"Mother," Han Mei greeted softly, her voice strained from supporting her husband. "We apologize for the delay. Tian just needed a little extra time with his—"
Her voice cut off instantly. Both she and Wu Tian froze at the sight of the sitting area.
"—Recovery" she stammered as she saw the Two Xue Li's.
They were visually identical: the same silver hair, the same composed expression, and the same elegant, slightly tilted teacup. The only difference they could not discern was a subtle disparity in their spiritual aura—something Wu Tian's taxed concentration couldn't immediately grasp.
Wu Tian blinked slowly, his brow furrowed in utter confusion, the pain from the gravity seal forgotten for a moment as he thought 'have i trained so much I'm hallucinating now?'
"Mother?" he stammered, looking between the two. "Are you... seeing this, Mei'er?"
Han Mei squinted, focusing hard on the two figures. They were flawless copies.
"The one on the right is moving exactly like you do, Mother. It has to be Rui'er," she reasoned, directing the question toward the copy, which is exuding the youthful more vibrant aura unlike the original Xue Li who is exuding a Majestic yet serene Aura.
"Rui'er, stop your nonsense! Or mother will be angry," she says in a playful yet indulging tone.
The younger Xue Li chuckled, a sound that was suddenly light and distinctly Hanrui's.
The transformation technique shimmered, and in a cloud of dispersing chakra, the illusory copy vanished, revealing Hanrui, who was now leaning back in the chair, stretching his arms above his head.
"Good afternoon, Father, Mother," Hanrui said cheerfully, his bright blue eyes twinkling with mischief.
"As expected of Mother, I knew you would recognize your son," he said with pride, but then he continued, "I didn't think the Transformation Technique was that convincing. Father, you look like you're about to faint."
Wu Tian, still slightly leaning on Han Mei for balance after the illusion vanished, nearly toppled sideways. "You—! You absolute menace! You scared a decade off my life!"
Hanrui just pouted in response, "Hmph."
The true Xue Li, undisturbed, merely placed her teacup down and smiled, her eyes fixed on her son, Wu Tian.
"And pray tell," she said, her voice dripping with playful rebuke, "whose fault was it that my Rui'er had to wait for an hour to have lunch? You two have kept us waiting, and now you can barely stand. Sit down, both of you."
Hearing both his son's pout and his mother's reprimand, Wu Tian averted his eyes, the guilt of his tardiness immediately overriding the shock of the prank.
He allowed Han Mei to guide him fully into his chair, a defeated expression on his face. As his wife couldn't help but stifle a laugh as she took her seat.
"Forgive me Rui'er, Mother. I got over excited and trained too much, with the gravity seal on."Wu Tian replied in the end.
Hanrui's expression shifted instantly from playful to serious. Without a word, he performed a subtle hand sign.
In two rapid puffs of smoke, two perfect duplicates of himself—his Shadow Clones—appeared next to him.
The original remained seated.
Wu Tian and Han Mei stared, but Xue Li merely raised a brow, intrigued by the unfamiliar summoning method.
The first clone (Clone 1) approached Wu Tian and, without preamble, thrust his hand out toward his father. "Bite," Clone 1 commanded, his voice a flat echo of the original.
All three adults looked at Clone 1, bewildered by the instruction. Wu Tian, though utterly confused, trusted his son implicitly. He hesitated for only a second before gently sinking his teeth into the proffered forearm.
The instant Wu Tian's teeth met his skin, a strange, invigorating energy surged into his mouth, spreading through his core.
His deep internal injuries and chronic fatigue—residual effects of previous training by the gravity seal—began to slowly, visibly mend.
Han Mei, who was close to her husband, watched in fascinated awe.
The tired lines around Wu Tian's eyes softened, and the tension left his shoulders. The healing was undeniable.
Making them surprised that a Soul Emperor can be healed by a newly minted Soul Master,a feat even Healing Soul Master at the same level couldn't perform as easily, especially Without a soul skill at that.
"It's called Heal Bite," the original Hanrui explained, his eyes fixed on the internal feedback from his father. "I haven't studied the healing arts yet, so I can only use this specific ability to treat you."
With a soft poof, Clone 1 vanished, its purpose served.
"Aha, as expected, a single Shadow Clone wasn't enough to fully restore you," Hanrui continued, assessing the remaining fatigue. "You've healed up to about seventy percent. You'll be fine after a proper meal and rest."
'incredible' they thought at the same time as Hanrui announced the results of the healing.
Wu Tian feeling refreshed, gets elated but seeing the unnatural smile on his son's face he averts his eyes. Feeling as if ,If he said the wrong thing, his son will scold him.
Coincidentally he meets his mother Xue Li's eyes and notices the same look from her. Frightened, he Decides to swallow his words and only mutters "Thank you, Rui'er".
Getting a nod from his mother and son, he relaxes his tensed up posture, as he thought 'why do i feel like I'm walking on a tightrope in my own Home?'
Meanwhile, the second clone (Clone 2) was already in motion.
Clone 2 first approached Han Mei, placing his right hand's two forefingers together and gently pressing them against her forehead. A focused stream of Knowledge flowed from him into her Soul Sea.
"Mother, this is the Nine Yin Manual," Clone 2 whispered, ensuring the complex technique suitable for her Sea Dragon Martial Spirit was directly imprinted into her mind.
He then moved swiftly to Wu Tian, repeating the action on his forehead.
"Father, this is the Nine Yang Manual," he instructed, transferring the powerful Yang based technique suited for his Martial Spirit— Flame Sword.
Then the clone touches the gravity seal on his Father's forearm and removes it to avoid the repeat of his father's reckless action.
He couldn't help but sigh in relief as his father is not reckless enough to keep the seal active and turned off in time when exausted.
With both tasks complete, Clone 2 vanished in a second puff of smoke.
While Wu Tian and Han Mei who are immersed in the knowledge imprinted in their soul sea didn't notice, Xue Li notices it and gives an approving nod to her grandson.
Finally, the original Hanrui rose and approached Xue Li. He executed the same precise two-finger knowledge transfer technique, placing them gently on his grandmother's forehead.
"Nainai, this is the Celestial Swan Radiance Technique," Hanrui murmured, the pure consciousness flowing from him into her Soul Sea.
"This technique will help you reach the Limit Douluo level, and also evolve your Martial Soul if the right conditions are met."
Xue Li who just received the technique immersed in examining the technique in her soul sea just nods lightly.
Wu Tian and Han Mei, just regaining their composure, sat frozen in disbelief—struck by the sheer potential of the cultivation techniques Hanrui had shared.
They glanced at each other, silently promising to support and protect their son from this day forward.
Wu Tian's eyes widened as he realized the gravity seal was no longer on his wrist. Surprise flickered across his face, quickly replaced by a mixture of confusion and reluctant acceptance. "You removed it?" he asked quietly, glancing cautiously at Hanrui.
Han Mei's eyebrows knitted together in concern, but she remained calm. "It's better this way, right? But maybe you can explain why, Rui'er?" she added softly, waiting for his answer.
Xue Li, composed yet watchful, gave Hanrui a subtle nod of approval. Her expression hinted at quiet pride.
Hanrui shrugged slightly, his mischievous smile softening into seriousness. "I designed the gravity seal to train myself and added a recovery function once I discovered my innate healing ability and modified it with sealing arts, but it only works for me. It's tied to a unique power system from my otherworld bloodline, not soul power."
He glanced at his family. "You don't have that, so I made a version that works with soul power instead. The problem is, I'm not familiar with healing arts and soul Power recovery well enough to create the full recovery function for you yet."
Han Mei softened, nodding in understanding at Hanrui's honesty.
Turning to Wu Tian with mock sternness, Hanrui continued, "And since your reckless training nearly led to injury, I had to take it off—for now. I need to be more careful about who uses it."
Wu Tian let out a sigh but smiled faintly, his respect for his son deepening. "I might have pushed too hard. Thanks for looking out for me."
Xue Li smiled gently. As she took a tofu on the table and started feeding her grandson.
Wu Tian and Han Mei, now settled and eating, listened intently as Hanrui spoke, catching their full attention.
"I originally planned to give you each different cultivation techniques," Hanrui began, glancing at his parents.
"But after reviewing them, I felt they were too low level. I had some new ideas, so I modified the techniques to better suit you both."
He looked at his father first. "The Nine Yang Manual is naturally focused on fire and designed for spear mastery. I adapted it specifically for sword use, matching your style."
Then he turned to his mother. "The Nine Yin Manual, on the other hand, is more Yin-based and doesn't improve the elemental side of your Martial Soul, Mother. So, I combined the technique I originally intended for you into it, weaving them as seamlessly as possible."
"As I mentioned earlier to Grandmother about her cultivation technique, these two techniques will help you both reach the Limit Douluo level, and give you a chance to evolve your Martial Souls if the conditions are right."
Both looked stunned, their eyes wide as Hanrui dropped one revelation after another. Seeing their reactions, he decided to tease them a little.
"Of course, I also had an idea to help you achieve Martial Soul Fusion. Since one technique represents Yin and the other Yang, they're perfect for it."
He paused, giving them a mischievous grin. "And there's an added benefit—Dual Cultivation."
Wu Tian and Han Mei, initially intrigued by the words "Martial Soul Fusion" hearing the words "Dual Cultivation", suddenly blushed like newlyweds.
Avoiding the teasing looks from the grandmother and grandson duo, they hurriedly stuffed their mouths with food, creating a comical attempt to hide their embarrassment.
As they finished the last of their meal, Hanrui rose, giving his grandmother a subtle glance. Xue Li immediately understood the cue—the parents needed privacy to talk.
"Come along, dear," Xue Li said, taking Hanrui's hand. "Your father needs time to contemplate the next step in his glorious Flame Sword evolution. And you, young man, still have a lot of resting to do."
They left the dining hall, leaving Wu Tian and Han Mei alone amidst the cleared lunch dishes.
Once they were certain Hanrui and Xue Li were gone, Wu Tian let out a long, shuddering sigh. "That little brat," he scoffed, though a clear smile played on his lips. He turned to his wife, whose eyes were fixed on him with a knowing, raised eyebrow.
"Ohh, seems someone is eager to 'cultivate' while trying to blame his son for the idea," Han Mei teased, preempting his usual attempts at humor.
Wu Tian just smiled, matching her playful look, then asked, "So, what do you think, Mei'er? Do you think Rui'er wants a sibling?"
The question instantly extinguished Han Mei's playfulness. Her smile vanished, replaced by an expression of deep, serious resolve.
"I don't know what Rui'er experienced in his previous life," she said, her voice dropping, "but he is hiding his insecurities while trying his absolute best to not be rejected. He needs us to be focused, undivided." She met her husband's gaze squarely. "And you want to add another child into this mix? Absolutely not."
She rose from the table, her hands flat against the wood. Her voice was steady, but her conviction was absolute. "Rui'er is enough for me, Tian. I don't want another child."
With that final, firm declaration, Han Mei turned and quickly left the dining hall, the movement more a storm of resolve than a flight of anger.
Wu Tian was left alone, surrounded by the remnants of the meal and the words spoken by his wife, Han Mei.He didn't move for a long moment, the silence of the room overwhelming.