After Luo Feng departed, the crowd that had gathered before the Spirit Temple slowly dispersed. One by one, the children returned to their homes, their excited whispers fading into the evening air.
Before leaving, Tyson patted Lu Tianming on the shoulder and spoke in a low, earnest voice, urging him to return and cultivate diligently. Then, without lingering, Tyson left with Xiao Ling—there were matters that could not wait, and her parents had to be informed of the offer extended by the Spirit Hall.
Soon, the space before the Spirit Temple fell silent.
Lu Tianming turned away and walked back alone.
When he reached his modest home, he pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside. The familiar scent of incense lingered faintly in the air, but the flame had long since died out, leaving only thin trails of ash curled in the burner.
His gaze settled on the spirit tablet.
Without a word, Lu Tianming walked forward and knelt before it, his movements slow and deliberate. The noise of the outside world seemed to vanish at that moment. Sitting there solemnly, he bowed his head slightly, as if gathering his thoughts—or perhaps making a silent vow.
"Finally… I can look into your past, Mother."
Lu Tianming took out an inconspicuous ring from his pocket, his voice barely above a whisper. After a brief hesitation, he slowly poured his soul power into it.
The ring responded at once, emitting a faint blue glow. In the next moment, a simple wooden box and a plain letter appeared in his hands.
This ring was a storage-type spirit tool—one that could only be activated by infusing it with soul power. As his meager soul power flowed through it, Lu Tianming immediately understood its limits. A mere two cubic meters of storage space. And within it, only these two items.
The ring had belonged to his mother before her passing.
Everything he had ever wondered about—the reason she came to this remote village, the truth behind his never meeting his father—was sealed within that letter and the wooden box. It was precisely because of this that he had never dared to open them before.
But now, he was ready.
Placing the wooden box carefully aside, Lu Tianming unfolded the letter and began to read.
"Tianming,
If you are reading this letter, it means you have already awakened your martial soul and possess innate soul power. For that… Mother is truly happy for you. Congratulations, my child.
But it also means that I am no longer by your side.
I'm sorry. It was never my wish to leave you so early. However, my illness was incurable. Even at its best, it could only give me three or four more years. So, Tianming, please do not grieve too deeply for me. Your mother left without regrets.
I am writing this letter to tell you about your father.
He was a kind man—one who never bullied the weak with his strength, and never allowed others to do so either. He was brave, loyal, and upright, yet carried an adventurous spirit within him. Talented, spirited, and free-spirited… those were the reasons I fell in love with him, and why I chose to marry him.
Your father was an orphan, raised in an unremarkable village. But fate favored him. He awakened a top-grade martial soul, the Great Lava Hound, and was recruited by the royal family of the Star Luo Empire. He later entered the Royal Academy, and it was there that I met him.
After graduating, he joined the royal army and fought for the empire. Through countless battles and unwavering dedication, he earned many merits and promotions. In just ten years, he rose from an ordinary royal soldier to a royal commander—and at the age of thirty-five, he broke through to become a Spirit Emperor.
Not long after, we married.
Our happiest days had only just begun when the emperor decided to launch a war against the Tian Dou Empire. Your father was appointed as the commander leading the army. The battles were brutal. Tian Dou was already on the verge of defeat when the Spirit Hall intervened, forcing the Star Luo Emperor to halt the war—at least on the surface.
In secret, however, the emperor ordered the army to continue the offensive.
But your father refused.
The soldiers were exhausted and wounded, in need of months of rest. More importantly, he despised meaningless slaughter. His refusal enraged the emperor. As punishment, he was expelled from the royal army, stripped of all ranks, titles, and rewards he had earned through blood and sweat.
Your father accepted it calmly. He chose to live as a mercenary instead.
We believed that we could finally live in peace.
But we were wrong.
The emperor never forgot your father's defiance. Eventually, he sent people after us.
When your father learned of this from a former subordinate still serving in the palace, he was furious. Yet for my sake, he chose not to confront them directly. Instead, we went into hiding.
We left Star Luo City and fled to a small place known as Desert Spring Village. That was where you were born.
But on the very day you were to come into this world, they found us.
Your father soon realized how they had tracked us so quickly. A month before your birth, he had discovered a precious spirit herb. To obtain it, he fought several people—and one of them belonged to the royal family. Your father was recognized, and his whereabouts were reported.
With no path left to escape safely, your father chose to surrender—on the condition that you and I would be spared.
They agreed.
But it was a lie.
The moment they restrained him, they turned their blades on us.
Realizing he had been deceived, your father fought them alone to protect us. After severely injuring several pursuers, he escaped with us. You were born safely… but not long after, they caught up again.
To save you and me, your father led them away, sacrificing himself so that we could live.
I had just given birth. Weak from blood loss and exhaustion, I could not even run. With his sacrifice buying me time, I barely managed to escape with you.
But that escape cost me dearly.
My body never recovered. The illness that followed would one day take my life.
After hiding from place to place for a year, I finally settled in this village, hoping you could grow up safely—even if it was without us.
This is the story I wanted to tell you in person. But fate did not allow me that chance.
Tianming, I know you will feel pain—perhaps even if you do not show it. But remember this: your father and I gave everything so that you could live freely and happily.
So please… do not drown in sorrow.
Live well.
That will be enough for us."**
After finishing the letter, Lu Tianming slowly closed his eyes.
Unconsciously, tears slipped from the corners of his eyes, tracing silent paths down his cheeks. His chest felt unbearably tight, his thoughts sinking as if an immense weight had been pressed upon his mind—heavy, suffocating, inescapable.
Then it came.
A searing pain erupted without warning, tearing through his head like a crashing wave. It was so sudden, so overwhelming, that even a cry could not escape his lips.
The world spun.
Darkness swallowed his consciousness, and Lu Tianming collapsed, losing all awareness as the letter slipped from his grasp.