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

White Jade Square on Abandoned Star Island.

A morning breeze carrying the scent of the sea swept past the purple-gold flags lining both sides of the plaza. Two streamlined spirit ships were moored side by side on the array-patterned launch platform, their hulls constructed from a combination of Protoss alloy and ancient spirit wood, their surfaces gleaming with a dark golden luster.

Su Chenzhou knelt on one knee at the foot of the stone steps, clasped his hands in a fist and spoke in a deep voice.

"Mistress, Chenzhou has been ordered to guard Abandoned Star Island, and will certainly live up to your trust during this period."

Jiang Yining stood on the high platform, looking down at him.

"The defensive array patterns have been handed over to Mo Xie for control. If the remnants of the Protoss race make any unusual moves, there is no need to ask for permission; just open fire."

"Yes, ma'am."

Su Chenzhou stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then added in a low voice.

"The mistress's journey is fraught with danger. The inner palace of the Xuan Yin Palace has prepared the Returning to the Void Furnace, which can be remotely teleported back to its original position at any time."

"understood."

Jiang Yining nodded, shifting her gaze from him to the nearly one thousand cultivators lined up on both sides of the plaza.

"Set off."

She lifted her skirt and walked down the stone steps towards the main ship. Gu Qinghan and Feng Liuyun followed on either side, while Sanbao rode on Dabao's shoulders, their heterochromatic eyes curiously observing the enormous creature before them.

On the other side, Ao Lin and Yu Luofeng walked side by side toward the secondary boat. The two were three feet apart, and a tense atmosphere filled the air between them.

Ao Lin lowered his voice, and there were still small flower stickers drawn by Sanbao before he left on his dragon horns.

"You damned brat, don't hold this Empress back when we get to Qingqiu Guyue."

Yu Luofeng gently waved her folding fan, the morning light reflected on its black feather surface.

"I'm only worried about some brainless lizard getting lost in the Dead Sea."

"Who are you calling a lizard!"

Ao Lin flicked his dragon tail, and the pressure of a true dragon silently erupted. Yu Luofeng raised an eyebrow, and extremely yin ghostly energy emanated from the soles of his feet. The two laws collided in the air, creating fragments of spiritual light.

"Shut up."

Jiang Yining's voice wasn't loud, but it caused both of them to retract their laws simultaneously.

Ao Lin held his breath, his dragon tail swung halfway behind him, and he swallowed the rebuttal that was on the tip of his tongue. Yu Luofeng closed his folding fan, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

The auxiliary cabin door swung open. Ao Lin was the first to step onto the suspended ladder, his dragon horns almost brushing against the top edge of the door frame.

Yu Luofeng followed behind him, but stopped abruptly at the cabin door. He didn't turn around, but merely turned half his face, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Jiang Yining, who was walking towards the main ship.

The next instant, his figure vanished.

Jiang Yining felt a tightness around her waist.

A slender arm wrapped around her waist from behind, its extremely sinister energy manifesting as dark, inky patterns that silently coiled around the belt around her waist. Yu Luofeng's voice rang in her ear, tinged with a lazy, husky tone.

"Leave a mark...so that no one dares to touch you."

Jiang Yining remained calm, and with her left hand, she grabbed his wrist and pressed it down.

"Let go."

Yu Luofeng did not immediately let go, but instead rested his chin on her shoulder and took a deep breath of the medicinal fragrance in her hair.

"Not loose."

Before the words were finished, a pure yang sword intent, like a white rainbow piercing the sun, slashed in from the side. The broken sword's shards drew blinding arcs of light in the morning glow, the tip pointing directly at Yu Luofeng's back.

"Yu Luofeng!"

Gu Qinghan's stern shout echoed across the square. His face was ashen, and the remaining pure Yang sword intent on the broken sword surged.

Yu Luofeng sidestepped, his ghostly energy transforming into a dark barrier to block the sword's edge. His hand, still around Jiang Yining's waist, tightened even more.

"Is this all the accuracy a sword cultivator at the Dao Seeking Realm has?"

"You're asking for it!"

Gu Qinghan's eyes surged with killing intent, and he raised his hand to unleash a second sword strike. Taking advantage of this moment, Ao Lin squeezed to Jiang Yining's side, grabbed her other wrist, and channeled the Dragon Emperor's essence into her palm.

"Ning'er, I will get rid of this lecherous man for you!"

Before he could finish speaking, a crimson gold folding fan slashed down from the side, striking him squarely in the tiger's mouth. Feng Liuyun had already closed in unnoticed, his peach blossom eyes filled with coldness.

"Your Majesty, where are your hands placed?"

Ao Lin winced in pain and instinctively released his grip. He glared at Feng Liuyun, his dragon tail sweeping behind him.

"You worthless bird, how dare you presume to speak to me, Your Majesty!"

The two laws collided once more, and the spirit flags on the square were whipped about by the shockwaves.

Da Bao stood in front of San Bao, holding the An Ning Sword, his face as cold as frost. He shielded San Bao behind him, his gaze sweeping coldly over the four powerful figures vying for San Bao's affections.

"Shameful."

Sanbao poked his head out from behind his shoulder and added insult to injury in a childish voice.

"Exactly! You've completely humiliated your mother in front of so many people!"

Jiang Yining finally moved.

The demigod's aura silently crushed the entire arena, and the four colliding laws shattered simultaneously. The four large men took three steps back at the same time, and the white jade bricks beneath their feet cracked under the weight.

"Didn't I say that if you keep arguing, I'll cancel the herbal medicine?"

Jiang Yining's voice was soft, but it carried an uncompromising coldness.

The four figures froze in place.

Jiang Yining lifted her skirt and stepped onto the main ship's suspended ladder. She didn't turn around, but the dark, ghostly pattern on her waist was slightly warm, seeping into the depths of her fabric along her waistline.

The hatch closed behind her.

On the secondary boat, Ao Lin glared at Yu Luofeng, gritting his teeth and growling.

"I'll cut off that damned hand of yours sooner or later!"

Yu Luofeng withdrew the hand that had been around Jiang Yining, rubbing her fingertips around her palm. The ghostly patterns on her waist were slowly gathering, eventually transforming into a very faint black mole, hidden beneath her belt.

"You can't cut it."

He closed his folding fan, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

"She bears my mark on her waist."

Two spirit boats rose into the air above the square, their dark golden light dispelling the morning mist.

Gu Qinghan stood on the main deck, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Yining's waist. He didn't speak, but simply gripped the broken sword tighter.

Feng Liuyun moved closer to him, her peach blossom eyes half-closed, and lowered her voice.

"Sword Master, you don't look well."

"roll."

"I was just showing some concern." Feng Liuyun unfolded his folding fan and smiled meaningfully. "The ghostly markings are the mating marks of the Extreme Yin Ghost King lineage. Unless she personally infuses pure Yang true essence to dissolve them, they will stay with her for life."

Gu Qinghan's eyes darkened.

He turned around and walked towards the cabin where Jiang Yining was. Feng Liuyun whistled behind him, his peach blossom eyes filled with schadenfreude.

"Sword Master, are you going to transfer your pure Yang True Essence? Don't forget, the Mistress doesn't like men who are too proactive."

Gu Qinghan paused, but did not turn around.

"I know what I'm doing."

Inside the cabin, Sanbao lay on the soft couch, his heterochromatic eyes sparkling as he gazed at Jiang Yining.

"Mommy, what did that creepy uncle draw on your waist?"

Jiang Yining untied her belt and glanced down. The dark lines had transformed into a tiny mole, hidden deep within her skin.

"It's nothing."

She retied the ribbon and gently pressed her fingertip against the mole. The warm touch spread up her fingertip, carrying a hint of coolness.

"It's just a shameless mark."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Mo Xie's voice came from outside the cabin door, sounding somewhat urgent.

"Mistress, the Bloodline Guidance Compass is malfunctioning."

Jiang Yining frowned.

Mo Xie pushed the wheelchair into the cabin. On the jade plate held by the mechanical arm, the positioning light spot of Jiang Jingzhi, one of the Four Treasures, was dimming at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Since just now, the intensity of the light spot has been continuously decreasing. At this rate, the positioning signal will completely disappear within half a day."

Jiang Yining stared at the flickering light, her gaze gradually turning cold.

"accelerate."

"Yes."

Mo Xie accepted the order, and the mechanical arm slid rapidly through the void to adjust the interdimensional array patterns on the spirit boat.

The main ship's hull blazed with a burst of dark golden light, transforming into a shooting star that streaked across the morning sky as it sped toward the Heavenly Mystery Remnant Market. The secondary ship followed closely behind, the two streaks of light tracing parallel paths one after the other in the star field.

Jiang Yining stood by the cabin window, her gaze piercing through layers of nebulae, landing on the unknown star field shrouded in darkness in the distance.

"Mother," Sanbao tugged at her sleeve, his heterochromatic eyes filled with worry, "Will Fourth Brother be alright?"

Jiang Yining lowered her head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Yes."

There was a sudden knock on the cabin door.

Gu Qinghan's voice came from outside the door, sounding somewhat suppressed and hoarse.

"Ning'er, I have something to tell you."