20demayo Chapter 301 A Long-Awaited Reunion
Chapter 301 A Long-Awaited Reunion
He sat up, and the first thing he did was to focus his mind and look inward.
Within the dantian, the once surging sea of true essence was gone, replaced by a quietly suspended, slowly rotating nine-colored golden elixir. Eight Daoist auras—gold, cyan, blue, red, yellow, white, cyan, and purple—were woven together harmoniously like flowing brocade. On the surface of the elixir, eight dragon-shaped Daoist marks, connected end to end, were lifelike, slowly moving with the elixir's rotation. Each movement drew upon a subtle resonance between the body's qi and blood and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
As his consciousness sank into his sea of consciousness, the world that had nearly collapsed during the tribulation now appeared even more expansive and its barriers more solid. In the center, the illusory human figure was much clearer and more solid, its body flowing with the same Daoist aura as the Nine-Colored Golden Core.
"It's done..."
He knew in his heart that he had finally survived the near-death Golden Core Tribulation.
Lin Yan threw off the soft down comforter, stepped barefoot onto the floor, and prepared to go downstairs to take a look.
In the living room, flames flickered in the fireplace. Old Dan and Old Fu sat facing each other, playing chess, while Charles quietly made tea beside them.
Just then, Charles seemed to sense something and subconsciously looked up at the stairs—
"Clang!"
The exquisite porcelain teapot slipped from his suddenly out-of-control hands and crashed onto the thick carpet with a dull thud, leaving a dark stain from the hot water and tea leaves.
The sudden commotion instantly interrupted the game. Old Dan's fingers trembled, and the chess piece he was holding fell onto the board. Old Fu stood up abruptly, his sleeve flipping over the chess jar beside him, and the black and white jade chess pieces clattered to the floor, the crisp sound particularly jarring in the suddenly silent living room.
Three pairs of eyes were fixed intently and incredulously on Lin Yan on the stairs. Charles's lips parted slightly, his body trembling with excitement; Elder Dan and Elder Fu's faces were filled with extreme shock and an almost overflowing ecstasy.
Lin Yan was slightly taken aback by their overly intense reaction, and his steps faltered on the stairs. He glanced at the messy tea set and scattered chess pieces on the ground, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"What happened?"
Charles's voice choked with emotion, his eyes reddening. "Young Master...you...you're finally awake?"
Lin Yan frowned slightly: "What do you mean by 'finally'? How long have I been asleep?"
"Five years..." Charles's voice trembled, almost breaking into tears, "A full five years, young master."
Lin Yan's steps came to a complete stop on the stairs.
"Five years?" His pupils contracted slightly, his voice filled with disbelief. "It's 1965 now?"
He looked down at his hands, as if to confirm whether this body had truly been asleep for nearly two thousand days and nights. Then, he shook his head helplessly.
"Fine, five years it is," he murmured to himself. "The one thing we have plenty of is time."
He looked up at the three agitated old men before him, his gaze softening: "Charles, Elder Dan, Elder Fu, I'm sorry to have caused you so much worry these past few years."
He walked down the last few steps to the center of the living room and gently helped Charles, who was still kneeling on the carpet, to his feet.
"Now that I've awakened, there's no need to dwell on the past." His voice was calm yet carried a comforting power. "Rest assured, do what you need to do."
After he finished speaking, he seemed to suddenly remember something important, and a hint of urgency flashed across his brows.
"Please have a seat, I'll be right back." Before he finished speaking, his figure had already disappeared from the spot, leaving only faint ripples in the space. "That little rascal, Xiao Qi, must be worried sick."
In the large living room, only the three elderly people remained, looking at the tea stains and chess pieces on the floor that had not yet been cleaned up, and then looking in the direction where Lin Yan had disappeared, finally revealing a relieved smile.
Lin Yan flashed into the space, his footsteps landing in front of the familiar courtyard gate.
Little Qi was curled up in a ball by the threshold, her small body motionless. Her usually bright eyes were now staring blankly ahead, and she didn't even react when Lin Yan approached.
Lin Yan's heart tightened, and he squatted down to gently stroke its fluffy little head.
"Xiao Qi," he said in a very soft voice, "your brother has come to pick you up."
The touch in his palm made the little one tremble slightly. Xiao Qi slowly raised her head, her bewildered gaze lingering on his face for a while before hesitantly rubbing against his palm. The movement was very gentle, tinged with uncertainty.
After a moment's pause, it rubbed against it again. This time it used more force.
Suddenly, as if it had finally confirmed something, it threw itself into Lin Yan's arms, its little paws gripping his clothes tightly, and the grievances and fear that had been suppressed for over 1,800 years burst forth in an instant:
"Brother! Brother!" it cried, trembling all over. "Is it you? Is it really you? I've been waiting for you for so, so long..."
Large tears rolled down his cheeks, quickly soaking Lin Yan's clothes. His cries were filled with the ecstatic joy of finding what he had lost, but also with all the anxiety that had accumulated during the long wait.
Hearing Xiaoqi's heart-wrenching cries, Lin Gang and Wang Yuling quickly walked out of the courtyard.
When they saw Lin Yan holding the trembling little boy tightly in his arms, the two of them stopped in their tracks.
Wang Yuling raised her hand to cover her mouth, her eyes instantly reddening. Lin Gang, usually a resolute man, also turned his head slightly, blinked hard, and then turned back, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement:
"Young Master..." His Adam's apple bobbed, "You've finally... come back."
These words contain too many unspoken concerns and a sigh of relief.
Lin Yan held Xiao Qi, who was still sobbing softly in his arms, nodded slightly to Lin Gang and Wang Yuling, and then turned and walked towards the bedroom.
Inside the room, Xiao Qi clung tightly to his clothes, burying its head in his chest, its intermittent sobs lasting for nearly an hour, as if trying to cry out all the grievances accumulated over 1,800 years. Lin Yan patiently stroked its back the entire time, his fingertips flowing with gentle spiritual energy, silently comforting it.
When the little body finally stopped trembling and the crying gradually subsided, the little creature raised its head and looked at him with wet eyes. Just moments before it had been immersed in immense grief, but its emotions came and went quickly, and the lively spirit that belonged to a cub resurfaced.
It tugged at Lin Yan's arm with its little paws, its voice thick with nasal tone, yet it couldn't help but tinge with a hint of boastfulness:
"Brother, I've advanced! I'm at level two now!" It puffed out its little chest, its golden eyes shining with anticipation. "Look at me, haven't I grown a little bit? Have I gotten a little taller?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Yan began to examine it closely. The little guy had indeed grown a size larger than before it fell asleep, from a tiny puppy the size of a palm to a slightly larger puppy, with shinier fur. This change, however, seemed especially adorable against its eager anticipation and exaggerated tone.
Seeing its smug little face, as if it wanted to praise him, Lin Yan's eyes flashed with a smile that was almost overflowing, but he only slightly twitched his lips to suppress the smile.
Lin Yan looked at its little chest, which was trying so hard to stand up, and its wet yet sparkling golden eyes, and the softest part of his heart was gently touched. He reached out and gently stroked the slightly messy fur on the back of Xiao Qi's neck with his fingertips, his voice gentle:
"Yes, our Xiaoqi has worked the hardest and has indeed grown quite a bit taller."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, the little guy immediately perked up, his previous sadness vanishing completely. He rubbed his little head against Lin Yan's palm, as if seeking praise, and said:
"Brother, I tried so hard! I ate so much spirit beast meat every day and slept so well! It's just... it's just that you didn't come for so long..." Its voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible grievance, but it was quickly replaced by excitement, "Then I don't know how, I advanced!"
It nimbly jumped from Lin Yan's arms to the ground, spun around in place, and then eagerly and gently nibbled on Lin Yan's trouser leg with its mouth, trying to pull him away.
"Brother, come with me! We're going to the Wanyan Mountains!" It opened its mouth and excitedly hopped ahead, leading the way, its tail wagging like a little windmill. "The changes there are huge! The mountains have grown so much taller and bigger, and there are now snow-capped mountains covered in white snow, and even steaming volcanoes! Most importantly..."
It stopped, turned around, and looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes, announcing important news:
"And then there was a huge, vast sea! Blue as far as the eye could see!"