Ashen Ascension: The Divided Flame - Chapter 43: Echoes of Awakening

The Shao and Cheng families have been sworn enemies for generations, though few outsiders know the exact details of their feud.

What is known to all is the Shao family’s three cardinal rules:

The Shao family must not cooperate with the Chengs, must not intermarry with the Chengs, and must never appear with the Chengs at any public event.

One day, an adorable little girl looking like a doll, wearing a puffy pink dress, pink hair clip, and pink backpack, walked into the lobby on the first floor of the Shao Group building.

The receptionist thought she was some child who had wandered away from home. But the little girl solemnly said, “I want to see your Shao Group CEO, Shao Chengze.”

Seeing the girl’s pink outfit, the receptionist knew she must be from a wealthy and noble family to dare to address their CEO by his full name. She couldn’t be the daughter of some high-ranking Shao Group executive?

Smiling warmly, she asked, “Little one, could you tell me your parents’ names?”

The girl tilted her head. “My mommy is Cheng Jinlan.”

Cheng…Jinlan?!

Second Miss Cheng Jinlan of the Cheng family?! She never thought she’d see the day a Cheng would set foot in the Shao Group building. What a miracle!

“As for my dad, I’ve come today to get some of Shao Chengze’s hair for a DNA test. Once I have his hair, I’ll know if he’s my dad or not.”

The girl’s crisp words rippled outwards from the front desk through the bustling first floor lobby. Everyone who heard froze in shock, jaws dropping.

Everyone except Shao Chengze, who had just stepped out of the elevator surrounded by a group.

He looked at the girl in pink through narrowed, fox-like eyes.

Cheng Liqi recognized Shao Chengze and covered her mouth in an “ah-oh”.

She decided that even if Shao Chengze wasn’t her dad, she’d have to help Cheng Jinlan get this man. She liked his eyes.

They were just like hers.

So pretty.

In the dog-eat-dog Cultivation Realm, Fang Qingyuan, a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, holds an ancient Immortal Mansion, yet chooses a path that leaves his fellow sect members dumbfounded—When his fellow sect members are staining Secret Realms with blood to fight for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, he pilots a Profound Turtle Beast ship across rivers, making a fortune by ferrying passengers;When the prodigies of the sect face near-death experiences to subdue ferocious beasts, he uses the Immortal Mansion's spiritual spring to cultivate hallucinogenic vines, secretly monopolizing the Black Market's medicinal herb business;When the Elders are at their wits' end over the beast tides, he has long since established a Myriad Beast Pasture within his Immortal Mansion, secretly hoarding strategic resources and jacking up the prices!“All this fighting and killing is too dangerous! Lying low and making money is the eternal Heavenly Dao! Cultivation isn't about meditating and practicing techniques, it's about understanding human relationships and worldly affairs!”

Chu He transmigrated into a barren world as a lowly odd-jobber in the Xia clan. He had initially accepted his fate and was ready to spend his life ordinarily and peacefully. Little did he expect himself to suddenly awaken the Checkpoint System which rewarded him for checking into places!

Ding, congratulations to the Host for successful checking-in. For your first check-in, your reward is the Golden Nine Turns. Ding, congratulations to the Host for successful checking-in. For your twenty-one-thousandth check-in, your reward is the Golden Manifestation of Buddha’s Form.

Chu He was certain that the world outside was too dangerous, so he resolved to not leave the book depository until he became truly invincible and peerless, and thus he stayed for a hundred years. A hundred years later, the Tiger clan attacked the Xia clan and planned to massacre countless humans, it was at that moment that Chu He finally showed his hand!

In the heart of the Azure Continent lies a legendary establishment known as Origin Mall.This extraordinary store offers goods beyond imagination: a sip of its cola can instantly replenish one's vitality; its spicy snacks grant the strength to overcome powerful foes; the games it offers can accelerate cultivation progress; and its novels impart profound techniques and insights.Origin Mall boasts a vast array of offerings, catering to leisure, entertainment, dining, and training needs alike.However, there’s one rule that all visitors must remember: never cause trouble in the store. The owner, though unassuming, is unimaginably powerful.