The Far North.
A secluded place hidden deep beneath millennia-old ice, isolated from the harsh cold and clamor of the outside world. Inside the deep, dark hall, a dim, yellowish light flickered, outlining a small figure.
"Having drifted aimlessly for half my life, I am fortunate to have been saved by you, Ma'am. And now, receiving your teachings, it's like seeing the sun after the clouds have parted—my understanding has been completely enlightened!"
"If you do not abandon me, I am willing to become your Godson!"
Jiang Yi bowed deeply to the figure seated high on the throne before him, his eyes gleaming with fervent light.
"Hehehehe…" A lazy, magnetic laugh echoed in the empty hall, carrying a strange magic that lingered in the air.
On the throne, a stunningly beautiful woman leaned lazily. The Demon Empress's eyes, a mixture of wickedness and allure, observed the "little thing" she had accidentally pulled from the raging sea.
Godson?
This thought flashed through her mind, piquing her interest. Her daughter, Lan Fuzi, had no interest in the affairs of the Holy Spirit Cult and avoided them like the plague. She truly needed someone to represent her will…
In a flash, the Demon Empress's red lips parted slightly, her voice carrying undeniable majesty.
"Very well! From this day forward, you are my adopted son, and also the Holy Son of this Cult!"
She gracefully rose, swaying down from her throne, and extended her jade-like white hand to gently help the bowing Jiang Yi to his feet.
"Thank you, Mother!"
Jiang Yi rose with ease, his face instantly blossoming into an incomparably radiant, almost fawning smile, as if he had received the most precious gift in the world.
At the same time, a mechanical voice, audible only to him, rang in his mind:
> [Ding! You have been adopted by the Demon Empress of the Holy Spirit Cult and obtained a piece of the 990,000-year-old Demon Whale King's Torso Bone!]
Jiang Yi remained calm. He wasn't a native of Douluo Continent, but a transmigrator. Fortunately, he had awakened his cheat system: the Adoptive Father System!
As long as he adopted a "parent" (Godfather or Godmother), he could receive rewards. The higher the parent's strength and status, the richer the rewards. Betraying them even offered a chance for a critical hit reward.
No! Jiang Yi thought. Now was not the time to collect the soul bone.
"Good child…" The Demon Empress's hand stroked Jiang Yi's soft hair, her eyes softening for a rare moment. Mother… a long-lost term. Since her husband's death, she had been left only with boundless loneliness and deep-seated hatred.
Jiang Yi caught the fleeting vulnerability in her eyes but remained silent. He simply nuzzled his head against her hand like a cherished child.
The gentleness in the Demon Empress's eyes vanished swiftly, replaced by bone-chilling coldness. Revenge! This was the only obsession that sustained her. Everything else was merely a pawn.
She withdrew her hand and returned to her cold throne.
"Yi'er!"
"Your son is here!" Jiang Yi bowed respectfully.
"I have a crucial task for you. It concerns the grand plan of our Cult, but it is fraught with danger. Are you willing to go?"
"My mother's request, I will obey even unto death!" Jiang Yi nodded without hesitation.
"Very good!" A satisfied smile curved the Demon Empress's cold lips. "I want you… to infiltrate Shrek Academy as an inside agent for our Cult…"
---
Half a day later, the heavy stone door closed behind him, isolating the suffocating pressure of the hall. Jiang Yi followed a maid to his residence. As soon as the door clicked shut, his tense nerves relaxed. Finally, he could check his rewards.
But suddenly, a chilling wave surfaced deep within his consciousness.
"Hmm?"
In the dark space of his mind, a purplish-black halberd shrouded in eerie black mist appeared.
"Welcome, Father Emperor!" Jiang Yi's spiritual body bowed respectfully to the halberd phantom.
"How is the mission progressing?" A voice from the deepest abyss resounded.
"Reporting to Father Emperor! I have successfully infiltrated the Holy Spirit Cult and have been adopted by the Demon Empress!"
"Hmph! That woman has good taste," the Abyss Saint King snorted with disdain. "Continue to monitor them. The day the Abyss descends will be the day you return to my side for eternal glory!"
"The will of the Abyss endures forever!" Jiang Yi placed his hand on his chest, acting as a devout believer.
As the abyssal aura faded, Jiang Yi's piety melted away into contempt. A bunch of cheap adoptive fathers—none could be trusted!
However, the next instant, a gentle, boundless power rippled through his mind, resembling surging blue waves. A phantom figure of a young man, bathed in a warm blue glow, slowly coalesced.
Jiang Yi's expression switched seamlessly to a completely different kind of reverence. He bowed deeply once more.
"Your son greets you, Father!"
The figure looked up—it was none other than the Sea God, Tang San.
End of this chapter...