Brothers, Emperor Xu Jilong's Situation
Amidst his excitement, Xu Tianran quickly thought of his bedridden father, Emperor Xu Jilong. The joy on his face gradually faded, replaced by a touch of worry.
He looked at Xu Tianhao, his tone carrying a hint of urgency and hope: "Tianhao, the effects of this gold of life are so Heaven-Defying. I wonder if it would be effective for Father's illness?"
Over these years, Emperor Xu Jilong's physical condition had been deteriorating day by day.
For some unknown reason, his Spirit had become increasingly depressed. He remained bedridden all day, lethargic and finding it difficult even to sit up.
The various political affairs of the court had long since been handed over to Xu Tianran to manage.
Xu Tianran saw this and was anxious in his heart. He had invited famous doctors and powerful Spirit Masters from across the Sun Moon Empire for diagnosis and treatment, but the illness showed no signs of improvement.
Now, seeing a supreme treasure like the gold of life, he immediately thought of his father, full of hope that this treasure could bring a turning point for Emperor Xu Jilong.
Hearing this, Xu Tianhao's expression turned slightly solemn. He was already well aware of Emperor Xu Jilong's physical condition and nodded gently, saying, "I have always been paying attention to Father's situation."
"I will personally go see Father later and ask Elder Yi to help investigate. We'll see if Elder Yi can come up with a way to use the gold of life to nurse Father's body back to health."
In truth, Xu Tianhao knew clearly that Emperor Xu Jilong's illness was never a physical ailment, but a sickness of the heart.
Years ago, in order to ascend the throne, Emperor Xu Jilong did not hesitate to commit the ruthless acts of killing his brother and father, relying on an iron-fisted approach to secure his position.
In the first few years, his power was stable and his momentum was unmatched. His ambition and hostility supported him, and no abnormality could be seen.
However, as time passed, the excitement and vigor brought by the throne gradually dissipated, and the sins he committed back then began to entwine around him like a Heart Demon.
He had suffered day and night all these years, and his Spirit had completely collapsed.
Under the weight of his pent-up emotions, his physical state worsened daily; this was a heart sickness that was difficult to cure.
As for whether the pure vitality of the gold of life could resolve such physical and mental decay caused by a Heart Demon, Xu Tianhao was not entirely certain.
Vitality can only nourish the body, but it is difficult to root out obsessions and guilt within the heart.
But regardless, he had to try personally. Even if there was only a sliver of hope, he couldn't give up.
Hearing this, the stone hanging in Xu Tianran's heart dropped slightly, and he hurriedly nodded, saying:
"That's good. There's no time to lose. I'll accompany you to see Father right now, so we can look out for each other."
Xu Tianhao naturally had no objection and nodded slightly: "Alright, let's head over now."
To the side, Kong Deming and Poison Immortal looked at the gold of life in their hands, already unable to suppress the urgency in their hearts.
The two exchanged a glance and spoke up one after another: "In that case, we shall take our leave. We must refine this gold of life and prepare for our upcoming Breakthroughs, so we won't accompany you."
Xu Tianran and Xu Tianhao heard this and cupped their hands to the two:
"Teacher, Master, please go into seclusion to refine in peace. We wish you a smooth Breakthrough and that your cultivation reaches a higher level."
After bidding farewell to Kong Deming and Poison Immortal, the brothers Xu Tianran and Xu Tianhao walked side by side along the palace's bluestone path toward the Sleeping Quarters where Emperor Xu Jilong resided.
Along the way, palace servants bustled about. Upon seeing the two, they all bowed respectfully, not daring to show the slightest negligence.
After walking for a moment, the surroundings gradually became quiet. Xu Tianran looked left and right, and seeing no one nearby, he lowered his voice and leaned closer to Xu Tianhao.
Xu Tianran asked in a low voice: "Tianhao, how much more of this gold of life do you have in stock?"
Hearing this, Xu Tianhao's eyebrows quirked slightly, a flash of playfulness in his eyes. He turned to look at Xu Tianran and teased with a smile:
"What? You just got a drop and you're already unsatisfied? I bet you want to ask for another portion for Sister-in-law, don't you?"
Having his thoughts exposed by Xu Tianhao, Xu Tianran didn't feel the slightest embarrassment; instead, he admitted it frankly.
This time, Xu Tianran didn't offer any rebuttal, his tone carrying a hint of tenderness: "Since Le Xuan and I have already reached this stage and I have identified her as my lifelong partner, I naturally have to consider her future."
"She usually works hard at her Cultivation. If she can be nourished by the gold of life, it will both stabilize her cultivation and provide an extra layer of protection. As her man, I must plan more for her."
Hearing this, Xu Tianhao curled his lips in feigned dissatisfaction, reached out to lightly pat Xu Tianran's arm, and pretended to complain:
"You really are someone who forgets his brother once he has a woman. You just got a benefit and you're already thinking of Sister-in-law, not considering your brother at all. You truly are my good big brother."
Xu Tianran knew he was asking a favor of Xu Tianhao, so at this moment, he didn't dare put on his usual airs as the Crown Prince and elder brother.
With a somewhat pleasing smile on his face, he lowered his voice and said: "You said it yourself, she's your sister-in-law. How can we favor one over the other within the family?"
"Since you have such a treasure in your hands, you should naturally let your sister-in-law share in the benefits, right?"
Xu Tianhao rolled his eyes at him, though he already understood in his heart.
In fact, he had long made a detailed distribution plan for the gold of life extracted from the blade of life. All those close to him were on his gift list.
Looking at Xu Tianran's eager appearance, he couldn't help but smile and said: "Do you even need to say it?"
"I originally planned to wait for Sister-in-law to return from outside and personally give the gold of life to her. How could I forget her?"
Speaking to this point, he paused. Seeing the light that instantly lit up in Xu Tianran's eyes, he continued:
"However, since you want to show off in front of Sister-in-law so much, I'll let you have this favor. You take it to her personally; she'll likely be even happier."
As his voice fell, Xu Tianhao raised his hand again. A flash of emerald green light appeared at his fingertip, and another crystal-clear drop of gold of life slowly emerged, gently landing in Xu Tianran's hand.
Xu Tianran quickly gripped it tightly, feeling the rich vitality coming from his palm once again. His heart was full of gratitude and joy as he thanked Xu Tianhao repeatedly.
Xu Tianhao waved his hand and said nonchalantly: "It's just a drop of gold of life, no need to be so polite."
"The blade of life was originally condensed from a massive block of gold of life. I absorbed more than half of it before to nourish my own Spirit and Physical Body."
"There is still quite a lot of gold of life left. Giving out twenty or thirty drops to those around me is perfectly sufficient."
He looked at Xu Tianran and said seriously: "I have already planned the distribution of these gold of life drops. My relatives and teachers are all people I care about, so I naturally won't favor one over the other."
"Although the amount in one drop isn't as Heaven-Defying as when I absorbed the whole block, and the boost to you all won't be that terrifying..."
"For a Spirit Master, it is still a peerless treasure, enough to benefit them infinitely."
"With a drop of gold of life, whether it's for cultivation, healing, or saving one's life, it can play a crucial role."
The two brothers chatted as they walked and soon arrived outside Emperor Xu Jilong's Sleeping Quarters.
The surroundings of the quarters were quiet. The guards all looked solemn, not daring to make the slightest sound.
A faint medicinal fragrance wafted from inside the hall, carrying a hint of a heavy atmosphere.
Xu Tianran composed his expression, his eyes full of worry. He exchanged a glance with Xu Tianhao and then stepped toward the inside of the hall.