NOVEL NEXT Chapter 239: One Year
Chapter 239: One Year
The ancestral land of the Divine Clan
Xu Lian suddenly appeared.
Even someone as powerful as the Goddess of Nine Heavens couldn’t enter the Divine Clan’s ancestral land without permission, but Xu Lian could come and go as he pleased. This was because the divine bone he wore on his head originally belonged to a supreme powerhouse of the Divine Clan. Of course, the restrictions of the Divine Clan’s ancestral land wouldn’t repel him.
“I’m back,” Xu Lian announced.
However, the women only glanced at him before continuing to focus on their cultivation.
“…” This reaction annoyed Xu Lian. Had they become too arrogant, or did they think that he no longer had the strength to “mount his horse”?
Without a sound, he left an afterimage behind and appeared in front of the fiery Pei Zhaoxi.
Xu Lian scooped her up in his arms and strode toward the wooden cabin. He had decided that she would be the first to bear his second child.
Pei Zhaoxi swung her delicate fists, pounding his chest in frustration. “Husband, you always pick on me!”
Xu Lian whispered, “Because Zhaoxi is my treasure. You’re my favorite.”
Pei Zhaoxi’s anger melted away, and she willingly gave in to his desires.
Several hours later…
Xu Lian emerged from the wooden hut and took out a purple jade token to send a message. “O, I’m back.”
The voice of the Goddess of Time came through the token. “I know.”
Xu Lian said, “I have found enough Void God Flowers for the Divine Source Realm. You can take back the Divine Bone.”
The Goddess of Time replied, “Keep it with you for now. If I need it, I can retrieve it from anywhere, no matter the distance”.
Alright… Xu Lian didn’t push any further. Once he advanced beyond the Divine Source Realm and reached the Return to Void Realm, he would still need to venture out to find cultivation resources. The Divine Bone of the Divine Clan’s supreme powerhouse would still be useful.
He remembered something. “O, let’s harvest all the Heavenly Serpent Grass from the old well in Green Bamboo Town.”
There were hundreds of Heavenly Serpent Grass plants in that well. If they could harvest them all, it should be enough to exchange for the resources needed to reach the Return to Void Realm, allowing him to break through to the Return to Truth Realm!
Once he reached the Return to Truth Realm, he would be considered a formidable figure, rivaling the older generation of powerhouses.
At that point, with his vast magical power, he could soar through the skies, dive into the earth, and traverse the void. How exciting would that be?
Even if some powerhouses coveted the divine laws within him and tried to capture him, it wouldn’t be so easy!
The Goddess of Time said, “We can’t harvest them.”
“Why not?” Xu Lian was shocked. This was unbelievable. With her near-Supreme cultivation and mastery of the laws of time, O was almost as powerful as a true Supreme. How could she not break the restrictions in that old well?
The Heavenly Serpent had escaped from the well after reaching the Return to the Void Realm. This showed that the restrictions in the Well weren’t that strong!
Back then, his cultivation level was too low, so he had been awestruck by the well’s power. But now, looking back, the restrictions and demonic entities in the Well were nothing special… right?
He was already in the Divine Source Realm, just one major realm away from Return to Void. Once he reached Return to Void, he felt that he could break the restrictions himself. How could O not do it?
The Goddess of Time explained, “It’s not as easy as you think. I once used my White Fox Earth Flesh avatar to inspect the restrictions in the old well. They are an ancient type of restriction from the Primordial Era, a rare growth-type restriction.
The Heavenly Serpent was able to leave at the Return to Void Realm because the Restrictions hadn’t grown to their current level. Now, after countless years, the restrictions in the Old Well have reached an extremely powerful level. Even a Supreme would find it difficult to break through,”
Xu Lian gasped. He hadn’t expected the restrictions to have a growth type. The Primordial Era was indeed a time when countless top-tier powers rose, and the wisdom of the ancient sages was truly terrifying.
He frowned. “In that case, the Crazy Demon… that demonic entity in the old well, must be far beyond the Return to Void Realm, right?”
The Goddess of Time said, “Countless years have passed from the Primordial Era to now. The demonic entity in the well has been alive all this time, growing within the growth-type restrictions. Its cultivation must be incredibly profound.”
Xu Lian felt a chill run down his spine. It seemed best not to release the “Crazy Demon”. What if it clung to him like a lovesick fool? What would he do then?
The Goddess of Time added, “There is one more thing. The Heavenly Serpent that escaped from the well is still alive.”
Xu Lian was puzzled. “Why do you say that?”
The Goddess of Time explained, “The Heavenly Serpent Grass has a unique property. When the Heavenly Serpent dies, the grass will gradually wither. The Heavenly Serpent Grass in the well is thriving, which means that the Heavenly Serpent is still alive.
Moreover, the quality of the Heavenly Serpent Grass in the well is exceptionally high, far superior to ordinary Heavenly Serpent Grass. This suggests that not only is the Heavenly Serpent alive, but its cultivation has also reached an extremely high level – probably at least at the Supreme Realm, and possibly even further along the path to immortality than ordinary Supremes.”
Xu Lian felt his mouth go dry. Compared to the Heavenly Serpent, the old Supreme of the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands was like a “junior”. The old Supreme was nearing the end of his life, while the Heavenly Serpent from the Primordial Era was still alive and well, hidden somewhere, watching over the world… Perhaps this was what a true powerhouse looked like.
The Goddess of Time said, “The Heavenly Serpent can sense the Heavenly Serpent Grass that grows from its aura. It might be watching you right now…”
“O! Don’t scare me like that,” Xu Lian shivered. O could be quite mischievous sometimes. He would have to make sure that she bore him more children in the future.
“The old Supreme said that the current environment of the world is strange, and the Supremes of the great forces seem to be affected. The Heavenly Serpent must also be affected, right?”
The Goddess of Time replied, “It’s hard to say. The Heavenly Serpent is an ancient demon from the Primordial Era. It’s unclear whether it’s affected by the current strange environment. However, judging by the thriving growth and high quality of the Heavenly Serpent Grass, even if the Heavenly Serpent is affected, it shouldn’t be by much.”
Xu Lian understood.
He knew what to do now…
He walked over to Lin Bufeng and asked with a warm smile, “Bufeng, how has your cultivation progressed lately?”
Lin Bufeng replied, “Under the guidance of the elders form the painting , my progress has been rapid. They say I’m now comparable to the average talented disciple of a great power.”
Xu Lian patted his shoulder. “I brought you to this excellent cultivation place. Don’t you think you should thank me?”
Lin Bufeng was taken aback, but he quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude. “Ever since Brother Xu took me in as the manager of the mine, I’ve thought of you as my own brother. You’ve also taken good care of my family, making sure we never lacked for food or supplies. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I have already decided to follow you for the rest of my life…”
Seeing him stumble over his words, Qin Liu chuckled and added, “Swear loyalty, brave all dangers, and never hesitate!”
Lin Bufeng blushed and repeated, “Swear loyalty, brave all dangers, and never hesitate.”
Xu Lian nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Let’s swear brotherhood by cutting off a chicken’s head and burning yellow paper.”
Lin Bufeng was stunned and panicked. “Brother Xu, did I do something wrong?”
“…” Xu Lian was speechless for a moment, then sighed sincerely. “I grew up as an orphan, alone and struggling. I’ve always wanted a sibling. When I see you, I feel like I’ve found a younger brother. If you’re unwilling, then forget it.”
Lin Bufeng immediately said, “I am willing!”
Xu Lian smiled triumphantly. He searched the ancestral land of the Divine Clan, but he couldn’t find a chicken or yellow paper.
So he plunged into the void, crossing space to reach the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land. There, he bought some yellow paper and caught one of the sacred land’s ornamental roosters.
The steward in charge of the ornamental animals opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Xu Lian returned to the Divine Clan’s ancestral land and immediately began the brotherhood ceremony with Lin Bufeng.
“Count me in!” Qin Liu said with a grin.
Fang Shaoze also shamelessly joined in. Xu Lian couldn’t help but notice how much he had changed from the naive young boy he once was.
Thus, the four of them cut off the chicken’s head, burned the yellow paper, and swore brotherhood.
To Xu Lian’s dismay, Qin Liu, being the oldest, became the eldest brother, while Xu Lian was relegated to second brother.
Fang Shaoze was third.
Lin Bufeng was fourth.
“Second brother isn’t bad. Twenty-one points isn’t a bad hand,” Xu Lian consoled himself.
Over the next few months, Xu Lian stayed in the Divine Clan’s ancestral land, working hard to expand his family.
With her fertile constitution, Pei Zhaoxi was the first to become pregnant again. “Husband, this time I’ll definitely give you a chubby son!”
Xu Lian’s face darkened. “How many times have I told you? Sons and daughters are the same to me. There’s no difference.”
Jing Se and Liu Yixuan followed closely behind, also becoming pregnant.
Then came Lin Wan and the others, almost in the same order as the first round of pregnancies.
Afterwards, he went to the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land and, after some effort, managed to get Dou Qianxue and Tao Qian pregnant as well.
Most importantly, this time, Huo Xin’er and Jiang Yunyan also became pregnant. No matter how powerful their bloodlines were, Xu Lian still felt a sense of pride. As long as he worked hard enough, he could succeed.
According to the elder in the painting, this was related to Xu Lian’s cultivation. As his cultivation improved, his bloodline had been refined, making it more compatible with the bloodlines of the Huo Clan and the Jiang family, thus increasing the chances of conception.
This made Xu Lian a little worried. “If my cultivation continues to improve and my bloodline continues to refine, won’t Zhaoxi and the others fall behind?”
The elder in the painting said, “In theory, yes. But they are also improving, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
How could he not worry?
Xu Lian decided to plan ahead. His descendants were not only the continuation of his bloodline, but also crucial to his progression points. He couldn’t afford to be careless.
After some thought, he came up with a plan.
He could temporarily halt his own progress in cultivation.
After all, he was safe in the ancestral land of the Divine Clan, and his current cultivation level wasn’t urgently needed.
Once Zhaoxi and the others had borne enough children, and he had accumulated enough progression points, then he could rapidly advance his own cultivation.
“Keep quiet until the time is right, then astonish the world…”
Xu Lian understood the importance of long-term planning.
For the sake of future glory, a temporary period of obscurity was worth it.
Thus he settled into a quiet life in the ancestral land of the Divine Clan, spending his days with his wives and children.
Watching the children take their first steps, babble their first words, and grow up filled him with a sense of fulfillment he had never experienced before. Of course, the time he had spent in Green Bamboo Town had also been wonderful.
Several months later, Ni Xi and Xue Ningxiang gave birth, earning Xu Lian two more progression points.
Some time after that, Xu Lian calculated that Xiao Mei and the others were due soon, so he went to Stone Town to accompany Xiao Mei through her delivery, earning another progression point.
This time, he was determined. He brought Xiao Mei and her family back to the Divine Clan’s ancestral land.
Initially, Xiao Mei and her family were terrified of the outside world, but once they arrived at the Ancestral Land and experienced its beauty and tranquility, they were happy to stay.
As the saying goes, everyone succumbs to the truth… Xu Lian then hurried to the Jiang family of Taizhou Prefecture, accompanying Jiang Xianyu through her delivery and earning another progression point.
He brought Jiang Xianyu and her child back to the ancestral land. A family should be together.
Next, he went to the capital of the Yin Dynasty to accompany Yang Chan’er and Tantai Youxuan through their deliveries.
To his delight, he earned three progression points this time, as Tantai Youxuan gave birth to twins – a boy and a girl, as adorable as porcelain dolls.
The Yin Dynasty royal family claimed that the children carried royal blood and insisted on raising them themselves. Xu Lian didn’t object. As a princess of the Yin Dynasty, Tantai Youxuan couldn’t leave with him, so it was best for the children to stay with her.
He brought Yang Chan’er and her child back to the ancestral land.
Finally, he decided to bring Wang Cuiyun, the matriarch of the Wang family from Pingyang County, along with the Pei, Lin and Zhao families to the ancestral land, reuniting the entire family.
Wang Cuiyun was overjoyed to see so many children. While eating a piece of spirit beast meat, she said, “It’s a pity that Xiya isn’t here. It would be perfect if the whole family were together.
Xu Lian had already used his energy to help her strengthen her body. “Sister Xiya has been cultivating in the Yin Dynasty capital for over three years. She should be coming out soon. When she does, I’ll bring her here.”
Some time later, the Nine Heavenly Sacred Lands were about to hold the competition for the Nine Heavenly Holy Sons and Holy Maidens.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Realm: Divine Source Realm, Third Stage]
[Skills: Nine Elements Escape Technique, Four Symbols Battle Tactics, Great Desolate Dragon Grasping Technique, Sacred Spirit Record (Complete Immortal Technique), Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volumes 1-3)…]
[Items: Skull (Immortal Bone), Sword of Destruction (Not Equipped)]
[Note: You currently have 7 progression points, ready to be used.]
Xu Lian checked his status panel and pondered.
A year had passed. He wondered what level the holy sons of the other eight sacred lands had reached.
He was at the third stage of the Divine Source Realm, and with the boost from the Sacred Spirit Record, his combat power was equivalent to the fifth stage. That should be enough for now. To make it easier for him to have more children in the future, he wasn’t in a hurry to use his progression points to advance.
If he found himself outmatched during the competition with the Holy Sons of the other sacred lands, he could always “advance on the spot” by using his progression points.
He would play it by ear.
“Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land.”
With a thought, Xu Lian plunged into the void, crossing space in an instant to appear at the entrance of the Heavenly Mystic Sacred Land.
Having the Divine Bone of a Divine Clan powerhouse was incredibly convenient. He could go wherever he wanted without needing O to transport him.