[Brain Storage Area]
Year 20 of Jian Yuan in Great Zhou.
In the middle of a harsh winter.
Snow piled up on Heaven's Gate Avenue, deep enough to reach the knees. The glazed tile roofs of the palace halls on both sides looked like they were wearing snowy crowns.
Inside Splendid Radiance Hall.
Weakness.
Dizziness.
Yang Cheng felt like his chest was being squeezed, his whole body powerless.
This feeling woke up memories he hadn't touched in a long time.
He clearly remembered being poisoned when he was one year old, and it felt just like this.
"Why did Cheng'er suddenly get poisoned when he was perfectly fine?"
A voice like pearls falling on a jade plate rang out, trembling slightly.
Even with the anger in it, the voice was still beautiful.
What was going on?
Why did that voice sound exactly like Mother's?
Yang Cheng, groggy and confused, couldn't help opening his eyes.
The moment he opened them, he froze.
Right in front of him was a face that made his soul shudder.
Peach-like cheeks, an apricot-shaped face, red lips, white teeth.
This face had a hint of seductive beauty, yet the noble intelligence of its owner made it look dignified and elegant.
Mother!
Yang Cheng felt like his heart was suddenly pulled tight, so excited he could barely breathe.
But Mother had clearly been locked in the Cold Palace, and he hadn't seen her for 200 years.
At first, he thought this had to be a hallucination.
But the pain inside his body, and everything around him that felt so real, told him this wasn't a dream.
Right now, he was still a one-year-old baby, being held tightly in Mother's arms.
"I've been reborn?"
Yang Cheng felt it was unbelievable.
He was a transmigrator.
After transmigrating, he became the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
His father was Emperor Qian Yuan, the third emperor of Great Zhou.
His mother, Yun Liyue, came from the prestigious Yun clan and was the current empress.
After being born, he gradually recovered the memories of his previous life, showing extraordinary intelligence.
So when he was just ten months old, he was made Crown Prince, showered in endless glory.
As the Crown Prince, he naturally became a thorn in the eyes of countless people.
At one year old, he was poisoned in a secret plot.
Though the imperial doctors saved his life, the poison left hidden damage, ruining his martial foundation.
Not long after, he had to undergo the royal bone aptitude test.
His father and mother were both geniuses in martial arts, but he was tested as a martial waste, unfit to cultivate.
At the same time.
The sixth prince Yang Xiu, who was the same age as him, was tested and found to have the "Heavenly Sword Sacred Body."
From that moment, his fate flipped completely.
He kept disappointing Emperor Qian Yuan more and more, while Yang Xiu gained more and more favor.
At fifteen, Yang Xiu stole his position as Crown Prince.
But Yang Xiu still wasn't satisfied. He schemed to have Emperor Qian Yuan strip him of his title, demoting him to a commoner and kicking him out of the palace.
But he didn't give up.
To fight fate, he entered the Death Devil's Den, enduring the torment of the death winds. In the end, he cultivated the "Asura Demon Body."
A hundred years later, he became the fearsome "Asura Demon Lord."
That brought him into contact with a wider world, where he clashed with countless heavenly prodigies.
But then he realized, compared to all those geniuses, he was only mediocre at best.
Not only could he never beat Yang Xiu, but many other prodigies could easily crush him.
At 500 years old.
On the Genius Storm Platform, he was publicly defeated by one of Yang Xiu's henchmen, then fell into the Death Devil's Den again, passing out.
When he woke up, he found himself back in his infancy.
Thinking of all this, even though Yang Cheng was reborn, his heart felt unbearably heavy.
'The one who poisoned me… not only did Mother never find them, but even I searched for nearly 500 years in my last life and never figured it out.'
Yang Cheng clenched his chubby little fists. 'I only found out the poison was the legendary "Myriad Despair Divine Water."'
Once poisoned by Myriad Despair Divine Water, even an unrivaled genius would become a cripple, unable to cultivate.
Luckily.
He had been reborn and got a chance to change things.
But unfortunately.
He had come back right after being poisoned, so if nothing changed, he'd still be tested as a cripple soon.
'How can I change my fate? Do I still have to go to the Death Devil's Den?'
Thinking of that place, Yang Cheng's eyes showed deep pain.
That was by far his most terrifying, most painful memory.
As he thought, his vision suddenly blurred.
A transparent panel appeared in the air ahead.
What was this?
Yang Cheng's heart skipped a beat as he stared hard at the panel.
Lines of text slowly appeared on the surface.
[At 500 years old, you have no wife, no children, a rotten reputation, and were publicly defeated and humiliated by your rival Yang Xiu. Your life has been a complete failure, miserable beyond words. But your will was never crushed, and your heart still longs to rise in martial arts. Therefore, the Late Bloomer System is now activated.]
[Host Yang Cheng, you who are barely hanging on, do you still have the courage to fight against fate?]
[Comeback mission issued.]
[The deepest sorrow in the world is a loving mother's heart. Your mother Yun Liyue was heartbroken and devastated when she learned of your fate. Her body weakened to the brink of death.]
[Find any way you can to return to the palace, go to the Cold Palace, and save your mother's life.]
[Note: Because the mission is extremely difficult, the host is granted a one-year extension. If you fail, the system will unbind itself from you.]
[Mission reward: Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill.]
"???"
Yang Cheng was completely stunned.
Late Bloomer System?
He glanced at his small arms and legs, then suddenly realized something.
"System, are you sure I'm 500 years old right now?" Yang Cheng asked in his mind.
"Host, please don't ask childish questions. It is currently Year 2501 in the Great Zhou calendar, the host is exactly 500 years old, at the Martial Saint Realm. Everything is completely accurate."
Yang Cheng's expression turned strange, fully convinced.
His system… seemed to have arrived too early.
As for the mission being extremely difficult, with a one-year extension?
Yang Cheng couldn't help but look up.
Morning light streamed through the window, falling on the woman before him.
She wore a golden phoenix robe, her delicate features flawless, her skin as white as milk.
In his past life, when he was 300 years old, he had only glimpsed her from afar.
Normally, with her level of cultivation, no matter how old she got, she should have still looked young.
But back then, her temples were already streaked with white, her skin aged and wrinkled like old tree bark.
Now, even though she was a mother, her skin was as smooth and pink as a young girl's.
Yang Cheng couldn't stop tears from welling up. A powerful wave of emotion rushed through his heart.
Right now, the joy of being reborn or even getting the system couldn't compare to the happiness of seeing his mother so young and full of life.
"Cheng'er, don't cry."
Yun Liyue saw Yang Cheng's eyes turning red and quickly patted his back, heartbroken. "Mother knows you're in pain, but it won't last long. The imperial doctors will cure you very soon."
Obviously, she thought he was crying because of the pain.
Yang Cheng sighed inwardly. He knew the imperial doctors would never be able to cure his poison.
But this life was already different from before.
A sharp light flashed across his downcast eyes, something no normal baby could have.
He began thinking about the system's mission.
'The mission is to do whatever it takes to return to the palace, find Mother in the Cold Palace, and save her life.'
'But right now, Mother is perfectly fine, standing right in front of me.'
Thinking this, Yang Cheng opened his big, clear eyes and looked up at Yun Liyue. His weak, babyish voice called out, "Mommy."
Yun Liyue wasn't surprised that he could speak.
Even when Yang Cheng was just ten months old, he had already shown signs of extraordinary talent.
She gazed at him with soft, regretful eyes. "Cheng'er, this time it was Mother who was too careless. But as long as I'm alive, I will never let anyone hurt you again."
Yang Cheng murmured in his heart, 'Mom, I believe you.'
It was only because of Yun Liyue's protection that even as a cripple, he managed to stay alive in the palace until fifteen, before losing the crown prince's title.
Later on, Yun Liyue could no longer protect him because she herself was thrown into the Cold Palace, powerless to help anymore.
"Cheng'er."
Yun Liyue hugged Yang Cheng tightly. "Even though you're the crown prince, in this life, Mother doesn't wish for you to achieve greatness or glory. I only hope you can live happy, safe, and carefree."
Yang Cheng's heart softened.
Most parents wished for their children to become dragons among men.
That desire was even stronger in a place like the imperial palace.
But Mother Yun Liyue only gave him the purest, most selfless love.
Ding!
[Congratulations, host, mission complete!]