Chapter 66: Moonlit Farewell
The courtyard was silent again.
Moonlight spilled across the stone tiles like silver silk, the drifting petals falling slower now—as if even time itself was reluctant to move forward.
Su Tianhao stood unmoving, his grip on Shadowfang firm yet absent-minded. His gaze was fixed—not on Yuexin's figure, but on the space between them.
Something had changed.
He could feel it in the air.
The lesson was over.
And what followed felt like a farewell.
"Tianhao, my son, I have taught you the foundation. Now you must forge your own path forward." Yuexin said slowly. There was an unmistakable shift in her tone—one that carried profound sadness and reluctance.
Su Tianhao's eyes widened. In that moment, he wasn't seeing his mother's spiritual will anymore. He was seeing his real mother—Tian Yuexin.
He could imagine her creating this exact moment in her will. He could feel the sadness and reluctance weighing down on the mysterious realm around him like a heavy blanket.
'This exact moment... this should be her final will left for me before her ascension to the Immortal Realm,' he thought with absolute clarity.
He could feel it.
Yuexin's sword had long disappeared from her hand. Her silver robes fluttered around her ethereal form. Her voice was filled with strong emotion and unwillingness to let go.
"Tianhao, I know you must have endured many hardships—a boy who grew up alone without parents or kin... It pains me deeply that I won't be there throughout your journey in the mortal realm. It is my greatest pain as a mother."
Every word was sincere and heartfelt, cutting deep into Su Tianhao's heart like a blade sharper than any sword.
His body trembled. His nerves and muscles completely relaxed at the sound of her voice.
"Mother..." The word escaped his lips subconsciously as he watched her—she no longer carried the presence of a Sword Saint or a master. Just a mother. His mother.
"However..." Yuexin continued, her expression softening, her eyes growing misty. "I believe you can carve your own legacy in the mortal realm and one day ascend to the Immortal Realm to reunite our family."
As she spoke, a dazzling smile spread across her features—one that seemed to illuminate the entire world around them.
The petals began falling more rapidly. The air stirred wildly. The moon glowed brighter, as if the world itself acknowledged her words.
Su Tianhao stood frozen, azure robes carried by the breeze.
He clutched at his beating heart, his brow furrowing.
'What is this feeling...'
Yuexin took a deliberate step forward, snow-white hair flowing like silk behind her.
"Tianhao, no matter what anyone says—don't lose hope. You have someone. You have us. Your inherited memories are not just a gift—they are proof that we will always be there to guide and provide for you, even if we cannot be physically present."
Yuexin's smile brightened as she wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye.
Su Tianhao's eyes narrowed, a sharp pain stirring in his chest. 'I was right. It really was a recorded moment before her ascension to the Immortal Realm, attached to her will.'
All his life, he had believed his parents had abandoned him. That he was never loved. Everything changed when he awakened his bloodline and met his father's soul fragment. But he hadn't felt the same overwhelming love from Chenyuan as he was feeling now.
As the saying went: a mother's love is the greatest love in the world.
Su Tianhao couldn't help but sigh with heavy emotions, his lips curling into a smile despite the ache in his chest.
Yuexin took another step forward, each movement deliberate and heavy with meaning.
"Tianhao, my son, I want you to live a good life and never feel pressured by the burden of upholding your parents' legacy. No matter which path you choose, with your talents you are destined to reach the Immortal Realm and reunite with us. No matter how long it may take."
Her words came out serious and firm—like a steadfast promise carved into eternity.
"I understand," Su Tianhao said softly. He slowly shook his head as he continued, "After all, I don't just want to uphold your legacy..."
"I want to surpass it!"
Burning determination blazed in his golden eyes—unyielding as steel, bright as the sun.
If his parents could somehow hear his words from the Immortal Realm, his mother would be smiling with overwhelming pride—while his father would literally be dancing with barely contained joy and anticipation.
Yuexin took one more step forward, her expression shifting into something more serious. At this point she stood only a few steps away from him.
"We don't have much time," she said, urgency creeping into her tone. "Before I go, I will unlock all the sword insights you need to begin your sword dao journey—the ones still sealed within your inherited memories."
Her gaze turned solemn. "This is going to be painful. I hope you can prepare yourself."
Su Tianhao swallowed nervously, his mind reeling back to Chenyuan's warning:
"As long as you increase your cultivation steadily, your soul will strengthen as well. Unlocking later layers of your inherited memories won't cause harmful side effects... unless you try forcing them open before your soul is ready."
"This doesn't count as forcibly awakening my memories, right?" Su Tianhao said with a nervous smile.
Yuexin gave a reassuring smile. "I know the dangers, so I have left a part of my essence in my will—it will help you awaken these sword insights without forcing the next layer of your inherited memories open prematurely."
The word essence stopped him cold.
Every living being had an essence—the core of any living thing that defined their unique qualities, traits, and characteristics. For a cultivator, sacrificing even a small part of their essence could deal severe injuries to the body and permanently affect their talent and future potential.
'Why would Mother risk her future potential for my sake?' Su Tianhao cried inwardly, his heart filling with guilt.
Yuexin smiled softly, as if she had already anticipated his reaction. "Every human has a body, soul, and essence. Both the soul and essence are the most delicate and can be very difficult to heal when damaged. But I am different. Although I have not reached the level where I can freely recover from an injured soul, my essence and body can easily be recovered by drawing power from the moon itself using my heavenly constitution—as long as the damage is not too severe."
'Such a heavenly constitution exists? Isn't that too heaven-defying?' Su Tianhao's jaw dropped. 'Why didn't I inherit mother's constitution?...'
He caught himself immediately.
'I already have the Heavenly Devouring Dragon Physique. I haven't even unlocked its full potential yet and it's already heaven-defying. I'm certain it's in no way inferior to Mother's constitution.'
The thought warmed his heart considerably, filling him with gratitude and contentment.
When he turned to Yuexin again, his eyes gleamed with fascination. 'Mother's spiritual will doesn't just contain her instinct—it contains her essence too. Even peak stage Martial Saints cannot replicate something like that. No wonder she was called the Sword Saint of the Moon.'
His expression turned dreamy with awe—something almost childlike in the brightness of his eyes.
But Yuexin's voice pulled him back with quiet urgency.
"We don't have much time left. I shall now unlock the sword insights that will serve as the foundation for your future sword dao."
Her words were calm but carried unmistakable gravity.
"Are you ready?"
Su Tianhao nodded solemnly, bracing himself.
Yuexin now stood directly before him. Her otherworldly presence was overwhelming—yet somehow filled with boundless love and intimacy simultaneously.
"Then receive it."
The moment those words left her lips, she placed one delicate finger on his forehead. A bright silver glow emanated from her fingertip, momentarily blinding him.
When his vision returned, Yuexin's voice resounded in his mind—filled with inexplicable warmth and pure motherly love.
"Remember, Tianhao—no matter where you go or what you achieve, you will always be my son. And I will always be proud of you."
As she spoke, her figure began to fade, surrounded by soft silver light—like moonlight dissolving into the approaching dawn.
Su Tianhao felt a sharp pang in his chest. He reached out instinctively, as if to grasp her hand. But his fingers closed on empty air, and Yuexin's gentle smile was the last thing to disappear.
The courtyard fell silent once more. The only sound was the soft rustling of petals settling on the ground. Su Tianhao stood frozen, heart heavy with emotions he hadn't expected to feel.
Unknowingly, tears had begun rolling down his cheeks. His gaze lingered on the spot where Yuexin had once stood.
"I'm crying..." he whispered, his voice cracking. "Why am I crying?"
Even when he'd watched his father's soul fragment disappear in the same way, he hadn't cried.
His words lingered in the air. Just then, a strong suction force appeared within the mysterious courtyard—pulling his consciousness back to his body with an irresistible force.