246: Family, Heart, Self

Looking at his son standing in the sunlight in the courtyard, Tao Chunru covered her mouth with her hand, tears streaming down, unable to believe it.

“Brother Yuan, is that you?”

Jiang Yuan smiled, “Mom, it’s me.”

Tao Chunru could no longer hold back. She rushed over, hugged him, and cried out:

“You brat, why did you only come back now…”,

“Do you know how much Mom missed you, afraid you’d never come back…”,

“Mom missed you so much…”

Jiang Damu, standing nearby, also had red eyes. His lips trembled, and he choked out, “It’s good you’re back, it’s good you’re back.”

Feeling the warmth of kinship after a long separation, Jiang Yuan’s eyes softened, and his heart was more peaceful and serene than ever before.

No matter how strong he became, in his parents’ eyes, he was still their child.

When returning home, there was always a light waiting, and someone had hot food ready, waiting for his return.

The road ahead was vast, but there was always a way back.

Ultimately, it was a happy thing.

“So-called abundance is nothing more than this,” Jiang Yuan mused.

One must always have something cherished and important; otherwise, the higher one climbs, the stronger one’s power becomes, and the larger the world one sees, the more one loses sight of oneself, easily becoming lost, only pursuing power, and becoming a captive of power.

Seeing the Great Xia high-level officials abandon South River City, he felt disappointed, coupled with the terrifying babbling from the depths of the Abyssal Beast, and the influence of the blind, foolish aura.

Since his trip to Japan, Jiang Yuan’s killing intent had grown stronger.

Life became increasingly insignificant in his eyes.

A Ninth-Order Grand Master was nothing but a blade of grass, and a Quasi-King could be killed at will.

Those who provoke me shall die.

If you have merits for resisting Abyssal Beasts, I will kill double, exchanging your life for double the merit.

Even without you, I alone can flatten an Abyssal Forbidden Ground.

With such a Heart-Nature, was this still the Jiang Yuan of the past? Was this still the South River City youth who, in class, revered and respected the soldiers guarding the border?

“Even if I gain invincible power in the world, but lose my original Heart-Nature, am I still me?”

“If I no longer care about the life and death of ordinary people in the world, no longer have family and country in my eyes, only protect those important to me, and become a Forbidden Ground Dominator, what difference is there between me and those lords in the Abyssal Beast?”

“What did the former Jiang Yuan want to become strong for?”

“Wasn’t it to protect his family and to live freely in this world?”

Jiang Yuan’s thoughts flickered as he asked himself.

After realizing the changes in his Heart-Nature during this period and understanding where his true Heart-Nature lay, in his spiritual sea, the Source God, towering ten thousand feet tall and standing between the stars and the great sun, suddenly became crystal clear and shone brightly.

The change in his state of mind brought his spiritual Domain to Perfection.

His spiritual attribute points broke through the 25,000 mark.

Tao Chunru and Jiang Damu both had a momentary daze. For an instant, they seemed to see a dazzling golden light, like that of a Buddha, light up around Jiang Yuan, but it was only for a moment, and they thought they had seen wrong.

However, they suddenly felt their spirits become incredibly clear and their minds empty, as if they had been cleansed.

“Brother Yuan, what was that just now…” Tao Chunru couldn’t help but ask.

The next second, Jiang Yuan reached out and pulled them into his embrace, whispering, “Dad, Mom, thank you.”

The two were stunned, then their eyes reddened.

“You silly child, what silly things are you saying? Your mom and dad should be thanking you. Without you, your mom and dad would have died long ago. Being your mom and dad is the proudest thing in our lives. But next time, you’re not allowed to act so recklessly again.”

“Don’t worry, I’m much stronger now than before. That kind of thing won’t happen again,” Jiang Yuan said.

Tao Chunru wiped her eyes and said, “Mom doesn’t know how strong you are now, Mom just hopes you won’t put yourself in danger again.”

“Alright, stop talking, let’s go inside. Don’t let the neighbors laugh at us. Look at you, child, your hair has grown long and you haven’t even cut it. Your mom will make your favorite dishes for lunch. Look how thin you’ve gotten,” Jiang Damu said.

“Alright, alright, no more talking. Old Jiang, go call Yufeng and the others over. Let’s celebrate properly.”

“Okay, I’ll go now!”

...Soon, Mo Lingfeng and Tao Yufeng, these two elders who had watched Jiang Yuan grow up, also rushed over.

Seeing Jiang Yuan sitting on the sofa in the house, both of them were somewhat moved, their eyes red, and their expressions excited.

“Brother Yuan, it really is you. I thought your dad was talking nonsense. You must have suffered a lot outside, right?”

“Good kid…” Mo Lingfeng patted Jiang Yuan’s shoulder, full of emotion, and finally just said five words, “You’ve really grown up.”

After a long-awaited reunion and exchange of greetings, they learned about Jiang Yuan’s trip to Japan and the series of events he caused there.

Both families were shocked and speechless, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin.

Things like the Shingu family’s machinations, Magatsu God, and the Crown Position Battle were beyond their comprehension.

“…Anyway, it must be a good thing. Those people from Japan are not good, and the grudges between us before the God Abandonment Era will be settled sooner or later,” Jiang Damu said. He had been annoyed with the little Japan for a long time.

Tao Chunru, however, said with some worry, “You’ve done such a big thing and are even wanted by a country. Is it really okay to cause such a big stir? If it’s really not, you can find a place to hide and don’t worry about us.”

“Don’t worry, sister-in-law, Brother Yuan is a hero of our Great Xia, a top Prodigy. The higher-ups definitely won’t let anything happen to him,” Mo Lingfeng said with a smile.

“Uncle is right, and…”

Jiang Yuan sat on the sofa, picked up a blood-red, crystal-clear spiritual apricot, and took a bite, saying, “I’m really strong now, truly.”

Tao Yufeng asked curiously, “Brother Yuan, I saw on the news that you’re already a seventh-rank. So, between you and our South River City’s former Qin Association President, who is more powerful now?”

Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and said, “Qin Association President? If we just spar casually, about ten moves.”

Jiang Damu nodded, “That’s right. Qin Association President is, after all, a Ninth-Order Grand Master, a thunder blade suppressing one side. You are only a seventh-rank now, so being able to withstand ten moves from him is already very good.”

Mo Lingfeng sighed, “At least among the younger generation, you are definitely at the very top. You are still young, and Shenwu Academy has so many resources and top mentors. Once you graduate from Shenwu Academy, you will certainly be able to rival him. A nineteen or twenty-year-old Ninth-Order Grand Master… it’s truly unimaginable.”

Jiang Yuan’s expression was strange as he said, “You misunderstood.”

The others looked at him in confusion.

Jiang Yuan said, “What I mean is, if we just spar casually, I will win against him within ten moves.”

The room instantly fell silent.

Tao Chunru and Tao Yufeng looked stunned.

Jiang Yuan popped another spiritual apricot into his mouth, its taste sweet and sour.

“Let alone a Ninth-Order Grand Master, I’ve even killed… defeated a Quasi-King. Otherwise, how do you think I managed to leave Japan?”

“So, rest assured, I told you I’m very strong now. As long as I don’t want to die, no one can kill me, not even a King.”

King, a King?!

Jiang Damu and Mo Lingfeng’s mouths hung open, stunned for several seconds.

After they recovered, both quickly took a sip of wine to calm their nerves.

Jiang Yuan stood up, “Auntie, where is Xixi?”

Tao Yufeng reacted, coming back to her senses, “She should still be at Cultivation Room Number Nine. She said she had a class there today. Oh, and Xiaoxiao is with her too.”

Jiang Yuan nodded, “Good, I’ll go over there and bring them back before dinner.”

With that, his figure suddenly vanished into thin air, without a sound.