Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 153 | The Golden Crow Envoy | Novela.app

"Wah-ya-ya! Give the Divine Pill to me, and it will all be over soon!" a voice cried out. The Divine Pill in Yun Xi’s hand vanished instantly. At that moment, Li Xue and Li Lin finally felt the drain on their spiritual energy cease. Li Lin’s face was ashen. He had lost ninety percent of his Yang spiritual energy. Fortunately, Li Xue had replenished him in time; otherwise, he truly might have been sucked dry into a withered husk. It was a terrifying prospect. Li Xue’s complexion was also poor. She had lost sixty to seventy percent of her energy, and only managed to stabilize herself by swallowing an entire bottle of Spirit-Replenishing Pills. Hei Yan summoned the Heavy Cloud Cover to protect the four of them, his eyes warily scanning their surroundings. Yun Xi spread her wings, prepared to scoop the three of them up and flee once more. "Alright, alright, I’m fine now!" The voice drifted down from above. Everyone looked up to see a shimmering, golden bird hovering in the sky. As they stared at it, the four of them exchanged looks of utter shock. "A Golden Crow?" Li Xue’s mouth hung open as she stared at the massive bird in disbelief. This was clearly the form Li Lin had manifested earlier, but how had it become such a formidable, terrifying existence? "A Golden Crow Envoy!" The shock in Yun Xi and Hei Yan’s hearts was no less than that of Li Xue and Li Lin. "Hehe, a Cloud Crane and a Black Wolf? Strange... this doesn't seem to be the Divine Realm!" The Golden Crow folded its wings and transformed. In a flash of light, a youth with golden hair and golden clothes, radiant as sunlight, stood before them. Li Xue groaned inwardly. *Another one from the Divine Race. A cute, sun-kissed shota... and another one I can only look at but can't touch. How depressing.* "Yun Xi (Hei Yan) greets the Divine Envoy!" Yun Xi and Hei Yan stepped forward and bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with awe and envy. The Golden Crow Envoy nodded slightly, but his gaze shifted toward Li Xue and Li Lin. With a flick of his fingers, two streaks of golden light flew into them. Li Xue and Li Lin felt a jolt as a surge of pure, thick Yang spiritual energy flooded their dantians. Overjoyed and disregarding everything else, they immediately sat cross-legged to begin their recovery. The Golden Crow Envoy exchanged a few words via divine sense with Yun Xi and Hei Yan, then waited quietly by their side. Ten days later, Li Xue and Li Lin opened their eyes one after another. Upon inspecting their internal state, they were ecstatic. Their cultivation showed signs of an imminent breakthrough past the early Nascent Soul stage. It seemed they had truly turned a disaster into a blessing. As Li Xue and Li Lin stepped forward to offer their thanks, the Golden Crow Envoy supported them, looking at Li Xue with a profound gaze. "Exalted One, it seems you have forgotten who Jin Sang is." Li Xue and Li Lin looked at him with blank confusion, but Yun Xi and Hei Yan trembled violently. The look they cast toward Li Xue was a complex mix of excitement and trepidation. In the Divine Realm, the hierarchy of cultivation was divided into: Divine Being, Great Deity, Heavenly God, Ancient God, and Primordial Hidden God. Only those at the rank of Ancient God or higher were addressed as "Exalted One." Those below Ancient God were addressed by their titles—such as Divine Envoy or Divine Guard—or simply as "Divine Lord." *Could the Mistress be the reincarnation of an Ancient God?* Yun Xi and Hei Yan wondered. *What could possibly cause an Ancient God to undergo reincarnation?* They could not fathom what kind of catastrophe would necessitate such a thing. Waves of shock crashed through their hearts, leaving them shivering uncontrollably. Seeing their expressions, Li Xue felt a chill of her own. She had several members of the Divine Race around her now, and from their usual conversations, she had gathered some bits of information. *Was I originally a Divine Being from the Divine Realm?* Even if she was, what did it matter? Her current cultivation was mediocre at best. Who knew how many years it would take before she could help these stranded Divine Race members return home? Seeing Li Xue’s bewildered expression, Jin Sang, the Golden Crow, gave a self-deprecating smile. The Exalted One had likely undergone countless cycles of reincarnation; with her current cultivation so low, how could she remember the affairs of the Divine Realm? He made a decision. Smiling, he continued, "I was sealed within the Golden Silk Divine Cocoon. It was thanks to your Yang spiritual energy and the Divine Pill that I was able to break free. I was originally the Exalted One’s subordinate, so naturally, I shall follow you from now on." Li Xue’s heart skipped a beat. A sunny, cute shota telling her "I am yours" and that he wanted to follow her forever? What kind of situation was this? It seemed impossible to refuse. Her heart fluttered with a strange, inexplicable sensation. Li Lin, however, was not pleased. He had nearly been sucked dry earlier. Even though he had gained significant benefits afterward, Jin Sang’s face looked incredibly punchable to him. *What do you mean, "follow us"? You’re someone with unfathomable cultivation—what do you want with us low-level cultivators? Are you like that Divine Lord Feng Chi, harboring hidden, malicious intentions?* Hei Yan, knowing Li Lin’s temperament well, hurried forward to persuade him. "Xiao Lin, since the Divine Envoy says he was originally the Mistress’s man, he will surely be a loyal protector. We of the Divine Race never serve two masters; he definitely has no ulterior motives. Besides, with a Great Deity-level Divine Envoy by our side, we won't have to fear even if ten more Feng Chis show up!" Li Lin realized the logic in this. As long as the guy wasn't lusting after his mother, he didn't care what race he was. There were already countless beings in the Dream Realm anyway; one more wouldn't hurt. Jin Sang felt extremely depressed. He was a dignified Great Deity, an invincible existence in the mortal cultivation world, yet he was being looked down upon by a mere child. For the sake of him being the Exalted One’s son, he decided not to take offense. Jin Sang raised his hand and pointed at the foreheads of Li Xue and Li Lin. Two golden symbols imprinted themselves upon them. Li Xue’s heart tightened as an indescribable sensation spread through her body. She asked suspiciously, "Huh? This doesn't feel like a Spirit Beast Contract." Jin Sang stumbled, nearly losing his footing. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was a Great Deity! How could a Great Deity sign a Spirit Beast Contract with a mortal cultivator? He explained helplessly, "Our levels are too far apart; a Spirit Beast Contract is impossible. We can only sign a Divine Office Contract." "Oh," Li Xue nodded in understanding. Regardless of the type of contract, she had always treated her spirit beasts as friends. Whether it was Zi Feng or Chi Ze, she allowed them to roam freely. She had no interest in manipulating or controlling others. "Once a Divine Office Contract is signed, a subordinate relationship is established, ensuring absolute loyalty. It is similar to a Spirit Beast Contract, but the individual retains more personal freedom," Jin Sang added. Yun Xi and Hei Yan both breathed a sigh of relief. With a Divine Envoy as a guardian, the Mistress would be much safer. "Then let’s go home first!" Li Xue performed a hand seal and brought everyone back into the Dream Realm. Upon entering the Dream Realm and seeing the familiar valley from his memories, Jin Sang sighed with emotion. He had been injured back in the Divine Realm and had been healing inside the Golden Silk Divine Cocoon for an unknown amount of time. By the time he woke up, the cocoon had already been sealed. The only one capable of sealing the Golden Silk Divine Cocoon was his master, the Exalted One. He simply could not understand why even an Ancient God had to undergo reincarnation. What kind of tribulation required an Ancient God to reincarnate to face it? Such a disaster must be unprecedented. *Could the end of the Six Realms be approaching?* At that thought, Jin Sang broke into a cold sweat. As they moved through the Dream Realm, Jin Sang saw the people arriving one by one: Yu Ming, Ji Rufeng, Bai Xingyu... even Dongfang Jing and Li Xiaoyin had emerged from their secluded cultivation. Jin Sang was shocked once again. *Could it be that the entire Ancient God Palace has undergone reincarnation?* *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 金乌使 | Golden Crow Envoy | A divine messenger or envoy of the Golden Crow race. 金桑 | Jin Sang | The name of the Golden Crow Envoy. 尊上 | Exalted One | A highly respectful title (Zun Shang) used for Ancient Gods or higher. 神人 | Divine Being | The lowest rank in the Divine Realm hierarchy. 大神 | Great Deity | A rank in the Divine Realm, higher than a Divine Being. 天神 | Heavenly God | A high rank in the Divine Realm. 古神 | Ancient God | An extremely high rank in the Divine Realm; referred to as "Exalted One." 始隐神 | Primordial Hidden God | The highest known rank in the Divine Realm hierarchy. 金丝神茧 | Golden Silk Divine Cocoon | A divine healing or sealing vessel. 神职契约 | Divine Office Contract | A formal, loyal bond between a deity and a subordinate, less restrictive than a beast contract. 古神殿 | Ancient God Palace | A significant location or organization in the Divine Realm associated with Ancient Gods. 六界 | Six Realms | The collective term for the different planes of existence (Gods, Immortals, Humans, etc.).