Birth

Long Jiuyyao flicked his hand, and dozens of Nirvana Pills floated into the air. A flash of purple light flickered, and Zi Lin at his waist instantly swallowed them all.

Long Jiuyyao had discovered by chance that Zi Lin could eat Nirvana Pills. He had originally wanted to see whether Zi Lin would eat anything besides spirit treasures, since he did not have many spirit treasures on him at the moment.

Zi Lin had refused to eat the several kinds of pills he tried. Then, by chance, a Nirvana Pill fell from Long Jiuyyao. Zi Lin, who was nearby, ate the pill from the ground. Long Jiuyyao happened to see this, and from then on used Nirvana Pills as Zi Lin's daily food.

Of course, if he found Heaven and Earth treasures suitable for Zi Lin, he would naturally feed them to her as well. After all, Zi Lin was one of Long Jiuyyao's major sources of fighting strength now.

Long Jiuyyao was pleased about this. Born into a hegemon clan of the Demon Domain like the Dragon Clan, he could get as many Nirvana Pills as he wanted, solving Zi Lin's food problem for the future.

Of course, he had not brought many with him on this journey, since he had not known that he would suddenly subdue an Ancient Spirit Worm along the way.

Still, the Nirvana Pills Long Jiuyyao had with him would be enough to keep Zi Lin fed until their trip to the Secret Treasury was over.

Night fell, and the man and two beasts lay down to sleep.

Far away, in the Great Yan Dynasty of the Eastern Xuan Domain, three burly, middle-aged men flew through the air. Dragon patterns were engraved on their arms—the Dragon Clan's unique tracking Blood Seal.

These three were the Dragon servants Long Jiuyyao had sent to secretly help Lin Dong's family. One was at the Major Qi Creation Realm, while the other two were at the Minor Qi Creation Realm.

"Big Brother, why do you think the lord sent us to this backwater place? The Heaven and Earth Yuan Power here is pitifully scarce," said the blue-haired man to the right of the leader.

"Yan Hai, that was the lord's personal order. Watch what you say. We're only here to find a boy named Lin Dong and secretly protect his family," the leader explained.

"What is it about this Lin Family that made the lord personally order us to protect them in secret?" asked the brown-haired man beside them.

"Yan Shan, that's not for you to worry about. Once we reach Qingyang Town, gather all the information you can about the Lin Family. Yan Hai, go to the Lin Family and discreetly ask around about Lin Dong," the leader ordered.

"Yes."

The three hurried onward, and before long they had arrived in Qingyang Town.

Looking at the plain, impoverished town, they couldn't help wondering whether it really held something the lord wanted—or whether their brotherhood had been sent all this way just to protect a child.

"Split up. We'll meet here in an hour," the leader said.

Yan Hai arrived at a manor. The words Lin Family were engraved on its signboard. "Is this the Lin Family the lord mentioned? What a shabby place."

Yan Hai concealed his presence, vaulted over the tall wall, and entered the Lin Family estate to secretly gather information about Lin Dong.

Deep inside the manor, Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao were talking when a servant hurried over. "Patriarch, Third Young Master, Third Young Madam has given birth!"

Lin Xiao asked excitedly, "Liu Er, has the baby arrived?"

"Yes, Third Young Master."

Lin Xiao burst into laughter, and Lin Zhentian was equally delighted. The three of them hurried toward Liu Yan's quarters.

On the roof, Yan Hai had heard them too. A baby has been born into the Lin Family. Could that baby be Lin Dong?

Yan Hai followed them to the Lin Family's inner courtyard and Liu Yan's quarters. A dense crowd had gathered, and cries of pain came from behind the tightly shut door.

Outside, Lin Xiao paced back and forth anxiously, glancing at the closed door every so often.

Lin Zhentian patted Lin Xiao on the shoulder, signaling that he needn't worry.

"Push! The baby's almost here!" the midwife's voice rang out repeatedly from inside the room.

Time passed little by little.

The sounds inside the room gradually quieted. Then came the cries of a baby. "Waa! Waa! Waa!" Only then did the people outside finally let out the breaths they had been holding.

The midwife carried the baby out of the room. "Third Young Master, it's a little boy."

Lin Xiao's slightly trembling hands betrayed his excitement at becoming a father. "This boy cried like thunder when he was born, so let's call him Lin Dong."

Yan Hai, still hidden, was rocked by a storm of shock. Could the lord really foresee the future?

The lord had ordered them to go to the Lin Family Branch in the Great Yan Dynasty of the Eastern Xuan Domain and find a boy named Lin Dong half a month ago.

Yet they had only arrived at the Lin Family Branch today, and the Lin Dong the lord had mentioned had only just been born today. Such methods filled Yan Hai with fear.

If Long Jiuyyao, far away in the Demon Domain, had known what Yan Hai was thinking, he would only have laughed to himself. If you'd read Martial Universe too, you wouldn't think that.

Yan Hai glanced at Lin Dong in Lin Xiao's arms, then quietly withdrew.

Yan Hai returned to the place where the three had agreed to meet and found the other two already waiting.

The black-haired leader, Yan Feng, asked, "Third Brother, did you find Lin Dong?"

Yan Hai nodded.

"Good. Second Brother, tell us what you found," Yan Feng said.

"The Lin Family in Qingyang Town is only an offshoot of the Lin Clan, one of the four great families of the Great Yan Dynasty. The current patriarch, Lin Zhentian, was originally part of the Lin Clan's Inner Clan. But after a mission failed and caused heavy losses to the clan, he was expelled from the Inner Clan and sent to Qingyang Town," Yan Shan said.

"From what you've said, this Lin Family has no connection to the lord. Could this be because of Lin Dong? Third Brother, tell us what you found," Yan Feng said.

"Um, Big Brother, when I went to the Lin Family today, Lin Dong had only just been born!" Yan Hai said, scratching his head.

"What? The Lin Dong the lord mentioned was only just born? He's still a baby?" Yan Feng exclaimed.

"Mm." Yan Hai nodded.

"Gasp!" The other two drew in sharp breaths.

Both of them felt even more reverence for the lord.

Yan Feng, the leader, took out the Ancient Tablet and sent word back to the Dragon Domain that Lin Dong had just been born.

In the Dragon Domain, after several days of travel, Long Jiuyyao finally made it out of the Yin Dragon Mountain Range.

"Jin Ming, run! That crazy girl's catching up!" Long Jiuyyao urged from the lion's back.

"Thief! Stop right there!" A sharp shout rang through the area.

The girl was small, with long, deep-blue hair and a tall, slender figure. Her eyes were the same deep blue, clear and bright.

Her soft little face was slightly round with baby fat, but that did nothing to diminish her beauty. If anything, it made her even cuter.

"Little sister, I didn't mean to. Don't worry, I didn't see the tattoo on your back," Long Jiuyyao explained.

"Ah! Who's your little sister? You scoundrel! Stop right there!" the girl shouted angrily.

Even Jin Ming, beneath him, thought Long Jiuyyao had lost his mind. He had brought up the very thing he shouldn't have—the tattoo she'd had when bathing.

Of course, for the sake of Long Jiuyyao's life, Jin Ming still ran with all his might.

Wind Illusion Swift Shadow!

The girl closed in at incredible speed, her figure flickering like an illusion as she steadily gained on Long Jiuyyao.

Long Jiuyyao glanced behind him and saw that they weren't pulling away—instead, she was getting closer and closer.

"Jin Ming, hurry up! If she catches you, she'll turn you into braised lion's head!" Long Jiuyyao threatened.

At his words, Jin Ming's body involuntarily shuddered, and he burst into another surge of speed.

"Damn it, that lion-dog can really run," the girl cursed.

"Lion-dog, stop right there, or I'll break your legs!" the girl threatened.

Jin Ming ignored her and somehow ran even faster.

"Hahaha, Jin Ming, she called you a lion-dog! Hahaha!" Long Jiuyyao doubled over with laughter.

Wind Moon Wheel!

The girl formed hand seals, and the wind around her condensed into a wheel shaped like a full moon, radiating a terrifying cutting force.

Long Jiuyyao stopped taking things lightly. He circulated his Yin Sha Power, and in an instant his right index finger turned pitch-black, terrifying baleful energy gathering within it.

"Thief, take this!"

The full-moon-shaped wind wheel sliced toward Long Jiuyyao, but he wasn't helpless.

The Yin Sha Power on his index finger shot out at blinding speed, heading straight for the wind wheel.

The two forces collided, kicking up dust. The girl behind them couldn't help stopping, while Jin Ming kept running as before.

The dust finally settled, but the man and lion in front of her had vanished without a trace.

"Ah! Thief, don't let me see you again!" Her sharp shout echoed through the mountains.

Long Jiuyyao, already long gone, couldn't help marveling at his luck. After days of traveling through the mountains, he was filthy all over. He had spotted a lake and planned to take a bath, but instead, a little girl bathing had come into view.

That had led to their chase through the mountains, which ended with Long Jiuyyao barely coming out on top.

Long Jiuyyao knew the girl was strong—at least, she wasn't much weaker than he was.