Return of the Immortal Emperor Daddy-Chapter 138: Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix

Wu Tian fell silent and hung up the phone.

"Xiao Tianzan, remember this. You must not speak of this matter to anyone, nor should you even mention it. If a Sacred Land appears in the world, it will definitely attract the attention of those on the Martial Path. If anyone asks you about it, just say you don’t know. It doesn’t matter who asks. Understand?" Wu Tian said, his face stern. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The atmosphere grew heavy, and the air felt as thick as bricks, underscoring the matter’s importance for Xiao Tianzan. He was known for his impartiality, but Wu Tian was asking him to feign ignorance to everyone? That would be difficult.

However, after careful consideration, Xiao Tianzan finally responded, "Understood."

"Good." Wu Tian nodded. "As long as you follow in my footsteps—even if you can only manage a few steps before your strength gives out—so long as you don’t stray onto another path, I guarantee the position of the Leader will be yours."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tianzan was ecstatic. He had no confidence in claiming the Leader’s position, as the Five Surnames and Seven Families all coveted it. Although he was born into the Lanling Xiao Family, he was not the one they were focused on nurturing. But for Wu Tian to make such a promise... Xiao Tianzan understood its significance perfectly.

In the following days, Wu Tian stayed at home, spending time with his wife, Qin Yuhan, and their little girl. He stopped going to the Qin Corporation, and Qin Yuhan didn’t say much about it. After all, when Wu Tian finally made a move, he had secured funding, channels, and other resources from the Kuangte Family for the corporation.

Meanwhile, Wu Tian used his computer at home to search for other Sacred Lands in the city. The Golden Summit of Mount Emei, for instance, was one such place. When visitors stood on the Golden Summit with their backs to the sun while mist swirled below, they could sometimes see a colorful halo—red on the outside and purple on the inside—appear against the backdrop of the sky. The viewer’s silhouette would appear in the center, mimicking their every move. When the person left, the halo would vanish. Even if two people were to embrace, they would each only see their own silhouette.

Regrettably, the site was now deserted. The Emei Sect seemed to have fallen into decline. The Sacred Land retained its unique scenery, but its Spiritual Energy had been almost entirely depleted. Wu Tian had also visited Wudang Mountain, but its Spiritual Energy had dissipated as well; the Wudang Holy Land was gone. He feared that only places like the Changbai Mountains and Zhongnan Mountain might have remnants of Sacred Lands. Even then, their Spiritual Energy would likely vanish completely within a century.

Of course, there were Sacred Lands abroad as well: the Paricutin Volcano, the focal points of the auroras at the poles, and the highest peak of Mount Everest. Each Sacred Land possessed its own miraculous phenomena. Wu Tian, however, was still contemplating what kind of spectacle his own Sacred Land should have.

"Papa, what are you thinking about?" the little girl asked, hopping into Wu Tian’s room.

"You wouldn’t understand," Wu Tian replied.

What? How dare he say I wouldn’t understand? Do you adults think you know everything? Do you think being a grown-up makes you so great? Don’t you know the saying about how the new generation always surpasses the old, and the old gets left behind on the... No, I’m too cute to think things like that!

The little girl hurriedly shook her head but still replied defiantly, "If you don’t tell me, how do you know I won’t understand? I’m very smart. Auntie Lin Mo said I’ll be a top student when I grow up."

"She really said that?" Wu Tian asked.

"Yeah!" The little girl nodded. "She also said I’m so smart that being around me would drive her crazy. I think it’s because her IQ isn’t as high as mine. She was probably afraid I’d outshine her."

"..."

"Papa, hurry up and tell me! What are you thinking about?" The little girl was at that age of asking "why" about everything.

"Do you know about mystical sightings?" Wu Tian asked casually.

To his surprise, the little girl’s eyes widened. "I know, I know! Like on the walls of The Forbidden City, when there’s a thunderstorm, you can see the shadows of palace maids walking! And the Bermuda Triangle!"

Wu Tian nodded, not expecting his daughter to actually know about these things. These bizarre places had all once been Sacred Lands. Every Sacred Land was an excellent location for Cultivation. For instance, strange and terrifying places were suitable for practicing unorthodox Cultivation Techniques, while places bathed in Buddha Light were suited for cultivating the Buddhist Heart Sutra and the like.

"So, what sight would you most like to see?" Wu Tian’s eyes lit up as he asked for his daughter’s opinion.

"Me?" The little girl put her finger into her mouth, making soft sucking noises. After a moment of thought, she said, "I like Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix. I like to see lots and lots of birds, but not in cages. I want to see them flying in the sky. But that’s very hard to see."

Do you have any idea how devastating that expression is? Wu Tian was utterly defeated. He smiled and said, "No, you will see it. Go for a walk on Baiyun Mountain with your mom this evening."

The little girl stared intently at Wu Tian, which made him feel puzzled. "What’s wrong?"

"Papa, I’ve discovered I love you." The little girl blew Wu Tian a kiss before running downstairs to pester Qin Yuhan, asking her to go for a walk on Baiyun Mountain that evening.

Wu Tian smiled, but a thought suddenly struck him as odd. What does she mean, she’s ’discovered’ she loves me? Did she not love me before?

「That evening」

Baiyun Mountain was crowded. Besides the villa area where Xiao Liang lived, there were public areas for visitors. After all, Baiyun Mountain was one of Yang City’s most famous scenic spots. Qin Yuhan was there among the many tourists, holding her daughter.

"Baby, why did you suddenly want to come for a walk here today?" Qin Yuhan asked, puzzled. "And your dad didn’t even come with us. That’s just awful of him."

The little girl smiled. "Because I wanted some alone time with Mommy."

Hearing this, Qin Yuhan was deeply moved. She had always thought her daughter was closer to Wu Tian, but now she realized the bond between them as mother and daughter was something Wu Tian could never match. She had no idea about her daughter’s true reason for being there.

And these tourists were even more clueless. They had no idea that the legendary spectacle of Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix was about to unfold before their very eyes.

Back in his room, Wu Tian’s eyes were slightly closed as he continuously uttered mysterious syllables. It was a language that did not exist on Earth. As the sounds filled the space, they formed profound Runes, which then merged with the air, becoming invisible as they drifted toward Baiyun Mountain.

Although Wu Tian’s Spiritual Sense seemed to be only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, that was not the full truth. He was, after all, still a being at the Immortal Emperor Realm. His Spiritual Power was simply insufficient, which kept his Spiritual Sense capped at the Foundation Establishment level. However, using the Spiritual Sense of an Immortal Emperor was not impossible. The toll was just too immense.

But even without tapping into that power, if he pushed himself just a little harder, his Spiritual Sense could easily encompass all of Baiyun Mountain, allowing him to see everything. At this moment, bathed in the light of the setting sun, the scenery of Baiyun Mountain was truly beautiful.

"So many people," Wu Tian thought. "They’re quite lucky to be able to witness the so-called Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!"

Soon, among the tourists, Wu Tian spotted his wife and child. The little girl was holding Qin Yuhan’s phone. At first, Wu Tian thought she was just playing a game, but when he focused his Spiritual Sense, he discovered she was actually live-streaming. That was something he hadn’t expected at all.