"How is this possible? Aina, what are you talking about?" Xia Lun looked incredulous. "We never had any descendants back then."
Aina belonged to the Blood Clan, commonly known as vampires. As one of the highest-ranking beings among them, she had even surpassed the progenitor of the Blood Clan, possessing an almost eternal lifespan.
Due to their differing races, there was a degree of reproductive isolation between Aina and Xia Lun, making the probability of conception extremely low—though not zero. In other words, persistence could eventually overcome the odds.
"Do you remember, Xia Lun? We once had a child..." Aina spoke slowly.
Wolund stood rooted to the spot, not daring to utter a word.
Xia Lun's expression darkened as unpleasant memories surfaced in his mind. "Aise?"
"Yes, Aise. Your own son." Aina nodded slowly.
Aise was the first—and so far, the only—child of Xia Lun and Aina.
And Xia Lun had executed him personally, driving a longsword through his heart.
Distant memories resurfaced in Xia Lun's mind.
"Father... I love you." Aise spat blood, his face twisting into a grotesque smile. "I will become a shadow you can never forget..."
Aise was a monster.
Though he wore human skin and was the son of a hero, he was born evil—a true incarnation of malice. No matter how Xia Lun and Aina tried to discipline him, his nature remained unchanged. In the end, after he committed an unforgivable atrocity, Xia Lun ended his life himself.
"Don't dwell on it, Xia Lun. Don't torment yourself over that wretch. It wasn't your fault." Aina held onto Xia Lun's arm. "Back then, I could have done it for you, but you refused..."
"You were his mother, Aina."
"I never had much affection for him. He was just an accident born from our pleasure. It was only because you wanted a child as a symbol of our love that I gave birth to him. To me, you are the only one who matters."
"Don't say that. Aise was our child." Xia Lun murmured.
"You're too kind-hearted. That’s why he hurt you so deeply..."
Wolund remained motionless, his expression unchanging. This wasn’t the time for him to speak.
Mida finished her ice crystals, seemingly full, and curled up on the soft fur rug.
"Then, who is he...?"
Xia Lun turned his gaze back to Wolund.
"A maid violated by Aise bore his child." Aina explained in a detached tone. "She secretly gave birth to Aise’s offspring."
"Why would she do that?" Xia Lun couldn’t help but ask.
"According to her diary, by the time she realized she was pregnant, it was too late for an abortion. Forcing one could have endangered her life."
Medical knowledge back then wasn’t advanced, and a maid certainly couldn’t afford a high-tier healing mage.
"Then... why didn’t she come to us?" Xia Lun pressed.
"You were the great hero." Aina leaned against Xia Lun’s shoulder. "After what Aise did... she felt she and her child would tarnish your reputation..."
"That’s absurd!" Xia Lun’s voice rose slightly. "Did I... fail her in some way? Did she not trust me?"
"No, you did everything right. You were the finest of heroes..." Aina gently patted his back. "She was originally going to be sold by her family into prostitution, but you bought her freedom. Working for our household, she earned enough to live comfortably. Later, after the incident with Aise, she received substantial compensation... She was grateful to you, even idolized you. That’s why she hid it—she didn’t want to stain your name."
Xia Lun took a deep breath, his eyes softening with sorrow. "What a foolish girl... My reputation means nothing compared to her happiness."
"Don’t worry. Aise’s child was filial to her." Aina squeezed Xia Lun’s hand. "She lived a peaceful life... She recorded everything in her diary and made her descendants swear to keep it secret. It wasn’t until the fifth generation, when their family faced a crisis, that they sought my help. After verifying their bloodline, I began assisting them.
Your descendants didn’t inherit much of my Blood Clan traits, but it was enough to let them live over a century."
Xia Lun nodded. The fifth generation... By then, he had already passed away.
So, Wolund was his eleventh-generation descendant?
"But why does he call you by name?"
"Why not?" Aina countered. "I told him to. Should he call me ‘great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother’ instead? So everyone knows how ancient I am?"
"Never, Aina... To me, you’ll always look just past adulthood."
"Hmph. My appearance hasn’t changed anyway." Aina sniffed.
Wolund stood there, bewildered. He had never imagined someone like Aina could display such a playful side.
Xia Lun turned back to Wolund, his gaze now much gentler. "I’m sorry... child. I misunderstood earlier."
Wolund snapped out of his daze and offered a shy smile. "Then, how should I address you... Ancestor?"
"Just call me by my name, like Aina." Xia Lun waved a hand.
With his body rejuvenated, his mindset had grown younger too. The thought of Wolund—who looked older—calling him "ancestor" felt oddly uncomfortable.
"Alright then... Xia Lun." Wolund didn’t press further.
"This kid adapts fast." Xia Lun whispered to Aina.
"Of course. I looked after him when he was little." Aina replied telepathically. "Most of your descendants were disappointments, so I ignored them. Wolund’s the only one with decent magical talent."
If Aina approved, then Wolund’s aptitude must be noteworthy, Xia Lun mused silently.
"So... Wolund, why have you come to see me?" Aina gestured to a nearby chair. "And sit down."
"Yes, Aina."
Xia Lun was surprised. Despite addressing Aina casually, Wolund clearly still feared her—he hadn’t moved until she permitted it.
Wolund began, "Recently... a cult has emerged within the Yalan Empire. They’ve secretly conducted blood sacrifices across several villages, attempting to revive the evil god they worship."
Aina narrowed her eyes. "Oh? Are they so strong that you can’t handle them?"
"No... I've already eradicated all the troublemakers... Though some remain hidden too deep to be rooted out yet," Wolund replied, then glanced at Xia Lun. "However... they referred to the malevolent deity they worship as... the 'Hero.'"
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
