After a long conversation tonight, the Stark family reached a consensus. In order to protect their family, although it was not spoken aloud, everyone understood that if necessary, they would do whatever it takes to defend their home.
However, it is still too early to say these things; future actions will depend on the decisions of King Deya. After the meeting, it was already late at night. Yafan had to leave early to go back to his room because he had school the next day.
Once back in his room, Yafan couldn't hold back anymore. Sitting on the edge of his bed with his hands holding his head, the intense headache made him let out a painful moan.
Since he was five years old, he has not been allowed to have too much emotional fluctuation; otherwise, severe headaches would make him want to smash his own head. But tonight, the family's crisis and the affection of his family made his mood fluctuate greatly, contrary to his usual principle of dealing with things coldly, resulting in the reoccurrence of the headache from his nightmares.
Yafan took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, rubbed his hands together, generating heat from his palms, then spread his hands flat and slightly apart, focusing entirely on the heat in his palms. He then placed his palms together against his forehead, allowing the heat to penetrate into his forehead.
Yafan controls this heat with his will, moving it from his forehead, through the right brain, right temple, right back of the neck, along the right spine to the right waist, and then circling back along the left spine, left back of the neck, left temple, to the left forehead, where he meditates for a moment, before continuing the same path once again.
After this continuous cycle repeats thirty-six times, Yafan has spent nearly an hour.
Strangely, the hot stream that originally made Yafan feel extremely heated began to turn cold at some point. By the last few laps, it was so cold that Yafan almost felt all the goosebumps on his body stand up. However, accustomed to completing thirty-six cycles for every set, Yafan still insisted on finishing.
During the last lap, Yafan felt as if his entire body was immersed in eternal ice, causing him to shiver involuntarily after he finished his routine. Although the headache hadn't subsided, his mind felt very clear.
Yafan felt very strange; he hadn't had headaches before, and as long as he followed his mother's method of continuously using warm energy thirty-six times, the headache would go away without medication. However, this time it was different. Not only did the headache not disappear, but the warm energy he originally had inexplicably turned into extremely cold energy.This had never happened before. Was something wrong somewhere?
Yafan was baffled, and the intense headache made it unbearable for him; the clearer his mind became, the more he could feel the power of the headache. Suddenly, Yafan had a flash of inspiration, got out of bed, and found a long-dusty large box from under the bed. This chest, about one meter square in dark brown color, was used by Yafan to collect his mother's belongings. He hurriedly opened the box, rummaged around, and finally found a small silver wooden box at the very bottom of the chest.
Yafan still remembered that ten years ago, when his mother was lying in bed, she took an old yellow-covered book out of this silver small box and taught him the things in that book.
He still remembers that his mother taught him word by word. It took him almost a month to go from being completely illiterate to being able to recite the entire book by heart. His mother certainly put in a lot of effort.Moreover, his mother also tried her best to teach him this unknown technique. It is a shame that apart from practicing this technique every day, he has forgotten all the other content of the book.
Yafan opened the small wooden box and immediately saw a letter placed on the top layer of the box, which said "To my son." The elegant handwriting was the same as the one on the notes preserved by his father, written by his mother.
Yafan couldn't help but pick up the envelope and opened it to see what was written inside:
"Yafan, my son:
When you read this letter, I don't know how old you are? Are you living healthily and happily? The biggest regret of my life is not being able to see you grow up. Please forgive me for being an irresponsible mother, unable to protect you until the end.
You must be experiencing a splitting headache right now! Don't panic! Follow my instructions, please take a deep breath first, and use the method I taught you to run three times at the fastest speed."
Yafan followed suit without hesitation, and after running three times at a speed he had never experienced before, incredibly, the icy air seemed to douse the fiery headache in his mind, making him feel as if that intense headache had been a dream, completely vanished. The pleasant feeling made Yafan let out a sigh.
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"Whether you are suffering from a headache or have come across this letter by chance, Mother has something to tell you. You should know that Mother is from the Long family of the Tyron Empire. The Long family has a deep history that can be traced back to the ancient era of the Great Cataclysm. According to the family records, our Long family's first ancestor—Bekalong—was cursed by the gods during the Great Cataclysm period.
He possesses a powerful mental strength that gives rise to nightmares. Through this mental strength, the ancestor of Beika established the prosperity of the Long family. However, good times do not last. Except for the ancestor himself, every descendant who inherits this mental strength ends up in madness, insanity, or a mental breakdown.
Because no one can withstand this powerful mental strength without losing their sanity, even the ancestor only learned to manipulate this great power by chance. Unfortunately, he did not pass down his methods. Fortunately, this ability only appears once every four generations, allowing the Long family to continue.
Writing to this point, I believe you know what I want to say! That's right, you are the fifth generation of the Long family, which is likely to possess exceptional mental abilities.
But don't worry, among the ancestors of the Long family, there are no shortage of wise individuals. Through long-term research, they discovered a method to seal this extraordinary mental power, allowing many ancestors to live their lives in peace.
However, when I learned of this from our family history, a question arose in my mind: why were our ancestors able to utilize mental abnormal power to start their careers, while we, their descendants, must seal it in order to survive? This question became more puzzling when I deduced that my next generation or your younger uncle's next generation would be the one where this mental power reappears.
So, I began to study whether there were other methods to make good use of this power without sealing it, but still without danger ?
After my thorough research, I discovered several common points about psychic powers: First, psychic powers usually occur between the ages of fifteen and twenty after a significant emotional event, whether joy or sorrow; Second, when psychic powers begin to emerge, they can rapidly grow to about eighty percent of their peak within a year after their occurrence, and although they continue to grow afterward, the increase is not as noticeable; Third, the majority of ancestors, almost ninety-nine percent, initially suffered from an overload of psychic powers, leading to bizarre and phantom manifestations, which they could not bear, resulting in suicide.
After summarizing these points, I began to explore in two directions: first, whether it is possible for people to adapt to the rapidly developing mental powers before they manifest; second, whether there is a way to control the speed of their development and utilize them after they begin to develop ?
Fortunately, I found a book in the Talon Empire Library about an ancient mysterious religion.
In the book, there is a prayer about worshiping deities, who will grant believers strong faith.
After my in-depth research, I discovered that excluding the superfluous parts of prayers, praises, and expressions of reverence, this is an absolute method of spiritual practice.
Although its effects may not be significant for the general public, it can effectively train personal mental strength and better achieve self-control.
This major discovery thrills me; it is simply a technique created specifically for those of us in the Long family who possess spiritual powers!
Later, after I married your father and gave birth to you, I began to try to practice this technique. After accumulating five years of experience, I found that the effect was most significant when I circulated it thirty-six times each time, and the less I was troubled in my heart, the more I could focus, which allowed this technique to work even better.
So when you were five years old and began to understand things, I taught you this technique in order to help you get accustomed to the increase in spiritual power as early as possible.
However, I was worried that I might not have enough time to fully teach you all the techniques, and I was also concerned that if I taught you everything too early, you might be unable to absorb it. That's why I decided to write this letter just in case.
I have written down the phenomena of each stage, so you can practice accordingly without worrying about making mistakes.
Also, before the spiritual power is officially activated, when practicing the foundation of this technique, there will be frequent headaches due to the increase in spiritual power, which is a very normal thing, don't worry, as long as you keep your mental condition normal, don't have too much joy and sorrow, there will be no headaches. Of course, if you learn how to control it, it won't be.
I wish I had told you these words myself, not from the letter.
Finally, Mom has to remind you that if you see this letter when you have a headache after great joy and sorrow, it means that your spiritual power has begun to arise, if the method in front of the trial letter cannot relieve the headache, it means that this technique is useless to the spiritual power of our Long family, then you must quickly use the spiritual sealing method at the end of the book to seal the spiritual power, and you must not be strong.
Mom doesn't want to see you in heaven too early. Mother"
Finally finishing this letter, Yafan couldn't help but sigh, his heart filled with mixed emotions, unsure of what to say. So much happened tonight, as if everything that should have occurred in the past sixteen years was concentrated in this one night. Shaking his head, he decided to think no more about it, and as his mother said, he should first learn the complete set of skills before anything else!
He picked up the yellow-covered book from the wooden box, with the title 'Heavenly Heart Secret.' written on the cover. He couldn't tell if it was the original name or his mother's choice.
Upon opening it, he found that the first third of the book contained the 'Foundation Building Chapter,' the middle third was the 'Heart Training Chapter,' which Yafan recognized as an extension of the 'Foundation Building Chapter,' mainly focused on exercising mental strength. The last third was quite strange, titled 'Freedom Chapter,' containing phrases like 'guarding the intention in the center, training the primordial spirit, locking the intention horse, creating illusions of freedom, transforming the crystal heart, reflecting the universe.' It seemed to be describing something, but also appeared to teach how to practice, let Yafan be puzzled.
A piece of paper was stuck to the last page of the book. Yawen opened it and sure enough, it was written "Spiritual Sealing Technique." To be safe, he first memorized this method before focusing on studying the "Heavenly Heart Secret."
"Strange?" Yafan looked through it several times and found that his mother hadn't written anything in the book about the reason for the transition from heat to cold.
After reading it a few times, Yafan simply decided not to think about it, believing it was a normal phenomenon, which was why his mother hadn't written about it.
In fact, Yafan's mother, Kaelin Long, had no idea that the 'Heavenly Heart Secret' would go from hot to cold, because she could not predict that Yafan's level of training would exceed her imagination. She was unaware that he had reached a bottleneck, which was the highest limit of spiritual power that someone his age could accommodate.
She also did not know that Yafan would forcibly pour all of his body's energy into his spirit beast, the Greedy Wolf, using the secret 'Rebirth Technique passed down in the Stark family. Of course, she was even less able to foresee that Yafan's actions inadvertently aligned with the natural way of 'breaking before establishing', allowing his spiritual power to take a significant leap forward and undergo a profound transformation.
At that moment, Yafan immediately sat cross-legged on the bed, with the five hearts (the top of the head, palms, and soles of the feet) facing upward, and then breathed in a strange rhythm to clear away the distractions of all things.
Starting from the crown of the head, a cold breath spread along the spine to the whole body, then concentrated in the center of the right palm, spreading again throughout the body, then concentrated in the center of the left palm, followed by the center of the right foot, then the left foot, and finally returning to the crown of the head.
This cycle repeated endlessly, with the cold feeling growing stronger.
While Yafan was training his mental strength, the study of Yulai was still lit. The two figures sitting inside were indeed Yulai and Leon.
The two looked at each other with serious expressions. Leon said, "Brother-in-law, what is your decision? Do you support me taking Yafan away or not?"
Yulai furrowed his brow and replied, "Do you really think the situation is so urgent that you must take Yafan away to avoid risk?"
Leon forced a smile and said, "Although I don't know the details, Dad received intelligence from the Tyrone Empire court indicating that King Deye is planning significant actions against your Stark family. That's why he rushed to find me, wanting to advise you to be decisive and escape from the Huanabang Principality if necessary. He also wants me to bring Yafan back, as he does not want his only bloodline to suffer misfortune."
Yu Lai bitterly smiled, "Is that so? It turns out that even my father-in-law, who's far away in the empire, knows about my family's crisis."
Leon scoffed, "Hmph! Brother-in-law, even this kid Yafan can see the thoughts of King Deya. What are you still hesitating about? Moreover, if that weren't the case, how would you be constantly bombarded by those lawmakers in parliament every day? If it weren't for King Deya's tacit approval, who would dare?"
"Trust me, with your brother-in-law's reputation, even if you don't want to go to the Tai Long Empire, in any other country, people will definitely welcome you with open arms. It's much better than suffering here, and you might even face life-threatening dangers." Leon said sincerely.
Yulai angrily replied, "Leon, stop saying that. If you keep talking like this, I won't treat you as my little brother-in-law anymore."
Upon hearing this, Leon fell silent.
After a while, Yu Lai seemed to realize that his words were a bit too harsh, and he said: "Leon, I'm sorry, I know you mean well, I was a bit harsh in my tone."
He said again, "I hope you can understand. My father and I have devoted our whole lives to this country, and the children were born and raised here. It would be truly difficult for me to abandon it."
"Let's just consider this as us giving our last effort for the country. If it still doesn't work, I will resign from my official position with my family and live in seclusion, no longer concerning myself with worldly matters."
After saying that, Yulai pondered for a moment and then said to Leon, "As for Yafan's matter, you can talk to him yourself. If he is willing, then you can take him away."
Yu Lai appeared exhausted and helpless, clearly showing that the situation had reached an unbearable point. Otherwise, how could Yu Lai, known for his tenacity and capable of facing a million lions without showing fear, utter such weak words?
Leon nodded in understanding.
However, the two of them, caught in the heavy atmosphere, did not know that someone had listened to this entire conversation tonight.
Early the next morning, Yafan, who hadn't slept all night, walked out of the room full of energy. Looking at the garden outside, Yafan suddenly realized that everything was different.
In a field of green, the vitality was so abundant. The flowers and plants in the garden were lively, basking in the sunlight, and the insects and birds in the trees were joyfully showcasing their lives. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Yafan felt a sense of wellbeing that he had never experienced before. He raised his right hand and called out, 'Little Tan.'
Numerous golden lines immediately appeared on his right arm, and a shining golden wolf-type spirit beast separated from Yafan's right arm, it was indeed the Greedy Wolf.
The Greedy Wolf, which leapt down to the ground, looked at Yafan with its bright golden eyes shining in the sunlight.After last night, Yafan felt that he seemed a bit different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what had changed.
The only thing worth mentioning is that he had never paid attention to his surroundings before, but things are different now. The vibrant life around him has brightened his mood, and he no longer worries as much about the family crisis he learned about last night.
After summoning the greedy wolf, he noticed that the wolf seemed to have changed like him. The most obvious difference is that in the past, whenever Yafan felt the greedy wolf being summoned, his heart was always filled with curiosity about the world. If he hadn't been there, the greedy wolf would have probably wandered off without a care.
But now, the greedy wolf is very cautious, observing its surroundings. It no longer has the naive curiosity of before, but rather a sense of steadiness, as if the greedy wolf had 'grown up' overnight.
Yafan cheerfully said, "Little greedy, let's go practice."
With a loud howl, the greedy wolf suddenly opened its small mouth, and a beam of golden light shot out, hitting a bush five meters to the left.
The small bush was shaken by the impact of the greedy wolf's cannon, revealing a figure behind the bush who was using both hands to release a light blue energy to counteract the impact.
Yafan exclaimed, "Is it you, Uncle?"He could see clearly that behind the bushes was indeed his uncle—Leon.
Lyon smiled and said, "Yafan, tell that spirit beast to stop attacking me, I have something to discuss with you."
On one hand, he was surprised that his uncle was looking for him so early, and on the other hand, he was even more astonished that the greedy wolf had detected him from five meters away and had launched an attack without his order.
Yafan hurriedly stopped the greedy wolf from firing another attack and then asked, "Uncle, what do you need from me?"
Lyon did not answer Yafan's question and instead asked, "Where did you get your spirit beast? What level is it? It seems like it's from the wolf series?" Yafan first called out, "Little greedy, transform."
The greedy wolf returned to Yafan's right hand, and he said, "Uncle, you forgot! This is the 'Holy·Phantom·Beast' you gave me."
Leon was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly recalled the incident from five years ago and blurted out, "The egg that couldn't hatch?"
Yafan gritted his teeth and said, "Yes! Uncle, you didn't expect this, did you!"
Leon couldn't help but feel embarrassed, it was quite awkward for a moment.Seeing Leon like that, Yafan couldn't help but smile. When Leon saw Yafan smile, he also couldn't help but laugh.He murmured: 'I didn't expect that spirit beast egg that hasn't hatched for a hundred years would actually hatch."
"Yafan, is it a Spirit Beast?"
Yafan couldn't help but pour cold water on Leon's excitement and said, "I don't know, but other than knowing it has no attributes, it's no different from an ordinary Spirit Beast."
Then, Yafan informed Leon about everything that happened from the moment the greedy wolf was hatched until it recognized him as its master. After listening, Leon pondered for a moment.
"Yafan, based on what you said, I don't know if this greedy wolf is a holy spirit beast, but I can be certain that it is definitely a beast left over from ancient times."
After Leon finished speaking, he saw Yafan's puzzled expression and explained: "As far as I know, modern spiritual beasts only need to record their master's mental characteristics and fluctuations when recognizing their owner. After that, they follow the master's commands based on these mental traits. However, in ancient times, in addition to mental characteristics, the master's blood was also required to complete the identification of the master."
"This type of spiritual beast changes according to the physical condition of its master. The benefit is that as the master's abilities increase, the spiritual beast's abilities also increase, especially when the master acquires new abilities, the spiritual beast will also develop new abilities; the downside is that when the master's abilities weaken, the spiritual beast also weakens. The extent of their rise and fall is unmatched by modern spiritual beasts. Later, some people realized that if a master was injured on the battlefield, causing the spiritual beast to weaken as well, the likelihood of death in battle would greatly increase. Thus, some researchers developed methods to reduce the physical connection between spiritual beasts and their masters, placing more emphasis on the spiritual connection."
"Although this sacrifices many benefits, for most people, such spiritual beasts on the battlefield will not experience a decline in combat power due to the injuries of their masters or other factors, significantly increasing their chances of survival on the battlefield. Therefore, after a long evolution, modern spiritual beasts no longer require their master's blood."
"I didn't expect the spiritual beast eggs I bought casually to be ancient relics. I truly admire myself."
Yafan was unable to listen to Leon indulging in himself; he was still shocked by the fact that the greedy wolf was an ancient spiritual beast.After a moment, Yafan anxiously asked, "Uncle, are you sure that the greedy wolf is truly an ancient spiritual beast?"
Leon stared and said: "How could it not be true? I learned this from the ancient books hidden in the Long family's treasure. But I don't know why it has no attributes."
Yafan could not help but express his envy: "Is this book really real?"
Seeing Yafan drooling, Leon couldn't help but feel moved. He was unsure how to ask Yafan to come with him, and this just happened to be a good excuse. He inwardly exclaimed: 'Heaven is helping me.'
At that moment, I emphasized, "Of course there is this book, not only does it contain many records of legendary beasts that are now lost, but it also has many methods for enhancing the abilities of these beasts. Moreover, perhaps the issue of this greedy wolf lacking properties can also be found in there. After all, I didn't look very carefully at the time."
"Besides this book, there are many unexpected books in the secret collection of the Long family, with content that is bizarre and varied, it's beyond comparison."
Seeing Yafan's envious expression, Leon secretly laughed and added, "This time I happen to be returning home. If you're really interested, why not come with me to the Long family? On one hand, you can see these books, and on the other hand, you can also see the place where your mother grew up. Besides, apart from the times when your mother was ill, when your grandparents visited a couple of times, you haven't seen them since. You can also visit them and make the two old folks happy."
Goodness, all the seduction and familial affection were put to use. When Leon saw Yafan nodding his head in agreement, he couldn't help but feel very pleased, secretly thinking, "I really managed to come up with this speech on the spot."
Suddenly, just as Yafan was about to nod, he turned to shake his head and said, "Uncle, thank you for your kindness, but I can't go to the Tyron Empire with you right now."
Leon opened his mouth wide and said in shock, "Why?"
Yafan found it difficult to respond, saying, "Uncle, if you had made this suggestion to me yesterday, I would have been very happy to go to the Talon Empire with you, but now I cannot go with you."
Leon knew that Yafan was aware of the crisis in his family, but he still asked, 'Why?'
Indeed, Yafan replied, 'Uncle, you know that my family is in such a big crisis. If I didn't know about it before yesterday, I might have gone with you to see grandpa and grandma. But now, if I go with you, wouldn't that mean abandoning my family in the midst of this crisis?'
It's a pity that the secret passage in Leon turned out to be like this, but he couldn't give up. With a quick thought, he came up with a new explanation.