"These years, I've passed on techniques and secret arts to you, taught you cultivation, but I never once taught you spear combat." Yang Kai spoke at a leisurely pace. "There are three thousand Great Daos. Xiaobai has exceptional talent in the Dao of Space, while you have carved out your own path in the Dao of the Spear. Both the Dao of Space and the Dao of the Spear are my Daos!"
Zhao Ya's eyes lit up with sudden understanding.
"Comparatively speaking, your aptitude is far superior to Xiaobai's. If I hadn't deliberately suppressed your cultivation over the years, your strength would be well beyond the Shenyou Realm by now, wouldn't it?"
Zhao Ya asked in confusion, "Master, I've never understood — why did you have me suppress my realm? Can you tell me now?"
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before replying. "It's not that I can't tell you, but the explanation is rather tedious. You'll understand soon enough."
Zhao Ya nodded and said softly, "Then… what about Qingfeng Town? Master, you deliberately left the address of Qingfeng Town with Aunt Lu and Grandmother all those years ago. You wanted me to go back there, didn't you? After all, that was where you brought me out from."
Yang Kai fell silent.
This child of his had carried a streak of fury since she was young — that much was evident from her reaction when she was forced to take him as her master all those years ago. It only grew more pronounced as she grew older. Yang Kai had originally hoped that through this trial, she would find her birth parents and see whether familial love could ease the knot in her heart.
But in the end, things hadn't gone as planned.
"Master, you gave me my name back then. As long as I am Zhao Ya, I will be Zhao Ya for life. I have no connection whatsoever to the Xu family. I won't hold a grudge against what the Xu family did — after all, Aunt Mei took good care of me during those days. We'll call it even."
Yang Kai nodded.
"However, there is one thing I find very puzzling. I hope Master can clear it up." Zhao Ya gazed at Yang Kai with earnest eyes.
"Go ahead."
"Master could have continued hiding your identity. It's not yet time for exposure. So why, after returning from this trial, did you deliberately reveal your true self to me and Brother Xiaobai?"
"Because I'm afraid I won't have much energy to devote to your side going forward," Yang Kai explained.
Zhao Ya frowned, still not understanding.
"Beyond the Emperor realm lies the Kaiyuan Realm. A warrior opens heaven and earth within their own body, forming a small world — a Minor Cosmos. My cultivation is at the Kaiyuan Realm, and the world you currently inhabit is my Minor Cosmos!"
Zhao Ya's expression turned to one of utter shock. The world they had been living in was nothing more than their master's Minor Cosmos. Even straining her imagination to its limits, Zhao Ya found it hard to believe.
"My true self is currently trapped in a fractured dimension. All these years, I've been studying its mysteries, searching for a way to escape. After all this time, I've finally gained some clarity. Going forward, I need to give it my full attention, so I'll have to set aside matters within the Minor Cosmos for now."
Zhao Ya nodded.
"While I'm gone, you and Xiaobai must cultivate diligently. Don't slack off. I hope that the next time I come to see you, both of you will have made significant progress!"
"Yes!" Zhao Ya and Zhao Yebai answered in unison, bowing their heads.
Yang Kai waved his hand again, and two tiny winged figures materialized before him, fluttering nimbly through the air.
Zhao Ya and Zhao Yebai both stared in amazement at the palm-sized figures, clicking their tongues in wonder.
Mu Zhu and Mu Lu smiled warmly at the pair. Not that it was surprising — while Zhao Yebai and Zhao Ya didn't recognize them, the two Wood Spirits knew the children all too well. Back when Yu Lu had suffered a life-threatening hemorrhage during childbirth, it was they who had used a secret technique to sustain her vitality, witnessing the birth of Zhao Yebai. Over the years, the two Wood Spirits had quietly watched the children grow, though Zhao Yebai and Zhao Ya had never laid eyes on them.
"They are members of the Wood Spirits clan, the most original inhabitants of my Minor Cosmos, and they've accompanied me for many years. After I leave, if you have any questions about cultivation or anything else you'd like to know, you can ask them."
Zhao Yebai and Zhao Ya nodded together.
Yang Kai turned to Mu Zhu and Mu Lu. "I'm leaving them in your care."
The two little Wood Spirits smiled. "Rest easy, Master."
Only then did Yang Kai nod, his figure slowly fading away.
In the great hall, the two sides stared at each other blankly for a moment before Zhao Ya tugged at Zhao Yebai's sleeve and said respectfully, "Zhao Ya greets the two seniors."
Mu Zhu couldn't help but laugh at that. In all her years, this was the first time anyone had addressed her as "senior." Mu Lu, on the other hand, felt an enormous sense of responsibility well up within her and puffed out her chest, trying to look like a powerful expert.
But when she glanced at Mu Zhu's chest, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Is there anything you'd like to ask?" Mu Zhu inquired with a smile.
Zhao Yebai blurted out, "Does Master really have several wives?"
Zhao Ya turned to him with a grin. "Oh? Is Brother Xiaobai thinking of following in Master's footsteps too?"
Zhao Yebai hurriedly scratched his head. "Just curious — it slipped out, that's all."