Madam Xinyi's face turned completely pale.
Unknown? she thought, a knot tightening in her stomach. "Unknown..." she repeated softly, the word tasting foreign on her tongue. "I have never heard of such a thing before."
She took four anxious steps to the right, then turned and paced to the left. Her fingers tightened instinctively around the edges of her silver-embroidered silk robe. Was this a miraculous blessing... or a dark curse? In all her years within the cultivation world, she had never once heard of a spirit root that failed to match a known elemental attribute.
Looking up, she urgently pressed the alchemist. "Elder Mu Ziyan, are you absolutely certain about this? Is it possible you could test him one more time, just to be sure?"
Elder Mu Ziyan's weathered face remained entirely impassive, her voice scraping the air like grinding stones. "Madam, it sounds as though you are doubting my skills."
"Haaa... No, it isn't that I doubt your expertise, Elder," Xinyi replied quickly, trying to smooth over the tension. "I am just... deeply shocked."
Elder Mu Ziyan remained quiet, keeping her thoughts to herself. I can understand her panic. When the rest of the clan hears of this, they will be profoundly disappointed. The grand elders might even reject the boy entirely.
But Madam Xinyi's mind was moving in the exact opposite direction. She looked at her breathing, squirming child and let out a soft sigh. "Well, Elder Mu Ziyan, it doesn't matter. What is most important is that there is no permanent damage to his life force. He is alive."
"Yes, physically, he is perfectly fine," Mu Ziyan confirmed.
Xinyi's expression calmed entirely at those words. "Then you may go, Elder Mu Ziyan. Thank you."
Seven days later.
A powerful figure violently burst into the beautiful gardens of the Crimson Clan manor. BOOM!
The sheer force of the landing sent a shockwave through the dirt. Servants who were cleaning the residential grounds shrieked in terror, some dropping their tools and running without looking back. A maid closest to the impact crater collapsed straight to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. The newcomer's suffocating pressure instantly blanked over the entire manor.
Alerted by the disturbance, the clan guards rushed into the garden, spears and swords drawn. Leading them was a rugged man with wild black hair and deep battle scars lining his body. He was blind in one eye, possessed the formidable strength of the Early Qi Condensation Realm, and served as the Captain of the Guards.
"Surround the trespasser! Stay in formation!" the Captain roared. The guards moved fluidly, forming a tight defensive circle around the dense cloud of dust.
The Captain focused his gaze, attempting to gauge the intruder's cultivation tier. Huh? I can't see through his level at all, he thought, sweat breaking out on his neck. His realm completely eclipses mine. Could he be a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
The surrounding guards panicked, their grips slipping on their weapons. Facing a Foundation Establishment monster meant certain death for them.
Stepping forward to shield his men, the Captain called out, "Senior! What brings you to our—"
He was cut off by a heavy silence as the dust finally dissipated, revealing the towering figure within.
The Captain's eyes went wide. "Patriarch!"
Instantly, the entire vanguard dropped to their knees, bowing deeply. "We apologize for our severe misjudgment, Patriarch!"
Wang Yun, the Family Head, didn't even look at them. His face was incredibly pale, his expression tight with a frightening intensity. Without saying a word, he unleashed his profound spiritual sense, sweeping it across the massive estate to locate his child.
Behind him, the guards exchanged frantic whispers. "Why does the Patriarch look so terrifying?" one murmured. "His face is completely bloodless," another noted.
The Guard Captain, realizing the source of his lord's panic, quickly stepped forward. "Your Grace... your child is fine. He is alive."
In an instant, the suffocating pressure vanishing from the garden. Wang Yun's panicked expression smoothed out into absolute calm. He walked over to the Captain, placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, and gave it a reassuring pat. Bypassing the guards completely, he marched straight toward the inner chambers where his wife and newborn rested. He had already locked onto the baby's life signature.
Inside the private chamber, Wang Yun cradled his son. Xinyi sat beside him, softly explaining the miracle of the baby's awakening before delivering the second, confounding piece of news.
"Go speak with Elder Mu Ziyan," Xinyi advised him quietly. "Get the exact details from her."
Nodding, Wang Yun retreated to his private study, where he usually unwound. He summoned an attending maid. "Bring Elder Mu Ziyan to me at once."
Minutes later, after listening to the alchemist's detailed report, Wang Yun fell into a deep, heavy silence. His son possessed a spirit root, yet it was entirely unknown. The news left the powerful Patriarch completely mystified. Normally, a child born with a high-ranking spirit root was guaranteed a glorious future, mapped out by centuries of tradition. An unmeasurable root meant total unpredictability.
Wang Yun dismissed the alchemist with a light wave of his hand. "Elder Mu Ziyan, you may leave."
Once the doors closed, Wang Yun stood alone by the window, staring out over his domain. "He still possesses a spirit root," he whispered to himself, a small smile breaking through his serious demeanor. "That alone means he can cultivate. Perhaps, in time, his spirit root will reveal its true nature to us."
Several hours later, a grand assembly was called. Wang Yun summoned nearly every messenger servant belonging to the Crimson Clan. Meanwhile madam Wang Xinyi had personally penned official letters, handing them to the couriers with strict orders to distribute them across the surrounding sects and rival clans. The message was clear: The Crimson Clan finally had a rightful heir.
In the grand courtyard, hundreds of clan members and servants waited anxiously for over thirty minutes, listening intently for the Patriarch's address. Whispers rippled through the massive crowd.
"I heard the Young Master was born with a spirit root!"
"Really? Then the future of our clan is entirely guaranteed!"
"Quiet down, the Patriarch is going to officially name the Young Master today!"
Suddenly, a single word cut through the noise.
"Silence."
Wang Yun stood before them, tucking both hands behind his back as his sharp gaze swept over the gathered crowd.
"Today is a day of profound joy for me," Wang Yun announced, his voice carrying clearly to every corner of the estate. "For I finally have a child of my own flesh and blood to inherit my legacy. You know what it means, Go forth, spread the word to the ends of the province, and let it be known—my son's name is Wang Fang."