20: Chapter 20 Second-hand is fine.

The boisterous well-wishes in the delivery room lasted for nearly half an hour. The group of Titled Douluo had their fill of gawking and left their respective generous gifts before being reluctantly driven away by Gui Mei's gaze, which seemed to say, "Stop making noise, you'll disturb the child."

Once the mansion returned to silence, Yue Guan leaned against the soft pillow, watching Gui Mei clumsily tucking in the swaddling clothes for Gui Mengguan, his eyes so tender they could melt.

"Slow down, don't wake him," Yue Guan whispered, chiding him, though his tone held no reproach. "I never expected that the two of us would actually have a day like this."

Gui Mei paused, lowered his head to press a light kiss on Yue Guan's forehead, his voice low and gentle: "It's all thanks to the Old Ancestor, and thanks to you. Yue Yue, in this lifetime, with you and Mengguan, I have everything I need."

"It's worth it!"

He had lived for nearly sixty years and had never felt as secure as he did in this moment. The days of living on the edge of a blade, which everyone avoided, had long since become a thing of the past. Now, with his family by his side and Spirit Hall stable, this was the best ending he could imagine.

In the swaddling clothes, Gui Mengguan listened to his parents' affectionate conversation. His little body stiffened, and his mind remained in a state of chaotic shock.

No matter how absurd his identity was, he had to accept reality.

Yet, from beginning to end, he only considered himself the sole Transmigrator in this magically altered Douluo World.

After all, in his cognition, Transmigration was a one-in-a-million miracle; how could it be as common as dirt everywhere? He secretly made up his mind: since he was here, he would make the best of it. He would hold tight to his parents' Spirit Hall thigh, rely on his knowledge of the original plot to avoid the original tragedy of Spirit Hall's destruction, and safely be a top-tier second-generation, and this life would be Perfection.

He was completely unaware that in every corner of this continent, there were hundreds of other "visitors from beyond" just like him, holding the exact same thought, thinking they were the only ones in control of the plot.

Even if this was a second-hand one, he was the one who had come to pick up the scraps.

Meanwhile, on the main street of Spirit City, the group of Titled Douluo who had just left the Chrysanthemum and Ghost mansion were still chattering away.

Light Feather Douluo skipped ahead, playing with his Glazed Bow, his face full of excitement: "I didn't expect this, I really didn't. It's one thing that Yue Guan became a woman, but he even gave birth to such a good-looking son! That child is so delicate; when he grows up, he will definitely be able to charm half the young girls in Spirit City!"

Demon Subduing Douluo stroked his chin, sighing with emotion: "That guy Gui Mei, usually cold as a reaper, actually smiled like a fool today. It's truly a once-in-a-century event. The Two-Polarity Static Domain is already unsolvable, and now that both of them have had a Breakthrough in cultivation due to the Immortal Ganoderma, and they have an heir, the foundation of Spirit Hall has grown even thicker."

Thousand Jun Douluo nodded, his tone becoming more serious: "But having said that, the Old Ancestor's passing, Alternative remaining in Spirit Hall, and the two of them having a child—these three things happening one after another… Spirit Hall looks glorious, but the undercurrents are not small at all."

As soon as these words were spoken, the smiles on everyone's faces faded.

Gold Crocodile Douluo sighed heavily, his aged voice carrying a hint of heaviness: "The Clear Sky Sect's attitude remains ambiguous, Tang Hao is still on the run, the Flame Will Dynasty is calling for the clearing of Spirit Beast heretics every day, and the two great Empires are secretly expanding their armies. It looks calm on the outside, but the undercurrents are surging."

"When the Old Ancestor was here, he was the stabilizer for everything. Now that the Old Ancestor has passed, we old bones must hold the line and ensure Spirit Hall doesn't face any chaos."

Everyone fell silent, their expressions solemn.

The Old Ancestor's greatest final instruction was that after he left, the entire continent would enter a time of trouble, and they should be prepared.

It would be even more turbulent than the undercurrents beneath the calm water surface today.

Qian Xunji walked behind the crowd, looking towards the direction of the Angel Temple with deep eyes, a flash of complexity crossing his gaze. He was both the Spirit Hall Young Lord and a descendant of Qian Chongguang; the burden on his shoulders was heavier than anyone else's.

He vaguely remembered that he was almost seduced by the Evil God back then, attempting the plan to create two gods with one shot. If it hadn't been for the Old Ancestor slapping him awake and cursing him for being a ghost raised at home, he might have become a sinner of Spirit Hall, or even a sinner of the entire continent.

"The Adjudicator Elder is now in charge of the Adjudication Department, so he can hold the line," Qian Xunji said in a low voice. "Alternative is being cultivated according to the Old Ancestor's will, Mengguan is a junior of our Spirit Hall, and the two great Empires, the Clear Sky Sect, the Flame Will Dynasty... we will handle all the turmoil slowly."

"The Old Ancestor said that all accidents are part of the plan."

With these words, everyone's hearts felt inexplicably settled. Even if the path ahead was unknown, as long as they followed the path left by Qian Chongguang, Spirit Hall would not fall.

As the words fell, the Titled Douluo present, even if they still had reservations, bowed in unison.

...

On the east side of the Spirit Hall Angel Temple was one of the highest dwellings in all of Spirit City.

The window lattice of a certain room in the pavilion faced the east. Every day, the first ray of morning sun fell precisely on the soft couch by the window. Even the window paper was made of Ice Silkworm Silk specifically designated in Qian Chongguang's will—it could filter out the scorching heat of the morning sun while retaining the purest morning glow. It was an excellent place for Cultivating eye techniques.

This was the place where Alternative had grown up until he was three years old.

From the first day he opened his eyes in the swaddling clothes, he was much calmer than ordinary children. While other babies were still crying for milk, he could lie quietly, feeling the weak, endless flow of Qi within his body. As soon as he learned to toddle, he would climb to the window before dawn every day, sitting still and focusing on the fish-belly white sky in the east, as if he were born knowing how to resonate with the Qi of heaven and earth.

It wasn't until he was three years old that the vague methods in his mind finally became clear and complete.

This was perfectly normal; the brain still needed to develop before the age of three.

Even with the wisdom and memories of a past life, they had to be recovered slowly.

When the sky was still covered with a gray-blue morning mist, the three-year-old Alternative was already sitting upright on the soft couch.

His small body sat straight, his eyes slightly closed, and he slowly began to operate the Mysterious Heaven Skill according to the route that appeared naturally in his heart. Wisps of heaven and earth Soul Power surged into his Meridians with his breathing, flowing smoothly through his cycle and settling in the Dantian.

Even though it was still three years away from the Spirit Awakening at age six, his Soul Power had already quietly touched the threshold of the Spirit Scholar Realm.

When the first ray of morning sun jumped over the horizon and the golden-red morning light covered the window lattice, he slowly opened his eyes. There was not a trace of a child's confusion in his pitch-black eyes, only a calmness and clarity far beyond his age. His gaze locked firmly on the rising sun, his eyelashes not trembling in the slightest. The basic method of the Purple Demon Eye circulated in his heart, grinding his eyesight day after day.