A day and a night had passed.
Yu Yuanzhen, who had watched over Yu Xiaogang the entire time, had bloodshot eyes. His once neatly groomed hair was now a mess.
But Yu Yuanzhen had no thought to spare for that. He did not dare take his eyes off Yu Xiaogang for even a second.
Bright red blood had formed a crust over Yu Xiaogang's skin. More blood kept seeping out, adding to its thickness.
To be honest, as Yu Yuanzhen looked at that crust of blood, he wondered how his son could possibly have so much blood to lose.
Surely Yu Xiaogang would not end up an empty husk by the time he finished absorbing the Spirit Ring?
Wild thoughts kept racing through Yu Yuanzhen's mind. Then, at that very moment—
The energy fluctuations faded, and everything fell still.
Yu Xiaogang, who had endured with gritted teeth and a face twisted in pain, finally relaxed. His body tipped toward the ground, beyond his control.
Yu Yuanzhen, who had not let down his guard for an instant, flashed to Yu Xiaogang's side and caught him.
"...Father... I... did it..."
A smile tugged at Yu Xiaogang's blood-crusted face, though it was almost impossible to see.
His voice was so hoarse it made Yu Yuanzhen's heart ache.
"Good. Good. You did it. That's all that matters."
Yu Yuanzhen's nose stung, and tears spilled down his cheeks before he could stop them.
Only he knew how agonizing that day and night had been.
Countless times, Yu Yuanzhen had wanted to stop Yu Xiaogang's absorption. But if he interrupted him, all of Yu Xiaogang's effort and resolve would go to waste. So he had held back.
Now that he knew Yu Xiaogang had truly succeeded, joy, relief, and a rush of other emotions overwhelmed him.