Protecting the Rare Species in Progress

"Dad, what are you saying?

Don't we have enough Spirit Stones in the family now?

Why do you still have to stay?"

Yu Xiaoshan looked at his father, his voice trembling as he asked.

After he finished speaking, he turned his gaze toward Yu Ershan. "Second Brother, that person who came to see you a few days ago—wasn't he here to deliver Spirit Stones? Why did you let Dad stay?"

Originally, Yu Xiaoshan thought he had figured out the whole truth.

But his father's insistence on staying shattered his illusions.

Why was everything different from what he had imagined?

"Xiaoshan, since things have come to this, Dad won't hide it from you anymore."

Old Man Yu pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.

As he began to speak, Yu Dashan, who was standing to the side, consciously left the house.

"A few days ago, someone did indeed come to deliver some Spirit Stones to your second brother, and I could have entered the Blessed Land directly, but I have reasons why I must stay."

Old Man Yu continued.

"What reason?"

Yu Xiaoshan couldn't understand. What reason could possibly be more important than life itself?

Why didn't his eldest brother and second brother stop him?

"Do you see that small tree?"

Old Man Yu pointed a finger.

Regarding whether or not to tell Yu Xiaoshan about this matter, he had discussed it with his second son, and they had ultimately decided unanimously: tell him!

It was not only because Yu Xiaoshan was a part of this family, but also to prevent things like Yu Dashan secretly joining the Insect Hunter Team from happening again.

At his age, Yu Xiaoshan was at the stage where he was just starting to form his own opinions.

He felt that he had grown up and that the family shouldn't treat him like a child anymore.

Likewise, children in this age group would always try every possible way to prove themselves.

It would be one thing to keep other matters from him, but since Old Man Yu was choosing to stay at the risk of shortening his lifespan or even losing his life, failing to explain it clearly would inevitably lead to misunderstandings and rifts between father and sons, and among the brothers.

According to Yu Ershan's plan, for the next few years, their family needed to be united and pull in the same direction. If they kept the truth from Yu Xiaoshan, it would undoubtedly become a source of instability.

Who knows what someone might do when they're in a rebellious phase?

At twelve years old, he wasn't a child anymore.

He was fully capable of shouldering the burdens of the household.

Furthermore, over the past few days, Yu Ershan had wanted to see if Yu Xiaoshan could restrain his curiosity.

As it turned out, after questioning the person who delivered the package to him once and receiving a warning, he hadn't asked again. The little guy clearly knew how to distinguish the gravity of the situation.

Beyond that, the most critical point was that the Rare Species was growing right in the courtyard. Its changes were minor for now, so it could be hidden, but what about later, when the changes became more pronounced? How would they hide it then?

He might be able to hide it from outsiders, but could he hide it from Yu Xiaoshan, who lived with him day and night?

Based on these factors, Yu Ershan ultimately decided to tell Yu Xiaoshan the family secret.

Subsequently, Yu Ershan explained the ins and outs of the situation from beginning to end. After listening, Yu Xiaoshan opened his mouth several times, wanting to say something, but couldn't get the words out.

A few mornings ago, he had even spoken to that little tree, telling it to hurry up and become a Rare Species.

He had even thought about keeping it a secret from the rest of the family for a while.

As it turned out, he was the last one in the family to know?

"Second Brother, can't Dad just not stay behind? With Dad's strength, he won't be able to help much anyway. Can't our whole family just go to the Blessed Land and come back next year? Wouldn't it be the same?"

Yu Xiaoshan asked, puzzled.

It wasn't that he looked down on a Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment, but he had heard too much about the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster and the terror of the Zerg.

In his mind, if the Zerg didn't come, then naturally everyone would be happy.

But if the Zerg did come, a Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment would just be throwing his life away.

No matter how he looked at it, there seemed to be no reason for their father to stay behind.

"Dad previously said he would stay in the Settlement, and our courtyard walls have been reinforced—they're even among the best in the Settlement. If Dad suddenly leaves with Spirit Stones at a time like this, can you guess if the people remaining in the Settlement would get curious and come to check on our house?

"Also, if those people see how sturdy our walls are, and that our cellar is dug so deep, might they sneak into our cellar to hide?

"If they see the little tree in the corner, might they vent their anger by chopping it down?

"Although all of this is just my speculation, our family cannot afford to gamble, and we can't afford to lose.

"Most importantly, the Rare Species in our home can absorb Spirit Stones to grow. Dad staying behind can take care of it.

"In the coming time, we will dig a tunnel from the cellar that leads directly beneath this Rare Species. This type of tree naturally possesses a certain ability to mask its aura.

"With its concealment, the possibility of the Zerg discovering Dad will be greatly reduced."

As long as he isn't discovered by the Zerg, with his Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment, Father should normally live to be a hundred. Even if he loses a dozen years of his lifespan, as long as he holds out until Big Brother breaks through to the Qi Refining Realm, it's not impossible to find a spiritual medicine to extend Father's life.

The prerequisite for all of this is that our family must protect this Rare Species well.

"Do you understand now why Father insists on staying?"

"Second Brother, are you serious? Is there really a spiritual medicine that can extend life?"

Yu Xiaoshan fell silent for a moment before asking with a serious expression.

"There is. And compared to the spiritual medicines that can extend the lives of cultivators, those that extend the lives of ordinary people are much easier to obtain."

Yu Ershan said firmly.

This was one of the reasons he ultimately agreed to let his father stay.

As long as they kept him hidden and avoided detection by the Zerg, the lifespan lost now could still be recovered in the future.

Furthermore, although he gave Yu Dashan three years, he did not intend to let his father stay here for that long.

His father was already fifty years old. At the rate of losing over a decade of life per year, even with Fetal Movement Major Accomplishment, he would essentially be at the end of his rope after three years.

Therefore, in a year or two at most, he would take his father's place.

He was young, only twenty, and had plenty of time.

Whether the Yu family could produce a Qi Refining Realm cultivator and whether they could rise as a clan had never depended on one person, but on everyone working together.

He was doing so now, and in the future, Yu Xiaoshan would do the same.

"Alright, I will work hard too. I will definitely find a life-extending medicine for Father in the future."

Yu Xiaoshan clenched his fists, his face full of determination.

Seeing this, Old Man Yu patted his youngest son's head with a gratified smile.

He had never thought about extending his own life. As long as he could see his eldest son break through to the Qi Refining Realm, his second son recover his foundation, and his youngest son successfully achieve Fetal Movement, he would be content with this life.

This was also the final wish of a father like him.

That evening, after the Yu family had a hearty meal of Broken Spirit Rice, they began to act as a group.

Yu Xiaoshan, the youngest, was responsible for keeping watch, while the others began digging a tunnel from the cellar to the base of the small tree in the courtyard.

Just as Yu Ershan had said earlier:

First, they would use the root system of the Rare Species to mask Old Man Yu's aura, reducing the chance of being detected by the Zerg.

The trees in this world had their own way of surviving. When the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster descended, they would enter a dormant state. In this state, the tree's vitality would enter a hidden, hibernating phase, similar to suspended animation, which was enough to significantly reduce the life-stealing effects of the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster.

Some flowers and grasses, and even special plants, go even further by condensing all their vitality into seeds.

This state is based on the same principle as the dormancy of trees.

However, for some trees, the greatest danger is not actually the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster, but the Insect Race.

The Insect Race arrives alongside the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster, wantonly devouring everything on the land. In particular, those trees that have entered a dormant state are often gnawed clean.

But as long as the root system is not completely destroyed, they will grow back again the following year.

Therefore, most of the trees and plants in this world share a common trait: their root systems are exceptionally well-developed.

It is precisely because of this characteristic of trees, combined with the extraordinary nature of the Rare Species, that Yu Ershan thought of this method.

Second, he would quietly replace the ordinary soil around the roots of the Rare Species with soil dug from the Spirit Field.

Because the soil replacement is done underground, it also avoids anyone discovering any clues from above the small courtyard.

Third, considering the extraordinary nature of the Rare Species sapling, perhaps it can absorb the power of Spirit Stones even in a dormant state to resist the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster.

In this way, Old Man Yu would not need to run to the surface to dig holes; he could feed the crushed Spirit Stones to the sapling, reducing the risk of exposure.

At the same time, there are quite a few useless stones piled up in the Yu family courtyard. They plan to stack them around the sapling before the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster arrives, which can also be considered a form of protection.

It can be said that in order to protect this Rare Species sapling and Old Man Yu, the Yu family has thought of every possible method they could conceive.