Re-birth: The Beginning after the End

The dining hall was less crowded at this hour, making it easier for them to secure a private table in the inner disciples' section.

After selecting their own meals from the abundant buffet spread along the hall's eastern wall, Li Hua carefully arranged the plates she'd selected. Among her own modest choices and Li Wei's hearty portions, she discreetly placed an extra plate she'd filled with an assortment of spirit-infused pastries—sweet buns filled with essence-rich cream, delicate cookies that sparkled with spiritual energy, and small cakes that seemed to float slightly above the plate.

Little Firefly's essence practically hummed with delight at the sight, though his tiny form remained perfectly still, his golden feathers only betraying his excitement by gleaming a shade brighter than usual—dignity above all else, even in the face of irresistible pastries.

Li Wei raised an eyebrow at the generous portion of desserts, but his lips curved into a knowing smile. It seemed his sister's companion shared her sweet tooth, though watching a small golden sparrow devour pastries twice its size would certainly be entertaining.

"So, how was the combat training?" Li Hua asked, watching as Little Firefly discreetly pecked at a cream-filled pastry. His golden feathers seemed to shimmer brighter with each bite.

Li Wei leaned forward, his eyes lighting up with that familiar enthusiasm. "Fascinating, actually. The combat arenas have formation arrays that can simulate different environments. I watched two senior disciples practicing water-based techniques in artificially created rain. The way they integrated their spirit beasts into their combat styles..." He gestured with his chopsticks, describing the fluid movements he'd observed.

As her brother continued explaining the technical details of what he'd seen, Li Hua smiled, recognizing the signs of Li Wei finding something new to research. She subtly pushed another pastry toward Little Firefly, who was trying—and failing—to look dignified while devouring his treats.

"Oh wait. Did you tell brother that we made it?" Li Wei suddenly asked, his enthusiasm replaced by concern.

Li Hua chuckled, "Of course. I told him before we began our tour."

"Oh good." Li Wei sighed, thoughts turning to their energetic second brother, Li Hao, now at the Heavenly Smith Sect. "I miss him."

"I do too." Li Hua also sighed, missing Li Hao's infectious enthusiasm. It felt strange being separated from their second brother after spending so much time together.

Li Wei traced the Distant Echo Sound Transmission technique in the air, studying the formation for a moment before a mischievous smile spread across his face—an expression more commonly seen on Li Hao than their eldest brother.

"What?" Li Hua looked at him suspiciously.

Without answering, Li Wei quickly pulled out a yellow paper talisman, his fingers weaving the formations together with precise movements. Before Li Hua could question him further, she felt the familiar resonance of the sound transmission technique, but this time it carried a different signature—it was connecting all three siblings at once.

Impressive, Li Hua thought. He'd somehow reconfigured a standard two-person communication technique into a three-way connection with only a talisman. Sometimes she forgot just how brilliant Li Wei truly was when it came to theoretical applications of spiritual techniques.

Li Hua hastily erected a sound barrier around their table, remembering how loud their second brother could be.

A moment passed before Li Hao's voice burst through their consciousness: "ELDEST BROTHER! SISTER! I was just thinking about—oh wait, this is kind of awkward timing..."

"Why? What are you doing?" Li Wei asked.

"Um... I'm kind of... in the bathroom right now..."

"SECOND BROTHER!" Li Hua nearly choked on her tea while Li Wei pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What? You're the ones who called me! Besides, I've got great news about my first forging attempt—"

"We can call back later," Li Wei tried to say, but Li Hao was already launching into his story.

"No, no, wait! You have to hear this! So I was trying to activate this furnace array and my eyebrows—"

"We're hanging up now," Li Hua declared firmly, though she couldn't hide her laughter.

"But sister! This is a really good story! And I'm almost done here anyway—"

Li Wei quickly dissolved the connection while Li Hua buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking with suppressed giggles. Even Little Firefly had to stuff an entire pastry in his beak to keep from chirping with laughter.

"That..." Li Wei cleared his throat, trying to maintain his scholarly dignity, "did not go as planned."

"Only Second Brother," Li Hua wiped tears of laughter from her eyes, "would try to tell a story about his eyebrows while—" she couldn't even finish the sentence before dissolving into giggles again.

Little Firefly, still struggling with his mouthful of pastry, made muffled chirping sounds that only made Li Hua laugh harder.

"We should probably wait a few minutes before trying again," Li Wei suggested, his usual composure cracking as he fought back his laugh.

"Or at least ask what he's doing first," Li Hua agreed, reaching for her tea to calm herself. Just then, another chime resonated in their cores—Li Hao trying to call back. The siblings exchanged panicked looks before simultaneously shouting "No!" and blocking the connection.

This time, even Li Wei couldn't maintain his dignity, and both siblings collapsed into another fit of laughter, while Little Firefly nearly fell off the table trying to stay quiet.

After they'd finally caught their breath and finished their meals, Little Firefly having demolished the last of his pastries, Li Wei pulled out another harmonizing talisman.

"Should we try again?" He asked.

"Ask him first," Li Hua insisted, chuckling slightly.

Li Wei sent a simple pulse through the Distant Echo technique: "Are you... available now?"

A moment later, Li Hao's essence signature bounced back, considerably more composed than before. "Yes! And properly situated, thank you very much. About earlier, when I was—"

Li Wei hastily dissolved that connection before their brother could finish. After a moment to ensure any lingering awkwardness had faded, he used the harmonizing talisman and traced the formation again, creating a fresh connection between all three siblings.

"How's the Heavenly Smith Sect?" Li Hua quickly asked, steering the conversation in a safer direction.

"It's AMAZING!" Li Hao's enthusiasm burst through their connection. "There are forges everywhere, and the spiritual formations they use for metalworking—you wouldn't believe what they can do! Though I did learn that eyebrows are surprisingly flammable."

Li Hua and Li Wei both chuckled, the familiar chaos of their second brother's adventures providing a comforting sense of normalcy despite their separation.

"How did you manage that?" Li Hua asked, already imagining the scene—Li Hao leaning too close to something he shouldn't, his ever-present curiosity literally burning him.

"I didn't actually—not this time!" Li Hao's voice brightened with excitement. "They were giving us a tour of the forging halls, and this senior disciple was demonstrating how certain spirit ores respond to breath infused with fire essence. I was right at the front watching."

"Of course you were," Li Wei sighed, already seeing where this was heading.

"The demonstration was going perfectly until this other disciple suggested adding phoenix tear essence to the breath technique! The flames turned SEVEN different colors—it was spectacular! Then the ore started floating, which wasn't supposed to happen, according to the whispers behind me. I couldn't look away!" His voice rose with enthusiasm. "Until it exploded, of course."

Li Hao's laughter bubbled through their connection. "The blast wave singed off the eyebrows of everyone in the front row! The senior disciple looked so mortified. The master in charge of the tour said it was a perfect example of 'what not to do' and made us all recite safety protocols for an incense stick afterward. Worth it though—even with my eyebrows gone, I've never felt more at home!"

Li Hua nearly knocked over her tea cup with laughter. "Second Brother, you've been there less than a day and already found the most dramatic demonstration possible!"

Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

"How about your quarters?" Li Wei interrupted smoothly. While they could happily listen to Li Hao's explosive adventures all evening, redirecting his enthusiasm was a familiar pattern that kept their conversations from spiraling into endless tangents.

"The quarters are great!" Li Hao's excitement couldn't be contained even through the spiritual connection. "Though not as fancy as what you probably have at the Beast Tamer Sect. How is it there? Have you gotten more spirit beasts yet? What kind of—"

"We just arrived today," Li Wei reminded, though his voice carried warmth at their brother's enthusiasm.

"And you've already figured a way to improve the sound transmission technique! As expected of our eldest brother," Li Hao's pride in his siblings was evident. "Hey, we should do this every evening! Well, maybe not exactly like earlier—"

"Moving on," Li Hua cut in quickly before that topic could resurface. "Have you made any friends yet?"

The siblings continued sharing their first impressions of their respective sects, their connection carrying not just words but the familiar comfort of family across the distance between them. Even Little Firefly, still perched quietly beside Li Hua, seemed to enjoy listening to the animated conversation.