Returning Home in Splendor, Father King's "Misunderstanding"

Time flew by, and Xue Yao was now eight years old.

Morning.

Outside the capital of the Farack Kingdom, dust billowed into the air.

A fully armed Heaven Dou Royal Heavy Cavalry was escorting an incredibly luxurious purple-gold carriage as it marched imposingly through the city gates.

This procession was far more magnificent than the one from two years ago when Xue Yao had departed.

Around the carriage, commoners and merchants packed the streets so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through. Everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse, their eyes filled with awe.

Everyone knew that the greatest pride of their Farack Kingdom, Viscount Sky Wind Xue Yao, had returned.

Outside the main gate of the Farack Royal Palace.

King Xue Lang and Queen Gao Nianzhen had long been waiting on the steps with their civil and military officials.

Having not seen their son for two years, the couple had been waiting with bated breath.

Gao Nianzhen had lived quite comfortably over the past two years.

With experts from the Feng family secretly protecting the royal family, she faced less pressure and her cultivation had progressed smoothly.

She had even broken through a bottleneck a while ago and was now a level 73 Spirit Saint.

Xue Lang had it a bit worse; he was too busy with state affairs to find time for cultivation, and after two years of grinding, he had only barely managed to become a Spirit Emperor.

"Why aren't they here yet?" Gao Nianzhen asked, tapping her feet in anxiety.

Xue Lang held his wife's hand at her side, offering soft words of comfort.

"Soon, soon. The scouts reported in half an hour ago."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the rhythmic sound of hooves echoed from the end of the street.

The golden Royal Knights appeared in their line of sight.

The carriage came to a steady halt in front of the palace.

The carriage door opened.

A boy dressed in a white, slim-fit formal suit stepped onto the carriage stool and descended.

At eight years old, Xue Yao had grown quite a bit taller. His once-childish features had fully matured, making him look exceptionally handsome.

He stood there with his hands in his pockets. The lazy yet noble aura about him was even more pronounced than it had been two years ago.

"Yao'er."

Gao Nianzhen's eyes reddened. Disregarding her status as Queen, she hurried down the steps and pulled Xue Yao into her arms.

"Mom. I'm home."

Xue Yao wrapped his arms around his mother, feeling a warmth spread through his heart.

No matter how much he schemed or acted while away, back home, this bond of blood was undeniable.

Xue Lang walked over as well.

He patted his son's shoulder, looking him up and down with eyes full of pride.

"You've grown taller and stronger," Xue Lang said with a nod.

"Come, let's head inside the hall to talk."

Xue Lang waved his hand, signaling for the officials to withdraw. The family of three walked into the main palace hall, chatting and laughing.

No outsiders were left in the grand hall.

Gao Nianzhen held Xue Yao's hand, fussing over him and asking if he had eaten well in Tiandou City and if anyone had bullied him.

Xue Yao answered each question with a smile, taking the opportunity to share some interesting anecdotes from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

As for the probes from Qian Renxue or the dangerous political maneuvering with the East Palace secret guards, he didn't mention a word, lest his parents worry needlessly.

"By the way, Yao'er."

Xue Lang took a sip of tea, his mood quite good.

"That matter you handled two years ago really helped your father out a lot."

"That old man Feng Cang brought the core team of Godwind Academy and set down roots here. Now, the security of Farack City is as solid as a fortress."

Xue Lang smiled. "A few days ago, the old man even came to the palace to play a game of chess with me. He couldn't stop singing your praises."

Xue Yao smiled. "It was just a mutual exchange of needs. The Feng family didn't lose out."

With the catching up mostly done, Xue Lang set down his teacup, his expression becoming more serious.

"Yao'er. You traveled all the way back from Tiandou City—is there something important?"

The Heaven Dou Royal Academy had strict regulations. As a core student among the core, the academy wouldn't easily let someone return home for a visit unless it was for something significant.

Xue Yao nodded.

"There is a matter. My spirit power has hit a bottleneck."

"The Sunset Forest near Tiandou City doesn't have much worth looking at in its outer reaches, and I'm too lazy to bother with the depths."

"I figured, isn't the edge of the Star Dou Forest right next to our Farack Kingdom? I might as well come back and find a suitable soul ring."

Hearing the words "find a soul ring,"

Xue Lang froze.

His hand holding the teacup stopped in mid-air, and his brow furrowed bit by bit.

The joy that had filled his face vanished in the blink of an eye, replaced by an expression of extreme heartache.

"Yao'er."

Xue Lang sighed heavily, his tone full of confusion and distress.

"My child, why won't you listen to reason?"

Xue Yao was completely bewildered.

"What did I do?"

Xue Lang stood up and paced back and forth in the great hall, looking agitated.

"Two years ago, there was a huge uproar in Tiandou City. They said you spent every day in the library, obsessed with Self-Created Soul Skill."

"Even though Emperor Xue Ye issued an imperial decree later, stating that you had risen five levels in three months to silence the critics,"

"That was two years ago."

Xue Lang turned his head and stared fixedly at Xue Yao.

"In these two years, have you spent all your energy on those flashy theories? Have you completely neglected your cultivation?"

Gao Nianzhen sensed something was wrong. Her protective instincts flared, and she glared at her husband.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Yao'er hasn't neglected anything."

Xue Lang grew anxious and slapped his thigh.

"How has he not?"

"When he was six, he was already level fifteen. Two whole years have passed since then."

"Two years. He's only hitting his bottleneck now, only just coming back to hunt for his second soul ring."

The more Xue Lang spoke, the more his heart ached.

"That means in these two years, he has barely managed to rise five levels. He's only just reached level twenty."

In Xue Lang's understanding, a peerless genius with Innate Full Soul Power should have risen at least seven or eight levels in two years if they focused on meditation and cultivation.

Yet, his son was only now coming to find his second soul ring.

This was clearly a case of being severely delayed by Self-Created Soul Skill.

He even suspected that his son had truly followed the same path as Feng Xiaotian from Godwind Academy.

Upon hearing this, Gao Nianzhen's brows also furrowed slightly.

She didn't blame her son, but she did feel it was a pity.

"Yao'er." Gao Nianzhen stroked Xue Yao's head, her tone very gentle.

"Your father has a point. No matter how exquisite a Self-Created Soul Skill is, it shouldn't hinder the improvement of your actual level."

"You are still young, and you have a long road ahead. Raising your level is the most important thing."

Xue Yao sat in his chair.

Listening to his parents' synchronized "imagining," he was completely stunned.

He looked at his heartbroken father, then at his concerned mother.

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch violently.

What on earth were they talking about?

They really had wild imaginations. They actually thought he had only risen five levels in these two years.

Xue Yao sighed, his expression becoming extremely strange.

"Dad, Mom."

He looked up at Xue Lang and Gao Nianzhen, slowly spitting out a single sentence.

"Who told you... that I came back to hunt for my second soul ring?"