All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

Beyond the world of evil gods, on the edge of the desolate void, lies a hidden floating island.

The island is sparsely populated with spiritual energy, yet it is exceptionally tranquil. There is no strife, no killing, only a sky full of stars and a simple but tidy wooden house standing quietly in the heart of the island.

A century has passed in the blink of an eye.

Back then, Jiang Chen, holding his newborn cub, resolutely left the Ancestral Land of Earth Dragons, changed his name, and hid with his child on this deserted floating island, where he remained for a hundred years.

The eerie cub with a sheep's body and a human face, and eyes under its armpits, has now transformed into a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy.

The young man was dressed in a simple coarse blue robe. He had a handsome face and his eyebrows and eyes had a touch of Jiang Chen's gentleness, but also a hint of indescribable sharpness. His eyes, in particular, were dark and deep, occasionally flashing with a sense of vicissitude that did not match his age. Deep in his eyes, there was also a faint, unseen red light.

His name is Xu Qiu'an.

Jiang Chen named him Jiang Qiu'an, but he made him use the alias Xu Qiu'an, concealing the Jiang family surname and all his connections with the Earth Dragon Clan and Di Qiu.

From the day Xu Qiu'an was able to take human form, Jiang Chen established an ironclad rule—he was never allowed to reveal his true form.

When he was a child, Xu Qiu'an didn't understand and only thought his father's request was too strange. Occasionally, when no one was around, he would secretly circulate the power in his body and try to reveal his true form, but each time Jiang Chen would discover it in time and stop him sternly.

After trying it many times, Xu Qiu'an dared not try it again, but his doubts only grew deeper.

He could clearly sense that he was different from his father.

My father, Jiang Chen, is a human. He has a gentle aura and cultivates human techniques. His every move exudes the elegance and composure of a human cultivator.

The power flowing within him was violent and domineering, completely different from his father's human power. It was more like the aura of some ancient ferocious beast, and he cultivated the demonic cultivation method that his father had specially found for him.

He is not human.

Xu Qiu'an had known this since he was a child.

But what race was he? His father never said, even when he asked countless times, his father remained silent, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes—guilt, pain, and an indescribable fear.

Aside from the questions about race, what Xu Qiu'an was most concerned about was his mother.

He had never met his mother since he was a child. Every time he asked about his mother, Jiang Chen would turn pale, his eyes would dart away, and he would remain silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice hoarse, and telling him, "Your mother, when she gave birth to you, exhausted all her strength to protect you and passed away."

Every time Xu Qiu'an heard this sentence, a strange bitterness and loss would well up in his heart.

He didn't know what his mother looked like, her name, her race, or even where she was buried.

But he could sense that his father missed his mother very much.

Every night, Jiang Chen would stand alone at the door of the wooden house, gazing at the distant void, silently standing there with empty eyes and a face full of weariness and longing. Sometimes, he would whisper a name in a soft voice, filled with endless guilt and reluctance.

Xu Qiu'an had vaguely heard that name before—Di Qiu.

That must be his mother's name.

Although his father never talked much about his mother, he would often tell Xu Qiu'an about his past with his mother before he went to bed.

It tells the story of how they met, how they got to know each other, and how they overcame racial barriers to come together; it tells the story of how gentle and brave the mother was, and how she did everything she could for him; it tells the story of their past sweetness and happiness, and the tenderness and concern hidden in the years.

Every time Jiang Chen talks about these things, his eyes become incredibly gentle, and the weariness and guilt on his face dissipate somewhat, as if he has returned to those days, to the days when Di Qiu was with him.

Xu Qiu'an listened intently, sketching his mother's image countless times in his mind, imagining her gentleness, and his longing for her grew deeper and deeper.

He longed to see his mother in person, to be able to nestle in her arms like other children and feel her warmth.

But he knew that was just wishful thinking.

For a century, Jiang Chen has cared for Xu Qiu'an with utmost devotion and given her everything.

He not only diligently taught Xu Qiu'an cultivation, how to conduct himself in society, how to conceal his aura, and how to survive in this perilous void, but also gave all his tenderness to Xu Qiu'an.

He never had the heart to scold or beat Xu Qiu'an. Even if Xu Qiu'an made a mistake, he would patiently teach and gently persuade him. He would remember Xu Qiu'an's preferences and find the spiritual fruits he liked. When Xu Qiu'an encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation, he would stay up all night to accompany him and guide him. He would use his own strength to create a safe haven for Xu Qiu'an and not let him suffer any harm.

Xu Qiu'an knew that his father had a hard life, and he was very sensible. He had worked hard to cultivate since he was a child so as not to worry his father. He wanted to become stronger as soon as possible, to protect his father, to find out about his race, and to find traces of his mother.

After a century of dormancy, Xu Qiu'an's cultivation has steadily improved, from initial ignorance to the current peak of the fifth level of the Inner Realm, only one step away from breaking through to the sixth level of the Inner Realm.

Today is the day Xu Qiu'an attempts to break through to the sixth level of the Inner Realm.

As dawn broke, Jiang Chen was already standing in the courtyard of the wooden house, staring solemnly at the stone platform not far away.

On the stone platform, Xu Qiu'an sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. A faint demonic aura surrounded him, and his breathing was steady as he adjusted his state in preparation for a breakthrough.

Jiang Chen's face showed a hint of anticipation, as well as an indescribable sense of unease and worry.

He knew that Xu Qiu'an had extremely high talent, and breaking through to the sixth level of the Inner Realm would be no difficult task for him.

But he knew even better that, according to the rules of his mother Di Qiu’s race, breaking through to the sixth level of the Inner Realm would awaken the race’s inheritance. At that time, Xu Qiu’an’s race would no longer be able to hide, and might even attract unexpected dangers.

For a century, he had carefully concealed Xu Qiu'an's identity and his race, all to protect him from the conflicts of that year and from any harm he might suffer.

But what was bound to happen eventually did happen.

Xu Qiu'an slowly opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them. He stood up, walked to Jiang Chen, and bowed respectfully: "Father."

Jiang Chen snapped out of his reverie, looked at his son who had grown into a young man, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes. Then, his expression turned serious again. He reached out and patted Xu Qiu'an's shoulder, saying in a heavy tone, "Qiu'an, are you ready?"

"Your son is ready!" Xu Qiu'an nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with determination and expectation. "Father, I will definitely succeed in breaking through and I won't let you down!"

Jiang Chen nodded, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, his tone carrying a hint of caution: "Qiu An, breaking through to the sixth level of the Inner Realm is different from before. This time, you may awaken your inheritance."

"Inheritance?" A hint of doubt and surprise flashed in Xu Qiu'an's eyes. "Father, what inheritance?"

"It's the inheritance of your mother's race." Jiang Chen's voice was slightly hoarse, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes. "When your mother's race breaks through to the sixth level of the Inner Realm, they awaken their race's inheritance. That is the power that belongs to their race, and it is also the power that belongs to you."

Upon hearing the words "the race of the mother," Xu Qiu'an's eyes lit up instantly, and he could hardly contain his excitement.

He pressed on, "Father, what race was Mother's? Is mine the same as Mother's?"

Faced with Xu Qiu'an's urgent questioning, Jiang Chen's eyes darted away again. He gently shook his head and said in a heavy tone, "Qiu'an, there are some things that are not the time to tell you now. When you are strong enough and the time is right, your father will naturally tell you everything."

It's always like this.