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

Two Protoss sentries on the left were searching each stall, their eyes sharp as eagles. The one on the right stood guard at the alley entrance, like a nail in the wind.

"Stop looking." Su Chenzhou's voice was extremely low. "Greybone Harbor is a neutral zone. The Protoss wouldn't dare to act openly. They're just scouting to see if you've infiltrated."

Jiang Yining quickly calculated in her mind.

Three hidden sentries, at least three.

If you add to that the money-grubbing desperados of Grey Bone Village...

Her bounty is 10,000 high-grade star crystals.

In this godforsaken place, ten thousand high-grade star crystals are enough to make anyone sell their soul.

"Boss, how do I get to the accommodation?" she suddenly asked, her voice soft and sweet, a stark contrast to her previous coldness.

Su Chenzhou was stunned for a moment, then a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes.

The woman reacted even faster than he had expected.

"Keep walking forward, it'll be right past Auction Alley." Su Chenzhou chuckled twice in agreement, then put his arm around her shoulder and led her forward. "Madam, are you tired? When we get to the inn, I'll take good care of you."

The two walked hand in hand past one stall after another.

As Jiang Yining passed through Auction Alley, her eyes swept over the portraits hanging in mid-air.

The Protoss's bounty posters were everywhere, and any female cultivator who passed by with even the slightest suspicion would be examined by the patrol spirit mirror.

"This is troublesome," Jiang Yining cursed inwardly.

These inspection mirrors can sense fluctuations in the aura of pregnancy, specifically targeting her unique constitution. Even if she wears a mask, once the aura of pregnancy is detected, it will inevitably be revealed.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.

"Get out of here! All of you, get out of here!"

A patrol team dressed in gray-white armor roared past, led by a one-eyed giant holding a heavy halberd, his eyes scanning the crowd frantically.

"The Protoss leaders have declared that anyone providing clues will be rewarded with ten thousand star crystals! Anyone found harboring such a person will have their entire family executed!"

The surrounding outlaws immediately stirred.

Jiang Yining's back tensed instantly.

"Don't panic," Su Chenzhou's voice rang in my ears. "Come with me."

He suddenly stopped and turned to a street vendor hawking his wares, pulling a handful of star stones from his pocket: "Sir, where did you buy this tattered mask?"

The vendor was stunned and hadn't even reacted when Su Chenzhou had already put his arm around Jiang Yining's shoulder and stuffed the Star Essence Stone into his arms.

"Take me to the owner who sells masks."

The vendor's eyes lit up when he saw the heavy Star Essence Stones in his arms.

"Follow me!"

The two followed the vendor through a maze of twists and turns, passing through a stinking, dark alley, and finally found a dilapidated stall in a shady corner.

Behind the stall sat a hunchbacked old woman with a wrinkled face, knitting something.

"That's her!" The vendor pointed at the old woman and ran off happily.

Su Chenzhou strode forward and took out another bag of star stones: "Old man, we'd like to buy two more masks, the kind that can block the detection of the spirit mirror."

The old woman raised her cloudy eyes, looked them over, and suddenly grinned.

"You two are a young couple, right? Okay, this old lady does have some goods here."

She took out two masks from her bosom. The material looked no different from ordinary masks, but when Su Chenzhou took them, Jiang Yining clearly felt an extremely subtle spiritual energy fluctuation.

"This is a concealing mask," the old woman said in a low voice. "It can block any detection below the Void Realm, not even the Star Spirit Clan's inspection mirror."

Jiang Yining was overjoyed and was about to reach out to take it.

The old woman withdrew her hand, her gaze falling on the woman's stomach: "However, these masks aren't cheap. One mask costs five hundred high-grade star crystals. Two masks cost one thousand."

Su Chenzhou narrowed his eyes.

This is price gouging.

"Old man, are you obsessed with money?" His voice turned cold.

"If you think it's too expensive, then get lost." The old woman chuckled. "Anyway, the bounty for the Protoss is ten thousand. If I sell the two of you, I can make nine thousand."

Before the words were finished, a series of footsteps suddenly echoed in the dark alley.

Jiang Yining turned around and looked.

Three silver figures were slowly approaching from both ends of the dark alley.

The leader held a palm-sized mirror in his hand, its surface faintly reflecting starlight.

Inspection mirror.

"Don't move." Su Chenzhou's voice suddenly became extremely low.

He suddenly reached out and pulled Jiang Yining into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice lazy: "Madam, your illness has flared up again? Come on, I'll carry you back."

As he spoke, he actually squatted down and let Jiang Yining lie on his back.

Jiang Yining buried her face in the back of his neck, her nose touching his skin, and could clearly smell the faint sandalwood fragrance on his body.

My heart was beating as fast as hers.

"Don't speak, don't move, don't reveal a single trace of your presence." Su Chenzhou's voice escaped from his throat, as if he were speaking through gritted teeth. "The Star Spirit Clan's Spirit Mirror can't see pregnant women, but it can detect the presence of a fetus. Your child... is too restless."

Jiang Yining felt a chill run down her spine.

A spiritual embryo!

She subconsciously focused her attention on sensing the condition in her dantian.

Sure enough, the little guy started to stir again at some point, and the purplish-gold flower bud was swaying gently, emitting a faint life force.

Damn!

She quickly recited the incantation in her mind, and the purple-gold roots of the Myriad Spirits Tree quietly emerged and burrowed around the fetus, forming a thin barrier.

The agitation gradually subsided.

"stop!"

The silver-armored star guard stopped the old woman, pointing his magic mirror at her: "Have you seen this woman before?"

The old woman squinted at the blurry portrait in the magic mirror and chuckled, "Sir, my eyesight isn't very good. Everyone looks like a wanted criminal to me."

Xingwei snorted coldly, and the spirit mirror scanned the old woman, but found nothing unusual.

"Keep searching!" He waved and led his two companions into the next dark alley.

Su Chenzhou's back was soaked with sweat.

He slowly stood up, with Jiang Yining still clinging to his back. The two remained in that ambiguous position, motionless.

He only let out a long breath after Xingwei's figure had completely disappeared.

"You can get down now."

Jiang Yining slid off his back, and their eyes met in mid-air.

They glanced at each other briefly, then quickly moved away.

Su Chenzhou took out a Star Essence Stone and threw it to the old woman, took the mask, and quickly left with Jiang Yining.

He stopped in a secluded corner and turned to look at Jiang Yining: "What's the background of your child?"

Jiang Yining's eyelashes trembled slightly.

Su Chenzhou remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly reached out and pinched her chin.

Those extremely dark eyes stared straight at her, as if trying to see right through her.

Jiang Yining's eyes flickered slightly.

This man is indeed extraordinary.

"Let's go." Su Chenzhou released her and turned to walk deeper into the alley. "There's a shady shop in Auction Alley that specializes in selling shady stuff. I remember they have a concealment talisman for prenatal cultivation; it should help you get through Gray Bone Mound."

He paused, then glanced back at Jiang Yining: "But the price isn't cheap. Do you have enough pills on you?"

Jiang Yining followed, a faint smile playing on her lips: "Whether it's enough or not, you'll find out when we get there."

The two walked one after the other through the main street of Grey Bone Wharf and headed toward Auction Lane.

Behind them, beside the old woman's stall, three Protoss sentries were talking in hushed tones.

"I have a feeling that there was something wrong with those two people just now."

"What's the problem?"

"Especially that man, the aura he exudes..."

"Forget it, what kind of weirdos aren't in a place like Grey Bone Village? Let's go, keep searching."

Three silver figures gradually disappeared into the crowd.

At the end of Auction Alley, Su Chenzhou suddenly stopped.

Ahead, a dark, abandoned bridge stretched across the void.

On the other side of the bridge was a thick, impenetrable black fog.

Deep within the black fog, the outline of a bronze warehouse door could be vaguely seen.

"Do you see that?" Su Chenzhou pointed to the door, his voice very soft. "That's the place we're looking for."

Jiang Yining looked in the direction he was pointing.

The bronze warehouse door was half-hidden in the black mist, its surface covered with dense star patterns, like some kind of ancient seal.

"If we go any further, even I might not be able to protect you." Su Chenzhou turned around, looking into Jiang Yining's eyes. "Are you sure you want to go?"

Jiang Yining met his gaze but remained silent.

A moment later, she suddenly smiled.

"If you dare to go, why shouldn't I?"

Su Chenzhou paused for a moment, then smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a hint of genuine appreciation.

"Let's go." He turned and stepped onto the ruined bridge. "From now on, we're partners. You help me open the warehouse, and I'll escort you through the three sections of the ancient road blockade. As for what's inside... that's up to you."