"Mm, actually, with breakthroughs, it shouldn't matter whether you do it earlier or later, right?" Zuo Xiaoduo said stiffly. "...Still, well, it's best to prepare a bit more."
Zuo Xiaonian set aside her doubts and smiled sweetly. "Don't worry about me. But you... Puppy... why were you crying so hard just now?"
Zuo Xiaonian had already made up her mind.
When she went to Star Martial Academy tomorrow, she would have to discuss this thoroughly with her teacher. Just where had things gone wrong?
"I really wasn't crying. I just got something in my eyes..." Zuo Xiaoduo also buried the matter in his heart. Now that he knew, he couldn't stand idly by.
No matter what, he had to avert this!
Xiao Nian absolutely, absolutely must not die!
Xiao Nian, you've protected me for so many years. Now, I'll protect you! Zuo Xiaoduo said silently to himself, making up his mind.
Zuo Xiaonian's impending death calamity left Zuo Xiaoduo almost unable to breathe. Thinking about it, even the aura around him grew inexplicably savage.
Even the rims of his eyes had turned red.
Even if he had to stake his life on it, he had to change this.
He clenched his teeth so hard they ground audibly.
The sky had already darkened.
Frowning, Zuo Xiaonian sat sideways on the edge of Zuo Xiaoduo's bed, lost in thought and nursing something of a headache. Xiaoduo couldn't cultivate; how could she change his aptitude? Spirit medicines that could change a person's aptitude now had prices but no sellers. None had appeared in a long time, and even when one occasionally did, the great Lineages handled it in secret. No news could leak out at all...
What should I do?
And then there's... how did Xiaoduo inexplicably find out about my breakthrough? Where did things go wrong?
Zuo Xiaoduo was anxious too.
Zuo Xiaoduo had never believed he truly was a good-for-nothing.
When his Star Soul awakened, Zuo Xiaoduo knew that although his aptitude wasn't good, it was certainly not trash. But then the dreams began appearing sporadically, and his Star Soul suddenly became half-dead. He could never break past the Martial Disciple realm, only pacing back and forth over the same ground.
Especially after that strange, incomplete jade pendant appeared, no matter how hard he worked, his cultivation hardly progressed at all. It even regressed.
Zuo Xiaoduo understood perfectly well that it wasn't a lack of diligence. But he had already been a Martial Disciple four years ago. How could he have worked hard for four years only to regress? That made no sense.
Now that all the restraints had been lifted, Zuo Xiaoduo could already feel the star power between heaven and earth surging madly into his body as he circulated his spiritual power!
It was like a desert that had been parched for ages frantically soaking up water, and the pace kept growing faster and faster!
The barrier between Martial Disciple and Martial Warrior was already shaking violently. It could break at any moment...
He only worried that it was still too slow.
There were only a little over two months left!
Time was far too tight!
Wu Yuting and Zuo Changlu walked together, talking as they went. Both had deeply furrowed brows.
The siblings were both thinking with their heads lowered when they finally heard a noise at the entrance. The door slammed shut with a bang.
Then they heard Wu Yuting's voice. "Puppy! Is your sister home yet?"
Zuo Xiaoduo dragged himself to the doorway. "Mother Empress... could you not call me Puppy...? My sister's in my room!"
Wu Yuting instantly grew alert. "What are you two doing? Puppy, I'm warning you, you..."
Zuo Xiaonian rushed out, her face bright red. "Mom! What are you thinking?"
The two came out to find Zuo Changlu and Wu Yuting scrutinizing the siblings with somewhat suspicious eyes.
"Don't get up to anything!"
Zuo Changlu warned them.
"Both of you, behave yourselves!"
Wu Yuting warned them.
"You're both so annoying!" Zuo Xiaonian rushed into her room, her face crimson.
Behind Zuo Xiaonian stood a speechless Zuo Xiaoduo, staring at his parents with eyes that said he had nothing left to live for.
"Get ready to eat!"
Only after finding nothing amiss did Wu Yuting breathe a sigh of relief. Then she rolled her eyes and pinched Zuo Changlu. "What kind of father doesn't even trust his own son and daughter? You're going too far. I've never seen a father like you!" She swayed away.
Zuo Changlu was a little bewildered.
Was I the one who said it first?
Weren't you the one shouting the loudest just now?
During the meal, Zuo Changlu said, "Xiao Nian, you don't need to come home every day for a while. You're at a critical juncture. You should spend more time at Star Martial and seek your master's guidance more often."
Zuo Xiaonian smiled gently. "It's fine. Everything's ready."
Her beautiful eyes looked at her parents, then at Zuo Xiaoduo, filled with deep longing. Attempting to break into the Yin-Yang Boundary meant either success or death. Although she was brimming with confidence and felt all but certain of success, there was always that one chance in ten thousand.
If that one chance really came to pass, then this time spent with her family would be her last happiness.
As Zuo Xiaoduo shoveled rice into his mouth, he channeled his power into his eyes. He felt that cool sensation surge up again, though it was much weaker now. It reached his eyes in an instant, and he looked at his parents' faces.
Let's see what fate has in store for Mom and Dad, so I can be prepared.
One look left Zuo Xiaoduo utterly dumbfounded.
On Zuo Changlu's face... there was nothing?
He looked at his mother next.
On Wu Yuting's face... there was nothing either?
Zuo Xiaoduo was completely bewildered.
What's going on?
Where are the words?
The cool sensation was completely used up, yet he still hadn't seen anything.
Could this ability I finally managed to obtain have stopped working?
He kept looking from one to the other until Zuo Changlu finally couldn't stand it anymore. He put down his chopsticks, turned squarely toward Zuo Xiaoduo, sat bolt upright, and raised his head, gazing at him quietly.
"Dad, why are you looking at me like that?"
Zuo Changlu gave a smile that never reached his eyes. "You keep staring as though you've never seen your old man before, so I figured I'd let you get a good look."