Yuan Feng had barely finished adjusting to the changes in his body when the system chimed again, almost as if it had been waiting for him to catch his breath before dropping something even heavier.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, host. Three spouses with ratings above 90 have successfully conceived."
Yuan Feng froze for a second.
"…That was fast."
He looked toward the bed where the three women were still sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of what had just been confirmed.
"…Guess the physique really works."
The system didn't care about his reaction.
"Rewards granted."
A flood of information and items poured into his mind.
"Obtained: Chaos Supreme Sword — Imperial Level, 10-Star."
Yuan Feng's eyes sharpened immediately.
A sword.
Not just any sword—
An Imperial-level 10-star artifact.
Just from the description alone, he could tell this thing wasn't something normal forces could even dream of touching.
"…Alright," he muttered, a faint grin forming, "now we're talking."
The system continued.
"Obtained: Heart-Calming Demon-Exterminating Pills ×10."
"Obtained: Imperial Body Cores ×10."
Yuan Feng paused.
"…Imperial body?"
"Refining an Imperial Body Core grants the user an Imperial Physique."
"…So I can mass-produce monsters now?"
He didn't even need to think about how terrifying that was.
"Obtained: Coordinates — Secret Ruins of a Supreme-Level Power."
"Estimated opening time: one month."
Yuan Feng's expression turned slightly more serious.
"…Supreme-level ruins…"
That wasn't something small.
That was the kind of place that could change the fate of entire regions.
"Obtained: Longevity Medicine ×200."
"Additional rewards: Spirit Crystals, Heavenly Treasures, rare materials…"
Yuan Feng leaned back slightly and let out a slow breath.
"…Okay."
"…That's a bit excessive."
For a moment, he just sat there, processing everything.
Then he suddenly laughed under his breath.
"…Three wives really is the best investment I've made."
Outside the Palace
By the time Yuan Feng stepped out of the East Dragon Palace, the sun had already risen high in the sky, casting a warm glow across the courtyard.
And he immediately noticed—
He wasn't alone.
Four people were standing there.
Waiting.
The moment his gaze landed on them, he paused slightly.
His father, Yuan Gan.
And beside him—
A woman he hadn't seen in a long time.
She stood there in a light purple dress, her presence calm but carrying a natural elegance that didn't need to be forced.
Her eyes were sharp, but there was warmth hidden underneath.
Yin Wan'er.
His mother.
And beside her—
Two more figures.
An older man with a broad smile and a strong, steady aura.
And a dignified woman standing calmly beside him.
His maternal grandparents.
The moment Yuan Feng stepped out—
His aura slipped out slightly.
Just a little.
But it was enough.
Grand Lord Realm.
The air froze for a second.
All four of them looked at him—
And for the first time, their expressions changed.
"…Grand Lord?"
Yuan Gan's voice carried a trace of disbelief.
Yin Wan'er frowned slightly, her eyes scanning him carefully.
"…You only just started cultivating."
His grandfather, however—
Burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Good! Good!"
He stepped forward, completely unconcerned with anything else.
"As expected of my grandson! Reaching the Grand Lord Realm at just eighteen—who else in this entire region can compare?!"
Yuan Feng smiled slightly and stepped forward, bowing properly this time.
"Greetings, Grandfather. Grandmother. Mother. Father."
His grandmother nodded gently, clearly pleased.
Yuan Gan was still trying to process things.
But his mother—
Her expression changed.
"Yuan Feng."
Her tone was calm.
Too calm.
"You got married."
"…Yes."
"You got married to three women."
"…Yes."
"At eighteen."
"…That's… efficient?"
Silence.
Yuan Feng suddenly felt something was off.
Yin Wan'er took a step forward.
"…Do you think this is something to joke about?"
Yuan Feng immediately straightened.
"…No?"
"You couldn't even cultivate before, and now you're not only cultivating, but also taking three wives at once?" she continued, her tone getting sharper, "what exactly are you thinking?"
Yuan Feng: "…Living my best life?"
That did not help.
Emergency Escape
Without hesitation—
Yuan Feng turned and pulled out two space rings.
"Grandfather! Grandmother! I prepared something for you!"
Both of them paused.
"…For us?"
He immediately handed the rings over.
"Just a small gift. Nothing much."
His grandfather raised a brow and scanned it.
Then—
He froze.
"…What is this?"
His grandmother looked as well.
Then her expression changed too.
"Longevity medicines…"
"These pills…"
"These artifacts…"
"And these herbs…"
They both looked back at Yuan Feng, eyes filled with shock.
"This is what you call 'nothing much'?"
Yuan Feng coughed lightly.
"…It's really not that much."
His grandfather suddenly laughed again, louder than before.
"Hahaha! Good! Good grandson!"
And just like that—
Yuan Feng quietly took a step—
Then another—
Then directly moved behind his grandfather.
Perfect cover.
Yin Wan'er saw everything.
"…You think hiding will help?"
Yuan Feng immediately shook his head from behind his grandfather.
"…No, but it buys me time."
His grandfather waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, let the boy breathe. He just got married."
Yin Wan'er narrowed her eyes.
"…Father."
"He reached Grand Lord at eighteen," the old man said casually, "you want to scold him now? At least wait a few days."
"…That's not the point."
Yuan Feng peeked out slightly.
"…It kinda is."
"…Go back behind him."
"…Yes."
End
The courtyard filled with a strange mix of laughter, scolding, and disbelief.
But one thing was certain—
The moment Yuan Feng stepped out of that palace—
Everything had already changed.
Yuan Feng was still half-hiding behind his grandfather like a kid who had done something questionable and knew it, while Yin Wan'er stood there clearly deciding whether she should drag him out by the ear or just pretend she didn't raise him at all, but before she could make that decision, the two elders in front of her had already been completely pulled away by something far more important.
Yuan Feng's grandfather was staring into the space ring as if his soul had been sucked inside it, his divine sense sweeping over the contents again and again, slower this time, more carefully, as though he was afraid that if he rushed, whatever he had just seen might disappear.
"…This pill…" he muttered under his breath, his voice losing that easy laughter from before and turning a little heavier, a little more serious.
Yuan Feng leaned out slightly from behind him, completely unbothered, and said in the most casual tone possible, "Oh, that? Just something I picked up. Helps with breakthroughs, nothing too crazy."
The old man slowly turned his head.
"Say that again."
Yuan Feng blinked once, then repeated, still calm, "It helps with breakthroughs."
His grandmother had already taken one out by then, holding it between her fingers as she examined it carefully, her expression composed, but the slight tension in her hand gave her away.
"Is this… what I think it is?"
Yuan Feng nodded without hesitation.
"True Dragon Realm Breaking Pill."
For a brief moment, nobody spoke.
You could almost hear the air tighten.
Yuan Gan's expression changed immediately, and even Yin Wan'er, who had been seconds away from scolding her son into the ground, paused as her eyes flicked toward the pill.
Because all of them understood what that name meant.
Not vaguely.
Not theoretically.
But clearly.
Yuan Feng's grandfather didn't waste another second thinking about it, because at his level hesitation was the last thing you could afford when something like this appeared right in front of you, so he simply took out two pills from the ring and handed one over to his wife as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"No point waiting," he said.
Yuan Feng raised a brow, watching them sit down right there in the courtyard.
"…You're just going to take it here?"
The old man snorted lightly.
"What, you want me to go back, lock myself in a room, and hope no one smells it and comes knocking?"
Yuan Feng tilted his head slightly, then nodded.
"…Yeah, that makes sense."
They didn't say anything else after that.
They just sat.
Closed their eyes.
And swallowed the pills.
At first, nothing seemed to happen, and for a brief second it almost looked like everything was calm, like the world had decided to pause for them, but then the change came all at once, like a flood breaking through a dam, their auras rising sharply, violently, pulling in spiritual energy from all directions as if the very air itself had weight and was being dragged toward them.
The courtyard shifted.
The wind changed.
Even the light seemed to dim slightly.
Yuan Gan reacted immediately, his tone turning serious.
"Seal the surroundings."
Hidden figures moved without being seen, layers of protection forming quietly, one after another, until the entire area was locked down completely.
Yuan Feng just stood there, arms crossed, watching everything with interest rather than concern.
"…Ah, here we go."
Yin Wan'er glanced at him.
"You sound like you've been waiting for this."
"I mean… it's more interesting than getting lectured."
"…You're not escaping that."
"…I figured."
The sky darkened.
Low thunder rolled across the clouds, not loud, not explosive, but heavy enough to make the air feel thicker, like something was about to descend.
Then—
The first bolt of lightning fell.
It struck fast and clean, tearing through the air with a sharp crack, carrying enough power to destroy a normal cultivator instantly, but the figure below didn't even move, didn't resist, didn't dodge, just endured it as their aura continued to rise.
Then came the second.
The third.
Each strike heavier than the last, each one pushing them further, refining, tempering, forcing their bodies and cultivation to climb higher.
Time passed, though it was hard to tell how long exactly, because once the tribulation started everything else seemed to blur into the background, leaving only the sound of thunder and the steady, unstoppable rise of their presence.
And then—
It stopped.
Just like that.
The clouds dispersed.
The pressure vanished.
And what replaced it was something far more terrifying.
Two auras, vast and stable, spread outward quietly, not explosive, not wild, but controlled in a way that made it even more overwhelming.
Heavenly King Realm.
Not early.
Not middle.
Straight to the peak.
Yuan Feng let out a low breath, watching them stand up slowly as if waking from a long sleep.
"…Yeah, that's definitely not normal."
His grandfather stretched his arms slightly, then clenched his fist as if testing his own strength, and the next second he burst out laughing, the kind of laughter that came from deep inside, loud and completely unrestrained.
"Hahahaha! Peak Heavenly King! I thought I'd be stuck where I was until I died, and now look at this!"
His grandmother didn't laugh as loudly, but the light in her eyes said more than enough, because for cultivators like them, a breakthrough like this wasn't just about power, it was about time, about life, about continuing forward instead of slowly reaching the end.
Then both of them turned toward Yuan Feng.
This time, the look in their eyes had changed completely.
It wasn't just pride anymore.
Now there was something heavier in it.
Something deeper.
"You…" his grandfather said slowly, walking toward him step by step, "what exactly did you bring back?"
Yuan Feng scratched his cheek lightly, acting like it wasn't a big deal.
"Just got lucky."
The old man stopped right in front of him.
"…That's not luck."
Yuan Feng shrugged.
"…Alright, a bit more than luck."
There was a brief silence.
Then the old man suddenly laughed again and grabbed Yuan Feng by the shoulder, pulling him closer like he was afraid he might run away.
"Good! Good! With you here, we don't have to worry about anything anymore!"
Yuan Feng smiled slightly, but his eyes were calm.
"Don't relax too early."
"…Oh?"
"This is just the start."
From the side, Yin Wan'er watched quietly, her earlier anger gone, replaced by something she didn't quite say out loud.
She looked at her son again, properly this time.
"…You really did change."
Yuan Feng thought about it for a second, then nodded.
"…Yeah."
Then after a pause—
"…a lot."
This time, she didn't scold him.
She just shook her head lightly, though there was a faint, almost hidden smile at the corner of her lips.
And just like that, the courtyard returned to calm, but the balance had already shifted without anyone needing to say it out loud.
Because now—
Things were different.
And everyone there could feel it.