Treating a Dead Horse as if It Were Alive
The three-day deadline has passed; he should go back now.
Clear Sky Sect--
In a bedroom on the back hill, the air was filled with the smell of medicine.
Tang Yin lay on the bed, his emaciated body sunken into the blankets, barely showing any movement.
His eyes were half-open, his gaze cloudy and unfocused.
The First Elder sat by the bed, his withered hand holding Tang Yin's wrist, probing it every now and then, and remaining silent for a long time after each probing.
"Sect Master, you should rest well," the First Elder said softly.
Tang Yin slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse and indistinct. "I... don't have much time left. What about Xiao'er?"
"They went to the Star Dou Forest and haven't returned yet."
"Tell him... to come back quickly."
"I have something I want to say to him."
The First Elder turned his head and called out towards the door, "Third Brother, take some men to the Star Dou Forest and find Tang Xiao as soon as possible."
"Good."
The Third Elder responded and walked out, quickly pointing to more than twenty disciples. The group hurriedly headed down the mountain.
Not far from the mountain gate, the Third Elder saw a figure striding towards him from the mountain path.
"Tang Xiao!" The Third Elder rushed forward, and as soon as he got close, he said urgently, "Your father... your father is dying, hurry up the mountain!"
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Xiao hurriedly rushed up the mountain.
The Third Elder quickly turned around and followed, shouting to his disciples as he ran that they should catch up on their own and not wait for him.
As an elder at the Soul Douluo level, he could barely catch a glimpse of Tang Xiao's back even with his full effort, but the more he chased, the more alarmed he became.
No matter how fast he accelerated, there was always a constant distance between him and Tang Xiao, which meant that Tang Xiao was not using his full strength, while he had already given it his all.
What chilled him to the bone was that he could no longer see through Tang Xiao's strength.
Even if someone breaks through to the Titled Douluo, it's impossible for them not to see through themselves, since they are level 92.
The Third Elder was filled with doubt, and he chased after Tang Xiao with all his might. "Tang Xiao, you have broken through to the Titled Douluo, but why... why can't I see through your strength?"
Tang Xiao had no interest in dealing with such issues.
"Third Uncle, let's talk about this later."
The bedroom door was suddenly pushed open.
Tang Xiao strode across the threshold, rushed to the bed, slammed his knees on the footstool in front of the bed, and reached out to grasp Tang Yin's withered and thin hand.
"Xiao'er..."
Tang Yin's lips twitched slightly, and his cloudy eyes turned toward the doorway.
"Dad, how are you?"
"I... I don't have much time left."
"The position of Sect Master... today, will be passed on to Tang Xiao... and from this day forward, the Clear Sky Sect will go into seclusion and cease all involvement in the conflicts of the continent... with the elders providing their full support."
The elders knelt on one knee simultaneously, saying, "We will certainly do our utmost to assist Sect Master Tang Xiao."
Tang Yin nodded, then he raised a finger with difficulty, signaling the elders to leave first.
Everyone silently left the room, the door closed gently, leaving only the father and son and the strong smell of medicine in the bedroom.
Tang Yin's gaze lingered on Tang Xiao's face for a long time before he slowly said, "Xiao'er, will you... blame me... as your father?"
Tang Xiao held his father's hand, puzzled, and asked, "Why should I blame you?"
Tang Yin shifted his gaze from his face to the flickering oil lamp on the roof beam, and began to speak haltingly.
"I've made many decisions in my life, but my biggest regret is being too strict with you and too lenient with Hao'er."
"You two brothers have had different personalities since childhood. You are the eldest son and are destined to inherit the sect, so the requirements for you are higher than for anyone else. You must be the best in everything, from cultivation and handling affairs to interacting with others."
He had never praised Tang Xiao in his entire life, not because he didn't want to, but because he was afraid that Tang Xiao would become arrogant, complacent, and that the centuries-old foundation of the Clear Sky Sect would be ruined in his son's hands.
But with Tang Hao, knowing that he wouldn't be the one to inherit the sect in the future, but only to stay in the sect to assist his elder brother, she indulged him in everything, spoiled him, and pampered him...
But he never knew that such differential treatment would make Tang Xiao resentful.
Tang Xiao listened to these words he had never heard before, his eyes uncontrollably reddened.
He gripped Tang Yin's hand tightly, his voice hoarse. "Dad, it's all in the past."
"I did resent you when I was little. I resented that you always had a stern face towards me, that you never praised me, and that you were so good to my younger brother but so harsh on me."
"When I grew up, I understood that you were afraid I wouldn't be able to shoulder this responsibility, but you never disapproved of me."
"It's something I've always wanted to prove to you, something I wanted you to praise me for..."
Tang Yin's lips curled into a smile, "Xiao'er, you have long been... my greatest pride in this life."
Tang Xiao was stunned, and tears welled up in his eyes.
He had waited thirty years to hear those words.
He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against his father's cold hand, his shoulders trembling silently and violently.
"Hao'er... has come to pick me up."
Tang Yin's gaze passed over Tang Xiao's head and looked up at the empty roof beam.
"Xiao'er... the Clear Sky Sect... is now in your hands."
"I'm going downstairs... to keep your brother company."
Tang Xiao suddenly raised his head and instinctively gripped Tang Yin's hand tightly, as if trying to pull his father, who was on the verge of death, back from the brink.
But the hand he had been gripping tightly had already fallen limply to its side.
Tang Yin's eyes were still open, and the last trace of a smile lingered on his lips.
Tang Xiao knelt before the bed, gently placed his father's hand back on the bedding, and closed his eyes.
Just as he was about to get up and call the elders in to make arrangements for the funeral, his hand suddenly touched the black porcelain bottle in his sleeve.
He paused, reached out and took out the porcelain bottle, uncorked it, poured out a pill, held it in his palm, stared at it for a long time, and suddenly a thought popped into his mind that even he found absurd.
This pill can help Soul Master break through from Soul Douluo to Titled Douluo, and can transform a person completely.
Could it bring someone back to life?
Under normal circumstances, he would never have believed that a pill could bring a dead person back to life.
But at this moment, looking at his father's lifeless body, he gritted his teeth.
Trying anything as a last resort is pointless; if it doesn't work, it's just useless.
But what if it works?
Without further hesitation, he pried open Tang Yin's tightly clenched teeth with his thumb and stuffed the pill into his mouth.
The pill melted instantly in his mouth. Before he could even give him water, the pill turned into a stream of black liquid and slid down Tang Yin's throat on its own.
He gripped Tang Yin's wrist, not daring to miss a single change, and unconsciously held his breath.
The pulse in that wrist had stopped, the skin was cold, and there was no sign of life.
Unwilling to give up, he reached out to check Tang Yin's breath again, but it was still empty.
He lowered his head, ready to give up, when suddenly, his Spiritual Power felt an extremely faint vibration.
He looked up abruptly and saw that Tang Yin's chest had begun to rise and fall slightly.
The undulations, though subtle, were real and grew increasingly powerful.
Tang Yin's face, which had been deathly pale, began to regain its color.