Mother's Death, Secluded Cultivation

"Mom." Ye Xunfeng felt the hand stroking him growing cold.

"Child, don't be afraid, don't cry. I'm at the end of my strength." His mother smiled. "My little Feng, Mom is sorry. You'll have to walk the road ahead on your own. I've left you enough Gold Soul Coins. Make sure you eat well, and remember to put on more clothes when it's cold."

"Cough, cough, cough." Her voice grew weaker and weaker. "Don't use the Angel Spirit until you become a Titled Douluo. Don't go to Spirit Hall. My son, don't blame your father."

"I understand, I understand, Mom." Ye Xunfeng's voice was choked with sobs.

His mother gently curved her lips and raised a hand, wanting to stroke Ye Xunfeng's head one more time. "Don't cry. Smile, little Feng..."

But before she could finish, the hands that had held Ye Xunfeng every day slowly fell. The eyes that seemed to want to remember him forever lost all their light.

"Mom!" Ye Xunfeng's whole body trembled, his eyes bloodshot.

The next morning, Ye Xunfeng remained in the same position as the day before, utterly motionless.

When Ye Xunfeng saw the rising sun, the tears in his eyes finally spilled over.

Looking at his Spirit, Ye Xunfeng suddenly burst into laughter.

Why? Why?!

He had clearly awakened the Wishing Angel Spirit. His mother could have been saved.

Why...

Qian Xunji, I'll have you hacked into a thousand pieces!

Ye Xunfeng's eyes brimmed with hatred, but the moment he saw his mother's corpse, he quickly forced it down.

No, he couldn't seek revenge yet. He had to live. He had to become a god.

As long as he became a god, his mother could be resurrected.

As long as he became a god!

He had to cultivate properly. He had to endure this hatred.

A gentleman's revenge could wait ten years.

Ye Xunfeng clenched his fists tightly, and blood soon seeped from his palms.

Ye Xunfeng placed his mother on the bed and slowly walked outside.

This was a secluded paradise his mother had built herself, a small grove surrounded by countless trees.

Ye Xunfeng spotted a sickle in the room where firewood was chopped. He quickly picked it up and headed toward the trees.

He buried his grief and earnestly felled three trees. Then, he released his Spirit and began carving the wood.

About two days later, Ye Xunfeng had made a fairly decent coffin.

His hands were covered in wood chips and blood, yet he seemed not to feel it at all.

After placing his mother inside the coffin, Ye Xunfeng could no longer hold himself up and collapsed onto the ground.

Ye Xunfeng took a deep breath, then began his first cultivation session since awakening his Spirit.

When his Soul Power circulated for the first time, his two Spirits slowly emerged. A flash of black light glimmered on the Atlas Spear—it was a black Soul Ring.

At the same time, a black Soul Ring appeared on the Wishing Angel Spirit.

Ye Xunfeng's Soul Power instantly broke through level 10 and reached level 11.

Ye Xunfeng slowly opened his eyes, staring at the Soul Rings on his Spirits in utter disbelief.

This was...

Good, good, wonderful.

If this was real, then perhaps he truly had a chance to contend for Godhood.

Once his Soul Power recovered, Ye Xunfeng immediately took up the Atlas Spear and continued digging.

The next day, a gravestone stood before Ye Xunfeng.

Ye Xunfeng kowtowed several times and gently stroked the words carved upon it.

Grave of My Mother, Ye Lingmeng.

"Mom, I'm sorry. Little Feng is unfilial and can't avenge you right now. But rest assured, as long as Little Feng lives, I will never rest until this vengeance is repaid." Ye Xunfeng's voice nearly broke as he spoke.

Ye Xunfeng returned to the house and sorted through the supplies. At the same time, he used his Soul Power to inspect the storage Soul Tool his mother had left him.

There was more than enough food inside.

Ye Xunfeng looked at the sun in the sky. As long as the food lasted, he would not leave seclusion.

Ye Xunfeng returned to the house like a walking corpse.

Since he did not need to hunt Soul Beasts, then he would simply cultivate without end.

Spring passed into autumn, cold gave way to heat.

The flowers atop his mother's grave had been replaced nine times, and the maple tree beside it had turned red nine times as well.

Ye Xunfeng slowly opened his eyes. When he reached into the storage Soul Tool for some dried rations, he found that there was nothing left.

Ye Xunfeng frowned slightly, then slowly rose and stretched.

He glanced at his somewhat worn clothes, his face filled with tenderness.

Mom...

I'm a Soul Saint now. Isn't that impressive...?

Ye Xunfeng gave a bitter smile.

It was time to leave seclusion. The strength of a Soul Saint was enough to roam the continent.

Ye Xunfeng slowly clenched his fist, then gradually relaxed it. A long spear appeared in his open hand, while two black and five red Soul Rings slowly rose beneath his feet.

As for the Soul Rings, they had come with the template.

Looking at the Soul Rings beneath his feet, Ye Xunfeng revealed a satisfied expression.

It was indeed time to go out. He did not know what era it was now, but it should be Tang Hao's era. After all, Qian Xunji's voice had still sounded rather young when he heard it before.

Then, in this era, those ownerless opportunities naturally belonged to whoever was capable enough to seize them.

After cleaning the entire house, Ye Xunfeng slowly locked the door. Standing at the gate, he looked over the courtyard and softly said, "Goodbye."

Ye Xunfeng left the grove and looked over the desolate wilderness, frowning tightly. Where exactly was this place?

He did not know the way.

After sighing, Ye Xunfeng slowly raised his Soul Power and flew into the air.

Ye Xunfeng took out the map his mother had left behind, compared it to the surrounding terrain, and swiftly headed toward Sunset Forest.

Sunset Forest was likely near Heaven Dou City. Ye Xunfeng landed outside Heaven Dou City's gates but did not enter. Instead, he turned and headed toward the forest.

Although his relationship with Spirit Hall was not friendly, he definitely would not agree with Tang San destroying Spirit Hall in the future.

After all, once Spirit Hall was destroyed, the Angel Spirit would become something everyone wanted to hunt down.

Furthermore, Spirit Hall's disappearance would mean the unchecked spread of Evil Spirit Masters. It would mean this world becoming chaotic and unbalanced.

Moreover, his mother had deeply believed in the Angel God.

It could even be said that she had been fanatical.

Ye Xunfeng slowly entered Sunset Forest. The Soul Beasts here were not particularly strong; for him, most could be handled with a single thrust of his spear.

Thus, Ye Xunfeng ran swiftly without any reservations.

Although he did not know the exact location of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, if he remembered correctly, it should be in the center of Sunset Forest.

As for whether Poison Douluo and the others had already occupied it, that did not matter.

Ye Xunfeng believed that the abilities of his Wishing Angel Spirit were enough to cure their Spirit-related problems. Besides, Tang San's method might not be unusable either.

More importantly, as far as he was concerned, as long as he could become a god and resurrect his mother, it did not matter what had to be sacrificed along the way.

Though his talent meant it should not matter in theory, who would ever fear having even better talent?

Better talent meant more opportunities.