Happy to Become a Dad

Boom--!!!

The final bolt of purple-gold divine lightning, which tore through the firmament, struck the resplendent purple-gold gourd with the might of creation!

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound, like immortal jade crumbling, echoed clearly between the howling winds and raging thunder!

Dao Xuan stood in the pavilion, his face like fine jade beneath his Blue Gauze Headband, his eyes clear and brows defined. At this moment, his face was filled with shock!

He saw that the purple-gold gourd, which had endured the baptism of endless lightning, was instantly covered in a spiderweb of cracks!

The next moment!

"Bang!"

The gourd exploded with a roar!

Billions of rays of seven-colored divine light erupted like a bursting dam, illuminating the entire dim world!

Amidst the divine light...

A child, appearing to be about four or five years old, leaped out of thin air!

The child...

Had a face like powdered jade, lips like painted vermilion, and eyes like polished ink, exceptionally lively.

His hair was tied into two small buns, each topped with a vibrant green, spirit-infused gourd leaf.

He wore a small garment pieced together from seven gourd-leaf-shaped immortal silks of different colors, his bare, tender feet exposed.

Most striking of all...

Hovering above his head was a delicate, fist-sized miniature gourd, radiating seven-colored precious light—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple!

The precious light shimmered, its Dao rhythm innate, exuding the vast aura of a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure!

This was the Seven-Colored Gourd, transformed from the purple-gold gourd that had nurtured him!

As soon as the little child landed...

His pure, flawless eyes, as if containing stars and oceans, curiously swept across this unfamiliar world.

The wind, the thunder, the leaden clouds... seemed to have nothing to do with him.

Finally...

His gaze landed precisely on the Daoist in the pavilion, a figure of pure aura and refined grace.

A sense of closeness and filial devotion, originating from the very source of his life, surged into his heart.

The little child's eyes burst with an indescribable joy!

He took a step with his tender little feet, ignoring the raging wind and thunder, and like a stream of seven-colored light, instantly darted to Dao Xuan's side!

Then...

Under Dao Xuan's astonished gaze...

The little child extended his chubby little hands and hugged Dao Xuan's thigh.

He tilted up his exquisitely carved, adoring little face.

His clear, tender voice, filled with boundless joy, like pearls scattering on a jade plate, rang in Dao Xuan's ears:

"Father God! Father God! I finally get to see you!"

Pfft--!

Dao Xuan, who had just picked up his jade cup to take a calming sip of Enlightenment Tea, immediately spat it out upon hearing this!

The tea transformed into a crystalline arc, sprinkling onto the spiritual herbs outside the pavilion.

Dao Xuan coughed repeatedly, his jade-like face turning somewhat red.

He looked down at the little one clinging tightly to his thigh, his face full of adoring dependence.

It felt as if billions of Qilin divine beasts were stampeding through his heart!

Father... Father God?!

This humble one has cultivated purely for tens of thousands of years, without even a Dao companion!

What... what is this unexpected, unearned son from the heavens?!

He's become a father out of nowhere! And being called "father" by a gourd child?!

Dao Xuan felt an utterly absurd sensation surge straight to the crown of his head.

He quickly waved his hands, trying to break free from the tightly clinging little arms.

"Ahem... Little child, don't speak nonsense! I am not your Father God!"

"You are! You are!" The little child held on tighter, rubbing his little head against Dao Xuan's leg, his voice filled with absolute certainty and grievance, "I can feel it! Your aura nourished me! The divine water and divine soil you bestowed saved me! You are my Father God!"

Dao Xuan: "..."

He thought carefully.

The Nine Heavens Breathing Soil was obtained by me from the Treasure Distribution Rock.

The Three Lights Divine Water was painstakingly collected by me.

Watering the gourd vine was also something I ordered the attendant to do.

This gourd baby saying that I "saved him" isn't entirely wrong...

But the title "Father God"... is too ridiculous!

"This humble Daoist merely took care of the gourd vine, not..." Dao Xuan attempted to explain.

"Father God! Don't you want your child anymore?" The little attendant raised his small face, his big eyes instantly filling with tears, on the verge of weeping. He looked as pitiful as one could be.

Dao Xuan's mouth twitched.

Looking at those eyes, so pure they could reflect his own image, and the genuine affection radiating from the child's heart.

He suddenly felt that trying to reason with a newly born, obstinate Innate Being might be a bit difficult.

Oh well.

At any rate, this Fangzhang Immortal Island was large enough, and raising one more gourd baby wouldn't bankrupt him.

He'd just consider it... as if he had enlightened a special attendant.

Dao Xuan sighed helplessly.

He reached out and ruffled the top of the little attendant's head, where a topknot adorned with gourd leaves was tied.

"Fine, fine, stop crying. Since you insist... then so be it."

"However, the title 'Father God' is too shocking. In front of outsiders, it's better to call me 'Teacher' or 'Master'."

"Really?! Father God agreed!" The little attendant instantly stopped crying and broke into a smile. His small face bloomed like a celestial flower as he tightly hugged Dao Xuan's thigh. "Your child will listen to Father God! I'll call you Teacher in front of others!"

Dao Xuan: "..."

Well, it seemed the title "Father God" was something he couldn't shake off.

He carefully examined this newly-minted "cheap son."

His divine sense probed within the child's body.

He saw that the child's roots were extraordinary, his Innate Dao Body pure and flawless, and his origin was formed from incomparably pure Innate Spiritual Qi.

His cultivation had already reached the early Golden Immortal stage!

It's just...

Dao Xuan frowned slightly.

Although the gourd baby's origin appeared pure and vast, it carried a subtle sense of being "incomplete."

As if... more than half of its essence had been forcibly taken away!

He instantly understood.

That year, the Innate Gourd Vine on Buzhou Mountain bore seven gourds.

The first six were taken by the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Hongyun, and Taiyi, who each refined them into Spiritual Treasures that shook the Great Desolation.

This seventh gourd, its origin was already the weakest, and it had also been divided of six portions of luck and essence.

It was a miracle that it could even gestate a life form.

Its foundation was naturally far inferior to those great beings who took a complete origin to transform, such as Zhunti and Zhenyuanzi.

Being able to maintain Golden Immortal cultivation now was the result of the Nine Heavens Breathing Soil and Three Lights Divine Water defying fate.

As for whether it could make up for its origin in the future and advance further?

Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!

Dao Xuan sighed inwardly.

At the same time.

He clearly sensed.

Between this gourd baby and those six gourds that were taken, there existed an extremely obscure, yet unbreakable karmic connection!

It was as if fate had a predetermined course.

This karma was the gourd baby's "debt."

Theoretically, he could go to "demand" the six portions of origin that were taken.

But...

Dao Xuan looked at the little one before him, carved from jade and porcelain, with only early Golden Immortal cultivation.

Then he thought of the current owners of those six gourds...

The Saints of the Three Pure Ones, Empress Nuwa, the Demon Emperor Dijun and Taiyi (Hongyun's portion later fell into the hands of the Demon Clan), and Hongyun whose whereabouts were unknown...

Which one of them wasn't a colossal figure who could shake the Great Desolation with a stomp?

To have this little gourd baby go and demand its origin from them?

It was no different than asking a newborn lamb to beg for meat from a pack of ancient ferocious beasts!

Dao Xuan silently shook his head.

This karma would likely only become an insurmountable chasm on the Calabash Child's cultivation path.

Unless... there was a heaven-defying opportunity.

At this moment.

As the Calabash Child emerged, the leaden clouds and thunder in the sky gradually dispersed.

The strong winds ceased, and the sea waves became calm again.

Fangzhang Immortal Island reappeared with its immortal aura, ten thousand rays of auspicious light, and a thousand threads of auspicious mist.

Dao Xuan walked to the Innate Gourd Vine, which had dimmed considerably.

The vines were still verdant, but their spiritual essence was greatly depleted. It was clear that nurturing the Calabash Child had exhausted its last reserves of strength.

Dao Xuan waved his sleeve and carefully put it away.

Although this vine's origin had been depleted, it was still an Innate Spiritual Root. Perhaps it could be used for something else in the future.

He turned to look at the little Calabash Child following closely behind him, its eyes filled only with him.

Forget it.

What will be, will be.

After all, he was the one who "saved" it, and it called him "Father God."

He couldn't treat it poorly.

Dao Xuan's mind stirred.

A streak of crimson light flew out from his sleeve.

It hovered in front of the Calabash Child.

It was a short sword, entirely crimson, shaped like the feather of a divine bird!

The sword was only a foot long, yet it flowed with the scorching and pure aura of Solar True Fire!

The blade was incomparably sharp, and the faint cry of a Golden Crow could be heard!

This was the Supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure Dao Xuan obtained from the Treasure Distribution Rock—the Li Fire Feathered Sword!

"This sword is named 'Li Fire Feathered.' It contains the origin of Innate Solar True Fire and is sharp in attack. I bestow it upon you for self-defense and protection."

Dao Xuan said gently.

"Thank you, Father God!" The Calabash Child's big eyes sparkled as it happily took the short sword.

It felt warm in his hand, as if he were holding a small sun.

He played with it, unable to put it down.

Dao Xuan then extended his index finger and gently tapped the Calabash Child's brow.

A profound stream of clear light, containing the essence of the first six turns of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique, entered its Sea of Consciousness.

"This is the Profound Gate's divine protection technique that I cultivate, the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique. It is the supreme method for tempering the physical body, condensing Blood Essence, and refining the Primordial Spirit. You must cultivate it diligently and not slack off."

"Yes! Father God! Your child will definitely cultivate diligently!" The Calabash Child felt the vast and profound cultivation technique information in its mind, its small face filled with seriousness.

Time flowed by.

Fangzhang Immortal Island, peaceful and tranquil.

In the blink of an eye, five thousand years passed.

In a cave dwelling filled with spiritual energy behind Xuan Yuan Palace.

The Calabash Child sat cross-legged.

A seven-colored gourd hovered above its head, casting seven-colored auspicious light to protect its body.

The Li Fire Feathered Sword lay across its knees, its crimson sword light flickering intermittently.

Blood Essence surged like dragons around its body, emitting low rumbles.

Beneath its skin, a faint dark golden luster flowed.

An aura more condensed and powerful than five thousand years ago slowly emanated.

Golden Immortal mid-stage!

The second turn of the Nine Revolutions Profound Origin Technique was complete!

Dao Xuan stood outside the cave dwelling, sensing the powerful aura within gradually calming, and nodded slightly.

This Calabash Child's talent and comprehension were indeed extraordinary.

In just five thousand years, it had broken through from the early Golden Immortal stage to the mid-stage, and its profound technique had also entered the threshold.

Although it was still inferior to his own back then, it could be considered a promising candidate.

"Father God!"

The stone door of the cave mansion opened.

The Gourd Baby flew out like a seven-colored stream of light.

He still had the appearance of a four or five-year-old child, but his eyes were more spirited and his aura was more stable.

He rushed to Dao Xuan's side, hugged Dao Xuan's arm, and looked up at him with a small face full of excitement, "Father God! I've broken through! And I've also mastered the Profound Technique!"

"Mm, good," Dao Xuan nodded with a smile, rubbing his little head.

"Father God, Father God!" The Gourd Baby's big eyes blinked, filled with anticipation, "I've been cultivating on the island for five thousand years, and it's so boring. Are you going to travel the Great Desolation? Can you take me with you? I promise to be good and not cause you any trouble!"

Dao Xuan looked at his eager eyes. The words of refusal that were about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back.

Oh well.

A fledgling eagle must eventually leave the nest.

Letting him go out to experience the vastness and dangers of the Great Desolation is also a form of cultivation.

"Alright," Dao Xuan nodded.

"That's great! Thank you, Father God!" The Gourd Baby jumped up with joy.

"However," Dao Xuan's expression turned serious, "when traveling outside, you must remember three things."

"First, do not reveal your origins casually, nor should you mention the title 'Father God.' You may only call me 'Teacher'."

"Second, when encountering matters, observe and think more. Do not be reckless. The Great Desolation is vast, and there are many capable individuals. You must maintain a sense of awe."

"Third, the Li Fire Feathered Sword and the Seven-Colored Gourd shall not be used lightly unless in a life-or-death situation, lest you attract covetous eyes."

"I've remembered it all!" The Gourd Baby patted his little chest in assurance.

Dao Xuan said no more.

With a thought.

"Roar!"

A majestic Qilin roar echoed.

The Five Spirit Qilin, stepping on auspicious clouds and surrounded by flowing five-colored divine light, appeared before them.

Dao Xuan floated onto the Qilin's back.

The Gourd Baby also cheered and scrambled up, sitting in front of Dao Xuan, his small face full of novelty and excitement.

"Yushu, Xuanji."

"Master!" The two attendants hurried forward.

"Guard the house."

"Yes! Master (Father God), rest assured!" The two attendants responded respectfully.

"Let's go."

Dao Xuan lightly patted the Qilin's neck.

The Five Spirit Qilin let out a long cry, its four hooves generating clouds as it soared into the sky.

Carrying Dao Xuan and the small figure whose eyes were full of longing for the Great Desolation.

It transformed into a five-colored stream of light.

Passing through the protective formation of the Fangzhang Immortal Island.

Leaving this peaceful and serene overseas immortal island.

Heading towards the magnificent and infinitely possible Great Desolation continent.

It traveled leisurely.

The immortal island gradually receded.

Vast waves of green, sea and sky merged into one.

The Qilin stepped on clouds, a clear breeze brushed against their faces.

The Gourd Baby sat in front, excitedly looking left and right, his little finger pointing at the islands, giant whales, and immortal birds passing below, chattering incessantly with questions.

Dao Xuan smiled and answered, but his heart was at peace.

Traveling the Great Desolation with a "cheap son"?

This experience...

It was rather interesting.