Deducing Godhood from the Fetal Stage

Chapter 114 Mutual Selection

"Can you protect him for a while? Can you protect him as he breaks through to the Dao Lord level?"

As soon as Lingxiao finished speaking, Lingjiu's arms around Jiang Yun slowly loosened and tightened again. She opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything in the end.

She can raise a child, protect him from the wind and rain until he reaches the Blood Refining Realm, the Spirit Concealing Realm, or even higher. But the higher she goes on the path, the more she will stray into directions she can no longer control.

Those ranks and those steps of achievement, he had to climb them step by step himself.

"Then—you just said that those children weren't suffering," Lingjiu said, choosing her words carefully, her voice softening, "what does that mean? I don't understand."

Lingxiao leaned back lazily on the jeweled bench, flicking a drifting star on the star tracker with her finger, scattering shards of light through her fingers.

"The resentment is directed at the adults who exploit the children, not at the children themselves."

He spoke casually, as if he were recounting an old story that had nothing to do with him.

"For tens of thousands of years, how many mothers have watched helplessly as their children were pushed into that pool, unable to protect them, and in the end, only a wisp of lingering resentment remained."

"These lingering regrets, when they encounter a newborn soul yearning for companionship, naturally evoke a protective instinct."

"Both parties crave companionship, so it's a perfect match where each gets what they need."

Ling Jiu remained silent for a moment.

"The specific cause and effect will naturally come to light when the Divine Ruins are unraveled."

Lingxiao waved her hand.

"Revealing too many secrets of heaven may not be a good thing for you and your child. Go back and prepare what needs to be prepared, and go through the necessary procedures."

Incense smoke rose again, engulfing the outline of the main hall.

When Jiang Yun opened her eyes again, the fresh scent of pine resin mixed with metal had dissipated, replaced by the smell of aged sandalwood in the secret room.

Ling Jiu knelt on the prayer mat. The three incense sticks had just burned to the end, and the grayish-white ash fell into the bronze incense burner piece by piece.

She looked down at her son in her arms, and the tangled mess in her eyes that had lasted all night had mostly dissipated.

"Ah Yun, let's go to the testing center."

Three days later.

The aircraft carried the two families across Minghui District and landed on the suspended platform of the Capital Genius Testing Center.

Jiang Yun sat in the stroller, being pushed by Ling Jiu through the most bustling main street of the Imperial Star.

Skyscrapers stand tall, shops line both sides of the street, and the GG (Giant Gymnasium) floats in the air, shimmering with light and bustling with people.

However, under his outward-facing, hidden perception, the facade of prosperity was instantly stripped away, revealing a gloomy and desolate scene in his heart.

The woman selling flowers on the street corner held a baby in her arms, her eyes filled with unbearable sorrow.

At the entrance of a restaurant, two young mothers huddled together and spoke in hushed tones. When the words "ghost mother" were mentioned, one of them trembled.

Even on the pedestrian overpass, a father pushing a stroller with twins instinctively pulled the canopy down tightly and looked around warily.

Clearly, the matter of the demon mother eating spirits has put every household with children in a state of tension.

Jiang Yun nestled in the car, pondering Ling Xiao's words, "It's not suffering," over and over in her mind.

What the empire conveyed to the outside world was clearly suffering.

The Demon Mother devours spirits, especially the souls of infants; she is extremely dangerous. The fear and unease among the mothers throughout the city is genuine.

But if it is truly as Lingxiao said, a great gift for the child, an opportunity for everyone to get what they want, why would the empire sell panic to the people?

Jiang Yun thought that either the higher-ups didn't want to reveal the secrets, fearing that the powerful families would rush in and send all their true geniuses to compete for the best positions, ruining the selection process.

The original intention of the pure seedling.

Either this opportunity contains something that even Lingxiao is unwilling to reveal.

As for the widespread panic—perhaps the people's awe and gratitude are part of the achievement itself.

He didn't have a definite answer, after all, he had only known about this world for less than a year, and could only deduce it from its unique merit system.

But if that's really what he thinks, then it can only be said that no matter how lofty the slogans and ideals are, in the end, it is still the behavior pattern driven by interests that makes everything possible.

As for exactly how it is —

He lowered his eyes, his fingertips rubbing back and forth on the bright orange screaming duck, and stopped thinking about it.

As for Yanzi's phrase "the echoes of the past" and Lingxiao's phrase "the truth will be revealed when the Divine Ruins are unraveled," we'll find out once we go inside.

With someone to cover the risks, he doesn't need to worry about anything else.

Improving yourself is the key.

"Ah-Yun, we've arrived."

Ling Jiu's voice pulled him back to reality. The stroller was parked in front of the testing center's main entrance, and Jiang Yun looked up.

Qiu Mian personally waited at the door.

This extraordinary elder of the Fuhua lineage, at the Xuanjing realm, didn't act like a superior inside, waiting for someone to announce him. Instead, he meticulously tidied his uniform jacket and stood at the bottom of the steps, greeting Ling Jiu as soon as he saw her.

His gaze was earnest, reflecting both respect for those who dedicated themselves to their country and caution towards scions of prominent families.

"Ms. Ling, little Jiang Yun, you must be tired from your journey."

Qiu Mian cupped his hands in greeting.

Ling Jiu stepped aside slightly: "Director Qiu, you're too kind, making you wait at the door yourself."

"Of course."

Qiu Mian straightened up, his gaze lingering on Jiang Yun's face for a moment, his expression more serious than before. "Everything is arranged inside. I'll lead you in."

Jiang Ren, carrying Hao Jiajia, followed behind. Feeling a little awkward in the situation, he leaned close to Ling Jiu's ear and whispered, "Sis, this director is much more polite than last time—"

Lingjiu patted the back of her hand but didn't reply.

The group walked through the spacious hall.

The testing center was even more heavily guarded than Jiang Yun had imagined. Every so often, there was a spiritual pattern barrier emitting a faint glow, and all the staff members who came and went would stop to greet Qiu Mian.

When they reached a fork in the road, Qiu Mian stopped.

"We'll split up and go in two directions from now on."

He turned to Ling Jiu and Jiang Ren, his tone softening, "You two need to come with me to the conference room. First, we'll go over the procedures and agreements in person, and second, we need to collect some blood to make a personal keepsake for little Jiang Yun. This keepsake has two main uses."

"Firstly, it deceives the perception of the Divine Ruins into being inspired; secondly, it allows little Jiang Yun to hide, alter, and conceal his own abilities and aura within the Divine Ruins."

"What about A-Yun?" Ling Jiu subconsciously moved the stroller closer to her side.

"The children are all housed in a specially designated 'Genius Baby' area."

Qiu Mian pointed to the archway on the right that was glowing with a soft light, "There is a protective array inside, so it's safe and sound. I will personally take little Jiang Yun inside to settle him in, and I will never let him out of my sight."

Ling Jiu glanced at her precocious son in her arms, then at the archway, and hesitated before nodding: "Then—I'll trouble Director Qiu..."

Yes.

Jiang Yun lingered in Ling Jiu's arms for a few more glances at the scene inside the archway.

This isn't a resettlement area; it's clearly a high-end amusement park.

The high ceiling is painted with flowing starry sky, and soft light spills down from all directions. The floor is covered with thick, soft mats that leave a shallow indentation when you step on them.

Carousels, slides, and block castles—a dazzling array of toys are scattered everywhere, their colors bright yet not glaring.

But as soon as Jiang Yun's hidden senses were activated, the connection between mother and son, linked to the mother's spiritual consciousness, immediately detected what lay beneath that gentle appearance.

There were extremely fine array fluctuations in the air, layer upon layer, completely enveloping the entire area.

This is no ordinary railing; it is a powerful formation capable of withstanding the impact of a King-level being.

"This place is quite heavily fortified," Jiang Yun thought to himself.

"Ms. Ling, please take a look."

Qiu Mian spoke up at the right moment, gesturing with his hand, "This Genius Baby Zone has a protective array that was set up by three Xuanzun working together. Even if the sky were to fall, the children inside would not be harmed in the slightest."

Ling Jiu hugged Jiang Yun and looked around, her tense shoulders relaxing a little: "Thank you for your trouble."

"It's my duty."

Qiu Mian smiled and stepped aside to make way.

"You can leave little Jiang Yun anywhere; there are people looking after her. I'll bring her over as soon as the meeting is over."