CHAPTER 1444: THE LITTLE SEEDLING

The glowing string guided him through the ruined palace. Crumbling pillars loomed like the broken spines of giants, shattered walls sagged under centuries of neglect, and the cracked stone floor whispered of a time when this place was resplendent with glory.

He halted before a colossal statue of a goddess. Though half-destroyed, its face eroded beyond recognition, but a faint sense of benevolence and purity lingered, as if even ruin could not erase her divinity.

Zhao Li Xin spared it only a brief glance before pressing on, following the thread of light deeper into the heart of the palace.

Finally, he arrived at a place encircled by towering pillars, each cracked and leaning, as though they too had grown weary of standing. It might once have been a garden; the shattered stone paths and toppled benches whispered of tranquil beauty lost to time. But at its center lay a vast, gaping hollow—an emptiness so profound it seemed almost alive—as though something immense had been wrenched from the world, leaving only a wound that would never heal.

Suddenly, the silver box in his hands began to tremble violently, harder than ever before. The sealing array that was supposed to bind it cracked like splintering glass, runes flickering erratically before fading away one by one.

Zhao Li Xin’s brows knitted in alarm. But before he could react, the box burst apart with a deafening snap of energy. A blur of motion shot out, the creature within, darting straight into the gaping hollow at the garden’s center.

A heartbeat later, the ground shuddered. From the void, colossal roots erupted, bursting forth with terrifying speed. They spread like wildfire, splitting stone and devouring earth, twisting and writhing as though they were alive.

Zhao Li Xin leapt onto a shattered pillar just in time as the roots consumed everything in their path, weaving into a tangled mass of blackened branches that swallowed the ground until nothing remained but a churning sea of living wood.

Zhao Li Xin remained calm, his heartbeat steady and unshaken. From his perch atop the shattered pillar, he watched the roots spread like a living plague, clawing through the ruins as if they sought to swallow the world itself. But in this forsaken place, there was nothing left to claim, nothing but...him.

The creature sensed it. Its roots recoiled, then struck all at once, a thousand jagged branches lashing toward him like the fangs of a starving beast.

In that moment, his eyes narrowed.

Soon after the flames erupted, not merely fire, but a blinding inferno of pure will, surging outward in a tidal wave of dark purplish light.

The air trembled, the ground split apart, and even the sky seemed to bend beneath the crushing weight of his power. His fire swept through the roots, burning them not merely to ash but to nothingness, erasing their very existence until only a ghostly haze of cinders remained.

Zhao Li Xin’s expression remained impassive. He stood above it all like a monarch gazing down upon ants, worthless, insignificant, and utterly beneath him.

But the creature, the one they called Scion, refused to submit. From deep below, it unleashed another onslaught. The massive roots lanced upward, tearing through stone and earth, opening vast chasms that devoured everything in their path, even the pillar where Zhao Li Xin stood.

In a single, effortless motion, Zhao Li Xin leapt into the air. His descent was swift and unrelenting, and with one palm strike, he shattered the sea of writhing roots beneath him. Dark purplish flames erupted from his hand, their eerie glow twisting like a living shadow.

They spread in a relentless tide, devouring everything they touched, burning not with heat alone but with a force that seemed to consume the very essence of existence.

Within moments, the entire garden was ablaze, bathed in a haunting, dark-purple inferno that shimmered in the night like a spectral fire, beautiful and terrifying, as if the world itself held its breath in fear.

The fire was burning the rest of the root, creating a path for Zhao Li Xin to walk. He finally stopped at the edge of the gap, staring at the creature writhing that seem like in agony.

A smirk lifted at the corner of Zhao Li Xin’s face, he jumped to the gape then grba and the black seed, [What a troblesome creature, and stupid too] he said with a slight mockery.

He clenched the seeds tightly in his palm. A moment later, flames engulfed them, burning with a relentless, purifying heat. Layer by layer, the blackened shell of the creature burned away, until nothing remained but a small, faintly glowing green seed.

[What is this?] Zhao Li Xin pinched the tiny seed between his thumb and index finger, his sharp gaze scrutinizing it. Then, all of a sudden, Poof!

The seed slipped from his grasp and tumbled onto the ground, rolling a few times before a soft light erupted from it. In an instant, the seed magically transformed into a very small boy who looked no older than two years old.

The child rolled a few times, then ended up face down, but he didn’t care. The little boy wobbled on unsteady feet, greenish curls falling messily over his head.

He blinked a few times in a daze, then turned his little head toward Zhao Li Xin. The boy lifted his face. Round, ember-hued eyes met his, framed by chubby, reddened cheeks. His plump little body was completely bare.

Zhao Li Xin’s dark eyes narrowed as he stared at the strange creature before him, with a tense, cautious expression.

The boy looked at him for a long, silent moment—then his face lit up with pure delight.

"Pa–pa?"

"..." Zhao Li Xin’s face darkened, clearly displeased at the little boy’s choice of words.

"I’m not your father," he refuted briskly.

The boy froze for a moment, then called out again, louder this time, "Papa!"

Zhao Li Xin’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you?"

The little boy tilted his head and stared at him innocently. "Pa... pa... pa?"

’Is this thing an idiot?’

Zhao Li Xin shut his eyes, inhaling slowly to keep his annoyance in check. When he opened them again, the boy was still there, staring up at him with glittering eyes full of expectation. He finally noticed that the boy was still naked, and his mouth twitched in irritation.

With a flick of his hand, a robe appeared in his palm.

The boy gasped and clapped his hands in delight, as if Zhao Li Xin had just performed the greatest miracle in the world. Zhao Li Xin sighed. The robe was far too big, but he had nothing else suitable for a child. With a few quick, rough cuts, he shortened the sleeves and hem, then tossed the robe at the boy.

"Wear it," he commanded coldly.

The boy’s eyes sparkled with joy. He hugged the robe like it was a treasure, then glanced back at Zhao Li Xin. But faced with that icy expression, the boy quickly looked down again. He seemed to understand he should put it on, but... how?

After fumbling for a while, he shoved his arms into the sleeves and tightened the sash. Then he looked up with a wide, triumphant grin, as if waiting for praise.

Zhao Li Xin’s eyelid twitched. The boy had put it on backwards—its back facing the front... and his little butt was poking out of the robe, like a duck.

Zhao Li Xin rubbed his forehead, exhaling sharply through his nose. He wanted to ignore this idiot creature. Unfortunately, his sense of order wouldn’t allow it. With a resigned sigh, he crouched down, turned the robe the right way around, and dressed the boy properly.

Still, because Zhao Li Xin had cut the robe carelessly, it looked tattered, and as a result, the boy resembled a little beggar.

Sadly, the boy didn’t realize it. He simply beamed with joy, his gaze toward Zhao Li Xin warm and trusting. When Zhao Li Xin finished, he noticed a few strands of messy hair sticking out.

He stared at them for a moment... then, with an almost imperceptible motion, smoothed them down with his hand. The boy’s grin grew even brighter.

After his done, Zhao Li Xin immediately retracted his hand as if nothing had happened. "Follow me," he ordered, turning on his heel.

The boy scampered after him with tiny steps, but it was hopeless. In seconds, Zhao Li Xin was far ahead.

"Papa!" the boy cried out pitifully.

Zhao Li Xin halted and turned around. His face darkened even more as he saw the distance between them.

Not only is this little creature stupid... he’s unbearably slow.

He clicked his tongue in irritation but didn’t leave. Instead, he waited for the boy to catch up.

The boy was panting heavily, his tiny legs wobbling with exhaustion, and Zhao Li Xin’s expression grew increasingly dissatisfied.

He turned his gaze forward and frowned. The path ahead was long, far too long, and at this rate, who knew when they would finally leave this place? What if Lory came looking for him? What if she got worried

Zhao Li Xin calculated his options, his patience thinning by the second. Then, without warning, he reached down, grabbed the back of the boy’s collar, and lifted him effortlessly like a kitten.

The boy let out a surprised squeak, then burst into delighted laughter, swinging his little legs happily.

Zhao Li Xin’s expression remained blank. Without another word, he sped up. Once again, they passed the grand statue. Suddenly, the boy chirped, "Mama..."

Zhao Li Xin stopped and glanced at the towering figure. "She’s your mother?"

The boy repeated, "Mama - Mama!"

Zhao Li Xin’s expression darkened. At first, he had assumed the boy was nothing more than a fragment of the entity—an echo given form.

But now...

"Could it be," he muttered, staring at the statue, "that this boy is Zalchana’s actual son?"

The realization struck him like a cold blade of clarity. If that was true, this wasn’t just some strange creature he had picked up—this was valuable information.

He glanced at the boy, who was still stretching his tiny hands toward the statue with teary eyes.

"...Tch." Zhao Li Xin’s jaw tightened. Now the boy has become more valuable than he thought, and he cannot lose him.

The boy’s voice trembled with sadness as he stretched his tiny hands toward the statue. "Mama..." Then he turned to Zhao Li Xin with pleading eyes. "Mama... papa?"

Zhao Li Xin’s face turned grim, and he turned the boy to face him. "I am not your father, and that is not my wife," he declared with utter conviction.

The boy looked at him pitifully. "Pa...pa?"

Even though Zhao Li Xin knew this stupid little creature didn’t mean it literally, the idea of being paired with some random woman, let alone a creature like Zalchana, made his blood boil.

"Call me Milord," Zhao Li Xin said sharply.

The little boy blinked up at him. "Papa?"

"Call me Master," his patience thinning.

"Papa?" he call him again.

"...Fine. Call me Mr. Zhao, then," he spat out.

The boy scrunched his lips, clearly trying his hardest. "Zh... Zha...o... Zha...o..." His tiny fists clenched with determination, then at last—

"Zhao papa!"

Zhao Li Xin: "..."