A Visit To Remember

-

More than half a day later.

Yu Tao laid on the dragon's head asleep, as he had lost interest in Jiang Qiao's tour of the Luo Tong Kingdom. It wasn't because it was boring, but because he hadn't slept in such a high elevation for close to a decade since his death.

As an heir to the throne of an intergalactic empire in his previous life, Yu Tao had the right to do anything he wanted… Excluding unsupervised space exploration, of course.

One of Yu Tao's habits was to sleep outside an imperial battleship and to listen to the distortions of space-time.

For that reason, he chose to spend the rest of his time in the clouds in slumber.

Whilst Yu Tao was asleep, Jiang Qiao observed him as a series of memories ran through her head.

< Flashback, Start >

In the highest level of the renovated palace, Jiang Qiao and Huang Qide engaged in a productive discussion. However, their conversation took a turn when Jiang Qiao mentioned something that displeased Huang Qide.

"What? There is something wrong with Tao'er?" Huang Qide's eyebrows furrowed with concern.

It had been six and a half days since Huang Qide emerged from his seclusion, having achieved a breakthrough to Peak Early-4th Order Xiantian Realm. During this time, he had learned of Jiang Qiao's return and the transformative changes she had brought to the clan.

While engaged in a conversation about the future direction of the Huang Clan, Jiang Qiao raised a potential issue that Huang Qide earnestly hoped was nothing more than an unnecessary concern.

"Old man, let's not view it as an entirely negative problem. Try to lighten up a bit, will you?" Jiang Qiao rolled her eyes.

Shaking his head, Huang Qide replied, "A problem, regardless of its magnitude, carries negative implications. Although it might not personally trouble you, it certainly affects Tao'er. So, please, enlighten me. What is it?"

"Hmm..." Jiang Qiao reclined in her chair, contemplating her words. "Where should I begin? Do you recall when I mentioned that the reason Yu Tao could rival Huang Xiaolong's cultivation speed wasn't due to his higher comprehension ability, but rather his exceptional nature attunement?"

"Of course," Huang Qide nodded in agreement.

Nature attunement refers to the profound connection and affinity one has with the natural world. It implies being in sync with nature, understanding its rhythms, energies, and elements, and appreciating its essence.

In the pursuit of endless cultivation, one must possess a certain level of nature attunement. However, enhancing one's connection to the natural world is often challenging.

Even those bestowed with the title of genius may not necessarily possess a remarkable nature attunement. Many so-called geniuses exhibit an average affinity to nature, with their exceptional cultivation speed, comprehension ability, bloodlines, and other innate qualities setting them apart from non-geniuses.

While it is possible for individuals to possess great comprehension ability, more often than not, their other innate talents must surpass a certain threshold for them to reach a significant level of understanding. Extraordinary levels of comprehension, such as that displayed by Yu Tao, are rare, particularly for someone with a Low Grade 11 Martial Spirit.

On the other hand, anyone can develop a profound affinity for nature, regardless of whether their other innate talents have surpassed a specific threshold.

Yu Tao is someone that has extraordinary nature attunement and comprehension ability. A true genius, as one might say.

"I've been observing him closely for some time now, and I've discovered that his qi is highly chaotic," Jiang Qiao remarked.

"Chaotic? Chen Ying actually mentioned that a few days ago, and I believe you also noticed it during your fight with him. It's not uncommon for someone to possess naturally turbulent qi," Huang Qide reluctantly responded, uncertain about what Jiang Qiao meant.

Letting out a soft sigh, Jiang Qiao clarified, "Not turbulent, but chaotic. Extremely unstable."

"Unstable‽" Huang Qide exclaimed in shock, immediately rising from his seat. "What do you mean by unstable? Last I checked, there was no issue with him. His meridians and dantian¹ showed no signs of cultivation deviation whatsoever!"

"Exactly," Jiang Qiao affirmed, standing up as well and walking toward the balcony. "Physically, mentally, and spiritually, he is perfectly healthy. So why is his qi in such a chaotic state? I don't blame you and Uncle Chen for not detecting this anomaly. It was only through my cultivation and experience that I noticed it. Yu Tao's condition may not pose an immediate threat, but it is likely to become problematic in the future."

Taking a moment to compose himself, Huang Qide inquired, "Is there a way to resolve his issue?"

"It depends on the circumstances. That's why, when things calmed down in the clan, I instructed Guo Da to gather information about Yu Tao's parents," Jiang Qiao explained.

Guo Da is from Jiang Qiao's generation, and is one of her closest and most trusted friends. Although he may not possess extraordinary cultivation talent, his exceptional skills in intelligence gathering have swiftly elevated his status to an upper-ranking member of the Huang Clan's Espionage and Reconnaissance Hall.

Similar to many other clan members, Guo Da holds great reverence for Jiang Qiao and readily complies with her requests.

Jiang Qiao took out Guo Da's report book and handed it over to Huang Qide.

"Yu Tao's father, Erfeng Bolin, is a descendant of the old Huang Clan, correct?" Jiang Qiao inquired.

"That's correct. He traces his lineage back to one of my great grandfather's second cousins, and I welcomed his family into the Huang Clan even before its official establishment," Huang Qide proudly confirmed.

This fact brought immense pride to Huang Qide regarding his ancestral heritage. Despite the tragic downfall of the old Huang Clan, its surviving members persevered through adversity to rebuild and revitalize their lineage. Furthermore, Yu Tao, hailing from a branch of the old Huang Clan with a diluted bloodline, turned out to be an extraordinary genius.

Reflecting upon the numerous events that have unfolded over the past four decades, Huang Qide couldn't help but believe that fate itself was on his side.

"May I ask why you're inquiring about this? It is already confirmed in my family tree," Huang Qide inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"Curiosity. I rarely see people who take the non-dominant parent's family name." Jiang Qiao shrugged. Continuing her explanation, she remarked, "And what about his mother, Yu Qiangfeng? According to the report, she was discovered by an exploration group, in which Erfeng Bolin participated, at the confluence of the Liaoning River and the Primordial Origin River."

"Oh, Yu Qiangfeng, she's nothing special. She has lost most of her memories, her identity, her family, and her homeland… I assure you, we exhausted every available method at the time to determine if she was a spy. In the end, it turned out she was just an ordinary person. We even investigated if anyone had gone missing near the Liaoning River, but unfortunately, the results were abysmal. Many deaths occurred in that area due to harsh weather conditions and attacks by demon beasts," Huang Qide explained, responding to the look Jiang Qiao gave him.

Jiang Qiao pondered for a moment and then asked, "Have you tried showing her a map of the empire? Perhaps even the entire continent?"

"Yes, but... you're suggesting something impossible. Even a Saint Realm expert would be at risk if they were knocked unconscious in the Primordial Origin River and didn't wake up in time. Not to mention, Yu Qiangfeng is merely a cultivator in the Houtian Realm," Huang Qide stated with a hint of disbelief.

Jiang Qiao's gaze shifted towards Yu Tao's former residence as he replied, "Well, it does depend on the distance, but let's save that discussion for another day. In any case, I mentioned Yu Tao's mother because Guo Da discovered something intriguing about her pregnancy."

Huang Qide opened the report book to gain a deeper understanding. However, as he read the section about Yu Qiangfeng's pregnancy, he found himself slightly puzzled.

There was nothing extraordinary about her pregnancy.

The section described a typical experience.

Joyous and motivated parents, supportive neighbors, and a challenging labor. It mainly consisted of the accounts and thoughts of former neighbors and birth attendants.

"I'm at a loss," Huang Qide admitted, scratching his head in confusion.

Jiang Qiao shook her head, exasperated. "Go over the birth attendants' accounts again."

Huang Qide complied, reading through the experiences of those involved in Yu Qiangfeng's labor. Once again, he found himself perplexed.

Everything seemed fairly normal, with one peculiar aspect being that each birth attendant felt increasing anxiety as the hours passed during Yu Qiangfeng's eleven-hour labor, only for it to dissipate in the final hour. Additionally, it was mentioned that Yu Tao, the newborn, was a rather tearful baby who inexplicably calmed down upon gazing at the night sky.

Perhaps this was just an indication of his attunement to nature, Huang Qide pondered. There didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary.

"On the surface, these anecdotes don't seem particularly strange," Jiang Qiao remarked, looking directly at Huang Qide. "But when weaker cultivators go through pregnancy, there is a risk of complications before or during childbirth. In severe cases, it can even lead to their death. I'm sure you're aware of this, Uncle Huang."

Huang Qide nodded, his mind wandering back to the time when his wife, Chen Jiao, nearly lost her life giving birth to their second son.

"Similarly, Yu Qiangfeng faced complications during labor, but miraculously managed to deliver Yu Tao unharmed and without suffering any ill effects afterward," Jiang Qiao continued, pausing briefly for emphasis. "She should have died. At that time, there was nothing within the clan that could have saved her."

Huang Qide's jaw dropped slightly at Jiang Qiao's revelation. After a few seconds, he managed to compose himself and asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"I sought out the precise location where Yu Qiangfeng gave birth, as well as her and Yu Bolin's former residence. It was there that I employed a unique martial technique, granting me the ability to perceive things beyond the ordinary senses. What I witnessed were lingering traces of karmic qi and providence qi."

Karmic qi and providence qi!

These two forms of qi are exceedingly rare, predominantly emerging during the birth of extraordinary natural treasures.

However, what intrigued Huanv Qi further was that the karmic qi and providence qi appeared in places connected to Yu Tao. Does this suggest that Yu Tai is bestowed with extraordinary luck and resistance to negative karma?

Huang Qide found himself growing increasingly perplexed.

"You are not mistaken, Uncle Huang," Jiang Qiao responded, seemingly attuned to his thoughts. "Nevertheless, there is more to this than meets the eye."

"I presume that Yu Tao's unstable qi stemmed from complications during Yu Qiangfeng's delivery, and the lingering karmic qi and providence qi are residual effects of that event?" Huang Qide inquired.

"Close. I'll stop beating around the bush now.," Jiang Qiao said, his expression turning grave, which alarmed Huang Qide. "Yu Qiangfeng's challenging labor was caused by Yu Tao. Not out of malicious intent, but due to his instincts as an infant. Yu Tao is far from an ordinary creature. The appearance of karmic qi and providence qi is no mere coincidence. It is highly probable that Yu Tao was destined to be born as either a Connate Houtian or a Connate Xiantian being. However, while still in his mother's womb, he likely sensed her impending death and, driven by an kindness stemming from an instinctual understanding that the dying woman had cared for him, he transferred his power to her so she could survive... The reason why I believe this? It is simple. I visited Yu Qiangfeng's grave, where I discovered even fainter traces of karmic qi and providence qi, and learned that her corpse, including her skeleton, decomposed rapidly due to her inability to contain Yu Tao's power."

A deafening silence enveloped the room as Huang Qide processed everything Jiang Qiao had revealed thus far.

Eventually, Huang Qide broke the silence. "And her soul... What happened to her soul?"

"No, it appears that Yu Tao's qi was solely passed on to her physical form," Jiang Qiao reassured him.

Huang Qide let out a sigh of relief. Although the decay of one's soul may not sever their connection to the cycle of reincarnation, the likelihood of their swift return to the living world becomes abyssal.

Furthermore, when Yu Tao learns of this revelation in the future, he may harbor unnecessary guilt, potentially impeding his growth.

"How is it possible that none of us detected any peculiarity in Yu Qiangfeng? I mean, wouldn't a Connate Houtian or Connate Xiantian emanate a remarkably powerful aura?" Huang Qide questioned.

Jiang Qiao shrugged in response. "I must admit, my knowledge on these matters is limited. However, what I can tell you is that connate cultivators are akin to heavenly treasures. They may be in close proximity, yet remain unnoticed. Even Connate Saints are said to go unrecognized until their birth. The womb acts as a sort of protective barrier, you see."

"So... Is Yu Tao a Connate Houtian or Connate Xiantian?"

"I cannot say for certain. Unless Yu Tao makes a partial recovery, we can only speculate," Jiang Qiao replied.

"Unfortunately..." Huang Qide trailed off, a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

< Flashback, End >

The moment Jiao Qiao returns to the Broke Blade Institute, she would begin a discreet investigation into anything related to connate cultivators. Acquiring information shouldn't pose much difficulty, although she might need to inform the Broken Blade Sovereign to ensure Yu Tao's safety.

Connate cultivators are highly coveted individuals. Beyond their heightened luck and immunity to negative karma, they possess a multitude of exceptional qualities.

Their physical prowess is extraordinary, their souls radiate purity and power, they wield vast amounts of high-tier spiritual energy, possess unique meridians, carry special bloodlines, exhibit exceptional attunement to nature, and possess numerous other innate gifts.

In essence, they are the perfect cultivators.

However, as is often the case with great things, connate cultivators are exceedingly rare. Most were born during the early stages of a planet's development, benefiting from its abundant primordial energy. Only a scarce few have been born thereafter.

Throughout the history of the Martial Spirit World, there have been numerous Connate Houtians and Connate Xiantians, but the count of Connate Saints is estimated to be just around a dozen. Following the Great Fiendgod War, the number of connate cultivators can be accurately tallied to fifteen individuals, with only one among them being a Connate Saint.

As for Connate Gods and Connate High Gods?

It's said that even ancient High God Realm experts consider them as myths.

The rarity of connate cultivators not only makes them sought after as successors, but also renders them targets for malicious cultivators seeking vessels for resurrection.

Only the Broken Blade Sovereign possesses the capability to safeguard Yu Tao from hostile forces.

As for the notion of the sovereign attempting to make Yu Tao his vessel? The probability is highly unlikely.

Jiang Qiao let out a sigh. She had not anticipated her visit to be so troublesome.

-

*1 - Qi and spirit energy will be used interchangeably.