The air in Bo City always felt a bit more grounded than the magical turbulence of the Washing Sand River. Seeing Li Zhu leaning against his car, looking every bit the composed High Level mage.
He pushed off the car as you approached, his eyes scanning you with that typical "older brother" mix of scrutiny and relief.
"You look like you've been through a meat grinder and come out the other side as a premium steak," Li Zhu said, his grin widening. "I heard about the 'commotion' at the river. Level 3 Shadow magic is supposed to be for stealth, but you all made enough noise to wake every high-level demon within fifty miles. It alerted both military and hunter alliance"
He tossed you a cold bottle of water from the car.
"Get in. You're lucky the Magic Association hasn't sent you a formal noise complaint yet."
....
Zhu steered the car through a sharp turn, his expression turning serious as he glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
"The brothers in Shanghai... they're really going for it, aren't they? I heard Li Shen is trying to touch the boundary of the Sixth level of spritual power. If they succeed, and we spend this half-year grinding our lv. 2 and Lv. 3 spells, the next time we step into the wilderness..."
He let the sentence hang, the implication clear. We wouldn't just be hunters anymore. We would be very close to our super level breakthrough and our goal to establish Li family.
"So, Yuzi," Zhu whispered, his voice dropping as we pulled into the driveway of our safehouse. "Now that we're home and the curtains are closed... tell me the truth. How much did we really make out there?"
The engine of the black sedan ticked as it cooled in the humid Bo City driveway. After that Li Zhu didn't move to open the door immediately; instead, he leaned back, a relaxed but curious grin playing on his lips as he looked at me through the rearview mirror. To the rest of the world, my brothers were fearsome Advanced-tier mages, but to me, they were just the giants who made sure I finished my vegetables and did my math homework.
I reached into my backpack—the one with the cartoon character keychains—and pulled out a reinforced spatial container. My heart gave a little thump of guilt; I still hadn't told them about the "10x multiplier" that had turned the Sand-Dune Tyrant into a literal gold mine. But seeing as I was only ten, I figured keeping a few "savings" for their safety was a responsibility I had to shoulder.
"Here, Brother Zhu," I said, sliding the container onto the center console with a small, proud smile. "This is your share from the river. There are 80 Servant Essences and 16 Warrior Essences inside. I... I made sure the Soul Vessel cleaned them up really well for you."
Zhu's jaw dropped as he cracked the seal. The soft, rhythmic hum of the essences filled the car, illuminating his face in a pale, ghostly blue. He looked at the fortune in the box, then back at me, his expression softening from shock to a fierce, protective warmth.
"Yuzi..." He reached over, ruffling my hair so hard my glasses nearly slipped. "You little monster. You really are the lucky star of this family, aren't you? Sixteen Warrior Essences? I could buy a fleet of these cars just with this." He grew serious for a moment, his hand resting on the container. "Don't worry, kiddo. I'm going to use every drop of this to make sure that the next time we're in the wild, nothing even gets within ten meters of you."
The following half-year was a strange time of peace and surging power. While I spent my mornings in school, my brothers turned our family properties into fortresses of cultivation. They didn't treat me like a subordinate; they treated me like the heart of the team. During dinner, they'd explain the intricacies of mana flow, and during the nights, I'd watch them practice, my Soul Vessel acting as a silent, stabilizing anchor for their turbulent energies.
The "Great Silence" transformed them:
Li Shen (The Eldest): Already a monster, Shen used the dormancy to perfect his Ice and Shadow to Level 3. His Glacier's Breath now felt less like cold air and more like an absolute law of Ice. He also pushed his Space element to lv.3 while unlocking the High level 4 of Ice magic
Li Wei (The Second): The most hot-headed of the bunch, Wei finally used the Mind Stone to bridge the gap in his mental strength. His Lightning element reached lv.2 while light and Fire both hit Level 3, and he spent weeks refining his Sky-Flame Funeral into a Level 4 with spirit essence.
Li Jun (The Third): He pushed his Wind and Space to Level 3, his movements becoming so fast at short burst he looked like he was teleporting even without using Space magic and hi Chaos magic reached lv.2.
Li Han (The Fourth): His Earth and Summoning hit Level 2. More importantly, his Steel-Hide Beast consumed enough Warrior Essences to reach the pinnacle of the Commander-level.
Li Zhu (The Fifth): Using the essences I gave him in the car, he bought few resources for himself and he pushed his Psychic, Sound, and Curse elements all to Level 2, turning him into the ultimate support and disruptor.
Six months to the day, the brothers reunited at our secluded training ground in Bo city. The air tension changed the moment all six of us stood in the same circle. My brothers stood tall, their presence heavy and oppressive to anyone else, but to me, they just felt like a warm, protective wall of mana.
Li Shen stepped toward me, kneeling down so he was at eye level, ignoring the frost that began to form on the grass around his boots. "The six months are up, Yuzi. Our Galaxies are full, and our patterns are etched into our souls."
He looked at the others, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "The 'Washing Sand' incident has faded from the news. We've stayed in the shadows long enough. It's time we showed the world what a Li family hunt looks like when we aren't holding back."
"Finally!" Li Wei crackled, a spark of violet lightning dancing between his fingertips. He looked at me and winked. "Hey, Yuzi, make sure your Soul Vessel is ready. I'm planning on bringing you enough Essences to fill a swimming pool this time."
I pulled out a map I'd been studying—one of the Qinling Mountains. I pointed to a jagged peak marked with a deep, bruised purple—a High-Danger Commander Nest.
"Brother Shen, Brother Wei," I said, looking at them with wide, excited eyes. "Can we go here? I want to see what the Level 5 spells actually look like."
Li Shen stood up, ruffling my hair as he looked at the map. "If that's where our lucky star wants to go, then that's where we go. Pack your bags, Yuzi. We leave in three days and this time we will be joined by our new friends."
To Be Continue.....
Sorry for late update I was tired and fallen asleep and woke up a bit late.
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