Chapter 2 – The Child Whom Heaven Cherished

Three months passed.

For immortals, three months was less than the time it took for a single lotus blossom to bloom.

Yet within the Celestial Palace, every day had become precious.

The reason...

Was a child.

---

Morning sunlight filtered through the floating curtains of immortal silk.

Outside, cranes with feathers of pure jade glided gracefully through the clouds while waterfalls poured from floating mountains into an endless sea beneath the heavens.

Inside the nursery, however...

The mighty Heavenly Emperor sat perfectly still.

Across his lap lay the sleeping infant.

No one dared breathe too loudly.

The Emperor's golden eyes never left the tiny face peacefully resting against his chest.

A minister entered quietly before lowering himself onto one knee.

"Your Majesty."

"The Court of Ten Thousand Immortals has assembled."

Silence.

The Emperor did not answer.

The minister waited.

Several moments later, the Emperor finally spoke without moving.

"Let them wait."

The minister blinked.

"...Your Majesty?"

"My son has only just fallen asleep."

His voice remained calm.

"The affairs of Heaven can endure another hour."

The minister lowered his head even further.

"As Your Majesty commands."

He vanished instantly.

Not because he feared punishment...

But because everyone in Heaven already understood one truth.

When the Crown Prince was sleeping...

Nothing short of the destruction of creation itself warranted interruption.

---

Elsewhere...

The Moon Empress wandered through the Celestial Garden.

Flowers that bloomed only once every hundred thousand years opened at her passing.

Butterflies woven from spiritual light danced around her sleeves.

In her arms rested the little prince, his curious sapphire eyes wandering everywhere.

"So curious..."

she whispered softly.

"You truly wish to see everything."

The baby stretched both tiny hands toward a glowing butterfly.

It landed gently upon his fingertip.

His eyes widened.

Then...

He giggled.

A clear, innocent laugh echoed across the garden.

For a brief instant...

Every flower bloomed together.

Even the ancient World Tree released countless golden leaves.

The Empress smiled.

"So even Heaven celebrates your laughter."

---

Inside his mind...

A blue screen appeared.

【Daily Task Issued】

Smile at your mother three times today.

Reward: Primordial Spirit +10

"..."

The infant stared at the screen.

Seriously?

This system...

It's making me farm affection.

Still...

A reward was a reward.

When his mother looked down at him...

He smiled.

Not once.

Not twice.

But three times.

The Empress stopped walking.

"..."

Her attendants exchanged confused glances.

"Your Majesty?"

The Moon Empress gently kissed his forehead.

"It appears..."

"Our little one enjoys his mother's company."

The attendants secretly smiled.

None of them knew...

The Crown Prince had just completed his first mission of the day.

---

That evening...

The Heavenly Emperor returned after settling matters of the Heavenly Court.

The moment he entered...

The infant turned toward the sound.

Tiny hands stretched into the air.

The Emperor's usually composed expression softened.

"He remembers."

The Empress looked amused.

"Of course he remembers."

"You insist on carrying him every evening."

The Emperor accepted his son into his arms with movements so careful that one would never imagine these hands had once shattered an invading world with a single strike.

"My son."

The child reached upward.

His tiny fingers touched the Emperor's cheek.

The Emperor became still.

The palace attendants silently looked away.

Their sovereign...

The supreme ruler before whom all immortals bowed...

Was once again completely defeated by a baby's hand.

---

Days became weeks.

Weeks became months.

The little prince slowly learned to crawl.

His favorite destination...

Was trouble.

One morning, while the palace maids briefly turned away...

The child escaped.

Or rather...

He crawled with remarkable determination.

Tiny hands.

Tiny knees.

A very serious expression.

He crossed one corridor after another until he reached the Hall of Heavenly Judgment.

Inside...

Hundreds of immortal officials were discussing matters affecting countless realms.

"...The Eastern Immortal Domain requests-"

The speaker stopped.

Every gaze shifted downward.

There...

At the enormous entrance...

A tiny white-haired child sat happily chewing on the corner of his sleeve.

Silence.

One minister rubbed his eyes.

"...The Crown Prince?"

Another whispered in horror.

"Who allowed His Highness to crawl here?"

Before anyone could react...

The child crawled directly toward the magnificent throne.

The Heavenly Emperor watched quietly.

Without the slightest hesitation, the little prince climbed onto the first step.

Then another.

Then another.

His tiny face was filled with determination.

The ministers instinctively moved to help him.

The Emperor raised one finger.

"No."

"He wishes to climb."

"Allow him."

The entire court froze.

The little prince continued his difficult journey.

Halfway up...

He slipped.

Several ministers nearly screamed.

Before anyone could move, a gentle current of invisible spiritual energy caught him, placing him safely back upon the steps.

The Emperor had acted.

Yet his expression remained unchanged.

After what felt like an eternity...

The child finally reached the throne.

Instead of sitting beside his father...

He climbed directly into the Emperor's lap.

Then...

Without warning...

He yawned.

Curled into a small ball.

And fell asleep.

The Heavenly Court remained silent.

The Emperor looked down at the sleeping child.

After several breaths, he spoke.

"The session is concluded."

One elder hesitated.

"But... Your Majesty, several important matters remain unresolved."

"They shall remain so."

The Emperor gently adjusted the blanket around his son.

"My heir has chosen this throne as his resting place."

"It would be discourteous to disturb his sleep."

No one argued.

Not because they feared him.

But because every immortal present could see something rare beyond words.

The ruler of Heaven was not merely an Emperor today.

He was a father.

---

That night...

As the moonlight poured across the palace balcony, the little prince awoke in his mother's embrace.

She gently pointed toward the endless heavens.

"One day..."

"All beneath these stars shall look to you."

She kissed the top of his head.

"But before you become their protector..."

Her silver eyes filled with warmth.

"You are first our beloved son."

The child leaned quietly against her shoulder.

Inside his mind, the familiar blue screen appeared once more.

【Hidden Achievement Unlocked】

Heaven's Most Cherished Child

Description: You have unknowingly become the treasure of the Heavenly Realm.

Reward: Passive Skill Acquired—

Beloved by All Living Beings (Rank: Divine).

The young prince blinked.

Then smiled.

Far below the Celestial Palace, unseen by anyone...

In the deepest prison beneath Heaven...

An ancient pair of crimson eyes slowly opened.

"...The child has awakened."

A chain forged from divine law trembled.

"...Then the age of peace will soon come to an end."

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