The zither’s soft chords faded slightly as Bai Zihan descended the steps, each footfall steady, echoing against the polished white jade flooring of the Bai Clan’s grand courtyard.
Hundreds of eyes followed him.
To some, he was the rising dragon of the Bai Clan—glorious, promising, and untouchable.
To others, he was a threat.
And to a few, he was both.
“Welcome, Young Master!”
A Bai Clan elder bowed with a wide smile, signaling the start of the official ceremony.
The gathered crowd stood respectfully as Bai Zihan walked forward under the gaze of hundreds.
His stride was confident yet composed—unhurried, but commanding attention with each step.
Unlike when it was his engagement ceremony, no one here was disrespectful or looked down on him.
His reputation was completely different from that time.
Before greeting the guests, Bai Zihan stepped up to the central dais, where his parents stood waiting.
Bai Tianheng, upright and imposing as ever, nodded faintly.
“Zihan’er,” he said, voice deep and steady.
“Happy birthday!”
Mu Yuelan smiled gently, her eyes glimmering with pride.
“Happy birthday, my son,” she said warmly. “May this year bring you clarity and strength.”
Bai Zihan lowered his head respectfully.
“Thank you, Father! Mother!”
After receiving their blessings, he turned, stepping up to face the sea of guests gathered beneath the lantern-lit skies.
The young master of the Bai Clan looked over the sea of esteemed guests, his expression poised and unreadable.
The glowing lantern light reflected faintly off the gold embroidery of his robe, giving him a faintly divine aura.
After a pause, he bowed slightly—hands clasped before him in greeting.
“I thank you all for coming today!”
His voice, clear and calm, carried across the courtyard with surprising weight.
“Your presence honors not just me, but the Bai Clan as a whole.”
He smiled lightly, his gaze sweeping over familiar and unfamiliar faces—clan elders, allied sect representatives, nobles from neighboring regions, and talented juniors from across the empire.
“It brings me joy to celebrate this day surrounded by friends, family, and respected guests.”
A few polite nods and murmurs of approval passed through the crowd.
“I hope today’s celebration brings you joy, laughter, and a chance to relax—even if only for a while.”
He raised a hand lightly, motioning toward the prepared banquet and performances beginning to stir in the background.
“Please enjoy yourselves!”
As the applause began—respectful, appreciative, and dignified—Bai Zihan stepped back from the front.
The celebration had officially begun!
Immediately after, his parents approached him.
“Zihan’er,” Bai Tianheng said, reaching into his spatial ring.
“This robe is made from Skyweave Silk, resistant to both fire and blades. It has been personally refined to suit you.”
He handed over the white robe, lined with golden clouds and embroidered with protective runes.
Bai Tianheng had initially planned to gift an Earth-Grade Artifact to his son but, after Bai Zihan gave a Saint-Grade Sword to him, he thought that would be just a waste.
Moreover, he had also seen him wielding a Heaven-Grade Sword, so he knew that even if he were to find their most precious artifact, perhaps even that might not be good enough for Bai Zihan.
So, rather than giving something that he couldn’t use or a subpar artifact, he decided to go with clothes.
Of course, it wasn’t a cheap gift by any means.
Made with the most precious and expensive material, perhaps this one robe was equivalent to the revenue from a small city.
One could even argue that this was the most expensive robe in Desolate Heaven Empire!
Bai Zihan accepted it with both hands, bowing respectfully.
“Thank you, Father!”
Then, Mu Yuelan stepped forward. She held a crystal box sealed with radiant inscriptions.
“I had it refined specifically for you,” she said softly. “This is a Top Grade Sixth-Tier Bloodline Foundation Pill. It will strengthen your roots and help stabilize your bloodline.”
As the box was handed to Bai Zihan, the crowd stirred audibly.
“A Top Grade Sixth-Tier Pill…?”
“Bloodline Foundation Pill? Isn’t it made with super rare and precious ingredients? It is said that its value is that of a city. Can’t believe Bai Zihan is receiving this as a gift!”
“Well, it’s his mother after all. But damn, I’m jealous. He is already so talented, why does he need such a pill?”
…
The atmosphere shifted as envy and admiration rippled through the watching cultivators.
Bai Zihan bowed again.
“Thank you, Mother!”
But Mu Yuelan wasn’t done.
A soft smile curved her lips as she looked at him with a quiet gentleness that rarely appeared on her usually composed face.
“No,” she said, her voice low but clear enough for those nearby to hear. “That was for last year.”
She raised her hand again, and from within her sleeve emerged a slim, lacquered case made of crimson sandalwood.
Intricate silver inlays adorned its surface, forming the shape of a soaring phoenix and coiling dragon—symbols of nobility and destiny.
“This,” she continued, “is your gift for this year.”
She opened the case slowly, revealing a refined dark jade hairpin, shaped with clean elegance and unmistakable craftsmanship.
Thin bands of gold traced around its length in the shape of flowing clouds, and a small, blood-red gem was embedded near the top—like a drop of molten fire, brilliant and steady.
“A man walks the path of cultivation,” Mu Yuelan said, lifting the hairpin with her own hands, “but it is presence and dignity that make the world acknowledge him—before he even draws his sword.”
She stepped closer, her slender fingers brushing aside a loose strand of her son’s hair, before gently placing the hairpin in his palm.
“It is not a treasure meant for battle,” she said softly, “but it carries the will of your mother and your clan. Wear it not in war, but when you must stand before the world as yourself.”
Her voice softened to barely a whisper, meant only for him.
“To remind you that no matter how far you rise… you are still my son.”
Bai Zihan remained silent for a long moment, gazing at the heirloom resting in his palm.
It was elegant, beautiful, and far from the violent grandeur of artifacts and weapons.
He lowered his head again—more deeply this time.
“…Thank you, Mother!”
Mu Yuelan’s eyes glimmered briefly before she turned back with composed grace, stepping beside Bai Tianheng once more.
Bai Xueqing stepped forward next, her usual aloof expression softened ever so slightly under the lantern light.
Without much ceremony, she held out a small velvet box toward Bai Zihan.
“Here!”
She said curtly, her voice cool but not unkind.
Bai Zihan blinked, then carefully opened the box to reveal a pair of exquisitely crafted earrings — silver filigree woven into the shape of phoenix feathers, each adorned with a tiny sapphire that caught the light with subtle fire.
“Earrings?”
Bai Zihan asked, raising a brow.
“Is this… some sort of tamper? Perhaps to keep watch on me?”
He smirked, teasing but with a trace of genuine suspicion.
Bai Xueqing’s lips twitched.
“Hmph! Would that even work on you now? You’d know instantly if I did.”
Bai Zihan laughed softly, shaking his head.
“Right. I’ll take your word for it.”
She rolled her eyes in annoyance.
Then the next person was Chu Ziyan.
She held it out respectfully.
“This is my gift to you!”
Chu Ziyan said softly.
Bai Zihan opened the pouch to reveal a bracelet of polished jade, strung with several beads that glowed faintly with a high profound rank aura.
“It’s a High Profound Rank artifact,” she explained. “It can enhance your spiritual senses and help you detect danger more quickly.”
He turned the bracelet over in his hand, impressed by its craftsmanship and the rare power it radiated.
“Thank you, Ziyan’er!”
He said, trying to sound affectionate.
Like Chu Ziyan, he knew he also needed to keep the image of her living fiancée even if he didn’t want to.
She gave a gentle nod, the faintest blush coloring her cheeks.
With the parents and his family having fulfilled their part, the guests began approaching one by one to offer their own gifts.
First came the Bai Clan’s own elders—the gifts weren’t as extravagant as what Mu Yuelan and Bai Tianheng gave but, of course, compared to what other juniors received, it was a mile better.
Many juniors that were present couldn’t help but get jealous.
If they could even get 10 percent, no, 1 percent of the value that Bai Zihan is receiving as gifts, they would feel like flying in the sky.
Yet, to Bai Zihan, those gifts were almost worthless.
What he had gotten from the Immortal Emperor’s Ancient Ruin far surpassed any of the things gifted to him.
But of course, the gifts given by his close ones were still valuable to him.