Seeing the sunlight after seven days, Tian Kai took a deep breath, drawing in all the nearby air, then exhaled slowly.
The cultivation had taken longer than he expected.
But it was totally worth it. His bones were now slightly golden and stronger than steel.
For someone in the first realm, having such durability was an incredible feat.
After inhaling the pure air of nature, he swam towards the lotus. Climbing onto it, he sat down and waited for his master to appear.
"Congratulations, disciple." A melodious voice emerged, congratulating him on his cultivation success. The Empress, who had observed his progress, surfaced once again.
"Thank you," he replied with a smile. Then, growing serious, he asked the question that had been on his mind. "Master, what is this on my chest?" He waited for her response.
"Tyrant Emperor Veins."
Hearing this, he nodded.
It seemed his family was not as simple as it appeared...
So why was his mother being hunted?
Or was it not about her, but his father?
"How troublesome. Why does my life have to have this cursed plotline of missing parents?"
Such a cliché...
"Master, which family do these veins belong to?"
"Tyrant Heaven Royal Family."
Upon hearing this, he understood enough for now.
If he had the strength, he would investigate what happened years ago as a personal debt. But his safety had to come first. If he wasn't absolutely certain he was in control, he would not act.
Standing up from the lotus, he whistled, summoning the white eagle that came flying through the sky. He didn't want to be carried by his master again; that adrenaline rush had been enough for a lifetime.
Mounted on the eagle's back, he was ready to take flight...
But...
---
[Son of Heaven Tian Yunxin]
[New Armor]
[Fruit of Life]
With his master's help, Tian Yunxin embarked on a true adventure. Leaving his Tian family behind, he began gathering alchemy materials. Using a disguised identity, he sold pills in War City.
Three days ago, he heard about a Secret Realm opening in the city, attracting nearly all the geniuses of the Azure Cloud Empire.
He entered cautiously, his cultivation level in the third layer of body training. After three days of finding nothing, he finally discovered a Fruit of Life, which could increase longevity.
But he didn't have much time to admire it, as the Azure Dragon's heritage was about to open.
Current Status: Fighting a young master at the heritage ceremony.
[Double Rewards]
[Tree of Life]
A small, newborn Tree of Life.
---
"My little brother seems to be having fun in War City," Tian Kai murmured with a smile.
If Tian Yunxin managed to obtain the Azure Dragon lineage, what would he gain? It made him curious. At the same time, he was also interested in the Tree of Life.
"System, don't just drop it into my hands like last time. There are people with me," he said mentally, glancing at his master.
This left him full of questions...
"System, does the Empress know about you? Or does she think I found her by luck?"
[She sees you as a fortune raider... Anti-Heaven.]
What?
This... He was momentarily confused and looked at his master, whose expression remained the same as always.
Then, diverting his gaze forward, he pondered the system's words.
Anti-Heaven? Am I a villain of the heavens...?
[No, Anti-Heaven. Don't confuse them. A villain is an enemy of the heavens and steals the destiny of the chosen. You are merely a fortune thief, stealing from the heavens through the children of heaven. You are hated but not marked as an enemy because you don't interfere with anyone's destiny.]
So, I'm neutral?
Is it really that simple?
He had many thoughts, including some dark ones, but in the end, he decided to continue living his life for now...
And focus solely on his main goal. The rest could wait until he acquired more strength. For now, he would use everything to become stronger.
The children of heaven, the system, his master—it didn't matter how.
With a calm mind and indifference to everything, he removed the Tree of Life.
Seeing the tree in his hand, his master's eyes widened slightly. Even as an experienced individual, she couldn't hide her shock.
"D-Disciple, you?" She was surprised. She had suspected Kai wasn't ordinary, but the Anti-Heaven, who stole through the fortune of some chosen one... Who? She didn't know, as her consciousness was sealed. And how did he do it?
She didn't know either. Her pupils detected nothing. She had means to discover the truth but chose not to. Everyone had their secrets.
"This Tree of Life will help you if you plant it inside your body. It will be quite useful," she said, pleased.
Kai said nothing and simply looked at her.
"Aren't you curious about how I got this?"
"No, everyone has secrets, don't they?" she said with a smile, then continued, "But Kai, this can help you greatly. However, the heavens will make things difficult for you. Even though you're not directly an enemy, you're taking something from them. Nothing in this world is free." She finished her words and looked at the young man, whose face showed no emotion.
"I know. But I don't care. As long as it helps me get to where I want, I don't mind becoming an enemy," he said calmly.
"You're right," she said with a smile. In the Domain of the Nine Heavens, everything could be used.
And it was never good to be chosen, as they had to worry about two things: an Anti-Heaven and a possible villain of destiny. In this world, being born a child of heaven could sometimes be a curse. Without a strong treasure to sustain them, their path could be harsher than it was fortunate.