High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Chapter 428: Chapter 428: Returning to Red River

I see.

When Grandmaster Yue gave him the Fire Source Stone, it wasn’t just so he could comprehend the True Intention of Flame. He also hoped Wuyi could activate the undying flame seed inside it.

"I understand." Xu Wuyi tightened his grip on the round stone. "I’ll continue to look into it."

"Mm," Han Mo nodded. "For the next two months, you should stay in the Federation to properly consolidate your Realm and polish your Heart Image. Don’t be in a hurry to take on missions, and don’t just hole up at school, either."

"At the Innate Realm, you can’t polish your Heart Image in isolation. When you have time, go out for a walk, meet different kinds of people. It will do you good."

"I understand, Teacher," Xu Wuyi said after a moment’s thought.

The call ended.

The light screen went dark, and the Cultivation Room became quiet again.

Xu Wuyi sat where he was, unmoving for a long time.

’The amount of information Teacher Han brought is overwhelming. The Federation’s large-scale counterattack, the redistribution of war zones, the secret of the Fire Source Stone...’

He rubbed his brow, sorting through everything one by one.

’First, I can’t go to the Star Realm Battlefield for the next two months. This means I have enough time to consolidate my Realm and comprehend my Heart Image.’

’Second, when I return to the battlefield, I’ll be transferred to the Feathered People Civilization front. The Celestial Wolf Civilization front is about to become a battlefield for Grandmasters, which is beyond my league.’

’Finally, the military might issue a special deployment for me. This means my abilities have been recognized, but it also means more dangerous missions.’

...

On the aircraft from Yuntai City back to Red River City, Xu Wuyi sat by the window, watching the clouds retreat rapidly outside.

’Two months off the battlefield.’

He had felt a surge of indignation when he first heard the decision. Not enough of the Celestial Wolf Civilization’s blood had been spilled; his revenge for Master Yue was not yet complete. But after calming down, Xu Wuyi understood Teacher Han’s reasoning.

Cultivation was all about pacing.

While continuous combat allowed one to accumulate merits quickly, it also stretched one’s nerves too taut.

He had only recently broken through to the Innate Realm. His Realm needed to be consolidated, and his Heart Image needed to be polished. Most importantly, the insights gained from his "Enlightenment" required time to be fully digested.

The cycle of Thick Accumulation and Thin Emission had returned to the "Thick Accumulation" phase.

The aircraft landed at Red River City’s eastern airport at three in the afternoon.

Xu Wuyi didn’t have much luggage, just a backpack containing a change of clothes, two Earth Fire Marrow Lamps, and that dark red Fire Source Stone.

As he walked out of the airport, the familiar air of the city washed over him.

There was no sulfuric smell of scorched earth, no reek of blood—only the slightly warm spring breeze, mingled with the lively, smoky aroma from the roadside food stalls.

Pedestrians strolled leisurely down the street, old men sat under trees playing chess, and children chased one another, laughing and playing.

Peace.

Xu Wuyi stood in the plaza and took a deep breath.

This sense of peace was a luxury on the Star Realm Battlefield. There, every breath was tinged with vigilance, and every second was spent on guard against a possible attack.

He didn’t call for a ride, just walked, step by step.

Walking through familiar streets, Xu Wuyi looked around.

He hadn’t been back in over a year, and Red River City hadn’t changed much. Just a few roadside shops had changed their signs, and the new commercial district had two more buildings.

Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the entrance to his residential community.

The old residential community was still the same. The mottling on the exterior walls was a bit more obvious, but the trees in the green belts had grown more lush.

The afternoon sun slanted down. A few familiar elders sitting on a bench chatting paused in surprise when they saw him, then broke into smiles and greeted him.

"Oh, Ah Yi’s back?"

"Grandma Li, Grandpa Wang," Xu Wuyi nodded in response.

"You’ve made something of yourself! Your family told us you’re at Star Martial University!"

"That’s great! Come over for dinner when you have time!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Wuyi continued on his way.

Standing in front of his home, he paused for a moment, then raised his hand and rang the doorbell.

"Who is it?" His mother’s voice came from inside.

The door opened.

Mrs. Xu was wearing an apron and holding a spatula. When she saw Xu Wuyi, she froze completely.

"Ah Yi? Y-you... how are you back?" she stammered, her eyes filled with pleasant surprise.

"Things at school are quiet for now, so I came back to stay for a while." Xu Wuyi smiled and walked into the house.

"You silly child, coming back without even a word!" Mrs. Xu quickly turned off the stove and put the spatula aside. "Have you eaten? I’ll make you something."

"Don’t trouble yourself, Mom." Xu Wuyi put down his backpack. "Where’s Dad?"

"He’s working late today, won’t be back until six." Mrs. Xu wiped her hands, looking Xu Wuyi up and down. "You’ve lost weight. Aren’t you eating well at school?"

"No, I’m fine." Xu Wuyi sat down on the sofa. "I just wanted to come back and stay for a while, to spend some time with you two."

Mrs. Xu’s eyes reddened a little. She turned away. "I’ll go get your room ready. I just aired out the quilt a few days ago..."

Watching his mother’s back as she walked into the room, Xu Wuyi felt a wave of warmth spread through his heart.

’This is home.’

’No matter what you’ve been through out there, how many people you’ve killed, how much blood is on your hands—when you come home, you’re still just a kid in your parents’ eyes.’

...

At six-thirty in the evening, Father Xu came home from work.

Seeing Xu Wuyi, he was also pleasantly surprised, and the father and son chatted for a good while. At dinner, the table was filled with dishes made by Mrs. Xu, all of Xu Wuyi’s favorites.

"How long can you stay this time?" Father Xu asked.

"A month or two, probably." Xu Wuyi picked up a piece of braised pork. "There aren’t many classes at school, so I can just cultivate on my own."

"Good, good, stay for a while longer." Mrs. Xu put more food on his plate. "You’ve been away all these years, you don’t come home nearly enough."

Xu Wuyi nodded.

He knew, however, that it wasn’t that he came home too infrequently; it was that his perception of time was now different from that of ordinary people.

For a Martial Artist, a single session of secluded cultivation could last ten days to half a month. A mission on the Star Realm Battlefield could easily take one or two months.

To his parents, coming home two or three times a year was already infrequent. But to him, that was all the time he could manage to squeeze out.

After dinner, he returned to his room.

The room was kept very clean; the desk and bed were spotless. Clearly, his mother cleaned it often.

Xu Wuyi took the Earth Fire Marrow Lamp from his backpack, placed it in a corner, and flipped the switch. A faint orange halo spread out.

He didn’t immediately begin cultivating. Instead, he opened his personal terminal and connected to the Federation’s news network.

The top headline was "Federation Parliament Passes War Mobilization Act No. 147." The subheading read: "Full-Scale Ramp-Up of Military Production to Secure Frontline Supply Lines."

He clicked on it. The article was written in official language, but a tense atmosphere seeped through between the lines.

Xu Wuyi scrolled down.

"Dongjiang Command Repels Three Probing Attacks from Celestial Wolf Civilization." "Situation on Feathered People Civilization Front remains Stable." "Federation Science Academy Announces Breakthrough in New Energy Armor."

One by one, the news articles sketched out the contours of the war.

Ordinary citizens saw "attacks repelled" and "situation stable," but Xu Wuyi knew that behind every "repelled," countless Martial Artists had shed their blood.

The lists of the fallen would not be made public. They would only be sent in an encrypted format to the systems of the military and the Battle Groups.