The sun shone gently over the quiet courtyard of the Yun residence. A soft breeze drifted through the garden, carrying the faint fragrance of blooming flowers and rustling the leaves of the old trees planted around the house.

  Standing near the entrance was Yun Hao's mother, Yun Lan.

  She was a very beautiful woman. Her face carried a calm elegance, and a serene smile always rested upon her lips. Her long black hair swayed lightly in the wind, shining faintly under the sunlight. Her eyes were warm and gentle, like a tranquil lake undisturbed by storms.

  Anyone who saw her would immediately feel a sense of comfort.

  “Little Yu, come inside,” Yun Lan said with a welcoming smile as she opened the door wider.

  Song Yu stood outside the courtyard gate. Upon hearing her voice, he gave a respectful bow.

  “Thank you, Aunt Yun,” Song Yu said politely before stepping inside.

  Song Yu was a tall and slender young boy with sharp features. His expression was calm and reserved, giving others the impression that he was far more mature than someone his age. Unlike many children who were lively and noisy, Song Yu rarely spoke unless necessary.

  His mother and Yun Lan were very close friends, almost like sisters. Because of this, Song Yu and Yun Hao had grown up together and were childhood companions.

  When they were younger, Song Yu would visit the Yun residence almost every day. The two boys would run around the courtyard, train with wooden swords, or climb the old trees in the backyard.

  However, recently his visits had become rare.

  Inside the courtyard, Yun Lan walked toward a wooden chair and sat down gracefully. Her hands rested neatly on the table in front of her.

  The courtyard was simple but elegant. A wooden table stood in the center with three chairs placed around it. Ink brushes, scrolls, and a few cultivation manuals were neatly arranged on one side of the table.

  Yun Hao and Song Yu sat down across from her.For a moment, Yun Lan observed Song Yu carefully.

  “Little Yu, you don't come to our house very often these days,” she said in a slightly worried tone. “You used to come here almost every day. Did something happen?”

  Her voice carried genuine concern.

  Song Yu scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

  “Nothing happened, Aunt Yun,” he said with an embarrassed smile. “It's just that the Imperial Palace Trial will begin in two weeks. I've been focusing on my cultivation lately.”

  When Yun Lan heard this, she nodded in understanding.

  The Imperial Palace Trial was an extremely important event for young cultivators within the imperial region. Talented youths from various noble families would participate in the trial to prove their strength and talent.

  Those who performed well can join the imperial palace and would receive recognition, resources, and possibly even direct guidance from powerful elders within the Imperial Palace.

  It was an opportunity that could change one's entire future.Naturally, many young cultivators were training harder than ever.

  Before Song Yu began preparing for the trial, he would come to Yun Hao's house almost every day to play.

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  The two boys had grown up together since childhood. Their friendship was strong, but their personalities were quite different.

  Song Yu was diligent, disciplined, and quiet.

  Yun Hao… was not.

  Yun Lan suddenly glanced sideways at her son.“Little Yu, you are very hardworking,” she said with a gentle smile. “Unlike a certain someone who lazes around all day and refuses to practice seriously.”

  As she spoke, her eyes slowly moved toward Yun Hao. Yun Hao immediately straightened up.

  “Mother!” Yun Hao protested and frowned slightly. “I don't laze around every day,” he said defensively. “I work hard too. Recently I even reached the third level of the Root Realm.”

  He crossed his arms and let out a small grunt.

  Although Yun Hao tried to sound confident, the slight redness on his face betrayed his embarrassment.

  Yun Lan simply looked at him calmly before turning her gaze back to Song Yu. “What realm have you reached, Little Yu?” she asked.

  Song Yu answered without hesitation. “I've reached the peak of the Root Realm.”

  Yun Lan nodded slightly Then she turned back toward Yun Hao.

  “See?” she said with a sigh. “If you didn't spend so much time being lazy, you would have reached the peak of the Root Realm as well.”

  Although Yun Hao possessed great talent, he lacked discipline. Song Yu, on the other hand, cultivated diligently every day. That was why the difference between their cultivation realms had slowly begun to appear.

  Yun Lan was not scolding Yun Hao because she disliked him, on the contrary, She loved her son deeply.

  Precisely because she loved him, she wanted him to understand the importance of hard work.

  “ Hao'er,” Yun Lan said gently, her voice soft but serious. “If you don't work as hard as Little Yu, you will never be able to reach the Celestial Phase.”

  Her eyes were filled with warmth. However, beneath that warmth was a faint trace of worry.

  The Desolate World was far from peaceful.

  Demonic Beasts roamed across vast wildernesses and ancient forests. Occasionally they would descend upon human cities, bringing destruction and death wherever they appeared.

  Entire villages could disappear overnight. Cities could be reduced to ruins. Mortals without cultivation were especially vulnerable.

  Even cultivators who lacked sufficient strength could easily perish.

  In such a chaotic world, strength meant survival. If a person was not strong enough to protect themselves and those they loved, then they could only watch helplessly as tragedy unfolded before their eyes.

  Yun Lan did not want that fate for her son.

  “I understand, Mother,” Yun Hao said quietly.

  His head lowered slightly. Seeing the worry in his mother's eyes, Yun Hao felt a small sting in his heart.

  For the first time, he realized that his laziness had been causing her concern. At that moment, Yun Hao silently made a vow to himself.

  From now on, he would cultivate seriously.He would become strong.

  Yun Hao had always dreamed of reaching the peak of the Desolate World and standing above all cultivators.

  However, dreaming alone was not enough.Without effort, such dreams were meaningless.

  Yun Lan gently placed her hand on Yun Hao's head and ruffled his hair affectionately.

  “There is no need to look so down,” she said with a warm smile. “I only want you to become stronger.”

  Her touch was gentle and comforting. Yun Hao looked up and nodded.

  Meanwhile, Song Yu had been silently listening to the entire conversation. He remained quiet the whole time. Song Yu had always been a man of few words.

  He believed it was not his place to interfere in a conversation between a mother and her son.

  After withdrawing her hand, Yun Lan stood up from her chair. “Little Yu, Hao'er,” she said. “You two can go play together. I have some matters to attend to.”

  However, just as she turned to leave, Yun Hao suddenly spoke. “Mother… I have something to ask.”

  Yun Lan stopped walking and turned around.

  She looked at him curiously and nodded slightly. “Go on.”

  Yun Hao hesitated for a moment. Then he spoke carefully. “Mother told me yesterday that the White Essence Leaves have grown on the Essence Tree,” he said.

  His voice carried a hint of nervousness. “Can Brother Yu and I have one each?”

  White Essence Leaves were extremely valuable cultivation resources. They could help cultivators purify their spiritual energy and strengthen their foundation within the Root Realm.

  For young cultivators preparing for a breakthrough, they were incredibly helpful.

  Yun Hao glanced at his mother cautiously.

  Although Yun Lan loved him dearly, his father was extremely strict.

  Every month, Yun Hao received a fixed amount of cultivation resources allocated by his father.He was not allowed to exceed that amount unless there was a special reason.

  Because of this, asking for additional resources made Yun Hao slightly nervous.

  Seeing that Yun Lan did not immediately respond, Yun Hao quickly added,

  “The Imperial Palace Trial will begin in two weeks.”His voice became slightly more determined.

  “I want to make a breakthrough before the trial.” The room fell silent for a moment.

  Yun Lan studied her son's expression carefully.She could see the seriousness in his eyes. For once, Yun Hao did not look lazy or careless.

  Instead, he looked determined.And that made her smile slightly.