Chapter 397: Chapter 48: Junior Brother Profound Yellow, Long Time No See

「The Current World.」

Deep within the starry sky, countless Little Saints of the Demon Race were gathered, talking and arguing, until finally, a Little Saint with dragon horns on his head slammed his hand on the table and made a final decision.

"According to the divination of the Heaven-Reaching Demon Saint, the world’s limits will be raised in one year at the latest, allowing Immortals to walk the Human World."

"Within a year, we will launch the first assault on the pass. If we break through, it will be a great success. If we fail, we will wait until the world’s limits are raised and all the Demon Saints emerge at once!"

"When that time comes, so what if the Origin Land is protected by the Great Wall? How can a mere handful of Immortals stop all the Demon Saints? Everything will be ours for the taking!"

The Demons gathered above the Fixed Star System first fell silent, then erupted into thunderous cheers. In unison, their gazes turned toward the Solar System, their eyes filled with ambition!

"I see a bloody battle, with bones piled up like mountains! I see the warriors of the Demon Race sacrificing their lives, fighting on the Great Wall! I see the direct heir of the Kunpeng arriving in person to break through that pass!"

A white ape, who had opened his Form Acupoint and could foresee some possible futures, spoke with a passionate voice. Leaning on a giant staff, he raised his arm and declared:

"The mantle of ’Protagonist of Heaven and Earth’ is about to change hands! This time, it belongs to us!"

The Demons cheered, their voices shaking the entire Star Sea.

.........

「Qin Chu. Above Ancient Dragon Tiger Mountain.」

"Yang Jian!"

The Celestial Strategy True Saint was coughing up blood from the blow, his body disintegrating. Drenched in blood, where was the majestic demeanor he’d had at the start?

He roared:

"Stop! You are being provocative! Emperor Ziwei will be enraged, and the Stars of the Celestial Sphere will unleash their killing intent!"

"Is that so?" Yang Jian said with a wry smile. He thrust out his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade, and under the power of his [Everywhere] characteristic,

the blade appeared from all directions at once, slashing toward the Celestial Strategy True Saint simultaneously!

The latter coughed up blood. His three heads roared in unison as the four Divine Soldiers in his four arms summoned the celestial killing intent to descend!

Immediately, he galvanized his body. Clouds followed his steps and seas flowed with his form. Faint red light and deep purple qi emanated, fierce fog whistled, and dark flames burned. He commanded the stars to circle him as a phenomenal vision of a thousand gods bowing in worship appeared around his body. He unleashed his ultimate power, employing a hundred different Divine Techniques.

Yang Jian’s expression tightened slightly, and he sighed inwardly. ’As expected of a True Saint of the North Pole who once stood on par with Emperor True Martial. He’s truly extraordinary. If it were the me of this era facing him, the outcome would likely be a draw!’

As he pondered, he spun his Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade. The Celestial Eye on his forehead flew open wide in fury, unleashing a beam of light that shattered the celestial killing intent. With a flick of his blade, he employed the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Divine Techniques, causing the void to collapse and the river of stars to dim!

The two clashed once more, their battle plunging heaven and earth into darkness.

「Meanwhile, on Dragon Tiger Peak.」

As everyone watched, dumbfounded, the Little Peach Spirit, wrapped in a faint, sweet scent of peaches, rushed into the Profound Yellow Emperor’s arms like a gentle breeze.

Xuandu wore a strange expression. Nezha and Zhu Wuneng looked at each other in bewilderment. Li Yutong and the others were completely baffled. But Yan Huang’s feelings were the most complex; he felt uncomfortable from head to toe...

He could now see that the young girl merely looked like his own daughter and wasn’t actually Yan Jiangxue, but still...

While everyone was lost in their own different thoughts, Lu Xuan was the most bewildered of all.

’Examine her appearance... hmm, it’s Xiaoyan.’

’Calculate the Cause and Effect... hmm, still Xiaoyan.’

’But there’s no way Xiaoyan would ever call me ’Dad’!!’

A thought suddenly struck him. Lu Xuan activated his five acupoints of Form, Sound, Smell, Taste, and Touch to carefully discern the truth. After a Divination of her Cause and Effect, he finally understood.

’This is... Xiaoyan’s past life?’

He recalled what his Lady had said about their Past-Life Marriage Arrangement. As understanding dawned, he also began to feel a bit awkward.

’No way, I can’t be her ’Dad’!’

’If I really accept this, our Past-Life Marriage Arrangement might just turn into a past-life ’father-daughter arrangement’!’

Lu Xuan then thought about how he was an ’uncertain variable,’ and it seemed entirely possible this could happen. He immediately sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.

’If that really happened, it would be a complete disaster!’

He gently patted the Little Peach Spirit’s back and, with some effort, pulled her off him. He was a little shocked. ’This girl... she actually has Great Grade Cultivation?’

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Lu Xuan said in a composed voice:

"I am not your father."

The Little Peach Spirit froze, her joyful expression instantly replaced by one of hurt. Her eyes welled with tears as she said in a choked voice:

"Dad, you don’t want me anymore...?"

A vein throbbed on Lu Xuan’s forehead. Nearby, Yan Huang felt even more uncomfortable. Even though he knew this wasn’t his precious youngest daughter, she looked identical, and watching this scene was truly unsettling...

Then, Lu Xuan let out a breath and said softly:

"Little one, you mustn’t speak such nonsense. This Emperor has not yet married, so how could I have a child?"

"But you are!"

The Little Peach Spirit whimpered:

"I sorted through Cause and Effect and looked back at the Years of the past. It was clearly Daddy who planted me... WAAH, Daddy doesn’t want me anymore!"

She sobbed, running dejectedly to the Old Peach Tree and hugging its trunk as she began to wail:

"Uncle, Daddy doesn’t want me! Daddy doesn’t want me..."

Lu Xuan was confused. ’Planted?’

’Planted what??’

Beside them, Xuandu rarely lifted his eyes, but now he looked at the Little Peach Spirit and let out a soft sound of surprise.

"To already be at the Grand Grade just after gaining sentience? And she wields Cause and Effect and understands the changes of Time... Such talent..."

His voice wasn’t loud, just a murmur, but everyone on the peak heard him and was visibly stunned.

Not far away, Lu Chongtong, one of the top prodigies of the Current World, swallowed hard and asked the person beside him:

"Are all beings from Ancient Times this terrifying? Born at the Grand Grade, understanding Cause and Effect and Time..."

Beside him, Wang Zhiyao and Zhang Jifeng hissed at the same time:

"Quiet! Just watch silently. The affairs of these great figures are not for us to comment on!"

Lu Chongtong immediately fell silent, but his double pupils continued to shift, filled with extreme curiosity.

While everyone was confused, the Old Celestial Master stepped forward. With the nervous excitement of one meeting an ancestor, he bowed respectfully to Lu Xuan.

"This junior, Zhang Sun, greets the Emperor!"

Lu Xuan glanced at him, understanding in his heart. He asked calmly:

"What is it?"

The Old Celestial Master bowed again and began to explain:

"This girl is the spirit born of this Peach Tree. And it seems the Emperor planted this Peach Tree with his own hands back then. That is why the Peach Spirit calls the Emperor ’father’."

Lu Xuan was stunned again, but then he recalled the incident and suddenly understood.

"So that’s how it is."

He sighed softly, nodded in acknowledgement to the Old Celestial Master, then walked over and crouched beside the whimpering Little Peach Spirit. He said gently:

"Nannan."

The Little Peach Spirit stopped sobbing. She wanted to get closer but also shrank back, crying out:

"Dad!!"

Lu Xuan’s eyelid twitched uncontrollably.

The Old Peach Tree, which had been silent all this time, now spoke in a gentle voice:

"Emperor, it has been a long time."

Lu Xuan raised his head and sighed softly.

"You’ve gained sentience as well?"

"I have always been sentient," the Old Peach Tree said respectfully. "I was already sentient back when you came to visit the great master of the Jade Void."

Everyone around them pricked up their ears to listen, not even bothering to watch the battle of the Celestial Venerables in the sky. The Old Celestial Master, in particular, was a mess of shock, joy, and apprehension.

Even Zhang Liang, who stood alone not far away, seemed dazed, as if reminiscing about the past.

At this moment, the Old Peach Tree continued in its gentle voice:

"Ten thousand years ago, after the Emperor planted this little one, that great master resided in the Daoist Palace for another eight thousand years. From time to time, he would summon his disciples to discourse on the Dao. This little one listened to the sermons for so long that, although she only recently gained sentience, she was steeped in that great master’s Dao sound and Dao Rhyme for ages."

After a pause, it continued:

"Therefore, she was born with an understanding of Cause and Effect and an enlightenment of Time. However, her disposition is ultimately still that of a child. She just saw the strand of Cause and Effect between herself and you, Emperor, and felt an extreme, innate closeness, which is why she calls you father. If the Emperor is displeased by this..."

Lu Xuan gave a bitter smile and waved his hand, cutting the tree off.

"It’s not that... May I ask, do you have a name?"

"A plant that has gained an Essence has no name or surname. The Emperor may simply call me the Old Peach Immortal."

Lu Xuan nodded. He then looked at the Little Peach Spirit, whose eyes were red from crying, feeling a pang of pity. At the same time, he felt strange and awkward.

Although the Little Peach Spirit had only just been born, her human body, whether in appearance or apparent age, was identical to Xiaoyan’s. This made him feel extremely awkward.

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Xuan stroked the Little Peach Spirit’s head and said gently:

"Little one, I did plant you, but that doesn’t make me your father. If we’re being precise, you were a peach that fell from the Old Peach Immortal. I ate the fruit and then buried the pit. The Old Peach Immortal is your father and mother."

"Ah!" the Little Peach Spirit shrieked, her voice choked with tears. "Dad, you... you ate me back then?"

Lu Xuan swayed, nearly falling to the ground. He felt that something was wrong with the Little Peach Spirit’s words, yet he was powerless to refute them...

Just then, Zhu Wuneng, standing nearby, couldn’t hold back a laugh, but he quickly stifled it and became as silent as a winter cicada.

Lu Xuan shot him a glare before turning back and saying helplessly:

"Little one, that’s not the point. The point is that I am not your direct father; the Old Peach Immortal is."

The Little Peach Spirit sniffled her cute nose and lifted her little head, her stunningly beautiful face filled with confusion.

"Uncle, is that right?"

"You could say that," the Old Peach Tree chuckled. "However, the Emperor did plant you. For you to recognize him as a father... truthfully, it’s not entirely out of the question..."

"It is out of the question!!" Lu Xuan suddenly shouted. But then he lowered his gaze and met the Little Peach Spirit’s pitiful, hurt expression, and his heart softened again.

"Little one."

He pinched the Little Peach Spirit’s cheek. ’Hmm, it feels exactly the same as when I pinch Xiaoyan’s...’ Then, Lu Xuan said in a gentle voice:

"This Emperor can be considered your family, but I am definitely not your father. We can be very close, but there is absolutely no blood relationship between us. Understand?"

The Little Peach Spirit, feeling both hurt and sad, nodded dejectedly and with extreme reluctance, sobbing all the while.

Seeing this, Lu Xuan couldn’t help but sigh in exasperation. ’What kind of mess is this?!’

He helped the Little Peach Spirit up and, after a moment’s hesitation, said:

"Old Peach Immortal, this Emperor will remain in the Human World for another hundred years. During this time, may I take her with me?"

"For the Emperor to do so is this girl’s greatest fortune!" the Old Peach Tree said hurriedly. It had been rooted here for many years, had seen many things, and was quite clear about the true identity of the man before it...

’He could be called the most supreme being in Heaven and Earth!’

It clearly remembered the way the master of the Douluo Palace had looked at this Emperor ten thousand years ago. And that was not all.

There was one thing in particular that it only dared to bury in its heart: over the past few thousand years, whenever the master of the Jade Void returned to this mountain and this Daoist Palace, he had often muttered the name ’Lu Xuan’...

"Alright, stop crying."

At this moment, Lu Xuan felt a pang of pity as he wiped the tears from the Little Peach Spirit’s face. Hearing his words, she did indeed stop sobbing, but her two soft little hands clung tightly to Lu Xuan’s arm.

Lu Xuan didn’t mind and just let the Little Peach Spirit cling to him. His thoughts, however, took a strange turn again. ’I’ve crossed two different eras of Years... and now I have two Xiaoyans...’

He shook his head, forcing himself to stop overthinking. But he made a decision in his heart: this Past-Life Marriage Arrangement absolutely could not be allowed to become a past-life father-daughter bond!

’After I make my final move, I’ll return to the Current World and marry Xiaoyan!!’

’This marriage arrangement can’t get messed up!’

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Lu Xuan’s face. He looked up at the battle in the sky, and his voice became slightly cold:

"What’s the story with that immortal?"

Everyone looked at each other, until finally, Zhang Liang stepped forward. Suppressing his pounding, guilty heart, he bowed.

"It’s like this..."

He recounted the whole series of events. Lu Xuan frowned as he listened. ’Within Zheng’Er’s court, there are Officials suspected of colluding with Immortal Gods?’

He pondered for a moment, then looked up and said:

"I haven’t yet asked who this is..."

Lu Xuan got a clear look at Zhang Liang’s face and was suddenly stunned.

His Form was like the Ghost Valley Master, and his spirit was like Senior Brother Zhang.

"You..." He stared blankly, a chill running down his spine, feeling both shocked and overjoyed.

Zhang Liang was in a similar state. He gave a world-weary smile and said with emotion:

"Junior Brother Profound Yellow, it has been a long time."