Mental Enlightenment, Ding Xiaolong's House

Outside the forge where Kong Xiang and Li Luo used to work, the whip wielding supervisor was just about to go in when a luxuriously designed carriage passed by. With a quick and practiced manner, he put on a subservient expression, his eyes lowered and his head bowed.

Inside the carriage, Kong Xiang looked at the scene with a stunned expression. Just a day ago, his back was subjected to countless whip marks by this heartless man. A day later, he was indirectly bowing to him. Although the carriage was closed and the man didn't even know he was inside, he was still awed by the series of events.

He also thought that was how life was. One moment, he was a young master of a prestigious clan, the next, he was on the streets, living a life of arduous poverty. One moment he was hopeless, the next moment, he gained an unknown Sphere and a miraculous art thanks to Li Luo. This awareness made him self aware, as life's unpredictability could lead to countless variables in an instant, variables that could be negative or positive.With these positive variables in his favour, his priority was to try as much as possible to not be affected by the negative variables that would definitely come. His aura began to change, giving off a very safely feeling.

Ding Xiaolong turned to look at the boy beside her in some surprise. She could tell he was having some sort of mental enlightenment. This enlightenment was very rare to stumble into, as it required self realization with a completely pure and open mind.

She also realized she had been subjected to a series of surprises since she met this boy a few hours ago. First, it was his triad elemental attribute, next it was his enlightenment to Hou Da's hypothesis, followed by an unbelievable increase in his cultivation base. Now, it was mental enlightenment.

Kong Xiang gradually came out of this state and noticed his cultivation was further purified and his thoughts were clearer.

"Mental enlightenment purifies the mind and allows cultivators to connect deeper to the essence of the heavens, increasing one's cultivation ability" The words of his beloved grandfather flashed in his mind. He had been seven years old then, and his doting grandpa had taken him out to a waterfall to play. Play and philosophy came hand in hand in every action of his grandfather towards him, so every moment of fun was often used as a platform to teach philosophical reasoning to him. That subconsciously influenced his mindset growing up, giving him a philosophical and open minded mentality.

The carriage finally stopped in front of a Oriental styled mansion. The security guards opened the gates, glancing Kong Xiang and looking away uninterestedly. Kong Xiang didn't give a damn about the guards and looked ahead nonchalantly, following Ding Xiaolong into the house.

She quickly led him past a couple of security procedures and into a spacious bedroom where a sickly frail looking boy of Kong Xiang's age lay. Beside him was an older man who from his looks was the boy's father, and an elegant woman who looked like an older, more mature version of Ding Xiaolong. Opposite them was a man donned in grey robes. He smelled of medicinal ingredients and was currently taking the boy's pulse.

"Long'er" the mother's voice sounded, tinged with worry and a bit of helplessness. Ding Xiaolong paid her respects to everyone and introduced Kong Xiang to them.

"Is this a... boyfriend?" Her mother asked after her introduction. Her eyes roamed to and fro Kong Xiang's simple clothes and looked back at Ding Xiaolong. Ding Xiaolong chuckled and replied no.

Her father, on the other hand, was more meticulous and observed many things by looking at Kong Xiang. First, despite his simple clothes, he carried himself with a grace that was only visible in aristocratic descendants. Secondly, he had a calm elderly aura unbefitting of his age. Thirdly, his cultivation...his pupils dilated. He sensed Kong Xiang's life signature and was surprised again.

From what he got, Kong's Shi cultivation was very weird. He hadn't started Body Refinement yet, yet he had completed the Origin Pool and the Origin Refinement realms. It was common knowledge that the first two realms could be cultivated in no order, but one had to complete Body Refinement to be able to bear the strain of cultivating the third realm. This kid subverted it all, not to mention he was only 16 and therefore had cultivated only for a year.

If he had known that Kong Xiang's current cultivation was actually only a few hours old, he would have been shocked to the extreme.

Kong Xiang, on the other hand, was looking at the boy with furrowed eyebrows. Ding Xiaolong prodded him and asked. "What is it?" Kong Xiang hesitated and said.

"He seems to have been poisoned."