ETR | Chapter 10

Xiao Wan had no idea what was going on. The Grand Market was the last stop on their trip, and once that was done, their little journey officially came to an end. After packing up, their group returned to the Seventeenth Heaven by evening.

“Daddy!” As soon as Xiao Wan hopped off the flower bud-shaped carriage, he spotted Xiao Xueman waiting at the school gate. He didn’t even bother grabbing his luggage before dashing into his arms. “Did you miss me?”

“I missed Xiao Wan a lot,” Xiao Xueman hugged his soft little son tight and lowered his head to kiss his cheek. “Did you have fun while you were away?”

Xiao Wan thought for a bit and answered, “The Sixteenth Heaven had some new and fun stuff, but without Daddy, it didn’t feel as nice as home.”

Just then, Teacher Lin came over, carrying Xiao Wan’s luggage and the little trolley. The gift inside was wrapped in layers of clothes, so you couldn’t tell what it was from the outside.

Xiao Wan offered up an explanation right away: “It’s a present for Daddy, and one for Uncle Shen too.”

Xiao Xueman pulled the little trolley back home, and he and Shen Guan opened the gifts together.

He tried the cloak on immediately. It was big enough to cover Xiao Xueman’s hands and feet, and just as the shopkeeper had said, it was warm and looked great too.

“So handsome,” Xiao Wan clapped and giggled. “Daddy looks good in everything.”

Shen Guan got a waistguard. Back in his prime, he’d received all kinds of rare and precious gifts, but none made him feel as emotional as this simple waistguard in his current down-and-out state.

Having a son is the best, Shen Guan thought to himself. Crappy lovers can’t be relied on, but your kid? Your kid’s the real deal.

Xiao Xueman carefully stored the cloak in the wardrobe. He hadn’t seen his son in a week, so that night, he sat by his bed and gently coaxed him to sleep.

Xiao Wan curled up under the covers on his own little bed, warm and cozy like a tiny dumpling.

Xiao Xueman watched him for a long time. He’d never imagined he’d one day have a child—one who looked so much like him, who shared his bloodline. Even after raising him for this long, every time he looked at him, he still felt a little amazed.

At that moment, Xiao Wan turned over, and the little bunny necklace around his neck slid out.

Now that they were back in the Seventeenth Heaven, it didn’t really matter whether he wore it or not. But when Xiao Xueman glanced at it, he noticed a faint crack on the pendant—not very noticeable, but definitely there.

He took the necklace off, and only then did a cold sweat break out on his back.

He had assumed the Sixteenth Heaven would be safe, never expected that Xiao Wan had brushed so close to the edge of life and death.

Just what had he gone through?

The next day, before Xiao Xueman even had a chance to ask, Xiao Wan started telling him about what had happened over the past few days.

“…They really worship Wangtian Dijun over there,” Xiao Wan summed it up at the end. “But I didn’t feel anything special. Maybe the First Heaven’s just way too far from us. Someone that far away, what do they really have to do with us anyway?”

He knew that Uncle Shen had escaped from the Upper Realm, but the bounty never mentioned where exactly he was from. Besides, Shen Guan always acted super chill around Xiao Wan, never putting on airs, usually helping out with little things at the shop and being surprisingly handy. It was hard to imagine him as some legendary high-level powerhouse.

To Xiao Wan, those people still felt as distant as stars in the sky.

Xiao Xueman never expected the Sixteenth Heaven to be in such a state either. Maybe it was because of that projection—that’s probably what caused the crack in the necklace.

Shen Guan, overhearing this, tensed up for a second. Then something clicked—Xiao Wan’s sealed talents reacting so strongly to Qin Lou… Could he be… his child?

He didn’t dare say it out loud. Just kept the thought buried in his heart.

But judging by how things looked, Xiao Xueman probably wouldn’t be sending Xiao Wan back to the Sixteenth Heaven anytime soon.

The school’s visit program happened every year. They always picked the top three students in the grade. Unless something major changed, Xiao Wan would have the chance again next year.

Xiao Xueman had already been uneasy about how hard his son pushed himself, and now he was probably even less willing to let him go.

Still, so far, nothing bad had really happened.

The Seventeenth Heaven might just be the most peaceful place in the entire Spirit Realm Continent. A lot of folks couldn’t even make it to spirit practitioner level, so they just lived honest lives, working with their own hands, without taking shortcuts. Shen Guan had been nervous about Qin Lou showing up when the news came out that he’d exited seclusion, but it had already been nearly a year and… nothing.

The First Heaven was just way too far. Too many barriers, sealing off any and all information.

Shen Guan had even gotten used to the pace of life here. The hemostatic powder they sold at the shop was the most basic of medicines—Xiao Xueman and Shen Guan could make it in their sleep, no matter how much their strength had been hidden. To keep it from being too effective, they even diluted it a bit. They only made a limited amount, closed the shop once it was sold out. As long as they made enough to eat, it was fine.

Life here moved slowly. Even though Xiao Xueman constantly worried about his son, there wasn’t really a quick fix for it.

Over the past year, he and Shen Guan had gone over countless ways to handle dual-type wood-fire spiritual power. They borrowed every book they could get their hands on in the Seventeenth Heaven and, surprisingly, dug up a few relevant examples from obscure corners.

“This one says that ten thousand years ago, there was also a pretty intense water-fire dual-type practitioner. He had a good cultivation path and eventually achieved success,” Shen Guan read on, “But his case still isn’t quite like Xiao Wan’s.”

Most dual-type spiritual power came from having two super strong parents, with both attributes passed down. Usually, there’d be a main and a sub-type.

The person in the book had water as the main, fire as the sub. Since water restrains fire, the conflict wasn’t that bad.

But Xiao Wan was supposed to be wood-type. The fire-type had been added on. On the surface, both Xiao Xueman and Qin Lou had wood-fire attributes. Wood feeds fire, so they shouldn’t conflict—but their spiritual veins were far more powerful than average, extremely exclusive, and it was hard to tell which was dominant. Everything got jumbled.

Xiao Xueman and Shen Guan had talked it through many times. Xiao Wan’s real issue came down to two things: one, chaotic spiritual power; and two, incompatible dual attributes. The second one was the real kicker.

Ever since awakening, Xiao Wan had been diligently cultivating every day. He’d already mastered the cultivation method, and as long as he could figure out how to manage his attributes, the chaotic spiritual power would naturally follow.

So really, it was one problem, not two.

Shen Guan flipped another page, hoping to find some old solution. This one said that the person’s parents were both Spirit Gods, and they spent over ten years stabilizing their child’s power together until he could fully master it.

Xiao Xueman saw that too.

“I don’t want to see Qin Lou,” he rejected immediately. “We’ll figure something out.”

Shen Guan didn’t want Xiao Xueman to go to Qin Lou either. As far as he was concerned, that relationship was done for.

Second-grade Xiao Wan kept studying hard. His theory grades were still far ahead of the rest of the year—always perfect scores—but his practicals were starting to lag.

Cultivation got harder the further you went. In a whole year, Xiao Wan hadn’t managed to advance from Spiritual Power Level 2 to Level 3, but his control over power had become increasingly precise.

A year ago, he could only flip book pages from a distance. Now, he could hurl pebbles at the scarecrow in the courtyard and hit the mark. The pebble even embedded itself into the scarecrow’s body—proof of his strength.

His hard work had never been wasted. All the spiritual power he cultivated was stored neatly in his body. Even though it was hidden, it was still there.

He’d actually long surpassed a spirit practitioner. Xiao Xueman figured he was already at the level of a spirit knight. The only reason he could break the iron rule and use spiritual power was not just his amazing bloodline—it was also this.

As second grade drew to a close, one of Xiao Wan’s classmates successfully broke through to Spiritual Power Level 3. His overall score soared and he started catching up, maybe even surpassing Xiao Wan.

When Xiao Xueman heard, he got a little worried.

He knew how driven Xiao Wan was and feared he’d take it hard. But he also knew how proud his son could be, and that made him hesitate to tell him the truth—he was scared that if he pushed too hard, it’d backfire.

After dinner that night, Xiao Xueman brought it up on his own.

“Xiao Wan, it’s okay not to obsess over being number one,” he said gently. “You should let the other kids have their moment too, right?”

Xiao Wan looked up at him and asked curiously, “But I didn’t let anyone have it. That classmate worked really hard and is really strong.”

After saying that, he thought for a second, then gave Xiao Xueman a soft smile.

“I’m not in a hurry, and I won’t get all emotional over rankings,” Xiao Wan blinked at him. “Daddy thinks I’m too competitive and might be sad?”

Xiao Xueman didn’t know how to respond, so he just nodded.

“I know my limits. Cultivation’s a long journey. No need to rush,” Xiao Wan said. “Daddy has to trust me, okay?”

One day, he was going to find out exactly what was going on with his weird power.

Xiao Xueman: “……”

He always knew Xiao Wan was mature and sensible, but now he was starting to realize… maybe he hadn’t understood his son completely.

That night, Xiao Wan was cultivating in his room, and outside, Xiao Xueman told Shen Guan about the conversation.

“I used to think he was too young, so I wanted to wait… wait until he was older. But maybe I’ve just been stalling,” Xiao Xueman sighed. “Am I being too cautious?”

Shen Guan had heard the whole thing too. He hesitated a bit, then said, “Should we maybe… tell Xiao Wan?”

Even if they didn’t lay it all out, just a little bit might help.

He understood Xiao Xueman’s instinct to protect his kid—didn’t want to burden him with too much, make him worry. But Xiao Wan wasn’t an ordinary child.

Maybe people just need a little push sometimes. Hearing Shen Guan say that, Xiao Xueman wavered.

“I…” He had just started to speak when a soft noise came from Xiao Wan’s room.

But more alarming than the noise was the surge of fire-type spiritual energy bursting out the door.

Oh no!

Xiao Xueman reacted instantly. His expression changed on the spot, and before Shen Guan could even blink, he was already inside the room.

Inside, Xiao Wan was a little stunned too. He’d been stuck at Level 2 for a year, but tonight during cultivation, he felt like he was finally touching the edge of something. So he focused hard, trying to push through.

But along with breaking into Level 3 came another, unfamiliar force.

A wild, overwhelming fire-type spiritual power exploded throughout his body before he could react. It felt like burning. His meridians screamed in pain, and just as he was about to black out, he saw Xiao Xueman rushing in.

“Xiao Wan, don’t be scared, don’t be scared.”

It was Daddy holding him, that familiar warmth making everything a little better.

Xiao Wan didn’t know what kept him from passing out. Maybe it was Daddy’s panicked expression. He just knew—if he lost consciousness now, he’d regret it forever.

Xiao Xueman didn’t know why the seal had suddenly weakened. He hadn’t been prepared for this at all. Maybe Xiao Wan had cultivated to a certain point, and his hidden spiritual power and talent had started to stir, grabbing at the first chance to emerge.

But Xiao Xueman was pure wood-type. He couldn’t guide the fire-type energy in Xiao Wan’s body, and was afraid making a wrong move would only make it worse.

Shen Guan stood to the side, anxious. He asked cautiously, “Should we… try together?”

His fire-type power was also top-tier. Maybe he could help.

It wasn’t much of a plan, but they had nothing else. Xiao Xueman gritted his teeth, just about to agree, when he looked down and saw Xiao Wan’s eyes.

Even in so much pain, Xiao Wan was forcing himself to stay awake, eyes wide and locked on him. That made Xiao Xueman change his mind in an instant.

Maybe… it was worth a shot.

“I’m going to bet on this.”

“Xiao Wan, listen to me,” Xiao Xueman’s voice was gentle but firm. “What you’re feeling now is hard. But you have to overcome it yourself.

There’s a fire-type power in you that shouldn’t be there. It’s going to hurt. But Xiao Wan, your wood-type is powerful. It’s gentle, accepting, and it can overcome even fire. It can subdue anything.”

He started guiding Xiao Wan on how to sort his spiritual power. Shen Guan listened—it was a different method than what he knew.

Would it work?

He was ready to jump in at any moment.

“Xiao Wan, look at me.”

After the explanation, Xiao Xueman raised his hand. A fruit knife from the table flew to him, and he drew a deep cut across his palm. Blood flowed freely, but his face didn’t change. He simply pressed his palm to Xiao Wan’s.

Xiao Wan’s hand was soft and limp, no strength left. It fit right over the wound.

“Feel it, baby. We share the same blood. You can sense what to do. I’ll guide you.” Xiao Xueman spoke like he couldn’t feel the pain at all, his voice still soft. “Wood-type power can heal and accept anything, even ourselves, just like I told you.”

He slowly shifted his spiritual power, healing the wound bit by bit, on purpose, drawing it out.

Xiao Wan’s hand rested there. This was the most vivid lesson he’d ever had. He could feel it clearly—the connection between him and Daddy, the flow of spiritual power, the way it moved. It was unforgettable.

His little hand was stained with Xiao Xueman’s blood, sticky and bright red. But it gave him strength.

I can suppress it, he thought, full of resolve.

Not just for himself, but for Daddy.

That night was anything but calm. Maybe there really was some kind of invisible thread linking them, even across all those heavens.

It had been a year since Qin Lou came out of seclusion. He still hadn’t found the person he was looking for.

The Spirit Realm Continent was just too massive. The Star Map’s guidance was vague, and he’d rewatched that projection over and over, but still had no lead.

The crystal orb that stored the image was linked to the Star Map. Theoretically, once it locked onto someone, it should keep updating with new info. But the connection with Xueman was too faint. In the whole year since that one moment—it hadn’t updated again.

Until tonight.

The crystal orb lit up again, completely out of the blue.

After a year, it had finally caught something. A new projection appeared.

The image was still a bit blurry, but clearer than before. Qin Lou could see Xueman leaning over a bedside, wrapped in a white fur cloak. The fluffy collar made him look so beautiful it almost hurt to look directly at him.

But Xueman seemed to be holding someone, only—the other person’s figure and face couldn’t be seen.

This time the projection lasted longer. Qin Lou could even hear Xiao Xueman’s voice.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

That familiar, gentle voice hit Qin Lou right in the heart. But then he realized—this time, those soft words weren’t just for him anymore.

That realization slammed into him like a mountain.

After more than a hundred years of emotional deadlock, the mighty Wang Tian Dijun, who’d lost his wife, felt like he was about to explode.