The third golden egg didn't merely crack; it detonated.
From the heart of the solar fire, a figure strode forth with a roar that shook the foundations of the Sun Star. Long, raven-black hair spilled down to his waist, held in place by a Grandmist Heaven and Earth Crown. His robes were a tapestry of the cosmos, embroidered with the sun, moon, and stars of the primal firmament.
Between his sharp, slanted brows, a Heavenly Dao Imperial Mark glowed with a fierce, untamed light. His eyes held the depth of a star-choked void. He was not merely handsome; he was a manifestation of celestial authority.
"I am the Three-Legged Golden Crow," the youth proclaimed, his voice resonating with the laws of the world. "Taking human form this day, I am named Ling Xiao!"
The Great Desolation hummed. The very air vibrated with a Dao Sound that seemed to bow in recognition. Above him, the lightning tribulation descended not as mere bolts, but as a torrential deluge of violet wrath.
Ling Xiao didn't flinch. Above his head, a massive cauldron materialized, its surface etched with ancient, swirling mists. It didn't just block the lightning; it inhaled it. Every bolt of heavenly punishment was swallowed by the cauldron's maw, feeding the youth's nascent power.
As the clouds dispersed and the solar sky cleared, Ling Xiao exhaled. Internally, he felt a flicker of relief. He had discarded his past name—Lin Xiao—on a whim. In a family of emperors like Dijun and Taiyi, a name like "Lin" felt too civilian. Ling Xiao—to soar above the heavens—that was a name a sun-god could carry.
He turned to the two men watching him. Dijun and Taiyi were radiant, their faces split by genuine, welcoming grins. Ling Xiao felt a sudden, visceral surge of warmth in his chest. This wasn't the shallow camaraderie of his old life; this was a connection of the Origin. They were three parts of a single whole, born of the same celestial fire.
"Two Elder Brothers," Ling Xiao said, cupping his hands with a faint, respectful smile. "Ling Xiao pays his respects."
"Haha! Rise, Brother!" Dijun's voice was like rolling thunder, his satisfaction evident.
Ling Xiao called his cauldron to his hand. The Hongmeng Cauldron. His inherited memories surged, identifying it as an Innate Supreme Treasure. It stood on the same tier as Taiyi's Chaos Bell. A spark of disappointment flickered—with "Grandmist" in the name, he'd hoped for a Chaos-grade artifact—but he suppressed it. In this era, an Innate Supreme Treasure was already a target for the world's envy.
"Elder Brother, Third Brother," Taiyi spoke up, his gaze drifting toward the horizon where the Great Desolation stretched into infinity. "Now that we have taken form, what is our path?"
Dijun's eyes burned with the fire of ambition. He gestured broadly toward the world below. "The three of us possess strength that dwarfs the masses. This world is vast, filled with heroes, but together? We can carve our names into the stars. I say we venture into the Great Earth, claim the treasures that are rightfully ours, and show the world the might of the Sun."
Taiyi nodded, the prospect of glory stirring his blood. Then, both brothers turned to Ling Xiao.
"Two Elder Brothers," Ling Xiao said, his expression becoming uncharacteristically grave. "I was born with a spark of foresight—a divine ability to peer through the fog of fate. Before we descend, let me divine our path."
He closed his eyes, feigning a deep meditative trance. In reality, his mind plunged into the System interface.
[Selection One: Leave the Sun Star, display your prowess to the living beings of the Honghuang. Reward: One strand of Primordial Violet Qi.]
[Selection Two: Remain steady and stay put. Reward: Acquired Karma Supreme Treasure—The Hongmeng Measuring Ruler.]
System, Ling Xiao whispered in the silence of his mind. What is the current date? What has happened in the world?
[The Dao-Demon Conflict has concluded.]
The mental realization hit Ling Xiao like a physical blow.
He was late. Terribly, dangerously late.
In the stories he knew, the Golden Crows should have manifested much earlier. If the Dao-Demon Conflict was over, it meant Hongjun was on the verge of Saintship. It meant the sermon at Zixiao Palace was imminent.
He checked his own strength: Middle Stage Taiyi Golden Immortal. His brothers? Early Stage.
In his past life's lore, those who attended the sermon were already Grand Unity Golden Immortals at the very least. They were falling behind the curve.
Why? he demanded. Why are we so weak?
[The Host's arrival diverted the Sun Star's energy, delaying the manifestation process.]
Ling Xiao wanted to curse. He had sought strength in numbers, but his very presence had drained the "batteries" of his brothers, leaving them all underpowered. Their future rivals, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, were likely already at the Grand Unity level. If they stepped out now, they wouldn't be conquerors; they would be prey.
He looked at the ambitious fire in Dijun's eyes and felt a chill. If Dijun followed his original fate—founding the Demon Court and warring with the Witches—they were walking straight into a meat grinder they weren't leveled for.
But what if we just... didn't?
If they stayed on the Sun Star, focused on secluded cultivation, and ignored the "Yao Race" nonsense? Could the Calamity even find them? Schemes required players. If the Golden Crows refused to take the field, Hongjun's "chess game" would have three missing pieces.
Power was the only truth. If they stayed hidden until they were strong enough to shatter the world with a flick of a finger, then no scheme would matter.
Ling Xiao opened his eyes, a sharp, cold light reflecting in them. He knew his choice.