"Thank you, Uncle An." Longsun Arlo's voice trembled with emotion.
Every attempt Longsun Arlo made at refining Ninth-Grade Immortal Pills ended in failure. The reason he dared not continue was not a lack of immortal spirit herbs. In fact, he now had an abundance of Ninth-Grade immortal spirit herbs and was not lacking at all.
Longsun Arlo waved his hand, laughing self-deprecatingly. "Uncle An, I'm no longer the Young Master. Just call me by my name from now on. The Star Demon Palace has a new Young Master."
If he could find the cause, then with enough practice, he would eventually succeed in refining a Ninth-Grade Immortal Pill. At worst, he would only waste some immortal spirit herbs.
Longsun Arlo froze, hurriedly pushing the ring back. "Uncle An, I have a ring already. How could I take yours?"
But Longsun Arlo was different. He had his own path in alchemy, and unless he could pinpoint the cause, he would never truly succeed in refining a genuine Ninth-Grade Immortal Pill.
Longsun Arlo said urgently, "Uncle An, come with me. Let's go find my big brother. If you stay here, my father will never let you go."
Longsun Arlo remained silent for half a day. Only when the words on the Pillgate faded did he take out the half-zhang-long fragment of the green spirit vein. For now, he could only focus on cultivating to Immortal Emperor first. Once he reached Immortal Emperor, he would try again to see if he could refine a Ninth-Grade Immortal Pill.
……
Longsun Arlo stared blankly at Shawn Anson as he gradually vanished in the flames. Falling to his knees, he thought, if he'd known Uncle An would sacrifice himself to save him, he would never have been so foolish.
Longsun Arlo's face was streaked with tears. He was a sensitive person, and now his heart was filled only with regret—he shouldn't have pressured Uncle An.
Longsun Arlo nodded. Even if Blackfire hadn't said so, he planned to go into seclusion to cultivate. Big brother was a top-tier alchemist, and since Blackfire said he could undergo the Immortal King Lightning Tribulation, there must be an Aurora Pill in the ring.
The immortal spirit energy in the North Hall was the weakest in the entire Star Demon Palace. He had already reached the peak of Ninth Layer Da Luo Immortal, and further cultivation was impossible. Every day, he could only wander around the vast North Hall. At this moment, Longsun Arlo even found himself missing the days when he was afflicted by Desire Poison. Those days were torturous, and every breath brought him closer to death, but at least he had a shred of freedom.
Only after Shawn Anson disappeared did Longsun Arlo kowtow three times at the spot where he vanished. Then, he cut off his long hair and quickly rushed out of Star Demon Palace.
What surprised Longsun Arlo was that this time, Shawn Anson didn't turn and leave as usual. Instead, he sighed, and a complex emotion flickered in his eyes—part pity, part hesitation.
Longsun Arlo dared not beg again, worried that if he did, Uncle An would immediately walk away.
After more than a dozen breaths, Shawn Anson suddenly stepped to the side, grabbed his own magic treasure, and struck down.
With a crack, Shawn Anson actually blasted a fissure in the North Hall array gate. Longsun Arlo didn't hesitate for a moment—he tore open the fissure and dashed out of the grand hall.
"Thank you, Uncle An." Longsun Arlo's voice trembled with emotion.
The hesitation in Shawn Anson's eyes vanished. He took off the ring from his hand and handed it to Longsun Arlo. "Young Master..."
Longsun Arlo waved his hand, laughing self-deprecatingly. "Uncle An, I'm no longer the Young Master. Just call me by my name from now on. The Star Demon Palace has a new Young Master."
Shawn Anson shook his head and still pressed the ring into Aaron's hand, sighing, "I've served by your side for so many years. In my heart, there is only one Young Master. This is my ring—it doesn't contain anything valuable, but please keep it."
Longsun Arlo froze, hurriedly pushing the ring back. "Uncle An, I have a ring already. How could I take yours?"
Shawn Anson did not take back the ring. He continued, "The Palace Master and the Young Lord have gone out. If I'm not mistaken, the Palace Master is taking the Young Lord to seek a certain opportunity. You must leave now—if you wait any longer, it will be too late."
Longsun Arlo said urgently, "Uncle An, come with me. Let's go find my big brother. If you stay here, my father will never let you go."
Shawn Anson smiled faintly and shook his head. "Letting you out is already defying the Palace Master's wishes. I never expected to survive. If you go to your brother, you'll be safe—no one will dare harm you. In the future, you must cultivate diligently and return to rescue your mother from the dungeon. Only then will you truly fulfill your duty as a son..."
As he finished speaking, a surge of flames suddenly erupted from within Shawn Anson's body, and he began to rapidly dissipate in the fire.
Longsun Arlo stared blankly at Shawn Anson as he gradually vanished in the flames. Falling to his knees, he thought, if he'd known Uncle An would sacrifice himself to save him, he would never have been so foolish.
Longsun Arlo's face was streaked with tears. He was a sensitive person, and now his heart was filled only with regret—he shouldn't have pressured Uncle An.
"Don't blame yourself. I always intended to let you go. Remember, your big brother is at Peace Inn in Wildhaven Free City..." Shawn Anson's words faded in the flames. Though he had much more to say, he couldn't share it with Longsun Arlo.
He could be dissatisfied with the Palace Master's actions, but he could never betray his master. As for why he always stayed near the Star Demon East Palace, it wasn't to prevent Aaron from escaping, but because he knew that if he ever left—whether Aaron escaped or not—Aaron's survival would be in jeopardy.
He had witnessed Ethan Jace's ruthlessness more than once. Unless Ethan killed Aaron, he would never be satisfied. Shawn Anson stood guard day and night—not so much to watch over Aaron, but to protect his life.
Only after Shawn Anson disappeared did Longsun Arlo kowtow three times at the spot where he vanished. Then, he cut off his long hair and quickly rushed out of Star Demon Palace.
From now on, Star Demon Palace had nothing to do with him. He would no longer be called Aaron Jace. His mother was Longsun Yun, so from now on, he would be known as Longsun Arlo.
……
"Arlo, why do you look so worn out?" The first thing Longsun Arlo saw at Peace Inn was Blackfire. Blackfire had changed dramatically and now looked like a top-tier immortal fiend beast in the void.
Longsun Arlo had reached the peak of Da Luo Immortal, and even standing before Blackfire, he felt a trace of pressure.
"Little Fire, have you already become a ninth-rank immortal fiend beast?" Longsun Arlo asked in surprise, feeling a touch of bitterness in his heart. Since leaving his big brother, his cultivation had progressed far too slowly. If he'd stayed by his brother's side, he might already be preparing to break through to Immortal Lord.
Blackfire chuckled, "Not yet. So, tell me, why were you gone for so long?"
Longsun Arlo didn't answer Blackfire's question, instead asking, "Where's big brother?"
"Big brother went out on business and probably won't return anytime soon. By the way, he left a ring for you." Blackfire finished speaking and handed a ring to Longsun Arlo.
Qu Hen gave the Realm-Breaking Talisman to Joe Di, and Blackfire saw it all clearly. Since Blackfire had already reached eighth-rank immortal fiend beast, Joe Di didn't bring him along but instead had him return to Wildhaven Free City with Qu Hen and Shen Zishun to look after Peace Inn.
In Blackfire's view, since big brother had the Realm-Breaking Talisman, he must have left this immortal realm. That's why Blackfire dared to say Joe Di wouldn't be back anytime soon.
The ring for Longsun Arlo was originally left by Joe Di for Qu Hen to deliver. Joe Di wasn't sure if Longsun Arlo would come to Wildhaven Free City, and if he didn't, Qu Hen would go to the Dao Discussion at Magic Garment Mountain on Magic Garment Immortal Continent.
Although the Dao Discussion at Magic Garment Mountain is an event of the Magic Garment Immortal Continent, it will surely invite several distinguished guests. As the president of the Cauldron Alchemist Association, Qu Hen should be among those invited.
What Joe Di hadn't expected was that Qu Hen had to leave suddenly for urgent business and entrusted the ring to Blackfire instead. Now, seeing Longsun Arlo, Blackfire handed it over immediately.
"Thank you, big brother. Also, I've changed my name to Longsun Arlo from now on." Longsun Arlo choked out as he accepted the ring, a warm current surging in his heart. His own brothers were always scheming against him, while the big brother he'd met by chance had never forgotten him.
Blackfire didn't care what Longsun Arlo's surname was. He just grinned and slapped Longsun Arlo on the shoulder. "Go face the Immortal King Lightning Tribulation and advance to Immortal King, then come back and go into seclusion to cultivate. Your strength is still too weak. Even Sprout knows to work hard at cultivation now. If you don't put in the effort, big brother will be disappointed in you."
Longsun Arlo nodded. Even if Blackfire hadn't said so, he planned to go into seclusion to cultivate. Big brother was a top-tier alchemist, and since Blackfire said he could undergo the Immortal King Lightning Tribulation, there must be an Aurora Pill in the ring.
……