"Xiaoyu, Yan Zi, please, come in! Come in!"
Compared to Ye Lingling's father, who was a bit rough around the edges, her mother was much more meticulous.
Her dark blue hair was neatly coiled and secured with an ornate hairpin. On her mature yet elegant and noble face was a warm, welcoming smile.
Upon seeing Ye Yu and Dugu Yan, she gave a few sincere compliments before inviting them into the estate.
Once inside the Ye family residence, Ye Yu and Dugu Yan were promptly led to the main hall.
Seated on the cushioned chairs, they were soon served tea and exquisite pastries by the maids.
Following a round of polite conversation—
Madam Ye finally let out a soft sigh.
And revealed the true reason they had invited Ye Yu to visit.
"Xiaoyu, I don't know if Lingling has told you, but our Nine Heart Begonia Clan's martial spirit has a fatal flaw."
"In the entire world, only two Nine Heart Begonia spirit masters can exist at the same time."
"When Lingling awakened her spirit, her grandmother chose to pass away voluntarily."
"This generational separation… it is our clan's deepest sorrow."
"Lingling says you're very gifted in spirit theory, exceptionally talented."
"That you were able to evolve an ordinary Blue Silver Grass spirit into something so powerful proves it."
"We were wondering… could you perhaps help us uncover a way to resolve this flaw in the Nine Heart Begonia?"
"If you succeed, you will be forever honored by our clan."
"Even if it means walking through fire or braving death, we would not hesitate for your sake."
As she spoke, Madam Ye's deep blue eyes brimmed with earnestness and hope.
She and Lingling's father both stood, bowing deeply to Ye Yu.
Ye Yu quickly stood up to help them back to their feet.
"Aunt Ye, Uncle Ye—please don't! There's no need for this!"
"Lingling is one of my closest friends. Of course I'll help you however I can."
"Actually… I've already researched the Nine Heart Begonia spirit before."
"You have?!"
Hearing that Ye Yu had already studied their spirit, Madam Ye's eyes filled with anticipation.
"What did you find?" she asked urgently.
But Ye Yu could only offer a helpless smile and a shake of the head.
"Your Nine Heart Begonia is just… far too unique."
"This situation—where only two spirit masters of the same martial spirit can exist in the world at once—is very different from any conventional 'spirit flaw' I've ever encountered."
He paused, then added with hesitation:
"Rather than calling it a 'flaw'…"
"I'm more inclined to believe it's a curse."
"A… curse?!"
Madam Ye and her husband both looked stunned.
Even Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan couldn't help but look up, their faces full of shock.
"If it's a curse… is there any way to lift it?"
"Are we doomed to this fate forever?"
Madam Ye's refined and beautiful face now bore a hint of bitterness.
"It's not completely hopeless," Ye Yu reassured them with a calm smile.
"To place a bloodline-bound curse like this… it would have to be the work of a god, not an ordinary spirit master."
"And if it was a god's curse—then naturally, another god might be able to lift it."
"Gods… Do gods really exist?" asked Lingling's father with uncertainty.
"Of course they do," Ye Yu answered confidently. "Isn't the Angel God of Spirit Hall real?"
"Take Spirit Hall's previous High Priest—Angel Douluo Qian Daoliu, who was hailed as the 'Unrivaled Sky Above'."
"His spirit was the Six-Winged Angel—that alone proves it."
"So, what you're saying is... we should ask Spirit Hall for help?"
Ye Lingling's father asked hesitantly, catching the implication.
"Of course not!" Ye Yu replied, half-laughing.
"I only brought up Spirit Hall to say: the Angel God is real."
"And if that one is real, the others mentioned in legend very likely are too."
"But most of them have ascended to another realm."
"Even Qian Daoliu may not be able to contact the Angel God they worship, let alone gain their aid."
"So even if you swore allegiance to Spirit Hall, it's unlikely the Angel God would help."
"In my opinion, there's really only one solution."
"What is it?!"
Both Madam Ye and her husband asked at once, eyes full of urgency.
"We become gods ourselves."
Ye Yu smiled with unwavering confidence, his eyes bright with conviction, as if ascending to godhood was a mere matter of course.
Those words left Madam Ye, her husband, Ye Lingling, and Dugu Yan completely stunned.
Among them, the only one who truly understood Ye Yu's reality was Dugu Yan.
She knew he was only thirteen or fourteen…
Yet already a Rank 47 Soul Ancestor—
With an unprecedented spirit ring configuration: purple, purple, black, black.
With such peerless talent—who's to say godhood was out of reach?
She trusted her man without reservation.
And within her heart, a new determination arose—
If Ye Yu aims to become a god,
Then she too must work harder—
So that when he becomes a God-King,
She can stand proudly as his Goddess!
After lunch, since the main purpose of the visit had been addressed—
Ye Yu and Dugu Yan made their farewells.
Ye Yu still wanted to resume his training.
He may now be considered a genius by most of his peers—
But the higher one stands, the further they can see.
And Ye Yu's current cultivation plan was full to the brim.
Not only did he need to compress soul power, he also had to refine his body with the Thunder-Tempering Technique.
Beyond that, he was studying internal energy methods and learning spear combat theory.
Every day was meticulously scheduled.
After they left—
Ye Lingling returned to her room to cultivate as well.
Only her parents remained in the hall.
"Zhilan, what do you think of that Ye Yu boy?"
Lingling's father asked thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
Madam Ye, Ye Zhilan, smiled lightly.
"He's an exceptional child—not only handsome and talented, but also extremely driven."
"He dares to speak of becoming a god. That's a dream even Title Douluo wouldn't dare voice!"
"If he were to become our son-in-law… I'd have no worries at all."
She let out a sigh.
"It's just a pity… the Dugu family and that Yan girl got to him first."
As a mother, she had long since noticed that her daughter, Ye Lingling, had fallen in love.
But back then, Ye Yu's spirit and cultivation were far too lackluster.
As a member of a support-type clan, Ye Zhilan could never allow her daughter to pursue him actively.
By the time Ye Yu's metamorphosis shocked the entire Royal Academy—
It was already too late.
This diamond in the rough was now someone else's treasure.
Now, both Ye Zhilan and her husband were filled with regret.
Why hadn't they recognized his worth sooner?
"Zhilan, do you think there's any truth to what he said about the curse?"
"Could our Nine Heart Begonia really not be a flaw, but a curse cast by a god?"
Ye Zhilan fell silent for a moment, then softly replied:
"I think he's probably right."
She exhaled deeply. A trace of complexity flashed in her dark blue eyes.
"According to our family's ancestral records—"
"The Nine Heart Begonia spirit was once perfectly normal."
"The abnormality began with our seventh generation ancestor, who brought back a strange artifact."
"To this day, we've never discovered its true purpose."
"But not long after bringing it home, that ancestor died suddenly."
"After that, one Nine Heart Begonia spirit master after another began dying inexplicably…"
"Until only two remained."
"Since then, it's become tradition that only two Nine Heart Begonia spirit masters may exist at once…"
(A long-buried secret—quietly foreshadowed…)