"So cute!"
Chu Xinyue's eyes sparkled as she looked at Yi Yi perched on Qin Tian's shoulder. No doubt about it, Yi Yi's adorable appearance was enough to melt anyone's heart. From the outside, anyone would assume this little creature was simply a cute and cuddly beast.
Of course, Chu Xinyue conveniently ignored Qing Yao, who was nestled in Qin Tian's arms. A smart woman never questions a man about his other women.
"Yiya ya, yiya ya,"
Perched on Qin Tian's shoulder, Yi Yi completely ignored Chu Xinyue's attempts to get its attention. While Chu Xinyue was considered beautiful by human standards, to Yi Yi, she was nothing short of an ugly monster. Yi Yi's current affection was purely directed at the ancient divine stone in Qin Tian's possession.
"Thank you, Young Master. If you ever need anything, please feel free to ask," Ji Kong walked over, respectfully addressing Qin Tian. He had just learned from Ji Ling xian that Qin Tian was indeed from the Upper Realm.
Recently, Ji Kong had been focused solely on his cultivation, paying no attention to the affairs of Zhongzhou or even the Eastern Wasteland. Naturally, during his first encounter with Qin Tian in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden, he had only speculated that Qin Tian might be from the Upper Realm.
Qin Tian didn't respond to Ji Kong immediately. His thoughts were more preoccupied with Ji Ling xian. He had already turned Lin Fan, the child of fortune, into his slave. Normally, when a child of fortune is subdued, those connected to him, like the destined "fortune heroines," would experience a significant change in their fate.
In other words, once Lin Fan was dealt with, Qin Tian should be able to eliminate these fortune heroines without consequence.
Take Qing Yao, for example. After Qin Tian subdued Lin Fan, her fortune didn't change much, but now, Qin Tian could easily kill her if he wanted to.
However, with Ji Ling xian, Qin Tian sensed that killing her would bring about a strong backlash from her destiny. This meant she was still under the protection of the fortune heroine's halo.
"System, what's going on here?" Qin Tian asked silently. Could it be that some fortune heroines are treated differently?
"Ding! Ji Ling xian's destined partner is not Lin Fan."
Qin Tian narrowed his eyes slightly, surprised by this revelation. He had always assumed Ji Ling xian was linked to Lin Fan, but it turned out she wasn't his exclusive fortune heroine after all.
This also meant another child of fortune had entered the scene even before Qin Tian had finished dealing with Lin Fan. But that didn't bother him. After all, he rather enjoyed stripping them of their destiny.
...
Soon, the events within the Ancient Desolate Forbidden spread across the Eastern Wasteland, causing quite the stir.
The former emperor of the Da Zhou Dynasty had successfully acquired a precious spiritual medicine inside the forbidden land. Though it wasn't a royal-grade medicine, it was just one level below and perfect for nourishing the younger generation.
But that wasn't the most important part of the news. The real shock came when countless unaffiliated cultivators learned that the legendary Upper Realm wasn't some distant myth.
For many in the Eastern Wasteland, the Upper Realm had always been a vague, elusive concept. But now, it was clear that a young man from the Upper Realm had descended—traveling into the Ancient Desolate Forbidden on the back of a hundred-meter-long flood dragon, accompanied by the daughter of the Xian yun Palace Lord.
Rumors even spread that the former emperor of the Da Zhou Dynasty had been saved by this mysterious young man during his time in the forbidden land.
Many of the Eastern Wasteland's sacred land and palace masters quietly acknowledged that this young man from the Upper Realm possessed strength far beyond their own.
...
Within a grand hall of the Cloud Palace:
"Ding! New child of fortune detected: Ye Chen, located in the Da Zhou Dynasty within Zhongzhou."
Qin Tian's interest piqued when the system suddenly notified him of a new child of fortune. So, another one had finally appeared.
"It seems I'll be heading to Zhongzhou soon," Qin Tian said casually as he rested his head against Chu Xinyue's soft, slender waist while enjoying the fruit she had peeled for him.
"Are you planning to go to Zhongzhou, Young Master?" Chu Xinyue smiled warmly, placing an orange slice in her own mouth before gently feeding it to Qin Tian.
Zhongzhou, also known as the Vast Zhongzhou Lands, was the core region of the Qingyun Realm, dominated by empires rather than sacred lands.
"I did promise to protect the Da Zhou Dynasty. Besides, I'm a bit bored lately. I may as well go and take a look—consider it sightseeing."
Qin Tian's tone was indifferent. It had been some time since his excursion to the Ancient Desolate Forbidden, and recently, aside from feeding Yi Yi, he had simply left Lin Fan, now his slave, to fend for himself somewhere remote.
Despite losing much of his fortune, Lin Fan still retained a considerable amount. And while he was now Qin Tian's slave, he retained his own consciousness, though he was entirely obedient to Qin Tian. As for the remnant soul of Xuan Ling, it had been extracted from Lin Fan and turned into a puppet by Qin Tian.
Lin Fan, however, was still too weak. He needed someone by his side to help him grow stronger.
Don't mistake Qin Tian for being ruthless. He would do anything, by any means necessary, as long as it benefited him.
"I wonder how you're progressing with the technique I gave you."
Qin Tian's voice was calm as he spoke. Recently, Chu Xinyue had been serving him well, so he had rewarded her with a cultivation technique from his clan's vault.
This technique allowed one to cultivate a postnatal Dao body. Although it wasn't as powerful as the primordial godly physiques or the emperor or supreme bodies, it was still a formidable physique, even in the Ancient Immortal Domain.
"I haven't made much progress," Chu Xinyue admitted, sticking out her tongue in embarrassment. Qin Tian had given both her and Qing Yao a similar high-level technique to cultivate the postnatal Dao body.
But while they had started at the same time, Qing Yao had already reached the entry stage, whereas Chu Xinyue was still fumbling through the basics. The gap in their talents was apparent.
"No need to rush. She was born with an immortal womb, so it's normal for her to progress faster than you," Qin Tian smiled faintly.
"Prepare yourself. We'll set off for Zhongzhou shortly."
"Yes, Young Master. But first, let's finish this grape." Chu Xinyue pointed to the grape in her mouth, smiling playfully at Qin Tian.
"You're asking for trouble..."
...
Meanwhile, in a mansion within the Da Zhou Dynasty, a handsome young man suddenly woke up with a look of terror on his face.
"No, no, Ling xian, don't die!"
The youth, Ye Chen, was drenched in sweat, his face pale.
After a moment of stunned silence, Ye Chen began to laugh hysterically. If he wasn't mistaken, for reasons unknown, he had been reborn.
His name was Ye Chen, the son of the famous Lord Ye of the Da Zhou Dynasty. Though considered a useless heir, unable to cultivate, his father had always doted on him.
"The timing…"
Ye Chen's mind raced through memories of his past life. Soon, he remembered that in just a few days, the entire Da Zhou Dynasty would be surrounded and destroyed by the Da Xia Dynasty and several other factions.
At that time, the once-mighty Da Zhou would be wiped from history.
His father, Lord Ye, would die in battle, and the royal family of Da Zhou would be all but exterminated, leaving only a few survivors. Ye Chen himself had become a fugitive, hunted and hiding at every turn.