Chen Chuan led Chen Ping to a relatively secluded mountainside pavilion near the Outer Sect Disciple residential area.
The place was shrouded in mist and offered a view of the scenery below; few people came here on regular days.
Chen Ping looked at his Elder brother before him, whose steady temperament made him seem like a completely different person from the sickly image in his memory; the waves in his heart still hadn’t completely settled.
He opened his mouth, a thousand words stuck in his throat, finally turning into an incredulous inquiry:
"Brother, you... you can really Cultivate now? What on earth happened?"
Chen Chuan turned around, his expression softening slightly as he faced his younger brother, whose eyes showed genuine concern.
He had already prepared his excuse and said calmly:
"Yes. After leaving the Family, I encountered some opportunities, which allowed me to set foot on the path of Cultivation."
He was concise and did not elaborate on what those opportunities were.
After all, the matters of Transmigration and the System were his greatest secrets, which he could never mention to anyone.
Chen Ping was also a smart person; seeing that his Elder brother was unwilling to talk much about it, he stopped asking.
Heartfelt joy surged onto his face, and he nodded vigorously:
"That’s great! Brother, I’m truly happy for you. You have no idea, back when you were—"
He paused, seemingly feeling it was inappropriate to mention the expulsion, and instead said:
"After you were expelled from the Family, Mother washed her face with tears every day, fearing you were suffering outside with no one to look after you."
Hearing news about his parents, Chen Chuan’s eyes flickered slightly.
As a transmigrator, his feelings toward the Chen Family were already complicated, especially after being heartlessly expelled; he felt no sense of belonging to speak of.
But hearing now how the mother he had never met worried so much about him, and about his father, who was majestic in his memory yet had once cared for him in secret, Chen Chuan couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of emotion.
It turned out that not everyone in the Chen Family was so cold.
At least his parents still cared for their playboy, trash of a son.
"Are they doing well?" Chen Chuan’s voice softened.
"Mother is just overly worried, but her health is fine." Chen Ping paused:
"On the surface, Father never mentions you to maintain his authority as the Family Head, but I’ve seen him wandering alone outside your old courtyard several times."
"In his heart, he must be worried about you as well."
Chen Chuan was silent for a moment and gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.
This warmth from his parents was a residual obsession of this body’s original owner.
It was also one of the few strands of warmth he felt in this strange world.
"Brother!" Chen Ping’s tone became excited:
"You are now a Disciple of the Primordial Holy Land, a high-level expert at the Seventh Level of the Burning Lamp Realm, and even a rare Alchemy Genius."
"As long as you go back now, those Elders in the Family will surely scramble to welcome you back, and no one will ever dare call you trash again."
His eyes shone brightly, as if he could already see the scene of his Elder brother returning to the Family in glory, leaving everyone who had once looked down on him dumbfounded.
However, Chen Chuan shook his head, looking out at the ethereal sea of clouds outside the pavilion, and said indifferently:
"There’s no rush to return for now. I just want to focus on my Cultivation in the Holy Land."
"When I have time in the future, I will naturally go back to visit our parents."
Chen Ping saw his Elder brother’s firm attitude, and although he felt a bit regretful, he expressed understanding.
He suddenly remembered something and, after a moment’s hesitation, asked, "Brother, what about... Sister-in-law? You’ve come to the Holy Land, she..."
"Ji Siyu?" Chen Chuan’s brow furrowed instantly, and his face grew cold.
In his mind, Ji Siyu’s indiscriminate rebukes surfaced, along with those eyes full of disgust and contempt.
"It’s already over between her and me; we have nothing to do with each other from now on." Chen Chuan’s voice carried an unquestionable chill. "Don’t mention her again."
Chen Ping was startled. Seeing his Elder brother’s suddenly cold expression, he immediately realized there must be some hidden story, and certainly not a pleasant one.
He quickly fell silent, not daring to ask another word.
Since his Elder brother didn’t want to talk about it, as the younger brother, he just needed to stand by his brother’s side.
The atmosphere became somewhat stagnant for a moment.
Chen Chuan took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart, and turned to Chen Ping, his tone returning to peaceful:
"Alright, there’s no need to mention the past."
"You are also in the Primordial Holy Land now. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, whether it’s a Bottleneck in Cultivation or someone intentionally making things hard for you, you can come find me."
As he spoke, he took out a jade bottle and handed it to Chen Ping:
"Inside are two Green Spirit Pills, which should help you Breakthrough to the Burning Lamp Realm. If you have any questions about your Cultivation, you can ask me anytime."
Feeling the concern in his Elder brother’s words and the warm touch of the jade bottle in his hand, a warm current surged in Chen Ping’s heart.
The slightly complicated emotions from his brother’s secrecy and the change in his marriage were swept away.
He nodded heavily, a smile blooming on his face. "Mm! Thanks, Brother!"
The two brothers chatted for a while longer, mainly with Chen Ping talking about recent trivial matters in the Family while Chen Chuan listened quietly.
It wasn’t until the sun moved toward the west that the two parted ways.
Chen Ping returned to his own residence to digest today’s shock and gains, while Chen Chuan walked toward his small courtyard.
However, before even getting close to his residence, Chen Chuan noticed the atmosphere was off.
Around the perimeter of his small courtyard, there were now layers upon layers of Disciples gathered to watch the excitement.
In the center of the crowd, three figures were particularly striking.
They were the frost-faced Feng Zhixian, along with Feng Tianming and Feng Tianxiang by her side.
"Chen Chuan! Get out here!"
"What kind of skill is hiding in a small courtyard? If you have the guts, come out and face my sister!"
"Don’t be a shrinking turtle!"
Feng Tianming and Feng Tianxiang’s voices were sharp and piercing, causing the surrounding Disciples to buzz with discussion.
"It’s Senior Sister Feng Zhixian! She really came looking for him!"
"Chen Chuan is in big trouble now. Senior Sister Feng is a Genius of the Furnace Realm!"
"I think Chen Chuan might not dare to come out today. The gap is too large; coming out would just be asking for humiliation."
"Tsk tsk, Burning Lamp Realm against Furnace Realm—there’s no suspense at all."
Just then, a sharp-eyed Disciple noticed Chen Chuan walking slowly toward them.
"Look! Chen Chuan is back!"
The crowd automatically parted to form a path, and everyone’s gaze instantly focused on Chen Chuan.