Several days passed.
The Evergreen Family gradually returned to its usual rhythm.
The shattered ceremonial platform had been rebuilt.
The traces of the explosion had disappeared.
The laughter slowly returned to the younger disciples.
Yet...
Those who had witnessed the incident knew that something had changed.
An invisible tension now lingered beneath the family's peaceful atmosphere.
William never mentioned the black gift again.
Not because he had forgotten.
But because he refused to allow an unseen enemy to dictate how he lived.
If someone wished to challenge him...
They would eventually reveal themselves.
Until then...
He would continue moving forward.
One quiet morning...
William stood at the highest balcony of the Evergreen Family's ancestral palace.
The mountains stretched endlessly before him.
A cold breeze carried the scent of pine forests across the valley.
Behind him...
Footsteps approached.
Angela.
She quietly stood beside him.
"You haven't slept much."
William smiled faintly.
"I've been thinking."
"About the gift?"
He slowly shook his head.
"No."
"My future."
Angela looked toward the distant horizon.
"You already chose your path."
"I did."
"But choosing a path..."
"...and walking it..."
"...are different things."
Silence settled between them.
After a while...
Angela spoke again.
"You aren't planning to stay here forever."
It was not a question.
William nodded.
"No."
"The Evergreen Family is my home now."
"But my journey cannot end here."
"If I wish to stand at the summit..."
"I need to see the rest of the universe."
Angela smiled gently.
"I expected that answer."
She turned toward him.
"Then promise me one thing."
William looked at her.
"No matter how powerful you become..."
"...never stop returning home."
William remained silent.
Then...
"I promise."
Later that day...
Andrew called William to the training grounds.
The old man stood beneath a massive ancient tree.
Without turning around, he spoke.
"So..."
"You've finally made your decision."
William walked forward.
"I have."
Andrew smiled.
"You wish to leave."
"Yes."
"For how long?"
William slowly exhaled.
"I don't know."
"Years."
"Perhaps decades."
"I won't return until I've found what I'm searching for."
Andrew finally turned toward him.
"And what exactly are you searching for?"
William's answer came without hesitation.
"Strength."
"The kind that cannot be shaken."
"The kind that protects everything behind it."
Andrew nodded.
"Good."
"But understand something."
He raised a single finger.
"The universe is far larger than the tournament led you to believe."
"The strongest young geniuses..."
"Were only the beginning."
William listened silently.
"There are ancient bloodlines older than civilizations."
"There are monsters sleeping inside forgotten dimensions."
"There are cultivators who have spent millions of years pursuing a single breakthrough."
William's expression remained unchanged.
"I expected as much."
Andrew laughed quietly.
"I know."
"That's why I never tried to discourage you."
That evening...
Patriarch Manuel gathered the family elders once more.
William and Angela were also present.
Manuel looked directly at William.
"Andrew has informed me of your decision."
William respectfully nodded.
"I intend to leave after making the necessary preparations."
The Patriarch smiled.
"The Evergreen Family will never chain its members."
"Especially not someone whose destiny reaches far beyond our mountains."
He stood and walked toward William.
Then...
To everyone's surprise...
He handed him a small emerald-colored token.
"This is the Evergreen Crest."
William accepted it carefully.
Manuel continued.
"As long as you carry this..."
"Every branch of the Evergreen Family throughout the universe will recognize you."
"You will always have a home."
"You will always have allies."
"And..."
"You will always have family waiting for your return."
William looked quietly at the token resting in his hand.
For a long moment...
He said nothing.
Finally...
"Thank you."
That night...
William visited Victoria.
She had already heard the news.
"So..."
"You're leaving again."
William nodded.
"I am."
Victoria smiled.
"You always were impossible to keep in one place."
She stepped closer.
"But this time..."
"You aren't leaving because you're running away."
She gently embraced him.
"You're leaving because you've chosen where you're going."
William returned the embrace.
"I'll come back."
"I know."
She smiled.
"You've finally started making promises."
Finally...
William returned to his room.
Angela was already waiting.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
The silence between them needed no words.
Angela eventually broke it.
"When?"
William looked toward the stars through the open window.
"Soon."
She nodded.
"I'll wait."
William turned toward her.
"I know."
Angela smiled.
"And don't worry about me."
"I'll continue cultivating."
"The next time we meet..."
"I'll be stronger too."
William smiled.
"I'll be disappointed if you aren't."
The two laughed softly.
Outside...
The wind swept across the Evergreen Family.
Far beyond the mountains...
Countless stars filled the endless universe.
Unknown worlds.
Unknown enemies.
Unknown companions.
William looked toward that infinite sky.
His life had gained a home.
A family.
A wife.
Now...
It was time to discover what awaited beyond the horizon.
And somewhere in the darkness of the cosmos...
Unseen eyes were already watching...
Waiting for the moment he finally took his first step into the wider universe.