Before Xie Yue could question him, a thread of soul power flicked from Chu Chengzhou's fingertip, restraining Xie Yue's body and sealing his mouth as well.
Digging up someone's parents' graves was something a son would never accept. Explaining would be troublesome. Better to seal Xie Yue's mouth first. Xie Yue would know what he was doing soon enough anyway.
"Mmph mmph."
Xie Yue glared at Chu Chengzhou in fury, struggling violently.
If he were not restrained and gagged right now, Xie Yue would definitely be spewing curses and rushing up to tear out Chu Chengzhou's heart.
It was not only Xie Yue. Even Tianmeng at the side stared at Chu Chengzhou in shock.
If it had not misseen, the two coffins should contain his big brother's father-in-law and mother-in-law, right? So filial? This kind of son-in-law is unacceptable.
Meeting Xie Yue's furious glare and the Tianmeng's stunned gaze, Chu Chengzhou smiled, lifted his hand, and space rippled. The next second, two people, one beast, and two coffins appeared outside Spirit City.
Immediately after, under Xie Yue's even angrier stare, Chu Chengzhou lifted the lids of both coffins.
"Tsk, a bit tragic."
A waft of rot spilled out. Looking at the decayed remains in funeral clothes, both incomplete, Chu Chengzhou sighed inwardly.
Hu Liena's parents had not died naturally. They were killed during a hunt for evil soul masters. Although that battle ended in Spirit Hall's victory, during the post-battle sweep, the arrest squad found only half of his father-in-law's body, and his mother-in-law's lower half was gone.
Of course, there were those even worse off. Evil soul masters were mostly no good sorts. Arrest squads sent after them were often wiped out with no remains.
Without lingering on it, Chu Chengzhou manifested the True Spirit Banner in his hand. Seven red and two gold soul rings bloomed around him. Then the pure golden first and ninth soul rings shone. In midair, a sky-covering tree shadow and a platinum divine dragon silhouette condensed at once.
"Xiao Qing, go. Grand Resurrection."
Chu Chengzhou pointed at his father-in-law's remains.
Rustle rustle.
Branches swayed with rustling sounds. As boundless life force surged forth, a brilliant emerald pillar rich with the aura of life shot up outside Spirit City and enveloped the entire coffin.
In the next instant, the decayed, incomplete bones regained vitality, shed the rot, turned pure white again, then bones grew and flesh emerged.
In a blink, the incomplete decayed bones became a young man whose features were seven parts similar to Xie Yue's.
Right after, with the rippling of life laws, yin and yang reversed and the dead returned.
Under Xie Yue's stupefied gaze, his father, dead for over twenty years, now emitted soul fluctuations and the sound of a heartbeat.
"B-big bro, he's really alive?"
Staring at the young man in the coffin whose life and soul aura had been restored, the Tianmeng spoke in disbelief.
Shock gave way to sudden joy in the Tianmeng's heart.
If it sacrificed itself to big sis-in-law, then once she became a god and revived it, it could strut sideways across the continent.
No, there was no need to wait for big sis-in-law to become a god to revive it. Big bro had a resurrection divine skill. After it sacrificed itself, just use one right away.
"You can't. Xiao Qing can only resurrect soul masters below level 100 or soul beasts below a million years. If you want to be revived with Grand Resurrection, you have to wait until I become a god and Xiao Qing becomes a Beast God."
Chu Chengzhou shook his head.
"Heh heh."
Tianmeng was not annoyed in the least. Instead it grinned foolishly.
Big bro was a peerless Douluo, only one last step from ascending to godhood. He would definitely become a god faster than big sis-in-law with her so-so talent. The happy days of the great Tianmeng swaggering across the continent were not far off.
At this moment, the brilliant emerald pillar in the sky gradually dimmed, and the aura of the sky-covering tree shadow weakened considerably.
But just then, soul power flared around the platinum divine dragon beside the tree shadow. A rippling, transparent stream of light surged out and shone upon the tree shadow.
In an instant, time reversed. The tree shadow's aura returned to its peak. The brilliant emerald pillar that had just dimmed shot up into the sky once more.
After having dinner with the newly revived father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law, Chu Chengzhou went to the Pope's Palace and the Worship Hall, then left Spirit City with the Tianmeng.
At this time Qian Renxue had already returned to Spirit City, but she was currently kneeling devoutly before the Angel statue in the Douluo Hall to initiate the Angel God Trial, so Chu Chengzhou refrained from disturbing her.
With Qian Renxue occupied and Hu Liena absent, Chu Chengzhou did not linger in Spirit City and headed to Nuoding City.
Back when the Star Luo Empire had been wrecked by him and the signs of its demise were plain, Su Nan and his wife had returned to Nuoding City to continue being the academy's principal and the homeroom teacher of the sixth-year graduating class.
When people get old, with no close acquaintances around, home is still most comfortable.
After returning to Nuoding City, Chu Chengzhou did not go straight to Nuoding Academy or to his grandparents' house, but came to a long-abandoned small courtyard in the city.
Strictly speaking, this long-abandoned small courtyard was his first home in this life, and the home where his parents lived when they were still alive.
Looking at the dilapidated courtyard before him, Chu Chengzhou fell into memories.
"Big bro, what is this place?"
Seeing that Chu Chengzhou seemed out of sorts, the Tianmeng Iceworm asked.
"I was born here. In the blink of an eye, eighteen years."
Chu Chengzhou spoke with feeling.
"Uh, big bro, you're only eighteen this year?"
The Tianmeng Iceworm asked in surprise.
"What, is that a problem?"
"It's fine, of course it's fine. My big bro is truly a peerless prodigy. With only twelve years of cultivation, he could tidy up Di Tian, that black lizard who has lived for hundreds of thousands of years. Your little brother's admiration is like the waters of the sea."
Learning that big bro was only eighteen, and human soul masters awaken their martial souls at six, meaning big bro had cultivated only twelve years, the Tianmeng instantly delivered a string of rainbow flattery.
Rolling his eyes and ignoring the flattery, Chu Chengzhou spread his spiritual power and carefully probed the entire courtyard.
Xiao Qing's Grand Resurrection could indeed bring the dead back to life, but resurrection had prerequisites. It required the target's bodily material or soul. Even a single hair or the faintest remnant of soul would do. The amount could be small, but something had to exist.
His parents had disappeared while hunting spirit rings in a soul beast forest back then. Now, after more than ten years, there were no remains to be found. Chu Chengzhou could only return to this long-abandoned home and see whether his parents had left behind any hair or the like.