The Zhong Family Estate in the provincial capital.
"Mom, you're back from the capital!"
Inside the main hall of the Zhong family, two young men walked in side by side, their gazes fixed on the elegant noblewoman seated by the tea table. They spoke in unison.
These two young men were none other than the Zhong family's eldest young master, Zhong Wuhen, and the second young master, Zhong Wunian.
"Sit!"
Li Zhirou glanced at the two brothers, then continued to brew tea, her tone flat, revealing no discernible emotion.
The brothers exchanged a glance, both detecting a hint of surprise in each other's eyes. They both faintly felt that their mother seemed different from before.
But they couldn't quite pinpoint what had changed.
"Mom! You've been in the capital for quite some time. Were you handling something that required such a long duration?" Zhong Wuhen asked, sitting down, a trace of awkwardness creeping into his tone.
This unconscious shift startled him.
While he had felt pressure when facing his mother before, it was nowhere near the sense of constraint he felt now.
"This..."
Zhong Wuhen's heart tightened with a cold sweat.
However, compared to him, his younger brother, Zhong Wunian, appeared much more composed, holding his teacup and savoring its contents.
These expressions naturally did not escape Li Zhirou's notice. As she looked at Zhong Wunian, a hint of relief flickered in the depths of her beautiful eyes.
"How has your progress been with the cultivation techniques I gave you?" Li Zhirou asked subtly.
Cultivation techniques?
These were, of course, given to her by Ye Ming long ago.
"It's miraculous!"
Zhong Wuhen exclaimed excitedly, "These techniques are far beyond the ancient martial arts I've encountered. My strength has also advanced by leaps and bounds. Now, I can even contend with a Martial Emperor."
"Martial Emperor?"
Li Zhirou took a deep look at her eldest son, offering no immediate evaluation. She then turned to her younger son and asked, "And you?"
If her younger son's response was similar to his elder brother's, she might have to disappoint him.
However, when faced with his mother's inquiry, Zhong Wunian did not answer. Instead, he glanced at his elder brother, seeming hesitant to speak.
"Don't hold back, speak your mind!"
Li Zhirou clearly sensed her younger son's hesitation and said calmly.
She also understood that her younger son was different from his elder brother.
"Wunian! Go ahead and speak. I know you've always been holding back, not wanting me to be disheartened," Zhong Wuhen said, patting his brother's shoulder with a smile. "But I know we are not the same kind of people, so let me see how outstanding you are!"
He had already realized this during the last conversation his mother had with them.
"Mm!"
Zhong Wunian nodded, then said with a solemn tone, "After I obtained those cultivation techniques, I seemed to have an innate affinity for them. Practicing them was almost effortless, very simple."
As he spoke, an intensely suppressed aura emanated from Zhong Wunian's body, and he actually floated into the air.
"This..."
Zhong Wuhen's jaw dropped in disbelief as he witnessed this scene.
Flight!
That was something only a Martial God expert could achieve.
And his brother, whom he had grown up with, had somehow reached this level without him even realizing it.
"Wunian, could it be that you've already reached the Martial God realm?"
He asked with a trembling voice.
Compared to his shock, Li Zhirou's reaction was much more subdued. However, the hint of joy in her beautiful eyes was still undeniable.
"Martial God?"
Zhong Wunian gave a slight smile. Although he hadn't personally experienced the might of a Martial God, he had a feeling: "Martial Gods, I can contend with them too!"
This was the confidence and strength he possessed now.
Furthermore, in a not-too-distant future, he could undergo a qualitative improvement.
It was only a matter of time.
"What? You... you can contend with Martial Gods?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Wuhen's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Those were the lofty Martial Gods, how could he speak of them so casually?
"Alright! Come down now!"
Li Zhirou beckoned with her hand and nodded.
Zhong Wunian returned to his seat, gradually retracting the external aura. He looked at his mother with some curiosity. Her reaction to his strength had surprised him.
He had expected her to be shocked, like his elder brother. But instead, there was only a slight ripple.
"Wuhen, you mentioned before that Wunian is different from us. Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself, understand?"
Li Zhirou looked at her elder son and instructed.
"I understand, don't worry!"
Zhong Wuhen nodded emphatically. He was capable of adjusting his mindset.
However, his curiosity naturally remained, so he asked, "Wunian, I'm really curious about when you became different from us. This is simply too miraculous!"
This was what he had always wanted to know.
Li Zhirou was not entirely clear about the answer either, and she looked to her younger son.
"This... well..."
Zhong Wunian scratched his head and smiled shyly, "It was after I met a divine maiden. From that moment on, I knew my life's path was set."
"My existence is to protect her."
"My power is to burn for her."
"My world is to be immortalized because of her."
As he spoke, a fervent aura of worship emanated from Zhong Wunian's body, his power surging and dancing wildly.
The infatuated smile on his face deepened, becoming lost in his own world. In his pupils, there was only a peerless, ethereal silhouette.
"Wunian, what's wrong?"
*Bang!*
Zhong Wuhen quickly patted his brother's shoulder, but unexpectedly, a terrifying repulsive force knocked him flying, sending him crashing out.
Fortunately, Zhong Wunian snapped back to reality at that moment and extended a hand, pulling his brother back.
"Brother! Are you alright?"
Zhong Wunian said with a hint of apology.
"I... I'm fine! But you..."
Zhong Wuhen didn't know how to describe his feelings. There was a sense of trepidation and complexity. His brother, before him, felt somewhat like a stranger at this moment.
"Wunian, who is this divine maiden you speak of..." Seeing her younger son's strange state, Li Zhirou's expression grew serious. "Is it that girl Zhaoge?"
Mo Zhaoge!
Zhong Wuhen had heard his younger brother mention this name before. But he had never imagined that a woman could make Zhong Wunian so infatuated and obsessed.
"Wunian, do you like that woman named Zhaoge very much?"
This was Zhong Wuhen's immediate thought.
"No! No! No!"
However, Zhong Wunian's answer completely stunned him.
"How dare we mortals covet the appearance of a goddess."
Zhong Wunian's face turned extremely fearful. He placed his right fist over his chest, his tone filled with utmost reverence:
"I... am merely a devoted believer."