"Sigh! Brother Bai, do you think we're cursed?" Xiao Yan sighed and said.
Looking at the black-clad boy in front of him with a melancholic expression, Xiao Bai spoke indifferently, "What? Are you feeling disheartened?"
Xiao Yan forced a bitter smile, "A little, yes. My father was once again troubled by several elders in the family because of me. I..."
Though he didn't finish his sentence, Xiao Bai understood why this guy was up in the middle of the night, coming here.
For the past two years, the family head, Xiao Zhan, had been searching for ways to help Xiao Yan, trying everything rumored to be useful. They had spent quite a lot, sometimes even having to dip into the family's funds.
If these things had worked for Xiao Yan, no one would have complained, because his rise would benefit the whole family. But over the past two years, Xiao Yan had been like a bottomless pit; no matter how much they spent, his cultivation remained the same.
This had caused dissatisfaction among many in the family, as the Xiao family had a lot of members, but their annual revenue was limited. If money was spent on Xiao Yan, it meant less for others.
Because of this issue, Xiao Zhan's reputation in the family had sharply declined, and several elders grew increasingly dissatisfied with him.
Looking at the once tough boy now in this state, Xiao Bai casually offered a bit of comfort.
"The wind and snow pressed on me for two or three years, yet I smiled, for the wind was light and the snow was like cotton!"
As for more, sorry, he had nothing else to say.
Xiao Bai calculated the time; in less than five months, the Xiao family's annual Dou Qi test would begin, which meant the start of the original plot was fast approaching.
This guy was currently in the darkest moment before the dawn, and the light was about to shine. No need to go on with motivational speeches.
"The wind and snow pressed on me for two or three years, yet I smiled, for the wind is light and the snow is like cotton. Hehe, Brother Bai, you're still so carefree!" Xiao Yan sighed upon hearing this.
Since his cultivation had fallen, he had always envied Xiao Bai's mindset — unaffected by glory or humiliation, calm and unhurried.
His carefree attitude, where everything in the world seemed trivial, was something Xiao Yan had always wanted to emulate, but couldn't.
In Xiao Yan's eyes, Xiao Bai had not broken through to a Dou Practitioner in five years, but he had never seemed anxious about it. He was neither arrogant nor hasty, unaffected by praise or ridicule from others, as if nothing left a mark in his heart.
Xiao Bai could still feel the eyes watching him and knew it was the old man in the ring. However, seeing that the old man was no longer using his soul power recklessly to spy, he chose to ignore it.
"Brother Bai, are you alright? Why are you sweating so much?" Xiao Yan asked after sitting for a while, noticing that beads of sweat were constantly appearing on Xiao Bai's forehead.
"It's nothing, just some aftereffects. It'll be fine soon," Xiao Bai replied calmly.
"I'm going back now. Are you staying here or...?"
"I'll walk you back," Xiao Yan said, noticing that Xiao Bai seemed a bit off tonight. He couldn't help but feel concerned.
"No need, I'm not at the point where I can't walk anymore," Xiao Bai replied, gritting his teeth to hold on, unwilling to let anyone see his distressed state.
After speaking, Xiao Bai slowly stood up and walked out of the pavilion.
Xiao Yan watched his retreating figure with a bit of admiration.
He had noticed earlier that Xiao Bai's movements tonight were slower than usual, and his hands trembled occasionally as if he was enduring some kind of pain. Yet, when he spoke, his voice remained steady, his gaze calm, and his posture straight, like a pine tree that cannot be toppled by wind and snow.
When Xiao Bai returned to the courtyard, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
After washing up and changing clothes, Xiao Bai sat quietly at the table, with a cup of tea on it, releasing a faint, soothing aroma.
He was waiting for someone. When he returned, he sensed Ling Ying and thought that the girl would arrive soon. Once she did, he would continue his cultivation.
As for sleeping and resting, he wouldn't think about it for the next few months. His heart truly ached so much that he couldn't sleep. Fortunately, his will was strong, so a few months without rest didn't matter.
Today's Thunder Seed made him realize that every Thunder Seed given by the talisman now possessed power comparable to that of a Dou Wang or even a low-level Dou Huang. If it weren't for the five rays of light given by the talisman when he was at the ninth level of Dou Qi, which protected his internal organs, he would not have been able to contain these Thunder Seeds in his body.
Compared to the current Yang Thunder of Bing Fire, the Yi Wood Righteous Thunder, which had been difficult for Xiao Bai last time, was much easier to handle now.
Perhaps Yi Wood Righteous Thunder was naturally gentile, or maybe it was due to the talisman's protection for beginners, which allowed him to refine it easily.
"First, it's Wood Element, then Fire Element. Next should be Earth, Metal, and Water. Earth is heavy, Metal is cold and sharp, Water is gentle. Looks like, aside from Fire Element, I'll need to pay extra attention to Metal Element Thunder!"
"I wonder if, after completing all five elements, I can merge them. If so, what would it be called—Five Thunder Righteous Technique?"
"Isn't that the signature skill of the Heavenly Master's Mansion in Longhu Mountain?"
Xiao Bai stared blankly at the teacup in his hand, his mind a chaotic mess.
Knock, knock, knock
The sound of knocking on the door snapped Xiao Bai out of his thoughts. He raised an eyebrow; this girl came quickly.
"Come in, the door is not locked," Xiao Bai said softly.
Though his voice was soft, the person outside could hear it clearly.
"This is... Soul Power?" Xiao Xun'er was a little surprised, not expecting Xiao Bai's soul power to be so strong.
This was a small application of Xiao Bai's soul power, a skill he had seen simulated in a novel during his past life—spiritual communication.
Using the principle of a gramophone from his previous life, he directly transmitted sound waves to the target's ear, so as long as they were within the range of his soul perception, they could communicate without seeing each other.
Xiao Xun'er entered the room and, upon seeing Xiao Bai sitting by the table, her eyes immediately turned red.
"Xiao Bai brother, what happened to you?" she hurriedly walked over, her voice tinged with tears.
She trembled as she touched his gray-white hair, looking at his pale face and slightly empty clothes. Xiao Xun'er's heart clenched in pain.
"It's nothing, Brother Xiao Bai just had an accident during cultivation. Xun'er, don't worry, it'll be fine in a few months at most!"
Xiao Bai looked at the girl with tears in her eyes, took her small hand, and gently pulled her to sit beside him, softly comforting her.
"Don't say not to worry—how can I not worry? The last time it was an accident, and this time it's another accident. What kind of broken cultivation technique is this?"
Xiao Xun'er, feeling the thinness of Xiao Bai's hand, picked it up and looked at his bony, emaciated fingers. She angrily scolded him.
"We're not going to practice your technique anymore. Let me find a better one for you, okay?"
"Last time, you weren't happy with the 'Thunder Spirit Art,' so I'll go find a more advanced one for you. Don't practice it anymore, okay?"
Xiao Xun'er's eyes were red with expectation as she looked at Xiao Bai. Right now, she didn't care about anything else—no more upper realm inheritance, no more powerful cultivators, all that could go to hell!
She just wanted her Xiao Bai brother to be safe and sound.
Xiao Bai looked down at the girl, who had asked him "okay?" twice, and gently hugged her.
"Xun'er, don't worry. I know what I'm doing. There's no danger. Don't make it hard for Brother Xiao Bai , and don't be sad, okay?"