In the depths of the universe, a palace floated above the Nine Heavens.
The First Divine General, Taotie, gazed at the young man dozing on the dragon throne. Clasping his hands, he knelt on one knee and said respectfully, "Supreme Emperor, the Chaos Purple Lotus in the Sea of Myriad Flowers has bloomed today. Fairy Qing Yuan invites you to admire it with her."
"I’m not going."
The young man didn’t even lift his eyelids.
"Supreme Emperor, the princess of the Dragon Race from the East Sea has invited you to a game of chess."
"Not interested."
"Supreme Emperor, the Twelve-winged Archangel sisters from the Western Immortal Domain have recently researched a new type of magic and would like to ask you—"
"No, and no," the Supreme Emperor waved his hand impatiently. "Decline all future invitations."
"But..." Beads of sweat formed on the First Divine General’s forehead. He spoke cautiously, "Your Majesty, it has been five years since you returned from Earth. In all that time, you have not sought a single female companion, nor have you taken one step outside the palace. I take the liberty of asking, what is wrong?"
The young man opened his eyes, and within them, countless stars seemed to explode. He was silent for a long moment before uttering a single word. "Tired."
The First Divine General was speechless.
"I’ve been undefeated for a hundred thousand years, without an opponent who can last more than a handful of exchanges. My cultivation has reached its limit, and I still don’t have a single descendant. What’s the point of living?"
The Supreme Emperor heaved a long sigh. "Taotie, I’m preparing to pass on. From now on, the Heavenly Court is in your hands."
"Supreme Emperor! You mustn’t entertain such dark thoughts!"
The First Divine General, Taotie, was so terrified he immediately prostrated himself, tears streaming down his face. Other emperors lamented that their lives weren’t long enough, yet the ruler of the Heavenly Court felt life was meaningless and utterly boring, spending his days contemplating reincarnation as a mere mortal.
Then again, it’s somewhat understandable.
The more powerful a being, the more difficult it is for them to produce offspring. This is a Heavenly Dao Law, and not even Xu Lai, the Lord of the Four Immortal Domains, was exempt.
In his quest for an heir, the Supreme Emperor had tried every method imaginable over one hundred thousand years, all of which ended in failure. It was only thanks to his formidable willpower that he endured. Who else could possibly bear such torment and despair?
Just as Divine General Taotie was trying to think of how to comfort the Supreme Emperor, the utterly bored Xu Lai released his Divine Sense, searching for a suitable planet on which to shed his mortal coil.
As his Divine Sense swept over Earth...
He shot to his feet, his gaze piercing through trillions of light-years. "This aura..." he said, his voice laced with disbelief and excitement.
Divine General Taotie was completely baffled. "What is it?"
"A bloodline!"
"Hahahaha! Taotie, I’ve sensed my bloodline on Earth! It’s my child!"
Overcome with excitement, Xu Lai vanished in an instant, leaving only a single sentence echoing in the vast hall.
"I’m going to Earth to be a father!"
"..." Divine General Taotie was left speechless.
***
「Earth.」
「Hua Country.」
「Early September, in Hangcheng.」
The weather was pleasant, and the sky was a clear, washed-out blue.
Outside the main entrance of the Ye Family’s villa, which was festooned with lanterns and streamers, a bustling crowd shouted congratulations, evidently celebrating some grand occasion.
Dressed in a long white robe, Xu Lai stared at the gold-embossed plaque bearing the character ’Ye’, a slight smile curling his lips.
This is the place. My child is here.
Sensing carefully, he realized it was a girl.
One hundred thousand years. Xu Lai finally had a child, and it was the daughter he had always longed for!
"Excuse me, handsome. Are you also here for the Ye Family’s grand banquet?" a pleasant female voice asked.
Turning toward the sound, he saw a beautiful woman in a long white dress with a gentle smile. She gazed at the unfamiliar man before her. Though his features were ordinary, he possessed an indescribable charisma that drew her in. His deep eyes seemed to hold the sun, moon, and stars.
This man... he must have countless stories.
So much so that Su Daiyi, the most sought-after heiress of the Su Family in Hangcheng, blushed and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, hoping to learn more.
"I’m here to pick up my daughter," Xu Lai said, glancing briefly at Su Daiyi before looking away. All he wanted now was to rush into the Ye Family home and find his daughter. But as he drew near, he began to feel a little nervous, unsure how to face his daughter and the child’s mother.
"Your daughter?" Su Daiyi couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face, but she quickly recovered with a slight smile. "This is the residence of the Ye Family, Hangcheng’s foremost prestigious family. Why would your daughter be here, unless you’re one of them?"
As soon as she spoke, Su Daiyi realized something, and confusion filled her beautiful eyes.
That’s not right. The Ye Family’s male line is sparse in this generation, with Ye Wuxuan as the only direct heir. This man is definitely not from the Ye Family!
However, Xu Lai paid her no more attention, walking step by step toward the Ye Family villa.
"Hey, why are you ignoring me?" Su Daiyi stomped her foot. Noticing he didn’t have an invitation, she huffed, "Let’s see how you get in without an invitation!"
At the main entrance, a Ye Family steward was inspecting invitations one by one, flanked by two rows of ten burly security guards. Anyone who tried to slip in would be beaten so severely they’d be unable to care for themselves.
Once the steward throws him out, I’ll step in. Then he’ll owe me a favor. Su Daiyi’s lips curved into a smile, confident that everything was going according to plan.
But then something happened that made her eyes widen in shock.
She watched as Xu Lai walked right through the crowd, past the steward, and into the Ye Family grounds. No one checked for an invitation, and no one even questioned him. It was as if, in the eyes of everyone else, the man named Xu Lai simply didn’t exist.
Su Daiyi’s heart nearly skipped a beat. She grabbed a woman she knew standing nearby and pointed at Xu Lai’s receding back. "That man over there, how did he get in without an invitation?"
"Miss Su, there’s no one there. You must be seeing things," the woman, a daughter from another wealthy family and a close acquaintance of Su Daiyi, teased with a light chuckle.
Su Daiyi drew a sharp, cold breath and murmured, "Am I seeing a ghost?"
At that moment, Xu Lai, now twenty meters away, turned his head. A smile graced his lips as his voice echoed right beside her ear, "I’m not a ghost."
"A ghost!"
Goosebumps erupted all over Su Daiyi’s skin. She let out a shriek and scrambled away.
Ghosts aren’t frightening. The human heart is the most terrifying thing of all. Xu Lai thought with a sigh, leisurely surveying his surroundings.
The walls of the Ye Family’s banquet hall were lined with porcelain and various paintings. Though opulent, it all exuded an air of pretentious sophistication. It was the tasteless extravagance of the nouveau riche, devoid of any true heritage.
Exactly ten tables were arranged in the great hall. Elegantly dressed guests sat holding glasses of red wine, chatting and laughing as they built connections or closed business deals. These people were, without exception, the elite of Hangcheng. Anyone with a net worth below ten million was not qualified to enter.
"The Ye Family really spared no expense to celebrate becoming a Martial Dao family. The decorations alone must have cost over a hundred million."
"Just that landscape painting by Tang Yin is probably worth more than a hundred million itself..."
"All because of one Ye Wuxuan and his extraordinary Martial Dao talent, the Ye Family rose from a low-tier family to become Hangcheng’s most powerful in just a few short years. It’s truly remarkable."
Many guests sighed in admiration. They had witnessed history unfold, their eyes filled with longing.
Martial Artists transcended ordinary humans, possessing unimaginably terrifying strength. Every great family took pride in their descendants becoming Martial Artists, but the path was far too arduous. For an ordinary clan like the Ye Family to become a Martial Dao family was a transformation as profound as a commoner becoming an emperor. No wonder this group of Hangcheng’s powerful and influential figures felt such wistfulness; the Ye Family had accomplished a dream their own families had failed to achieve for decades.
"But rumor has it that Ye Wuxuan, like most people, had no talent for the Martial Dao. They say it was only after he started drinking the fresh blood of an infant every day that..." a middle-aged man whispered.
Before he could finish, the old man beside him turned pale and hissed, "Shut your mouth and get out!"
The middle-aged man’s expression faltered. He quickly covered his mouth and scurried out of the banquet hall. Many onlookers wore strange expressions. They had all heard this rumor, but none dared to discuss it in public.
After all, the Ye Family of today... was an existence they could not afford to offend.
Xu Lai frowned. A cultivation talent born from consuming the fresh blood of infants? The blood of an ordinary person couldn’t possibly have such an effect.
He vaguely sensed something was terribly wrong, and his gaze turned icy.
If this has anything to do with my precious daughter... then the Ye Family will pay a price in blood today!