Yang Chang'an sparred with Yang Wushuang a few more times, and this time, the experience was utterly different from before.
Yang Wushuang's Soul Breaking Spear was still the same spear, but when he wielded it again, most of its overbearing, naked edge had been reined in, replaced by a deep, weighty solidity.
As his spear flowed through its movements, it was less aggressive than before, yet carried a more enduring reserve of strength.
During their earlier bouts, he had always felt something awkward in his grandfather's spearwork-as though something was lodged there, leaving moves that should have flowed in a single breath just short of completion. Now, that awkwardness had vanished entirely.
He understood then that Yang Wushuang's former lack of harmony had probably come from being trapped at a threshold, unable to advance or retreat.
They sparred for a while longer before Yang Wushuang withdrew his spear and stood still. He studied Yang Chang'an carefully, satisfaction appearing on his face, then nodded.
"You haven't let these days go to waste. Qianjun Douluo truly deserves his place among the strongest in the world. Though he wields the Coiling Dragon Staff, his understanding of the spear has reached such heights."
As he spoke, a note of admiration entered his voice. "More remarkable still, he has forged the Coiling Dragon Staff's indomitable will to battle heaven and earth into something that fits your spear remarkably well. With such a great master guiding you, given time, you may well carve out your own great road to the heavens."
In Yang Wushuang's eyes, Yang Chang'an's talent, comprehension, and innate aptitude were all one in ten thousand. Now that a mighty figure from the Worship Hall was personally instructing him, there was simply no limit to his future achievements.
Without the slightest exaggeration, he believed that Yang Chang'an's current strength was certainly no less than Tang Hao's at the same age!
At the thought of Tang Hao's name, the warmth in Yang Wushuang's eyes instantly cooled, and a chill he could scarcely conceal surged up from their depths.
Even with the composure he had cultivated over the years, the mere thought of that man still sent killing intent rising uncontrollably in his heart.
"Wushuang! Wushuang!"
Amid his silence, a vigorous shout suddenly rang out in the distance, so loud that the tiles atop the courtyard wall rattled. Yang Wushuang looked up at the voice, the coldness on his face melting at once into a smile.
The visitor was Niu Yue, with Niu Wenchuan following behind him.
Seeing the grandfather and grandson, Yang Chang'an smiled as well and followed Yang Wushuang forward to greet them.
Niu Yue hurried over, covering three strides in two, and swept Yang Wushuang into a full embrace. His thick arms clamped tight, and even his voice trembled.
"My dear brother! When I heard you'd recovered, I thought Uncle Quji was pulling my leg! To think it was true-wonderful, wonderful! Heaven has eyes!"
Yang Wushuang let him hold him and gave his back several heavy pats, smiling as he said, "All right, all right. You're a grown man. None of this weepy little-girl business."
Niu Yue released him and stepped back to look him up and down several times. Only after confirming that his complexion truly was different from before did he nod in relief. When he turned his gaze to Yang Chang'an, a more complicated look entered his eyes.
Yang Wushuang had not kept Yang Chang'an's apprenticeship under Qianjun Douluo from Niu Wenchuan, so naturally, Niu Yue knew as well. He stepped forward and patted Yang Chang'an's shoulder, a flicker of sympathy crossing his rugged face. "Little Chang'an, you've had it hard."
Yang Chang'an paused, then chuckled. "Grandfather Niu, why would you say that? I've joined the Worship Hall and become the disciple of one of the world's greatest powers. What's hard about that?"
He spoke so frankly that Niu Yue was momentarily at a loss for a reply.
To Niu Yue, although the Worship Hall was the heart of Spirit Hall, there was still a barrier between it and people like them, who had come from the Four Single-Attribute Clans. With Yang Chang'an having to enter its ranks at such a young age, he instinctively felt the boy had suffered an injustice.
But Yang Chang'an understood perfectly. The Worship Hall could both relieve his family's burning crisis and help him climb the path of cultivation. Why refuse something that served both ends so well? He and Yang Wushuang had already discussed every implication thoroughly, so naturally, he had none of Niu Yue's concerns.
Yang Wushuang nodded slightly as well and gestured for them to speak inside. Once they had entered the sitting room and taken their seats, he said, "Now that Wenchuan and Chang'an have both established themselves in the Worship Hall, our two families have something of a foundation in Spirit Hall. We can begin planning our next steps slowly."
Niu Yue's expression grew serious at his words. "What do you mean?"
Yang Wushuang considered for a moment before saying slowly, "Spirit Hall hasn't actually paid much attention to our two families. If I hadn't become involved in some of the Worship Hall's plans over these past few years, they would probably have been only too eager to use our families to curb the Upper Three Sects' momentum."
The Yang and Niu families had come from the Four Single-Attribute Clans and were bound to the Clear Sky Sect by countless threads, yet they had now pledged themselves to Spirit Hall. For the Upper Three Sects, which had always been at odds with Spirit Hall, this was undoubtedly a resounding slap in the face.
Given the chance, Spirit Hall would gladly wield them as that spear.
Niu Yue nodded repeatedly as he listened. He might have been a rough fellow, but these were matters he understood.
Yang Wushuang continued, "The Yang Family is too deeply entangled now. Even with Chang'an entering the Worship Hall, it will be difficult for us to extricate ourselves anytime soon. But the Niu Family is different. We can find an opportunity to sound out the Worship Hall."
"If it's feasible, we should still venture beyond these walls. Trapped here in Spirit City, it will be hard for our families to grow."
As he spoke, his gaze settled on Niu Yue's face.
Niu Yue pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.
How could he not understand that? Their two families might not starve in Spirit City, but expanding was fraught with difficulty. Especially now that they were beginning to recover their strength, their younger members needed experience, resources, and a broader world-none of which Spirit City could currently provide.
"When?" Niu Yue asked.
Yang Wushuang waved a hand. "There's no rush. We've waited five years. What's another little while?"
His tone was calm, but his eyes turned toward the window. The weather outside was fine, and sunlight shone brightly across the courtyard's bluestone paving.
Over the years, he had come to see Spirit City's power structure and Spirit Hall's intentions clearly. Bringing his clansmen here to seek refuge had been an act of necessity. Now that their circumstances were gradually opening up, he naturally had to plan for the long term.
Niu Yue followed his gaze and remained silent for a while before suddenly asking, "That matter of yours... have you truly let it go?"
Yang Wushuang's gaze tightened slightly, then relaxed again. He did not answer immediately, merely looking out at the brilliant daylight beyond the window. After a long time, he finally spoke softly.
"Whether I've let it go or not, what does it matter? The road still leads forward."
He withdrew his gaze as he spoke and looked at Niu Yue. The chill in his eyes had long since faded, leaving only clear understanding.
"Before, I was stuck at that hurdle, unable to cross it no matter what I tried. Now that I've crossed it, looking back, it no longer weighs quite so heavily."
Niu Yue nodded and asked no more. Having known Yang Wushuang for years, he naturally understood his brother's temperament. If he could say this, he truly had moved past it.
Yang Chang'an listened quietly at the side, but his mind returned to the moves Yang Wushuang had used during their sparring earlier.
The spear reflected the man, and the man reflected the spear. That unstoppable, overbearing force of old had now become a steady, weighty strength that endured.
The sitting room fell quiet for a time, with only the occasional birdsong drifting in from outside. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting mottled patches of light and shadow across the floor.
Niu Wenchuan sat below Niu Yue and had not spoken all this time. He looked at Yang Chang'an, then at Yang Wushuang, and suddenly felt that this visit had been worthwhile. Previously, he had understood only part of the two families' situation within Spirit Hall. Only after hearing Yang Wushuang's analysis did he have a firm grasp of it.
Yang Wushuang lifted his teacup and took a sip, then added, "I'll find an opportunity to sound out the Worship Hall. There's no need for you to hurry. Just let the younger members of your clan focus on their cultivation. When the time comes to move, we will."
Niu Yue voiced his agreement, then suddenly remembered something and grinned. "Speaking of which, that boy Wenchuan has benefited quite a bit from Chang'an in the Worship Hall. The last time Qianjun Douluo instructed Chang'an, he gave him a few pointers as well. He talked about it for days after coming home."
Yang Wushuang looked at Niu Wenchuan with a smile in his eyes. "Oh? Then you must make the most of it. For Qianjun Douluo to offer you guidance is a rare opportunity indeed."
Niu Wenchuan hastily nodded his assent, though he looked a little embarrassed. Watching from the side, Yang Chang'an felt reassured as well. Their two families had been close for generations, and naturally, their generation ought to support each other too.
They talked a while longer. As the sun climbed higher, Niu Yue rose to take his leave. Yang Wushuang and his grandson saw them out, watched the old man and the boy disappear at the end of the lane, then turned back inside.
Following behind Yang Wushuang, Yang Chang'an suddenly asked, "Grandfather, are we really going to move beyond Spirit City someday?"
Yang Wushuang paused and looked back at him. "What, reluctant to leave the Worship Hall?"
Yang Chang'an shook his head. "It's not that. I just think moving beyond the city is a matter for the future. Right now, establishing a firm footing in the Worship Hall matters most."
Yang Wushuang nodded, approval entering his eyes. "It's good that you can think that way. The Worship Hall is our foundation for now. Moving beyond the city is our plan for the future."
"Neither needs to get in the other's way."
As he spoke, he looked toward the distant sky once more and said softly, "A road must be walked one step at a time. There's no rushing it."