Finally Sent the Old Man Off

Chen Qingqing's words caught everyone's attention. Even Da Huang and the other two stopped eating and turned to look at her.

"Do you know something?" Chen Chang'an asked curiously.

"You should all understand that gestation is a miraculous process. All things in heaven and earth rely on gestation, though the forms may differ."

"The process of gestation determines the future of all living things."

"Gestation is the primal energy, absorbing the purest essence."

"The longer the gestation period, the greater the potential for future growth."

"For humans, gestation typically lasts around ten months. Even in rare cases where it extends longer, it’s usually only a few years at most."

"Yet even with just a few years of gestation, the life born can far surpass ordinary people—let alone several decades."

"Moreover, your child will likely require an even longer time before birth."

"By the time they are born, they will already be extraordinary."

"They will be born… as an immortal!"

Born as an immortal?

Did that mean Chen Chang'an's child would at least be a quasi-immortal, if not a true immortal, from the moment of birth?

That was terrifying!

The father was formidable, but the son was even more monstrous?

"Congratulations, Young Master Chen!"

"Who would have thought your future child would be so prodigious?"

"It seems the younger generation will surpass the old once again, shaking the entire Ancient Immortal Domain to its core," Zhou Yuanxiong said excitedly.

So… was he about to be overshadowed by a child?

How embarrassing!

No!

He had to work harder—he couldn’t let his own child look down on him someday.

"You gestated for a million years, yet you’re this weak?"

Da Huang shot a disdainful glance at Xiao Qiu Yin. If he remembered correctly, Xiao Qiu Yin had only been at the quasi-immortal realm at birth, not even reaching true immortality.

"Am… am I weak?"

"Quasi-immortal realm! Is that weak?" Xiao Qiu Yin retorted indignantly.

"What?"

"You were born at the quasi-immortal realm? After gestating for a million years?"

"What the hell are you?" Zhou Yuanxiong stared at Xiao Qiu Yin in shock.

He already knew Xiao Qiu Yin wasn’t human—after all, what eight- or nine-year-old child would have peak Heavenly Immortal cultivation?

But he never expected the little guy had gestated for a million years. That was no ordinary existence.

"Are you incapable of speaking properly?"

"Who’s a ‘what’? Your whole family is a ‘what’!"

"I am a dragon—a dragon of noble bloodline!" Xiao Qiu Yin glared at Zhou Yuanxiong unhappily.

He could tolerate being teased by Chen Chang'an and the others, but who did this guy think he was?

A dragon?

Zhou Yuanxiong was stunned. He never imagined Chen Chang'an’s adopted son was actually a dragon.

"His situation is… special."

"Something must have gone wrong during his gestation."

"Otherwise, he shouldn’t be this weak."

"After all…"

Chen Qingqing didn’t finish her sentence, but Chen Chang'an understood. A Nine-Clawed Chaos Dragon should never have been so weak.

"So… what happened to me?"

"Was I weakened by someone?" Xiao Qiu Yin asked, sounding aggrieved.

"That… might be something you’ll only know after you return to the dragon race."

"After all, even your origins are still a mystery," Chen Chang'an said with a smile.

"Fine."

"By the way, everyone, stop standing around. We’ve been traveling for a month, working nonstop without eating. I’m starving!"

"Patriarch Zhou, bring more food—this isn’t enough!"

Zhou Yuanxiong had been engrossed in the conversation, but Chen Chang'an’s words snapped him back to reality.

"Alright, I… I’ll prepare more." Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yuanxiong steeled himself.

Seven days—another seven days passed. When he finally heard that Chen Chang'an was leaving, Zhou Yuanxiong couldn’t hold back his tears.

He cried!

The dignified patriarch of the Zhou family actually cried!

"No need to miss us so much."

"If you like, we can come back in a while."

Huh?

Come back?

Please, no! Don’t ever come back!

"Oh, right. If the Murong sisters ascend, please arrange for them to stay at the Zhou family temporarily."

"If they don’t ascend, then never mind."

"Of course, of course."

"Anything else?"

"Hmm… nothing else."

"Good. Then I won’t see you off."

"Are you in a hurry to get rid of us?"

"No, absolutely not!"

"But you seem eager."

"Not at all!"

"Should we stay a few more days?"

"Ancestor, please! There’s nothing left—nothing at all! Spare me!"

Seeing Zhou Yuanxiong’s pitiful state, Chen Chang'an decided not to push him further.

"This time, we’re really leaving."

"Remember, next time, don’t ever offer to treat me in front of me."

"Because I really won’t hold back."

These parting words from Chen Chang'an were etched deeply into Zhou Yuanxiong’s mind.

Next time?

There would never be a next time. He’d rather die than ever offer hospitality again.

If circumstances allowed, Zhou Yuanxiong would have moved away entirely.

"Big bro, actually…"

"Speak."

"I think I’m about to break through!"

"Same here, foster father. I… I also feel like I’m on the verge of a breakthrough."

"As for me… nothing’s happening."

After consuming so many treasures, Da Huang and Xiao Qiu Yin had fully converted the energy, and their cultivation was now on the brink of advancement.

As for Yi Tuo…

This oddball was something even Chen Chang'an couldn’t fully grasp. Yi Tuo didn’t seem to have any discernible realm, yet his strength grew steadily.

Though among the "Three Fools," Yi Tuo was usually at the bottom of the pecking order, there was no denying he was the strongest of them.

After all, he was the Ashen Lord—a mutated form of the power of destruction.

"Why didn’t you two mention this while we were still at the Zhou family?"

"We could’ve broken through there before leaving," Chen Chang'an said helplessly.

"Well… the feeling wasn’t there yet."

"Right, it just came."

"Fine. Let’s find a quiet spot for you to break through."

With no other choice, Chen Chang'an led them to a secluded area, set up a barrier, and let the two begin their breakthroughs.

"Yi Tuo, don’t you need to break through realms?"

"How exactly does your strength grow?"

While Da Huang and Xiao Qiu Yin were advancing, Chen Chang'an turned to Yi Tuo, voicing his confusion.

"Energy."

"I absorb it constantly. But the Ancient Immortal Domain doesn’t have much destructive energy, so my growth is slower."

"If I were in a place filled with destruction, I’d improve much faster."

"Right now, I can only absorb immortal spiritual energy, which isn’t very useful for me," Yi Tuo explained.

The fastest way for Yi Tuo to cultivate was by absorbing destructive energy. But the Ancient Immortal Domain wasn’t a ruined world—where would he find enough destruction?

"Chen Chang'an, both you and he need such a place."