After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

Xie Xingran's accusatory whimper finally drew Xie Jinghan's attention back.

He looked down at his son beside him, who was pouting and waving his little fists, and a gentle smile spread across his eyes. "Hehe, Qingwan, look at our child, how lively he is."

He moved as gently as if handling a fragile treasure, carefully lifting Xie Xingran from the soft bedding.

The little guy was so soft and light, like a ball of cotton. Xie Jinghan adjusted himself to a steady position and gently handed him to his wife, his voice full of affection: "Do you want to hold him?"

"Ee-yah—Ee-yah!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Xingran instantly forgot her earlier grievances.

He kicked his chubby little legs, waved his slender arms vigorously, and stretched his plump little hands straight toward Liu Qingwan, his fingertips slightly curled, as if trying to grab something.

Her big, round, black grape-like eyes were fixed on her mother, her eyes slightly red at the corners, her expression soft and eager.

Mommy, Mommy! Come and hug your baby!

He called softly in his heart, his little head rubbing against Xie Jinghan's arm. His eager and longing look was just like that of a fledgling bird trying its best to fly into its mother's warm embrace.

Liu Qingwan's gaze fell on the little guy her husband handed to her, and she immediately noticed the delicate red lotus mark between his eyebrows.

On that fair and delicate brow, there was a mark shaped like a budding red lotus, its color deep red and translucent, like a touch of fine rouge, which made the baby's delicate skin even more beautiful and dazzling.

Her breath hitched slightly as images from her past life resurfaced in her mind.

This mark is proof of Xie Xingran's contract with the Earth Vein Fire Marrow, and it will be his most prominent symbol for the future.

In the not-too-distant future, on the Cangxuan Continent, who will not know the Crimson Lotus Immortal Lord with the dazzling mark between his brows?

He was arrogant and unruly, acted as he pleased, and possessed unfathomable cultivation. He was renowned throughout the Three Thousand Realms, inspiring awe and fear in countless cultivators.

Liu Qingwan was always proud of her son Xie Xingran's achievements, but when she thought of the tragic scene in her previous life, she felt her emotions surge.

A mix of emotions—love, doubt, dissatisfaction, disappointment—made her eyes sting.

Why?

This is her child, a precious child she conceived and nurtured with a century of cultivation, carefully nourished day and night with her own spiritual power, and has cherished until now.

The hardships of a hundred-year pregnancy, the anxiety during the gestation process, and the countless days and nights of careful protection.

The soft, warm touch of an infant was in her arms, and the faint scent of milk and the nourishing aroma of her own spiritual energy lingered around her nose. Yet, Liu Qingwan felt as if her heart was being gripped tightly by an icy hand, the pain almost suffocating her.

From the time Xie Xingran was still a nascent spirit, she had already poured all her emotions into him.

During her hundred-year pregnancy, she abandoned all strife and hid in the most spiritually rich holy land, nourishing herself day and night with her own original spiritual power, not caring at all even if it depleted her cultivation and slightly diminished her appearance.

Fearing that he would be disturbed by the outside world, she personally hand-painted countless runes to turn their residence into an impregnable barrier, where not even a wisp of cold wind dared to touch him.

After Xie Xingran was safely born, this tenderness and affection only intensified.

She willingly gave up all her spiritual practice and spent countless hours and energy by his side:

When he was learning to speak, she gently guided him word by word; when he was learning to walk, she bent down to hold his little hand and guarded him every step of the way; even when he was sound asleep late at night, she would sit quietly by the bed and gently comb his soft hair.

She had countless times hoped in her heart that her child would possess unparalleled talent and grow into a powerful, beautiful, and dazzling being;

May he gain the respect and love of all living beings on the Cangxuan Continent, and may his future be smooth and without obstacles;

But compared to all of that, her most sincere wish was simply for him to grow up safely, smoothly, and carefree, and to live a peaceful and happy life.

But...why?!

Liu Qingwan hugged Xie Xingran even tighter, her already reddened eyes finally unable to hold back the scalding tears that slid down her cheeks.

Her eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and despair as she stared intently at the bewildered little one in her arms, as if trying to find a clue to the cruel future on his tender little face.

"Qingwan?"

"Eeya?"

Xie Xingran was slightly startled by her mother's sudden tightening embrace. She tilted her head subconsciously, blinked her big, dark eyes, and looked at Liu Qingwan's tear-streaked face, calling out softly in confusion.

He looked at Liu Qingwan, wondering: What's wrong? Why does she have that expression? Is she too happy to see me born?

He reached out his chubby little hand and unconsciously rubbed it against Liu Qingwan's wet cheek, his little mouth slightly pursed.

Liu Qingwan lowered her head and met her son's pure, clean, and untainted eyes.

The little one in my arms was still soft and squishy, ​​her long eyelashes fluttering gently like two small fans, her warm breath brushing against her skin, carrying the unique clarity of an infant.

But the purer it is, the more cruel the future she foresees seems.

Why?

She pressed Xie Xingran's face against her own, feeling its real softness and warmth. A tear slid down her cheek again, landing silently on Xie Xingran's swaddling clothes.

Why?!

She screamed wildly in her heart, questioning him again and again.

She had clearly done everything in her power to protect the child, and she had given all her tenderness and hope to this child.

But why did her child eventually fall into demonic ways, becoming bloodthirsty and insane, even dragging the entire Cangxuan Continent into the abyss of destruction?

Where exactly did we go wrong?

At what point did things go wrong that this promising future turned into an irreversible abyss?

"Qingwan?"

Xie Jinghan's voice was filled with worry; he keenly sensed his wife's unusual emotional breakdown.

The arm that had been around her waist tightened slightly, and his other hand gently stroked her cheek, his fingertips wiping away the undried tear tracks on her face. His eyes were filled with anxiety and heartache.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you feeling unwell, or is something hurting?"

"no......"

Liu Qingwan's voice was heavy with sobs. She sniffed hard, buried her face in Xie Xingran's soft swaddling clothes, greedily inhaling the pure milky scent of the child, as if this could ease the intense pain in her heart.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head, raised her hand and forcefully wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. The gentleness in her beautiful eyes was gone, replaced by an overwhelming sadness and fear. "I'm just... just scared."

She looked down at the increasingly stable baby in her arms, her fingertips gently tracing the red lotus mark between his brows. "I'm afraid something will happen to Ranran in the future, afraid that I won't be a good mother, that I won't be able to raise him properly, that I won't be able to protect him..."

As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp pain shot through her heart again.

Yes, if she were truly a good mother, how could she have been completely unaware of when her child fell into demonic ways in her past life?

It wasn't until his hands were stained with blood and he wreaked havoc on the Cangxuan Continent that she belatedly realized the gravity of the situation, but by then it was too late to reverse the decline.

"It's alright, Qingwan, don't overthink it."

Xie Jinghan pulled his wife and the child in his arms into his embrace, his tone firm yet gentle.

"Our Ranran is exceptionally gifted. He is a born spiritual body, and even more so, a rare innate elixir body. He was recognized as a master by the earth's fiery marrow right after birth. This is an opportunity that countless cultivators would rather die for. He is a child favored by the Heavenly Dao!"

"He will definitely grow up smoothly in the future and become the most powerful cultivator in the Cangxuan Continent. No one will be able to hurt him."

Xie Jinghan's words struck Liu Qingwan like a thunderbolt.

She suddenly remembered Xie Xingran from her past life.

Yes, Mingxing was naturally so talented, and his cultivation path was always smooth sailing. He never encountered any bottlenecks and was unmatched by his peers. So why did he end up being rejected by the Heavenly Dao and falling into the demonic path?

Could it be that she forgot something?

Those seemingly insignificant details that she overlooked were the key to pushing Ranran into the abyss.

Once this thought arose, Liu Qingwan couldn't help but start recalling every detail of Xie Xingran's growth in his previous life.

The cultivator's photographic memory was on full display at this moment, with countless long-forgotten fragments of memory flooding into his mind like a tide, so clear as if they had happened just yesterday.

Xie Jinghan did not notice her unusual behavior. "Moreover, we have the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land and the Thousand Machine Pavilion as our backers. In the entire Cangxuan Continent, who would dare not give him some face? No one would dare to bully him."

As soon as he finished speaking, a picture appeared in Liu Qingwan's mind.

As a teenager, Xie Xingran, relying on his profound cultivation, snatched a treasure that a cultivator had painstakingly found from him in a secret realm.

Even though that treasure was just an ordinary herb, which the Holy Land of Fire Marrow Pills had plenty of, and Xie Xingran didn't need it at all, he still snatched it away.

Faced with the other party's questioning, his eyes were full of arrogance and disdain. He raised his chin slightly and shouted righteously, "Do you know who my father is? My father is Xie Jinghan, the Pavilion Master of Qianji Pavilion! You dare to try and steal from me?"

"He will be our only child."

Xie Jinghan's voice continued to ring in my ears, filled with longing for the future: "We will give her all our love and all our treasures without reservation, so that she can grow up carefree."

Another image immediately appeared:

Xie Xingran, still a child, clung tightly to Xie Jinghan's leg, tilting her little face up, her eyes red-rimmed, pleading pitifully, all for a treasure from the Thousand Machines Pavilion.

His reason for wanting this treasure was simply to take it outside and show it off to other aristocratic young men, satisfying his vanity.

At that time, she and Jinghan felt sorry for him and agreed to his request without thinking.

"As parents, we will personally teach him, carefully nurture him as he grows up, teach him to understand right and wrong, and help him become an upright, kind, and respected person..."

Xie Jinghan's tone became increasingly gentle, filled with anticipation for the child's future.

But in Liu Qingwan's mind, the most heartbreaking scene flashed uncontrollably.

In her past life, a cultivator was seriously injured and on the verge of death while saving Xie Xingran. When she arrived, she only heard the young Xie Xingran standing aside with his hands on his hips, his face showing no gratitude but rather impatience and indifference.

He even brazenly told bystanders, "Did I ask him to save me? He came to me of his own accord. What does it matter to me whether he lives or dies?!"

"Our Ranran will be the best—"

"alright!"

Liu Qingwan abruptly interrupted Xie Jinghan, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible panic.

She couldn't listen anymore. Those beautiful expectations contrasted sharply with the cruel reality of her past life, like sharp knives stabbing deeply into her heart.

She suddenly raised her hand to cover her face, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, looking utterly ashamed.

Yes, the reason Ranran turned out the way he did in his past life is not because Heaven would not tolerate him, but because his parents, with their boundless pampering, pushed him into the abyss.