Tang Lie remained crouched beside Kai Lin, his senses completely focused on the mysterious presence that had suddenly appeared behind them.
The presence was overwhelmingly powerful.
Yet strangely familiar.
Tang Lie closed his eyes.
He did not need to see.
Through the faint vibrations in the air, the movement of spiritual energy, and the subtle fluctuations surrounding the newcomer, he slowly recognized that familiar aura.
His expression changed.
Uncle Lie…
It was none other than Yan Lie.
The moment Tang Lie realized this, Yan Lie's cold voice echoed through the garden.
"Tell me something. What exactly were the two of you doing here?"
Tang Ye Chen and Jian Yu, who had been thrown several meters away by Yan Lie's slap, immediately became stiff.
The two kings exchanged a glance.
Then, almost simultaneously, they answered,
"Nothing."
Yan Lie's eyebrow twitched.
Tang Ye Chen quickly added, "We were just… testing our strength."
Jian Yu nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! That's right. We were merely checking how much our cultivation has improved."
Yan Lie stared at them.
For several seconds, there was complete silence.
Then—
"Testing your strength?"
His voice became colder.
"You two are kings, yet you're behaving like a pair of children!"
Tang Ye Chen and Jian Yu lowered their heads slightly.
Yan Lie pointed toward the ruined garden.
"Look around you!"
The once beautiful garden had been badly damaged. Several trees had been cut apart, flowers had been scattered across the ground, and cracks could be seen in different parts of the stone pathway.
Then Yan Lie pointed toward Tang Lie and Kai Lin.
"And the two of them were standing right here!"
His voice became even sharper.
"What would have happened if one of your attacks had reached them?"
Tang Ye Chen and Jian Yu finally looked toward the children.
Their expressions changed immediately.
Only now did they realize how dangerous their little "test" had actually been.
Tang Ye Chen's face became slightly pale.
Jian Yu also looked embarrassed.
Neither of them had considered the possibility that Tang Lie and Kai Lin could have been caught in the aftermath of their attacks.
Yan Lie sighed.
"You're both lucky they weren't injured."
Before either king could respond, another voice came from behind.
"What is going on here?"
Everyone turned.
Zi Yan was walking toward them.
She had just arrived at the garden.
The moment her eyes fell upon the ruined surroundings, she stopped.
Her expression gradually became terrifyingly calm.
She looked at the broken trees.
Then the damaged ground.
Then the scattered flowers.
Finally, she slowly turned toward the two kings.
"Who did this?"
Tang Ye Chen immediately pointed at Jian Yu.
"He did it."
Jian Yu's eyes widened.
"What?! You were the one who challenged me!"
Tang Ye Chen quickly replied, "But you agreed!"
"You were the one who attacked first!"
"You blocked my attack!"
"And you attacked again!"
"You could have surrendered!"
Yan Lie covered his face with one hand.
Unbelievable.
Meanwhile, Kai Lin stood beside Tang Lie.
She looked at the two kings arguing over who was responsible for destroying the garden.
A small smile appeared on her face.
She was clearly enjoying the situation.
Tang Lie, however, remained silent.
He could already guess what was about to happen.
Zi Yan walked toward the two kings.
Her expression was frighteningly calm.
"Enough."
Neither man listened.
They continued arguing.
"I told you this was your fault!"
"No, it was yours!"
"Really?"
"Of course!"
Then—
Zi Yan reached out.
One hand grabbed Tang Ye Chen's ear.
The other grabbed Jian Yu's ear.
"AH!"
Both kings cried out simultaneously.
"Wait, honey!"
"Your Majesty!"
Zi Yan tightened her grip.
Their ears quickly turned red.
"Both of you are kings," she said calmly, "and yet you're destroying my garden like children fighting over a toy."
"I'm sorry!"
"We're sorry!"
"Please let go!"
Neither of them dared resist.
Yan Lie stood to the side, watching the scene with an amused expression.
Kai Lin quietly covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Tang Lie tilted his head.
He could hear every word despite not looking at them.
After a while, Zi Yan finally released Jian Yu's ear.
Jian Yu immediately stepped backward and rubbed it.
Tang Ye Chen looked at his wife hopefully.
"Honey… could you let go of mine too?"
Zi Yan slowly turned toward him.
"No."
Tang Ye Chen froze.
"Why?"
"Because your punishment isn't finished."
She leaned closer to his ear and began whispering.
At first, Tang Ye Chen's expression was normal.
Then his eyes widened.
Then his face turned red.
Zi Yan continued whispering.
She told him everything Tang Lie had done.
She even mentioned the incident involving the cheek kiss.
Tang Ye Chen's expression suddenly changed.
He looked toward his son.
Then he shouted proudly,
"Good job, son!"
Tang Lie and Kai Lin both froze.
They had no idea what Zi Yan had whispered into Tang Ye Chen's ear.
Jian Yu also looked confused.
But Tang Ye Chen's proud expression lasted only a moment.
Zi Yan immediately grabbed his ear even harder.
"OW!"
Tang Ye Chen cried out.
"You taught him all this, didn't you?"
"I didn't!"
"You did!"
"I swear I didn't!"
Zi Yan pulled him away by the ear.
Tang Ye Chen desperately tried to defend himself.
"But he inherited his intelligence from me!"
"That isn't helping!"
Yan Lie couldn't help laughing.
Jian Yu, meanwhile, quietly took a step backward.
For the first time, he was grateful that Zi Yan wasn't currently holding his ear.
Tang Lie and Kai Lin simply watched in confusion.
After a while, Yan Lie finally spoke.
"Enough. Let them go."
Zi Yan stopped and looked at Yan Lie.
Yan Lie pointed toward the damaged garden.
"Besides, there's no need to be this angry."
Zi Yan glanced at the ruined surroundings.
Yan Lie continued,
"This garden contains an extremely dense amount of spiritual energy. The natural energy here is strong enough to restore most of the damage in a short period of time."
Zi Yan's anger lessened slightly.
Yan Lie then looked at Tang Ye Chen and Jian Yu.
"Still, have some shame."
The two kings lowered their heads.
"Yes…"
"You're both adults now. Stop behaving like children."
Jian Yu sighed.
"Actually… I was planning to leave today anyway."
Kai Lin immediately looked toward her father.
"Today?"
Jian Yu nodded.
"Yes. There are many matters waiting for me in Fenghua Kingdom."
Tang Lie's expression changed slightly.
"You're really leaving today?"
Jian Yu smiled.
"Yes."
Kai Lin looked disappointed.
"Dad…"
Jian Yu walked toward his daughter.
But before he could say anything, Kai Lin suddenly noticed something.
Her eyes widened.
The necklace around her neck—the invisible protective necklace Yan Lie had previously given her—had become visible for a moment.
Then—
Crack!
The necklace broke.
The broken piece fell into her hand.
Kai Lin stared at it in shock.
"Dad!"
Jian Yu immediately looked worried.
"What happened?"
"You broke my necklace!"
Jian Yu froze.
"Your necklace?"
"Yes! It broke because of you!"
Jian Yu looked toward the battlefield.
He immediately understood.
The collision between his and Tang Ye Chen's attacks had damaged the protective artifact.
He sighed.
"I'm sorry, Kai Lin."
Kai Lin crossed her arms.
"Then give me a Space Ring."
Jian Yu blinked.
"A Space Ring?"
"Yes."
After thinking for a moment, Jian Yu took out one of his Space Rings and handed it to her.
"Here."
Kai Lin happily accepted it.
"Thank you, Dad."
Jian Yu smiled.
"Now I have to go. I still need to prepare everything before leaving."
He gently patted Kai Lin's head before turning around.
"I'll see you later."
Then he left.
Tang Lie and Kai Lin watched him disappear from the garden.
Afterward, the two children returned to Yan Lie's side.
Yan Lie looked at the ruined garden.
He slowly raised one foot.
Then he gently stepped onto the ground.
Boom.
A wave of spiritual energy spread outward.
The energy flowed through the soil like invisible water.
The broken branches trembled.
Cracked stones slowly returned to their original positions.
Damaged plants began restoring themselves.
Within moments, the garden looked almost exactly as it had before the battle.
Kai Lin's eyes widened.
She stared at Yan Lie in amazement.
Tang Lie also silently analyzed the energy.
That wasn't ordinary spiritual energy.
He had felt something different.
Something deeper.
Yan Lie glanced at the sky.
"It is already past noon."
He looked toward Tang Lie.
"You should eat something and then return to your room."
Then he looked at Kai Lin.
"And you should go say goodbye to your father."
Kai Lin nodded.
"Okay."
The two children were about to leave.
Tang Lie suddenly turned toward Kai Lin.
"You go ahead."
Kai Lin nodded.
"Okay."
She walked away.
Tang Lie remained behind.
He slowly approached Yan Lie.
"Uncle."
Yan Lie heard his voice and immediately understood that Tang Lie had something to ask.
"Hmm?"
Tang Lie remained silent for a moment.
Then he asked,
"That energy…"
Yan Lie looked at him.
"The energy I felt earlier. It was different from spiritual energy."
Yan Lie's expression became slightly more serious.
"You noticed?"
Tang Lie nodded.
"Yes."
"The energy Tang Ye Chen and Jian Yu used during their attacks… what was it?"
Yan Lie was silent for a moment.
Then he answered,
"The power you felt is called Elemental Energy."
Tang Lie listened carefully.
Yan Lie continued,
"This world contains spiritual energy. You already know that. Spiritual energy is the foundation of cultivation."
"But spiritual energy isn't the only form of power."
"There is another type of power that cultivators can use. We classify it according to its elemental attribute."
Tang Lie tilted his head slightly.
"Elemental attribute?"
"Yes."
Yan Lie nodded.
"There are many different elemental attributes."
"Fire."
"Water."
"Earth."
"Ice."
"Light."
"Darkness."
"And many others."
Tang Lie remained completely silent.
His mind immediately began analyzing the possibilities.
So the energy surrounding his father's sword had been Fire Elemental Energy.
And the energy surrounding Jian Yu's sword had been Water Elemental Energy.
That explained why the two attacks had felt so different.
Yan Lie continued,
"Elemental Energy can greatly enhance a cultivator's combat ability. But don't worry about understanding everything right now."
Tang Lie asked,
"Why?"
"Because you're going to learn most of this at the academy."
Yan Lie smiled slightly.
"If I tell you everything now, you may lose interest in learning it yourself."
Tang Lie thought about it.
Then he nodded.
"Okay."
He remained silent for a moment.
Then another question suddenly came to his mind.
"Uncle Lie…"
"Yes?"
"What is Bloody Ara?"
Yan Lie's expression changed.
For the first time, genuine surprise appeared in his eyes.
"Bloody Ara?"
Tang Lie nodded.
"Yes."
Yan Lie stared at him.
Then he remembered something Zi Yan had told him.
So he really entered that room.
He sighed.
"You went into that room, didn't you?"
Tang Lie nodded innocently.
"I forgot about it until Mom mentioned it."
Yan Lie looked at him carefully.
"Your mother told me that you entered that room."
"Yes."
Tang Lie waited for an answer.
But Yan Lie didn't immediately respond.
Finally, he said,
"Bloody Ara is something you must discover yourself."
Tang Lie frowned.
"How?"
Yan Lie answered,
"When you go to the Dark Kingdom, you will find the answer there."
Tang Lie's curiosity increased.
"Why can't you tell me now?"
Yan Lie shook his head.
"Because if I tell you everything now, you'll lose an important part of your journey."
"Your life is an adventure, Tang Lie. You shouldn't have every mystery solved before you even begin."
Tang Lie remained silent.
Yan Lie continued,
"There are some truths that must be discovered at the right time."
Tang Lie thought for a moment.
Then he asked again,
"Uncle Lie… can you at least tell me what Bloody Ara is connected to?"
Yan Lie looked toward the distant sky.
His eyes became complicated.
"That's enough questions for today."
Tang Lie sighed.
"Okay."
He turned around and began walking away.
"Wait."
Tang Lie stopped.
Yan Lie looked at his back.
"One day, you'll understand."
Tang Lie nodded.
Then he left.
Yan Lie remained alone in the garden.
His expression slowly became serious.
He looked at the place where Tang Lie had disappeared.
Bloody Ara…
He closed his eyes.
There would be no problem if I told Tang Lie about Bloody Ara.
But the history of Tang Kingdom…
His expression darkened.
He must not learn about it yet.
Yan Lie knew Tang Lie better than almost anyone.
If Tang Lie learned the complete truth about the ancient history of Tang Kingdom, he would undoubtedly begin searching for answers.
And once he started searching…
He might eventually discover the existence of the Bloody Monster.
Yan Lie clenched his fist.
"I cannot let that happen yet."
A cold breeze passed through the restored garden.
Yan Lie slowly opened his eyes.
"The moment Tang Lie begins searching for that monster…"
He looked toward the distant horizon.
"…the fate of this entire world may change."
The garden fell silent.
Far away, Tang Lie continued walking toward the palace, completely unaware of the enormous mystery surrounding his kingdom, his uncle, and the ancient history that had been hidden from him.
And somewhere beyond the known realms…
Something ancient continued to sleep.
To be continued…