Head of the Su Family

Su Yan pulled Su Yu through the many courtyards of the Su Family, heading straight for the one where the family head lived.

Brother Yu, Father will be so happy when he finds out you've broken through!

Su Yan said excitedly, his steps light.

He's spent these years worrying himself sick over you.

Su Yu nodded silently.

In his memories, his uncle Su Tianheng had indeed treated him extremely well.

Even during the five years he'd been reduced to this state, Su Tianheng had never given up on him. He personally checked Su Yu's cultivation progress every month and spent vast resources searching for a way to help him.

As they stepped into the pavilion, a faint sandalwood fragrance wafted over them.

A middle-aged man sat in the main seat of the hall, eyes closed as he rested.

His features were stern, and his brows bore a slight resemblance to Su Yu's. Yet his aura was far deeper and more boundless. Simply sitting there, he exerted an invisible pressure on everyone around him.

Su Tianheng, current head of the Su Family and a powerhouse at the eighth layer of the Spirit Condensation Realm!

Father! Su Yan hurried forward, his face alight with joy.

Brother Yu, he—

He broke through. Su Tianheng opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, and fixed it directly on Su Yu.

Qi Refining Level 4, with dense spiritual power and a solid foundation.

Su Yu stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Your nephew pays his respects to Uncle."

Su Tianheng gave a slight nod, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Sit."

Once the two had taken their seats, Su Tianheng personally poured Su Yu a cup of tea. "Five years of stagnation, then a breakthrough all at once. Have you found a way to solve the problem?"

Su Yu didn't want to reveal anything about the Ancient Sword in his soul just yet, so he said, "Your nephew isn't sure either. While cultivating this morning, I suddenly felt the shackles inside me loosen, so I broke through while the opportunity was there."

At that, Su Tianheng nodded, then suddenly sighed. "It's a pity Tianxing isn't here. If he knew you'd finally broken through, he'd be relieved."

At the mention of his father, Su Yu clenched his fists. "Uncle, about my father's disappearance..."

"Five years," Su Tianheng said, his gaze distant.

"That day, he suddenly vanished. I mobilized the entire clan to search for him and even asked the City Lord's Mansion for help, but we couldn't find a single clue."

Su Yu fell silent.

In his memories, his father, Su Tianxing, had been a steady man. He would never have disappeared without reason.

There had to be more to it!

The mood grew heavy.

Seeing this, Su Yan hurried to change the subject. "Father, Brother Yu's breakthrough is a good thing! And just now at the Training Ground, he defeated Su Hao with a single move!"

A glint flashed in Su Tianheng's eyes.

Su Yu said modestly, "I was just lucky. Su Hao underestimated me, and I caught him off guard."

"Don't sell yourself short." Su Tianheng nodded in satisfaction.

"The fact that you've broken through proves your talent is still there. You can still catch up on the cultivation you lost all these years."

As he spoke, he took a Jade Box from his sleeve and pushed it in front of Su Yu. "Open it and have a look."

Su Yu opened the Jade Box, puzzled. A rich medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out.

A pill the size of a longan lay inside, its entire surface a deep green, Cloud Patterns flowing across it.

"A Qi Augmentation Pill!" Su Yan cried.

"Father, this..."

Su Tianheng raised a hand to stop him, then said to Su Yu, "Those below Qi Refining Level 6 who take a Qi Augmentation Pill can advance by one level, with no aftereffects. This pill is priceless and hard to come by. I've kept it for years, intending to give it to you once you broke through to Qi Refining Level 4."

Su Yu's heart jolted.

He knew the value of a Qi Augmentation Pill, of course. It was worth at least ten thousand taels of gold—and often, no amount of money could buy one.

His uncle had actually saved such a precious pill for him.

"Uncle, this is far too valuable." Su Yu tried to refuse it.

"Now that I've broken through, I can cultivate on my own..."

"Take it." Su Tianheng's tone brooked no refusal.

"In two months, Skywind City will hold the Grand Tournament. An Inner Sect Elder from the Yunlan Sect will come to watch and select disciples. In a month, the Su Family will hold an internal selection to choose our contestants."

"The Yunlan Sect!" Su Yu's breath caught.

It was one of the top sects in the Great Xia Kingdom. If he could join, the cultivation resources he received would far surpass what the family could provide!

"Brother Yu, with your talent, if you can get into the Yunlan Sect, you might even unravel the mystery behind your cultivation stagnation!" Su Yan said excitedly.

But Su Tianheng waved a hand. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. You've just broken through, and your foundation isn't stable yet. Keep the Qi Augmentation Pill for now and take it once your realm has stabilized."

Su Yu drew a deep breath and accepted the Jade Box solemnly. "Your nephew won't let you down, Uncle!"

By the time they left Tianxing Pavilion, the sun had already set in the west.

Su Yan patted Su Yu on the shoulder and grinned. "Brother Yu, I knew you wouldn't stay down forever! Come on, let's go to my place. I just got a new jar of Spirit Spring Brew. We should celebrate!"

Su Yu shook his head. "Another day. I want to go back and stabilize my cultivation first."

Su Yan didn't press him. "All right. If you need anything, just come find me!"

Back in his own courtyard, Su Yu sat cross-legged and let his consciousness sink into the Soul World.

Amid the gray mist, the Ancient Sword still floated in place, the cracks along its blade clearly visible.

But what shocked Su Yu even more was the pale-yellow orb, about the size of a fist, floating not far from the sword!

Soft light rippled across the orb's surface. It contracted and expanded from time to time, as if breathing.

What in the world is this...

Su Yu cautiously approached. The closer he got to the mysterious pale-yellow orb, the clearer his thoughts became.

It was like a mirror that had gathered dust for years suddenly being polished clean. Cultivation techniques that had once been obscure and difficult to understand now seemed as clear as a flowing stream.

Could... could this orb be connected to the improvement in my comprehension?

Su Yu's heart gave a small jolt.

He remembered how the complicated sword moves at the Training Ground had suddenly become simple and clear to him.

He cautiously reached out. The instant his fingertip touched the surface of the orb—

Buzz!

An indescribable sense of comfort swept through his entire body.

It was like drinking a cup of warm wine in the depths of winter, or soaking in a hot spring when exhausted.