Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: LI HUA’S THOUGHTS

Grandmaster Yu had advised to spend a year in the sixth realm and Li Hua was hoping this time around they would all make it there together. The training in her sanctuary had prepared them well, though she wasn’t yet certain what challenges awaited them.

“Sister!” Li Hao’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Li Hua turned, finding her brother flexing dramatically. “What’s wrong?”

“Measure my biceps!” He grinned, striking another pose.

Li Hua rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t quite hide her fond smile. “We measured it yesterday. It’s not going to grow in a day.”

Her second brother didn’t stop posing, the only physical difference from their first day of training being the muscles they’d built. The changes had forced Li Hua to alter their training clothes several times over the months. While their waists stayed lean from the rigorous training, their chests and arms developed until the original clothes could no longer contain their new muscular frames.

“Go take a bath, we’re leaving the inner space,” Li Hua chuckled.

Her brothers quickly nodded and raced to the house, their competitive nature turning even this simple task into a contest of who could reach the bath first.

Li Hua settled herself in the grass beside the sleeping Lei Lei and Dian Dian, their copper fur crackling with gentle static even in rest. Bai Ying watched from her frost-touched patch of grass while Feng Yi rode the wind currents above.

“We’re all leaving,” she said softly to the spirit beasts. The thunder bunnies stirred at her voice, their whiskers twitching with concern.

Lei Lei looked up and Li Hua petted its head. “You need to stay with eldest brother and keep him safe,” she said, knowing these faithful companions would guard Li Wei with their lives. Through their years of training, the bond between her brother and his spirit beasts had grown remarkably strong, each creature responding to his will as if they were extensions of his own essence.

The thunder bunny pressed its head against her palm, a small spark of lightning dancing between them – a gesture of understanding. These spirit beasts had grown from mere companions into essential guardians of their master, their power a testament to Li Wei’s growth as a cultivator.

Li Hua gazed up at the sky of her inner space and wondered how Grandmaster Yu knew of the sixth realm. Did her parents truly know the existence of the sixth realm? If, so why did they never disclose this to them growing up? Perhaps they would discover why their parents never spoke of this realm, if they knew of it.

She closed her eyes, and a handsome face appeared unbidden in her thoughts. Honey brown eyes and a devilish smile that had haunted her thoughts since their last meeting. Mo Xing’s parting kiss still burned in her memory.

Li Hua’s hands unconsciously pressed over her heart, feeling it beat faster beneath her palm. Six years of thoughts, memories, and questions about Mo Xing had given her no answers – only more mysteries. There was something about him that tugged at the edges of her consciousness, a familiarity she couldn’t quite grasp. Once, during their deepest cultivation session, she had felt close to understanding, but then she was interrupted by the beeping of the alarm.

A memory crossed her mind. The one she had when she was five. The phantom sensation of soft lips against her ear, whispering with desperate devotion, “I’ll find you, my love.”

Her heart beat faster beneath her palm. Something about that childhood memory resonated strangely with her present. Though the voice in her memory was different from Mo Xing’s, the feelings it stirred within her were startlingly similar – that same mix of recognition and longing, as if her soul remembered something her mind had forgotten.

She shut her eyes, forcing her mind to remember. “Think, think,” she whispered, pressing her fingers against her temples. There was something there, just beyond her reach – a connection between that whisper and Mo Xing’s presence that felt significant. Like a word on the tip of her tongue or a shape glimpsed in morning mist, the truth seemed to dance just at the edges of her consciousness.

“Sister!” Li Hao’s voice shattered her concentration. “We’re ready!”

Li Hua opened her eyes, frustration tightening her jaw. She had been so close to… to what? The certainty that she’d almost understood something important faded with each passing heartbeat.

Rising from the grass with fluid grace, she pushed the confusion aside. They had a journey ahead of them, and she needed to focus on preparing for whatever challenges the sixth realm might present.

She looked up to see her brothers standing in her room, their expressions a mix of nostalgia and warmth as they held the items she had carefully gathered for them. Li Wei stood quietly, holding the delicate scrolls and manuals, their edges frayed from years of use. The jade brushes and ceramic inkwell rested in his arms, faint traces of ink lingering in the air.

Li Hao, in contrast, gripped his practice daggers firmly, his thumb brushing over the scorch marks on the blades. A smirk crossed his face as memories of fiery training sessions surfaced. Nearby, his father’s worn leather gloves lay waiting, built to endure the intensity of his flame essence. The old wooden flute was tucked under his arm, its scratches and dents a testament to countless adventures. Around his waist, he had already tied the familiar training sash.

Between them, the folded New Year robes rested in their hands, their intricate stitching catching the light. These robes weren’t just garments—they were a symbol of their parents’ unwavering care and protection. Their mother’s nurturing essence was woven into the hems, while their father’s defensive formations, strong enough to repel any blow, imbued them with strength. Holding these fragments of their past, the brothers exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them—gratitude too deep for words.

Before she could say anything, Li Wei crossed the room in a few quick steps and pulled her into a firm embrace. She froze momentarily, startled by his sudden gesture, but then his warmth enveloped her like the tide.

“You’ve always done so much for us,” he murmured, his voice low but steady. “Thank you.”

Before she could respond, Li Hao joined them, wrapping his arms around both of them. His grip was tighter, almost desperate, as though he was trying to hold onto something slipping through his fingers. “We’re lucky to have you,” he said simply, his words carrying a weight that struck her heart.

She patted their backs softly, feeling the warmth of their closeness. The moment was quiet, yet heavy with unspoken emotions. “We’re lucky to have each other,” she finally murmured, her voice steady but soft.

They pulled apart slightly, just enough to look at one another. Li Wei nodded, a small, reassuring smile curling his lips, while Li Hao gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“One more thing,” Li Hua said, her expression growing serious. “Remember, we need to use our current ages now. We can’t pretend to be teenagers anymore—our appearances have changed too much.” She glanced between her brothers, noting how their faces had matured, leaving behind the last traces of youth. “Although only three months passed outside, we don’t look like we’re seventeen, fifteen, and thirteen anymore. We’re now twenty-three, twenty-one, and nineteen.”

“It’s because we entered the inner space with our physical forms,” she continued thoughtfully. “If we had entered with just our consciousness, perhaps we would still look like our younger selves, but…” She paused, considering. “That would have slowed our progress. The connection between body and spirit needed to be complete for the level of cultivation we achieved.”

Li Wei touched his jaw thoughtfully, while Li Hao flexed his newly muscled arm with a grin. “At least we grew up handsome,” he quipped, earning an eye roll from his siblings.

“Ready?” Li Hua asked, her voice barely above a whisper, yet steady. The weight of the moment settled around them. The world outside awaited—the chaos, the uncertainty—but in that fleeting moment, surrounded by warmth and connection, everything felt possible.

“Ready,” they said in unison.