Second Disciple.

Yao Jun's heart clenched when Yang Yuhuan's pained voice reached his ears. That soft and subdued voice was far more painful than any wound he had ever suffered, it stabbed directly into his heart and lodged itself there, constantly aching and drawing blood so that he couldn't forget even if he wanted to. He sucked in a deep breath and bowed down as deeply as he could, his upper body ending up perfectly horizontal.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault."

This was a fact that Yao Jun could not escape, a truth that couldn't be changed. The Lin clan was the one that killed him, but it was Yao Jun who brought him there, it was Yao Jun who had gotten so confident in his own strength that he didn't bother properly investigating the Lin clan before he went there.

If he had just taken a few days to learn more about them, or even just inspect Lin Shuyen a bit more, maybe chat with her about the clan, there was a chance that all of it could have been avoided. But he hadn't done any of these things, so part of the blame would forever rest on his shoulders.

He didn't hide anything from Yang Yuhuan or Guo Luo, telling them everything that happened after he went to the Lin clan. They had already expected this after the long silence and due to some of the things Yao Jun's beasts had told them, but that didn't mean that it lessened the pain they felt. Yang Yuhuan's hands were clenched so hard that blood seeped out from between her fingers, her knuckles completely white as her red and moist eyes traced the silver lines that now ran up the sleeves of Yao Jun's black robe.

"It's not yours...you don't deserve that... Why did you have to bring him along..."

Her voice was so low that it wasn't even a whisper, it was so low that Yao Jun was only barely able to pick it up. She probably didn't mean to say it out loud like that, her thoughts probably just leaked out involuntarily. Yao Jun had thought the same things when he was alone, that he didn't deserve the Sword God's Gate, that it wasn't his power and never should have been.

But hearing it from Yang Yuhuan's own mouth made it hurt more than it ever could when he himself thought it, the thorns lodged into his heart only growing larger. Yang Yuhuan breathed rapidly, the veins in her eyes practically wriggling as tears started to uncontrollably stream down her face.

"So yo... They killed him, yet you allowed them to leave just like that? You ruined an entire planet just for one of your Demonic beasts, but you didn't kill one of the men who killed a friend of yours? Did he mean that little to you? Is that all his friendship and sacrifice amounted to?! ANSWER ME, YAO JUN!"

Yao Jun was still lowered in his bowed position, allowing each of Yang Yuhuan's accusations and questions to hammer against him. He had nothing he could say, no excuse he could give. How could Yang Yuhuan possibly be satisfied with the explanation that he didn't want to shed blood right after reuniting with his daughter and wife?

Yao Jun knew that if it was Guo Luo that was killed, he himself would not have accepted an explanation like that. Yang Yuhuan's expression distorted and twisted as she looked at the bowing Yao Jun, the tears streaming down her face producing soft sounds as they fell to the ground just in front of Yao Jun's head. He could hear her knuckles creak and crack from how hard she was clenching her hands and holding herself back, her voice so hoarse and distorted that it didn't sound like her own.

"Hate... Yao Jun... I hate..."

She didn't finish her pained words, never finished directing here anger and hatred at her immense loss. But Yao Jun knew, or at least felt that he knew how her anguished sentence was supposed to end. But she never spoke the words, nor did she continue to ask him anything. He saw her feet move as she turned and ran away, only a few subdued sobs reaching Yao Jun's ears as Yang Yuhuan ran to the Pan clan. Right now she needed time, time to take in everything and sort out her own thoughts, time away from Yao Jun.

Yao Jun straightened his body again, only Guo Luo and the others who knew him able to detect the desolate light hidden within his grey pupils. Yao Jun's gaze moved to the side and landed on the people from the Pan clan and Lin Shuyen, who wore an excited expression while the Pan clan people weren't even quite certain if it was safe to breathe loudly. But while they were feeling worried, Yao Jun bent his waist once more.

"Thank you for taking care of my family while I was gone. Lin Shuyen, thank you for holding your uncle back."

Lin Voyun had reached the late stage of the Earthly Deity realm, Pan Long and Pan Huisu would not be able to stop him if he really wanted to look for Guo Luo and the others. He might not find something straight away, but after searching for a while he would definitely find the separate space that Little Gray had created to hide them until Yao Jun's return. Pan Long and Pan Huisu gracefully accepted the bow, heaving stealthy sighs of relief that they had made the right choice.

They might have Du Xiao's spiders crawling around within them, but they carried a bit of confidence that they could stop the spiders from killing them for at least a few minutes. If these few minutes ended up being enough for Lin Voyun to kill Du Xiao and the others then they would be free of the blade hanging over their heads.

But they didn't go through with that plan due to their own worries, and Yao Jun's display upon his return was enough to make them certain that they had made the correct choice. But they still made sure to congratulate Yao Jun on his return and then quickly excuse themselves, they did not want to be close to him in his current state, worried that he might explode from even the slightest wrong move. Lin Shuyen wasn't as graceful about the bow as Pan Long, hurriedly waving her hands.

"No no no, there's no need for you to bow to me like that, I am your disciple after all, it's the least I can do."

Lin Shuyen's eyes still glowed as she shamelessly declared herself as Yao Jun's disciple despite having been rejected by him on multiple occasions. Yao Jun straightened up his waist again, his gaze landing on the blue-eyed and violet-haired Lin Shuyen. He didn't have to say anything, Lin Shuyen seemed to have already anticipated what he might be thinking.

"You don't have to ask, I know what you're thinking. Why did I go against my own clan to help you? It's simple, I want to become strong, stronger than even the founder of the Lin clan. I used to think that I could gain that strength in the Lin clan, but looking at how they value the appearance of their bloodline above everything else, that seems impossible. And I have the feeling that even if I did end up acquiring the strength I want, they would attribute it to the bloodline and nothing else, all my hard work would be disregarded and tossed aside for the sake of their appearance."

Lin Shuyen was arrogant and brash but not stupid. She could figure out a few things now that she had learned about the actions of the Lin clan and just how highly they treasured their bloodline, or at least what others believed about their bloodline. Of course, this knowledge was only part of her reason, the main reason was standing right in front of her.

"And then there's you, the main factor. When you were at the early stage of the Earthly Deity realm you could easily handle someone at the late stage of the Earthly Deity realm. You could even resist two Heavenly Deities and one late-stage Earthly Deity despite the fact that you had the grand array slowly sealing you up while also having to protect someone else. And now? Now you seem even stronger than back then. If I'm not wrong, you could probably kill our current patriarch in less than 100 moves."

Lin Shuyen wasn't wrong about the fact that Yao Jun could kill the current Lin clan patriarch, but she wasn't quite right on the number of moves it would take. Yao Jun's forte had always been devastating attacks, it was his greatest strength and one of the reasons his enemies had such a headache when they had to face him. Of course, Yao Jun had no intention of telling Lin Shuyen this, only quietly listening to her as she kept on talking.

"I'm not sure if you know how big of a deal it is for an Earthly Deity to be able to kill a Heavenly Deity. The number of people who have had that level of strength can probably be counted on just two hands, but most others would have to be at the late stage of the Earthly Deity realm to do it. You are strong, terrifyingly so. And I want to acquire that strength, so I want to follow you and learn from you, Master."

Lin Shuyen grinned and winked at Yao Jun when she finished talking, once again shamelessly considering herself his disciple by calling him Master. But Yao Jun didn't say anything against her shamelessness, his gaze resting on her in silence for a bit before he gave a slight nod of his head.

"Alright, I accept. But if you try to betray me, then I will bury you along with the rest of the Lin clan."

Yao Jun waved his arm and sucked the giddy Lin Shuyen as well as the patiently waiting Tang Long into his God Gate, handing her over to Tang Long for the moment. She had chosen to side with him even after his return and confirmation of his actions, there was already no way for her to return to the Lin clan. She might be able to return to the Shisui clan, but looking at the fact that she was considered a member of the Lin clan, Yao Jun guessed that her ties with the Shisui clan weren't all that great. After he finished dealing with Lin Shuyen, Yao Jun turned his gaze onto the still kneeling Little Gray and the others. They didn't give him the chance to ask, they knew what he wanted.

"Our path doesn't end here, please, allow us to follow you once more. This time, to the very peak and then beyond!"

Yao Jun's gaze couldn't help but soften as he looked at them. They too hadn't abandoned him, they too still believed in him. He stepped over and placed his hand on their heads, speaking their names one by one as he absorbed them. And when they were all gathered inside his God Gate again, he could once more feel the presence of those familiar laws.

He handed the globs of special fire he had saved over to Zhuyin so that she could absorb them as well. He then turned his gaze onto the only people that remained there, his parents, Guo Luo, and Yao Xuelian. His parents smiled calmly at him and waved their hands, Yao Jun nodding his head and sucking them into his God Gate. He then walked over to Guo Luo and rested his forehead against hers, gently cradling her face.

"I'm sorry, I left you alone once again."

It had only been a short while for him, but they had to endure a year and a half of silence, a year and a half of uncertainty. Especially after his God Gate evolved and cut his connection with Little Gray and the others, Guo Luo had already lost count of how many nights she had stayed awake while waiting for him.

But she couldn't leave, how was Yao Jun supposed to find her again if she left? And what if the Lin clan found her while she was searching for him, how could she possibly bear being used as bait to lure him out? But right now, with his somewhat rough hands cradling her face, all those worries vanished as if they hadn't been real.

"It's okay... It's fine, I know that you'll always return to me."

It had been so in the past and it would be so in the future. No matter what happened or how much distance separated them, they would always return to each other. Because that was where they belonged,

safely in each other's arms.

Yao Xuelian interrupted their tender moment, forcing her way in-between them so that she was squished between their bodies, one of her arms holding onto Yao Jun while the other held onto Guo Luo. The two smiled softly at her actions, Yao Jun picking her up and carrying her in one arm while pinching her nose with his other hand.

"Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about little needy you. Come, let's go home, there's something Papa has to do."

Yao Jun's black-coloured and silver-tinted gate appeared at their side as he spoke, standing at nearly two-metres tall now. It opened and allowed the three to step into the world inside it, the gate closing and remaining behind.