Chapter 928

Ding Huan opened the jade box in confusion, inside was a recorded crystal ball.

With his divine sense, the moment it touched the crystal ball, he understood what was recorded inside, and his eyes slightly reddened.

The crystal ball activated, showing Seeing Qu Yi holding a cute, plump baby, whose eyes were not only large but also bright.

She stared wide-eyed at Ding Huan: "Dad, I've reached my hundredth day; actually, I could speak already at my first month."

Mom said she carried me for six hundred and ninety-three years before I was born—Mom really suffered. Mom named me Nian Huan. When will you come back?"

"Dad, I'm one year old. Mom taught me a cultivation art—I practice the Primordial Dao Scripture. Mom says I'm progressing fast. When will you come back?"

……

"Dad, I'm twelve. My cultivation has reached the Immortal-Fanqiao realm. Mom says I'm a genius."

Ding Huan looked at the delicate, lovely daughter in the recording, and a sense of guilt toward Seeing Qu Yi welled up inside him.

After age twelve, the image of Nian Huan never asked when Dad would come back.

Ding Huan was filled with remorse—he had always assumed someone would inform him about his child with Seeing Qu Yi, yet until now, no one had said a word.

He simply dared not ask about it.

He had passed the Primordial Dao Scripture to Seeing Qu Yi and Jia Baihe. Unlike other arts, practicing it during pregnancy requires extreme caution.

One misstep, and the child would be lost.

The best solution was to halt cultivation and rest peacefully to nurture the pregnancy.

Ding Huan knew Seeing Qu Yi longed to grow stronger quickly, so she could stay by his side.

So Seeing Qu Yi certainly wouldn't stop cultivating.

He had returned a long time ago, yet no one had voluntarily mentioned his child's condition—he dared not ask.

So he decided that if no one told him before he left again, he would ask Ku Ya.

But Ding Huan didn't know it wasn't that others avoided the topic.

It was that Nian Huan had spent too long in the womb—Ding Huan had been gone for over six hundred years before little Nian Huan was born.

Who would dare mention this?

Even a sage's child has never stayed in the womb beyond five hundred years.

And a child born after more than two hundred years in the womb would likely be an Immortal from birth.

Nian Huan speaking only a month after birth? And taking twelve years to reach the Immortal-Fanqiao realm? That's not a genius—it's the dumbest thing imaginable.

Seeing Qu Yi calling her a genius was just comforting talk.

Isn't this clearly not Ding Huan's child?

Since everyone suspected Nian Huan wasn't Ding Huan's, who would dare mention her in his presence?

Ding Huan sighed—he roughly understood what had happened.

The Primordial Dao Scripture is the primordial art that opened heaven and earth, the foremost of the Three Thousand Dao Paths, the origin of all techniques.

That's precisely why Ding Huan passed it to Seeing Qu Yi and Jia Baihe.

Pregnancy lasting over six hundred years before birth with the Primordial Dao Scripture? That's actually fast.

Pregnancy lasting over a thousand years before birth isn't even unusual.

But for Nian Huan to speak only a month after birth, and take twelve years to reach the Immortal-Fanqiao realm—that is indeed rare.

Ding Huan suspected this was likely tied to his own Dao.

His cultivation of the Great Cosmos Art places sole emphasis on foundation.

To forge the ultimate Dao foundation, he sought every possible method before even reaching Foundation Establishment.

Others rushed to establish their foundation—he sought ways to extend his future Dao path as far as possible.

Nian Huan carried his bloodline; her foundation had to be unshakable.

So Nian Huan began forging her foundation even in the womb.

After birth, she steadily cultivated to the Immortal-Fanqiao realm—not emerging as an Immortal from the start.

This wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

At least Ding Huan believed it wasn't.

Cultivating to Foundation Establishment on one's own, versus being born an Immortal from the womb—this difference might reveal itself when proving the Dao far in the future.

"Dad, I've reached the Immortal King realm. I've begun practicing the Great Cosmos Art you left behind—I think your Great Cosmos Art is truly remarkable…"

……

"Dad, I've taken Qi Auntie as my master. She knows so much—I think I'll soon enter the World God realm."

Qi Auntie gave me a treasure, the Time-Space Ring. I love this treasure so much…"

……

"Dad, I'm leaving with Mom. Mom says we'll find you on the Island of Gods…"

The crystal ball recorded an immense amount—there was documentation for nearly every time period.

After watching the final recorded message, Ding Huan fell silent.

Throughout, Seeing Qu Yi left not a single word or phrase.

Not even a single phrase—Seeing Qu Yi didn't leave even one image of herself.

Clearly, after such a long absence, Seeing Qu Yi held deep resentment toward him.

She named their daughter Nian Huan—a homophone for "Nian Huan," meaning "thinking of Huan."

That was likely only one meaning; another was that Nian Huan's future lay within the vast cosmos.

Seeing Qu Yi hoped her daughter would achieve Dao mastery and stand atop the universe.

"Big Brother, I'm sorry."

"Big Brother, I'm sorry."

Gu Baihe is no Bai Chi; Ding Huan activated the Image Crystal, and she had been watching beside him all along.

Given her experience, she naturally saw Seeing Qu Yi's dissatisfaction with Ding Huan.

Ding Huan shook his head: "Baihe, this has nothing to do with you. Seeing Qu Yi has long known of your existence and has mentioned you more than once."

"She's angry because I came back too late. Alas, I truly did come back too late."

"And when she gave you the crystal ball first, it was to tell you she accepts you—don't overthink it."

Gu Baihe said nothing more; she decided that when she next met Nian Huan, she would give Nian Huan her finest treasure.

"Baihe, return to the sect first and wait for me. After I finish setting up the barrier over Blue Star Divine Land, we'll leave immediately for the Gods' World."

Ding Huan put away the crystal ball.

Although Qi Manwei might be on the Seventh Step of the Dao, even if Qi Manwei were stronger, she would be no more than equal to Lan Xihé.

People like Lan Xihé and Jing Xizhen cannot remain long on the Gods' Isles—they must return to re-cultivate before going again to the Gods' World.

And what of Qi Manwei and the others?

A month later, Ding Huan completed the barrier setup over Blue Star Divine Land and handed full control of the barrier to Ku Ya.

"Ku Ya, this barrier has two Control Flagstones: one activates its defensive function, the other its offensive function."

"If you ever leave Blue Star Divine Land, you must entrust both flagstones to someone trustworthy."

Ding Huan repeated these instructions over and over.

Blue Star Divine Land was his foundation.

Having reached the Saint of Utterance, Ding Huan could sense the intimate bond between Blue Star Divine Land and himself.

If Blue Star Divine Land suffered harm, his Dao might also be affected.

This was why he stayed over a month here to set up the barrier.

Originally, Ding Huan thought that after Ku Ya, Ni Chongtian could take over as Sect Master of Blue Star Academy—but Ni Chongtian's talent was no worse than Ku Ya's.

Now, with the cultivation resources he provided, Ni Chongtian would likely ascend rapidly and attain the Creation Realm.

So Ni Chongtian would not remain here long either.

Ku Ya solemnly accepted the flagstones Ding Huan gave her: "Master, rest assured—I will not disappoint you. At what level of cultivation may I seek you out?"

"If Blue Star Divine Land never restricts your cultivation, remain here and cultivate. Remember: the Fourth Step of the Dao is the Saint of Utterance."

"If, when you attain the Fourth Step, you find you cannot utter your Dao, you must leave."

"After the Fourth Step, each step has a reason—if you attain it without understanding the reason, leave immediately."

"There are many Gods' Isles beyond the Gods' World; if you cannot find me right away, don't rush—you can still cultivate on the Gods' Isles."

"Yes, Master." Ku Ya bowed deeply.

Ding Huan, Gu Baihe, Guan Huan, and Qiao Qianhe departed Blue Star Divine Land without disturbing anyone, only accompanied by Ku Ya's farewell.

Originally, Ding Huan had planned to visit Half-God Star to see whether Zhuo Yao and Yan Qi had ascended to the Divine Realm.

But fearing Seeing Qu Yi, he suppressed the idea of going to Half-God Star and chose instead to head for the Gods' World.

"Guan, you control the Cosmic Cauldron. Baihe, go cultivate first—I must also enter seclusion."

Ding Huan had no time to control the Cosmic Cauldron, so he entrusted it to Guan Huan.

"Ding Brother, I'll join Guan Daoist." Qiao Qianhe's cultivation would gain nothing from further seclusion.

Having witnessed the power of Lan Xihé and Qu Beige, and seen Ding Huan's strength, he now felt even more urgent than Ding Huan to reach the Gods' Isles.

"Ding Huan, where to?" Guan Huan asked.

Ding Huan pulled out a directional jade slip and handed it to Guan Huan:

"First go to Xiao Tian Xu, then from Xiao Tian Xu to this Cosmic Wall. Once you cross the Cosmic Wall, call me."

Ding Huan's plan was to return to the Cosmic Void where the Great Universe resides, then search for the Cosmic Wall.

He had no intention of using the Eternal Life Talisman again.

The Eternal Life Talisman had been used once and needed time to recover.

That was only one reason.

More importantly, he feared the Talisman's spirit might be a companion artifact of the Eternal Life Talisman.

If so, using it would be dangerous.

His first task in seclusion was not cultivation, but to find a way to resolve the issue with the Eternal God Wheel.

For Ding Huan, no matter how urgently he desired to reach the Gods' World, he must first resolve the problem of the Eternal God Wheel.

Inside the inner cabin of the Cosmic Cauldron, Ding Huan returned to his own cosmic world.

The Cosmic Cauldron was his treasure; within his own world, he could perceive everything happening to the Cauldron.

Upon entering his world, Ding Huan seized the Eternal God Wheel in his hand.

His divine sense settled upon the Eternal God Wheel—there was no trace of strangeness; it remained his Dao-essence, its aura still the Dao-rhythm of his treasure.

Ding Huan repeatedly communicated with the Eternal God Wheel through the Great Universe Art, even bringing the Grand Void Flame into his own Zhou Tian.

Yet the Eternal God Wheel showed no sign of anomaly.

It was simply his treasure.

Had it not been for Che Hongzi's words—that Chaos Treasures recognize only one master—Ding Huan might have suspected Che Hongzi was lying.

From his inner unease, he was certain Che Hongzi had not lied.

Now, heading for the Gods' Isles, he was essentially walking straight into the Eternal God Saint's presence.

If he did not wish to become a mere gift-bearer, he must find a solution before then—or he would have to abandon the Eternal God Wheel.

Abandoning the Eternal God Wheel—even with his countless treasures—was something Ding Huan could not bear to do.