Past Memories

Three minutes later, Kent had shot thirty-six arrows. Since the effective duration of each memory crystal was three minutes, this amount of time was more than enough for archery training.

He wasn't rushing for speed; instead, he focused on maintaining perfect form with every shot. Only by keeping his posture flawless would the memory be the most accurate, ensuring the fastest muscle memory development. This would improve his understanding and proficiency of the Spiral Archery technique.

After each memory crystal, Kent reflected on the subtle changes in his body, carefully analyzing and verifying his movements…

Half an hour later, Kent had used three memory crystals and successfully advanced his Spiral Archery from the minor perfection level to major perfection, reaching the point where he could shoot accurately without any conscious effort. His power had also greatly increased.

He was confident that he had now reached a level close to the instructor who had originally taught him this technique. Against monsters around level 20-30, he could easily deal fatal blows within a kilometer's distance.

Next, Kent summoned his three beasts: the 50th level Heavenly-tier Sky Cat King Garfield, the 46th level Golden-tier Diamond Monkey Wukong, and the 36th level Heavenly-tier Devouring Shadow Beast Bajie.

Though Garfield had the weakest innate talents, he had been Kent's companion for the longest time. Wukong, the Stone Monkey, was a Buddhist-type beast that only ate vegetarian food. During their time in the Little Mountain Secret Realm, Garfield had eaten the essence of a dragon egg, which significantly boosted his experience and helped him evolve into a Heavenly-tier beast.

Bajie, the Devouring Shadow Beast, was special. Even among Earthstar and many other alternate worlds, he was a unique existence. The details of his special qualities were hard to explain in just a few words, but Bajie was the only surviving life form from a mini-secret realm, the essence of the realm itself, with extraordinary potential and unpredictable limits.

But Kent valued Wukong the most.

First, because Wukong reminded him of Sun Wukong from the stories of his past life, making him feel more connected. Second, because Wukong came from the Long Guo Mountain, a unique place where rare creatures and extraordinary treasures were often born.

Wukong's innate talent wasn't the highest compared to other powerful native beasts, but when compared to the countless mutated monsters of Earthstar, Wukong was significantly stronger.

However, at the moment, Wukong was the lowest tier among Kent's three beasts, which made Kent feel a bit guilty.

"You guys hang in there a bit longer," Kent promised. "Once I sell the Red Fire Mine and make some money, I'll make sure you all live well."

The three beasts, in tune with his thoughts, gathered around him, nuzzling and accompanying him in their usual affectionate way.

"If I get the chance, I still need to visit Long Guo Mountain," Kent mused. "Wukong doesn't eat meat, so his experience grows slower. I'll need to find some fruit-based medicinal herbs to boost his growth and help him evolve."

In the following days, Kent continued practicing while also handling various arrangements. The news of the Red Fire Mine's discovery had already caused a huge stir. Kent knew his four subordinates had been following his instructions to spread the word and create a buzz. After all, directly contacting corporations had low success rates, and only the media could effectively stir the pot.

Two days later, Kent went to the airport to pick up Li Wanfeng.

Since Li Wanfeng had already made arrangements to stay in the city, Kent didn't need to prepare anything extra. They went for a meal together, during which they discussed business for a long time. The conversation was friendly and engaging, and it was clear that Li Wanfeng was very interested in Kent's plans.

"Kent, I didn't expect you to grow this fast," Li Wanfeng said with a sigh. "In just a year, you've gone from a child who needed guidance to someone capable of handling major affairs. If your parents knew, they would surely be very proud."

Kent paused, unsure of what to say. After all, he had crossed over into this body, and his parents had passed away over a year ago, dying at the hands of a monster with no remains left behind.

There was no deep sense of loss for Kent, so he had always avoided this topic. But now, hearing Li Wanfeng mention it, Kent couldn't help but feel that it was time to confront it.

"Li Uncle, what was your relationship with my parents?" Kent asked, his curiosity piqued.

Li Wanfeng's expression became wistful as he reflected on the past. After a long pause, he spoke with a tone of nostalgia. "Kent, your mother, Wan'er, and I were neighbors when we were little. Our families lived across the hall from each other. Both families were well-off, and since we were close in age, we spent a lot of time together, playing as children. We were like childhood sweethearts, and many people thought we would end up together."

Li Wanfeng's eyes clouded with complex emotions—was it sadness, regret, or merely the weight of time? He continued, "We were a good match, and our families thought so too. But when we got to high school, we were placed in different classes. At that time, a rich young lady took an interest in me, and my ambition was to become a powerful figure. She could help me with that."

"So, I ended up with her. Your mom, naturally, was heartbroken. Later, when I made a name for myself and contracted a Heavenly-tier beast, my power grew rapidly. I started aiming higher, wanting to become even stronger. During that time, I missed Wan'er terribly. So, I broke up with the rich young lady and returned to find her."

Kent's curiosity deepened. "What happened then?"

Li Wanfeng's face twisted for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was calm but tinged with sorrow. "She refused to accept me. She didn't want to be a hindrance on my path to strength. She told me, 'The road to becoming stronger is one that must be walked alone, without attachments.'"

Li Wanfeng sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment before continuing, "I was furious at first. I told her that I wanted to be strong not just for myself, but to have the ability to possess everything, including her. I said I had given her up temporarily for my own growth, and I had missed her every day. But now that I had the strength to return, why wouldn't she take me back? Didn't she understand how much it hurt me?"

Kent was taken aback by Li Wanfeng's emotional recollection. It was a raw and passionate moment, but Li Wanfeng's face remained strangely composed, as if he had long since accepted the pain.

Li Wanfeng sighed once more, the expression on his face filled with melancholy. "It wasn't until later that I realized… the moment I decided to become strong, we had already drifted apart. We were from different worlds. The appearance of the rich young lady was merely the catalyst that revealed our separation."

Kent now understood. Li Wanfeng had once been close to his mother, and Kent himself was, in a way, the link to their shared past. As he listened to Li Wanfeng's story, Kent didn't feel discomfort, but a sense of sorrow for the tragic nature of the tale. It reminded him to be careful and avoid the same fate.

Becoming someone who had to love and leave would be a painful journey. He knew he had to be vigilant to prevent himself from falling into the same traps.