Two hundred ninety-seven years ago.
At the border between the Tempest Domain and the Scorching Domain.
Erfu, home planet of the Spirit Clan.
Somewhere within the White Rock Mountains, in a hidden palace.
Within a tranquil courtyard guarded by heavily armed Spirit Clan warriors, protected layer upon layer inside and out, a child's innocent voice rang out.
"Mommy, Mommy... when is Daddy coming back?"
The childish question pulled her drifting thoughts back.
The woman dressed in Spirit Clan casual attire refocused her gaze and looked at the little boy hugging her calf, his chubby little face resting against her knee.
A gentle smile appeared on the woman's serene face. She reached out and stroked the boy's head, patiently correcting him.
"Not Daddy. Sun Ying is your mother too."
"She's probably already on her way back. She'll be here soon."
"Soon... how soon?" the little boy asked in a babyish voice.
"About... seven or eight minutes?" The woman glanced at the Data Panel before answering seriously, though somewhat uncertainly.
"Sun Ying isn't slow when traveling, but activating an inter-domain teleportation array takes time after all. She should reach Erfu in around five minutes."
"After passing all the inspections, verifying her identity, and getting here, it'll probably be another seven or eight minutes."
"Oh..." The little boy nodded as though he understood.
Perhaps what the woman had said was too difficult for someone his age to comprehend. The boy unconsciously stuck a finger into his mouth and began sucking on it noisily.
The woman froze for a moment, then smiled and stopped him.
"Your hands are dirty. If you put them in your mouth, your tummy will hurt."
"My tummy doesn't hurt!" the little boy replied mischievously. He lifted his head from her knee and bounced toward the courtyard entrance.
As he