Invincible Dad

Xu Lai.

In the Immortal Domain, the vast majority of people were unaware of this name. Only a very small number knew that it was the true name of Emperor Qingfeng. Even among Xu Lai's past lovers, only a handful were aware of it—not even double digits.

Yet, from top to bottom, the Taotie Clan knew. They had no choice, seeing as one of their ancestors served as the First Divine General in the Heavenly Court. That man was The Supreme Emperor's right hand!

"If you encounter a human with the surname Xu, you are forbidden to engage them under any circumstances. If you encounter someone named Xu Lai, you are to flee immediately. If it isn't The Supreme Emperor, consider yourselves lucky. If you do meet The Supreme Emperor and still manage to provoke him… then just kill yourselves. Don't bring ruin upon the clan."

Before they were cast into the Dead Realm, the old clan chief, whose teeth were nearly all gone, had said this, hunched over, to a group of young Taotie who were in their teens or a few decades old. His solemn expression ensured that every last Taotie seared the words into their memory.

Suddenly hearing this name shocked the young Taotie and Mu Cheng so much their eyes went wide.

Despite his grievous wounds, under the terrifying gaze of the bloodthirsty beast, Mu Cheng suddenly found a burst of strength. He leaped out of the water, crawled forward, and knelt on the ground, trembling as he spoke, "Great Taotie, I… I am Mu Cheng, the Demon King of Abyssal Sea City. I found this Magic Artifact in the deep sea and was fortunate… fortunate enough to awaken you. Please, I beg you to spare my life!"

A bad life was better than a good death. Since he had a chance to live, Mu Cheng certainly didn't want to die, so he seized the opportunity to beg for mercy. He figured that no matter how cold-hearted the Taotie were by nature, they wouldn't be heartless to their 'savior', right?

"I didn't ask you that! I asked who… is Xu Lai." The Taotie's voice trembled slightly.

To Mu Cheng's ears, however, it sounded like the pinnacle of rage. He was overjoyed. Could it be that this unparalleled, ferocious beast also holds a grudge against Xu Lai? This is perfect, simply perfect!

He hurriedly pointed a finger at Xu Lai and said, "It's him! He is Xu Lai, and the man next to him is his accomplice."

The enormous maw that nearly blotted out half the sky suddenly retracted. The five-meter-tall body shrank down to the size of an ordinary goat, and then, with a flash of white light, it transformed into a little girl of about five or six. Though she was as delicate and cute as a porcelain doll, she emanated a wild aura, like a child of nature.

At this moment, the little girl asked cautiously, "…Are you really named Xu Lai?"

"Mhm. Do you know me?" Xu Lai replied with a smile. "We shouldn't have met before."

"..."

The little girl's heart hammered in her chest.

No way. It can't be such a coincidence. How could The Supreme Emperor possibly appear here? Maybe he's just a man with the same name. Yes, that must be it. I should just leave… right, leave now!

But the moment she turned to flee, the little girl caught another glimpse of the burly man beside Xu Lai, whom she hadn't examined closely before. A quick glance now made her draw in a sharp breath.

Why does he feel… familiar? Wait, one is named Xu Lai, and the other's aura is somewhat familiar…

A sense of foreboding washed over her. Her scalp began to tingle, her legs felt weak, and her body froze on the spot. Turning to leave was no longer an option, but neither was staying. The situation became exceedingly awkward.

"Lord Taotie," Mu Cheng, still in his jellyfish form, said from the ground where he resembled a lump of slime. He showed no disrespect just because the Taotie had transformed into a little girl; on the contrary, he became even more reverent. "I have ten thousand Demon Soldiers at your command."

Those ten thousand Demon Soldiers were still writhing on the ground. Their spiritual energy had been drained, leaving them unable to maintain their human forms, but if they were given just a few minutes to absorb more, they would become a terrifying force to be reckoned with.

What if this really is The Supreme Emperor? This idiot is trying to get me killed!

The little girl was furious. Just as she was about to devour the idiotic jellyfish, the door to Haitang Court opened, and a little girl with pigtails bounced out. "Daddy, Mama says you guys should hurry up and come eat."

"Alrighty." Xu Lai nodded and picked up his daughter, Yiyi, who was holding a piece of mutton that smelled delicious.

She looked at him expectantly. "Daddy, open your mouth. Ahh."

Xu Lai played along perfectly, opening his mouth to eat the mutton his daughter offered. "Delicious!" he exclaimed.

"Daddy, you're just praising yourself. You're the one who grilled it."

"It's only delicious because Yiyi brought it to me."

"Heeheehee." Yiyi happily planted a kiss on Xu Lai's cheek, leaving two greasy smudges behind. She then tilted her head, looked quizzically at the young Taotie, and asked, "Daddy, who is she?"

"A descendant of your Uncle Taotie." Xu Lai gestured with his chin toward the burly Taotie beside him. "Taotie, don't just stand there. Bring your clan's little one inside for dinner. Ruan Tang is getting impatient."

"Yes, sir." The First Divine General, Taotie, cupped his fists in salute and then glared at the little girl. "Get over here, now! You know the identity of The Supreme Emperor and you don't pay your respects? Are you looking to die?!"

Who would have thought that the young Taotie girl wouldn't be scared at all? Instead, she let out an arrogant laugh. "Nice try, you two phonies! Daring to impersonate The Supreme Emperor and my clan's ancestor. Do you really take me, Yun Jin, for a fool?!"

Taotie was speechless. He let out a frustrated breath. "What nonsense are you talking about? Yun Jin… aren't you the little rascal who snuck into my cave and stole a leg of lamb?"

Yun was the surname of the Taotie Clan. The First Divine General's own name was no longer important; he represented the entire Taotie Clan, and so he used its name.

When she heard such a secret spoken by the burly man before her, Yun Jin was stunned. Her expression grew even colder. "How dare you! So you're not just cultivators from the Immortal Domain, you're also quite familiar with my Taotie Clan. But you never should have made the fatal mistake of impersonating The Supreme Emperor and my clan's ancestor!"

Veins throbbed on Taotie's forehead. He was about to slap her, but Xu Lai stopped him.

Xu Lai just smiled. "Oh? And how do you know we're impostors?"

Yun Jin looked at Xu Lai as if he were an idiot. "Everyone in the Immortal Domain knows that Emperor Realm experts have no children. And even though The Supreme Emperor Xu Lai has a harem of thirty thousand, he couldn't escape that curse!"

Yiyi didn't know what "The Supreme Emperor" meant, but she did hear that her daddy had a harem of thirty thousand—a number with one more zero than that of ancient emperors.

The little girl muttered, "I'm going to tell Mama."

Xu Lai's face darkened. "Yiyi, don't say a word," he said quickly. "This little girl is talking nonsense. Am I that kind of person?"

"Hah. I'm not sure if you're that kind of person, but saying The Supreme Emperor's harem is only thirty thousand is an understatement." Yun Jin sneered. "I've already seen through your pathetic act. Kneel and beg for mercy. Tell me which power you serve. If you have ties to my Taotie Clan, I might spare your lives!"

"Yiyi, listen to Daddy. You must not tell your mom what you just heard, understand?" Xu Lai carried Yiyi back toward Haitang Court, terrified his daughter might overhear anything else. If Ruan Tang found out about this… forget sleeping on the sofa for the rest of his life. Even sleeping on the street would be a luxury. Heaven only knew if Ruan Tang could restrain her murderous impulses.

"Running away?" Yun Jin's mouth split into a savage grin. "Where can you run? Just watch as I devour you all!"