The Journey Home

Clouds unfurled and the wind eased, gently swaying the spirit garments threaded with gold. Wind rustled through the leaves, and bells hung from the corners of the eaves. As the breeze passed, their chimes mingled with the soft rustle of cedar leaves, ringing clear as struck metal and stone.

Outside the Green Peak Auxiliary Abode.

After the wind passed, Xiao Qingyao had dressed herself up a little. A beauty mark adorned the corner of her eye, and her usually melancholy brows and eyes had relaxed.

Like clear water shimmering with ripples, she was full of enchanting charm.

Ye Jinyu stood behind her, like someone of no consequence, even feeling a little awkward.

Every reunion after parting was fate's arrangement, a gift.

Ye Zhanqiu's figure, steady as a mountain and deep as an abyss, slowly moved.

Ten years of life and death had stretched into the vast unknown. Now, with a Golden Core swallowed into his belly, he finally understood that his Dao Path could never be without the attachment in his heart.

He walked straight toward his wife of the Xiao Clan and, at the thought, held her tightly.

"You've come," Xiao Qingyao said, a note of reproach in her voice.

"Mm, I'm back."

"From the moment we first met, we were a match made in heaven. We should grow old together, moistening each other with our own spittle." Ye Zhanqiu rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice steady.

The Xiao Clan elders' gazes were all fixed on the two of them. Their faces were full of relief and smiles, as well as thoughtful expressions.

A few steps behind Xiao Qingyao, Ye Jinyu was thoroughly embarrassed. He stood out like a candle flame, especially since he was in the direction where a bunch of old men were staring.

Ye Zhanqiu completely ignored him and did not care that they were in full public view.

So their child was merely an extra thrown in with their relationship.

Sure enough, a son's standing rises with his mother's!

My Lord True Lord, my lord, my own father.

Look at me!

The couple spent a long time sweetly reminiscing before Ye Zhanqiu finally remembered to ask,

"Where is our Jinyu? Why haven't I seen him?"

"This child has suffered. Now that I have returned, it is not too late. Our child must surely contend for the pinnacle in this century."

His wife from the Xiao Clan burst out laughing and raised a pale hand to point at Ye Jinyu behind her.

Ye Zhanqiu's gaze fell on the youth behind them.

He placed a hand on Ye Jinyu's pulse gate.

The moment his fingertips touched it, his brows knitted sharply.

What talent!

Supreme-grade wind and fire Spirit Roots.

But he has no sense of Qi now, no foundation, and has not even completed the most basic body tempering.

Jinyu missed the best age to begin his instruction, and even now he has not crossed the threshold of cultivation.

"I... came too late." Ye Zhanqiu looked at his son, his eyes full of guilt and tenderness.

Xiao Qingyao shook her head. "I kept him under my protection. I didn't want him to... get caught up in all those disputes. Besides, if you hadn't returned, then even if this child had taken up cultivation... what of it? What would have become of him?"

Ye Zhanqiu took a deep breath and clasped the Xiao Clan woman's hand. His gaze grew resolute. "I don't blame you. From today onward, I'll teach him myself. It's just..."

A barely perceptible shadow passed through his eyes.

Proving his Golden Core this time had exhausted the resources he had accumulated, and he had incurred quite a few debts of favor besides. Now, apart from his cultivation and attainments, he had nothing to his name.

Still.

Now that I have become a True Lord, I must take back what belongs to me.

I must lay a solid foundation for my child within two years, and resources will certainly be indispensable.

Status, influence, standing, resources-my son must lack none of them!

It seems I must employ some measures, Ye Clan...

Ye Zhanqiu thought.

"Come back to the Ye Clan with your father."

"From today onward, no one will ever be able to make things difficult for you and your mother again," Ye Zhanqiu declared.

Then the pressure of the Golden Core Realm surged forth.

Qiuran stretched across the vast sky, the sword was formless, and the color of the heavens changed.

At that moment, the many Xiao Clan elders behind them felt their minds tremble as an invisible, constraining pressure bore down on their hearts.

The Purple Mansion Divine Abilities they took such pride in had now all but dissipated.

It seemed that with a single thought, a True Lord could grant life or deal death, give or take away.

The Xiao Clan's grand elder spoke with difficulty.

"My lord has proven his Golden Core. It is truly a blessing for all under heaven. Autumn has appeared beneath the heavens, and Lesser Yin is in the world; this is truly a blessing for all cultivators."

"May the Ye and Xiao Clans enjoy peace year after year, and may our friendship endure forever."

"Our Xiao Clan has specially brought a few modest gifts to congratulate the True Lord."

With that, the grand elder presented a generous gift.

"The Xiao Clan has shown me great kindness. Thank you for all these years. I will surely repay you in the future."

A Sword-Ray flashed in Ye Zhanqiu's eyes, and the pressure that had leaked out and weighed upon them dissipated.

There was no need for courtesy; this was the privilege of the strong.

He drew upon his Law Power to guide the storage ring into his possession.

Then he cupped his hands in salute and spoke solemnly.

"True Lord, you are too kind. This was what we ought to have done. Our clans have always been close; why speak of it in such terms?"

The grand elder's expression relaxed, and he smiled.

"In that case, I still have some important matters to attend to and must return to the Ye Clan. Senior Chengyi already knows. Once I have settled my family affairs, I will come visit the Xiao Clan again." Ye Zhanqiu wasted no more words. With one arm around his wife and the other lifting Ye Jinyu, he summoned a flash of movement light beneath his feet.

"We respectfully see you off, Lord True Lord."

The many Xiao Clan elders spoke in unison.

Suspended in midair, Ye Jinyu could just make out Xiao Wan among the many old men.

"Father..." Ye Jinyu began, then hesitated.

Ye Zhanqiu noticed and followed his gaze.

"A water Spirit Root?! Her moonlight is like water; she is a fine seedling for cultivating Greater Yin."

A trace of an inscrutable smile flashed in Ye Zhanqiu's eyes.

He sent out a clear azure light that entered Xiao Wan's body.

"This is the Moonlit Azure Sea Scripture, which I obtained from ruins in the Eastern Sea. It can build the Dao foundation 'Bright Moon over the Azure Sea.'

"This scripture can lead directly to the Purple Mansion. It is a treasured Cultivation Method of the Greater Yin moonlight lineage.

"With a fortuitous opportunity, Greater Yin may obtain the Void Sea Azure Lotus.

"'A tide rises beneath the bright moon over the azure sea; an azure lotus blooms, and a Golden Core is formed...'"

Thinking of Greater Yin, Ye Zhanqiu naturally had his own calculations. He smiled and looked at the young woman below.

With talent like hers, she truly was a fine seedling for cultivating Greater Yin and condensing moonlight.

Although Greater Yin was now hidden and hard to find, if there truly were a sliver of hope, everyone under heaven would be eyeing it like a tiger watching its prey.

It was not out of the question; he was merely placing an idle piece on the board.

Hearing that it was a rare and precious Greater Yin method, one that could lead directly to the Purple Mansion and even touch upon the great Golden Core Dao, the Xiao Clan elders below turned red-eyed. The second elder's face, in particular, blossomed into a smile.

The Greater Yin lineage had always been mysterious, and few served as Dao Ginseng, making it a good Dao Path on which one could cultivate in peace.

At the same time, Xiao Qingyao smiled and said, "Let us give this auxiliary abode to Wan'er."

"Consider it a gift from me as her elder. Thank you for looking after my good-for-nothing boy all these years."

Xiao Xianwan felt as though her mind had stopped working. Struck on the head by such enormous good fortune all at once, she could not speak.

But she also knew that she had been given all this because of Jinyu.

She gazed up at the three in the sky, her beautiful eyes lingering on Ye Jinyu, and nodded firmly.

"Thank you, True Lord!"

"This old man was worried I couldn't teach such a fine seedling. After all, our Xiao Clan is more adept at metal-element Divine Abilities and Cultivation Methods of the Radiant Heavenly Light lineage."

Seeing Xiao Xianwan standing there in a daze, the second elder hurriedly replied.

He thought, Hahahaha, what a gain, what a gain! Pair a Golden Core cultivator's legitimate son with our Xiao Clan's proud daughter of heaven, and the alliance between our clans will be unbreakable.

Good thing I took this disciple in.

Ye Zhanqiu nodded, then swept his great sleeve.

Autumn waters and the vast sky became one color, and even more spirit rain fell, making the Spiritual Qi throughout the Xiaqi Mountain Range all the more abundant and brimming with spiritual vitality.

The earth veins bore autumn fruit, golden blossoms spread across the mountains, plants and trees gathered frost without withering, and Spiritual Qi circulated with the course of autumn.

Having done all this, Ye Zhanqiu vanished from the Xiaqi Mountain Range.

"Thank you for your blessing, True Lord."

"We respectfully see you off, True Lord."

The many Xiao Clan elders bowed again.

Then they fixed their burning gazes on Xiao Xianwan, as though looking at a rare treasure.

The grand elder opened his mouth to speak.

The second elder hurriedly shielded Xiao Xianwan behind him.

Without giving the other elders a chance, he hurriedly produced a jade seal engraved with the character "Xian," then took out a sheet of law paper registered with the clan office, bearing Xiao Wan's information, and stamped it.

"Oh my, with so many elders here, I won't have to go to the clan office for witnesses."

"Look, this is the most outstanding disciple of this generation in my 'Xian' branch: Xiao Wan, Xianwan! Hehehe."

Halfway through their journey, Ye Zhanqiu brought out a Law Treasure.

It was a cloud ship about half a zhang long, pure white from stem to stern, with cloud patterns carved into its prow. As soon as it was released, it grew in the wind, becoming a simple, ancient-looking flying vessel large enough for a hundred people to rest aboard.

The character "Ye" was engraved upon it.

This was the Great Void Cloud Ship. It was extremely fast, could travel through the Great Void, withstand spatial turbulence, and block the probing of Divine Sense, making it a powerful tool for long journeys.

The family of three boarded the cloud ship, and Ye Zhanqiu waved a hand to lay down a restriction that shut out the sound of the wind.

The cabin was warm and cozy. Ye Zhanqiu drew Ye Jinyu down to sit and looked at his son guiltily. "You've had a hard time all these years."

A strand of gentle golden seal-light formed at his fingertip, which he slowly directed toward the spot between Ye Jinyu's brows.

"This is the Autumn Waters and Vast Sky Dao Domain I forged upon proving my Golden Core. A Divine Ability becomes a domain, creating a free and unrestrained heaven and earth. Life and death lie in a single thought; my fate is mine, not heaven's.

"This is a mark unique to your father, my origin Law Power."

"Though it cannot directly help you break through, it can cleanse your marrow and refine your bones, improving your Root Bone. Relax your mind and don't be afraid."

Ye Jinyu felt a warm current flow instantly through his entire body. His meridians, which had been somewhat sluggish, seemed to be washed clean by warm water, bringing him indescribable comfort.

Looking at his father's intent profile, the little disappointment in his heart had long since vanished like smoke.

"With my son's talent, reaching the Purple Mansion will not be difficult in the future. Yet throughout the world, a Golden Core is hard to prove, and most attainments are held in the hands of the clans. Unless one's talent and aptitude are peerless, proving one without support...

"You will need to find a suitable Dao Path and make careful plans..."

Perhaps it was to comfort him, so that he would not lose heart.

"It is still too early to speak of these things. I have already attained my Dao. Vast as this world is, even if I must tread every corner inside and outside the ancient realm, your father can bring them back for you."

"With you and your mother in it, this world is truly a world; only then is there True Lord Qiuran, Ye Zhanqiu." Ye Zhanqiu patted Ye Jinyu on the shoulder, his heart swelling with lofty ambition.

A thoughtful look crossed Ye Jinyu's face.

Wouldn't the Twelve Aspects of Fate be the equivalent of twelve Golden Core positions, or even more?

This world doesn't yet have a fate lineage...

Doesn't that mean my Dao has boundless potential, with no higher cultivator to stand in its way? If I can prove it, I'll be filling a gap in the world's Dao and can gain the protection of heaven and earth.

I already have a Cultivation Method, but how can I cultivate it in a plausible way?

If some random Cultivation Method of unknown origin suddenly appeared...

Father would certainly grow suspicious. After all, in this world, especially among Rogue Cultivators, it is common for someone to survive a perilous encounter or obtain an "immortal encounter" in the mountains or some strange cave abode, acquiring a fragment of a high-quality Cultivation Method or even one that leads directly to the Purple Mansion.

But in many cases, all of this is nothing more than a hook set by someone with great Divine Abilities.

It is sure to leave you unable to stop. Afterward, the best outcome is merely to fall under someone else's control. Some even refine you into a strand of origin, or what they call Dao Ginseng.

Dao Ginseng or Dao nourishment is what the righteous factions, and even the renowned Aristocratic Clans, call it.

Among the demonic path and Evil Cultivators, there is a more fitting name for an even more prevalent method.

It is called "Dao Devouring."

It happens to exploit the absolute suppression a higher cultivator has over a lower cultivator who practices a Cultivation Method of the same lineage.

Swallow them in one gulp, and you can save yourself ten or even decades of arduous cultivation.

Go ahead and cultivate a method of unknown origin like that.

Once the grain in the fields has ripened and the wild creatures in the mountains are full of life, it is time for the harvest.

How should I explain it to Father without making him worry, and cultivate normally the Calamity Method the system gave me, with its Twelve Aspects of Fate Dao attainments?

If a wind Dao Golden Core True Lord could help me cultivate and expound the Dao...

In the Ye Clan and Yunlan, who could surpass him in the Dao of wind?

That would surely yield twice the result with half the effort.

And that Bifeng Qi is an even greater treasure. Without my Golden Core Realm father to back me, I'm afraid I would become someone else's Dao Ginseng, or even nourishment for Dao Devouring, as soon as I stepped outside.

The cloud ship sped through the sea of clouds, while Ye Zhanqiu's Divine Sense spread out like a great net over a hundred-li radius.

"Hmm?" He suddenly gave a soft sound of surprise, and his lips curved into a cold smile.

Something was amiss a thousand li ahead.

Ye Jinyu suddenly received a notification from the system, and a brilliant idea popped into his mind.

System?

Can you get the Cultivation Method into my hands in a plausible way?

[System shop: Heavenly Cauldron of Fate (sealed). Original price: 200,000. Special price: 50,000 Heavenly Mandate Points. Evades karma and heaven's will; can condense Fate Seeds and Dao Pills, and improve aptitude.]

[Take a Fate Seed, and fate is mine, not heaven's. Words take effect with time; upon death, the body passes away into fate.]

[Purchase a product recommended by the system, and a suitable fortuitous opportunity to obtain a Cultivation Method will be included.]

"No, system, you know I don't have any money right now."

[Based on the host's circumstances, the host currently has good credit and an extraordinary status. Currently available as collateral: Early Golden Core, True Lord Qiuran, Ye Zhanqiu. He possesses profound fortune and an extraordinary destiny. He can be called a heavenly genius of his generation, a child of heaven's mandate in this world.]

[The conditions for a loan are met. The first two years may be interest-free. After two years, the amount increases by one thousand per day; after one month, it increases by ten thousand, and so on, until the collateral is exhausted.]

Ye Jinyu focused inward and spoke with the system.

"No, what do you mean my dad is the collateral?"

"That's my father! My beloved family and friend, my own flesh and blood!"

"Isn't that robbery?!"

"What happens if I can't pay it back?"

[Host, do not plan on defaulting. If you fail to repay the loan, the system will randomly draw on your father's Heavenly Mandate Points. At best, he will suffer injuries and a decline in fortune; at worst, he will die.]

[P.S.: Given the host's current circumstances, if the host's father dies, the probability of the host's death is as high as 9,900 in 10,000.]

[But host, do not lose heart. According to detection, the Ye Clan's fortune is so abundant that, if the host returns to the Ye Clan and reclaims the position of young master, the host may also share in its heavenly mandate and fortune.]

[Points currently available to borrow: 50,000 (may increase)]

Ye Zhanqiu suddenly felt that, somewhere in the Unseen, someone had set their sights on him.

In truth, fate had put a price on everyone.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Jinyu looked at his father before him.

Father above, your child will surely make it up to you someday. Even Spirit Transformation isn't impossible.

So...

[Ding! 50,000 Heavenly Mandate Points have been credited to your account. Host, remember to pay them back on time.]

Ye Jinyu's gaze was resolute, as if everything were under his control.

The cloud ship shifted course slightly and drew closer without a sound.

[System, buy it!]