The night grew deeper, moonlight like water.
Xu Changqing sat on a stone bench, his gaze calm as he looked at his younger son.
Father and son faced each other, and the atmosphere abruptly turned grave.
Xu Ping'an could feel the scrutiny and concern in his father's eyes. Though he possessed the rare Heaven-Grade Golden Core, and though the two stood at the same realm—
Before his father, he still instinctively felt a trace of fear and did not dare act rashly.
After a long while, Xu Changqing slowly spoke, his voice somewhat low. "Ping'an, do you know what it means to form a Heaven-Grade Golden Core?"
Xu Ping'an bowed. "Your son knows. It means responsibility, and it also means danger."
"Correct."
Xu Changqing nodded. "A Heaven-Grade Golden Core may seem infinitely glorious, but in truth, peril lurks on every side.
"From this day forward, countless people will have their eyes on you.
"Within the Immortal Sect, some will envy you. Outside it, sects such as Dragon-Tiger Sect and Invite Moon will also see you as a thorn in their flesh.
"They will constantly compare you with geniuses such as Lei Yuan and Fenglong.
"If you are strong, they will openly try to win you over and curry favor with you.
"If you are weak, they will look down on you and may even suppress you."
Xu Ping'an opened his mouth, but for a moment, he did not know what to say.
Though he had said more than once that, from the moment he chose the Heaven-Grade Golden Core, he had already prepared himself for everything—that soldiers would be met with generals, water with earth—
Reality was often unpredictable, sometimes not even leaving one time to react.
Xu Changqing cautioned him, "A tree that rises above the forest will surely