Yang Chang'an had no idea that his Fifth Uncle was willingly running around to branch halls all over the place, preparing to find opponents for them to practice against. By then, Yang Chang'an himself had already returned safely to the Yang Family estate.
The intense training and competitions at the Training Camp had finally come to an end for the time being. Being able to come home left Yang Chang'an feeling much more relaxed.
The moment he stepped through the Yang Family's gates, the familiar courtyard filled Yang Chang'an's heart with warmth. He had barely taken a few steps inside when he spotted a familiar figure in the distance: Yang Xue, her face brimming with unconcealed joy.
The sight of Yang Xue immediately brought a brilliant smile to Yang Chang'an's face. His steps quickened, and he called out from afar, "Great-aunt, I'm back!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Yang Xue smiled even more broadly and hurried toward him. Once she reached him, she first looked him carefully up and down.
Then Yang Xue reached out and gently pinched Yang Chang'an's cheek. It still felt soft, though a little firmer than before.
"Mm, very good. You're much stronger than when you left. I just sensed your soul power, too. You're already a rank-fourteen Soul Master. Not bad, little Chang'an!"
Yang Xue nodded in satisfaction, the corners of her mouth still turned upward.
"You've gotten a little tanned, though. But that's good-it makes you look sturdy, unlike before, when you were all pale and soft and looked like you had no strength."
Yang Xue's only slight regret was that the adorable baby fat on Yang Chang'an's face seemed to have been almost entirely worn away at the Training Camp. He had lost some of that soft sweetness and gained a young man's spirited bearing.
Yang Chang'an chuckled, his face full of pride. "Of course! I didn't slack off for even a moment at the Training Camp."
At that, Yang Xue could not help laughing. She reached out and gently patted Yang Chang'an's head, her tone especially kindly:
"Of course. When has our little Chang'an ever let his family down?"
The two stood in the courtyard, chatting casually. Yang Xue was getting on in years, and as people grew older, they liked having someone to talk to and hearing about the younger generation's experiences outside. Only then could their hearts rest easy, and Yang Xue was no exception. Yang Chang'an had been at the Training Camp all this time, and she had worried about him every day. Now that he had returned safely, her relief was beyond words.
As for Yang Chang'an, he had been away from home for so long, facing nothing but training, battles, and competition every day, his nerves stretched taut the entire time. Now that he could return home, exchange a few more words with one of his closest elders, and feel the warmth of his family around him, he could ask for nothing better.
As they chatted, Yang Chang'an suddenly remembered what he had seen upon entering the gates-the smile on his great-aunt's face had been especially obvious then, as though something wonderful had happened.
Curious, Yang Chang'an could not help asking, "Great-aunt, has something wonderful happened at home? When I first came through the gates, you looked so happy-even happier than you were to see me come back."
At those words, Yang Xue's smile instantly deepened, and her eyes lit up as though he had touched on some tremendous piece of good news. She lowered her voice a little, but could not suppress the excitement in her tone. "Guess what happened? Let me tell you-your grandfather came out of seclusion yesterday!"
Yang Chang'an froze. His grandfather, Yang Wushuang, had been in seclusion recovering from his injuries for a long time. There had been no news before this, and he had been worried all along.
Before he could ask for details, Yang Xue continued, "He didn't just come out of seclusion. Your grandfather's injuries have healed! And he broke through to rank seventy-nine in one leap, taking another step closer to Soul Douluo!"
Those words sent a jolt through Yang Chang'an. His eyes flew wide, his voice filled with disbelief and unconcealable delight. "Grandfather's injuries are completely healed? And he broke through to become a peak Soul Saint?!"
This truly came as an enormous surprise to him.
Back then, Yang Wushuang and Niu Yue had joined forces to take a powerful attack from Demon Bear Douluo head-on. Both had ended up gravely injured, especially Yang Wushuang, whose injuries had almost damaged the very foundation of his soul power. On top of that, the earlier events had damaged his state of mind, causing his cultivation to regress rather than advance.
All these years, the entire Yang Family had been deeply worried about this. Who could have imagined that after this round of recuperation, not only would his injuries heal, but he would even break through!
Yang Chang'an had originally planned to wait for a suitable opportunity to plunder the heavenly treasures and immortal herbs in that split hot pot. Once he brought the immortal herbs back, Yang Wushuang would surely be able to recover completely with their help.
Yet he had never imagined that his grandfather would quietly achieve a breakthrough on his own, without relying on any immortal herbs! This was an astonishing windfall!
"Yes!" Even now, Yang Xue could not control the excitement on her face when she mentioned it, as though she had returned to the moment of Yang Wushuang's breakthrough yesterday.
"When your grandfather broke through, we were all stunned. We truly never expected him to achieve a breakthrough at a time like this."
Yang Chang'an's heart pounded with excitement. Immediately seizing on the crucial point, he hurriedly asked, "Great-aunt, does that mean Grandfather has resolved the knot in his heart and completely restored his state of mind?!"
After all, Yang Wushuang was the person who understood the Soul Breaking Spear best in this world. He had devoted his entire life to it, and no one could match his understanding.
Although Yang Chang'an now received personal instruction from Qianjun Douluo, whose formidable strength allowed him to offer guidance in many areas, Qianjun Douluo was not a Soul Breaking Spear Soul Master, after all. When it came to certain subtleties and essential details of the Soul Breaking Spear, he still could not compare to Yang Wushuang.
If Yang Wushuang's state of mind recovered completely, then with Qianjun Douluo's guidance as well, Yang Chang'an could draw on the strengths of both and fuse them into a coherent whole. The benefits to his future cultivation would be immeasurable.
Yet Yang Xue's next words were like a basin of cold water gently poured over Yang Chang'an's head.
Yang Xue's brows drew together slightly, and some of the joy faded from her face.
"His injuries have healed, and his cultivation has advanced, but there still seems to be something wrong with your grandfather's state of mind."
"I can feel that his aura and his whole bearing are completely different from five years ago. You must have heard something about what your grandfather used to be like. As he is now, though, he hasn't changed much from before this seclusion."
At those words, the delight on Yang Chang'an's face froze. His expression stiffened slightly, and bewilderment rose in his heart.
A completely different bearing? His state of mind still hasn't fully recovered?
As the saying went, the face was born of the heart, and one's circumstances turned with one's mind. A Soul Master's breakthrough, especially after being stuck at a bottleneck for years, usually began with clarity of mind, after which cultivation advanced as naturally as water flowing into a channel. Yet now Yang Wushuang's cultivation had advanced while his state of mind remained unsettled, and his bearing had changed as well. What exactly was going on?
Normally, a troubled state of mind made a smooth breakthrough impossible. Yet his grandfather had done precisely that. It was far too unusual, far too difficult to understand.
Seeing the confusion and puzzlement written all over Yang Chang'an's face, Yang Xue merely shook her head gently, a trace of helplessness in her voice:
"I'm not entirely sure what's going on either. If you really want to know why, you'd better ask your grandfather yourself."
Yang Chang'an immediately nodded. His mind was full of questions now, and he desperately wanted to see his grandfather and find out what had happened.
He said respectfully to Yang Xue, "Great-aunt, I won't keep chatting with you, then. I'll go find Grandfather first."
"Go on, go on." Yang Xue waved a hand, a kindly smile returning to her face. "Your grandfather is mixing medicine in the Medicine Room. He hasn't gone out since returning there, so just go straight over and find him. Speak properly to your grandfather, and don't go rushing about."
"I understand, Great-aunt!"
Yang Chang'an answered, then said goodbye to Yang Xue and headed toward the Medicine Room where Yang Wushuang usually stayed.
Before long, Yang Chang'an reached the Medicine Room along the familiar route, gently pushed open the door, and walked inside.
As soon as he entered the Medicine Room, he caught a rich herbal fragrance that was not at all pungent. Looking up, he saw Yang Wushuang sitting at a table nearby, his head lowered as he concentrated on mixing medicine.
Yang Wushuang had sensed Yang Chang'an's presence the instant he pushed the door open. A rare softness unconsciously appeared on his otherwise calm face-the tenderness he showed only to family.
Yang Wushuang stopped what he was doing, raised his head, and looked at Yang Chang'an. His voice was calm but warm. "You're back?"
"Grandfather!" Yang Chang'an hurried forward and greeted him respectfully, his concerned gaze sweeping over Yang Wushuang from head to toe, afraid of missing any detail.
Only after confirming that his grandfather looked well, his complexion much rosier than before and without the slightest sign of illness, did he breathe a sigh of relief and hurriedly ask:
"Grandfather, how are your injuries, exactly? Great-aunt said you've completely recovered and even achieved a breakthrough. Is that true?"
Although Yang Xue had already explained everything clearly, Yang Chang'an still wanted to hear confirmation from his grandfather himself. Only then could he truly set his mind at ease.
A faint smile appeared on Yang Wushuang's face. His expression was relaxed, his tone composed. "This period of seclusion to recover from my injuries did take quite a while. But the Worship Hall was worried that my prolonged recuperation would disrupt the supply of Seven-Colored Splendor, so they specially sent over quite a few medicines for treating my injuries."
"With those supporting me, my injuries healed far, far faster than expected. During these days in seclusion, I not only healed my old injuries completely, but also used the medicinal power and a slight shift in my state of mind to achieve a breakthrough."
Seven-Colored Splendor was tied to Qian Renxue's grand scheme to usurp the nation. Until the Worship Hall could produce Seven-Colored Splendor entirely on its own, there was no way it would let Yang Wushuang keep "skipping work" to recuperate indefinitely.