A gentle warmth wrapped around his body, as if he was being embraced by something.
'Ah, this feeling again… looks like I'm inside a womb and have to start everything from zero once more'
A steady, rhythmic sound echoed around him.
"Push again, Madam! Just a little more—!"
"Breathe in… exhale… breathe in… don't stop!"
Women's voices—more than one—overlapped with each other.
Their tones were tense, breaths uneven, words breaking between panic.
"Push again, Madam! Just a little more!"
"Warm water! Quickly, bring it here!"
The atmosphere was filled with urgency and anxiety, as if every passing second felt unbearably heavy.
Lin Yuan's consciousness sharpened instantly.
He couldn't move freely. His body was restrained, small, not fully formed. But his mind remained clear.
Without hesitation, he called out to something familiar.
'...System, activate observation mode.'
["Basic observation function activated."]
In an instant, the darkness around him changed.
A vague vision opened—not through his eyes, but as a perception directly projected into his consciousness.
He saw a middle-aged midwife, her face drenched in sweat, hands moving skillfully, her voice firm despite the hidden anxiety.
On the bed—a woman lay in pain.
Her hair was jet black, long and loose, sticking to her pale yet breathtakingly beautiful face.
Her skin was as white as jade, flawless. Her eyes were tightly shut, brows furrowed as she endured the pain, her breathing heavy and uneven.
A gentle yet powerful aura surrounded her—clearly not an ordinary woman.
My mother…
His gaze shifted.
A man stood not far away.
His black robe was long, embroidered with golden threads forming elegant patterns. Every step he took carried a subtle pressure, enough to make the air feel heavy.
But right now—he was pacing back and forth.
Restless.
Uneasy.
Even… panicking.
His hands were clenched so tightly that blood dripped from them.
Even a powerful cultivator could do nothing in this situation.
My father.
Lin Yuan's gaze moved, examining the surroundings.
The room was vast, far larger than an ordinary chamber. Tall pillars stood firmly, carved with dragons and clouds that looked almost alive.
Silk curtains hung all around, layered and swaying gently with the wind.
In one corner, high-quality incense burned slowly, its aroma calm and soothing to anyone who inhaled it.
The floor was made of polished jade, reflecting the soft light from crystal lamps hanging above—each crystal emitting a warm glow.
On the walls, delicate formation carvings were embedded—protection, calming effects, maybe even vitality enhancement.
Lin Yuan paused for a moment, realizing that this level of luxury far exceeded his expectations, but his attention shifted to something else.
It seemed that instead of going to an urban world like before, this time he had truly arrived in a xianxia cultivation world.
A cry broke out as the tiny body was fully delivered from his mother's womb.
In that instant, the world seemed to freeze.
Hands that had been moving quickly slowly stopped, breaths that had been held were finally released. The suffocating tension from before… collapsed just like that.
All attention turned toward the crying baby.
One of the midwives let out a long breath, her shoulders slumping, while the others exchanged relieved smiles.
"…Finally," someone whispered softly.
The room, once tense, was now filled with relief—warm and calming.
Then—
HUMMM—
A soft light emerged from the baby's body.
At first, it was faint… almost invisible.
But in an instant, the light expanded.
"This…?"
The midwife holding him froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
BOOOOM—!!
The light exploded.
Not in all directions—
but gathered into a single point, then shot straight toward the sky, forming a pillar of light.
The pillar kept rising.
Piercing the heavens.
Tearing through the clouds.
And in an instant—the sky changed color.
Dark clouds gathered from all directions, swirling into a massive vortex. Lightning crackled wildly within it, striking endlessly as if searching for something to destroy.
The wind roared.
The storm trembled.
The entire Lin family territory was submerged under a suffocating pressure.
...
In the sky—
one figure after another appeared.
Their auras were mysterious. Their presence blended with the heavens. Every step they took seemed capable of shaking space itself.
Without many words, they raised their hands toward the sky.
HUMMM—
Ancient runes lit up.
A massive dome slowly formed, covering the entire Lin family territory, suppressing the phenomenon so it wouldn't leak out.
But their gazes… were not calm.
One old figure frowned, his voice heavy.
"…What a great calamity."
He looked at the swirling black clouds above.
"What exactly has our Lin family done…?"
"Hah!"
Another figure snorted coldly, narrowing his eyes.
"Old man, have you gone blind?"
He pointed at the pillar of light piercing the sky.
"Look at that carefully. That's not just a calamity."
"…It's a great fortune."
"Fortune?"
Another ancestor frowned even deeper.
"Don't you see the pressure from the heavens? Even heavenly lightning is reacting."
"If this isn't a disaster… then what is it?"
Another figure spoke, his tone low.
"…Strange."
"A phenomenon like this… carries two things at once."
"Calamity… and fortune. Something that has never happened in this era."
Silence fell.
All eyes were fixed on the vortex in the sky.
"How is that possible…"
Someone muttered softly.
"How can two completely opposing things… appear at the same time?"
The air grew heavier.
No one could answer.
Right at that moment—
a figure shot up from below, stopping in front of them.
His black robe with golden layers fluttered lightly.
A strong aura radiated from him, yet compared to them, it was like a small candle.
He lowered his head respectfully.
"Ancestors… I, Lin Wuchen—the 37th patriarch of the Lin family—greet you."
"Ah."
One of the ancestors narrowed his eyes.
"So you're the patriarch of this generation…"
His gaze turned sharp.
"Then explain to us."
"What exactly happened in the Lin family while we were asleep?"
Lin Wuchen took a deep breath.
"Ancestors… this phenomenon was not caused by any heavenly treasure or artifact…"
"Then what?!"
Another voice cut him off sharply.
"Stop wasting time. Speak clearly!"
Lin Wuchen fell silent for a moment.
Then slowly said—
"I believe… this phenomenon comes from the birth of my son."
Silence.
In an instant—
WHOOSH—!!
One of the ancestors appeared right in front of him.
His hand shot forward.
GRAB!
Lin Wuchen's neck was instantly seized tightly.
"YOU—!"
The ancestor's eyes were filled with anger.
"Don't tell me… you've consorted with a demon!"
Killing intent spread instantly.
The other ancestors frowned.
Their expressions turned grim.
"…Makes sense."
One of them muttered.
"Only the birth of a demon… could trigger a calamity like this."
"And if that's true…"
Another added coldly.
"Our Lin family… will become the enemy of the entire cultivation world."
"Tch."
Someone clicked his tongue, his tone filled with regret.
"Such talent… yet carrying demon blood."
"If this calamity hadn't appeared… we could have raised him as a pillar of the Lin family."
"But now…"
He shook his head.
"I'm afraid… he'll become a disaster for the Lin family instead."
Cold gazes fell on Lin Wuchen.
"Take us to that child."
His tone was emotionless.
"I'll eliminate him with my own hands."
Lin Wuchen's face turned pale.
His mind trembled.
Demon…?
My son… no… my wife…?
Doubt flickered in his mind.
But before the situation worsened—a calm voice came from below.
"…Ancestors, please calm down."
A man appeared.
Dressed in pitch black.
His aura was hidden, yet traces of blood couldn't be concealed.
He lowered his head.
"I have already examined the young master."
"And it seems… he doesn't have even a drop of demon blood in his body."
Silence.
Lin Wuchen's eyes widened slightly.
Relief flashed across his face.
On the other hand—
the ancestors frowned even more.
"No demon blood…?"
"Then this phenomenon…"
One of them looked at the man.
"And who are you?"
The man answered without hesitation.
"I am the current patriarch's guard."
"And also… the head of the Lin family's shadow division."
Hearing that—
the ancestor who was choking Lin Wuchen immediately released his hand.
THUD.
Lin Wuchen's body dropped back, gasping for air.
"In that case…"
the ancestor said coldly.
"There's no time to speculate. Take us to the child."
Lin Wuchen quickly steadied his breathing.
Then bowed respectfully.
"…Yes, Ancestors."
He turned around.
"Please follow me."
One by one, their figures disappeared from the sky, leaving behind faint ripples in the air.