Inside the Great Hall.
Only after the Strange Entities withdrew did the old Strange Entity hurry forward. He glanced around, then grabbed Kui Yi's sleeve, excitement suppressed for years flickering deep in his eyes.
"Kui Yi, I'm your father."
Kui Yi, who had been about to leave the Great Hall, instantly darkened. He looked at the old Strange Entity holding him and rasped, "Elder Qian, I respect you as the late King's Trusted Aide and address you accordingly, but aren't you going a little too far?"
"Are you saying I have to acknowledge you as my father before I can take the throne?"
The old Strange Entity paid that no mind. He merely took a deep breath and revealed an ancient secret.
"A long, long time ago."
"I was the King's Trusted Aide. I took every Strange Entity in the Royal Clan that developed intelligence, along with every newborn, to the Black Abyss to test their dark affinity. Anyone whose affinity exceeded the King's was executed."
"You're my biological son. Your dark affinity was even higher."
"I secretly hid you away."
Inside the Great Hall.
The old Strange Entity's voice slowly recounted a secret of the Royal Clan.
A long while later.
Kui Yi understood. He stood rooted to the spot, utterly bewildered. Even though he was now the Ghost Emperor, suddenly discovering he had a father was still hard to accept. No wonder he had felt the late King's Trusted Aide was giving him special treatment during the test.
"Knowing is enough. You don't have to start calling me Father yet."
The old Strange Entity took a deep breath. "The main problem now is the theft from the Royal Clan's Black Abyss. I'll help you become the first to reach the Mortal Domain Defense Line. Then the other Strange