Letters from Brother and Sister

"Damn it!"

Yan slammed his fist into the ground, scraping the skin off his knuckles as blood seeped out.

A flash of unwillingness crossed his eyes before being replaced by even deeper hatred.

Yang Jian.

He silently repeated the name through gritted teeth.

That damned bastard had made him lose all face in front of Nana.

Then Yan coughed up another mouthful of blood, overcome by rage.

He fainted.

Seeing this, Instructor Wang did not dare delay any longer. He scooped Yan up and hurried out of the training grounds, intending to get him treated.

After Yang Jian, Instructor Wang, and Yan had all left.

The training grounds fell silent for quite a while.

Only after Instructor Wang's hurried footsteps had completely faded did the students beneath the arena begin chattering among themselves.

"Who exactly was that kid just now? Why have I never seen him before?"

"No idea. He came with Senior Sister Hu Liena. Could he be a new disciple recruited by Spirit Hall?"

"No way, right? A new disciple could send Senior Brother Yan flying with one move? Senior Brother Yan is a Soul Elder!"

"And did you notice? He did not even use a soul skill! He just charged over and sent Senior Brother Yan flying with one slash!"

"How old is he? He looks younger than me."

"What kind of martial soul was that blade of his? I have never seen a tool martial soul shaped like that."

"..."

The discussions rose and fell, every face filled with shock and curiosity.

Most of them were young soul masters specially nurtured by Spirit Hall. Their cultivation was all above level twenty, so naturally, they were not lacking in experience.

Precisely because of that, they understood even more clearly what the scene just now meant.

A child who looked only six or seven years old had defeated a Soul Elder in martial soul possession with a single move using nothing but physical strength, without even using a soul skill.

It was utterly absurd!

"I think this person definitely will not remain ordinary in the future," an older youth said in a lowered voice. "We should find a chance to befriend him."

Several people beside him nodded one after another, shrewd light flashing in their eyes.

Elsewhere.

Xie Yue stood beneath the arena with narrowed eyes. He withdrew his gaze from the direction Yang Jian had left and looked toward his younger sister.

The corners of Hu Liena's lips curled up, her alluring eyes brimming with amusement.

It seemed she had long expected such an outcome.

Xie Yue hesitated for a moment before asking, "Nana, what level is Yang Jian now? How is he this strong?"

A few days ago, he had heard Hu Liena mention that she was going to Star Dou Forest, and he knew she had gone with Yang Jian.

But he did not know what exactly had happened.

Hu Liena turned to look at her brother and did not hide it. "Level sixteen."

Xie Yue froze. "Level sixteen?"

He frowned as he calculated silently.

Before Yang Jian had left Spirit Hall to hunt for a soul ring, he should have been level ten.

Now he had returned at level sixteen?

Could one soul ring really raise soul power by six levels?

It was not impossible.

But...

Xie Yue voiced his guess. "Could it be that he had obtained his first soul ring long ago and simply never announced it?"

"No." Hu Liena shook her head. "His first soul ring is ten thousand years old, which is why his soul power increased so much."

Xie Yue's expression froze.

"What did you say?" His voice involuntarily rose several pitches. "How could a first soul ring possibly be ten thousand years old?"

"I'm not joking." Seeing the shock on her brother's face, Hu Liena's smile deepened. "I saw it with my own eyes. He absorbed the soul ring from that ten-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape, and Elder Ju was there as well."

Xie Yue stood dumbfounded.

A ten-thousand-year first ring.

And it had even come from a Titan Giant Ape.

Remembering the power behind Yang Jian's slash just now, he suddenly felt that everything made sense.

A monster capable of absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring.

A six-year-old child whose body was as strong as a Soul King's.

Defeating Yan truly was nothing worth making a fuss over.

Earlier, he had actually been considering whether he could win if he faced Yang Jian. Looking at it now, that had truly been clownish behavior.

Xie Yue remained silent for a long while before letting out a long breath.

"No wonder Yan's loss was not undeserved."

He gazed toward the entrance of the training grounds and sighed.

Six years passed in the blink of an eye.

Neither particularly long nor particularly short.

The courtyard where Yang Jian lived was still the same courtyard as before. The bluestone paths, the carved window lattices—every blade of grass and every tree was no different from six years ago.

But the people living within it had undergone earth-shaking changes.

Morning sunlight filtered through the paper windows into the room.

Yang Jian opened his eyes and habitually circulated the Eight-Nine Mysteries once before getting out of bed.

Two maids entered carrying washing supplies and breakfast. Seeing that he was already up, they hurried their steps.

"Young Master Yang Jian, you're awake."

As they arranged the tableware, they secretly glanced at Yang Jian. Their gazes wandered, and two suspicious flushes rose to their cheeks.

It was not entirely their fault.

The sallow, skinny little child from six years ago, less than a meter tall, had now grown into a youth over one meter eighty in height.

His skin was fair and smooth, like the finest mutton-fat jade.

His features were sharply defined, sword-like brows slanting into his temples, his nose straight, his thin lips lightly pressed together. His dark eyes were deep as an abyss, and every gesture carried an innate heroic air.

The two maids exchanged a glance, seeing the same thoughts in each other's eyes.

After serving at Spirit Hall for so many years, they had never seen such a handsome man.

Unfortunately, a man like him was not someone they could dare to dream of.

"Young Master, your letters." One maid handed over two letters, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.

Yang Jian accepted them. After looking at the handwriting on the envelopes, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

One from his brother, one from his sister.

He opened Yang Jiao's letter first, unfolded the paper, and began reading carefully.

"Xiao Jian, I hope this letter finds you well. Everything is fine for me in Weihai City, so you needn't worry. Lord Wang Hegui treats Xiao Chan and me very well. We lack neither food nor clothing, and life is a hundred times better than it was in Yellow Fish Village."

"I have not neglected my cultivation either. A few days ago, I broke through to level twenty-five. I am preparing to join a soul-hunting team and gain some experience outside."

"You are alone in Spirit Hall, so take good care of yourself..."

After finishing the letter, Yang Jian's smile deepened.

He was not surprised that his brother had reached level twenty-five.

Over these six years, he had sent all of his Spirit Hall allowances and rewards back to Weihai City. The flow of gold soul coins had never stopped.

With enough gold soul coins to buy soul beast meat to nourish his body, along with the high-level meditation method Yang Jian had sent back, Yang Jiao's innate soul power might have only been level one, and his talent might not have been exceptional, but he had progressed steadily.

Level twenty-five. A Grand Soul Master. For an ordinary person, that was already a fine achievement.

But...

Yang Jian frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the words "join a soul-hunting team."

Soul-hunting teams roamed the outskirts of the various Soul Beast Forests year-round, and the danger was far from low.

His brother's martial soul was merely an ordinary fish spear, practically a useless martial soul. Level twenty-five was nothing remarkable outside, either.

What if something happened...

A trace of worry flashed through Yang Jian's heart.

He then opened his younger sister Yang Chan's letter.

"Second Brother! When are you coming back to see me? You haven't come home in six years. I miss you so much! I broke through to level fifteen a few days ago. Isn't that amazing?"

"Let me tell you, the chubby kid next door bullied me last time, so I poked a hole in his family's door with my trident. He never dared bully me again..."

Looking at the elegant handwriting on the letter, Yang Jian could not help laughing aloud.

His sister had awakened her martial soul three years ago. It was a trident mutated from their father's fish spear martial soul. She had innate level-five soul power, which barely qualified her as a little genius.

She had gained ten levels in three years, averaging more than three levels a year. The speed was not fast, but it was quite good.

"A trident..."

A thoughtful gleam flashed through Yang Jian's eyes.

His brother's talent was poor, while his sister's was decent. But with his resources supporting them, they might not lack the chance to advance to higher realms in the future. He could consider making plans for immortal herbs.