"Ming'er, it is time for you to descend to the Lower Realm and fulfill your duties."
"I understand, Emperor Father."
Within the vast Heavenly Hall stood a towering platform that rose above a thousand jade steps. At its peak rested a grand throne carved from divine gold, nine dragons coiling along its armrests.
Seated upon it was a man clad in imperial robes of black and gold. His long black hair flowed behind him like ink, and his golden eyes shone with quiet authority. Thick brows framed his sharp features, and his tall, imposing build gave him a certain otherworldly look.
Jun Cangxuan.
The Holy Emperor of the God Realm. Sovereign of the vast Hongmeng World.
Beside him stood a woman of unmatched elegance. Her silver hair cascaded like moonlight, and her blue eyes were filled with worry as she gazed at the boy standing below the thousand steps.
That boy stood with his fist clasped in his palm in a respectful salute.
His silver hair was tied neatly with a jade accessory. His golden eyes burned with conviction, and though he appeared no more than fifteen or sixteen, his presence was extraordinary. Tall and slender, strikingly handsome, he carried himself with natural nobility.
He was Jun Tianming.
Crown Prince of the God Realm.
"From the Mortal Realm onward," Jun Cangxuan's voice echoed through the vast hall, calm yet absolute, "you will walk the Path of Divine Conquest. Ascend through every realm and grow stronger. Temper yourself in blood and experience."
"The world will not be handed to you."
"You will take it."
"When you return…"
His golden eyes softened slightly.
"The throne will be yours."
The hall fell silent.
Jun Tianming stepped forward and dropped to one knee.
"This son understands, Emperor Father."
Without hesitation, he rose and turned, his silver hair swaying behind him as he left the Heavenly Hall.
Only the Emperor and Empress remained.
"Are you truly sending Ming'er away?" Mu Qingyue's fingers tightened slightly. "Even you waited until eighteen… The lower realms are still filled with hidden dangers. What if something happens to our son?"
Jun Cangxuan exhaled quietly.
He pulled her gently to sit upon his lap, his expression no longer that of an emperor but a husband.
"Qingyue… Ming'er's talent is far from ordinary. You know this."
A shadow of sorrow passed through his golden eyes.
"And you also know… I do not know how long I can continue to hold it back."
Mu Qingyue wrapped her arms around his neck and rested against his chest, and exhaled softly.
"I only hope everything will be well."
Jun Cangxuan closed his eyes briefly.
For the first time, the ruler of the God Realm looked less like a sovereign…
…and more like a father.
Jun Tianming walked calmly toward his palace.
The Crown Prince's residence was vast and opulent, filled with golden pillars, priceless paintings, and ancient vases that carried a faint divine aura. Servants and guards immediately bowed as he passed.
He ignored them.
Entering his private chamber, he dismissed everyone with a wave of his hand.
Once alone, he sat on the edge of his bed and exhaled slowly.
"System."
A small golden light flickered in the air.
From it emerged a tiny spirit , glowing softly, resembling a delicate fairy no bigger than his palm.
"M-Master… w-why did you summon me? Didn't you say you want me to vanish—"
"Silence."
His golden eyes turned cold.
"Explain again. What exactly are you?"
The tiny spirit stiffened.
The night before, a strange phenomenon had occurred. This spirit had suddenly appeared before him, claiming to be some kind of system.
Jun Tianming had crushed it in his palm without hesitation, after listening to the words the spirit told him in a hurry.
He initially dismissed it as nonsense, but the thought lingered in his mind, stirring a faint trace of interest.
Yet here it was again.
"Y-Yes, Master…" she said nervously, floating in small circles. "I am Xiao Chu… the Luck-Stealing System."
"I assist my host in stealing luck from the Great Sons of Heaven and reward them with treasures, cultivation techniques, bloodlines, and various opportunities. I will help you become the greatest existence in this world."
Jun Tianming's expression darkened slightly.
"Great Son of Heaven?" he repeated.
His gaze sharpened.
"Do you believe there exists a Son of Heaven greater than I?"
The room grew colder.
Xiao Chu trembled.
"N-No! That's not what I meant, Master! I-I don't even know how I ended up in the God Realm…"
She laughed awkwardly.
"Aha… haha…"
Jun Tianming narrowed his eyes.
"Then explain. What are these so-called 'Great Sons of Heaven'?"
Instantly, Xiao Chu brightened, as if relieved to change the topic.
"Yes, Master! Great Sons of Heaven are individuals chosen by certain gods. Those gods sacrifice a portion of their cultivation to bestow immense luck upon a candidate."
"Interesting…" Jun Tianming leaned back slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
Xiao Chu continued eagerly.
"As you know, our world is divided into four realms — the Mortal Realm, Spirit Realm, Immortal Realm, and God Realm."
"There are many gods in the God Realm, ranging from weak to extremely powerful. The weaker gods can only invest small portions of cultivation, so they typically choose candidates from the mortal realm."
"The stronger the god… the stronger the chosen candidate."
Jun Tianming tapped his finger against the armrest.
"But why?" he asked calmly. "Losing cultivation is no small matter, even for a god. Why would they risk it for a random mortal?"
Xiao Chu grinned confidently and rubbed her nose.
"I knew you'd ask that, Master!"
"It's because once their chosen candidate grows stronger, the god receives feedback. Their cultivation increases proportionally. Though they only gain less than half of the candidate's growth, it's still a path forward."
"After reaching a certain realm, cultivation becomes stagnant without opportunities or fortune. So instead of waiting, they gamble."
"They can also communicate with their chosen one… and even take treasures from them if necessary."
Jun Tianming's eyes flickered slightly.
"If that is the case," he said, "why doesn't every god do this? Wouldn't the lower realms be filled with Sons of Heaven?"
"NO! NO! NO!" Xiao Chu waved her tiny arms dramatically.
"There is immense risk! If the chosen one dies, the god may lose all the invested cultivation, and in extreme cases, even suffer death. There are also forces beyond the universe that interfere."
"Additionally, one god can only choose one candidate."
"And since gods are far fewer than beings in the lower realms… naturally, Sons of Heaven are rare."
Silence fell.
Jun Tianming stood slowly.
A faint smile curved his lips.
"I see…"
He looked at Xiao Chu with renewed interest.
"So the lower realms are filled with carefully nurtured luck containers."
His golden eyes gleamed.
"This… will be interesting."
The next day, Jun Tianming stood dressed in pristine white robes. A jade hairpin secured his long silver hair, and as always, his face was strikingly handsome as usual.
He stood in an open sacred ground surrounded by towering ancient trees. Before him floated a massive spatial portal, its surface rippling like disturbed water, emitting faint divine light.
Behind him stood Jun Cangxuan and Mu Qingyue.
"Ming'er," Jun Cangxuan spoke solemnly, his hands clasped behind his back. "Everything has been arranged as we discussed. I hope you will fulfill my expectations."
Jun Tianming turned and knelt on one knee.
"This son will not disappoint Father."
Before Jun Cangxuan could respond, Mu Qingyue suddenly stepped forward and pulled Tianming into her embrace.
"Ming'er…" Her voice trembled slightly despite her effort to remain composed.
She opened her palm, and a delicate necklace appeared, a jade pendant carved in the shape of a fish, glowing faintly with divine energy.
She gently tied it around his neck.
"If anything happens… crush this. Mother will come for you."
Her fingers lingered for a moment before she leaned forward and kissed his forehead softly.
Jun Tianming smiled, a rare, genuine smile.
His mother was the person he loved most in his life. It wasn't that he didn't love his father… but with Jun Cangxuan, it had always been respect first, affection second.
He stood upright again.
"Ying Yue."
Jun Cangxuan's gaze shifted slightly.
From the shadows behind the trees, a figure emerged silently.
She wore fitted black garments that concealed most of her body. Only her gleaming dull yellow eyes were visible beneath the dark veil covering her face. Though her features were hidden, her graceful, mature figure and silent presence carried deadly elegance.
Even without seeing her full face, one could tell she was extraordinarily beautiful.
She dropped to one knee.
"Ying Yue greets the Holy Emperor."
Her voice was soft, yet unwavering.
"Ying Yue is the Crown Prince's shadow. I will protect His Highness… even at the cost of my life."
Jun Cangxuan nodded faintly.
"Good."
The spatial portal hummed louder.
Jun Cangxuan stepped forward slightly.
"Go."
Without another word, Ying Yue vanished into thin air, her presence completely erased.
Jun Tianming took one last look at his parents.
Mu Qingyue's eyes were slightly red, though she stood tall as the Holy Empress.
Jun Cangxuan remained calm — yet his golden gaze lingered just a second longer than usual.
Jun Tianming turned.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the portal.
Ding.
[Host has entered the Mortal Realm.]
[Scanning for Sons of Heaven…]
The moment Jun Tianming stepped through the portal, a translucent golden screen appeared before his eyes.
He remained calm.
"Xiao Chu."
A flicker of golden light gathered beside him, and the small fairy-like spirit materialised.
"I am here, Master," she said softly.
He glanced at the screen.
"What is this?"
"Umm… it consumes too much energy for me to maintain a physical form in the Mortal Realm," Xiao Chu explained nervously. "So I will mostly communicate through the system interface. Only you can see or hear it."
Jun Tianming nodded faintly.
Xiao chu observed his surroundings.
They were inside a well-furnished room. Though far inferior to the God Realm, it was considered luxurious in the Mortal Realm. The wooden furniture was polished, spiritual herbs burned faint incense in the corner, and the bed was neatly arranged.
"Where are we, Master?" Xiao Chu asked, floating briefly before flickering again. "This room is quite decent for the Mortal Realm."
"We are in the Azure Cloud Sect," Jun Tianming replied calmly.
Xiao Chu's eyes widened.
"Azure Cloud Sect?! Isn't that the largest sect in the entire Mortal Realm?"
Jun Tianming gave a small nod.
"But Master," she continued, "weren't you planning to travel across the Mortal Realm? Why did we come here directly?"
"It is more efficient this way," he said indifferently.
"Emperor Father arranged everything beforehand. I have plenty of time. From here, I can accomplish what I need."
He looked around with mild boredom.
"Though this place is nothing special… it is still better than wandering aimlessly."
Xiao Chu hesitated.
"Master… does anyone here know your identity?"
Jun Tianming's lips curved slightly.
"Of course someone knows."
He stood from the bed, adjusting his white robe.
"But it doesn't matter."
His golden eyes sharpened.
"So…"
He looked forward, expression shifting from indifference to faint excitement.
"Who is this Son of Heaven?"
Xiao Chu's figure vanished.
The golden screen flickered brightly before him.
[Target Detected.]
Name: Lin Zheng
Age: 20
Cultivation: Qi Condensation 2nd Layer
Luck Value: 8,750
Background:An illegitimate son of the Lin Family. As a child, he was abused and cast out; he also survived an assassination attempt, encountered a weak god Realm deity and received divine investment. Luck surged rapidly and grew stronger. He also destroyed the entire Lin Family. Currently heading toward the Azure Cloud Sect for further growth.