Fangchun Ruins.

When Lin Xun first arrived in the Return Dominion in his youth, he had received the daoist verse left by his master, the Lord of Fangchun Mountain. It was also here that he fought a group of experts and in the end obtained the Sacred Combat Art left by his Eldest Senior Brother.

Later, when he entered this place for the second time, he made a wager with his fourth senior brother, Ling Xuanzi, defeated him, won the bet, and took him from a suppression that had lasted thousands of years.

This was Lin Xun’s third time returning to the Fangchun Ruins. However, it had become unrecognizable.

The collapsed mountain gate, the desolate devastation, the traces of ruin...all of it was long gone. In its place, billions of divine rays and auspicious light bathed the land, suffusing it with a sacred, solemn aura. Every blade of grass and every tree seemed to radiate a distinct dao presence. Simply walking among them felt as though one were strolling through the dwelling of gods.

This place had clearly been rebuilt. The mountain path was now broad and open, lined with verdant bamboo and ancient pines on either side. Precious medicinal herbs had taken root, breathing out wisps of auspicious mist, while celestial blossoms bloomed everywhere, vying with one another in brilliance. From time to time, white deer carrying spirit fungi passed by, and monkeys clutching peaches leapt playfully among the branches, all of them moving with an unhurried, tranquil grace.

Mist and clouds shrouded the mountains. Waterfalls cascaded down cliffs, and clear springs flowed unceasingly. Wherever one looked, a subtle, mystic radiance of the dao permeated the air, gently calming the heart and stilling the mind.

Long ago, the Lord of Fangchun Mountain had imparted the great dao here, and all the disciples of Fangchun Mountain had cultivated in this very place. The golden cicada had once lingered outside these mountains as well, listening to the dao for thirty years.

Although Lin Xun had never witnessed any of this with his own eyes, simply imagining it now stirred a deep, inexplicable longing in his heart.

Of the fifty grand daos, only forty-nine are derived from the heavens while one escaped.

And he was the fiftieth successor of Fangchun Mountain.

“Husband, Fan’er is cultivating there.” Zhao Jingxuan said softly.

By the edge of the cliff, she pointed down into the canyon below. There, a perfectly circular lotus pond lay nestled at the base of the ravine, formed from fifty-four petals, half pure and half turbid. From its surface, a dense, primordial aura of chaos rose continuously, as though recreating the scene at the beginning of creation itself.

A figure sat cross-legged atop the lotus. With every breath he took, the surrounding dao energy undulated in response, sending deep, rolling sounds like distant thunder echoing through the void.

His figure was tall and perfectly straight, slender yet dignified. His eyes were gently closed, and his aura and qi resonated in harmony with the great dao, giving rise to astonishing visions, such as a boundless abyss swallowing the heavens, a true dragon roaming the firmament, the sun and moon revolving, and the stars rising and falling.

It was a breathtaking sight.

Upon closer inspection, he was a handsome young man with sharply defined features and a tall, well-proportioned figure. While he cultivated, his bearing was solemn and composed, and his temperament was like a bright moon hanging over a mountain stream, clear, refined and untouched by the mortal world.

In an instant, Lin Xun’s gaze was locked onto him, his heart stirring violently. In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed. That mischievous little boy had already grown into such a composed and extraordinary young man, perfectly balanced between motion and stillness, like a breeze beneath the pines, yet possessing his own unique character.

“Good...very good...” Lin Xun murmured, a surge of joy and guilt tangling in his chest.

There was no denying that he had been an utterly unworthy father. He had never accompanied his son’s growth, never watched him walk along the path of the dao, and never given him guidance, protection or even the smallest comfort...

Zhao Jingxuan smiled gently. “When Fan’er was little, he was unbearably unruly. His temper was like a wild, unbridled horse, and he caused endless chaos in the clan. Even the elders were bullied by him and could do nothing. He was nothing but a little demon king. But as he grew up, he changed. He learned how to consider his mother’s feelings. He learned to shoulder responsibility and to devote himself to the clan. He is now an entirely different person.”

Her voice was gentle, yet laced with unmistakable pride and deep satisfaction.

Lin Xun smiled, taking her soft hand in his. “You’ve had a hard time these past years.”

Zhao Jingxuan’s limpid eyes shimmered. “Compared to the dangers and hardships you’ve endured...these are nothing.” As she spoke, she gently withdrew her hand and lowered her voice. “Xia Zhi is still here. Watch yourself.”

Lin Xun froze for a moment, then let out a helpless, amused laugh. Xia Zhi, seemingly oblivious to the subtle chance in the atmosphere, remained quiet and composed. Her gaze was fixed on Lin Fan below the cliff, lost in her own thoughts.

“Husband, I’m a little worried about Fan’er.” Zhao Jingxuan suddenly said. “His talent is truly too frightening. At only fifteen, he already stepped into the Supreme Emperor Stage. His speed of cultivation is far beyond what you achieved back then.

“Back then, I was afraid that his progress was too fast and that his foundation would become unstable, so I deliberately suppressed his cultivation, hoping to give him time to stabilize. Yet even so, he would break through every few years. I simply couldn’t hold him back...”

As she spoke, a faint crease formed between her brows. If it had been anyone else, they would have been overjoyed to have such a peerless prodigy as a child.

However, for Zhao Jingxuan, Lin Fan’s cultivation path had always left her with a faint, constant dread.

Too much could be as dangerous as too little. Advancing too rapidly was not necessarily a blessing at all!

Hearing this, Lin Xun’s brows knit slightly. With his current cultivation and insight, he naturally understood that advancing too slowly was a problem, but advancing too quickly was just as dangerous.

Take his fourth senior brother Ling Xuanzi for example. He was a talent that defied heavens, unparalleled throughout the ages, so extraordinary that even their master, the Lord of Fangchun Mountain had personally suppressed him for countless years.

However, Lin Fan was in no way inferior to Ling Xuanzi, and perhaps even surpassed him!

When one’s cultivation soared too quickly, an unstable foundation and a warped state of mind could easily arise. Because on the path of the great dao, every realm demanded a matching state of mind and sufficient tempering. Only in this way could an incomparably solid dao foundation be forged.

The tragic fates of Martial Uncle Kong Jue and Pavilion Master Yan Ji of the Origin Sky Pavilion were proof enough of how terrible the consequences could be when one’s state of mind faltered. Admittedly, Lin Fan’s dao path showed no obvious flaws at present, but the higher his cultivation climbed, the more vulnerable his state of mind would become in the face of great tribulations.

“Leave this to me.” After a moment of contemplation, Lin Xun made a decision.

“Alright.” Only then did Zhao Jingxuan feel the tension inside her ease.

In the years since Lin Xun left, she had poured all her heart and effort into their son, Lin Fan. Parents who truly loved their children always planned for their future. How could she possibly stand by and watch her own son walk into danger on the path of the great dao?

“That’s not right.” Suddenly, Lin Xun raised an eyebrow. “Jingxuan, if Fan’er is in closed-door cultivation here, could he be preparing to break through to the Immortal Stage?”

Zhao Jingxuan froze. “Impossible. Ten years ago, he was only at the eighth realm Supreme Emperor Stage. Now he has only just reached the Supreme Emperor Ancestor Stage. How could he possibly...”

Lin Xun interrupted, “He has already reached the pinnacle of the Supreme Emperor Ancestor Stage, and right now he is clearly attempting to strike at the threshold of the Immortal Path.”

With his vision, how could he possibly fail to see Lin Fan’s current state? His expression turned solemn.

Zhao Jingxuan’s heart tightened at once. “How could this child be so reckless? I warned him long ago that he was not allowed to attempt a breakthrough to immortality for a hundred years! Why is he in such a hurry?”

“Don’t panic. Nothing has happened yet,” Lin Xun reassured her gently.

As he spoke, his gaze settled on Lin Fan, who was seated cross-legged in the lotus pond below. In that instant, Lin Fan’s body shuddered and the qi around him surged violently. He suddenly snapped his eyes open and instinctively looked up.

There, he saw a familiar figure, one that had only existed in his childhood memories. For a moment, he went utterly still.

“Father?” He stood there, stunned, disbelief written across his handsome features.

“Fan’er, don’t just stand there. Come and pay your respects to your father.” Zhao Jingxuan urged softly.

Shua! Lin Fan leapt into the air and landed on the cliff, staring at Lin Xun with eyes full of shock and joy. “Father...it really is you!”

“Fan’er, you’ve truly grown up.” Lin Xun nodded with a faint smile. Strangely, the moment he faced his own child, the turbulent emotions in his heart quietly settled. Fatherly love was like a mountain, silent, steadfast, and unspoken. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Perhaps every father felt the same. Now, Lin Xun finally understood that feeling.

Lin Fan grinned, revealing a row of snow-white teeth. “Father, I haven’t just grown up, I’m already a supreme Emperor Ancestor. Do you remember? When you left, you weren’t nearly as powerful as I am now. And all these years, I remembered what you said. I never made Mother upset...right, Mother?”

As he spoke, he shot Zhao Jingxuan a mischievous wink.

Zhao Jingxuan said coldly, “If you really didn’t want to upset me, then why are you trying to break through to the Immortal Stage now? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

Lin Fan let out an awkward grunt and fell silent.

Lin Xun said gently, “Fan’er, you know better than anyone how fast your cultivation has already advanced. And you know the consequences of forcing a breakthrough onto the Immortal Path now. Tell me...why are you in such a hurry?”

Lin Fan was silent for a long moment. Then he said quietly, “In recent years, more and more enemies have appeared outside the Return Dominion. Even though I’ve been in closed-door cultivation, how could I not know what’s happening outside? Father, you weren’t here. All this time, Mother has been handling everything alone, bearing pressure no one should have to endure. I just...I wanted to help her. If I can’t even protect my own mother...then what is the point of cultivating the dao at all?”

Zhao Jingxuan, who had been furious only moments before, froze. Her eyes suddenly reddened, slowly filling with tears. It was as if something had struck her soft heart, her emotions surging out of control. Only then did she realize that Lin Fan’s urgency to break through to the Immortal Path was simply because he wished to share her burden, because he could not bear to see her suffer...

Lin Xun was also deeply moved, his gaze settling once more on his son. The youth stood clad in white, brows sharp and eyes bright. He was exceptionally handsome, and his well-proportioned, slender figure already towered a head above his mother.

His temperament was like a mountain breeze, clear as a moon reflected on still water, and his every movement radiated a natural, otherworldly grace.

After a long silence, Lin Xun let out a deep sigh. “I’m the one to blame. If I had come back sooner, none of this would have happened...”

His voice was heavy with guilt.

“How could this possibly be your fault?” Zhao Jingxuan said softly, steadying herself. “You always take everything onto your shoulders. You were like that back then, and you’re still the same now. Don’t do that again.”

Lin Fan added earnestly, “Mother is right. I’ve grown up now and I can stand on my own. Father, please don’t blame yourself.”

Hearing this, a tide of emotion surged within Lin Xun. There was so much he wanted to say, yet no words came. Everything seemed to lodge in his throat.

Just then, a clear, ethereal voice suddenly broke the moment, “Lin Xun, I’m hungry.”

Xia Zhi, who had stood silently to the side like an outsider all this time, shattered the atmosphere with a single sentence. Lin Xun and Zhao Jingxuan exchanged a glance, then broke into helpless, amused laughter.