Li Qingxuan said nothing, her calm gaze remaining on the carp in the pond.
"Don't worry, it's really not that bad. You'll just be a little exhausted after the ritual. You'll recover after a few days' rest."
The young man, assuming she was afraid, offered words of comfort.
"Worried? No. I was just remembering the sight of my father withering away and dying before my eyes. He was only forty-five at the time."
"He wanted to transcend this fate, to prove that he could become strong even without the power of his Bloodline. But in the end, he failed to break through to Saint Awakening and ultimately succumbed to his destiny."
"Years of arduous training, all his contributions to the family… and this was all he got in return. He's the one who fought for my chance to choose a 'seed,' all so I could escape this fate."
"So how could I possibly disappoint him?"
Li Qingxuan said slowly.
