"Ding! Claim successful. Dual Inheritance—God of Punishment and Primordial Golden Dragon God—are now integrating simultaneously. This path has never existed before in the Primal Chaos. Extreme physical and spiritual agony will occur. Host, endure it."
As the cold, mechanical voice faded, Xiao Tian's world exploded.
It felt as if the entire universe had been stuffed inside his body and then set on fire. Two ancient wills descended at once. One was cold, absolute, and boundless—the will of Punishment, Order, and Law. The other was wild, ancient, and arrogant—the will of the Primordial Golden Dragon God. They did not reject each other. They intertwined, merged, and carved themselves into his soul and flesh.
The God of Punishment inheritance made him the supreme existence that had never existed before. In the beginning, the Primal Chaos gave birth to the Ancestral Dragon. Later, the Saint God came into being. Yet there was still no supreme existence to rule over Punishment. Now, there was. His authority surpassed the Ancestral Dragon, the Saint God, and every other divine existence. He was destined to become the Emperor of the Primal Chaos.
At the same time, the Dragon God Bloodline—the Primordial Golden Dragon God Bloodline—fused into him. The blood of the Dragon God strengthened his meridians, profound veins, bones, flesh, and skin. His body's toughness became comparable to that of a True Dragon, and incredible regenerative power flowed through him. The Dragon God Marrow made his bones like fine steel and his marrow like an impregnable fortress. Lost blood and strength recovered endlessly and inexhaustibly, at an even faster rate. The marrow continuously generated new genuine dragon blood, increasing his Dragon God bloodline even while he slept, drastically improving his True Dragon body.
The Dragon God Soul refined his spirit and soul, granting mental strength far surpassing that of ordinary humans. His soul gained the attribute of the Dragon God, becoming as vast as the starry sky. With it came the Dragon Soul Domain—an incomparably overbearing mental domain. It sent targets into a nightmare-like state, preventing them from using all—or perhaps any—of their profound strength to attack or defend. It was extremely taxing on the mind, yet no one had ever countered its strength.
Then the Ten Primordial Vein Laws tore open inside him: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Yin, Yang, Time, Space, and Devouring. They became an inseparable part of his foundation. Their power would continuously scale and grow stronger in perfect proportion to his cultivation and strength. No being in existence would ever control these Ten Laws more deeply or completely than he did. He was the absolute maintainer of order and the supreme sovereign of these Ten Laws.
But among the ten, one stood above all others.
Space, space was his ultimate domain. His control over Space was more absolute, more complete, and more profound than his control over the other nine veins combined. Dimensions could be folded, isolated, or crushed at will. The power of the stars, the power of the moon, the endless void between worlds—everything was under his command. Within this domain, he ruled absolutely. Anyone who tried to use spatial power in front of him would find their techniques rewritten or destroyed by his will.
The Space Vein did not remain among the others. It sank deeper, merging directly into his dantian, becoming the very core of his cultivation. It was no longer just a law he controlled—it was the foundation of his being. His dantian became a realm of infinite space, an inner universe where distance and dimension held no meaning unless he willed it.
Pain beyond imagination ripped through every inch of his flesh and soul. Xiao Tian's teeth almost cracked from clenching, but he did not make a sound.
When the integration finally settled, he opened his eyes. The Primal Chaos trembled.
He was the God of Punishment. He was the Dragon God. Both at the same time. And he was the Supreme Ruler of Space.
But then, the System's voice returned.
"Ding! Host has successfully received the Dual Inheritance and the Ten Primordial Vein Laws. However, the inheritances cannot yet be activated."
Xiao Tian's eyes narrowed.
System replied, To activate the Dragon God Inheritance, Host must first obtain the Power of Dou Di. Without it, the Dragon God Bloodline, Dragon God Marrow, Dragon God Soul, and Dragon Soul Domain shall remain dormant within Host's body."
"And to activate the God of Punishment Inheritance, Host must first obtain the Heavenly Sovereign's Power. Without it, the authority over Punishment, Order, and Law shall remain sealed."
The System paused, then spoke once more.
"Ding! Until the required powers are obtained, Host may only utilize the Ten Primordial Vein Laws, with the Space Vein—merged into Host's dantian—as the primary and most absolute power."
Xiao Tian sat in silence for a long moment. Then, slowly, a smile curved his lips.
He had received the inheritance of the God of Punishment. He had received the bloodline of the Primordial Golden Dragon God. He had received the Ten Primordial Vein Laws, with Space itself merging into his dantian as his ultimate domain.
But you could not yet activate them.
You needed the Power of Dou Di.
You needed the Power of the Heavenly Sovereign.
But you can use your ten Primordial Venis anytime.
---
"Ding! Integration complete. Imparting Heaven-Punishing Ancestral Sword Art and Yellow Spring Demonic Scripture."
A flood of profound techniques poured into his mind.
Xiao Tian sat cross-legged and carefully guided his Dou Qi. Under the influence of the new physique and the sealed inheritances, his cultivation rose smoothly. A faint yellow glow appeared at his fingertips.
Two-star Dou Practitioner.
---
The next morning, an old servant's voice came from outside the courtyard.
"Third Young Master, Fourth Young Master, the Clan Leader requests your presence in the Great Reception Hall. Important guests have arrived."
Xiao Tian changed into a dark water-blue robe with white silk edges, then stepped out. Xiao Yan was already waiting in the courtyard. The moment Xiao Tian saw his brother's expression, he understood.
Nalan Yanran had come.
"Let's go, Xiao Yan-zi." Xiao Tian patted his brother's shoulder.
The two of them walked through the winding corridors and soon arrived at the main reception hall. Xiao Zhan sat at the head seat with the three clan elders. Across from them sat two old men in Cloud Mist Sect robes and a young woman with three golden stars embroidered on her chest.
Xiao Tian's gaze swept across the hall and landed on a quiet figure in the corner — Xiao Xun'er. He walked over, pulled a chair beside her, and sat down. Xiao Yan took the seat next to him.
A small, sharp pinch suddenly twisted the skin at his waist. Xiao Tian turned his head and saw Xun'er's bright eyes filled with playful jealousy.
"Xiao Tian Ge-ge… is she that pretty?"
"Not even close to my Xun'er," he answered without hesitation, gently taking her hand and placing it back on her lap.
He leaned slightly toward Xiao Yan and whispered, "Do you know who they are?"
Xiao Yan looked confused. "You know them, Tian-ge?"
"The cloud and sword embroidery. Cloud Mist Sect. That girl is Nalan Yanran… your fiancée."
Xiao Yan's body stiffened.
Almost at the same time, the older man from Cloud Mist Sect, Ge Ye, stepped forward and formally announced that under the orders of Sect Leader Yun Yun, they had come to dissolve the engagement.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly turned ice-cold. Xiao Zhan's face darkened. The teacup in his hand cracked and then shattered into powder.
Nalan Yanran looked down at everyone with cold eyes.
"I will give you three years. Three years from now, when we are both adults, I will wait for you at the peak of Cloud Mist Sect. If you can defeat me, I will serve as your servant. But if you are still a waste, you will hand over the engagement letter yourself. Do you dare accept?"
Xiao Yan's chest rose and fell heavily. Before he could speak, a light laugh suddenly broke the heavy silence.
Xiao Tian stood up, casually brushing an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve. Every gaze in the hall turned toward him.
"A three-year agreement? Serving as a maid?" He smiled, but his eyes were cold. "Miss Nalan, your Cloud Mist Sect really knows how to put on a show for something so disgraceful."
Ge Ye's face sank. Dou Qi of the Dou Ling realm surged. "Junior, watch your mouth! The Cloud Mist Sect—"
"Quiet."
Xiao Tian's voice was soft, yet it carried a strange pressure that forced the words back down Ge Ye's throat. For a brief moment, a yellow shadow flickered behind him. Ge Ye's heart skipped a beat as pure bloodline fear rose from the depths of his soul.
Xiao Tian placed a hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder and sent a gentle stream of energy to calm his brother's raging Dou Qi.
"Xiao Yan-zi," he said clearly, "she came to our home, insulted our father, and looked down on your future. A real man doesn't sit here negotiating terms with someone like that."
Xiao Yan's eyes gradually turned sharp and cold. He stepped forward, pulled out a dagger, and without hesitation cut his own palm. Blood dripped onto the jade floor.
He grabbed a blank piece of paper from the table, pressed his bloody handprint on it, and wrote two large words.
Divorce Paper.
Then he slammed it down in front of Nalan Yanran.
"Nalan Yanran!" Xiao Yan's voice rang through the entire hall. "You came here today thinking you could cancel this engagement because I'm trash. But today, it's not you who is canceling it — it's me, Xiao Yan, who is divorcing you!"
He stared straight into her shocked eyes.
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west! Don't look down on a young man just because he's poor! Three years from now, on the peak of Cloud Mist Sect, I will be there. Not to marry you… but to step on your arrogance!"
Nalan Yanran's face turned red, her body trembling with anger and humiliation. Xiao Yan simply turned around and walked away without looking back.
In the corner, Xiao Xun'er covered her lips, a small, satisfied smile appearing on her face.
Xiao Tian leaned back in his chair, eyes calm.
The gears of fate had begun to turn.