Cultivating Immortality in a Family: I Prove Immortality Through the Chaotic Dao Realm

Chapter 136 The Birth of a Prodigy, Chen Yi'an! A Shocking Change at Nine Dragon Lake!

Chen Qian quickly said, "The midwife said the baby is in the correct position, so there shouldn't be any major problems. However, childbirth is a big deal, and it will take some time."

Chen Hongming paced back and forth in the hall, his brow furrowed, muttering to himself, "This child has suffered so much..."

After a while, he looked at Chen Qian again and said earnestly, "Qian'er, since Yunxi married you, she has been very grateful for your careful care."

"She has always been much weaker than her sister since she was a child. Today she is giving birth, you must stay by her side and not let her be afraid."

Chen Qian nodded solemnly and said, "Father-in-law, rest assured, I will stay by Yunxi's side every step of the way and protect her and her child."

During this tense wait, the atmosphere in the hall was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Chen Hongming glanced toward the inner room from time to time, his eyes filled with concern and worry.

Since the death of his first wife, he has kept his heart closed, showing no interest in romantic love, and has devoted himself entirely to the development of his family.

As a result, he not only failed Aunt Lan's deep affection, but also poured all his fatherly love into his two daughters.

Unfortunately, Chen Yunyi was naturally aloof and had never been close to her father since childhood.

Therefore, even though Chen Yunxi has no spiritual root, he can only feel true family happiness in front of this daughter.

Chen Qian silently prayed that his wife and children would be safe and sound.

After an unknown amount of time, a loud cry of a baby came from the inner room.

Chen Qian and Chen Hongming were both startled, and their faces instantly lit up with surprise.

Aunt Wei came out with a big smile and said loudly, "Congratulations, sir! Congratulations, young master! Madam has given birth to a baby boy, and both mother and child are safe and sound!"

"Good! Good! Good! A reward is due!" Chen Hongming laughed loudly.

He's been a father for sixty or seventy years, and now he can finally be a grandfather.

"Give ten spirit stones to Aunt Wei and see her off for me," Chen Qian instructed Feng Yin beside him. Amidst Aunt Wei's profuse thanks, he hurriedly entered the inner hall.

Aunt Wei couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised. Normally, receiving a spirit stone as a reward for delivering a baby would be quite a good thing.

Chen Qian gently lifted the tent flap and saw Chen Yunxi leaning against the soft pillow with her eyes slightly closed, beads of sweat still clinging to her temples, but a gentle smile on her lips.

The baby in the swaddling clothes was squirming and making soft whimpers, its little face all wrinkled.

But as Chen Qian approached, she suddenly opened her toothless little mouth and made a childish "ah" sound. Her black bean-like eyes turned over, wet and glistening, her eyelashes fluttering like butterflies.

"Look at our baby." Chen Yunxi's voice was hoarse but full of joy as she gently poked the baby's rosy cheeks with her fingertips.

Chen Qian swallowed hard and carefully took the child.

The little body in the swaddling clothes was as soft as a ball of cotton, and the little hand even reached out and squeezed his fingers, making his heart suddenly burn.

This is his flesh and blood, the continuation of his bloodline in the world of cultivation.

Chen Qian tucked the blanket around his wife, then reached out and took the cotton towel that Qingman handed him, wiping the fine sweat from his wife's forehead.

He said in a low voice, "Let's rest for a while. I'll take the baby to my father-in-law to see."

Chen Yunxi nodded with a smile, her gaze lingering on the swaddled baby until Chen Qian turned away, at which point she gently closed her eyes, a tender smile still lingering on her lips.

In the outer hall, Chen Hongming was pacing back and forth by the window with his hands behind his back. Hearing footsteps, he immediately turned around, and the jade pendant at his waist shimmered with a warm, bluish-white hue in the sunlight.

Chen Qian carried the child forward, lifting a corner of the swaddling clothes to reveal the baby's rosy cheeks.

The old man paused slightly, his previously tense brows suddenly relaxed, and a faint light appeared in his eyes.

"Father-in-law, look." Chen Qian bowed slightly, turning the baby's face toward the old man.

Perhaps sensing the unfamiliar presence, the little guy suddenly opened his mouth and made two "ee-ya" sounds, his little fist waving in the air before landing squarely on the back of Chen Hongming's hand.

The old man was startled, but then he saw that the baby's eyes were curved at the corners, as if it were smiling, and there was glistening drool at the corner of its mouth. It looked incredibly adorable.

“This child…” Chen Hongming reached out and gently touched the baby’s palm with his fingertips. The little guy immediately grabbed his fingertips, and although the force was small, he refused to let go.

The old man let out a low laugh, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out. "Just like Yunxi when she was little, look at those eyebrows and eyes, so soft and adorable."

Seeing this, Chen Qian seized the opportunity to say, "It would be perfect to ask my father-in-law to give us a name. According to the family genealogy, it belongs to the 'Yi' generation. You are knowledgeable and experienced, and I'm sure the child will inherit your good fortune."

Chen Hongming was taken aback. Looking at the little guy in the swaddling clothes staring at him, he suddenly reached out and took the jade pendant from his waist, dangling it in front of the baby's eyes and gently shaking it.

The jade pendant reflected the light, casting tiny spots of light into the baby's eyes, and he giggled out, kicking his little feet wildly in his swaddling clothes.

"How about we name him Yi'an?" Chen Hongming stroked the baby's soft hair with his fingertips. "May he have a smooth, peaceful, and joyful life."

Just as the words were spoken, a sparrow fluttered down onto the windowsill, tilting its head to peek into the room, which amused the baby, who waved its little fists as if to catch it.

Chen Qian smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Father-in-law, the name you chose is truly fitting, Yi'an, Yi'an..."

He read it aloud twice, and suddenly felt the child in his arms go limp and fall asleep in the old man's arms. The little brows relaxed, and the child looked just like a soft, sweet little animal.

Chen Yunxi, now dressed in a brocade shawl, leaned against the door frame, watching her father tease his grandson and her husband stand there with a smile. Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears.

Chen Hongming noticed the commotion and quickly turned around to have someone help her back to bed, but he saw the baby frowning in her sleep, her little fingers still hooked on the old man's sleeve.

The old and the young complement each other, their innate bond is deep and profound.

Ziyao brought in the hot porridge at just the right moment, the porcelain spoon making a soft sound as it touched the rim of the bowl.

Chen Qian took the bowl and fed his wife, but Chen Hongming still held the child tightly and refused to let go, muttering, "Let Grandpa hold him a little longer," just like a child who had received a new candy.

In the warm light of the room, the baby suddenly smacked his lips and drooled a little, which made everyone chuckle softly.

Even the bronze bells on the eaves seemed to be infected by this smile, gently swaying and emitting soft, clear sounds.

In the past few days, Chen Qian has not been in seclusion to cultivate in order to wait for Yunxi to give birth.

Soon after, it was Momo and Sujin's turn.

Another thing is that, on the eve of Yunxi's delivery, after Chen Qian's long-term efforts, Qingman and Ziyao finally became pregnant one after another.

The two women are indeed good sisters; they are practically inseparable in life and work.

They both possess the talent for beast taming, and now they even became pregnant on the same day.

At this moment, Chen Qian stood on Taichu Peak, looking at the six pillars of light—one large and five small—atop the Chaos Pool, feeling smug and self-satisfied.

The pillar of light representing Chen Yi'an, though still thin and weak, was noticeably brighter than the four friends not far away.

After Yi'an was born, Chen Qian also sensed something new.

For example, because they are Chen Qian's bloodline, they don't need to be transformed by absorbing Xuanhuang Qi; they are born beings of the Destiny Wheel Realm, and Chen Qian can locate them at any time. This way, when they grow up and need to go out for training, their father can easily find them, greatly increasing their safety.

Chen Qian immediately spotted the women teasing Xiao Yi'an in Xuanzhu Villa.

Xiao Yin was also among them.

Since Chen Qian instructed her not to rush into foundation building, but to learn more spells and supernatural abilities and accumulate experience over time, she gladly complied.

After months of seclusion, she missed her sisters, so she had been visiting Xuanzhu Villa more often these past few days.

She loves children, and a smile always unconsciously creeps onto her lips when she sees Xiao Yi'an.

However, fearing that her own heavy yin energy might harm the child, she didn't dare to get too close even when Chen Yunxi handed her the baby to hold, and waved her hand in refusal.

Seeing the warm and harmonious scene with his wife, children, and maids, Chen Qian couldn't help but feel happy.

Then, he closed his eyes, focused his mind, and slowly entered a meditative state, preparing to break through to the eighth level of Qi Refining in one fell swoop.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

After several days of silence, the summit of Taichu Peak is now bustling with activity.

Chen Qian slowly withdrew the fluctuations of his magical power and brought his divine sense, which he had just extended as far as possible, back into his sea of ​​consciousness.

He has successfully broken through to the eighth level of Qi Refining.

The total amount of magical power is close to the level of a major overhaul that has just been successfully completed, but of course, the quality is still far inferior.

The liquid mana during the Foundation Establishment stage can exert tremendous power, even with only a fraction of it.

This is incomparable to the gaseous magic power of the Qi Refining stage, which shows how difficult it is to fight across major realms.

His spiritual power increased by about three zhang (approximately 10 meters). If converted to units on Earth, his spiritual range could now cover a circular area with a radius of fifty meters.

This goes far beyond the initial major repairs required for foundation building.

A typical cultivator who has just established their foundation has a spiritual sense strength of about ten zhang, or about thirty meters.

Old Ancestor Chen has been in Wanling City for nearly two months. He just sent back news that Ninth Elder Chen Hongbing has adjusted his condition and officially entered the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate to begin his attempt to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Although the news did not spread widely, the family's senior members knew about it and were immediately overjoyed.

Chen Qian was naturally very happy; the stronger his family was, the longer he could develop in peace.

........................

Just as the news of Chen Qianlin's birth and Chen Hongbing's breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage brought joy to the family.

Thousands of miles northwest of Fenglin Valley lies a vast lake called Jiulong Lake, which is the territory of the Zhou family, one of the Chen family's rivals.

The morning mist over Jiulong Lake had not yet dissipated, but the shimmering waves were already dancing in the early sunlight.

This lake, spanning hundreds of square miles, is shaped like a jade plate and is surrounded by nine undulating mountains.

The nine mountains resemble nine reclining dragons, their heads and tails connected, surrounding the lake in the center, hence the name "Nine Dragons Lake".

Reeds grow thickly along the lake shore, egrets skim across the water, and fishermen's awning boats drift on the surface in twos and threes, their nets casting silvery scales that shimmer, but they are all ordinary grass carp and silver carp.

The Zhou family's ordinary people have lived and multiplied here for generations. Smoke rises from the chimneys of Jiulong Town by the lake, porters call out for fresh seafood on the bluestone road, and the rich aroma of rice wafts from the teahouses and taverns.

The true spiritual veins are hidden deep at the bottom of the lake.

Every seven days, a deep blue ripple would appear in the center of the lake, which was the "Nine Dragons Locking the River Formation" set up by the Zhou family breathing in and out the spiritual energy of the earth's veins.

Nine stone dragon pillars rise from the bottom of the lake, their heads held high, each holding a fist-sized spirit-gathering pearl in its mouth, transforming the surrounding ten miles of water into a spirit fish breeding farm.

These spirit fish are entirely crimson, with spiritual light flowing between their fins and tails. If ordinary people rashly try to catch them, they will be attacked by the formation, which will cause their meridians to reverse or even lead to their sudden death.

Jiulong Mountain is located on the northwest shore of the lake. Its seven main peaks pierce the sky like sharp swords, and the flying eaves and brackets can be vaguely seen in the misty clouds.

The cultivators of the Zhou family went into seclusion here to cultivate, and the core of the "Nine Dragons Locking the River Formation" shrouded in a purple light curtain was located at the top of the main peak, "Red Dragon Peak".

This formation was created by the Zhou family ancestors using nine spirit-grade stone dragon pillars as its foundation, drawing upon the power of the underground dragon veins. It can both defend against external invasions and nourish the spirit fish in the lake.

These spirit fish contain spiritual energy and taste extremely delicious, making them an important resource for the Zhou family.

At this moment, inside the "Hidden Dragon Cave" on Chilong Peak of Jiulong Mountain, three figures shrouded in black robes are surrounding Zhou Libo, the patriarch of the Zhou family.

These are three men in black robes, originally sent by the Soul Devouring Hall to oversee affairs at the Sunset Mountain Range outpost.

Unfortunately, before they arrived, the stronghold had already been destroyed by Old Ancestor Chen and Chen Qian.

After some investigation, they realized they couldn't directly invade the Chen family, which possessed the Phoenix Cry Array, so they turned their attention to one of the Chen family's rivals—the Zhou family of Jiulong Lake.

The Zhou family's Nine Dragons Locking River Formation was only at the top level of the second tier. Zhou Libo was also seriously injured in the battle of Bijia Mountain and had been recuperating for several months. The formation had not been overseen by a Foundation Establishment expert, and they finally found an opportunity to exploit it.

The leader, a tall, thin man in black robes, had a pale face tinged with gray, and a centipede-shaped scar on his forehead that stretched from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth. He was none other than Mo Yunzi, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Soul Devouring Hall.

His hand, protruding from his sleeve, was covered with bluish-purple veins, and his fingertips were wreathed in wisps of sinister black light.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou, the Soul-Devouring Worm within you has penetrated deep into your sea of ​​consciousness.” Mo Yunzi’s voice was like the scraping of rusty iron.

"As long as you cooperate obediently, we will help you recover from your injuries. When the Demon Alliance army marches south, you will receive many more benefits."

Zhou Libo sat cross-legged on the jade bed, surrounded by a faint gray-black light.

His spirits, which had been low after being severely injured in the Battle of Bijia Mountain, have now recovered to about 70-80%.

But the gloom in his eyes grew heavier. The tiny, hair-like second-tier Soul-Devouring Insect was coiled deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, like a venomous snake that could bite his soul at any moment.

“Brother Mo is absolutely right,” the black-robed man on the right interjected, his voice soft and eerie.

"Although our Soul Devouring Hall's stronghold in the Sunset Mountains has been destroyed, the Demonic Sect has a deep foundation. If Fellow Daoist Zhou can help us control the Lu and Wu families, when the Demonic Alliance takes over the Li Kingdom, the Zhou family may be able to produce a few more Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Zhou Libo remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "When will we begin the matter of the Spirit Fish Banquet?"

"The full moon will be in three days, and Lu Zhengting, Lu Yuanzhi and Wu Yiqian will attend the banquet as scheduled."

The black-robed man on the left gave a sinister smile. His face was shrouded in the shadow of his hood, but on the exposed half of his chin, two sharp fangs gleamed coldly in the darkness.

"The Soul-Devouring Insect Eggs in that Spirit Fish Soup are enough to make several Foundation Establishment Ancestors obedient."

Zhou Libo closed his eyes and pondered. Suddenly, the Soul-Devouring Worm in his sea of ​​consciousness began to writhe violently, and a piercing pain made him break out in a cold sweat.

He suddenly opened his eyes, a ruthless glint in them: "Fine! We'll do as you three fellow Daoists say. But after this is done, the three families must take my Zhou family as the leader."

(End of this chapter)