Invincible Dad-Chapter 583: Why not just break it?_1

One hundred names in total, representing one hundred emperors from one hundred epochs.

Xu Lai’s scalp went numb with shock as he saw one familiar name after another.

There was the empress known by countless races as the Star Origin Empress, who severed her own dao fruit for her beloved. There was the Great Emperor Youming, who carried away the Bronze Giant Gate from the Mass Burial Mound, and the Great Emperor Yin Yang, who sealed his descendants within the Tree of Eternal Life.

There was also the notorious Emperor Guimu, whose fearsome reputation shook the Immortal Domain, yet who met a mysterious death before the Nine Kings’ Palace...

And seventeen epochs ago, there was Qing Yuan’s ancestor, the Qing Emperor—the man who founded the Green Sect and was unrivaled across the universe.

And then there was him: Xu Qingfeng of the Human Race.

Xu Lai’s expression grew cold as he stared at the hundred names that had been deduced.

As early as one hundred epochs ago, Xu Lai’s name, along with the other ninety-nine and their races, had been engraved into the Cloud Water Rust.

And this sword... it was the sword of Gu Yan, the one-hundred-thousand-zhang-tall male giant!

Xu Lai suddenly recalled something the Great Emperor Yin Yang, Shang Chou, had once said.

One hundred epochs make one cycle.

The final epoch is the Fallen Emperor Epoch, a time when the shackled talents of the Human Race will shine briefly at the cycle’s end.

"The Emperor Realm will fall, blood-red rain will drift down from the sky, billions upon billions of star systems in the Immortal Domain will be destroyed, and less than one percent of all living beings will survive."

The words of the Great Emperor Yin Yang, Shang Chou, still echoed in his mind. "No matter this cycle or the last, both are destined to end with the blood of Human Emperors."

Foretelling the future? Or... has someone been arranging it?

As the information hidden within the runes was revealed, the first rune vanished from the paper.

Xu Lai sensed something and turned his gaze to the other thirty-five characters on the paper. He didn’t dare to imagine what kind of information was hidden in the remaining thirty-five ’words’.

Xu Lai sat on the floor, silent for a long time.

He remained there until darkness enveloped every corner of the East Sea, casting a shadow over his heart as well.

「...」

「An hour later.」

The door to Haitang Court opened, and Ruan Lan’s humming could be heard. "You hold a small paper umbrella, lamenting the twists of fate, as the rain falls and the fog obscures, you wonder where the ends of the earth lie..."

"Auntie, you’re off-key!" Yiyi muttered, covering her ears. "Mommy, please make Auntie stop using her Divine Skills."

"You little rascal!" Ruan Lan retorted, annoyed. "So many people wish they had the privilege of hearing me sing, and you dare to complain?"

Still dissatisfied, Ruan Lan flicked on the living room lights. She then saw a figure sitting on the floor in the corner and jumped in fright, shouting, "Halt! What manner of demon are you? Reveal your true form at once!"

THUMP.

Ruan Tang smacked her sister on the head, her face dark. "That’s your brother-in-law."

"...Huh?"

Ruan Lan’s mind was full of question marks.

Clutching the Formation Chessboard, she cast a defensive Starlight Array around herself. Only upon creeping closer did she confirm that the back of the figure, which emanated a ’strange aura,’ was indeed Xu Lai.

Ruan Lan muttered, "Jeez, brother-in-law, who are you trying to scare?"

Xu Lai lifted his head.

When Ruan Lan saw the bloodshot eyes and the indescribable look of desolation, her heart went cold.

"Brother-in-law, don’t tell me you have a terminal illness! It’s over, it’s all over!"

"..."

Xu Lai didn’t feel like dealing with his dramatic sister-in-law at the moment.

Yiyi threw herself into Xu Lai’s arms, blinking her big eyes as she asked, "Daddy, what’s wrong?"

"I’m just a bit tired."

"Then let Yiyi massage your head, Daddy."

Listening to his daughter’s sweet, gentle voice, Xu Lai felt the pressure on his mind lighten significantly. He stroked her little head and smiled. "Okay."

"Yiyi, give your auntie a massage first."

"No."

"Wow, Auntie is heartbroken."

Sensing that Xu Lai’s mental state was different from usual, Ruan Lan began to play around with her niece on the sofa, leaving some space for her sister.

Ruan Tang squatted beside Xu Lai and asked with concern, "Xu Lai, what’s wrong?"

"Honey," Xu Lai said softly, "have you ever suspected that everything in this world has already been arranged for us?"

"What do you mean?" Ruan Tang didn’t understand.

"That our entire lives, from birth to death, are arranged and controlled by someone else," Xu Lai explained. "Like we’re puppets on strings, with every step we take landing exactly where it was planned."

"My grandfather, my uncle, and my aunt all tried to control me before I went to college. They wanted me to marry someone I didn’t like."

"If you hadn’t shown up, I might have already..."

Ruan Tang’s voice was soft but exceptionally firm. "So I cut my strings with them."

"This ’destiny’ thing... I don’t understand it, and I don’t want to."

Grasping Xu Lai’s hand, Ruan Tang smiled tenderly. "If there really is a thread called ’destiny,’ then shouldn’t we just break it?"

Xu Lai was taken aback.

As realization dawned on him, he began to chuckle. His laughter grew louder and louder, until even Ruan Lan and Xu Yiyi stopped playing to look over.

"It’s over. Your dad has lost his mind," Ruan Lan said with concern.

"..."

Xu Yiyi waved her little fists. "Auntie, don’t say bad things about Daddy!"

"Exactly, exactly," Beibei added, poking her head out of Yiyi’s pocket.

Xu Lai laughed for a long time.

He stood up and patted the non-existent dust from his pants, reflecting, "That’s right. This elusive thing called destiny... all you have to do is break it."

"Anyone who wants to touch my people or destroy my Immortal Domain will first have to ask the sword in my hand for permission!"

A cold glint flashed in Xu Lai’s eyes.

Ruan Tang was surprised. "You’ve recovered so quickly? I still had a whole list of comforting words prepared."

"It’s alright now."

Wrapping his arms around Ruan Tang’s slender waist, Xu Lai rested his forehead against hers and smiled. "Thank you, my dear."

"Ew."

Ruan Lan broke out in goosebumps. She protested indignantly, "This PDA is getting more and more unbearable! Can’t you spare a thought for us single people?"

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm," Beibei nodded in agreement.

Yiyi, on the other hand, was delighted. Seeing her mommy and daddy being so affectionate made her incredibly happy, and she let out a couple of giggles.

That giggle, however, made Ruan Tang a little embarrassed. She awkwardly pushed Xu Lai away and said calmly, "Yiyi, it’s time to do your homework."

The little girl’s smile vanished instantly. "Then, Mommy," she asked weakly, "can I watch some anime first?"

"No."

"Oh."

Yiyi hadn’t held out much hope, so she wasn’t particularly disappointed.

"Yiyi, now you know who’s on your side, right? Hurry and join the Star Origin Sect as the Right Protector! We’ll tell Qian Xiao to be the Left Protector tomorrow," Ruan Lan declared grandly. "Together, we’ll revive the Star Origin Sect, make it bigger and stronger, and restore its former glory! Then you’ll never have to do homework again!"

"Qian Xiao said this afternoon that with Auntie leading it, the Star Origin Sect is doomed to fail again, so he’s not joining," Yiyi replied.

"???"

Ruan Lan was speechless. She secretly grit her teeth, vowing to beat up Qian Xiao one day. That damn kid never says a nice thing!

"Also, Auntie," Xu Yiyi added gently, "times have changed. Only four-year-olds talk about Left and Right Protectors."

"..."

Ruan Lan was at a loss for words. *Niece, aren’t you only six yourself?*