Could it be the candy that Tongtian likes to eat?
Kunlun Mountains.
A rich spiritual energy wafted from the alchemy furnace, gradually gathering in mid-air. A unique fragrance of elixir spread everywhere, constantly penetrating the spiritual consciousness. The aroma was refreshing and invigorating, and the Dao heart was also somewhat unblocked.
"Big brother, big brother, what kind of pills are you refining in this alchemy furnace? Could it be the candy that Tongtian likes to eat?" Little Tongtian stared intently at the pills that were about to be produced, and couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Recalling the sweet candy pills and the wonderful feeling of them slowly melting in his mouth, his saliva flowed even more happily.
My older brother's sugar pills are so delicious! They're so good you'll want another one after you've had one...
Taiqing: "...Kid, why do you always think about your big brother's sugar pills?" He glanced helplessly at his younger brother, who was staring longingly at his alchemy furnace. His little eyes were practically glued to it, and he was even swallowing his saliva. But his heart melted.
"Hehehe, Big Brother's sugar pills are delicious, Tongtian wants some~" Little Tongtian withdrew his gaze that was almost glued to the pills, lowered his head a little embarrassedly, fiddled with his fingers, and said awkwardly.
"Come here." Taiqing was at his wit's end. He only had this one precious little brother. If he didn't love him, who would? Besides, his little brother was well-behaved and cute. He was adorable and never talked back to his older brother. He liked to act cute and close to him. Naturally, he couldn't compare to that stubborn second brother who always talked back. Who wouldn't like an obedient and sensible little dumpling?
The little boy's eyes lit up, and he ran over excitedly, hugging his older brother's leg and saying happily, "Big brother, sugar pills, sugar pills~"
Taiqing took out a jade bottle, gave one to the greedy little cub Tongtian, and instructed, "Don't be greedy. You can only eat one at a time, understand?"
The little boy Tongtian didn't make a fuss. He took the candy pill, put it in his mouth with a "woof," and slowly savored it. He replied to his older brother in a mumbled voice, "I... I know, thank you, thank you, big brother."
"So good." Taiqing patted his head affectionately, a hint of a smile in her eyes, and nodded gently. Her little brother was just so adorable, even eating sugar pills was cute.
Well, now that he'd tasted the sweetness, it was time to suffer a bit. Taiqing stroked his beard, his eyes gradually becoming subtle. He'd let Tongtian fan him. Of course, his little brother also needed to study alchemy; he absolutely couldn't be even slightly inferior to his second brother Yuanshi's weapon-refining skills! He was confident he could teach his little brother well. His little brother was quite talented and could learn anything, so there was no need to worry about him at all.
"Little brother, be a good boy and help your big brother fan the fire, okay? Big brother will take a rest for a while." Taiqing pinched Tongtian's chubby little cheeks. Hmm, why is he still savoring it?
The little boy took the small fan from his older brother, nodded obediently, and quickly ran to the side of the alchemy furnace. He would occasionally adjust the strength of the fan based on the size of the fire. Surprisingly, he did a pretty good job of fanning.
Taiqing rubbed his aching lower back, got up and moved around a few steps. Then, as if remembering something, he reminded his younger brother again not to open the furnace lid, or the elixir would escape on its own.
The little brother nodded very seriously and said in a childish voice, "I know, big brother."
"Very good, good boy Tongtian. When your big brother comes back from taking a nap, he'll reward you with a candy pill." Taiqing happily packed his things and left, leaving the little brat still diligently fanning himself.
Make sure you keep a close eye on your brother's elixirs. Hmm, Tongtian, you can do it! Don't let your brother down!
The little boy stared intently at the alchemy furnace, unaware that a figure was slowly approaching from behind him, blocking his view.
Tongtian the little brat thought that his older brother was worried and had come back to find him, so he waved without turning his head and laughed happily.
"Big brother, don't worry, the boy is watching over us."
Suddenly, the little boy's feet lost their footing. He stared in surprise at his tiny feet floating in mid-air, kicked weakly, and whimpered a few times in despair.
It was his second brother again. Ugh, so annoying, second brother! He's busy right now, he doesn't have time to play with you…
"Second brother, put me down! The fire in the alchemy furnace is going out!" the boy screamed, struggling to get down. But the hand holding him by the neck was surprisingly steady, gripping him tightly and refusing to let go.
The little boy, Tongtian, was frantic, tears welling in his eyes. He sobbed, unable to break free of his shackles, and watched helplessly as the alchemy furnace went out. Luckily, the moment the fire died down, the pills were already formed. Dozens of pills rose into the air, swirling in mid-air, emitting a faint golden light; their quality was clearly quite good.
"Oh, that's great!" Tongtian the little brat was overjoyed. He took out a jade bottle from his pocket, pointed it towards the direction of the pills, and with a whoosh, the pills lined up and entered the bottle, filling it up in no time.
Tongtian the little brat was quite satisfied with the stuffing, but then he realized he was still hanging in mid-air. He immediately became very unhappy, and his rosy cheeks puffed up in a huff! He thought angrily, "Second brother is so mean! Why is he still holding onto me and refusing to let go?"
"Second Brother!" Tongtian the little brat whined, kicking his legs unhappily. Suddenly, the person pulled Tongtian the little brat into his arms. The unfamiliar scent immediately startled the brat. He stared in astonishment at the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar face, about to cry out, but his mouth was covered...
After a long while, Taiqing, having had a good sleep, leisurely arrived at the alchemy furnace. He had already sensed the aura of the golden elixir and thought to himself, "It's ready. Not bad, not bad." He quickly walked inside, and after seeing the scene inside, his brow twitched and the corner of his mouth involuntarily twitched.
Good heavens, what a complete disaster! The fan was lying on the ground, along with several pills scattered about and a jade bottle... What happened? Where's Tongtian? Taiqing suddenly had a bad feeling and turned to look at the still-extinguished alchemy furnace. A small footprint was clearly visible on the furnace...
No way! Impossible! Taiqing felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, almost losing his balance. He trembled as he slowly walked towards the alchemy furnace…
At the same time, Yuanshi rushed in excitedly, carrying a small sword in his hand. It was a sword he had specially made for his younger brother, to help him pass the time. He looked left and right, up and down, but couldn't find his third brother. He looked at his eldest brother, who was almost unsteady on his feet, with surprise, wondering what was wrong with him and why he seemed so absent-minded. He helped him up and asked in confusion, "Brother, where is our third brother?"
Taiqing remained silent, and dared not utter his most terrifying guess.
Yuan Shi's doubts deepened. Why was his elder brother ignoring him? Sigh, could it be that his third brother mischievously knocked over his elder brother's alchemy furnace, and his elder brother was furious? That kid, always causing trouble! He couldn't help but shake his head with a chuckle. Looking at his elder brother's extremely solemn and serious expression, he figured this kid was in for a lecture… Sigh, what if his elder brother really gave his third brother a good beating in the heat of the moment? Wouldn't he be the one heartbroken? So he had to keep an eye on him!
"Alright, alright, elder brother, don't be angry. Third brother is still a child, and he's at the mischievous age. Don't worry, I'll go find him right now and make him recite his lessons. He's not allowed to leave the pass until he can recite them!" Yuanshi patted his chest, indicating that he would keep his word. He turned to leave, but Taiqing grabbed him tightly.
Yuan Shi looked bewildered, completely bewildered as to what had gotten into his elder brother this time, and why he wouldn't let him leave. But why did his elder brother look so grim? What on earth was he up to now?
"Third brother, he, he might be..." Taiqing's words were cut short as tears streamed down his face, nearly scaring Yuanshi half to death! He trembled as he quickly shook off his elder brother's grip on his sleeve, feeling every hair on his body stand on end. He immediately summoned the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi and roared in Taiqing's direction, "Hey! What kind of demon dares to possess my elder brother? Are you tired of living? Get out here right now, or I'll annihilate you in an instant!"
Taiqing, unable to bear it any longer, gave her unruly and out-of-focus second brother a sharp rap on the head. Seeing him wince in pain, her grief subsided a little. "You damned brat, what time is it and you're still so out of control? You're really infuriating!"
Yuan Shi cried out in pain, complaining bitterly, "What did I do wrong again! He attacked without warning again! My elder brother is truly ruthless! This is too much!!!"
Tai Qing was exhausted and had no desire to argue with him anymore. He pointed to the small footprint on the alchemy furnace and said with heartbreaking grief, "Third brother, third brother, he... he might be inside..."
Yuanshi was taken aback, then said speechlessly, "Brother, you must be joking! Third brother isn't stupid, why would he climb in there for no reason? Besides, hasn't he been following you all along?"
Taiqing sighed deeply, choking back tears, "It was because I left for a while that I asked my third brother to keep watch for me, and then I left... I never expected that when I came back... my third brother would be gone!"
Yuan Shi: "..." The smile on his face vanished instantly, and a sense of panic gripped his heart. He looked incredulously at the alchemy furnace, which was even taller than him, and then at the small footprints on the furnace. Trembling with fear, he approached it and carefully compared his palm with the footprints. His eyes widened in disbelief!
It's my third brother! It's definitely his footprints! Why would he climb up there for no reason? Doesn't he know it's dangerous? Huh?
"Could it be that he climbed up to retrieve the pills because he was worried they would disappear on their own, but he slipped after only filling half of it, spilling the pills all over the ground and falling into the furnace... Big brother! How could you leave him alone to guard the furnace?! Third brother, third brother was burned to ashes by the Six Ding Divine Fire!!! Third brother!!! My beloved third brother! Second brother is so sorry!" Yuan Shi was heartbroken and on the verge of collapse, tears streaming down his face. Looking at the small sword he had specially crafted for his third brother, his heart ached even more.
Taiqing hung his head, speechless before his younger brother's questioning. He was filled with self-reproach. Because of his negligence, his brother had perished. He was so young, knew nothing, and had only just begun his cultivation journey. His single thought had cost his younger brother his life… He deserved to die…
Meanwhile, Taiqing and Yuanshi, whose world had already collapsed, were fiercely arguing about whether or not to smash that damned alchemy furnace to avenge their third brother. Taiqing rejected his second brother's absurd idea, unwilling to part with the Bagua Furnace he had finally acquired. However, he couldn't find a suitable furnace to house his Six Ding Divine Fire. Yuanshi was furious, saying that even now, he was still thinking about his Six Ding Divine Fire. It was his fire that had burned his younger brother to ashes. Such a serious matter, yet they didn't even consider his feelings. As a result, the two had a huge argument and almost came to blows!
Tongtian, the little brat who had been lured out of the alchemy furnace by Hongjun, was having a blast, burying his head in the long-unseen furry body... Ah, the taste of freedom, the taste of joy! Watching Tongtian having so much fun, Hongjun, who was watching his every move, was all smiles. After not seeing him for so long, his disciple was still so mischievous and full of energy... After the little brat had released all his excess energy, he obediently walked back and skillfully snuggled into Hongjun's arms to doze off.
"Tongtian? Tongtian?" A gentle voice softly called his name. Little Tongtian lazily yawned, his round eyes narrowed into slits, and his little head nodded intermittently like a chick pecking at rice. He had been playing wildly and just wanted to sleep quietly. He didn't want to pay any attention to Hongjun at all.
"Tsk, it seems he's really tired, look how he can't even keep his eyes open..." Hongjun chuckled as he looked at the little Tongtian sleeping soundly in his arms.
He's really not shy at all... Even though he doesn't remember who I am, he still instinctively wants to be close to me. This kid is so cute, no wonder his two older brothers treat him like a treasure and pamper him... Who wouldn't like such a little mascot?
Hongjun sighed and patted the cub's head. Despite his reluctance, he couldn't linger here for too long. After all, that damned, troublesome Rahu had escaped again and again—it was outrageous! He had only come here because he was passing by and, on a whim, decided to sneak in and tease his little disciple.
Tongtian the little brat slept for a long time, and when he woke up, he felt refreshed and extremely happy. He looked around and wondered why he was sleeping outside. Where were his older brothers? He looked at the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit that had been guarding him. The Golden Lotus shook in a friendly manner, as if greeting him.
Oh, the little one is awake~ Time to go back to the courtyard.
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