A faint fragrance of spiritual herbs lingered in the birthing chamber.
Outside, the Su Clan estate was still shaking from the spiritual eruption caused by the newborn child. Even now, threads of lingering spiritual qi drifted in lazy spirals above the tiled roofs, as if reluctant to disperse.
Inside, wrapped in a pale-blue blanket, Su Yan blinked her newborn eyes.
'So bright… and so noisy…'
Her tiny fingers curled, grasping at something in the air. She couldn't understand everything, but her consciousness was strangely clear, as if she had been blessed with a spark of awareness the moment she arrived in this world.
'This place smells like medicine… and why does everyone keep staring at me? I am just small and pink right now, ah.'
Across from her, Madam Su wiped her eyes—both from exhaustion and joy. Beside her stood the clan head, Su Jin, stiff-backed with pride and anxiety, hovering in a way that did not suit the leader of a major cultivation clan.
"She's truly… unusual," the midwife murmured with trembling hands. "The spiritual qi… it gathered so naturally. I have never seen anything like this."
Su Jin coughed lightly as his eyes beaming with happiness. "Yan'er is my daughter. Of course she would be extraordinary."
'Hmph. You sound very confident, father. I hope I can live up to that.'
Su Yan attempted to puff out her tiny chest but only managed a small wiggle.
Madam Su laughed lightly and tapped her baby's cheek. "She reacts so much. Look, ah Jin, she's already glaring."
"She inherited that from you," he said solemnly.
Su Yan silently protested, 'I wasn't glaring! I was… observing.'
The elders gathered over the next few hours, each whispering in excitement or awe.
Though still an infant, Su Yan felt faint ripples of energy brushing against her skin—curious probes, cautious examinations, respectful awe.
'They're all… glowing? No. That's qi. I can sense qi? Already?'
She tried to reach out with her mind, instinctively stretching her awareness.
A soft hum answered her. A warm, pulsing glow settled near her dantian—the faintest seed of spiritual essence.'Oh. This feels… nice.'
The elders outside almost fainted when the spiritual qi around the room stirred again, swirling once more as though greeting her.
"Impossible!" one elder cried. "Her meridians aren't even fully formed—how can she naturally attract qi twice in one day?"
"Her talent… might exceed grade eight," another whispered breathlessly.
Grade eight was already heaven-defying for an infant. Anything beyond that—grade eight, grade nine—was considered monstrous.
Su Jin almost puffed his chest out like a peacock. "As expected of my daughter."
Madam Su nudged him with a pointed look. "Calm down. She's only two hours old."
Three Days Later — The Sudden calm
The explosion of qi had settled. For three days, Su Yan mostly slept. But even in sleep, her little consciousness was active, curious, exploring.
'I was reborn into a cultivation world… I should be scared, right? But everything feels warm as if I was originally from here, ah! forget it whatever happens let it be at least now just focus here.'
She shifted against the blanket.
'I want to see more things… but my neck is too weak! Oh, being a baby is too much hassle, I just started to feel sleepy again.'
When awake, she listened to her mother's soft humming or the clan's opened conversations:
"Her talent is unprecedented."
"The naming ceremony must be conducted with utmost care."
"The ancestor will surely bless her."
Whenever they mentioned "ancestor," the air turned reverent.Ancestor…? Sounds important. Should I be nervous? Will they scold me for drooling too much?'
Su Yan tried to stop drooling, failed, and accepted defeat.
On the night before her naming ceremony, a strange ripple of energy brushed her mind. Gentle. Curious. Like a fingertip brushing against water.
'Who…?'
The presence withdrew instantly.
Far away, an ancient consciousness stirred within a sealed jade pendant enshrined in the Su Clan's ancestral hall. The divine sense, left by a powerful cultivator from the upper realm generations ago, had awakened—responding to Su Yan's birth.
Seven Days Later — The Naming ceremony
The entire Su Clan gathered in the grand courtyard. Lanterns made of refined spirit jade glowed softly under the morning sun, illuminating the space with a faint blue halo. Rows of cultivators stood in ceremonial robes.
At the center stood the ancestral altar, a tall structure carved with ancient patterns. At its heart lay the Jade Soul Tablet—the vessel containing the divine sense of Ancestor Su Huanyan, a cultivator who had ascended to the upper realm centuries ago.
"Bring the child," the officiating elder announced.
Madam Su stepped forward, carrying Su Yan gently in her arms.
As they approached the altar, Su Yan opened her eyes. She blinked up at the tall structure and felt a faint pressure—a dignified, overwhelming sensation, like looking at a star too closely.
'…Ah. This feels dangerous. Very dangerous. Should I pretend to be asleep?'
But curiosity defeated fear, so she stared boldly.
The Divine Sense Descends
The moment Su Yan was placed upon the soft jade cushion before the altar, the Jade Soul Tablet shimmered.
A deep humming filled the courtyard.
A breeze rose, carrying wisps of silver light. The cultivators gasped as a translucent figure slowly formed—hair flowing like starlight, robes shaped by divine energy.
It was not a physical body.
Not a soul.
Just a sliver of consciousness left behind by a being who had already ascended beyond mortality.
"Ancestor Su Huanyan…"
The entire clan bowed deeply.
The figure's face was indistinct, but her gaze—though made of light—landed immediately and sharply on the infant lying before her.
Su Yan felt her heartbeat speed up.
'Aiya… she's staring so intensely. I'm just a baby!'
Then—
A ripple of divine power washed across her body, brushing over her meridians, her bones, her sea of consciousness. It did not harm. Instead, it seemed to… search.
"Remarkable," the ancestor's voice echoed, soft and ancient. "This child's destiny… it is not ordinary."
The murmurs around the courtyard exploded.
"Destiny?"
"A celestial destiny?"
"Is she a heaven-born?"
The divine figure lifted her hand. A thread of shimmering light descended, landing directly upon Su Yan's chest.
Su Yan shivered. Something warm flowed into her—gentle but vast, like a drop of springwater containing an entire river.
'This… is she giving me something?'
The ancestor continued, "She shall walk a peculiar path. Neither ruthless nor naive, her heart will discern the flow of fate."
Her voice softened, almost amused.
"She is one that even the heavens may watch."
Gasps erupted.
Su Jin nearly fainted.
Madam Su's eyes filled with tears.
The ancestor raised her hand again. A rune formed in the air.
"Her name shall be—"
The rune burst into brilliant silver light.
"Su Yan.
A flame that will illuminate countless lives… yet never lose its warmth."
The light sank into Su Yan's forehead. A soft glow blossomed between her brows, fading slowly like the last spark of a star.
As the divine sense began to dissipate, the ancestor's voice lingered:
"In time… she will meet one who carries the shadow of the ancient world. Be cautious, child… for not all fated encounters appear benevolent at first."
Su Yan blinked.
'…Does that mean someone suspicious is going to bother me in the future?'
The ancestor's silhouette dissolved completely, leaving behind a silent, stunned courtyard.
After the Ceremony
Madam Su picked Su Yan up immediately, holding her close. Her hands trembled slightly.
"Yan'er… such a big destiny. I don't know whether to be happy or scared."
Su Jin coughed proudly. "Our daughter will be fine. She has inherited my calm temperament."
Madam Su gave him a look."You panicked so much you forgot which side of the robe to wear this morning."
Su Jin froze. "Ahem—ceremonies make me nervous."
Su Yan internally giggled.
'Mother is nice. Father is dramatic. This family… is lively.'
The elders followed them, voices filled with excitement:
"We must record every detail."
"An ancestor personally giving a name… this has never happened!"
"And a warning about a future encounter… intriguing…"
Su Yan listened.
'A mysterious encounter… maybe someone strong? Someone troublesome? Hmm… should I be worried?'
Her tiny hand grabbed her mother's robe.' no matter what I will protect myself and my family never let it ruined like it was in original novel.'
'Well… if it's trouble, I'll deal with it when I grow up.'
For now, she yawned loudly.
Everyone immediately stopped talking.
"Ah—she's tired!"
"Quick! Don't disturb the young miss!"
"Bring softer cushions!"
"Make the air warmer!"
'…You're all too dramatic,' Su Yan thought as sleep wrapped around her again.
But just before drifting off, she sensed it.
A whisper of qi.
A faint presence.
A feeling… as though someone far away had noticed her birth.
A woman.
Someone quiet. Lonely.
Carrying a fate tangled in threads of danger and brilliance.
Su Yan's small brows furrowed.
'…Is that the mysterious person the ancestor mentioned?'
She did not know.
But the future would answer.
For now, the Su Clan's newborn genius slept peacefully—guarded by a family overflowing with love, anticipation, and a destiny that stretched beyond the horizon.
End of chapter 2