The Beginning of Fate, Sibling Love

[You arrived at the Pill Hall.]

[You first went to visit your mother.]

[You learned that your mother was guiding her Personal Disciple in alchemy.]

[The Pill Hall Deacon naturally knew your identity, so he brought you to your mother's private alchemy room.]

[You saw your mother guiding a young girl in alchemy.]

[The girl wore an emerald dress embroidered with entwining medicinal patterns. A Jade Token hung from her waist, with three tiny pills dangling beneath it. They chimed with every step, livelier than the wind chimes beneath the eaves.]

[She was strikingly beautiful. When her brows tilted upward, she carried a touch of carefree charm, while faint dimples rested at the corners of her eyes. When she smiled, even the medicinal mist rising from the pill furnace seemed tinged with warmth. Her unbound dark hair was loosely pinned up with a jade hairpin, several wisps falling against her cheeks and making her face all the more bright and adorably youthful.]

[You guessed her identity. She was one of the Four Great Beauties, Mu Xinger.]

[Your mother's face lit up with delight when she saw you.]

[After finishing her guidance of Mu Xinger's alchemy, your mother asked why you had come to the Pill Hall.]

[You brushed it off by saying that you had come to see her.]

[You pretended to look curious and asked your mother who the girl before you was.]

[Your mother introduced her to you. "Qi'er, this is Mother's Personal Disciple, Mu Xinger."]

[Likewise, she introduced you to Mu Xinger. "Xinger, this is your master's son, Mu Xingqi."]

[You cupped your hands and said with modest courtesy, "I have long heard of Miss Xinger's illustrious name. Now that I have met you, you truly are breathtakingly beautiful."]

[Mu Xinger replied with a smile as well, though she seemed somewhat shy around strangers.]

[You successfully became acquainted with Mu Xinger.]

[Under the pretext of wanting to learn alchemy knowledge, you often sought out your mother and Mu Xinger.]

[Your mother was naturally delighted by this.]

[Your relationship with Mu Xinger grew close.]

[With such a beauty by your side, you instead became even more diligent.]

[You set aside time to cultivate and study alchemy knowledge.]

[One month later, your cultivation improved.]

[In the ninth month, your relationship with Mu Xinger advanced another step.]

[Mu Xinger was two years older than you, yet she called you "Brother Xingqi."]

[This made you bloom with joy.]

[In the tenth month, the new year arrived.]

[You came to the Pill Hall, preparing to celebrate the new year with your mother and Mu Xinger.]

[Though it was the new year, your mother remained extremely busy.]

[At present, she was the only alchemist in the Lineage, and nearly all the pills were refined by her.]

[She also had to make time to impart knowledge of the alchemical Dao to those in the Pill Hall.]

[Thus, even during the new year, your mother remained endlessly busy.]

[Still, your mother made time to have a New Year's Eve Dinner with you.]

[You were very happy and had New Year's Eve Dinner with your mother and Mu Xinger.]

[In January of the second year, Mu Xinger successfully refined a Yellow Grade Low Rank Qi Gathering Pill. She became a Yellow Grade Low Rank alchemist.]

[Both you and your mother were happy for her.]

[After Mu Xinger advanced to alchemist, she took some of the burden off your mother.]

[However, this also made Mu Xinger busy, and your chances to see her decreased.]

[You deeply regretted this.]

[You continued cultivating diligently.]

[From time to time, you dug out the picture books stored away at the bottom of your chest and studied them.]

[One month later, you learned that the Clan Competition was about to begin.]

[However, you had no interest in it and gave up on the Clan Competition.]

[Seven months later, in September of the second year, you felt the bottleneck to a breakthrough.]

[You began preparing to break through the bottleneck.]

[The first attempt failed.]

[One month later, you made your second attempt at breaking through the bottleneck.]

[Fortunately, you successfully shattered the bottleneck and smoothly broke through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer!]

[You were overjoyed.]

[You wanted to share the news with Mu Xinger, but found that she was busy refining pills, so you gave up.]

[In November of the second year, you consolidated your cultivation.]

[In December of the second year, the new year was approaching.]

[On New Year's Eve, you rarely got to have a reunion dinner with your mother and Mu Xinger.]

[After spending so much time with you, Mu Xinger's relationship with you grew even closer.]

[Your mother saw it all, and she also did everything she could to bring the two of you together.]

[But you knew that what Mu Xinger felt for you was not love, but familial affection, as though you were her elder brother.]

[She had always treated you as an older brother.]

[Yet you still hoped to take things further.]

[In January of the third year, your mother and Mu Xinger remained busy refining pills.]

[You could only calm yourself and cultivate.]

[When you could not calm down, you looked through picture books.]

[That same month, Mu Xinger's Alchemy Skill advanced to Yellow Grade Mid Rank, and two new Yellow Grade Low Rank alchemists emerged within the Lineage.]

[The entire Lineage celebrated.]

[In February of the third year, your grandfather returned gravely wounded, shocking the entire Lineage!]

[You sensed that your parents had become even busier. You had not seen them at all during these past two months.]

[You learned that your mother was doing everything she could to refine Healing Pills for your grandfather, having secluded herself in the alchemy room for months.]

[Mu Xinger temporarily took charge of the Pill Hall and was also rushed off her feet.]

[You felt that the situation within the Lineage was in turmoil.]

[Several days later, the Wang Family Foundation Establishment Ancestor attacked Muye Mountain.]

[The Lineage gathered all its strength to resist. Even your severely wounded grandfather had no choice but to face the Wang Family Ancestor.]

[Your grandfather died in battle!]

[The great formation of Muye Mountain was broken!]

[The Wang Family charged onto Muye Mountain!]

[Your father bore the brunt of the attack. After fighting two Wang Family cultivators of the same realm to the death, he was slapped to death by the Wang Family Ancestor!]

[To protect you, your mother was besieged by several Late-stage Qi Cultivation cultivators and ultimately died in battle!]

[Your mother stroked your cheek one last time, her voice bitter. "Qi'er, your father and mother could not stay by your side while you were growing up. From now on, I fear we will have no chance to do so either..."]

["You and Xinger... must live... on..."]

[Watching your parents die before your eyes, you clenched your fists in fury.]

[You picked up your mother's Spirit Sword and rose in resistance.]

[With the Spirit Sword's help, you killed a Wang Family Mid-Stage Qi Refining disciple.]

[You saw Mu Xinger being besieged by Wang Family cultivators, and their intentions were clearly malicious.]

[You raised your sword and rescued Mu Xinger.]

[After several fierce battles, your condition became terrible.]

[Furthermore, you had never learned sword techniques, and your combat experience was insufficient. By now, you were already covered in wounds.]

[Mu Xinger, lying on your back, was also severely injured and barely conscious.]

[She primarily cultivated the alchemical Dao, and her cultivation had only just broken through to the Fifth Level Qi Refining. Naturally, she could gain no advantage while besieged by several Mid-Stage Qi Refining cultivators.]

[You carried Mu Xinger on your back, preparing to kill your way out of the encirclement. You knew that hope was slim.]

[But when you thought of that lively, spirited figure from days past, you only wanted her to survive.]

[And having watched your parents die before your eyes, you were naturally unwilling to leave just like this.]

[You vaguely heard Mu Xinger sobbing and murmuring, "Brother... don't go. Don't leave Xinger behind!"]

[You did not know who the "brother" in Mu Xinger's words was, but it was most likely not you, because she only called you "Brother Xingqi."]

[You replied, "Brother will definitely take you away!"]

[You knew that perhaps the brother Mu Xinger spoke of was someone else, but at this moment, she was your little sister. You thought that you had to protect her well.]

[You chose to burn your Spirit Root, taking Mu Xinger with you as you gambled for a sliver of survival.]

[You successfully carried Mu Xinger out of the encirclement.]

[You set Mu Xinger down, then turned back toward the Lineage.]

[You did not look back, silently groaning in your heart, I'm sorry... Xinger...]

[Returning to the battlefield, you used the final boost brought by burning your Spirit Root and chose to self-destruct.]

[You died!]

[Perhaps your self-destruction merely stirred the robes of the Foundation Establishment cultivator, but it made a young girl's heart pause for you...]