I was born a god, the son of the Demon Lord.

No wonder the star map marked the coordinates of the fifth generation in advance; the timeline itself is the best answer.

Even though he was blindfolded and had his head slightly lowered, Xu Nanyi had the illusion of being watched gently.

"Xiao Nanyi".

Ying Shixue spoke softly, her voice like the wind rustling through bamboo leaves.

"How is your master... now?"

Xu Nanyi froze.

What?

Her eyes widened, and her mind went blank.

How did he know?!

Xu Nanyi took a half step back, pursed her lips, and was somewhat wary.

Ying Shixue sensed the change in her aura, but didn't ask any further questions. She smiled and gently patted the top of her head.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. After you return safely, your grandmaster will make you a pretty little dress."

Xu Nanyi: "..."

and so on.

Grandmaster?

Didn't this guy just call himself his grandmaster?!

Xu Nanyi opened her mouth as if to say something, but her vigilance had not completely dissipated, and she was also caught in a dilemma with her intuition that "the other party really doesn't seem to have any malicious intent."

In the end, she didn't say anything, but just stood there with her lips pursed and a complicated expression on her face.

What kind of monster is this person? They seem to see through everything.

Xu Nanyi felt an unprecedented sense of frustration; she could not sense the other party's cultivation level.

Like a bottomless ancient well, her perception, once thrown in, didn't even elicit a response.

Ying Shixue turned her head, and her "gaze" under the gauze fell on Shen Jiuyuan.

"You should be the last one of the fourth generation, right?"

"I never imagined that the little devil from back then... would have such a grown-up grandson."

Shen Jiuyuan's brows twitched slightly.

"Things have really changed," Ying Shixue sighed.

He raised his hand, and a small black cauldron, about the size of a fist, appeared out of thin air in his palm. The cauldron was entirely black, with dark red fire patterns flowing on its surface, and tiny flames flickering at its mouth.

With a loosening of his grip, the small cauldron floated towards Shen Jiuyuan.

"This cauldron is called the Demon King Cauldron," Ying Shixue said calmly. "Consider it a gift for an old friend in the future."

Shen Jiuyuan stared at the small black cauldron floating in front of him, remaining motionless for a moment.

Tianxing suddenly appeared from the side and slapped him on the back.

"What are you standing there for! Put it away!" Tianxing's eyes were practically glued to the cauldron. "Things given by Senior Ying are all treasures! If you don't want them, I'll—"

Shen Jiuyuan raised his hand and directly put the cauldron away.

The movements were as fast as grabbing a red envelope.

Tianxing's hand froze in mid-air halfway through its outstretched reach.

"..."

Okay, that's a pretty quick reaction.

Ying Shixue was amused and took out a jade pendant with two fish in the shape of two small fish, their heads and tails connected. The jade was warm and smooth, and it shone with a faint glow.

With a flick of his finger, the jade pendant split in two, each part becoming a complete little fish.

One flew towards Xu Nanyi.

One flew towards Shenxizhou.

"May you be safe and sound."

Ying Shixue put her hand back into her sleeve. "I hadn't decided what to give you, and I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly. Take this as a small gift for now, and Grandmaster will give you something better when you return safely."

Xu Nanyi looked down at the jade fish in her hand. It was smooth and warm to the touch.

She bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you...Grandmaster."

Shen Xizhou followed suit, hugging his little fish and saying in a childish voice, "Thank you, Grandmaster!"

—This kid picked it up pretty quickly; he calls him "Grandmaster" so naturally.

Ying Shixue waved her hand, her bamboo body swaying slightly. "Go on, this mission is urgent. Don't delay."

Everyone bowed and took their leave.

The magical artifacts were summoned once more, and the group rode the wind away, speeding towards the Demon Realm.

Xu Nanyi looked back and saw that the bamboo was still floating in the same spot, but there was no one on it anymore.

The snow had vanished without a trace, like a gust of wind dissipating.

Xu Nanyi turned around and tugged at Lin Qingyue's sleeve, "Aunt Yue, what is your master's cultivation level?"

Lin Qingyue held her and thought for a moment.

"My master... he seems to have reached the demigod realm a hundred years ago. After all, he was the second-generation guardian of the Taiyuan Realm and has lived for several thousand years."

Xu Nanyi: "!"

Several thousand years?!

A demigod level?!

"So, is he about to ascend to heaven?"

Lin Qingyue shook her head.

"Impossible. Master suffered a severe injury in his early years, and his cultivation stagnated at the Half-Immortal realm, unable to advance any further. Moreover, this realm has rules that restrict him... He cannot ascend to the Upper Realm."

Xu Nanyi paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, I see... What a pity."

Lin Qingyue rubbed her head and smiled.

"It's not a pity."

"After we ascend to immortality, we can find a way to take him with us to the Immortal Realm. What kind of wondrous arts and secret techniques doesn't the Immortal Realm have? We'll surely find a way."

Xu Nanyi looked up at her.

The wind ruffled Lin Qingyue's hair, her eyes curved, reflecting the sea of ​​clouds and distant mountains, as well as an undeniable conviction.

Xu Nanyi suddenly felt that when this person said "there will always be a way", it really made people believe it.

She nodded and gripped the jade fish tightly.

Ahead, in the direction of the Demon Realm, a thick layer of dark clouds pressed down on the horizon, like a giant beast lying at the edge of the world.

And far, far behind them—

The bamboo, which should be wiped of snow, slowly drifts towards the sacred land of Taiyuan.

The wind carried his voice, very low and soft, like a sigh.

"Southern sentiment, southern sentiment... Is this a sentiment that is difficult to bear...?"

The bamboo disappeared into the depths of the clouds and mist.

As soon as the aura of the Demon Realm's border approached, Xu Nanyi sensed it; there was an indescribable, fishy smell in the air.

Tianxing stopped at the very front, his hands forming a complex hand seal.

A dark red light emanated from his fingertips, adhering to everyone's skin like a thin film, suppressing the spiritual energy fluctuations on their bodies layer by layer.

Tianxing clapped his hands and inspected the area with satisfaction.

"Alright, from now on you are all legitimate demons. Remember to talk less, act tough, walk arrogantly, and look like you're about to beat everyone up."

Xu Nanyi: "Understood."

Shen Jiuyuan's expression didn't even change.

Tianxing glanced at him: "...Fine, you don't need to act."

The group put away their magical artifacts and landed at the entrance to the border city of the Demon Realm.

Xu Nanyi looked up.

The city gate was an arched structure built from two enormous black bones, with several strings of dried corpses of unknown origin hanging from it—perhaps decorations? The aesthetics of the demon race a thousand years ago were truly indescribable.

No one checked us on the way into the city.

That's true. These border cities are a melting pot of all sorts of people, from all walks of life. Where would you find the time to investigate them one by one?

Xu Nanyi looked left and right.

The shops lining both sides of the street were just ordinary shops, selling weapons, medicine, and food, not much different from those of the human race.

Well... it's just that the style of the signboard is rather hardcore.

The restaurant entrance was bustling with people, making it a good place to gather information.

That's it.

Xu Nanyi grabbed Shen Xizhou's hand, flicked her braid, and dashed into the restaurant with the speed of the wind.

"Let's go—to the second floor, by the window!"

"Slow down, sister!"

Shen Xizhou was dragged and staggered a couple of steps, his short legs moving incredibly fast.

When Lin Qingyue and the others came in, Xu Nanyi was already sitting comfortably in a window seat in the second-floor lobby, with her arm around her younger brother and the other hand calling out to the waiter.

The waiter was a young demon with pointed ears. He was fairly good-looking, but his canine teeth were a bit sharp when he smiled.

"What would you gentlemen like to eat?"

Xu Nanyi took the menu, glanced at it, and began to recite the names of the dishes.

"One serving of roasted bacon leg, one bowl of frost-covered mushroom soup, two dishes of honey-soaked blood berries, one plate of braised earthworm tendons, two roasted pork ribs, one serving of cicada tofu, and three bowls of vegetarian noodles."

Lin Qingyue blinked: "How did Yiyi know what we wanted to eat?"

Xu Nanyi tilted her head, speaking matter-of-factly: "I found out a few days ago while you were traveling and eating. Aunt Yue and Mother love to drink soup, Senior Tianxing can't live without meat, Father prefers strong flavors but doesn't eat spicy food, and Xiaozhou likes sweet things."

"..." Tianxing stared at her in shock. "You even noticed that I can't live without meat?"

Xu Nanyi smiled.

Nonsense, your speed in grabbing meat is comparable to your father's speed in collecting the cauldron!

Tianxing wiped away her tears, moved: "Good child! From now on, you're my own niece!"