Chapter 448: Senior Sister, You |
Truth be told, Jiang Chen had weathered his fair share of storms. He had laid eyes on everything from Dragon Carp to Flood Dragons, and even the legendary Mirage Dragon. Yet, facing this little dragon-child for the first time left him entirely at a loss, his pulse quickening with an unfamiliar anxiety.
When it came down to it, he was just a solitary bachelor without a Dao companion. He had shared a fleeting intimacy with Senior Sister Yu, but that was the extent of it. He possessed absolutely zero knowledge on how to raise an infant.
Fortunately, the little creature inside the ice womb was not hatching immediately. Judging by the frequency and depth of the spreading fissures, he still had a brief window of time.
Seven days at the very least. Perhaps ten, or even half a month.
Jiang Chen scratched his head. “Aren’t you making things difficult for me?”
He could wash vegetables, brew tea, and till a Spirit Farm with the best of them, but when it came to childcare, his mind was a blank slate.
Unable to formulate a plan, he simply stepped out of his personal space, choosing the coward’s route of temporary escape.
Returning to the outside world, he collapsed onto his soft nanmu wood bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He knew the ice womb was nurturing something profound, but a half-dragon infant had never crossed his mind.
First, find a Dao companion immediately.
Second, learn the ways of mortal parenting.
Third, hand the child off to someone else.
The first option held a certain appeal, but finding a suitable partner on such short notice was a fool’s errand.
The second option meant raising the child alone, shouldering the burden of providing a complete and stable upbringing.
As for the third, if the Canglan Sea remained pristine and Mystic Heart City had not fallen to ruin, he might have sought out the Mermaid Princess for aid.
A pity that such thoughts were now useless.
The Canglan Sea had devoloved into a festering abyss of foul waters, and Mystic Heart City had been wiped from the map.
More importantly, the Mermaid Princess had vanished with the Water Spirit Fruit, leaving no trace behind.
After agonizing over the dilemma, Jiang Chen remained undecided. With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself off the bed and wandered outside.
Spring had arrived in Red Leaf Valley, though a lingering chill still bit at the air.
The surrounding red maples were pushing out tender new buds, painting the sanctuary in vibrant, awakening hues.
He paced back and forth across the damp earth.
Eventually, his steps brought him before the ancient red maple tree.
Whether stirred by a passing breeze or sensing his approach, the tender leaves-soft as an infant’s palm-began to flutter. They rustled with a crisp, rhythmic cadence, almost like applause welcoming him home.
Simultaneously, the ambient Wood Spirit Qi began to thicken, growing richer by the breath.
Jiang Chen blinked in realization. “I nearly forgot about the Spirit Qi tide.”
Every year at the onset of spring, the Spirit Qi tide would surge across the land.
The sun had not yet set, yet the phenomenon had already begun.
The severing of the dragon veins had clearly wrought a profound impact, fracturing the natural cycles of the world.
It would take the Azure Realm at least a millennium to adapt to this chaotic new rhythm.
Jiang Chen pulled over a woven hemp cushion and sat cross-legged. He aligned his gaze with his nose, his nose with his mouth, and his mouth with his heart, letting his consciousness sink deep into his center.
In an instant, the rustling world and his turbulent thoughts fell into absolute stillness.
He circulated the Five Elements Art, drawing in the rich Spirit Qi that bled from the heavens and the earth.
During the spring tide, the essence of Wood was always the most potent.
Yet, Jiang Chen was no longer the cultivator he once was. By resonating with the Chaos Dao Seed in his Dantian, he bridged the laws of the Five Elements, achieving a state of flawless mutual generation.
The scent of fresh wood ignited into the heat of fire; fire cooled into the heavy weight of earth; earth compressed into the sharp hum of metal; metal condensed into flowing water; and water nourished the wood once more. It was a perfect, unbroken cycle.
Despite this power, Jiang Chen remained deeply restrained, exercising utmost caution.
He possessed the strength to drain the Spirit Qi from hundreds of Li in every direction, but he deliberately confined his pull to the borders of Red Leaf Valley.
The ambient energy converged upon his seated form, wrapping him in a dense, luminous fog.
As he inhaled, the raw Qi flooded his Meridians. The Five Elements Art stripped away the worldly dregs, refining the energy into pure spiritual power.
He guided this power down into his Dantian. His Heavenly-Grade Golden Core hummed, spinning with the force of a collapsing star. Five-colored radiance cascaded across its surface, the luster deepening with every revolution.
The core acted as a relentless millstone, grinding and tempering the spiritual power until it condensed into a heavy, crystalline drop of Magic Power.
The cycle repeated without end, a silent rhythm of profound cultivation.
Yet, the sheer volume of Spirit Qi required to advance his realm was staggering.
Even with the surging tide at his back, a breakthrough could not be rushed.
Qi Condensation was the act of drawing breath into the flesh and carving out the Meridians.
Foundation Establishment tempered the mortal vessel and anchored the Dantian.
Both stages were merely the laying of bricks for a grander structure.
True cultivation only began at the Golden Core stage, when a cultivator finally grasped the weight of Magic Power.
Only with Magic Power could one manifest divine abilities, commune with the laws of heaven, and touch the myriad wonders of the Dao.
For two consecutive days, Jiang Chen remained anchored in his meditation.
With the Fortress automatically dispensing feed to the spirit beasts, he had no fear of his animals going hungry.
A ripple crossed his Divine Sense. Someone was approaching, and moving fast.
Jiang Chen severed his connection to the worldly Qi, his figure blurring as he vanished from the cushion.
Moments later, two silhouettes alighted at the entrance of Red Leaf Valley. Sensing the thrum of a protective Formation, they halted at a respectful distance, their eyes sweeping over the misty perimeter.
“So this is Sixth Junior Brother’s residence.”
“Isn’t this Red Leaf Valley?”
“It seems our Sixth Junior Brother holds quite a bit of sway within the Spirit Farm.”
The visitors were Eldest Senior Sister Bei Qingtang and Fifth Senior Sister Mu Ning.
Jiang Chen stepped out from the shadow of the maples, a welcoming smile on his face. “What brings my two Senior Sisters to my humble valley?”
Bei Qingtang smoothed the elegant folds of her robes. “Mu Ning and I paid a visit to the Flower Sea market. Knowing you resided in the Spirit Farm, we decided to drop by.”
Jiang Chen waved a hand, parting the shimmering barrier. “Eldest Senior Sister, Fifth Senior Sister, please come in.”
The two women stepped across the threshold.
From the outside, Red Leaf Valley was already a picturesque sight.
Yet upon entering, they found that the rustic architecture and the flow of Feng Shui were woven together in flawless harmony. There was not a single stone or timber out of place; it felt like a natural extension of the earth itself.
Bei Qingtang’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Sixth Junior Brother, who designed your residence and aligned this Feng Shui?”
Jiang Chen caught the underlying interest in her tone.
He had nearly forgotten. His Eldest Senior Sister possessed both Wood and Earth Spirit Roots, and she cultivated the Earth-Grade Wood Vein Traction Art.
Naturally, she possessed a master’s eye for the flow of earth and energy.
Without a doubt, her proficiency in Formations was equally formidable.
Jiang Chen paused for a fraction of a second before answering. “I designed the house myself. As for the Feng Shui, a Formation Master friend of mine lent a hand.”
Bei Qingtang sighed, a hint of regret in her elegant features. “It seems Junior Brother harbors considerable talent for architectural design. A pity you lack an Earth Spirit Root; otherwise, you could walk much further down this path.”
Jiang Chen merely smiled. “Tilling the fields suits me just fine.”
Bei Qingtang gave a slight nod. “It is good that Junior Brother remains so grounded.”
At that moment, Mu Ning spotted Da Huang and Wang Zai. Her eyes lit up like lanterns, and she bounded after them with a joyous shout. “Little doggies, don’t run!”
Da Huang, having suffered a lifetime of being chased by a certain someone, had developed a deep-seated trauma regarding sudden pursuits.
Yet, faced with Mu Ning, the hound didn’t flee. Instead, he dropped obediently to the dirt, rolling over to expose his soft belly in total surrender.
Wang Zai followed suit, whining softly and acting entirely cooperative.
Jiang Chen watched the betrayal of his loyal hounds with wide eyes. “Fifth Senior Sister, she…?”
“Mu Ning possesses a unique constitution,” Bei Qingtang explained calmly. “Any spirit plant or beast will instinctively seek her affection.”
Jiang Chen’s expression shifted slightly. I knew she wasn’t simple, he muttered inwardly.
Bei Qingtang shot him a sharp, warning glance. “Mu Ning is inherently pure of heart. See to it that you do not deceive her.”
Hearing this, a sudden spark of inspiration struck Jiang Chen. “Eldest Senior Sister, you seem to possess quite a bit of experience in raising children?”
Bei Qingtang nodded gracefully. “With Master frequently absent, the duty of raising Mu Ning has always fallen to me.”
Jiang Chen blinked, his voice tinged with desperate hope. “Then… do you happen to know how to take care of a newborn?”
