Chapter 1858: Chapter 597: Growth and Racing Against Time, Chen Cang’s Grand Retreat

Star-picking Platform, after Li Xuanling left.

Xia Yusheng immediately opened his eyes, his eyeballs turning swiftly, and sideways asked Xia Yuyao in a low voice: "Sis, what’s your basic strength now in zong? Can you break through to Mid-stage Cold Resistance this month?"

After Xia Yuyao opened her eyes, she didn’t answer immediately but first scrutinized her younger brother. Then she shook her head lightly and said: "The Blood Jade Pearl that Dad brought back has completely remedied the defects in my previous skin membrane and flesh, so now my cultivation has slowed down significantly.

My basic strength is less than 1 zong higher than yours, and I’m still about 3 zong away from mid-stage."

She broke through to Cold Resistance level at the beginning of the year, her basic strength was 8.8 zong. To start the second round of Blood and Flesh Reorganization, her basic strength needs to double, requiring 17.6 zong, but now her basic strength is just 15 zong, indeed a bit short of mid-stage.

Her younger brother Xia Yusheng just broke through with 8.6 zong; mid-stage requires 17.2, and now his basic strength is just over 14 zong, which isn’t much different than hers.

"Even you are short by so much, it’ll take me even longer. Half a year without breaking through mid-stage, the speed of cultivation slows down more the further you go. When will I ever break through to Peak of Cold Resistance? Won’t we really have to wait until we’re of age, all set for the coming-of-age ceremony before leaving the Star-picking Platform?"

Xia Yusheng’s face was full of despondency. Knowing that his sister had better talent than him, he always felt inferior. Hearing that Xia Yuyao hadn’t broken through to Mid-stage Cold Resistance made him feel that leaving Star-picking Platform was out of reach, dampening his spirits significantly.

It’s not his fault; since he can remember, Xia Yusheng has left Xia Palace less than five times, among which the most memorable was probably the Great Xia Northern Expedition at the end of the year. He initially was grounded, but his father returned early from Moao River, and his mother took them north to reunite with him.

His father Xia Hong’s terrifying power, the Xia Army’s superior combat strength and formation, including several large-scale battles with Cai Qiu, the Beast Emperor-level Puppets his father wielded on the battlefield, as well as the Tribulation Body Realm experts from Cai Qiu... all these sights fueled Xia Yusheng’s yearning for the world outside.

Even before the Northern Expedition ended, he constantly brewed the idea of leaving Xia Palace, leaving the capital city to see other territories of Great Xia, and even beyond Great Xia’s domains.

Originally, everything went smoothly. As his father returned from Moao River, the Great Xia Northern Expedition triumphed, subduing the Feudal Town and securing the Southern Slope. His mother Li Xuanling’s temper had eased considerably, and with a well-timed request, everything should naturally fall into place.

However, the development later took a downturn; first, the matter of Cai Qiu’s marriage alliance changed Li Xuanling’s good mood. On the way back to Xia City from Evergreen Valley at the start of the year, he dared not mention it. Secondly, before they even reached Xia City, when passing through Bone-Eroding Path, the three of them were seized by abductors.

The abduction at the start of the year seemed quite inexplicable. The three women hardly harmed them throughout and were even polite. In the end, within the Exotic Dragon Palace, his father appeared in time to rescue them. Since the abduction process was unremarkable and harmless, it could only be described as baffling.

Yet despite this, thinking about those three people from the start of the year still makes Xia Yusheng gnash his teeth in anger.

The reason is simple; because after escaping from Chilong Lake at the start of the year, Li Xuanling immediately imposed a ban on both siblings.

This time, the ban was more severe than before. Previously, they were allowed to move freely within Xia Palace, occasionally venturing into areas of the Three Pavilions and Eight Departments outside Xia Palace; this time, they were directly banned from leaving Star-picking Hall. They could only leave if they broke through to Peak of Cold Resistance or turned fifteen.

In Xia Yusheng’s view, if it weren’t for those three women at the start of the year, his mother Li Xuanling wouldn’t have imposed such a strict house arrest. How could he not grit his teeth in anger?

"Dad is still unknown how long he’ll remain in that Dragon Palace in seclusion. Only when he returns will there possibly be a change in Mom’s decision..."

Father Xia Hong’s return is Xia Yusheng’s only current hope. Unfortunately, after escaping from the Exotic Dragon Palace at the start of the year, his mother directly sent them back to Xia Capital. When Li Xuanling returned later, she only told them that their father was in the Dragon Palace undergoing retreat and that it would take a long time before he would come out.

Xia Yuyao, dressed in a blue palace gown, sat cross-legged on a cushion. Her small face had begun to take on the contours of a beauty. Hearing her brother’s longing for their father’s return, her beautiful eyes first flashed with a hint of sorrow before she shook her head and said lightly: "You still hope to go out? Have you forgotten about Milk Tiger Forest so soon?"

Upon hearing the three words Milk Tiger Forest, Xia Yusheng’s expression immediately froze, and he hung his head falling into silence.

Last year’s incident at Milk Tiger Forest dealt a huge blow to him, and he is well aware that the root of the abduction lies in his urgent desire to go outside; thus, Han Yue’s death is partly his responsibility.

Just like the relationship between Xia Yuyao and Auntie Han Shuang, when Xia Yusheng was still learning to speak, Han Yue was appointed by his mother Li Xuanling to take care of him. It’s no exaggeration to say that in some respects, Han Yue was even more like a mother than Li Xuanling, his biological mother. The way Xia Yusheng and she interacted over so many years, although not mother and child, was certainly akin to it.

Han Yue’s death was undoubtedly a psychological blow to him, let alone his undeniable responsibility for it.

Expecting a child under ten-years-old to bear such a burden is ultimately too heavy, thus neither his mother Li Xuanling, Uncle Xia Chuan, nor Han Yue’s husband, Commander Tie Xinchuan, nor any of the other Dragon Forbidden Captains, including his father Xia Hong who learned the details later, ever uttered a single reproach towards Xia Yusheng.

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