Long Xingyu, Left with No Choice

"Nothing should happen, right?"

Long Xingyu pondered inwardly. The more he thought about the principles Long Haoyu upheld, the more uneasy he became.

Especially when he watched Long Haoyu's carefree yet decisive departing figure, that feeling grew even stronger.

"Upholding such an insane Knight's creed, treating life and death as nothing but the pursuit of ultimate strength."

"With beliefs like that, the boy still told Yue not to worry. Wasn't that lying without even blinking? Did Odin Sub-Temple teach people to conduct themselves like this?"

"This is troublesome. If I let this kid keep messing around like this and something really happens to him, Yue will probably resent me for the rest of her life!"

Long Xingyu's emotions were exceedingly complicated. He carefully considered everything, yet no matter how he thought about it, he could not come up with an answer that would truly put him at ease.

After hesitating for a moment, he withdrew his complicated gaze and looked at Bai Yue, who was in his arms and worrying somewhat about Long Haoyu.

Bai Yue raised her head without saying anything. The corners of her eyes trembled slightly, and her gaze was filled with pleading.

"Yue, are you still worried about the child?" Long Xingyu sighed softly and asked gently.

Bai Yue nodded. The tears she had held back for so long finally spilled from her eyes. "Yu Yu is far too mature for his age. He has suffered too much for this family over the years, and now he has gone off alone to cultivate. I'm worried... I'm worried..."

In the end, Bai Yue still did not say what she feared most. Though her words did not express it outright, her expression had already revealed all the emotions in her heart.

"Do you want me to follow him and take a look?" Long Xingyu asked again.

Bai Yue nodded. "Yu, go after him and have a look. I know you want them to become strong, but I'm his mother. I only want to watch him grow up healthy and safe."

Her eyes were heartbreakingly moving.

Long Xingyu's heart was struck hard.

The arm around Bai Yue unconsciously tightened, as if he wanted to protect her properly.

"Alright. Once I have arranged Haochen's cultivation, I'll go follow Haoyu and see what he's doing."

"Don't worry. Whether it's Haoyu or Haochen, I won't let anything happen to either of them."

Long Xingyu took a deep breath. Under Bai Yue's gaze, he forcefully suppressed the savagery in his heart and spoke in a deep voice.

Bai Yue relaxed a little and buried herself in Long Xingyu's arms, sobbing soundlessly.

Long Xingyu felt worse and worse. Sensing Bai Yue's concern, he finally realized where the unease in his heart had come from.

His deep gaze turned once more toward the trail descending Mount Odin.

By then, Long Haoyu was no longer on the path. The empty road held only the occasional rabbit that darted past.

Other than that, there were only trees swaying in the wind, their rustling echoing through the forest.

"So my feeling was right. All this unease came from that little brat Haoyu."

"From the moment Haoyu suggested going to Haoyue Marsh, that kid had already put me on the line!"

"How did I let such a little kid wrap me around his finger so completely?!"

Long Xingyu was thoroughly depressed.

With all his suspicions confirmed, a bitter smile gradually covered his face.

After sighing emotionally, Long Xingyu helped Bai Yue back into the wooden house to rest.

Then, he immediately began making arrangements for guiding Long Haochen in cultivating Internal Spiritual Power.

What kind of sin had he committed, exactly?!

Haoyue Marsh lay a hundred li north of Haoyue City.

Judging by their locations, Haoyue Marsh, Odin Town, and Haoyue City formed a triangle.

After leaving Mount Odin, Long Haoyu did not head straight for Haoyue Marsh. Instead, he went to Haoyue City to buy a few things before setting off for this place favored by Adventurers from Haoyue City.

He had chosen Haoyue Marsh only after careful consideration.

Given his current strength, this was the safest place he could go.

To take life and death lightly, and fight anyone who refused to submit—this was indeed the creed he upheld.

But upholding such a creed did not mean he intended to become a complete brute.

What he needed was the essence hidden within those eight words, the essence that could sweep aside everything.

Therefore, he needed a place where he could fully unleash his Instinct without completely exposing his life to the eyes of powerful Magic Beasts.

Haoyue Marsh was his best choice.

Otherwise, he could have secretly left Odin Town and headed into the Demon Territory.

After all, Odin Town stood at the border adjoining the Demon Race, and going there would naturally offer even more battles.

But for now, he could not handle that, so the area where he could truly move about was limited to the vicinity of Odin Town and Haoyue City.

As for the bloodline of the Heaven-Defying Demon Dragon Clan that he possessed?

Long Haoyu had considered it, but he had not treated it as the foundation for surviving among the Demon Race.

The Demon Race was an exceptionally complicated collective, filled with every kind of race. For the sake of profit and many other factors, they would not care about such things at all.

For example, from what he knew, Yue Ye, the Daughter of the Moon Demon God of the Second Pillar, had been ambushed and besieged by other Demon Race factions even while transporting supplies back to the Demon Territory.

The laws of survival within the Demon Race were cruel. Thus, the power of his bloodline was an advantage for becoming stronger, but it was not enough to serve as a life-saving talisman.

If he placed too much faith in the advantages brought by his identity, his final end would certainly be miserable.

Unless his maternal grandfather personally brought him back and announced his identity to all the Demon Race.

But considering how much of a henpecked husband, obedient husband, and doting father his grandfather was—

Long Haoyu was not counting on that. Before his mother Bai Yue agreed, his grandfather would remain extremely cautious.

Standing at the outskirts of Haoyue Marsh,

Long Haoyu sensed the miasma permeating the air.

The Instinct deep within him vaguely began to awaken.

"No Edge, this place should be enough to satisfy the conditions for your growth."

"Third-Grade Magic Beasts are common here, and Fourth Grade ones can occasionally be seen. Enjoying the benefits of slaughter here should fit the Killing Instinct you mentioned."

Long Haoyu planted No Edge before him.

Its blade, covered in ragged gaps and notches, was strikingly conspicuous.

The dark blade began to hum.

The No Edge Sword Spirit, like a Black Coal Ball, ran out from within No Edge. It floated through the air for a moment, then said excitedly,

"Master, this place is perfect. Let your Killing Instinct run free here!"

"As long as I receive enough feedback from your Killing Instinct, I can complete my independent growth and truly remain by Master's side forever."

As soon as it finished speaking,

Little Coal Ball flew a circle around Long Haoyu.

Its nearly invisible eyes suddenly squeezed together, and it put on a pitiful expression. "Master, look at how battered and worn-out I am now. I'm very sad too."

"So, Master, start killing quickly! Let's repair the sword blade and let me show my former sharpness again!"

Long Haoyu: "...Do you not have any idea why the blade is so damaged?"

No Edge stuck out its tiny tongue, then hugged itself and twisted its body. It said pitifully, "Master, you can't blame me for that. No Edge is too powerful, while I, the Sword Spirit, am still too weak."

"Master definitely feels sorry for No Edge, right? You definitely won't blame No Edge for something like this, right?"

Long Haoyu: "..."

Feeling No Edge's sudden tea-spilling act, he abruptly had the urge to throw it straight into the marsh not far ahead.

Whoever wanted this broken sword could take it!

Where had it learned all these bad habits?

Seeing Long Haoyu speechless, No Edge chuckled and flew back up. It stopped acting like a fool and stood with its tiny body atop No Edge's hilt.

Seeing No Edge suddenly become serious, Long Haoyu could not be bothered to continue wasting words. "You don't need to urge me about increasing my strength. I know how to arrange things myself!"

"Since increasing my strength does not conflict with unleashing my Killing Instinct, you only need to grow independently!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

Long Haoyu reached out and gripped No Edge's hilt again.

Normally, the No Edge Sword Spirit should have returned directly into No Edge by now.

Yet this time, it did not. Instead, it maintained a serious expression.

Long Haoyu frowned. "What else is it?"

No Edge said, "Master, your father started following you after you left Haoyue City. Are we really going to begin just like this?"

"If we do, he'll discover me!"