Li Qingmu couldn't believe his eyes.
[Concubine Huang Shiyue is giving birth to a child with the soul fragment of an Honorable Water Immortal King that fell in the ancient Immortal-Devil War!]
This is like winning the lottery.
[Ding! Host has received a paternal care package for being the father of a reincarnated immortal!]
‣ 500 years of pure water-attributed cultivation
Cultivation is measured in epochs.
500 years is a substantial but not top-tier amount.
It placed him firmly above water spirit root beginners by decades and maybe mid-level cultivators by a century or two… but he is still below true ancient monsters who have existed for tens of thousands of years!
‣ Connate violet water spiritual root
That is the highest grade beneath heaven itself!
‣ Heavenly Water Immortal Bone
‣ Heavenly Immortal Water Robes
‣ Stored Heavenly Tribulation Essence
This was perhaps the most important because he could trigger Nine-Revolutions Heavenly Tribulation at any time to forge a perfect Heaven-Dao Golden Core without any spiritual energy backlash!
Li Qingmu's brain crashed.
He would pay everything in his pockets to take care of a child with this much fortune.
Half the baby's body was still inside.
Elder Sister Huang was crying her lungs out in pain.
"Push—push—almost there—!"
The other sect sisters shouted desperately.
He couldn't take it anymore.
BAM!
He kicked the door open and barged in.
Twenty-six concubines froze mid-cheer.
Elder Sister Huang lay on the spirit jade bed, legs spread wide on golden stirrups, face flushed with sweat, hair plastered to her cheeks.
Her private part looked very swollen.
It was covered in blood and amniotic fluids.
The bed was also soaked in her fluids.
Childbirth is not attractive but a fairy maiden like Elder Sister Huang is an exception.
Even when he went hard on her in bed Elder Sister Huang is a woman who likes it rough. Even his dragon could not make her peach this bloated but pregnancy can.
Li Qingmu didn't care.
He cupped her sweaty face with both hands and kissed her on her pale, plump lips.
"Mmm—?! ♥️ Young… Master—?!"
Huang Shiyue's eyes flew wide.
His tongue is in her mouth so she can't speak properly.
The other concubines turned green with envy.
"You never kissed me like that after I gave birth!"
"Elder Sister gets everything!"
"All I got was a pat on the head!"
"Elder Sister gets all the good stuff because her womb is stronger—unfair!"
"Why doesn't he kiss us like that after we push out his beautiful babies?!"
They all knew they were concubines and would never get to enjoy the privileges of a real wife… but they still liked to act like they were.
None of them deserved to be with the young master with all their horrible acts committed.
Only Huang Shiyue is pure and deserving.
That's why her womb quality developed.
The woman in question pushed Li Qingmu away.
Her pretty and mature face was red.
"Y-, Young Master… I'm filthy right now… covered in sweat and fluids… don't—"
Li Qingmu gave her a pat on the cheek.
"Shut up and push."
He looked very excited.
That's when the bloated lips of Huang Shiyue's little peach contracted painfully.
"Ahhh ♥️"
A thick stream of pee exited her delicate hole and that was when her tight peach could breathe.
She screamed for one final push.
Waaaaa—!
A baby girl slid out and cried with a voice that shook the palace's restrictions.
[Ding! Heavenly-blessed child successfully born!]
[Take good care of the future Immortal Emperor of the Mysterious Water Dao!]
If he failed to, there would be karmic backlash.
A father must protect their child!
Li Qingmu laughed hard.
Huang Shiyue smiled warmly at him.
"Hold her, my lord."
While other concubines took care of Shiyue the others handed the baby over to Li Qingmu.
He stared at the glowing baby in his hands.
"Li Zimo…"
This child is his next investment.
Outside the Map of the Nine Mountains, twenty-nine days had passed.
Tomorrow was the duel.
He looked down at little Li Zimo, who grabbed his finger with surprising strength and gurgled.
"Ye Lingxiao your funeral is tomorrow!"
══════
The day of the duel arrived.
Sunlight poured over the Soaring Cloud Arena.
It was a floating platform of white jade suspended above the sect's main peak by nine golden chains thick as ancient dragon tails.
Ten thousand disciples packed the terraces.
Villagers from the lower mountains had climbed for three days just to watch.
Usually the betting rings would be roaring.
But today the bookkeepers had closed their stalls.
"What's the point?"
One grizzled outer elder snorted.
"Betting on Ye Lingxiao is like betting the sun will rise so I see why they closed the bets. Peasant Qingmu will surely be ash before his corpse hits the ground."
High on the western dais sat the Ye Family in crimson and gold.
Patriarch Ye stroked his beard.
His eyes were half-lidded with satisfaction.
Beside him, Ye Lingxiao leaned back like a lazy prince.
On the eastern dais, the Zhen Family occupied seats of deep black and gold.
Zhen Rou sat at the very edge, spine straight, hands clasped so tightly her knuckles popped.
She had not slept.
The osmanthus cakes she baked at dawn were still warm in the box on her lap.
Between the two families, beautiful Zhen Mei sat in the place of greatest honor.
She is the top fairy maiden disciple of her sect.
A rare flower of the Eastern Reaches.
And her dao companion is Lord Fang Yulou of the Central Heartland's Fang Clan.
Fang Yulou wore moonlight robes embroidered with nine soaring azure dragons.
One flick of his sleeve could bankrupt a small sect.
At nineteen he had already formed a Heaven-Dao Golden Core, and rumor said the Imperial Family of the Sky Forefather had already reserved a place for him in the next Venerable Lord selection.
His face was so perfectly sculpted that even male disciples stole glances.
Zhen Mei slowly waved her royal fan.
Every motion was something to admire.
That is how beautiful she is!
She glanced sideways at her younger sister and smiled like an indulgent queen.
"Little Rou, why the long face? This duel is pointless. I hope you can accept Ye Lingxiao will scatter your peasant in three breaths. Why waste everyone's morning?"
Zhen Rou's cheeks puffed out.
"Elder Sister, please don't say that! Husband is strong! You used to praise him yourself at the Imperial Academy like how reliable he was, how quickly he finished all the formation homework you gave him!"
Zhen Mei gave a tinkling laugh behind her fan.
"Of course I praised him. Peasant children work hard when you crack the whip. But that doesn't make them talented in the slightest, darling. And certainly not handsome enough to deserve my good words."
Her gaze slid appreciatively toward the arena.
"Young Master Ye has both of those things but even he isn't worthy of my attention."
Zhen Mei wasn't trying to be mean or stuck-up.
She's just that kind of proud noble lady who's so used to being above everyone else that she doesn't even realize when her words come off as harsh or totally out of line.
Compared to her husband, both Ye Lingxiao and Li Qingmu are basically nobodies. They don't have the status, the wealth, or the kind of money it takes to keep up the lavish lifestyle she's accustomed to.
After all, she's the eldest daughter of a governor, so she was spoiled growing up.
Zhen Rou's ears turned red.
"Looks aren't everything… Husband is handsome!"
Zhen Mei's fan paused.
She leaned closer, voice soft as falling petals.
"Of course you think so, little piggy. You used to be quite round yourself, remember?"
She chuckled sweetly.
"We all have our tastes."
It was not meant to wound.
This is just how Zhen Mei showed her affection.
But Zhen Rou's shoulders still shrank a little.
She opened her mouth, closed it, then hugged the food box tighter.
High above in her private pavilion, Song Yan lounged sideways on a cloud couch as one jade leg dangled while a teacup balanced on her knee.
She watched with her routine elegance.
On the arena, the officiator struck the floating gong.
The sound rippled out and silenced ten thousand voices.
"This duel is sanctioned by both Patriarchs! Life and death are fated by heaven—no grudges held after!"
He turned toward the Ye tunnel.
"First to the stage—Ye Family direct disciple, holder of the Seven Star Spirit Root, Ye Lingxiao!"
The arena exploded.
"Ye-shixiong!"
"Look at that face! Truly the number one suitor!"
Ye Lingxiao stepped out as he adjusted the jade crown binding his long brown hair.
"Hmph!"
He smiled proudly.
The officiator's voice flattened with disinterest.
"Second challenger… outer disciple, Li Qingmu."
Dead silence.
Zhen Rou is the only one clapping in the silence.
Patriarch Zhen covered his face in shame.
Then someone snickered.
Laughter spread like wildfire.
"He ran!"
"Cowardly dog!"
"Drag him here by the hair!"
"Burn his courtyard! I skipped morning lessons for this peasant trash?"
Zhen Mei sighed delicately.
"See, little sister? Even your peasant is smart enough to know his place. He fled."
"He did not!"
Zhen Rou shot to her feet.
"Husband would never run! I believe in him!"
Ye Lingxiao laughed out loud.
"Believe what you want. Trash is still trash—"
His words cut off.
A commotion rippled through the northern entrance.
Disciples stumbled aside as though an invisible wind pushed them.
A man walked slowly through the parting crowd.
Tall.
White and blue robes woven from what looked like white glacier water.
Long hair, black as a moonless river, was bound in a high ponytail that swayed like silk.
A single strand fell across a face so handsome it felt unfair to the lesser disciples.
This mystery cultivator is simply too handsome!
In his left hand he carried a sheathed sword.
The aura rolling off him was quiet, but it made elders step back without knowing why.
"Who…?"
"Heaven, look at that face!"
"Which peak's handsome senior brother is this?"
"I've never seen him!"
"Those robes are definitely not mortal silk."
Even Patriarch Ye narrowed his eyes.
Patriarch Zhen leaned forward slightly.
Zhen Mei's cheeks had felt a little heat just from looking at his steady presence.
He was like a mountain.
Many female disciples like her wanted to be crushed under something like this.
Fang Yulou frowned at her.
Zhen Mei gave him a side-eye as she elegantly hid her red cheeks with her fan.
"Don't be a baby, dear~"
Song Yan's teacup paused at her lips.
"Well, well. When did my sect hide such a beautiful man? If I'd seen him first, Fenghuang Peak would have snatched him up years ago."
Only one person in the entire arena jumped to her feet with shining eyes.
"Qingmu!!"
Zhen Rou screamed, nearly dropping her food box.
"Husband!!!"
Laughter exploded again.
"Delusional!"
"That fairy maiden has lost her mind from grief!"
"No way that immortal is the peasant!"
The man in immortal robes stepped onto the arena platform without hurry.
"Outer disciple Li Qingmu pays his respects to the two Patriarchs and all seniors."
He didn't even bow his head to them.
Ten thousand jaws dropped at once.
The arena fell so silent you could hear the sound of furious and jealous Immortal Officials.