On the frozen plains, the biting wind continued to howl, and heavy snow fell in thick flurries, blanketing that terrible battlefield and burying the bloodstains and shattered bones beneath layers of pristine white.

A cluster of flames burned brightly, with a cauldron suspended over it. Inside, various rare and exquisite delicacies simmered, releasing waves of fragrant aroma that were especially enticing amid the cold and snow.

Ye Fan worked with his own hands, kindling another pile of fire and roasting skewer after skewer of golden, glistening dried meat strips. Fat dripped down, sizzling in the flames with a crackling sound.

So much food — every dish a rare delicacy seldom seen in the world. On a single ancient star, it would be near impossible to find all of these together: Flying Serpent, Golden-Backed Divine Loach, Sacred Blood Silver Pheasant…

Xiao Nannan sat obediently on a soft cushion, her eyes fixed longingly on the various dishes, unable to stop herself from swallowing mouthful after mouthful of saliva. The little one was truly starving.

Her experiences inspired both pity and heartache. Alone in the frozen wasteland, she had endured the bitter cold and hunger, the snow deep enough to swallow her tiny body whole.

“It’ll be ready soon. Just wait a moment.” Ye Fan smiled at her.

She gave a soft murmur of acknowledgment, her large eyes blinking, and waited there obediently. The dirty little face had long since been washed clean, and she had already changed into a set of clean, warm rosy-hued garments. After being bathed and dressed, the little one looked just like a porcelain doll — delicately carved from jade, exquisitely crafted.

At this time, both Li Tian and Yan Yixi were telling interesting stories to make Xiao Nannan laugh.

“Uncle, Nannan is fine. There’s no need to worry.” The little one was quite sensible. Seeing Yan Yixi and the others gathered around her — examining her and wanting to treat her injuries — she spoke in her tender voice.

Xiao Cao was also nearby. Seeing that Xiao Nannan was unharmed, she too was very happy.

“Alright, come — taste this delicacy renowned throughout the Human Ancient Path: the Five-Stripe Lamb Leg.” Ye Fan smiled. He had already roasted the lamb leg to a perfect golden brown — not the slightest bit tough, the meat succulent, rich, and irresistibly fragrant.

He cut it open with a silver knife and sliced off a piece. Within the golden, glistening flesh, five-colored streaks of light flowed like iridescent patterns — truly extraordinary.

Xiao Nannan tilted her little face upward and happily received the piece on a small silver plate. But rather than eating it herself, she held it out to Xiao Cao and said, “Elder Sister, this is for you.”

“Nannan, you eat first. I’m not hungry yet.” Xiao Cao was a few years older and already quite sensible. Knowing full well that Xiao Nannan had been suffering from hunger and cold these past days, she quickly declined.

“No need to yield — there’s enough for everyone.” Ye Fan said with a smile, his heart filled with warmth. All traces of the battlefield’s killing intent had faded away. Witnessing such an innocent and tender scene, he felt his spirits lift considerably.

The silver plates clinked melodiously as the two children ate with great delight, swinging their little silver forks like spinning pinwheels — utterly adorable and entertaining.

Yet Ye Fan watched with a somewhat aching heart. The little one truly was starving.

After all these years of suffering such hardships, Yan Yixi was deeply worried about whether Xiao Nannan had sustained some lasting harm. He quietly consulted with Ye Fan in hushed tones about whether something ought to be done.

Yet when they carefully probed, they found that the little one harbored no resentment whatsoever. She always remembered the kindness others had shown her, and any unpleasantness or sadness had long since been forgotten.

No hatred existed in her heart — only brightness. She was a little one that made it truly hard to say whether she was simply carefree and oblivious, or purely and endearingly innocent.

“Nannan always forgets the past. Could she be consciously erasing unpleasant memories? Or is there some old wound buried deep in the past that she must forget in this way?” Li Tian quietly asked.

Ye Fan furrowed his brow at the words. He had thought deeply about Xiao Nannan’s condition, and had already intervened just moments ago to help improve her “ailment,” ensuring she would no longer forget those around her. Yet many unexplained mysteries still remained.

Is this the secret behind her immortality? Ye Fan’s heart was far from calm. Regarding Nannan’s origins and identity, he had one or two guesses that had come close to what he believed was the truth — but he found it difficult to voice them aloud.

“Her Immortal Platform remains ever-constant — untainted by dust, undisturbed by the mortal world, forgetting the past, pure and translucent. Could this be one of the foundations of Xiao Nannan’s longevity?” Yan Yixi also mused aloud.

He and Li Tian had already learned from Ye Fan about Xiao Nannan’s past circumstances and her current condition, and naturally had many thoughts of their own.

Several thousand years ago she had been like this, and she remained the same today. There were even signs suggesting her shadowy presence extended back to an even more ancient era — a clue Ye Fan had once uncovered in the Eastern Wilderness. How utterly heaven-defying was this!

“Elder Brother, I’m full.” The little one said happily, sitting there in her well-behaved manner. She raised the small silver plate up high to show him — she had eaten everything clean.

The little one was very simple and easily satisfied. As long as no one bullied her, she was always cheerful and bright — capable of lifting the spirits of those around her and making them feel warm inside.

Ye Fan affectionately patted her head and had her drink a little warm broth. Seeing her like this, he finally felt somewhat better in his heart.

“I think we’ve forgotten about one little rascal?” Li Tian said with a sly grin.

“Where? Where? Where is there a little rabbit?” Xiao Nannan and Xiao Cao clamored together.

“Right here.” Yan Yixi smiled and lifted out the plump, round, chubby little Divine Child from within the Immortal Source.

“You’re lying!” Both little ones cried out at once.

Xiao Cao stepped forward with great curiosity, peering at the Divine Child through the Immortal Source. “Why is he inside a stone? Is that a coffin? Does that mean he died young?”

“You’re the one who died young!” The little chubby one was jolted awake from his slumber. Seeing a small face pressed up close and saying such a thing, he immediately became indignant.

“A ghost!” Xiao Cao was startled — she let out a shriek and stumbled backward.

“You’re the ghost! I am the greatest miracle in all the world!” The little fatty declared with all the gravity of an elder, and then suddenly snapped more fully awake. “So this is the little girl you’ve all been searching for? She doesn’t look like much to me.”

Given that he himself was such a heaven-defying anomaly — likely unprecedented throughout all of history — he did indeed have grounds to speak such words. In the eyes of others, Xiao Cao could already be considered extraordinarily gifted, possessing rare natural aptitude.

“The little brat is spouting nonsense again. Is his backside itching?” Li Tian sneered, then gave him a resounding smack.

“That’s the one hundred and thirteenth time! I’m keeping count!” The Divine Child fumed.

“Elder Brother, who is he?” Xiao Nannan peered out from behind Ye Fan with her little head, looking curiously at the little fatty inside the Immortal Source.

“This is a mischievous wild child. Even the heavens couldn’t stand him and had him sealed away.” Li Tian answered first.

The Divine Child glared sideways at him with a look of clenched-teeth resentment, then broke into an expression full of disdain, openly provoking them.

Xiao Nannan also leaned in, peering at him with curiosity. She reached out and touched the Immortal Source — and instantly, a glow of immortal radiance flew into her body.

“A ghost!” This time it was the little fatty’s turn to cry out. He stared at the little girl, his face flooded with shock and astonishment.

Xiao Nannan quickly stepped back, clutching the hem of Ye Fan’s robe and hiding behind him, with only half of her little head peeking out to watch.

Yan Yixi and Li Tian clicked their tongues in amazement. Though they had heard of some of Xiao Nannan’s extraordinary traits, actually witnessing it up close still left them unable to suppress their shock.

“She… who is she? How can she draw out my source energy?!” The little fatty seemed thoroughly frightened, eyes wide and unblinking, fixed on the little girl.

“Nannan didn’t mean to.” The little one softly apologized, stepping forward by a pace.

“Oh no, no, no — my source energy is leaking again! The immortal qi dormant within my body is flowing out!” The Divine Child cried out in alarm, his face genuinely pale with fear. This was a dread that came from the very core of his being — a true, instinctive terror of Xiao Nannan unlike anything he had ever felt toward anyone before.

Ye Fan’s expression shifted to one of surprise. He noticed that runes were flickering within the little fatty’s body, and that fragments of nameless laws were contained within his very blood — a truly remarkable sight that stirred deep feeling.

It was profoundly mysterious — nearly impossible to see through!

And this so-called immortal qi was precisely what was spilling forth from his blood, frightening the little fatty’s face to a bloodless white.

Xiao Nannan, meanwhile, wore a face of total bewilderment as she stepped back. Nothing at all seemed to stir within her — her body remained perfectly calm and still. The rosy glow that had poured out from the little fatty and entered her body had produced not the slightest change.

Li Tian and Yan Yixi were both visibly stirred. Xiao Cao, not understanding any of it, simply stood to the side looking left and right, completely at a loss.

“Help! I don’t want to die! You can’t treat me like this — get that little girl away from me!” The Divine Child cried out in genuine terror, shrieking as if on the verge of tears.

“That’ll teach you to talk back. Scared now, aren’t you?” Li Tian said with a laugh, and moved the Divine Child a short distance away.

Xiao Nannan no longer drew near either. A moment later, the little fatty inside the Immortal Source recovered his composure — yet his heart remained filled with dread. He would sooner die than come close, and in truth wanted nothing more than to flee, but unfortunately he could not escape from Ye Fan’s iron grip.

“Who is she? How can she be so terrifying and mysterious? She’s this tiny — she might not even be older than me!” The Divine Child stared wide-eyed, mulling it over relentlessly, deeply unsatisfied.

“Nannan, come here.” After a brief moment of thought, Ye Fan carried Xiao Nannan over to the Immortal Source. His intention was not to probe Xiao Nannan herself, but rather to determine the true origins of the Divine Child.

“No, no, no!” The little fatty let out a wail like a pig being slaughtered, thrashing his arms and legs and rocking the Immortal Source wildly.

This time, the instant Xiao Nannan drew near, strand after strand of immortal qi flew out from within the Divine Child. His body rumbled from within, and the fragments of the Great Dao in his blood multiplied severalfold.

“That chubby little roly-poly — his origins are truly frightening. He’s this young, and yet he already has those supreme Dao principle fragments inside him!” Li Tian exclaimed, clicking his tongue.

And yet the Divine Child at this moment was in a sorry state, filled with dread — a fear born from the very depths of his instincts. In his entire life, this was the first time he had been so wary of another person.

Within his body, the runes appearing grew more and more numerous, until at last his entire being blazed with light.

At the same moment, the green bronze cauldron within Ye Fan’s body gave a sudden tremor and rang out with a clear, pure tone. Ye Fan’s expression instantly changed, and he quickly brought it forth.

Ye Fan held Xiao Nannan’s hand and made sure to protect her, then placed the Divine Child directly inside the green cauldron for close examination.

“Murder! I don’t want to die! You can’t do this to me — take that little girl away!” The Divine Child wailed loudly.

Hum!

The green bronze cauldron tremored again. This caused Ye Fan, Li Tian, and Yan Yixi to all change expression dramatically, their faces betraying looks of complete disbelief — the origins of this little fatty were far too shocking to comprehend!

Ye Fan shook the cauldron, hoping to make more discoveries. Instead, he found the little fatty spinning dizzy and nearly foaming at the mouth.

“Nannan, help your elder brother one more time.” Ye Fan had Xiao Nannan extend her small, snow-white hand into the cauldron, and fixed his gaze intently on the little fatty without blinking.

“I’m frightened — I surrender! Every time you’ve smacked my backside, wipe the slate clean — I’m not keeping count anymore!” The little fatty cried out in capitulation.

The blood within his body boiled. Suppressed by Xiao Nannan, even more immortal qi spilled out. Though it caused no physical harm to his body, there was an instinctive dread that arose unbidden.

Hum!

The green bronze cauldron swayed and shook — and this time it bloomed with an even more blazing and magnificent light. It also emitted several ancient syllables, profoundly mysterious beyond description!