Once back in possession of the Taiyuan Token, Emperor Taiyuan quickly regained his lost strength and found his feet. He promoted those loyal to him and placed people like Crimsonwaters, Hoarfrost, and Righteous in important positions.

Taiyuan Plane also slowly recovered. Many orders streamed forth from the celestial palace, restoring the rule of law and reestablishing order, quickly righting the greater world’s trajectory.

Alongside these positive changes, many neighboring lesser worlds and other fiefs slowly returned to the fold.

A greater world’s control over its subordinate factions and neighboring territories was a measure of its strength. When Taiyuan Plane had been falling to pieces, many distant lesser words and other regions turned away from its rule. They’d no confidence in the interim rulers, displayed no deference, and paid no tribute.

In all respects, the return of its rightful sovereign changed Taiyuan Plane almost beyond recognition.

……

Jiang Chen was in no hurry to leave. After an endless separation, he wanted to fully enjoy this long-anticipated parental affection.

The two of them had almost returned to the good old days before the plane’s collapse. Only, the young lord was no longer the same.

“Royal father, I remember burying myself in the library’s classics back then, reading books from every corner of the heavenly planes. I used to be blind to your intentions. Why would you want a cripple like me to be this extensively well-read? I now realize you were already giving the future a lot of thought,” lamented Jiang Chen.

“Haha, you have a good head on your shoulders, son. Providence didn’t see fit to give you a body suitable for cultivation, but it gave you a photographic memory. The heavens are fair, you see. My plans were merely tentative back then. I wasn’t certain they’d meet with success, so this reunion is absolutely worth celebrating. The supreme dao didn’t give up on us, it seems,” Emperor Taiyuan responded, thick with emotion.

“It’s mainly because you didn’t give up on me, father. That’s why the heavens stood by you,” replied Jiang Chen fervently.

“In the end, you and I were preordained to live through the cataclysm. Mirrorbloom was simply the medium,” his father sighed.

“Yes. Heavenly tribulation and calamity is difficult to avoid, even for a celestial emperor. But Mirrorbloom was vicious enough. Towards the end, she even tried to land a most poisonous move on my loved ones in Divine Abyss. I didn’t understand how she could be aware of them from so far away. It should’ve been impossible to calculate even with the sagacity of a celestial emperor.”

“Have you come to understand since then?”

“Yes. The Goldbiter Kingrats’ thoughts and memories must’ve been projected into her realm. It’d be impossible otherwise.”

The rat tribe had largely contributed to his final victory, but sending them out had nearly harmed Divine Abyss. It had truly been a close call.

His father smiled faintly. Of course, his son had another family in his new life, people he cherished and cared about. As a supreme celestial emperor, he’d long come to terms with it. In fact, he’d already foreseen the consequences when he’d arranged for his son’s reincarnation.

So he merely smiled at the mention of Divine Abyss. “Chen’er, when are you going back? Will you bring them here, or...?”

Jiang Chen answered truthfully, “I’ve asked myself the same. I think it’s better for them to live on Divine Abyss. It’s their home. Of course, I’ve also begun to refine my own world. The Four True Spirits Plane is slowly taking shape. When it’s complete, it’ll attract many lesser worlds into its orbit and assimilate other planes. I can simply fuse Divine Abyss into it when the time is ripe.”

“Yes, that’s the best choice.” His father naturally wouldn’t oppose him in such matters.

In the warm and pleasant atmosphere, the two of them brought up many anecdotes from the past. However, his father suddenly asked out of the blue, “Chen’er, do you have wives on Divine Abyss. A child, perhaps?”

Jiang Chen replied, “I do. Two daughters and one son.”

“Oh? That many?” His father’s face lit up with interest. Descendents were usually sparse for godking-level cultivators. With three children already, his son was an exception to the rule.

“The oldest one is a girl. I sired her when my cultivation was at its lowest. The other two are fraternal twins, a boy and a girl. They were born when I was ninth level divine realm.”

His father grinned. “Good kid. Keep up the good work until you become the universe’s most badass celestial emperor in this department!”

Jiang Chen coughed. Did this kind of title also exist?

“That reminds me. Chen’er, your wives are too far away on Divine Abyss. They can’t come visit me with your children, so you should leave a few offspring on Taiyuan Plane as well to remind me of you. Han Shuang looks like a fine woman. I like her mettle, and I can tell she likes you. But now that you’re a celestial emperor, she’s too intimidated by the difference in status to make the first move. Be a man and take the initiative.”

Jiang Chen rubbed his nose. Why was his old man playing matchmaker?

He’d never thought of her that way, even back when they were frequently in touch.

“Brat, what are you hesitating for? I’m going to assert myself and play the parental authority card. I’ll talk about it with Godking Hoarfrost tomorrow. He’s the one who raised her, so he can act as her guardian. Don’t worry, I’ll welcome her into our family in style so that she’ll birth multiple children!”

Suddenly high-handed, his father wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The young lord initially thought he was joking, but the whole world was to learn a few days later His Majesty was searching for a concubine for Crown Prince Jiang Chen.

Taiyuan Plane almost exploded at the news. More than one daughter from a good family dreamed of catching the prince’s eye. It was such a unique opportunity. He was no longer the cripple he once was, and in fact was now a celestial emperor after his reincarnation. Some people even argued his strength didn’t pale in the least compared to Celestial Emperor Taiyuan. In fact, the son might have surpassed the father!

Jiang Chen pulled a face after hearing of it. In fact, he rather despised the concept of arranged marriages. But, out of love and gratitude, he ultimately couldn’t disappoint his father.

They weren’t simply parent and child. His father had given him life twice over by now!