That was not a Ruins Spirit, but a figure that looked like a youth, covered in a thin, dark glow, as if encased in a dark cocoon.
His eyes were tightly shut, his face serene, as if he had fallen into the deepest sleep. His aura subtly resonated with the entire Eye of the Nether Sea and even this Guixu Land, becoming one with it.
Most astonishingly, even in his sleep, an indescribable Dao rhythm naturally flowed around the youth, as if he were the darling of this deathly Jedi, inherently close to everything here.
His spirituality was simply Heaven-Defying, astonishing.
"This is..."
Jiang Hao also noticed this peculiar existence, his Heart-Nature solemn.
An existence that could sleep in such a place was absolutely extraordinary.
The Nether Crow widened its eyes even further, letting out a low cry:
"Goodness... how can there be a living person in this place? No, this feeling... it's not like a living person, nor like a dead person..."
Just as Han Xuanji and the others approached, the Life Qi emanating from them instantly seemed to trigger something.
The dark glow covering the youth's entire body slowly receded like a tide, merging back into him.
His long eyelashes trembled slightly, and then, a pair of dark eyes as deep as the Eye of the Nether Sea slowly opened.
An invisible pressure, accompanying his gaze, suddenly descended.
This pressure was not intentionally released, but rather came from his very existence, as if the will of the entire Guixu Land was superimposed upon him, causing Jiang Hao to instantly gasp for breath, making him ask:
"What is this person's background?"
The Nether Crow's eyes were also filled with confusion:
"I don't know, actually, this is my first time coming this deep. In the past, I would only get a few steps in before being gone."
Han Xuanji calmly looked at the awakened youth, a hint of seriousness appearing in his eyes for the first time.
[Son of the Nether Sea: Taiyi Golden Immortal First Layer, Son of the Nine Nethers, Person of Great Luck, Person of Tribulation, Innate Divine Being, an Innate creature born from endless death, with peerless Aptitude and outstanding Comprehension Ability. Awakened by your presence, his nascent Heart-Nature is like a child's.]
Son of the Nine Nethers?
A rather grand title.
Han Xuanji grew a little interested.
He noticed that the other party was a Taiyi Golden Immortal from birth; such Aptitude was indeed extraordinary.
How many simulations would it take to simulate him?
Han Xuanji silently asked in his Heart-Nature.
[One hundred and fifty times.]
"This..."
Seeing such a high price, Han Xuanji couldn't help but gasp.
Good gracious.
It seems his thirty accumulated simulations were completely insufficient.
Just as Han Xuanji was secretly marveling at the exorbitant number of simulations, the awakened Son of the Nether Sea had fully opened his eyes.
His gaze, initially filled with a nascent bewilderment, swept across the desolate surroundings, finally settling firmly on Han Xuanji, who was closest to him and whose aura was the most mysterious and unfathomable.
That ethereal, indifferent gaze, upon contact with Han Xuanji, strangely fluctuated for a moment.
He tilted his head, his movement possessing a childlike innocence and inquisitiveness.
Immediately after, under the astonished gazes of Han Xuanji, Jiang Hao, and the Nether Crow, the Son of the Nether Sea slowly stood up.
He took a step forward, ignoring the wary Jiang Hao and the trembling Nether Crow, and walked directly in front of Han Xuanji.
Then, he looked up, gazing at Han Xuanji with pure innocence, his ethereal voice carrying a hint of uncertainty:
"Fa...ther?"
These two words exploded like thunder in this silent Guixu Land.
Jiang Hao's eyes instantly widened, his mouth agape, large enough to fit an egg.
The Nether Crow's feathers bristled all over, and it directly jumped off Jiang Hao's shoulder, cawing shrilly:
"Caw? Fa... father? Big shot, when... when did you sow your seed in this damned place? This, this, this... this is right next to the Eye of the Nether Sea!"
Its worldview seemed to have suffered a huge impact.
Even with a Dao Heart as firm as a rock, Han Xuanji's face twitched imperceptibly at this moment.
Even he had never calculated that such a thing would happen.
He looked at the Heaven-Defying Son of the Nether Sea in front of him, who was calling him father, and for a moment, he was speechless.
Han Xuanji could clearly sense that the Son of the Nether Sea was not being playful or deceptive; it was a nascent, ignorant recognition stemming from the Origin of life, as if he regarded Han Xuanji, the first to awaken his consciousness and whose aura was immensely powerful, as a source of reliance.
Or rather, the other party's biological instinct led him to acknowledge a father.
"Cough."
Han Xuanji lightly coughed, suppressing the absurd feeling in his Heart-Nature, maintaining his outward composure, and said:
"I am not your father."
Jiang Hao and the Nether Crow simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, 'Just as I thought...'
The Son of the Nether Sea, hearing this, a clear trace of confusion and disappointment flashed in his eyes. He frowned slightly, seemingly trying to understand the meaning of the sentence.
He couldn't comprehend complex kinship, only instinctively understood some words.
"But... you awakened me."
His ethereal voice carried persistence, his logic simple and direct,
"You were the first I saw, and you are the strongest. You are my father."
Jiang Hao's mouth twitched as he listened, wanting to laugh but not daring to, so he could only desperately hold it in, his shoulders subtly shaking.
The Nether Crow, meanwhile, covered its mouth with its wings, emitting suppressed "cooing" sounds, clearly also desperately trying to hold back laughter.
He never expected that Han Xuanji, this supreme powerhouse, would also encounter such a situation.
Han Xuanji looked at the stubborn Son of the Nether Sea, feeling a bit tricky and... strangely amused in his Heart-Nature.
He pondered for a moment, neither flatly denying nor directly acknowledging, but instead changed his approach, asking indifferently:
"Do you have a name?"
The Son of the Nether Sea shook his head, his dark eyes still fixed on Han Xuanji without blinking, as if waiting for his bestowal.
Han Xuanji's gaze swept over his aura, which was almost of the same Origin as the Eye of the Nether Sea, and his essence, which was born from endless death. His Heart-Nature stirred, and he spoke:
"Since you were born in the Nether Sea, I shall call you... Han You. How about it?"
"Han You..."
The Son of the Nether Sea repeated the name softly, a faint light seemingly sparking in his empty eyes. He nodded, seemingly pleased with the name, and looked at Han Xuanji again, his tone even carrying a hint of imperceptible reverence,
"Thank you, Father, for bestowing this name."
Well, he's back to square one.
Han Xuanji was speechless and could only instruct:
"Just call me Master, don't call me Father."
Having another disciple was fine, but a son was different; it made him seem like some kind of scoundrel.
"Yes, Master."
This time, Han You changed his address quickly, speaking clearly and with a hint of cheerfulness.
He was quite understanding.
Han Xuanji secretly nodded. If he had continued to call him father, he would have genuinely been a little angry.
He turned his gaze to the azure that was still swaying nearby, and said to Jiang Hao:
"Your objective is here; take it yourself."
Jiang Hao finally snapped out of the bizarre scene, quickly composed himself, and solemnly looked at the divine flower within reach. He plucked it and placed it into his Magic Treasure, letting out a long sigh of relief in his Heart-Nature.
Meanwhile, Han Xuanji continued to approach the Eye of the Nether Sea, and the System's prompt sounded.