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

"Hmph." Seeing this, Ji Lingxiao snorted disdainfully, took out an ancient token from his pocket, and threw it to Da Bao Jiang Lei, who was chewing his nails nearby.

"This is the sect leader's token of the Lingxiao Sword Sect." Ji Lingxiao's tone was calm, as if he were just throwing away a piece of scrap metal. "The holder of this token can mobilize all the resources of the Sword Sect. Also, those old guys from the Divine Weapon Valley owe me three favors. I'll have them tailor-make a top-grade sword formation for Da Bao later."

Seeing this, Ye Wuhen panicked.

He's penniless now; he squandered all his savings trying to save Sanbao, and he's currently working for Jiang Yining to pay off his debts.

"I...I..." Ye Wuhen's face flushed red, and finally he slapped his thigh, "I'll conquer the Demon Realm and give it to Yao Yao as her backyard! Anyone who dares to object, I'll wipe out their entire family!"

Chu Jinglan added, fanning himself with a folding fan, "It's not just about money. Children shouldn't just follow certain people and learn those crude sword techniques involving fighting and killing, nor should they learn any seductive arts."

"Starting tomorrow, I will begin lecturing on the art of rulership at the academy, and the children must listen to the lectures for four hours every day."

Ji Lingxiao paused in wiping his sword, then coldly raised his eyes: "Crude? The sword is the king of all weapons. Children are all good material for martial arts training. It would be a waste to let them learn your pedantic Confucianism."

"I think the children should do the exercise of swinging a sword 10,000 times every day with me."

Bai Ze sneered, "What's there to learn? Qingqiu believes in following one's nature and joyful education! I think Tangtang should sleep in piles of spirit stones every day, and no one can force her to study!"

"Alright, stop arguing." Jiang Yining waved her hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. Then she looked at Jiang Jingzhi, who had been silent all along, holding Xingjue's ring and grinning foolishly, and her biological father, Situ Kong, who was squatting on the ground drawing circles.

"Sect Leader Situ, everyone has expressed their opinions, what about you?"

Situ Kong stiffened, raised his head, and revealed a bitter face: "Sister-in-law... as you know, although my Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is well-informed, but..."

"Wow--"

Si Bao seemed to understand that his father wanted to renege on the debt, so he immediately started howling at the top of his lungs, clutching the ring in his hand tightly, as if afraid that someone would snatch it away.

"Here you go! I'll give it to you, okay?!"

Situ Kong instantly broke down, pulled out a worn-out compass from his pocket, and painfully stuffed it into Si Bao's arms. "This is the secondary compass of the Heavenly Secret Compass. It can predict good and bad fortune, and help you avoid death and prolong life... Ancestor, don't cry. My heart is breaking."

Si Bao's crying stopped abruptly. Clutching the compass, he once again revealed that extremely shrewish smile on his face.

Jiang Yining nodded in satisfaction.

This is the survival rule of the Abyss: Want to be a father? Sure, but you'll have to pay extra.

Before the noise and chatter had even subsided, Si Bao seemed to sense something. The smile on his little face vanished instantly, and he stared at a dull gemstone set in the ring.

"Wow--!"

This time, the crying wasn't fake; it was genuine terror.

Situ Kong leaned closer to take a look and saw that deep within the gem, it seemed as if a cold eye was watching them across the endless void. Then, with a "crack," the gem shattered.

The laughter abruptly stopped.

It was a feeling of terror, like being targeted by a higher-dimensional predator.

Although it lasted only a moment, it was enough to send chills down everyone's spine.

"We must grow stronger as quickly as possible!"

The "family meeting" inside the abyss cannot be delayed for even a moment.

Inside the council chamber, the ancient rosewood table that Jiang Yeyao had once torn to pieces with her bare hands has now been replaced by a long table made of star steel, gleaming with a cold, hard metallic luster.

Jiang Yining sat firmly in the main seat, her fingertips dangling a tassel she had taken from Ji Lingxiao's sword hilt, tapping it on the table intermittently to produce a crisp sound.

Her gaze swept over the five men sitting upright below her, and she parted her red lips slightly: "There are two topics for today."

"First, the great names of the Five Treasures."

"Is that even a question?"

Bai Ze was the first to lose control, and his nine snow-white fox tails spread out behind him like a peacock's tail, swaying gracefully.

He rested his chin on one hand, his peach blossom eyes filled with smugness: "She is a nine-tailed celestial fox, so naturally she should take my surname, Bai. I've already thought of her name: Bai Qingcheng. One glance can topple a city, a second glance can topple a nation—that's the kind of prestige our fox clan should have."

"Vulgar." Ji Lingxiao sat with his sword in his arms, coldly uttering a single word without even lifting his eyelids.

"Utterly vulgar." Chu Jinglan waved his folding fan and added insult to injury.

"That sounds awful." Ye Wuhen was even more blunt, sneering, "It would be better to call him Ye Batian, that sounds much more imposing."

"Shut up!" the crowd shouted in unison.

Jiang Yining pressed her throbbing temples. These men, once they got together, never stopped commotion.

"Tangtang was born in April."

Jiang Yining turned her head and her gaze fell on Wu Bao, who was nestled in Bai Ze's arms and blowing bubbles. The golden vertical mark between the little guy's eyebrows had disappeared, and he looked like a harmless human cub, with delicate features.

"April in the human world is a time of growth and tenderness, when all things are at their most vibrant."

Jiang Yining withdrew her gaze, her tone leaving no room for doubt: "My full name is Jiang Siyue."

"ginger?"

Bai Ze was stunned for a moment, then looked at Jiang Yining with a pitiful expression, his fox ears drooping: "Yining, can't you really have the surname Bai? Even Bai Siyue would be fine, at least it would make me feel like I'm involved..."

"The eldest child is named Jiang Lei, the second child is named Jiang Anyan, the third child is named Jiang Yeyao, and the fourth child is named Jiang Jingzhi."

Jiang Yining looked at him with a half-smile: "In my eyes, whose surname a child takes depends on my mood. What, does His Majesty the Demon Emperor have a problem with that?"

Bai Ze caught a glimpse of three men eyeing him menacingly out of the corner of his eye, and then remembered the treasure vault he hadn't moved over yet, so he decisively backed down.

"No objections! Jiang Siyue is great! Jiang Siyue sounds so grand! It's a million times better than Bai Qingcheng!"

Hu Bugui, who was eavesdropping outside the door, burst into tears and slapped his thigh.

Your Majesty, where is your integrity? Has the Qingqiu royal family's surname been lost just like that?

"The second thing," Jiang Yining held up her second finger, "is the children's early education."

This is the main event of today.

Several people almost came to blows over who gets to take care of the child, so we have to set some rules today.

"Jiang Jingzhi, one of the Four Treasures, possesses the Heavenly Secrets Dao Body and is naturally sensitive to treasures and dangers."

Jiang Yining looked at Situ Kong, who was teasing his son with an abacus in the corner: "Although your character isn't great, your ability to deduce the secrets of heaven is truly unparalleled. I'll entrust the Four Treasures to you."

Situ Kong was overjoyed and was about to express his gratitude when Jiang Yining suddenly changed the subject.

"But I made it clear beforehand that he was not allowed to teach him those despicable tricks of cheating and swindling."

Situ Kong's lips twitched, and he quickly raised three fingers to swear an oath: "Don't worry! I will definitely teach him the orthodox Heavenly Secrets! I will train him to become the number one... financial master in the cultivation world!"

"As for the Five Treasures..."

All eyes turned to Bai Ze.

As a nine-tailed celestial fox, no one but this demon emperor could teach her.

"Charm magic, illusion magic, sorcery—these are all the fox clan's signature skills." Jiang Yining tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her brows furrowing slightly. "But I don't want Tangtang to become that kind of... fox."