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

"This humble monk is already entrenched in the mortal world; what difference does it make whether these Buddha relics are broken or not?"

Before the stifling air in the sealed room could process this blasphemous whisper, a bone-chilling frost suddenly shattered the golden power of wishes flowing around them.

Gu Qinghan appeared silently at the edge of the altar, stepping on the frost-covered ground. Her long, white hair moved without wind, and the broken sword in her hand, which was still sheathed, almost froze the surrounding spiritual energy into ice.

"I'm merely leaving to find a place to stay, and the master is already eager to take over my wife's affairs?"

Gu Qinghan's voice was filled with undisguised killing intent. His slender fingers gripped Jiang Yining's wrist, and he forcibly pulled her out of Fan Chen's arms without any regard for the consequences.

Jiang Yining was already weak and sore from exhausting her Chaos Origin. He was so strong that she stumbled and crashed straight into the embrace filled with the cool fragrance of medicine and pure Yang True Essence.

Gu Qinghan tightened his arms, holding her firmly against his chest, one hand supporting the back of her head, his frosty eyes fixed on every inch of her exposed skin as if surveying his territory.

Where did he touch you?

Gu Qinghan roughly brushed her cheek, which had just rested on Fan Chenxin's shoulder, with his fingertips, as if to scrape off the lingering sandalwood scent. His palm traveled down her back, searching for any scent that did not belong to him.

Jiang Yining let him grope her like a wild beast guarding its food, a hint of helplessness flashing in her purple-gold eyes, and she grabbed his wrist as he continued to reach down.

"Gu Qinghan, what's wrong with you?"

"Am I going crazy?"

Gu Qinghan let out a cold laugh, her chest heaving violently. Pure Yang True Essence poured into her meridians recklessly, trying to expel the faint Buddhist light that had tainted her, with such force that it almost crushed her bones.

"You ruined yourself to this weak, inhuman state trying to save your daughter. I told you to wait for me to come back, but you wouldn't listen. You insisted on getting entangled with this monk. Now you're asking me what's wrong with you?"

Jiang Yining gasped as he pinched her, but she forced herself not to push him away. She simply stared at him coldly with her purple-gold eyes.

"Can't you see I'm protecting April?"

"Does protecting April require you to collapse weakly in this bald monk's arms?"

Jiang Yining's head throbbed from his yelling. She raised her hand to pinch her brow, too exhausted to even offer an explanation.

"If I hadn't been leaning on him, I would have fallen and broken my leg on the white marble slab just now."

"I'll treat your broken leg; it's none of your business for a monk to fawn over you. Have you forgotten who your rightful man is?"

Gu Qinghan retaliated through gritted teeth, her gaze like a knife as she shot at the pale-robed figure opposite her who was forced to free his hands.

"Even if someone is to pick him up, it should be me. Who does he think he is, daring to touch my people, Gu Qinghan's people?"

As Fan Chenxin lost the soft weight of the woman in her arms, her fingertips instinctively curled and tightened, her palms still feeling the astonishing heat from the sweat that had soaked into her body.

For the first time ever, he didn't chant Buddhist mantras or bow his head in retreat as he usually did. Instead, he slowly straightened up, and a layer of tangible golden Buddhist light condensed around him, forming a shield that forcefully withstood Gu Qinghan's overwhelming pure Yang sword intent.

"Is Master Gu's indiscriminate anger a sign of distrust towards Benefactor Jiang, or a furious outburst at his own inability to protect her?"

Fan Chenxin's voice was still gentle and warm, honed by years of chanting scriptures, but for the first time, it carried an unyielding sharpness.

"If you were truly capable of protecting her, why would she have risked her life to block the remaining poison of the divine realm at the center of the formation? You weren't even there when she needed you the most, so why are you throwing a tantrum now?"

Gu Qinghan laughed in anger, and the broken sword emitted a crisp sword sound, as if it were about to cleave the secret chamber in two.

"Who do you think you are, daring to presume to know what I'm thinking?"

Gu Qinghan took a step forward, and his sword intent tore through the golden light protecting Fan Chenxin's body, leaving a deep, bone-revealing bloodstain on the moon-white monk's robe.

"Even if she falls into the mud, I will personally pick her up. If you dare to touch her again, I will sever your tendons."

Fan Chenxin clutched her bleeding arm, her face pale, but she didn't back down an inch, staring straight into Gu Qinghan's eyes, which were full of hostility.

"Buddhism emphasizes the equality of all beings. Since Benefactor Jiang has entered the gates of my Great Thunderclap Temple, as a protector of the Dharma, it is my natural responsibility to ensure her safety."

"She doesn't need your security."

With a flick of his wrist, Gu Qinghan pointed the sword directly at Fan Chenxin's throat, its icy chill already touching the other's throbbing carotid artery.

"Don't think I don't know what filthy thoughts you're harboring. When you look at her, your eyes are no longer free from worldly desires."

Two extremely powerful Mahayana-stage forces collided violently in the small, secret chamber. Even the ancient Buddha relic suspended in mid-air began to hum, and the Five Treasures sleeping on the altar were forced to frown by this pressure.

Jiang Yining noticed her daughter's unusual behavior and watched as the two men were about to fight in front of her daughter's life-saving formation. A hint of impatience flashed in her eyes.

She simply gave up struggling, leaning limply against Gu Qinghan's chest, her arms naturally climbing up his tall neck.

"Gu Qinghan, my meridians are hurting terribly."

"You deserve it."

Although Gu Qinghan cursed fiercely, the sword in his hand stopped abruptly in mid-air, and his gaze subconsciously fell back to her pale face.

"I have no strength left. If you freeze me with your sword energy again, I'm really going to die here."

She deliberately lowered her voice, the last syllable of which had a slightly weak nasal tone. Her usually aloof and proud eyes were now moistened with tears, and she rubbed against his neck like a wronged cat.

Don't give me that.

Gu Qinghan's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and his murderous aura seemed to have been suddenly drained. His fingers, gripping the broken sword, loosened and tightened again, and he forcibly swallowed the pure Yang sword intent that had almost overturned the secret room back into his dantian.

"Do you think that every time you act cute, I'll let you do whatever you want without any limits?"

"You're not buying it?"

Jiang Yining buried her face in his clothes, her voice muffled, and even deliberately rubbed her cheek against his hard collarbone.

"I'm so cold, can you take me home?"

Gu Qinghan was completely defeated. He picked her up with one hand and carried her horizontally. His pure Yang energy flowed into her meridians through their skin, dispelling the lingering chill in her body.

He looked down at her obedient and submissive appearance. Even though he knew that seventy percent of her weak demeanor was an act to manipulate him, the crazy possessiveness in his heart was temporarily soothed.

He couldn't help but lower his head and plant a deep kiss on her smooth forehead, his warm lips brushing against her cool skin with a punishing nibble.

The kiss was devoid of any lust, yet it was filled with an unquestionable declaration of sovereignty, as if proclaiming ownership of this precious treasure.

"If you know it hurts, don't try to be brave next time. You better behave and stay away from trouble that you shouldn't cause."

Gu Qinghan's words were not only meant for Jiang Yining, but also deliberately meant for the annoying monk opposite her.

Jiang Yining adjusted to a comfortable position in his arms, without refuting his domineering manner, and instead obediently closed her eyes.

"Okay, whatever you say. Hurry up and take me back to rest. I can't even keep my eyes open anymore."

Gu Qinghan snorted coldly, not even sparing Fan Chenxin a second glance. He carried Jiang Yining straight out of the secret chamber, casually pulling the sleeping Wu Bao into the light shield in his arms as well.

"From now on, you are not allowed to come near her even half a step without my permission, or I will raze your Great Thunderclap Temple to the ground."

The heavy gate of the secret chamber slammed shut at Gu Qinghan's warning, completely shutting out the surging golden light inside.

Fan Chenxin quietly watched the kiss Gu Qinghan left on her brow, then clasped her hands together and hid them in her sleeves. He crushed three of the Bodhi prayer beads hanging on her wrist.