Going Home

Under the setting sun, a winding river flowed across a lush green prairie, spanned by a wooden bridge. Golden sunlight bathed the wooden house by the river, making the scenery look like a painting.

Garen jumped off the back of the Golden Sun Eagle and gazed at the wooden house from afar.

"Ten years in the blink of an eye. I'm back. I wonder how my parents are doing now?"

As he pushed open the courtyard gate, his mother's voice drifted out.

"You're back? Just in time for dinner. Tell me, did Old Sam try to lowball the price of the level six Magic Crystal Core this time?"

"???"

Garen had assumed his mother was speaking to him upon seeing his return, but it seemed he had misunderstood; she had mistaken him for his father.

"A few days ago, a letter came from the Dawson Chamber of Commerce saying our son had applied for graduation and was coming home. I didn't expect him to graduate so soon, so you don't have to..."

Just then, his mother walked to the front door, saw Garen, and her voice cut off abruptly.

After observing him closely for a moment, tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Mother, I'm home."

"Son, is it really you?"

Irene looked at the young man, nearly 1.9 meters tall, standing before her, and could still faintly see the features of his childhood.

"Mother, is Father not back yet? I brought you something good this time."

Seeing his mother, Garen thought of the Phoenix Blood Fruit. It was a treasure capable of increasing fire-element magic affinity; after eating one, he had gained over 300 experience points. It was definitely a good item.

"My son has grown up and even knows how to bring me gifts."

Irene smiled with gratification.

The two walked into the wooden house, and Garen took 10 Phoenix Blood Fruits out of his Space Ring, placing them neatly on the table.

"This is? Phoenix Blood Fruit?"

Irene's eyes were filled with disbelief. One had to know that such a heaven-sent treasure as the Phoenix Blood Fruit was priceless and rarely seen.

Legend had it that there was only one Phoenix Blood Fruit tree in the entire Yulan Continent, growing in the very heart of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. That place was a forbidden zone for humans; even Saint Realm powerhouses weren't guaranteed to walk out safely.

"This? How did you get these?"

Irene was full of confusion, even ignoring how the Phoenix Blood Fruits had suddenly appeared.

One had to know that Space Rings were generally only possessed by those in the Saint Realm.

Although Garen had written home from the academy, he had mostly talked about life and studies, rarely mentioning his personal strength, usually just glossing over it.

"Hey, don't worry about that for now. When Father gets back, I'll explain it to you both. You eat one first and see if it works. I have plenty more."

Under Garen's persuasion, his mother Irene sat cross-legged and ate a Phoenix Blood Fruit.

When Garen ate them, the system refined them instantly, but after his mother Irene ate one, she couldn't control the massive energy of the Phoenix Blood Fruit at all. Her entire body radiated fiery red magic power, and her skin turned bright red.

Although it looked dangerous to absorb the energy of the Phoenix Blood Fruit, Garen wasn't worried at all because he had seen the restorative capabilities of the fruit. Back when the Golden Sun Eagle had been beaten so badly by him and covered in blood, a few Phoenix Blood Fruits had helped it recover quickly.

Half an hour later, his father Clark returned. After the father and son exchanged greetings, they sat to the side to watch over his mother.

It wasn't until late at night that his mother finished absorbing the energy, and Garen felt that her aura had become much stronger.

"The effect of this Phoenix Blood Fruit is too good. I broke through a small realm directly; my mage level has reached the mid-stage of the seventh level."

Irene said with pleasant surprise.

One had to know that a seventh-level mage was a true high-level mage. Advancing even a small realm was incredibly difficult, and one could encounter a bottleneck at any time. Many normal people got stuck and couldn't break through for their entire lives.

Garen was also pleasantly surprised. His mother was 36 years old this year and had already reached the mid-stage of the seventh level; even in the imperial capital, she would be considered a genius. One had to know that mages were much harder to level up than warriors, so reaching the Saint Realm in the future was not impossible.

"Mother, put these Phoenix Blood Fruits away first. I have a very important matter to announce. You both need to prepare yourselves mentally; don't get scared."

Seeing Garen's solemn expression, Clark and Irene were both full of curiosity.

"Actually, our family belongs to the Tiger-Striped Warrior clan, one of the Four Ultimate Warriors."

Before Clark and Irene could react to this statement, Garen transformed.

A humanoid tiger-monster appeared before them.

Although they had some mental preparation beforehand, they hadn't expected this matter to be so shocking.

Feeling the invisible pressure emanating from Garen, Clark and Irene were completely stunned.

"The Four Ultimate Warriors, the Tiger-Striped clan? No wonder, no wonder..."

After Clark snapped out of it, he suddenly understood. The Four Ultimate Warriors had left behind countless legends on the continent, sung by countless bards, and they had heard of them before.

"Father, Mother, my Tiger-Striped Warrior transformation has now reached the Saint Realm."

After speaking, he canceled the transformation and took the Tiger Stripe Secret Manual out of his Space Ring.

"Father, try practicing this Tiger Stripe Secret Manual and see if you can cultivate it."

"Good, the Saint Realm... I never expected that I, Clark, would have a Saint Realm son. Haha."

His father happily took the Tiger Stripe Secret Manual but didn't rush to practice.

"It's too late today. Let's eat first; the food has gone cold. It's your first day back, I can't have you going hungry."

After Mother heated up the food, the family enjoyed a happy meal together. Garen then went to his room to sleep; he hadn't had a proper rest for days during the journey, and he was finally able to get some good sleep and spend time with his parents at home.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Garen slept until he woke up naturally. After a quick wash, he found that Mother had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast.

Just as he sat down at the table, Father returned from outside.

"Sigh, I tried a few times, but failed. It seems my bloodline concentration isn't high enough."

Father said with a hint of regret.

"Father, it doesn't matter. I've heard that the bloodlines of the Four Ultimate Warriors can be activated through special methods. We will find a way in the future."

"Hmm, there's no rush for that. I didn't hold out much hope anyway."

Father said, calming his mind.

As the family ate together, Garen spoke casually.

"Father, Mother, I've always been a bit puzzled. You are currently a Level 6 Warrior (as I learned from our chat yesterday) and a Level 7 Mage, so why is our family living here?"

"Your father and I discussed it last night, and there are many things we can tell you now. In truth, I was originally a princess of the Mosa Principality in the Chaotic Territory. Your grandfather was the former King of the Mosa Principality and a powerful peak Level 9 Warrior, while your grandmother was a Level 8 Fire Mage. You also have an uncle."

"The Mosa Principality is located at the southernmost tip of the Chaotic Territory, near the Luo'ao Empire. The twenty or so principalities to our left and right were effectively controlled by the Radiant Church and the Dark Church respectively. Your grandfather had a very strong personality and several powerful Level 9 Warriors under his command. Because the unspoken rules of the Yulan Continent dictate that the Saint Realm cannot participate in wars, the Radiant Church and the Dark Church were never willing to bite into this tough nut, and both sides treated the Mosa Principality as a buffer zone, living in peace."

"But over a decade ago, I don't know what happened within the Radiant Church, but they suddenly became aggressive. A large number of new Level 9 experts emerged within the Church. They attacked the Mosa Principality, intending to wipe us all out. To cover my escape, your grandfather and grandmother both died at the hands of the Radiant Church."

"Fortunately, your uncle was traveling across the continent after graduating from the O'Brien Warrior Academy at the time and was not in the Mosa Principality, so he escaped the disaster. For some reason, the Radiant Church kept sending experts to hunt me down afterward. During my flight, I met your father. After we fell in love, your father was willing to live here for my sake, and we have remained here ever since."

It seems I've signed a contract. Thank you all for your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Honestly, I was just suffering from a book drought. I feel that Coiling Dragon is still the best, but having read it several times, I decided to write some fan fiction out of boredom. I haven't fully planned out the later settings yet, so I'm just writing whatever comes to mind. Hahaha...

(End of chapter)

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