Long Xingyu's Little Scheme

The meal was exceptionally lavish. Since Long Xingyu was about to begin the brothers' true training, he had prepared their nutritional balance with great care.

Only after confirming that both brothers had eaten and drunk their fill did Long Xingyu bring them before a massive boulder.

With a sweep of his hand, the boulder pressing down on the Owl Ant Nest was blasted aside. Countless Owl Ants tried to rush out, only to be firmly suppressed by Long Xingyu's power.

"This is a natural Owl Ant Nest. Though none of them are Magic Beasts, they enjoy moving in swarms."

"Your next training will take place here. You must use every trick you have to avoid being attacked by the Owl Ants and bitten until you are covered in wounds."

After saying this, Long Xingyu gave Long Haoyu another meaningful look before continuing.

"But training is training, and I am still your father."

"If you can't hold on, call for me!"

Long Haoyu had already decided to play the role of an unfilial son.

Before Long Xingyu had even finished speaking, he leaped straight into the Owl Ant Nest.

Having been slain so many times in the Shadow Space, he was still extremely confident in his footwork and use of strength.

Unable to get the response he had expected, Long Xingyu waved his hand and pressed the boulder back over the Owl Ant Nest.

Then, he brought Long Haochen to a second massive boulder.

"Haochen, this place shares the same source as the Owl Ant Nest from before. I simply dug out another passage that connects to it."

"Haoyu is training in that Owl Ant Nest. You will train here. Do you understand?"

As he spoke, Long Xingyu took out a highly flexible Bamboo Sword and handed it to Long Haochen.

Long Haochen's gaze was firm as he nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll definitely work hard and catch up to Brother."

A gentle force carried Long Haochen down into the Owl Ant Nest. With an outsider invading their home, every Owl Ant inside swarmed toward him as if they had gone mad.

Long Xingyu sealed the second ant nest with a boulder as well, then carried a chair out from the wooden cabin and sat down, his brows tightly furrowed.

Most of his attention was focused on the boulder sealing the ant nest where Long Haoyu was.

"In terms of talent, Haoyu is even more gifted than Haochen. After only one year of study, he has already reached the standard of a Level 3 Attendant Knight."

"Now that he has undergone Marrow Cleansing and Meridian Washing, he has already reached the level of a Level 7 Attendant Knight. Once he grows up, he will surely become a grave threat to the Demon Race."

"Sigh, if not for what happened back then, if both Haoyu and Haochen could grow up properly, perhaps..."

Long Xingyu's expression was extremely complicated. He did not hesitate in the slightest to acknowledge Long Haoyu's talent.

Yet whenever he thought of that knot in his heart, pain once more covered his face.

"Forget it, forget it. I can only hope things will go smoothly in the future!"

"Haoyu has a rather unusual personality. I should put more thought into Haochen instead and let Haochen influence how he sees me."

As Long Xingyu said this, the look in his eyes grew increasingly resolute. He calculated the time Long Haochen had spent in the Owl Ant Nest.

After another quarter of an hour passed, he finally lifted the boulder and pulled Long Haochen out of the Owl Ant Nest.

Long Haochen's entire body had swollen noticeably. His clothes were in tatters, and he was covered in wounds where the Owl Ants had bitten him.

By now, Long Haochen's stamina had been drained to its limit. Once Long Xingyu pulled him out, his body went limp and nearly collapsed to the ground. He only barely remained standing by leaning on the Bamboo Sword.

Not only was his physical strength exhausted, but his consciousness had also become hazy. Yet he still clung to one last breath, keeping himself from fully passing out.

"Dad, how is Brother?"

Long Haochen spoke weakly, forcing himself to look toward the ant nest Long Haoyu had entered. When he saw that the boulder was still sealing it shut, his expression immediately changed.

Long Xingyu said calmly, "It's nothing. Haoyu's Spirit Energy is stronger than yours, so he can hold on longer."

"Dad won't harm either of you. When the time is right, I'll bring him out. For now, Dad will take you to recuperate."

As he spoke, Long Xingyu brought Long Haochen to the Medicinal Hot Spring Pool he had prepared long ago.

Reassured by Long Xingyu's words, Long Haochen leaned against the edge of the Medicinal Hot Spring Pool and fell into a deep sleep.

His body, mind, and spirit had all been nearly depleted. The only reason he had held on just now was because he was still worried about Long Haoyu.

Having endured it himself in the ant nest, he knew exactly what Long Haoyu was going through as well.

Now that his mind was at ease, his consciousness sank completely into chaos.

A faint smile appeared on Long Xingyu's face. Then he walked to the boulder covering the ant nest Long Haoyu had entered, his little scheme racing along.

"As a father, I certainly won't harm my own child. But while I'm acting as his father, there's no problem with letting Haoyu suffer a little more."

"A real father should descend like a heavenly savior when his child is in the greatest danger. I think Sanshui told me that before."

"Haoyu's personality is rather too unusual anyway. It won't hurt to temper him with this kind of trial."

Inside the Owl Ant Nest.

Everything around him was pitch-black.

Long Haoyu could not see anything around him.

No Edge swung through his hand in a steady rhythm.

From time to time, No Edge struck the stone walls, producing a string of sparks from the impact.

There were simply too many Owl Ants. By now, he had no idea how many had died beneath No Edge's slashes.

Yet the remaining Owl Ants still charged forward one after another, surrounding and attacking Long Haoyu, the "intruder."

Long Haoyu dodged from time to time. Though his vision could not make out anything clearly, his body's Instinct remained.

After having "died" so many times, even without his eyes, he could still sense danger to a certain degree and react accordingly.

Those reactions had long since been branded into his muscle memory, responding even faster than his brain and nerves.

After avoiding another wave of attacks from the ant swarm, Long Haoyu bore plenty of bite marks, and his clothes were similarly torn. Yet his breathing remained steady throughout.

Relying on his hearing, smell, and touch, Long Haoyu frowned slightly as he roughly judged the direction of the ant swarm's attack.

The training of my body's Instinct should be about complete. Next, it's time to hone another aspect of my abilities.

I still haven't learned those Knight Skills the Shadow Instructor used last night, but I at least understand what they looked like.

These Owl Ants will make excellent practice targets.

Long Haoyu muttered silently to himself. His tenacious nature did not allow even the slightest thought of giving up.

He was not even afraid of death. Having died so many times already, the Owl Ants' bites were nothing more than a light drizzle.

While dodging the ant swarm's attacks, enduring the bites of the few that slipped through, he also imitated the Knight Skills he had seen in the Shadow Space.

Memory and body, body and Instinct, Instinct and memory—each connected to the other, each flowing together.

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