“Don’t you think there have been a few too many flies lately?”
Xi Zhiruo spoke with a hint of impatience as she casually swatted a large group of Ghost Cultivators seeking death. She had already given them chances. Knowing they were destined to die yet still rushing forward to meet their end—if that wasn’t being beyond saving, what was?
I gazed at the rutted land ahead. There wasn’t a single patch of green vegetation; it was so desolate that even the most resilient mouse would starve to death.
“It is a bit annoying.”
It was a rather flat evaluation, devoid of any discernible emotion. Upon hearing this, Xi Zhiruo clenched her small fists.
How irritating. They had made Mommy unhappy.
She had originally intended to bring Mother out to relax while letting her witness her own past. These two things could have been done simultaneously, but who would have thought they would encounter such a swarm of flies?
Xi Zhiruo simply formed a hand seal. The spirit boat immediately vanished into the void, disappearing from the sight of everyone in the Ghost Realm.
***
God Mountain.
The High Priest picked up his staff as he listened to his subordinate’s report, his eyes filled with an inscrutable light.
“Since they can’t be found, let her do as she pleases. Regardless of what she wants to do, it’s impossible for her to find the place where the Master slumbers.”
A supreme array comparable to the Seven-Source level—who in this world could see through its origins?
Speaking of the Master’s realm, a trace of fanaticism appeared in his eyes.
His Master —
The First Evil Cultivator of the past.
When her lifespan was nearing its end, she chose to use her own body as a chess piece to reconstruct her physical form. What a world-shaking idea that was. Before entering the crystal coffin, the First Evil Cultivator’s realm was exactly at the Seven-Source level. It was a level that no one would dare to believe if it were spoken aloud.
Seven-Source. Who in this world could even hope to catch a glimpse of her back?
As the First Evil Cultivator of the past, she truly deserved that title; she had long been invincible in the world. Her talent was brilliant and breathtaking, stunning more than one era, and even now, people still sang of her name.
Those Ghost Cultivators remaining in the Ghost Realm were her most fanatical believers.
Only because she had once reached that realm could she arrange such an array. It could even be called the Number One Array under Heaven—a supreme formation that combined defense, offense, and concealment. Even without anyone to drive it to its full potential, it was enough to level any enemy in this world. Furthermore, they weren’t even thinking about attacking right now; they were only focused on hiding the traces of their existence, making it even more impossible for others to discover their trail.
This was something the High Priest had always been firm about and never once doubted. Therefore, after hearing his subordinate’s report, he didn’t take the powerhouse who had accidentally broken in seriously at all. He sat cross-legged at the edge of the cliff, looking every bit like a man confidently waiting for the fish to bite.
***
The Sixth World.
Near the Boundary Stone.
Facing Su Liumeng’s calm questioning, Su Qinghe was the first to let out a sigh.
“The fact that you’ve come here means you already have some evidence, doesn’t it?” A look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes. “You… are indeed not my biological child. The First Secret Realm of the Su Family was not as dilapidated as it is today; it could accommodate many people entering at once. Fifty years ago, it should have been the final peak of the Su Family’s resources.”
“I entered the First Secret Realm for a trial along with eleven of my most talented peers. The Secret Realm was not a safe nursery; instead, it was filled with lethal dangers everywhere. After my companions and I paid a heavy price, we accidentally discovered an egg in the depths of the Secret Realm. The Su Family’s First Secret Realm is also related to the legendary True Dragons. This egg happened to hatch right when we broke in.”
“Everything was just that coincidental. At that time, the others and I had just gone through countless battles. Of the twelve people who entered the Secret Realm, only eight remained. We were all on high alert, thinking a great enemy would emerge from the eggshell. We were probably a bit paranoid. There was no enemy as we imagined; inside the eggshell was only a tiny infant, with more than half of her body covered in golden scales.”
“At that time, I was already planning to marry your mother. She was unable to bear children… therefore, I paid a certain price and simply had the others conceal your past. With the consent of the clan’s leaders—the previous Great Elder and the Family Head—we chose to have the baby girl raised by me and your mother together.”
“Later, a major event occurred. One day, you suddenly disappeared. According to the clan’s explanation, you were accidentally lost. At that time, many elders who had not yet passed away performed meticulous calculations and stated frankly that you were a true descendant of a True Dragon. The reason behind your accidental disappearance was likely a stage of fixed ignorance in the True Dragon’s blood. Combined with a moment of negligence from the person caring for you, it resulted in your silhouette vanishing completely. The events that followed proved this guess exactly.”
“By the time you were found, there were no traces of a True Dragon descendant left on your body. You seemed like a normal cultivator, as ordinary as any could be. It is precisely because you were originally a True Dragon that you were able to master the Heavenly Evolution Nine Dragons Art so quickly and directly fuse with the unprecedented nine traces of True Dragon blood. Furthermore, because you were originally a True Dragon descendant, the Heavenly Evolution Nine Dragons Sword chose only you as its master.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but although you fused with other True Dragon blood later on, only the Golden Dragon body is the strongest. It’s likely because you were originally a Golden Dragon. When we found you right after you hatched from the eggshell, your entire body was covered in golden scales.”
“Of course, some also say that the reason you suffered from innate deficiencies and couldn’t directly release your True Dragon body—instead only showing your divine traits after gradually fusing with other dragon blood—was because you didn’t eat the eggshell you hatched from. This led to your innate lack. No one else knows the specific details of the situation. The eggshell you hatched from is still in the depths of the Secret Realm. If you enter the Secret Realm and find the place where you were born, you will know everything. We aren’t very clear about your origins or birth either; we only know you were born inside the Secret Realm. Entering the Secret Realm this time might allow you to find your origins.”
The previous Great Elder was already very old, his back hunched significantly. Seeing the situation, he simply patted Su Liumeng’s shoulder.
“It’s not that the clan wanted to hide it from you. You should know the Su Family’s situation better than anyone—the Su Family could not afford to lose another genius with a future. That is why we never told you. I hope you don’t hold a grudge.”
Su Liumeng fell into deep thought for a long time. She had already guessed some things, so she wasn’t particularly surprised.
She nodded calmly. “I didn’t expect that I was born this way. Elder Grandpa, I haven’t overthought it. I can tell right from wrong. Setting aside how I, a mere infant, could have survived alone in the Secret Realm, the fact that the Su Family brought me out and raised me is a kindness I must remember. Besides, Elder Grandpa has always treated me well.”
Su Liumeng gave a slight smile.
The Great Elder’s gaze was complicated. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to feel relieved or say something else.
“Alright. Since I already know where I came from, it’s time to truly enter the Secret Realm and investigate. How interesting. I would like to see what my origins actually are.”
‘Maybe,’ she thought, ‘once I eat the eggshell from my birth, I’ll be able to release my natural True Dragon body.’
Su Liumeng remained hopeful.