Many children, many blessings: Stealing the offspring of powerful figures to cultivate immortality.

Those eyes, which had been tightly closed for so long, trembled and opened a crack.

What came into view was a dim, murky sky.

Beneath me lay the desolate, cold Gobi Desert.

A pale face with a faint smile filled his entire field of vision.

Ji Lingxiao's consciousness was in a state of chaos.

His last memory was of the cold and darkness of falling into the Blood Lake of the Demon Realm.

It felt like the bones inside my body were being crushed inch by inch, and excruciating pain came from every corner of my body.

He instinctively tried to activate his spiritual power to protect himself.

My dantian is completely empty.

Not a single drop of spiritual energy could be extracted.

"woke up?"

The face drew closer, and warm breath brushed against his cheek.

Ji Lingxiao's gaze finally focused.

He saw their hands clasped together.

That hand was slender and soft, but its temperature was scorching.

Meanwhile, the original sword intent within his body was being uncontrollably drawn towards his opponent.

The warm wood energy is returning to his body, relieving his pain.

"open."

Two words were squeezed out between his teeth as Ji Lingxiao tried to pull his hand away.

He, a dignified Supreme Elder of the Lingxiao Sword Sect, who has lived for a thousand years, how could he be controlled by a little girl!

The hand gripped even tighter, its nails digging deep into his flesh.

At that moment, he was too weak to even break free from a woman's grip.

Jiang Yining is using his Supreme Sword Intent to suppress the chaotic demonic energy within his body that is about to explode.

This is the only way to survive.

She can't let go.

"If you don't want to die, then lie still."

Jiang Yining didn't have time to waste words with him, and pressed down hard on his struggling shoulder with her other hand.

"Your sword intent can save me, and my sacred tree can save your life."

"Don't be ungrateful in a deal."

A cold smile curved Ji Lingxiao's lips.

transaction?

A woman who stole his bloodline by taking advantage of his vulnerability, does she even deserve to negotiate with him?

His gaze passed over Jiang Yining's shoulder and landed on the small figure not far away.

Jiang Lei gripped the broken sword tightly, his muscles tense, staring intently at him.

Those eyebrows, those nose bridge...

It's like a miniature version of myself.

"You stole my primordial yang and gave birth to this..."

Ji Lingxiao's gaze fell on Jiang Lei, his icy blue eyes surging with disgust and anger.

"Bastard child."

The moment the words left his mouth, the temperature of the surrounding air plummeted!

The sand and gravel on the ground were covered with a thin layer of white frost.

Jiang Yining was furious. With a flick of her wrist, the balance she had managed to maintain within her body was on the verge of collapse.

A mouthful of blood spilled out.

"I'm not a bastard!"

"And you're not allowed to bully my mother!!"

A hoarse, low growl exploded.

Jiang Lei made a move!

He dragged the heavy black iron sword and rushed to the two of them in a few steps. The tip of the sword trembled and pointed directly at Ji Lingxiao's brow!

A standard Lingxiao Sword Sect opening stance.

The sword spine is straight, the wrist is turned inward, and the center of gravity is lowered.

Even the most talented disciple in the sect could never achieve such a standard at this age.

A sharp, stabbing pain suddenly gripped Ji Lingxiao's heart.

That feeling was so unfamiliar.

A sour, cramping sensation, mixed with a hint of panic that he himself couldn't quite discern.

He shouldn't have said that the child was a bastard.

His mother was the one who did wrong; the child had no right to choose.

Ji Lingxiao looked at the child whose face was full of hatred and who looked so much like himself.

Born with a natural talent for swordsmanship, he learned without a teacher.

This should have been his most perfect successor, the continuation of his great path.

But now this child is pointing his sword at him and calling him a bad guy.

Just to protect the woman who stole everything.

He wanted to apologize, but he was too proud to do so.

"What did you say?"

Ji Lingxiao's voice sounded somewhat ethereal.

"You're a bad person!"

Jiang Lei gritted his teeth, his purple-gold pupils burning with raging fury.

"You made your mother vomit blood!"

"If you dare bully her again, I'll kill you!"

The child's voice was clear and crisp, yet the murderous aura was as sharp as a knife.

Ji Lingxiao felt a suffocating tightness in his chest.

His cultivation of the Supreme Dao of Forgetfulness, which he had practiced for a thousand years, showed signs of cracking.

This was even more unbearable for him than physical injuries.

"I'll settle this score with you, Ji Lingxiao!"

Jiang Yining noticed the red sword mark between Ji Lingxiao's eyebrows, its crimson color flickering uncertainly.

This man's resolve is wavering!

If he collapses now and his sword intent dissipates, we're all doomed!

"Da Bao, step back."

Jiang Yining freed one hand and pushed her son behind her back.

She met Ji Lingxiao's gaze again, but there was no warmth left in his eyes.

"Ji Lingxiao, understand the current situation."

"Your meridians are disordered, your spiritual energy is depleted. Besides this face and this little bit of sword intent, what else do you have?"

"And I can kill you at any time."

A wooden splinter with a faint green luster appeared out of thin air from her fingertip.

Apply a patch to his carotid artery.

With just a thought, one can pierce that thin layer of skin.

Ji Lingxiao didn't move, but stared intently at the child behind Jiang Yining.

That look in his eyes was so complex.

Anger, resentment, and a hint of longing that even he himself was unaware of...

for a long time.

"What do you want?"

Ji Lingxiao finally withdrew his gaze, his voice returning to its usual coldness, though his confidence had weakened considerably.

"I'll borrow your sword intent to suppress what's inside me."

Jiang Yining got straight to the point.

"In exchange, my abilities will help you repair your meridians."

She paused, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Now, shut up, concentrate, and cooperate with me!"

Ji Lingxiao stared intently at her.

This woman is incredibly audacious.

But the wood-elemental vitality flowing through his wrist was indeed nourishing his parched dantian.

This power is more effective than any healing medicine from the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Only by surviving can this shame be washed away and his bloodline brought back on track.

Ji Lingxiao closed his eyes.

He no longer looked at that face that disturbed his peace of mind, nor at that child who made his Dao heart waver.

The icy sword intent that had been resisting suddenly became compliant.

They no longer resisted, but instead actively flowed into her body along her meridians.

The icy blue sword intent transformed into countless chains, binding and suppressing the raging chaotic demonic energy.

Jiang Yining finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The burning pain from being in the furnace began to subside, replaced by an ultimate sense of comfort.

Ice and fire, demon and righteousness.

Under the influence of the sacred tree, a delicate balance was formed within her body.

She could feel a new force reshaping her body and expanding her meridians.

The cracks on the golden core not only healed, but became even more resilient, and a faint golden sword pattern even appeared on it.

The mark of the Supreme Sword Intent of Forgetfulness.

A blessing in disguise.

Looking at the breathtakingly handsome man in front of her, even with his eyes closed, Jiang Yining's mind raced with calculations.

This is clearly a top-tier cultivation aid!

If I could keep him by my side all the time, and occasionally "borrow" his sword intent...

"Mother..."

Jiang Lei called out in a worried whisper from behind.

Jiang Yining turned around and gave her son a reassuring look.

"It's alright now."

"Put away your sword and go find some dry firewood nearby."

"We'll camp here tonight."

Jiang Lei hesitated for a moment, then glared at Ji Lingxiao before reluctantly sheathing his sword and running toward the distant withered forest.

The wind in the Gobi Desert is very strong.

The wind made Jiang Yining's clothes flutter loudly.

She looked at Ji Lingxiao's pale profile and felt the contrast of cold and warm temperatures emanating from her palm.

At this moment, these two adversaries, with opposing stances, reached a strange harmony.

Once this high and mighty sword master regained his strength.

The first thing he'd probably do is kill her to prove his point.

Then they took her son away.

Jiang Yining narrowed her eyes, her gaze revealing murderous intent.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ji Lingxiao, who had his eyes closed, suddenly spoke.

His voice remained indifferent, but there was a hint of tension in it.

The woman's undisguised scheming sent a chill down his spine for no apparent reason.

"Thinking..."

Jiang Yining leaned close to his ear, her warm breath spraying onto his cold earlobe.

The words uttered were ambiguous and dangerous.

"How can we properly 'repay' the Sword Master for saving our lives?"