[The Fallen Divine King is Reborn]
[The Divine King's Might, Where No Blade of Grass Survives] [TL: system prompts]
[System]: Warning: Impending Life-Threatening Situation Detected for Host. Would You Like to Consume All Growth Points to Redeem a Low-Level Divine King's Aura?
Divine King's Aura?
Lin Luo didn't entirely understand, but with no time to question, he mentally responded, "Redeem!"
Accumulated Growth Points: 0
Moonlight, Ghost, Ghost Leopard, and Demon Bear cautiously approached Qian Renxue, their faces intense. Yet, in an instant, the air around them thickened, their movements slowing frame by frame. It felt as if a massive force were binding them, inhibiting every action. Even Qian Daoliu and the other elders felt this invisible pressure, their faces puzzled and worried. They scanned the surroundings with heightened vigilance, but even with all their power and spiritual senses, they couldn't trace the source.
And then, without warning, a blinding pulse of golden energy surged out from Qian Renxue as its center, rippling outward like a tidal wave.
Boom!
Everyone heard a deafening blast, and one by one, they were thrown back like leaves in a storm. Agonized cries vanished in the roar of the energy, the explosion swallowing all sound. All around, dust and debris erupted, filling the air.
Everywhere was still. The standing figures were scattered and thrown hundreds of meters away, injured and groaning. Bibi Dong coughed up blood, her brow knit in intense pain.
"There's something wrong… with that child…"
These were her final words before she lost consciousness, her injuries overwhelming her.
Even Qian Daoliu, known for his formidable power, lay bruised and groaning on the ground. Everyone else, too, suffered wounds, as if struck by an invisible force.
"What… just happened?" Qian Renxue coughed as she brushed away the dust and smoke, eyes wide with confusion. Surveying the scene, she couldn't make sense of it all.
But Lin Luo knew. He had lived through it.
So that was my Divine King's Aura…
What he thought had been depleted entirely still had a hidden spark. The system's final push had allowed him to unlock a fraction of his divine power. Though it was just a lower version, its effect on mortal soul masters was absolute.
He'd survived, and that was enough.
Regaining her composure, Qian Renxue gently laid Lin Luo down and went to untie the restrained elders. She then immediately turned to check on Guangling Douluo, who lay sprawled on the ground.
"Grandfather, are you alright?"
"Xue'er, what just happened?" he murmured, wiping blood from his mouth and staring up at her in amazement. "Did some kind of divine powerhouse intervene?"
She shook her head, bewildered herself. All she'd seen was a flash before everyone was tossed aside like straw.
The shock of it left her speechless. How powerful could someone be to send even Qian Daoliu flying? Was it possible this baby's father… was some hidden godlike entity?
Guangling Douluo pulled himself together. "Xue'er, here's what you'll do: tell them that the one who repelled them just now was the child's father!"
"Let them consider carefully the consequences if they dare harm him again!"
Qian Renxue nodded, understanding her grandfather's reasoning. Yet in her heart, she knew the truth. This child hadn't had a father. Granny Jones, who had been present at Lin Luo's birth, had confirmed that astonishing fact.
As she pondered the strange situation, a single thought took root. All of these unexplainable phenomena—the entire series of shocks—all pointed directly at the baby in her arms. But it was too outlandish to believe. How could this tiny, innocent child possibly be the cause?
The little boy's eyes blinked up at her, calm and unafraid, strangely serene. She couldn't help but smile at him. Despite all that had happened, he was strangely lovable.
"Don't worry, little one," she murmured, playfully tapping his nose, then pulled the soft blanket over him to keep out the dust.
What she didn't yet know was that this adorable, silent newborn would soon test her patience in ways she could never imagine.
For now, though, her immediate concern was… her heart skipped a beat as she realized it… she would have to uncover herself and feed him for the first time.
Unaware of her hesitation, Lin Luo lay in her arms, an idea forming in his mind. He'd exhausted his growth points, and if he wanted to regain even a fraction of that power, he'd need to nurse not just back to his original level, but even stronger. It would be no small task, and he hoped Qian Renxue was up for it.
---
Just then, Granny Jones brushed off dust and rubble as she approached Guangling Douluo and began tending to his injuries. She, too, couldn't believe her eyes at what had unfolded today.
"Young Mistress, you need rest," she said, looking Qian Renxue over with concern.
Noticing her hesitation, Jones added reassuringly, "Don't worry. I'll see to it that no one disturbs you."
Guangling Douluo nodded. "And I've already checked—none of them will be waking up anytime soon. Go and rest, Xue'er."
With a final glance at her fallen comrades, Qian Renxue finally relented. Cradling the tiny bundle tightly, she entered the small room, placing Lin Luo on the bed beside her. Only then did she let herself finally drift off to sleep.
Outside, Guangling Douluo and the other elders carefully began cleaning up the mess from the battle, silently binding wounds and repairing damage.
Inside, Lin Luo lay swaddled beside the sleeping Qian Renxue, his gaze lingering on her serene face. A golden lock of hair had fallen across her brow, casting a delicate shadow over her pale, porcelain-like skin.
A small hand crept out from his blanket, gently brushing the stray lock back in place, his large eyes blinking thoughtfully.
"This girl… she's someone I'll protect with my life."
---
But far off in the Tian Dou Empire, another figure was waking to a new world, in his own reborn skin.
Tang San, determined to keep his secret safe, left Notting City alone for Heaven Dou City. Only one mission burned in his mind—to expose the truth behind Tian Dou's greatest secret:
The crown prince Xue Qinghe was actually none other than Qian Renxue.
If he could reveal her identity, it would cripple the Spirit Hall's influence and ensure Emperor Xue Ye lived to see another day.
This time, Tang San would make sure that her existence would be known before she had the chance to play her hand.