month, or at most a month. The Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace is especially suited for Guardian Knights. You must gain more experience with it in the future."

"Haochen, your mother and I cannot bear to leave you either. But your father hopes that the next time we meet, you will already possess the ability to stand on your own. If your mother and I do not come looking for you, it means we are tied up with something important that we cannot get away from. Unless your Cultivation Level reaches that of a Seventh Tier Holy Knight, and you obtain Mithril Base Battle Armor through assessment and competition, do not come looking for us."

That was the end of the letter. Long Haochen stared blankly at the paper, the ache of parting in his heart reaching its peak.

Suddenly, he spun around and rushed out of the cabin, crying out toward the distance, "Dad—! Mom—!"

Long Haochen did not leave Odin Mountain immediately. He stayed there for another three days, only reluctantly packing his things and heading down the mountain once the cabin no longer carried even a trace of his parents' scent.

When he passed through Odin Town, he saw that reconstruction was underway. At least two thousand elite Soldiers of the Holy Temple Alliance were stationed near Odin Town.

By the time he arrived in Bright Moon City, it was already noon. Bright Moon City appeared unchanged. The moment he stepped through the city gates, Long Haochen silently swore that he would do everything in his power to reach the seventh tier of knighthood as soon as possible.

Bright Moon City did not seem to be gripped by any tension because of the Devil Race's attack. Following his memories, Long Haochen once again arrived at the Haoyue Branch Temple of the Knight Temple.

"Excuse me, I would like to see Hall Master Nalan." Long Haochen handed over his Quasi-Knight badge.

The two guards at the entrance had long since been replaced. Though they did not recognize him, seeing that this boy, clearly only in his teens, possessed a Quasi-Knight badge, they did not dare neglect him and hurried inside to report.

A short while later, accompanied by a faintly fragrant breeze, a figure rushed out from the Haoyue Branch Temple.

"Haochen, little brother, you finally came."

The one who had rushed out of the branch temple was Li Xin. She was still dressed as she had been before—soft armor, ponytail, brimming with heroic spirit. A year and a half had left no mark on her; rather, her bearing was even more radiant, clearly indicating that her Cultivation Level had improved considerably.

"Big Sister Xin'er." Seeing her, Long Haochen instantly felt as though he had met family. The emotions he had suppressed for days nearly erupted again. Under the dumbfounded gazes of the two guards, he threw himself directly into Li Xin's embrace.

Li Xin gave him a great big hug. Feeling the sorrow in Long Haochen's emotions, she hurriedly asked, "Haochen, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Long Haochen choked out, "Dad and Mom, they've both left. I'm the only one left."

Li Xin was startled. "You mean the Devil Race's attack..."

Long Haochen immediately realized that she had misunderstood and quickly explained, "No. Dad and Mom went somewhere else. They told me to stay behind and join the Haoyue Branch Temple to continue cultivating."

Li Xin patted her full chest. "You scared me half to death. So they only went on a long trip! What's the big deal? I'd love not to be with my parents. From now on, the Haoyue Branch Temple is your home. If anyone dares bully you, just give them your big sister's name. Come on, let's go inside and talk."

As she spoke, Li Xin took Long Haochen's hand and strode into the Haoyue Branch Temple.

The two guards at the entrance exchanged glances, both wearing stunned expressions.

"Who is that boy? Why is our Rose Knight being so intimate with him?"

"Keep your voice down. You dare pry into Miss Xin'er's gossip? If you were as handsome as that little guy, maybe Miss Xin'er would look at you differently too."

Li Xin pulled Long Haochen into the Haoyue Branch Temple. Everything here was the same as before, but when Long Haochen once more saw the six Divine Seal Thrones displayed in the center of the inner hall, his feelings were utterly different.

Pride instantly washed away his grief. At a glance, he found the second throne on the left, the Divine Seal Throne of Doom and Slaughter. That was Dad's glory!

One day, I too will surely become the owner of one of these six Divine Seal Thrones. A blazing light shone in Long Haochen's eyes.

Li Xin sensed that his steps had slowed and simply stopped as well. "Little brother, it's only been a little over a year, but you've grown so much taller! In another two years, you'll probably be taller than your big sister. Mm, and you've become even more handsome too. That's incredible—once you grow up, who knows how many girls you'll have spinning around in circles over you."

Li Xin had a tall, slender figure. Although Long Haochen had grown quite a bit, he was still half a head shorter than her. Yet as she looked at him now, she could not help secretly marveling, and even felt her heartbeat quicken slightly.