I Have Another Matter to Report

"Ray, just like you, has been reborn," Evan Xiao said. "But he's a little different from you and Tuo Ba Hong. Maybe because his species changed, he doesn't remember much. Right now, he's truly just a child."

"Really? Is that true?"

"Do you remember where you got the seed?"

"It was..." Grace chokes up, tears streaming down her face as she stares blankly at the little Antler Serpent.

Could it be... this is her Ray?

Her Ray has come back to her!

"I've already secretly mixed your blood with his. You're his mother, I'm his father—no doubt about it!" Evan added.

Grace clutched Evan's hands, which were holding Ray, laughing and crying at the same time.

Ray looked at his mom, then at his father god, blinking his big eyes in confusion.

Why was Mom laughing and crying at the same time?

"But... but why did Ray turn into a seed? And why did he grow out of the First Spirit Tree?" Grace asked.

Evan shook his head. "I don't understand it either."

"In his last life, he was a normal child! How did he become a little dragon this time?"

"He's my son. Being a little dragon is normal for him," Evan said. "Maybe, in your last pregnancy, you took something that suppressed his Dragon Aura. That's why I couldn't find you or recognize Ray."

"Something that suppressed Dragon Aura..." Grace thought hard, but couldn't recall eating anything unusual.

"Grace, I missed out on you in our last life. This time, I swear I'll make it up to you and our son." Evan said softly.

Grace glanced at him, her heart swirling with emotions.

"Grace, after my battle with the Infernal Manta, my Dragon Aura surged and the Divine Realm knows about me now. My father, the Divine Emperor, has ordered me to return immediately. I'll go report to him, then bring you and Ray to Drake Abyss. Is that okay?"

Grace smiled with her lips pressed together and nodded.

Evan bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. "I'll be right back."

Ray used his tail to cover his eyes.

Not suitable for children.

...

Drake Abyss.

"Father Emperor, there's still some time before the Spirit Festival. Did you come out of seclusion early?"

"Yes," said the Divine Emperor. "What happened down there?"

"A thousand-year-old Infernal Manta beast was wreaking havoc in the mortal world. I had to restore my powers to stop it," Evan explained. "That's why my whereabouts were exposed."

Last time, when he killed the Fire Demon Beast, it had just been born and wasn't very strong. He hadn't needed to restore his powers—just returned to his true form and finished it off.

So that incident didn't attract much attention.

This time, the Divine Realm, Immortal Realm, Demon Realm, and even the Underworld were all alerted.

"Bring Lena up here!" the Divine Emperor ordered. "Keeping her under the First Spirit Tree will help preserve her body."

Evan had been regularly reporting to the Divine Emperor about his search for the Saint Maiden in the mortal world.

So he was already aware of Lena's situation.

"But we haven't fully confirmed she's the Saint Maiden yet," Evan said.

"Bianca Whitefan is Xuan Weizi's disciple. Their divinations have never been wrong," the Divine Emperor replied. "Besides, even if it's a mistake, bringing her up won't hurt."

"Now that my affairs in the Vermilion Kingdom have been exposed, it's not safe to keep the Saint Maiden there. I'll return and bring her up right away."

"Good, go ahead!"

"Father Emperor, I have one more thing to report."

"What is it?"

"The Saint Maiden has a daughter, named Chloe Zhu," Evan said. "She and I are deeply in love, and we have a son together. I've decided to make her my Crown Princess."