Locke sighed as he looked at the weeds growing over the two mounds.
Perhaps ever since Cole buried their parents here, he had never come back to visit them even once.
Raising his right hand, a shard of ice condensed in Locke's palm, forming a blue ice scythe.
Bending down, Locke moved like an ordinary person, grabbing handfuls of weeds from the ground and cutting them with the scythe.
In a courtyard of less than fifty square meters, it took Locke nearly an hour to completely clear the weeds.
Kneeling before his parents' graves, he murmured to them, telling them about the events of these years and the progress he had made in cultivation.
It was as if doing so could somehow make up for his shortcomings as a son.
"Sigh…"
After rambling for a while, Locke let out a long sigh.
"Father, Mother, thank you… for giving me a second life."
"Don't worry, I will look after Cole."
"At least until I leave the Wakanda Plane, I will ensure Cole's family is safe and well."
"As for the future…"
Locke lifted his head and looked at the sky, as if trying to peer through the plane wall of the Wakanda Plane, through the spatial turbulence of the Coiling Dragon Universe, and through the primordial void…
He smiled wryly and shook his head.
Once he left the Wakanda Plane, he probably couldn't even take care of himself, let alone watch over others.
Besides, Cole was already a mature adult, with his own thoughts and will.
Locke could not interfere in Cole's fate under the excuse of, "I am your elder brother; everything I do is for your good."
Having lived two lives, Locke had long abandoned his "holy mother" mentality.
He would respect the fate of others.
The only promise he could make to his parents was the safety of Cole's family.
After all, Locke intended to devote his entire life to cultivating the Vast Laws. It was highly likely he would not marry or have children.
Thus, Cole's branch would become the sole continuation of the family line.
Of course, nothing in life is absolute.
If, during his journey to study the Vast Laws, Locke encountered the right person, he might slow his pace to appreciate some of life's beauty.
But his forward march could slow—it would never stop. He would keep pushing forward till he died.
After bowing three final times to his parents, Locke took flight from Puer Village.
It was unlikely he would ever return.
His parents had died natural deaths, and their souls had been drawn into the underworld.
Following their wishes, even if Locke's power eventually allowed him to request the Underworld Supreme God to resurrect them, he would not.
As ordinary humans, living a normal life was their greatest happiness.
If Locke revived them, they would face survival in the godly and supreme planes—infinitely more complex and dangerous than the material plane. For his parents, it would be nothing less than hell.
Back in Locke Territory, after sending a spiritual message to Cole, Locke returned to his cultivation chamber to enter seclusion.
Though the revelation of his parents' death left him deeply saddened, it also led him to new insights.
The Ice Edge Law of the Water Elemental Principles—mysterious and profound—was now successfully grasped by Locke.
He had now comprehended three of the six elemental water laws:
The most mastered was the Illusionary Fog Law.
Next was the foundational Essence of Water Law.
The third, newly entered, was the Ice Edge Law.
Moreover, while immersed in the grief over his parents' death, Locke discovered through his soul the location of the emotion of "sorrow" within it.
Previously, his understanding of the soul was limited to the five senses, memory, and perception.
Now, he could sense emotions in the soul.
Locke realized that if the use of soul power had ranks, he could at least be considered an upper-rank soul deity.
Although he could currently only sense the emotion of "sorrow," this was a start. Given time, Locke was confident he could sense all the other seven emotions.
The daily progress from studying these matters was irresistible.
"Looks like Big Brother hasn't noticed my actions."
Hearing the voice in the Locke Territory meeting room, Cole finally relaxed.
Although he had little interaction with his elder brother, Cole's awe for Locke was no less than that for others like Gasco.
Knowing that Locke had entered seclusion again, Cole even allowed a smile to cross his lips.
"Good… everything is going according to my expectations."
"Given Big Brother's dedication to cultivation, this seclusion, if uninterrupted, will last at least ten years."
This estimate was based on Cole's analysis of his elder brother's actions over the years.
Since Locke returned to Puer Village, Cole knew that cultivation took absolute priority in his brother's life—even above familial bonds.
Take Cole himself as an example.
When he broke through the sixth-level barrier and became a seventh-level warrior, he wanted the whole world to know of his achievement.
During those years, he led trade caravans for the Ross Trading Guild across towns, expanding the guild and showing off his power.
And his elder brother?
He moved silently, leaving no trace.
By the time Cole heard news of him again, Locke had already become a high-ranking Sanctuary and the commander of the Tsunami Legion of the Frost Snow Empire.
Cole was stunned—excited yet fearful.
Excited because his brother was a Sanctuary-level powerhouse.
From now on, even nobles had to show him respect, for offending him would mean offending a Sanctuary.
Fearful because the bond with his brother didn't seem deep enough.
He couldn't be sure that if trouble came, Locke would intervene for him.
Luckily, Cole had never faced anyone foolish enough to test the limits of his relationship with Locke.
(End of Chapter)
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