Though he never said it aloud, Zhen's father was deeply displeased. How could a three-year-old possibly win a Dao battle against an Immortal Lord?
So he tried to plead with his father—hoping, just maybe, to change his mind. But ultimately, he failed. Even Elder Shen couldn't overturn it.
The rules of a Dao battle were sacred, ancient, and absolute. Once a cultivator initiated a challenge, the other party could either accept or decline. But if both sides spoke in agreement—or if one invoked the true rite—then the Dao itself bore witness.
And once the Dao acknowledged a battle, no being across the realms could undo it.
No matter how Prince Hu begged, it was already beyond mortal hands. All they could do now was prepare Zhen for the battle and place their faith in him.
So they did.
For seven straight days, they crammed everything they could into him—Dao theory, law interpretation, historical duels. Elder Shen drilled him like a seasoned instructor with a favorite pupil, while Prince Hu oversaw everything with a clenched jaw.
On the seventh day, Zhen took a break.
He spent the early morning curled on a reading mat, surrounded by snack trays and old story scrolls. Of the many he flipped through, two caught his attention: {The Saga of the Undying Immortal} and {How to Tame Demon Kings, Goddesses, and Saintesses}—tales that carried the spirit of past eras and the reckless dreams of heroes long gone.
Still, his favorite remained {Tales of the Divine Emperor}, the story of an immortal commander who led the White Dawn Battalion at the front lines of the Celestial War.
It made him feel braver.
[Zhen's Private Chamber]
After reading and snacking for a while, Zhen returned to his routine. He began practicing the first chapter of the Dao Clarity Blade – World Cutter. As a high-tier cultivation technique, it held Dao laws within its foundation, naturally splitting into six chapters.
But its power came with danger.
Any cultivator who hadn't reached the True Law Fusion phase risked destruction if they attempted to comprehend its Dao. The technique could devour one's primordial soul and shatter the immortal core—severing the path of reincarnation.
True death. Eternal silence.
Fortunately, the first chapter was focused not on offense but movement. It embodied the Laws of Stillness, Motion, and Fusion—designed to nourish a Dao Seed. It gave fledgling cultivators a glimpse into the Dao. Most only reached that level through life-and-death trials or decades of perseverance.
Zhen? He had it by age three.
The technique also helped him gather and store true qi within six internal cores, each tuned to a different elemental attribute. Such a method hadn't existed since before the birth of the Thirty-Six Thousand Worlds.
But then again, he possessed the only Origin-Grade physique in the Primal Universe.
That alone explained the impossible.
Even at the first stage of the Qi Gathering Realm, Zhen could absorb true qi with ease. It tempered his body, refined his bloodline, and slowly unlocked the hidden potential within him.
And then—one by one—his cultivation soared.
Qi Gathering Realm – 2nd Stage
Qi Gathering Realm – 3rd Stage
Qi Gathering Realm – 4th Stage
Qi Gathering Realm – 5th Stage
Qi Gathering Realm – 6th Stage
Qi Gathering Realm – 7th Stage
Qi Gathering Realm – 8th Stage
At just three years old, Zhen displayed why the heavens marked him as chosen.
Still, he wasn't greedy. Instead of rushing further, he paused to consolidate his realm. Though it was his first time doing so, he recalled his grandfather's lessons from earlier that week.
With a calm breath, he visualized the scrolls, repeated the breathing chants, and refined his circulating qi. A few moments later, it was done.
He darted to the mirror and examined himself.
Hehehe… I'm so freaking cool. Is this the qi everyone talks about? It's pinkish. Girly. Does that mean the universe is… a mom?
Zhen giggled, lost in thought.
Suddenly—
!!!KNOCK!!!
!!!KNOCK!!!
!!!KNOCK!!!
He blinked, collected his qi, and called out.
"Come in."
Lady Yunxi stepped through the doorway.
She rarely came to his room. When she did, it meant something serious. Most would find it strange for a mother to have deep conversations with a three-year-old—but she knew her son too well.
She had seen him mock guards with clever Dao riddles, then turn around and secretly help them when no one was looking. He had that strange blend of arrogance and kindness.
The clan loved and hated him for it.
Despite being the Holy Son of the Tianxue Clan, Zhen befriended commoner children and refused to treat bloodline as a barrier. Wandering immortals often criticized him for it—but Lady Yunxi, once an ancient cultivator herself, understood the truth:
To become a true immortal, one must embrace the mortal within.
Besides, her son was born with the Eyes of the Twelve-Petaled Aurora—eyes capable of seeing true qi, detecting lies, and discerning hearts. So to her, no being could deceive him.
She lifted her palm. Scrolls scattered across the floor neatly flew back to their shelves. Then she approached and sat on the edge of his bed, motioning for him to join her.
When he did, she placed her hand on his abdomen—just above his immortal core.
"Soon, the time will arrive. Are you ready?"
Zhen leapt up with excitement.
"Mother, look!" He began circling his qi with pride. "I'm at the 8th Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm! All in one day!"
She laughed gently. "Oh, really, Zhen'er."
"That Ping Xin won't stand a chance!"
"Just make sure you're prepared," she said softly.
With a kiss to his forehead, Lady Yunxi stood and left the room. Though she smiled, her mind remained heavy. She made her way toward the Tianxue Clan's inner palace—just in case the worst were to come.
And then it happened.
The sky darkened with thick clouds forming across the heavens. Every immortal in the realm looked upward as the firmament dimmed. Then, from those clouds, a massive scroll descended and unfurled.
A celestial voice echoed through the skies:
[Dao Arena Formed. Participants and Spectators: Please Enter.]
It had begun.
The Dao battle between Zhen and Ping Xin would take place in a 10,000-meter-wide colosseum—visible to all realms.
When Zhen met his parents again, he was dressed in freshly woven jade-green immortal robes, layered with protective formations that could withstand three lethal strikes from a Dao Passage Realm cultivator. He spun and ran in circles to show them off.
They smiled and guided him toward the teleportation platform.
Once the family had assembled, a five-colored divine light descended. Like a vortex, it swept them into the sky. In a single breath, they were teleported into the colosseum—Zhen was placed directly in the center.
And soon after, Ping Xin arrived.