Finally, under Tang Ziran's lead, they arrived before a tomb adorned with fresh flowers...
"This place..."
"Actually has flowers."
Tang Ziran froze for a moment before taking out flowers from his Soul Guidance Device and placing them gently. Unable to hold back, he murmured to himself.
However, when his gaze fell upon the words "Beloved Mother Huo Lin'er" inscribed on the tombstone, his emotions surged uncontrollably.
"Mom..."
"I'm back—"
Tang Ziran could no longer restrain his feelings. Tears the size of beans streamed down his face. Though long grown into a man, he wept like a child at this moment.
After so many years, he had returned.
And not alone—he had brought his wife and his two sons with him.
"Mom, I'm sorry your son wasn't talented enough. It took me until now to break through to Titled Douluo and gain the confidence to protect myself before I dared return to the Star Luo Continent..."
"All these years, I've been doing well. I wonder how you've been over there? Let me introduce you—this is your daughter-in-law, my wife Lang Yue, the most perfect woman in my heart. We've grown together all this time..."
"And these two little ones beside me are your grandsons, Luo Chuan and Wu Lin, my precious sons. They've been well-behaved and sensible since they were young."
"They're both outstanding children, full of potential on the path of cultivation. Though all I truly wish for is their health and happiness..."
"But they must also have the strength to protect their family."
Tang Ziran stepped forward, pouring out everything from these years—even the smallest, most trivial matters—one by one.
There was so much he had wanted to say all this time, perhaps more than a day and night could contain.
When he left, he had been alone. But after all these years, he was no longer just himself. He had a wife, a small family, two adorable sons...
"Mom, this..."
Behind him, Tang Wulin watched the scene with sorrow. Even though he knew nothing before, he now understood—beneath the stone before them lay...
His father's departed mother, his grandmother—a woman his father had never spoken of, someone who had long been buried in the Star Luo Continent.
So this was why Father had come to the Star Luo Continent...
To be here.
"Let Dad have some time alone."
Tang Luochuan said quietly, his expression unreadable. The pain of losing one's mother in childhood was not something ordinary people could comprehend.
Let alone the fact that his father hadn't been able to return for so many years. The longing for home had only now taken concrete form.
Having finally returned to his homeland, standing before his mother's grave, his father surely had countless words to say.
"..."
Lang Yue remained silent, her gaze fixed on her husband ahead. Her heart ached for him—both in the past and now, she had always hurt for this man of hers.
He was an exceptional man, yet no one would ever know just how difficult his journey had been.
"Let's go."
After a while, Tang Ziran collected himself, straightened his emotions, and took one last deep look at the tombstone before turning around with a faint smile.
"Ziran..."
Lang Yue looked at him with concern.
"I'm alright now."
Tang Ziran wore a faint smile as he shook his head and stepped forward to gently embrace his wife.
He was already overjoyed to be back here.
Now that they had arrived, there was no need to weep like a child—that wasn't the example a father should set for his children!
"We should go find a place to stay," Tang Ziran said with a smile, speaking slowly.
"Alright."
Only then did Lang Yue respond with a smile, nodding in agreement. It was rare for them to travel all the way from the Douluo Continent to this place, so naturally, they should stay for a while—as long as it didn't interfere with the children's school term.
"In the coming days, we'll stay in Star Sea City for a while. I was thinking…"
"Luo Chuan and Wu Lin wouldn't mind spending a few more days here with Mom and Dad, right?"
Tang Ziran's gaze shifted from his wife to the two boys, his smile lingering as he asked.
"Of course not."
The brothers shook their heads in unison, smiling.
"It's rare to come to such a distant place—we should take the time to explore properly," Tang Wulin said earnestly, his face bright with enthusiasm.
Opportunities to visit the Star Luo Continent didn't come often. Since they were already here, they might as well learn more about this place.
Though he couldn't neglect his meditation either…
"Wu Lin's right."
Tang Luochuan nodded calmly, a faint smile on his lips—though inwardly, he had no intention of sightseeing on the Star Luo Continent. After all, there would be plenty of chances for that in the future.
The only thing on his mind was the Dragon Valley Small World, a land of opportunity in Star Luo. As for how to get there…
In the original story, the Tang Sect had organized the trip to Dragon Valley. Since he wasn't part of the Tang Sect, that route was out of the question.
But whether it was Holy Dragon Douluo En Ci or Long Yue's Mountain Dragon King Martial Soul, they might know something. The question was how to establish contact with these two…
And that, of course, would require the assistance of a certain unnamed little princess of the Star Luo royal family.
"The Star Luo Continent does have many wonderful places. Let's go."
Tang Ziran smiled warmly as he spoke.
As he did, he cast one last glance at the tombstone behind him. For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw his mother's figure—her gentle face as it once was.
He believed she would watch over him and his family as the wind and rain of this world.
"…"
Not long after Tang Luochuan and the others left, a peculiar figure arrived at the cemetery.
It was a tall man, standing over two meters tall, with an exceptionally burly build. His arms, in particular, were thicker than an average adult's thighs.
Yet his appearance was unsettling—scales covered his bare arms and face, shimmering in iridescent hues.
His eyes were even stranger—one blue, one red—but both were hollow and lifeless, as if nothing in this world could give him reason to live.
Devoid of vitality, devoid of spirit. In a way, he was already a dead man.
"…"
"Atone…"
Only these two simple words escaped his lips.
His name was Tong Yu, a 99th-ranked Ultimate Douluo—a monster forged through sheer effort. Even he himself had never imagined achieving such heights.
From Soul Venerable to Ultimate Douluo, it had taken him only ten years. And in less than another decade, he had attained his current level of cultivation.
Yet, despite his overwhelming strength, he had once committed a sin so grave that even he could not forgive himself.
He was a man who deserved death, yet the very sin that haunted him was also the force that kept him alive. He sought redemption, no matter how slim the possibility.
He also wanted to atone to the boy from his past.
"Tong Yu."
"You've come here again."
A figure appeared beside the man, following closely behind, his voice laced with resignation.
This was an elderly man, his hair long turned white, yet his spirit was vigorous, brimming with vitality.
He was En Ci—the foremost expert of the Star Luo Empire, a 99th-ranked Ultimate Douluo, a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, the Imperial Preceptor of Star Luo, and the Dean of Monster Academy.
At the same time, he was the teacher of the man before him.
"Teacher."
"I won't cause trouble. I just came to see this place."
Tong Yu's face remained expressionless as he spoke calmly.
"That's not what I'm worried about."
En Ci shook his head. He had long since sealed his disciple's Martial Soul with his overwhelming power. Even with his peak cultivation, Tong Yu could do nothing.
The reason they were here, however, was because of his disciple's mental state. The good news was that he had taken in a disciple of monstrous talent, one who was practically unstoppable. The bad news?
His mindset was deeply flawed.
If not for the fact that he brought him here every few years, if not for the lingering thought of atonement, En Ci truly feared that his emotionally fragile disciple might choose the unthinkable.
"..."
Tong Yu said nothing, silently walking forward until he soon arrived before the grave, his steps familiar.
But when his gaze fell upon the fresh flowers placed there, his ashen face finally showed a ripple of emotion.
"Someone..."
"Has been here?!"
For the first time in so long, a flicker of life returned to his lifeless eyes.
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