The aftermath of Lianhua's first birthday was nothing short of cataclysmic.
Not because the cake exploded. ( It did.)
Not because her baby teeth were now literal crystal daggers. ( They were.)
But because the prophecy… had begun unraveling, one flickering thread at a time.
And the first casualty of fate?
Ling Yechen.
—
Somewhere in the outer edges of the
Floating Lotus Realm, Ling Yechen stood beneath a spirit tree with burning blossoms. His once- pristine robes were now tattered, his hair no longer held the shine of divine arrogance. Instead,
cinders danced around him like ghosts of chances missed.
" Did I really reject her for status?" he muttered, slapping away a smitten squirrel that tried to braid his hair.
The spirit tree responded by shedding a petal that promptly burst into laughter.
Yechen groaned. " Even the flora judges me."
The punishment had begun subtly. An itching curse. Then, every mirror he passed showed Shen Yueli in various forms of victory: glowing in divine armor, cradling a powerful baby, or simply flipping her hair while walking past him in slow motion.
And now?
Now he couldn't meditate without conjuring memories of that fateful moment he turned away from Yueli's love.
" Too chaotic," he had once said.
" Too dangerous."
Now he dreamed of her chaos like a man starved for lightning.
—
Back in the Immortal Arena, Shen Yueli stood with Di Yan on the training grounds, watching their one-year- old daughter calmly levitate five grown spirit wolves using only her left pinky toe.
" She's developing faster than expected," Di Yan observed.
" She also melted my scrying mirror this morning with a yawn," Yueli muttered.
" We're past 'faster.' We're entering 'run before she rewrites reality.'"
The child hovered upside down, singing in tongues, conjuring small comets just to giggle at their tailspin.
Yueli rubbed her temples. " Do we tell her about Ling Yechen?"
Di Yan raised an eyebrow. " What for? He's irrelevant."
" He was once her almost- father," Yueli said thoughtfully. " Shouldn't she at least get to meet the man who chose politics over passion?"
Di Yan laughed, but not cruelly. " If you want poetic revenge, sure."
—
And so, the invitation was sent— not as a scroll, but as a burst of magic fire that wrote itself in Ling Yechen's sky.
" Come meet your could-have-been daughter. Try not to combust."
Yechen stared at the message for a long time. Then he packed a gift box filled with rare artifacts, a fruit that promised one wish per bite, and a letter apologizing for being a grade- A celestial moron.
—
When he arrived at the Immortal Arena,
he was greeted by silence.
Then… a giggle.
Followed by a baby crawling on the ceiling with glowing eyes, glittering nails, and hair that changed color every three seconds.
" Is that… her?" Yechen asked, eyes wide.
" No," Yueli said, stepping into view in a flowing robe laced with stardust and vengeance. " That's the welcome committee."
Yechen gulped.
"I—I came to see her," he said, offering the gift box.
Yueli took it, opened it, and raised an eyebrow. " A wish-fruit? Really? You think we need wishes?"
The baby landed on Yechen's head and bit his ear playfully.
" Ahh!" he screamed.
" She likes you," Yueli said flatly.
" Is… is she floating again?"
" No, Yechen. You are."
And just like that, she snapped her fingers— and Yechen soared into the air, spinning helplessly.
" Trial by gravity," Di Yan called out from his seat. " We're seeing if you've grown a backbone."
" I— I can explain!" Yechen flailed. " I was young, stupid, full of—"
" Ego," Yueli finished. " And now you're full of regret."
The baby let out a war cry that sounded suspiciously like, " YAAAAAS!"
Then she summoned a mini thundercloud over Yechen's head.
Lightning zapped his rear.
—
After an hour of magical interrogation
( half of it involving illusion spells that made him relive the worst breakups of his life), Yechen finally knelt.
" I was wrong," he said. " I should've fought for you. I should've—"
" You shouldn't have needed ' should haves,'" Yueli interrupted.
Then she waved her hand— and the storm dissipated.
Yechen looked up. "Does this mean you forgive me?"
" No," Yueli said. " It means my daughter's seen enough pathetic groveling for one day."
The baby floated beside her mother,
arms crossed, looking judgmental.
" She doesn't like your vibe," Di Yan added cheerfully.
Yechen sighed.
But then the baby floated over to him,
poked his nose, and giggled.
" You're ridiculous," Yueli said, smirking.
" She's clearly chaotic neutral."
"She… has your eyes," Yechen whispered, suddenly chocked up.
" And her father's thunder," Yueli replied,
stepping beside Di Yan, who beamed with pride.
" She's… amazing."
Yueli nodded. " She is. And she's not a second chance."
Yechen bowed his head. " Understood."
As he walked away— singed, emotionally scalded, and very slightly enlightened— Yueli called after him, " Don't let fate hit you on the way out!"
—
Later that evening, the three of them sat atop the moon- viewing tower.
The baby was chewing on a moonbeam.
" She liked him," Di Yan noted.
" She zapped his butt," Yueli countered.
" Exactly."
The baby giggled, and for a moment, the stars blinked back in amusement.
" I never gave her a name," Yueli said softly, brushing a curl from her daughter's forehead.
Di Yan looked at her. " It's time, then."
The baby looked between them, expectant.
Yueli held her close. " Lianhua."
Di Yan smiled. " Graceful lotus in chaos."
" Exactly," Yueli whispered. " She bloomed in battle. She laughs in storms."
Lianhua burped a rainbow.
They laughed until the stars blinked again.
And far away, the Oracle stirred.
For the name had been spoken.
The seed had bloomed.
And fate… just shifted gears.