Holiday Life, Foreshadowing a Distant Journey

As the semester ended, Tianxing Martial Arts Academy welcomed the two children's first winter break since they enrolled. Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao, carrying the fruits of their labor and glory from the semester, as well as a little tired, were picked up by their parents and returned to their familiar and warm home in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan of Dragon City.

A lavish welcome feast had been prepared at home. Grandfather Yu Boxuan, father Yu Mingfeng, stepmother Madam Liu, grandfather-in-law Ye Kuan, and other elders gathered together, beaming with joy as they looked at their grandchildren, who had grown noticeably taller and whose eyes were now more resolute and bright.

He was especially full of praise when he heard that the two boys had performed exceptionally well at the academy, serving as class monitors and leading the underdog to victory in the final joint competition.

"Excellent! You truly are the pride of the Yu Family!" Yu Mingfeng happily embraced his grandson and granddaughter, his face beaming. Although he was already the head of a clan and his authority grew daily, he could never hide his pride in front of his family, especially when facing his two outstanding grandchildren.

Yu Boxuan stroked his beard and smiled, his gaze sweeping over Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao with satisfaction. "Ting'er, Yao'er, your progress is rapid, and your temperament is excellent. Very good. It seems that you have firmly established your Martial Foundation Establishment."

Yu Yuanchen had carefully examined his son and daughter's Cultivation Level beforehand, and a satisfied look appeared in his eyes. After a semester, Yu Yunting's Soul Power had stabilized at the mid-stage of level 15, Yu Yunyao had reached the early stage of level 15.

What pleased him even more was that the two little ones were making solid progress in Martial Foundation Establishment. Yu Yunting's Blood Essence and energy were vigorous, and he was faintly touching the threshold of the Martial Way Grade Two; although Yu Yunyao's Martial Soul characteristics focused more on healing and control, she was also firmly standing in the middle of the Grade One. Keep in mind, they had only just turned six years old!

This rapid progress is certainly aided by top-tier resources and innate talent, but it is even more inseparable from their own hard work and focus. Children are naturally playful, and the fact that they can endure loneliness and concentrate on their studies at such a young age shows that their character has been tempered quite well.

Ye Kuan inquired about his granddaughter's support abilities, carefully asking Yu Yunyao about her use of the Sacred Heart Immortal Begonia Martial Soul and her feelings about the contract with the Star-Eating Vine. Upon hearing the wonderful points, he nodded repeatedly, and his gaze towards his daughter Ye Zhilan was filled with pride—it seemed that his daughter's Way of Beast Taming had found an excellent successor.

Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan looked at their children, who were surrounded by their family, looking slightly shy but unable to hide their excitement. They smiled at each other, their eyes filled with tenderness and satisfaction. This trip around the continent, which lasted for several months, had allowed them to see a wider world, but the warmth of family was always the deepest longing at the end of the journey.

The days that followed were filled with long-awaited leisure and warmth. Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan turned down most of their sect affairs and devoted almost all their time to their family and children.

They took the two children to visit the elders of Dragon City, sparred and gave guidance at the sect's Martial Arts Arena (of course, they suppressed most of their strength), went to the back mountain to search for plum blossoms in the snow, chatted around the fire at night, and tasted the delicious medicinal cuisine made by Ye Zhilan herself.

Of course, I was also constantly pestered by the two curious little ones to tell me about their travel experiences.

"Daddy, Daddy! Is the Star Luo Empire's palace really bigger than the Heaven Dou Empire's? Do all the Soul Master there use the White Tiger Martial Soul like the Dai Family?" Yu Yunting asked, lying on Yu Yuanchen's lap with his little face upturned.

"Mommy, Mommy! Is there really a crescent-shaped spring in the desert? And sand that sings?" Yu Yunyao nestled beside Ye Zhilan, her eyes sparkling.

Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan laughed as they recounted their experiences on their journey. They described the martial and fierce folk customs of the Star Luo Empire, its architectural style that was strikingly different from the Heaven Dou; they described the vastness and desolation of the endless yellow sands, as well as the tenacity of Life in the oases; and they depicted the magnificent and frigid landscape of the Extreme North, a land of Ice Seal and snow.

When they talked about their experiences in the Extreme North, the two little ones perked up their ears.

"In the Core Circle of Far North, we encountered two very powerful Ferocious Beast." Yu Yuanchen's tone was calm, yet tinged with a hint of reminiscence. "One was the Heavenly Snow Woman, whose Cultivation Level close to 700,000 years, named Snow Empress; the other was the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, Cultivation Level was close to 400,000 years, named Ice Empress. They are the rulers of the Extreme North, and their strength... is very powerful."

Ye Zhilan replied, a hint of surprise and admiration in her eyes, "They wield the ultimate power of ice and snow, and in the Far North environment, their strength is unfathomable. Your father sparred with them back then."

"A sparring match? Dad, you fought with them?" Yu Yunting asked excitedly, "Who won?"

Yu Yuanchen smiled, his tone calm yet brimming with absolute confidence. "It's a draw, I'd say. Playing on their home turf, taking advantage of the terrain, even with their combined efforts, Father couldn't easily defeat them. However..." He paused, "Father didn't use his true methods either. After all, we didn't go there to fight; we went there to discuss cooperation."

"Cooperation?" Yu Yunyao keenly caught the word.

"Yes, cooperation." Ye Zhilan took over and explained gently, "You have already personally experienced the Beast Taming Contract Method your mother and the Ferocious Beast of the Star Dou Great Forest researched together."

This method benefits both humans and Soul Beast. Our search for the powerful beings in the Extreme North is also intended to introduce this method to them, paving a new and more peaceful path for coexistence between Soul Master and Soul Beast."

She further explained that while the Contract Method is good, it also has its thresholds. Soul Beast need sufficiently high bloodline potential to withstand the burden of rapidly increasing their Cultivation Level; otherwise, once they reach the upper limit of their bloodline, their progress will become extremely slow.

Soul Master need sufficiently strong Spiritual Power to contract with and guide high-age Soul Beast. Therefore, there are not many combinations that can truly achieve high-level contracts; it is more of a two-way elite selection.

"So, this is actually something that needs time and trust to gradually move forward," Yu Yuanchen concluded. "The strong in the Extreme North are not foolish; they can see the pros and cons. In the face of absolute strength, deception is meaningless." His implication was that with his strength, if he truly harbored malicious intent, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths.

Yu Yuanchen smiled faintly. There was a reason why things went so smoothly. In this era of Soul Master World, there were only so many top-tier combatants, and those capable of venturing into Great Ferocious Land like the Far North and Star Dou to hunt high-level Soul Beast were even rarer.

Therefore, although there are frictions between humans and Soul Beast, it is far from a life-or-death struggle. The internal battles among Soul Beast are far more frequent and brutal than the human Soul Hunting.

Therefore, beings like the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress do not harbor deep-seated hatred towards humanity; their feelings are more of caution, since they haven't been harmed before. As long as sufficient strength and sincerity are demonstrated, cooperation is possible.

The two children didn't quite understand, but they roughly grasped that their parents were doing something remarkable and difficult, and their respect for their parents grew even stronger.

The pleasant winter vacation always flies by. In the blink of an eye, the atmosphere of the Spring Festival has gradually faded, and there are less than ten days left before the start of the new semester.

That evening, after dinner, the family chatted over tea in the warm pavilion. Yu Yuanchen put down his teacup, looked at his children nestled beside Ye Zhilan, and spoke gently yet with a hint of seriousness, "Ting'er, Yao'er, there's something I need to tell you."

The two little ones looked up at their father.

"In a few days, after you all start school, my mother and I will be going on another trip," Yu Yuanchen said. "This time, we plan to go overseas."

"Overseas?" Yu Yunting's eyes lit up. "Are you referring to those legendary places with many islands?"

"Yes, but not only." Ye Zhilan nodded, patting her daughter's head. "I've heard that the overseas world is vast, with other continents that have completely different customs and cultures from the Douluo Continent, and there might even be unknown Soul Beast and cultivation systems. We want to explore it."

Yu Yunyao keenly picked up on the key information. "Will it take a long time?"

Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan exchanged a glance and nodded slightly. "The journey overseas is long and arduous, and exploration takes time. This time... it might take several years."

"Years?!" Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao exclaimed in surprise at the same time. The smiles on their little faces froze instantly, replaced by deep reluctance and tears welling up in their eyes. Not seeing their parents for years? This was simply unacceptable to them, who had never been separated from their parents for such a long time before.

Yu Yunting pursed his lips tightly, his small hands clenching into fists. Yu Yunyao's eyes instantly reddened, but she held back her tears, lowering her head and whispering, "... Oh."

Seeing the two children trying to act sensible but unable to hide their disappointment and sadness, Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan's hearts softened instantly, feeling both heartache and amusement.

"Pfft--" Ye Zhilan couldn't help but laugh out loud. She reached out and pulled her daughter into her arms, Yu Yuanchen also laughed and ruffled his son's hair.

"Silly children," Ye Zhilan wiped away the tears welling up in her daughter's eyes and laughed, "Look how scared you are. Your father was just kidding!"

Yu Yuanchen couldn't help but chuckle, "Who said we wouldn't see each other for years? Your old man is a top expert on the continent, do you think I'd be stopped by such a short distance?"

The two little ones looked up blankly at their parents who had suddenly started laughing, not quite understanding what was happening.

A slight ripple appeared in the space between Yu Yuanchen's fingertips, and a miniature portal with an ancient design and a mysterious aura flashed by. "See that? Your old man has a divine artifact that can teleport you over extremely long distances. I've left spatial coordinates in Dragon City, Star Dou, the Far North, and even your academy. Going anywhere is just a step away."

Ye Zhilan added, "So even though we're going to explore overseas, we can come back to see you every now and then, or whenever we miss you. Maybe even more often than you come home for holidays!"

The truth has come out! Their parents were just teasing them!

"Dad! You're lying!" Yu Yunting immediately bristled, his little face puffed up with anger, and he waved his little fists, ready to punch Yu Yuanchen.

Yu Yunyao lifted her head from her mother's arms, and said with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, "Mom, you've learned bad habits from Dad too! You've made us sad for nothing!"

The warm pavilion was instantly filled with shouts of "retribution" and laughter. Yu Yunting pounced on Yu Yuanchen's back to "take revenge," while Yu Yunyao, unusually, revealed her girlish charm, relentlessly tickling Ye Zhilan. The sadness of parting just moments before was instantly swept away by this warm playfulness.

After the commotion, the family of four sat down again. Although Yu Yunting and Yu Yunyao verbally protested, they were completely at ease and even found their parents' occasional pranks a little amusing.

"However, overseas exploration does take time, and it's impossible to come back every day." Yu Yuanchen straightened his expression. "While your mother and I are away, you must be even more self-disciplined at the academy. Do not slack off in your cultivation, be humble in your interactions with others, remain calm in the face of adversity, and consult with your teachers more often. Remember, you are Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan's children, but more importantly, you are yourselves."

"Okay! We understand!" The two little ones nodded emphatically. Knowing that their parents weren't going away for long, but were just going on a fun "long trip" and would come back often, they completely relaxed, only feeling curiosity and blessings for their parents' journey.

Over the next few days, the family atmosphere became even warmer. Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan began preparing supplies for their overseas trip, mainly organizing some potentially needed pills, documents, and special items.

They also took the time to provide more in-depth guidance to their children's cultivation, especially offering many suggestions regarding their Martial Soul characteristics and development direction.

Under his father's guidance, Yu Yunting's control over the Thunder Power became even more refined; while under his mother's guidance, Yu Yunyao gained new insights into the perception and application of plant Life energy.

On the eve of the start of the school year, Yu Yuanchen and Ye Zhilan personally escorted their children back to the Tianxing Academy. Standing outside the academy gate, watching their two children carry their schoolbags, wave goodbye, and then turn and blend into the crowd of students returning to school, their backs firm and full of vitality.

"The children have really grown up," Ye Zhilan said softly, nestled against her husband.

"Hmm." Yu Yuanchen put his arm around her shoulder, his gaze distant. "The academy is their sky; overseas will be our new journey. Let's go home and make some final preparations; it's time for us to set off."

A new semester, a new journey. Young eagles continue to hone their wings under the sky of the academy, while azure dragons yearn to ride the winds and waves to explore the vast and boundless overseas world.