Promise

Long Zhen felt an overwhelming sense of despair. Who was to blame for his son's descent into evil despite his warnings? Why had he spoiled him like this? Now they were facing the consequences of offending someone their family couldn't afford to. In this realm, individuals with cultivation above the Immortal Realm were rare, and yet his son managed to offend one by killing their disciple.

A ripple spread through the air. "Hmph, I don't care about you old bones, but you, Long Huo, will remain here forever!"

"Senior! That would not be wise. He is not only the successor of my Long Family but also a direct disciple of the Church of the Qilin God, one of the Four Ancient Lands. If you kill him, I fear the sect will not let this go..." Long Zhen attempted to use the reputation of the Four Ancient Lands to pressure the Senior. Regardless of one's status in the Immortal Realm, showing respect to the Four Ancient Lands was a must. They had withstood the test of time for millions of years and had yet to encounter anything that could shake them.

A ripple spread through the air. "Hahaha, you're trying to threaten me? Don't worry; I won't kill him." The voice laughed.

"Really?! Thank you, Senior!" Long Zhen felt a surge of relief. His threat seemed to have worked!

But before he could fully rejoice, he heard a familiar scream. He turned around and saw his son, Long Huo, kneeling on the ground, coughing up blood.

"Huo'er!" Long Zhen's face turned pale, and he rushed to his son's side to assess his condition.

"What! His Dantian is shattered?" Long Zhen's face turned even paler. What did a shattered Dantian mean? It meant that his son's cultivation had been crippled, and he would never be able to cultivate again. He would live the rest of his life as a mortal. For a genius like him, whose future was once boundless, this fate was worse than death. Even if there were miraculous medicines in this world that could heal a shattered Dantian, where would they find one, and could they even afford it?

"Senior! What is the meaning of this?!" Long Zhen screamed with anger.

"I said I wouldn't kill him, but I didn't say I wouldn't punish him," the voice sneered.

* * * * *

The once bright sky turned pitch black, and bolts of red lightning crackled with fury. Spectators gasped in shock and cried out, "Heaven's Wrath! It only appears when a Devil Cultivator is being punished!"

"Heaven's Wrath..." Long Zhen gazed up at the sky, his face filled with pain and anguish. This was undoubtedly meant for his son.

Now that Long Huo's Dantian had been shattered, rendering him a mortal, how could he hide his dark soul from the watchful eye of Heaven? And without any cultivation, how could he defend against the wrath of Heaven?

"Hopeless! It's all hopeless!" Long Zhen knew that protecting his son was impossible. Even if he sacrificed himself, it would only strengthen the Heaven's Wrath, which would not cease until his son perished. But he had to try, even if his efforts were futile and would result in his own demise.

Long Zhen, prepared to fight against the Heaven's Wrath for his son, suddenly felt an incomprehensible force pulling him away and propelling him backward.

The somber black sky flashed with red, and like a divine beam imbued with anger, it tore through the air and struck the kneeling Long Huo.

"No!!!" Long Zhen's anguished scream echoed through the entire Xian Chengshi. The earth trembled, and the trees in the vicinity of the strike disintegrated into ash. The spot where Long Huo had been just moments ago transformed into a crater.

"AHHHHHH!! HUO'ER!!! NO!!!!" Long Zhen cried for the first time in a hundred thousand years.

He felt consumed by guilt and self-blame. Guilty for not properly guiding his son. Guilty for not stopping him sooner. Guilty for failing to protect him.

* * * * *

*Silence*

The world seemed to hold its breath, and even the faintest sound could be heard for miles.

*Ripple*

But then, a voice shattered the silence.

"If he had not chosen the path of darkness, cultivating as a Devil, and taking innocent lives to gain power, he would not have met this fate. Now that I have avenged my beloved Jia'er, my purpose here is fulfilled. Long Zhen! If you or the Church of the Qilin God seek revenge for that wretch, then come find me. But I will not spare your life for a third time!" It was him who had pulled Long Zhen back, not wanting the Heaven's Wrath to claim an undeserving life.

Silence fell once again.

But then, a maniacal laughter shattered the silence once more. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... Avenge my son? Find you? HOW CAN I FIND SOMEONE WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW THEIR NAME, FACE, OR VOICE?! AND YOU EXPECT ME TO SEEK YOU OUT? HAHAHAHA."

Long Zhen had lost his sanity after witnessing his son's death without even knowing who was responsible, let alone being able to avenge him.

On this day, the entire Immortal Realm was shocked. Long Huo, the eldest son of the Long Family, had been slain before his father by the Heaven's Wrath, incited by an unknown Senior. Though shocked, no one felt sympathy for Long Huo. After his death, those who knew of his wickedness but were too afraid to speak up began spreading rumors about his evil deeds. No one doubted it after witnessing the Heaven's Wrath strike him. If he had not been wicked, would he have faced the wrath of Heaven?

* * * * *

Tian Yi sighed, his face filled with gloom. Lao Bai, who was intimately familiar with the immense Spirit Power behind that voice, recognized it as his Young Master Shu.

Cold sweat dripped down Lao Bai's face as he thought, "My goodness! He effortlessly slaughtered Long Huo, and even his father, Long Zhen, could only watch helplessly! Fortunately, I had the foresight not to offend him back then, or I would have been turned into minced meat long ago!" He silently thanked the heavens for restraining him when they first met.

The Min Family beside them stood in shocked silence, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Long Huo, the eldest son of the Long Family, was revealed to be a Devil Cultivator and met his demise under Heaven's Wrath.

"My Y-Young Master Huo..." Min Lian cried softly.

"Big Brother Shu, was he a bad person?" asked the innocent Min Li.

"Yes, he was. He committed evil acts against innocent people and was punished by Heaven. That's why you should grow up to be a good girl, or else Big Brother won't like you," Tian Yi gently lectured Min Li.

Min Li's face paled, and she sobbed, "Big Brother Shu, please don't hate Min Li! I promise I'll be a very, very good girl when I grow up!" Though they had only met today, she felt an inexplicable closeness to this Big Brother Shu and didn't want him to dislike her.

Tian Yi smiled and patted Min Li's head, saying, "Don't worry, as long as you're a good girl, I will like you."

"Really?" Min Li questioned.

"Absolutely," Tian Yi reassured her.

Min Qiu looked at her youngest daughter and shook her head. This little girl was always disobedient and caused trouble for the family. Even her grandfather couldn't handle her. However, in front of this stranger she had just met, "Big Brother Shu," she behaved obediently like a baby.

As Min Qiu pondered this, she heard something unbelievable come out of Min Li's mouth.

"Big Brother Shu, what if Min Li behaves like a good girl forever?" Min Li blushed as she asked.

Tian Yi giggled and replied, "Well, of course, I will like you forever."

Min Li's eyes sparkled, and she eagerly inquired, "Then, will Big Brother Shu marry Min Li when she grows up?"

Silence enveloped Min Qiu, Min Lian, Lao Bai, and even Tian Yi.

After a moment, Tian Yi burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Although this isn't the first time I've been proposed to, it's certainly the most amusing one! Very well, Min Li!" He stared directly into Min Li's eyes, causing her face to turn bright red.

"While I do have a few conditions for you, and I will be leaving this place soon, if we happen to meet again when you're all grown up and you still remember this random Big Brother, I promise that I will marry you!" Tian Yi said with a smile.

"Really?! You will?!" Min Li jumped up and down with joy.

"Of course, but first, you must agree to my conditions."

"Okay!"

Tian Yi created a barrier formation between the two of them, blocking all sound from entering or leaving.

His expression turned serious as he began outlining the conditions. "First and foremost, when we meet again, as long as you maintain a pure soul, I will not care about your Innate Talent or Cultivation level. I will still marry you. However, if your soul is corrupted, even if you possess extraordinary talent or the highest cultivation in the Immortal Realm, I will not marry you. As the son of the Celestial Emperor, my parents would never approve of such a union."

"Secondly, you must continue to feel the same way about me as you do now when you grow up. Without mutual affection, the marriage would be meaningless. If you do not reciprocate my feelings, I will not marry you, despite any promises made."

"Thirdly, you must preserve your Virgin Yin. If you do not, even if I accept you, my parents will not."

"And finally, you must keep our conversation a secret. You cannot disclose it to anyone, not even your own family. If you do, you will never see me again in your lifetime. Do you have any questions?" Tian Yi articulated the conditions clearly.

"Big Brother Shu, what is Virgin Yin?" Min Li asked innocently.

"Uhhh... It's... Ahem! Ask your mother about it later! In any case, are you willing to accept these conditions? If not, I can erase your memories now and pretend this conversation never happened." Tian Yi, unsure of how to explain, shifted the responsibility to Min Li's mother.

"Yes! Even though I don't understand it now, I will when I grow up! Regardless of what it means, I promise Big Brother Shu!" Min Li declared with a sincere and adorable expression.

"Very well! I, Tian Yi, swear in the name of Heaven that if Min Li fulfills these conditions by the time she grows up and we meet again, I will marry her! If not, may my soul be shattered!"

*BOOM* Before anyone could recover from the previous shocking revelation, another event unfolded within the Immortal Realm.

The sky enveloping the entire realm underwent a celestial phenomenon. All the inhabitants of the Immortal Realm watched in awe as millions of Celestial Beasts danced across the heavenly sky, causing the clouds to transform into rainbows and the water to turn golden. The spirits around them danced merrily, as if in the presence of a divine being. A holy light bathed the entire Xian Chengshi area, causing the Spirit Power there to significantly increase.

* * * * *

After being initially shocked by the celestial phenomenon, Min Li's surprise subsided as she beheld her Big Brother's warm smile.

"So Big Brother Shu is actually called Big Brother Yi," she remarked, smiling.

Tian Yi returned the smile and replied, "Yes, but let's keep that a secret for now. Keep calling me Big Brother Shu."

"Hehe, a secret just between us," Min Li giggled mischievously.

"Min Li, here's a little gift from me. Keep it with you at all times. If you ever find yourself in trouble, show this necklace, and it will protect you as if I were by your side." Tian Yi handed Min Li a red necklace with an amber-colored jade pendant in the shape of the character (天) engraved on it.

"Wow, it's so pretty! Thank you, Big Brother Shu," Min Li expressed her gratitude.

"...Big Brother Shu, can you bend down a bit?" she asked shyly.

"Hmm? Of course," Tian Yi complied, lowering himself to her level.

*Muwah!* Min Li planted a kiss on Tian Yi's cheek before quickly lowering her head, steam seemingly rising from her head. How bold of her!

Tian Yi was momentarily dumbfounded, instinctively touching his cheek. This was the first time a girl other than his mother had kissed him. Even though she was just a 10-year-old child, he couldn't help but be taken aback. However, he soon regained his composure and smiled handsomely, gently patting Min Li's head as she joyfully wiggled her small body from side to side. If the females in the Celestial Gods Realm were to witness this scene, it would surely ignite a wave of envy throughout the Immortal Realm.

This incredibly adorable moment unfolded while everyone was too captivated by the sky to notice.