Chapter 26: True Origins

  In the vast starry void illuminated by countless bright stars, two figures floated in the endless darkness. One was a sixteen-year-old boy dressed in azure robes, while the other was a young man in his late twenties, wearing golden robes embroidered with black dragons and surrounded by an otherworldly presence.

  These were Su Tianhao and Chenyuan, the soul fragment of his father.

  "What do you mean by 'the true story of my existence'?" Su Tianhao asked slowly, his voice filled with anticipation.

  "Exactly what it sounds like. I will tell you about your true origins," Chenyuan said with a gentle smile before beginning:

  "You see, even though I am only a soul fragment of your father, we are one and the same. Before I was given the task of passing this message to you, I was him. So I know everything about your true origins because I am your father."

  Su Tianhao nodded, though he still couldn't fully understand the relationship between this soul fragment and his actual father.

  Chenyuan smiled and continued, "It all began one thousand years ago in the Immortal Realm. I was a young Heavenly Devouring Dragon who had just awakened his bloodline and started on the path of immortal cultivation. I was praised as a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius, rising above all my peers and earning recognition from the clan elders for every breakthrough and achievement. But..."

  "What happened?" Su Tianhao asked curiously.

  "I let it go to my head," Chenyuan smiled with regret. "Because of all the praise, I became incredibly prideful and arrogant. I couldn't tell right from wrong anymore, killing anyone who crossed my path—whether they were humans, beasts, or demons. This went on for centuries until I became a threat to the very world I was born into. The clan didn't want to deal with me since I was the crown prince, but everything changed when other major powers began demanding justice."

  "Who are these major powers?" Su Tianhao asked with growing curiosity. By now, he didn't look like someone trying to learn why he'd been abandoned, but rather a young man hungry for knowledge.

  As if reading his mind, Chenyuan chuckled. "These powers are other forces that rival the Supreme Dragon Clans. Since the Heavenly Devouring Dragon Clan is just one of the nine Supreme Dragon Clans, we weren't completely all-powerful. To prevent the entire Supreme Dragon alliance from going to war because of just me—the crown prince of the Heavenly Devouring Dragon Clan—all nine clans chose to punish me as a way to appease the other major powers."

  "I see..." Su Tianhao's eyes narrowed slightly.

  Chenyuan nodded, his expression growing serious. "As punishment, my cultivation was suppressed to that of a mortal, and I was cast down to the mortal realm—this very world!"

  Su Tianhao's eyes widened, but he said nothing and chose to listen.

  Seeing this, Chenyuan smiled and continued, "After being thrown into this world about a hundred years ago, I discovered that my cultivation had been reduced to the Martial Saint Realm of this world." He let out a heavy sigh.

  "What?! Isn't that the highest realm of cultivation possible?!" Su Tianhao was shocked. "Why do you look sad when your power was only reduced to that level?"

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  "Hmph! It might be the peak of cultivation in this world, but in the Immortal Realm, it's barely worth mentioning!" Chenyuan snorted. "As someone who despised weakness, being reduced to such a state was torture. What made it worse was that I was cast down to the mortal realm for a century-long punishment to reflect on my actions. It was truly a cursed fate!"

  "..."

  Su Tianhao was completely speechless.

  "However..." Chenyuan smiled, recovering his composure, "after discovering that the Martial Saint Realm was indeed the highest level of power in this world, and learning that there hadn't been a Martial Saint for the past ten thousand years, my mood improved considerably."

  Su Tianhao wasn't surprised—he had read about how no Martial Saint had appeared for ten thousand years. What puzzled him was why his father felt better about being the only Martial Saint in existence.

  "Why did that make you feel better?" he couldn't help but ask.

  "Hahahaha!" Chenyuan laughed heartily, his voice echoing like thunder across the void. "Even though I was a Supreme Immortal in the Immortal Realm, I wouldn't dare claim to have reached the peak of power there—it was still very far from my reach. But being thrown into a world of weaklings where I held absolute power? Of course that made me feel better! To me, it became a hundred years of dominance, not a hundred years of punishment. I could do whatever I wanted without worrying about consequences!"

  "..."

  Su Tianhao was speechless again. 'What a tyrant. No wonder they cast you down to the mortal realm,' he thought.

  Chenyuan glanced at him and smiled. "I agree—I was a tyrant. I was so arrogant that looking back now, I realize how foolish I was."

  "W-What?!" Su Tianhao was surprised. "You can read my mind?"

  "Shengzi, before my eyes, your entire existence is laid bare. I know everything about you—everything you've suffered. It pains me to think about it," Chenyuan said with a warm smile.

  Su Tianhao shook his head frantically and shouted with anger, "I am not Shengzi! I am Tianhao! I haven't accepted you or my father yet!"

  Chenyuan smiled bitterly. "Then allow me to finish the story."

  Su Tianhao nodded with furrowed brows and crossed his arms.

  Chenyuan smiled and continued, "As the only Martial Saint in existence, I chose to travel the world as a tyrant, enjoying everything the four continents had to offer. For decades, I dominated the world, shaping it according to my will. During my conquests, I made a few friends but far more enemies than I could ever count. I enjoyed world dominance until I even became bored with it... until I discovered the existence of a fifth continent."

  Su Tianhao frowned, looking confused. "I don't understand what you mean. Four continents? A fifth continent? I was told that the world we live in is a single continent called the Azure Dragon Continent!"

  Chenyuan chuckled. "Well, I don't blame them for being so short-sighted. The Azure Dragon Continent is just one of the four main continents in this world that I reshaped and renamed—a world I call the Supreme Dragon Martial World!"

  Su Tianhao was taken aback. "You actually named the entire world after yourself? What a tyrant you must have been!"

  Chenyuan smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, besides the Azure Dragon Continent, there's the Vermilion Bird Continent, the White Tiger Continent, and the Black Tortoise Continent. Each continent is built on the legacy of the four Saint beasts from ten thousand years ago."

  "I see..." Su Tianhao said thoughtfully. "You're a dragon too, right? How does the Azure Dragon compare to the Heavenly Devouring Dragon?"

  "Hmph!" Chenyuan snorted. "Comparing a Supreme Dragon to a Saint Dragon is like comparing a mighty dragon to a worm."

  "This..." Su Tianhao was speechless again.

  "What about the fifth continent you discovered?" he asked after recovering his composure.

  Chenyuan nodded. "The fifth continent is called the Holy Central Continent—a hidden land bigger than the four continents combined. It could be called a cultivation paradise for the cultivators of this world. It's separated by the Endless Seas, a vast ocean filled with supernatural phenomena that makes travel nearly impossible. It's also home to powerful sea creatures that could threaten even a Martial Saint!"

  "What?! Such a place exists?" Su Tianhao was shocked. "How could people possibly visit the Holy Central Continent with so many obstacles?"

  Chenyuan chuckled. "That's exactly it—they can't. Most people believe it's just a legend. The only way I knew about its existence was through ancient texts from ten thousand years ago, from before the very foundation of this world was shaken."

  "Ten thousand years ago again?" Su Tianhao thought. He couldn't help but ask, "What happened ten thousand years ago?"

  Chenyuan smiled bitterly, his expression serious. "That's another story entirely. You'll have to discover it yourself. It would do you more harm than good if I told you now."

  Su Tianhao narrowed his eyes, but he eventually nodded.

  Chenyuan's expression brightened, "After discovering the legendary Holy Central Continent, I decided to travel there and dominate it as well. It took me years, but I was able to reach the Holy Central Continent just as there were only ten years left in my punishment."

  He paused, a nostalgic expression crossing his features. "The Holy Central Continent was the most wonderful place in this world, where martial arts cultivation had reached its peak. There was no shortage of Martial Saint Realm experts, and the land was filled with amazing places and cultures."

  Su Tianhao watched him silently as he spoke about the Holy Central Continent. It was clear he had grown very fond of it.

  Chenyuan continued, "I finally found myself a new world to conquer..." He turned to Su Tianhao with a meaningful look.

  "It was also where I met your mother."

  "M-My mother?" Su Tianhao whispered in surprise.