A bolt of golden lightning tore through the pitch-black sky of the Demon Realm.
Immediately afterward, black rain fell from the heavens.
An inexplicable sense of oppression weighed upon every demon’s heart.
They looked up in disbelief—only to see nine pillars of golden light descending and converging on a single spot.
At the sight of this, the demons instinctively believed that some great treasure was being born there, and they rushed toward the glow.
From the mountain city where Ye Yu had descended, the spectacle appeared even more vivid.
Nearby, powerful demons reached the city’s edge at once—and what they saw left them utterly floored.
Countless blood-red demonic auras swirled together, slowly circling a lone wooden hut.
Above, the faint silhouettes of ancient strongmen appeared at intervals, all bowing in unison toward the hut with utmost reverence—only to vanish in the next moment.
This remote mountain city was home only to demons of Flight Ascension Realm at best. They had never witnessed a scene so soul-shaking.
Frozen in place, they dared not take another step forward.
What none of them knew was that the very cause of this heavenly phenomenon was trembling in a swaddling cloth!
“Damn system, you want me dead, don’t you? You just had to do this at age zero, when I’m completely defenseless! Honestly, which baby doesn’t try to survive first before fighting back? ‘A tree that stands out in a forest is the first to be cut down.’ Any prodigy who doesn’t understand that dies fastest! And you—right when I was born, you make this huge commotion just to draw every demon’s attention? What happens if some shameless old monster tries to steal my body? Huh? Answer me! Look me in the eyes!”
Facing Ye Yu’s rant, the system replied seriously: “Dream talent ‘Seems Like ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) a Strong One’ works like this: special effects will max out based on your true strength. Of course, there will be opportunities to evolve later—please look forward to it!”
“Look forward to it my foot! With this setup, let alone later—surviving today is already hard!” Ye Yu roared in his heart.
He glanced at the two honest-looking demons beside him—they must be his parents in this dream. Both were merely Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. Protect me? Might as well forget it!
Ye Yu turned his head to the side, resigned to face death.
Sure enough, after only a few breaths, a skinny demon appeared outside the wooden hut. Demonic aura fluctuated at Heavenly Demon Realm strength, sharply contrasting with those around him. Even a single glance caused the onlookers to step back.
He gazed at the hut before striding inside. In an instant he fixed his eyes on Ye Yu in the cradle. Nine rays of light gathered around the infant, with stars flickering above his head and blood-red demonic aura tightly encircling him.
“Fated Demon Child! If I seize him, I, Wu Yao, will become Destiny itself!”
The skinny demon raised his hand slowly. Ye Yu’s dream-parents attempted to rush forward, but a wave of aura bound them in place, leaving them helpless.
Ye Yu had already foreseen this and closed his eyes, accepting his fate. After all, he was zero years old—below Qi Refinement Realm—unable to resist. All he could do was endure and invoke the system.
Just as Wu Yao’s hand was about to touch Ye Yu, a thick hand clamped down on his wrist, halting his advance entirely.
Wu Yao looked up in surprise at the tall demon beside him, ready to fight—but upon sensing the far stronger demonic aura, his tone softened immediately.
“Fellow demon, let’s not quarrel over who came first. Why don’t we split the child evenly?”
“I have no intention of splitting anything!”
With tremendous force, the tall demon hurled Wu Yao away. Wu Yao crashed through the hut’s wall and fell heavily outside. Defeated but defiant, he snarled, “Today’s humiliation, I Wu Yao will remember! You may have bested me, but can you resist everyone else? That Fated Demon Child may not belong to you!”
“Whether I can handle them is my business,” the tall demon rumbled, “but if you don’t crawl away now, you’ll die—along with everyone out there!”
His grave warning sent the assembled demons into panic. Under that aura of death, they fled in terror.
Once they were gone, the tall demon released Ye Yu’s parents and spoke softly, “Do not be afraid. My name is Gao Lan. I look forward to guiding you.”
At those words, Ye Yu opened his eyes and stared intently at Gao Lan. The demon’s thick brows and strong features spoke of honesty—though the name was odd. Yet his tone suggested he had no intention of killing Ye Yu.
By age three, Ye Yu fully grasped Gao Lan’s identity: Master of the Ninefold Hall in Juque Province, with nearly ten thousand disciples and vast influence. A Demon Lord Realm cultivator. Though burly in appearance, he was truly one who mastered the heart. Never judge by appearances—Gao Lan’s deception was complete.
On the day Ye Yu was born, Gao Lan had whisked him and his parents from the mountain city to the Ninefold Hall and settled them there. During that time, Ye Yu’s parents—Ye Jing and Zhao Baihui—had asked why he brought them here.
Gao Lan had answered earnestly: “I brought you back to the sect for better protection. What do I intend to do? Simple: to become the master of the Fated Demon Child. Of course, once he grows up, I’ll explain everything to him myself.”
He had assured them that if they disagreed, no harm done—they would simply part as friends. “Rest assured, if I had ill intent, I would have acted long ago instead of going through the trouble of bringing you here.”
Reassured, Ye Jing and Zhao Baihui nodded in agreement.
