Chapter 2 THE KONG BROTHERS

  7th Heaven. Iron Root Town.

  “What happened next, Uncle Lao?” Asked a black-haired youth, eyes dark like the abyss and starry like the night sky.

  Uncle Lao chuckled as he took a sip from his jade wine cup, watching the fire with calm amusement.

  “That’s for you to find out… once you’ve finished your body tempering routine,” he teased.

  A soft groan came from the nearby bed, where a thin, pale boy lay wrapped in a patchwork quilt. His silver eyes were dim, but hopeful.

  “Big Brother Tian, hurry up and finish your training so Uncle Lao can finish the story!” The boy called out weakly.

  “Fine, fine,” Tian replied with a grin, stretching his arms. “But Uncle, don’t go back on your word again.”

  He turned and jogged off toward the courtyard’s edge, where a worn stone training pillar awaited him.

  Lao watched him go, a quiet smile curving on his lips. “Brother Shen… he takes after you in every way,” he murmured to himself.

  Then came a more hesitant voice. “Uncle Lao…”

  Lao turned to see the sickly youth, Kong Ming, looking up at him with uncertain eyes.

  “What is it, Ming’er?” he asked gently.

  “Do you think… I’ll never stop being a burden to you and Big Brother?” Ming’er’s voice trembled, barely above a whisper.

  Lao set his wine aside and walked to the boy’s bedside, kneeling beside him. He ruffled the boy’s hair softly, chuckling.

  “A burden? The only burden here is this old man,” he said lightly. “I was in charge of protecting you boys, and because your uncle is lacking, you ended up in this state.”

  “And because of our identity, I have to avoid using my resources aggressively.“

  “Once I make a trip to the upper heavens, I’ll return with high-grade treasures and medicines.” They should help your recovery greatly..

  Your body is still healing, everyone's Dao path is different, and you’ll succumb to heart demons if you aren’t patient with yourself.

  Ming’er looked away, ashamed.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Lao continued. “You were born with a weak physique, struggling just to stand… while your brother was blessed with monstrous strength that would make even emperors envious.”

  The boy nodded silently.

  “You must think the heavens are unfair, don’t you?” Lao asked.

  “I don’t need to be blessed,” Ming’er whispered. “Just… strong enough to be of use.”

  Lao sighed, looking up at the drifting clouds.

  “Your brother inherited the power mostly from your father’s line, but you… You’re something different. I think you're a rare mutation between two powerful bloodlines. I refuse to believe any child of Kong Shen and Yu Xuelan would be ordinary.”

  Uncle Lao sighed, as he refilled the wine in his jade cup.

  “If it wasn’t for that incident, you probably wouldn’t be in this state.”

  “Your 5-year coma cost you a lot of precious years of development.” He shook his head dejectedly, taking another sip of his wine.

  Ming’er looked up in surprise. It was rare to hear Uncle Lao speak of the past.

  “Uncle Lao, I don’t remember our parents, but I know big brother Tian misses Mom and Dad.”

  Uncle Lao nodded. “That boy also carries a lot of his emotions inside.”

  “That’s why it's important for you to get better and share your brother's burden."

  “There are a lot of powerful forces moving in the upper heavens, and the guardian clans need my help.” He said, gulping another mouthful of wine.

  “This old man won’t always be here to protect you.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Ming’er swallowed hard. “But I’m already behind a lot of kids, all I’ve done since waking up three years ago is read and lie in bed. I can’t imagine catching up to brother Tian.”

  “I’ve tried to train my body a little, but it often leads to bone breaks or minor injuries. I've finally been able to move my legs, but…Kong Ming hesitated, his eyes becoming moist.

  But if I break another bone or get injured, it will set me back months of progress. I don’t know what to do anymore...”

  Uncle Lao's eyes shone with resolve. This condition won’t last forever. It’s subtle, but you are gaining strength, and this old man will make sure you reach peak condition soon.

  Kong Ming squeezed the sheets with his little hands.

  This Kong believes in Uncle Lao.

  Lao Nodded. “Your brother’s progress has been slowed, but he’s already ahead of most kids in town. He’s opened thirty-one meridians already, out of the thirty-six required to complete the Body Tempering Realm. And that’s with me trying to slow him down.” He said, smiling wryly.

  “The Body Tempering Realm,” Lao continued, his tone becoming instructional, “is not just about strength. It’s about strengthening the bones, muscles, and most importantly meridians. Only once all thirty-six are open can one begin circulating spiritual qi… and step onto the true path of cultivation.

  In your case, your bones, muscles, and meridians are starting from a point less than zero, so it will be tough, but if you can overcome this, you will have a will far stronger than other kids your age.”

  Ming’er clenched the edge of his blanket, his fingers shaking.

  Lao met his gaze.

  “The world is ruthless. Ming’er. Every creature, every clan, every cultivator fights to survive. But it’s not the ones with the best talent who reach the peak… It’s the ones who never yield.”

  “Let your limits forge you into the blade that cuts through the heavens. You will need a stronger will for the times of hardship that will inevitably come.” He sighed.

  For a moment, the boy was silent.

  Then, deep within, something stirred, his blood warmed, his chest tightened.

  "I will make this useless body submit to my will… and then, the heavens!"

  Seeing the fire return to Ming’er’s silver eyes, Lao smiled.

  The moment passed as footsteps echoed across the courtyard.

  Kong Tian returned, dragging a wild boar over his shoulder. His tunic was soaked with sweat, and his arms bore a deep red flush from overexertion.

  “Tian’er,” Lao called, “how’s your progress with the Profound Fist Technique?"

  "Have you reached the Completion Stage?”

  Tian smirked. “See for yourself.”

  He walked to the crumbling courtyard wall, focused his breath, and struck. His knuckles glowed faintly black as his fist slammed into the stone.

  CRACK!

  The wall shuddered. A web of fractures spread outward from the impact point. Even the fire flickered from the sudden release of force.

  Lao raised an eyebrow, impressed. “Not bad. You’re able to circulate large amounts of physical qi with your strikes.”

  Kong Tian nodded. “With this technique, no one of the same cultivation should be my match! Once I get strong enough, I won’t let anyone bully my brother or me ever again!”

  Tian sat beside his brother, wiping sweat from his brow. Ming’er beamed at him.

  “That’s why I’ve made a decision,” Lao said.

  “I’ll be leaving for a short time to find an old acquaintance who might know how to treat your brother’s condition and provide higher-grade medicines than the ones here.”

  The boy's eyes widened.

  "Now that your brother is strong enough to go to the forest for food, I know I can trust him to look after you while I’m gone." Lao continued.

  “But before I go, I’ve arranged something."

  "You and your brother have both been accepted into Iron Root Martial School."

  "It’s not much, but it’s the first step to getting an understanding of this vast world."

  "Next year, the Cloud Seeking Sect will host its recruitment trials, and it will give you guys a launching pad to seek the greater world outside of this old man’s protection.”

  “If I don’t return before the cloud seeking sect trials.. You can follow your brother into the sect.”

  Kong Tian’s eyes widened. “Uncle, what exactly is a sect? And how is it different from a martial school?”

  Uncle Lao stroked his beard as he organised his thoughts.

  “A martial school is primarily for children, usually 16 and younger, and teaches the very basics of martial arts and cultivation. They don’t offer any long-term resources, techniques, or living quarters to their students, but it is a great starting point without a huge commitment.

  The boys' heads nodded in understanding as the campfire glow reflected on their focused faces.

  Uncle Lao continued.

  A sect is closer to a society that is also a school where people can live their whole lives. They create their own martial techniques and have advanced legacies. Sects also have military power that they can exercise in the outside world. The power of sects is divided by 7 stars, with a 1-star sect being the strongest.

  Uncle Lao’s face turned serious. Boys, you must remember not to stay in any sect too long, or it will hold back your growth in this lower heaven. I truly believe in the talent you boys have, and being complacent will limit your growth.

  The boys nodded.

  Then the moment turned quiet.

  Ming’er looked up again. “Uncle Lao… you promised to finish the story.”

  Lao’s eyes darkened, the fire’s glow dancing in his irises. He nodded slowly.

  “So I did.”

  He gazed into the flames, and the courtyard seemed to fade away.

  ?

  “After I escaped, the rest of our team stood alone against the golden demon of the Heaven Supremacy Clan. He was no longer human in any true sense. He had used the Primordial Tome to rebirth his physique, his body was a fortress, his qi corrupted and deep.”

  “They fought with everything. Your father, Kong Shen, unleashed his Shadow Void Collapse, a technique that devours light and matter itself. It cracked the palace, distorted the space… for a moment, I thought it was enough.”

  “But the golden one emerged from the void, missing an arm, laughing.”

  “‘Clever trick,’ he said, as his flesh regrew before our eyes. His vitality was beyond comprehension.”

  “One by one, our comrades fell. Not from lack of caution, but because the enemy they faced had surpassed the boundaries of this world. He wielded a celestial inheritance, his body forged anew.”

  “Your father was the last one standing. Bloodied, exhausted, but unbent. Even from afar, I could feel his will burning.”

  Lao’s voice slowed. His hand trembled slightly.

  “Then… the golden one raised his hand and, ”

  He stopped.

  Ming’er and Tian leaned forward.

  “And?” Tian asked.

  Lao shook his head slowly.

  “That’s where my divine sense ended. I was too far. I saw the explosion… but not what came after.”

  “The next time I returned, the palace was gone, collapsed into a pit of scorched jade and fractured space. The Heaven Supremacy Clan claimed it was a forbidden technique backlash.”

  “But… your father’s and mother’s Soul Jade was never shattered.”

  The fire popped.

  Ming’er’s breath caught in his throat. “Then he might be…”

  Lao’s expression was unreadable.

  “Hope is a dangerous thing, little ones,” he said quietly. “It can lift you to the stars… or shatter you when you fall.”

  ”In the future, you’ll be strong enough to leave this small town and begin your own adventure.”

  “In order for you guys to truly grow, this old man must let the martial world temper your wills.”

  Above them, the clouds passed over the moon. A faint wind rustled through the trees as silence settled over the courtyard once more.

  Get plenty of rest, boys, I’ll see you in the morning..