Su Xiaotian's voice was gentle but firm. "Qingxue, your origins—like Su Chen's—are shrouded in mystery. If you ever leave the Tianyuan Territory, seek your true parents."
Su Qingxue stood frozen. Twenty years of identity, shattered in an instant. Yet one thought anchored her: At least Brother Chen and I aren't blood-related.
Su Qingshuang gasped. "Wait—am I adopted too?!"
Su Xiaotian flicked her forehead. "You're my flesh and blood! Though gods know how my genes made someone so cheeky."
His expression softened as he pulled both daughters close. "You three—Su Chen, Qingxue, Qingshuang—are my pride. No blood could change that."
Eavesdropping on the roof, Qin Tian's pulse spiked.
"Master! The Extreme Yin Divine Body and hidden lineage? Her parents must be upper-realm monarchs!"
Old Man Tian's voice dripped greed. "And that ring… it reeks of Yao Guang Immortal Energy."
The Forbidden Scripture
Qin Tian squinted at the obsidian ring in Su Qingxue's hand—its surface dull to mortal eyes.
"That's no trinket," Old Man Tian hissed. "Even Dao Forging experts might miss its secret. But I sense the aura of the Yao Guang Divine Clan—one of the Ten Supreme Divine Races!"
Qin Tian's jealousy flared. "Su Chen's mother is a god? No wonder those sisters adore him!"
"Worse," Old Man Tian muttered. "That ring likely holds the Yao Guang Immortal Scripture—the Yao Guang Clan's foundational text. A scripture that transcends Emperor-tier arts… capable of cultivating true immortals."
Qin Tian's breath hitched. "Then we—"
"Fool! The Yao Guang Clan flays outsiders who dare learn it. Their Immortal Mirror detects practitioners across realms. Even Great Emperors flee their wrath."
A pause. "…Unless," the old soul mused, "we modify the scripture. My Nine Revolutions Soul-Refining Art could mask its cultivation."
A Predator's Gambit
Qin Tian's eyes gleamed. "The duel in two days—if I crush Wang Teng for the Su family, Qingxue will owe me. The ring and her body will be mine!"
Old Man Tian cackled. "Extreme Yin Divine Body first, Yao Guang Immortal Scripture next. Heaven itself gifts us this chance!"
Below, Su Qingxue clutched the ring, unaware it pulsed faintly—as if sensing its true heir's impending return.