"Brother Yang, what have you been doing these past four years? Mom, Dad, Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone, Sister Yan, and I have all missed you so much!"
Ning Rongrong held tightly to Xu Yang's hand, curiously asking while using the other hand to count off each name.
"Your brother was just off cultivating," Xu Yang replied with a warm smile.
"Oh! Then can you teach me how to cultivate too, Brother Yang?"
"Of course!"
He chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately.
After returning to the sect, Xu Yang spent time eating and reconnecting with his loved ones, savoring the warmth and peace that came from family and friends. The cold killing intent that had accompanied him since Slaughter City gradually began to dissipate.
Their familiar voices brought him comfort, easing the pervasive tension left behind by two years of endless bloodshed.
After the meal, Xu Yang and Dugu Yan went to the back mountain of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, sitting together by the lake. Dugu Yan took off her shoes and dipped her feet into the clear water, gently stirring its surface.
Neither of them spoke at first, simply watching the ripples spread across the lake. The silence quickly became awkward.
"Yan, how have you been these past four years?" Xu Yang finally broke the silence.
"Not bad. Mornings I train with Lingling and the others, afternoons I study with Grandpa, and evenings I cultivate on my own. It's been a pretty fulfilling routine."
She paused, then turned and hugged Xu Yang's arm, resting her head against his shoulder. Her voice trembled slightly.
"But... I really missed you. Especially after I learned how dangerous Slaughter City is. I was so afraid you wouldn't come back…"
"It's alright. I'm back now, aren't I?" Xu Yang held her gently and comforted her softly. Looking down at her not-quite-beautiful but familiar face, he leaned down and kissed her lightly.
Truthfully, though Dugu Yan was undeniably beautiful—especially after consuming the Earth Dragon Golden Melon—she couldn't quite compare to top-tier beauties like Madam Ning or Ning Rongrong. But what made her truly captivating was her fierce and valiant temperament.
Blushing furiously, Dugu Yan punched Xu Yang lightly in protest, but he only grew more mischievous.
"Stop it!"
She twisted his waist hard with her fingers, her face now glowing red.
"Heh…"
Xu Yang simply laughed and hugged her tighter. His hands, however, did not behave. After two years in Slaughter City with no distractions or relief, he had been holding back for far too long.
Seeing him ignore her protest, Dugu Yan rolled her eyes but no longer resisted. Instead, she shrank deeper into his embrace. She could tell Xu Yang had changed—before, he never would have acted so boldly. She didn't know what he had endured in Slaughter City, but this was the only way she could think to comfort him.
Who knows how much time passed before Xu Yang finally stopped. Holding Dugu Yan close and looking out at the lake, he said in a deep voice:
"These past two years, I missed you so much. Especially in the final half-year—I was going insane. There were people trying to kill me every moment, and all I could do was kill them first. It was thoughts of you, my teacher, Madam Ning, Rongrong, Grandpa Sword... All of you kept me going."
"No wonder he changed so much… he's been through hell."
Dugu Yan tightly squeezed his hand, eyes full of heartache. Just imagining the danger of Slaughter City chilled her, and Xu Yang had survived there for two whole years. She didn't dare imagine what that must have been like.
Once they opened up, the two had no shortage of things to talk about, chatting for two to three hours before returning to the sect reluctantly.
Afterward, Dugu Yan returned to Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, while Xu Yang resumed his training. But this time, his cultivation routine was very different. In addition to learning new blade techniques from Chen Xin, he also practiced enjoying life: fishing, listening to music, cooking, walking around the city. His time spent on soul power cultivation was drastically reduced.
But now that he had obtained his fifth soul skill—Ten Suns Formation—a soul skill that resonated with the heavens and could maximize the potential of his Sun Martial Soul, Xu Yang could absorb sunlight far more efficiently. His cultivation speed barely slowed.
He also wasn't alone. Ning Rongrong joined him in his daily routine.
Though her training was focused more on soul power, split-consciousness control, and learning Cloud Tread Steps, her pace and goals were very different from Xu Yang's.
As she matured, Ning Rongrong gradually came to understand that she was likely to marry Xu Yang someday, probably alongside Sister Yan. Though she didn't yet harbor romantic feelings for Xu Yang—more like a close sibling bond—she didn't object to the idea.
This was not only because of her parents' frequent praises of Xu Yang, saying how excellent and remarkable he was, but also because she had witnessed it with her own eyes. Among her peers, she had never met anyone as extraordinary as him. Every woman is naturally drawn to strength, and she was no exception.
More importantly, Xu Yang treated her very well. So she didn't resist the family's arrangement.
In a secluded courtyard on the sect's back mountain, Chen Xin sealed off Xu Yang's soul power and handed him a wooden practice blade.
"Forget everything about Slaughter City. Don't think about that uncontrollable killing intent. Clear your mind. From now on, focus only on training the blade. Let your thoughts dwell on nothing but swordsmanship."
With that, Chen Xin began demonstrating the saber techniques he had developed by adapting the Seven Kill Swordplay. Xu Yang took a deep breath and cast aside his distractions, fully immersing himself in the training.
Although swords were traditionally known for agility and blades for power, not all sword techniques prioritized agility. The Seven Kill Sword was a massive, heavy weapon—more akin to a broadsword than a rapier—so the transition into saber forms was seamless.
And since Xu Yang had already trained in the Seven Kill Swordplay, he adapted quickly.
However, he would often unconsciously infuse killing intent into his strikes. Whenever that happened, Chen Xin would stop him and make him start again.
After blade training, Xu Yang would spend time fishing, listening to music, attending gatherings with Ning Fengzhi, and learning to cook and play instruments from Madam Ning. They didn't pressure him—he could learn anything he wanted, as long as he committed fully and focused.
Xu Yang enjoyed this lifestyle, and the murderous aura within him gradually receded, becoming completely under his control.
A year later, in a quiet glade by the back mountain lake, Xu Yang lay on the grass with his hands behind his head, eyes closed in a lazy posture. A fishing rod beside him swayed gently in the breeze.
Not far away, Ning Rongrong was curled up on the grass, sleeping soundly.