As his consciousness drifted into slumber, Yuan found himself standing in an unfamiliar place. His vision was blurry, so he couldn't see clearly.
"W-What is this place? And where am I...?" Yuan murmured, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Gradually, his vision sharpened, and once he could see clearly, he was stunned by the scene around him.
'What is this wet sensation I'm feeling?' Yuan realized his legs were wet, and it felt as though he was stepping in water. But when he looked down, horror crossed his face.
"Huh? Blood?" His expression turned grim as he took in his surroundings, his body trembling at the horrifying sight.
All around him were mountains of human corpses, and a river of blood flowed between them, the very ground he was standing on. The sheer number of bodies created this river of blood. Overhead, a red moon cast an eerie glow, amplifying the dreadfulness of the atmosphere. The stench of blood was suffocating, but it only affected him briefly.
Oddly, despite the horror, he felt a strange calmness in this grotesque environment.
Clang! Clang! Boom!
Suddenly, the sound of explosions and clashing metal erupted in the distance, followed by the battle cries of many people. Yuan saw a massive fight taking place between two large groups.
One side was clad in golden armor, with a radiant golden aura surrounding them, while the other wore a variety of armor, primarily silver. As the two forces collided, shockwaves rippled across the battlefield, blood sprayed, and inhuman screams filled the air.
"W-What the hell is going on?" Yuan mumbled, dazed and speechless at the sight.
"Isn't it obvious? We're at war."
A calm, prideful, and authoritative voice suddenly sounded from behind him, immediately capturing his attention.
"What? Who—" Yuan's voice froze as he turned to see a man standing a few meters away. Shock washed over him.
The man looked exactly like Yuan—same features, but with a more mature air, and he was as strikingly handsome as Yuan himself. Yuan stared, speechless, at this unexpected twin.
"W-Who are you?" Yuan asked, his voice trembling as he swallowed nervously.
"You already know me, Yuan. Deep down, you know who I am, so stop asking pointless questions. It will only waste your time—our time," the man replied, a wide grin spreading across his face before Yuan's vision abruptly darkened.
'I know him? What is he talking about? I've never met him before...' Yuan's thoughts raced as he looked at the man, utterly bewildered.
"Wha—" Before Yuan could say another word, he suddenly found himself inside the man's body, yet the body was moving on its own.
'What the hell is happening?! How did I end up in this body all of a sudden?!' Yuan cried inwardly.
To his dismay, he couldn't control anything and could only watch events unfold, as though watching a fully immersive movie. Everything felt real—except for the fact that he was no longer in control.
"Everyone! Surround the enemies! Leave none alive!" the unknown man shouted, his voice so powerful it carried a surge of spiritual energy across the entire battlefield.
"Yes, Commander!"
The battlefield erupted in cheers, and soon the sounds of metal clashing and inhuman screams filled the air as the carnage intensified.
When they returned feeling refreshed, Yuan saw that Valeria and the others had also woken up and were getting dressed.
"Good morning, everyone," he greeted them with a cheerful smile.
"Good morning!" they all replied, each taking a moment to greet him with a morning kiss. Once finished, they made their way to the bathroom to freshen up as well.
Yuan and his wives then left the room and met up with Lily and the others before heading to the inn's dining room. Upon their arrival, Miss Zara immediately brought breakfast to the table, serving them before taking a seat with them—it had become her habit to join Yuan and his wives for breakfast. Little Zoe also joined, seating herself beside her mother with a non-stop smile, visibly excited.
Everyone looked at her curiously, wondering about her unusually excited mood. It wasn't like her to be this thrilled, so naturally, everyone was intrigued.
'What's up with this little girl? Why is she giggling so much?' Yuan raised an eyebrow, curious. He then activated his Divine Sense to examine Little Zoe's small frame.
'I can sense Spiritual Energy within her... it's faint, but unmistakable,' he thought, surprised.
'Not bad. It seems she's already begun to learn the cultivation technique... What a genius little girl,' Fang Xiaoyan chuckled inwardly.
"Have you already learned the cultivation technique, Little Zoe?" Yuan asked, raising a brow. He already sensed the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.
"That's right!" Little Zoe nodded with a proud smile, giggling.
"What?!" Miss Zara was stunned to hear that her daughter had already learned the cultivation technique.
'When could she have learned it? We went to bed right away... Don't tell me...' Miss Zara's eyes widened as realization dawned. She looked at her daughter with a serious expression, clearly upset.
"Did you study it after I fell asleep?" she asked, giving Little Zoe a stern look.
Little Zoe's expression turned sheepish as she glanced at her mother, nodding to confirm that she had, indeed, practiced the technique after Miss Zara had dozed off.
Miss Zara sighed, shaking her head. "I don't even know what to say..."
"It's remarkable she was able to learn it so quickly!" Yuan chuckled, clearly impressed. "After all, it's a divine-rank technique."
"Sister Zara, it seems your daughter has a real gift for cultivation," Lily added, smiling as she kissed Little Zoe on the cheek, making the little girl giggle with happiness.
A while later, Yuan and his wives were seated in the private room on the sofa, with Miss Zara and Little Zoe sitting across from them.
"Miss Zara, have you decided which method you'd feel comfortable with?" Yuan asked.
Miss Zara glanced at her daughter before turning back to Yuan with a smile. "Yes, I've decided. I'd like to go with the pill. I trust that you all wouldn't let anything happen to me."
"You can count on that," Yuan replied with a reassuring nod.
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Well, you're probably wondering why I chose the name Tian Shang. The reason is simple: I wanted a name that means 'Above Heaven,' but couldn't find one that felt right. When I asked Chat-GPT for ideas, it suggested a few names, but this one stood out. The others just didn't suit my taste, so Tian Shang it is.