Everything that happened outside the ancestral temple was seen clearly by Haoyang from the secret passage. When he saw his parents fall to the ground injured, he was already in tears.
The images of the White-Haired Black-Clothed Old Man and the thin, sharp-voiced Black-Clothed Man deeply imprinted in Haoyang's mind. He swore to avenge them and to kill those two and all the other Black-Clothed Men.
While the Black-Clothed Men were searching everywhere for Haoyang, Bai Shaoyang had already led Haoyang away through the secret passage.
The Zhang Family's secret passage led to the vicinity of the Dark Forest outside the city. After leaving the secret passage, the two disguised themselves along the way, unsure of the enemy's origins. After more than half a month of fleeing, they finally arrived at White Emperor City.
Shangguan Yuantian couldn't help but shed tears after hearing Haoyang's story. He grieved over the misfortune of his daughter and son-in-law, but also felt a hint of relief that his grandson had escaped harm.
Looking at the sobbing Haoyang, Shangguan Yuantian couldn't help but exclaim, "The Zhang Family still has an heir!" Shangguan Yuantian then stopped asking about anything related to the Zhang Family. He merely comforted Haoyang and told him not to be too sad, saying that as long as he was alive now, everything else could be planned for later.
Afterward, Shangguan Yuantian immediately arranged for Haoyang and Bai Shaoyang to have a meal, and then promptly arranged rooms for them to rest.
During this time, Shangguan Yuantian, fearing that Haoyang's excessive grief might overwhelm him, did not tell Haoyang that they had not found the bodies of his parents, brother, or grandfather within the Zhang Family compound.
After arranging for Haoyang and Bai Shaoyang to rest, Shangguan Yuantian immediately instructed Li Changfeng, "Changfeng, not a single word about Haoyang being in the Shangguan Family must be leaked to outsiders!"
More than half a month of fleeing had left Haoyang utterly exhausted. Now, lying on a warm and comfortable bed, feeling the warmth of home, his spirit relaxed somewhat, and a sense of weariness washed over him. He slowly closed his eyes.
The moment he closed his eyes, the tragic scene of his parents' deaths immediately appeared in his mind. He trembled all over, his eyes instantly snapped open, and he immediately sat up, grief welling up in his heart. In an instant, his face was once again covered in tears.
Haoyang tightly clutched an oval-shaped red stone in his hand. This red stone had been given to him by his parents three years ago.
Three years ago, after his parents returned from a ruin, they gave this red stone to Haoyang. This red stone was extremely smooth, about the size of an eye, and he didn't know what kind of Materials it was made of. Looking closely, it seemed as if a cloud of mist enveloped the inside of the stone, making it impossible to see clearly.
His parents gave him this red stone simply because they found it quite peculiar and had never seen anything like it before. Furthermore, Haoyang was usually interested in strange stones, iron pieces, wood, and similar items. Therefore, after his mother, Shangguan Yilan, found this red stone in the Dark Forest ruin, she thought of giving it to Haoyang when she returned home.
Upon returning from the Dark Forest, his mother, Shangguan Yilan, directly gave this red stone to Haoyang. His father, Zhang Wanqing, even arranged for the Zhang Family's Artifact Refiner to embed the red stone into an oval piece of profound iron, thread it with blessed golden string, and hang it around Haoyang's neck.
Since then, Haoyang had always worn this item. Now, it seemed this red stone had become the only tangible memento his parents had left him. He had not taken any other items with him when he left, and presumably, they had all been destroyed by the Black-Clothed Men by then.
Thinking of this, Haoyang's right hand clutched the red stone even tighter, as if fearing it might run away.
Due to nearly half a month of fleeing, Haoyang was physically and mentally exhausted. When his mind was extremely relaxed, fatigue quickly set in. He was only fifteen years old, still a child, and he was truly too tired. Now, at his maternal grandfather's house, he was incredibly relaxed and unconsciously closed his eyes. Soon, Haoyang let out a soft snore.
In his dream, Haoyang once again saw his blood-soaked parents. His hands clenched tightly in anxiety, his fingernails digging deep into his flesh, even drawing blood.
In his sleep, Haoyang cried out, "I want revenge, I want revenge."
When the blood from his hand flowed onto the red stone, the red stone suddenly glowed brightly, and then a seven-colored brilliant light appeared, directly enveloping Haoyang. The next moment, the room was like an Immortal realm, with Immortal Qi swirling, hazy and indistinct.
The next moment, Haoyang's body, enveloped by the seven-colored brilliant light, first slowly floated up, and finally hovered above the bed. At this time, the room was filled with flashing seven-colored brilliant light and pervasive Immortal Qi.
Haoyang, in his sleep, was unaware of the changes happening to his body and the room. He only suddenly heard a grand and supreme voice in his dream: "Chaos creates, Dao follows nature!"
In his dream, surrounded by swirling Immortal mist, Haoyang saw a magnificent Immortal Tower towering into the clouds, with a majestic Aura; the surrounding mist was dense, making it impossible to see its full appearance.
A White-Robed, White-Haired, White-Bearded Old Man with a kind face slowly walked out from within the Immortal Tower.
The White-Robed, White-Haired, White-Bearded Old Man said to Haoyang, "After millions of years and countless Reincarnations, I finally waited for you!"
After speaking, the White-Robed, White-Haired, White-Bearded Old Man stared at Haoyang for a while and then said, "You are a heaven-defying genius, with profound Opportunity, blessed with Luck, and surrounded by auspiciousness. I have searched tirelessly for millions of years, how fortunate!" Immediately, the old man's heartfelt laughter echoed in the air.
After the laughter, a profound scripture entered Haoyang's mind.
"The Great Dao is formless, nurturing heaven and earth; the Great Dao is emotionless, operating the sun and moon; the Great Dao is nameless, nourishing all things. Clarity and turbidity, motion and stillness, heaven and earth are mine alone; Chaos creates, Dao follows nature!"
With the appearance of the scripture, the figure of the White-Robed, White-Haired, White-Bearded Old Man gradually became ethereal and finally disappeared.
The next day, Haoyang woke up feeling that the dream he had last night was so real that he couldn't distinguish whether it was a dream or reality. He felt as if something had been added to his memory, but he didn't know exactly what it was.