Tianyu ran toward his house with anxious steps, his stomach growling like a starving beast. The delicious aroma of grilled meat, vegetable soup, and steamed cakes wafting through the neighborhood shook his resolve to endure his hunger.
Panting heavily, he slammed the door open. Long Ruyin, who was preparing food, was startled by her son's sudden entrance. "Tianyu? Why are you—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Tianyu had already grabbed the food on the table and devoured it ravenously. One by one, the dishes disappeared in seconds, and Tianyu didn't stop until he was completely full.
Long Ruyin could only stand in shock, watching her son's sudden change in behavior. He was usually so polite when eating. "Tianyu, slow down! You'll choke!" she scolded while quickly pouring a glass of water.
After stuffing himself full, Tianyu slumped into the chair, his overstuffed belly making him feel a bit nauseous. "Sorry, Mom… I was just so hungry," he said, his face flushing with embarrassment.
Long Ruyin let out a long sigh as she began clearing the table, her eyes full of questions."What really happened? You always eat heartily, but never like this," she asked gently, though her tone carried firmness.
Tianyu scratched his head, his face reflecting deep confusion. His heart struggled between the desire to be honest and the urge to hide the truth about his spirit ring. After a moment of thought, he decided to share part of the truth—at least about the spirit ring.
With his head still bowed, Tianyu whispered almost inaudibly, "Mom… this morning during training, I… condensed a spirit ring."
Long Ruyin froze. The plate she was holding stopped mid-air, her hand trembling slightly. Slowly, her astonished eyes turned to her son's face. With careful movements, she placed the plate back on the table.
"You… are you serious?" her voice quivered softly. As an experienced Spirit Master, Long Ruyin understood that ordinary humans could not condense spirit rings on their own. As far as she knew, the only way to obtain a spirit ring was by hunting spirit beasts—just like she had done to get her own.
However, there was one rare exception to that rule. Spirit beasts that had reached hundreds of thousands of years in age and chose to reincarnate as humans—those could condense their own spirit rings, at least until their cultivation reached level 60.
What confused Long Ruyin even more was her certainty that Tianyu was a full human. She remembered his pregnancy and birth clearly. There had been no signs that her son was the reincarnation of a spirit beast.
Long Ruyin pulled out a chair and sat in front of Tianyu, her gaze probing. "Show me," she said in a low voice.
Tianyu nodded nervously. He focused his mind, and slowly, a Golden Dragon emerged behind him. At the same time, a deep golden spirit ring appeared, hovering above his head, radiating a brilliant aura that made the air around him tremble.
Long Ruyin stiffened in shock, her eyes locked on the spirit ring's color—one she had never seen in her entire life. A pure golden light radiated from Tianyu.
Spirit rings were formed from the deaths of spirit beasts. The stronger the beast, the darker the color of the ring. Spirit beasts aged 10–99 years produced white rings, 100–999 years produced yellow, 1,000–9,999 years produced purple, and 10,000–99,999 years produced black. The strongest were those aged 100,000 years, which produced red spirit rings.
But Tianyu's golden spirit ring didn't belong to any of those five colors.
Na'er, who had just stepped out of her room, paused at the dining table. She stood beside it, her pale silver eyes curiously watching the golden spirit ring. Her usually blank expression now showed a faint trace of surprise. "Brother Yu… it's beautiful," she said in a soft but flat voice, as if observing something alien. Her pale hand slowly reached toward the golden glow, but stopped halfway—as if uncertain.
Long Ruyin watched Na'er with particular attention before turning her focus back to Tianyu. "Son," her voice trembled, "tell me how you got this spirit ring."
Tianyu began his story, occasionally glancing at Na'er who now sat quietly beside him. When Tianyu showed the dragon tattoo on his back, Na'er suddenly frowned, her hand subconsciously holding her temple as if feeling a faint headache.
Long Ruyin listened closely to every word her son said. When Tianyu finished speaking, she unconsciously let out a long sigh, her gaze becoming deeply complex—filled with layers of emotion.
"Tianyu," she whispered softly, "there's something I must tell you." Her hand trembled lightly as she gently stroked Tianyu's head. "I... have never been with any man."
She looked out the window, recalling the night six years ago. "One night, a mysterious golden light entered my body. That light... turned into a fetus in my womb." Her voice grew quieter. "That fetus was you."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Tianyu's face. "I knew from the beginning that your origin wasn't normal. But to me, you are still my child. The child I bore through hardship, the child I've raised these past six years." Her hands clutched his shoulders tightly. "No matter what happens, I will always protect you."
Tianyu was silent for a moment, his eyes widening as he processed his mother's confession. His feelings were a mixture of confusion and shock. "So all this time, I..." he murmured, his fingers unconsciously touching his golden spirit ring.
Long Ruyin nodded, her warm hand still resting on Tianyu's cheek. "Yes, dear. The reason you've never had a father isn't because I was hiding something from you. It's because... you weren't born through a normal human relationship."
The room grew incredibly silent. Only the sound of their breathing remained, gently accompanying the weight of the truth that had just been revealed.
When Long Ruyin spoke of the mysterious golden light, Na'er—usually passive—suddenly gripped the edge of the table tightly. Her silver eyes blinked rapidly, but no one noticed the fleeting silver glow within her pupils.
Tianyu grasped the hand his mother had placed on his cheek. "Then... that golden light... does it have something to do with my spirit ring?" he asked, his voice almost trembling. "Am I... not fully human?"
Long Ruyin didn't respond immediately. Her gaze deepened, as if searching for the right words to explain something even she didn't fully understand.
"I'm not sure, Tianyu..." she said honestly. "But ever since you were born, your body has always been warm, like it's touched by divine power. Sometimes I feel like you're a messenger from the heavens. But what I do know is, there's something immense inside you. Something this world might not be ready for."
Tianyu looked at his mother with teary eyes. His heart was in turmoil—confused, afraid, yet somehow grateful. "Mom... am I dangerous?" he asked in a small, uncertain voice.
Long Ruyin immediately pulled him into her arms. "No, my child. You're not dangerous. You are my son, and I believe that no matter where you come from, your purpose is a good one."
She also pulled Na'er into the hug. "Both of you are my children now. Whatever secrets your past holds, we'll face them together."
Na'er allowed herself to be embraced, her stiff body slowly relaxing. Her right hand unconsciously clutched her left arm, where faint silver scales briefly appeared and then vanished—something no one else in the room noticed.
Long Ruyin gently rubbed Tianyu's back, trying to soothe the unease radiating from his small body. "Tianyu, listen to me," she said firmly but with love. "Whatever happens, we'll face it together. I will help you understand this power."
Tianyu nodded. "Don't worry, Mom. Even if I don't have a father, it's okay. I have you, and now I also have a little sister, Na'er. I'll become strong and protect both of you in place of the father I never had."
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