Chapter 460: Borrowing a Seed to Bear a Child

Chapter 460: Borrowing a Seed to Bear a Child

March 31, 2025 - Author: Jiang Shangjing

At the WaterMoon Sword Palace, in the Heavenly Pool, the sun gradually rose higher, and the guests gathered, growing in number. Female disciples of the Sword Palace served as maids, bustling about, offering fruits, fine wines, and other delicacies.

Jiang Ning sat quietly beside Zhao Yu Long, sipping a small cup of wine. At this moment, his attention was focused on the surrounding guests, all engaged in lively conversations.

Among these dozens of people were extraordinary individuals, including several Masters. The information he gathered from their discussions was invaluable. Not to mention, there were even a few tables where Masters sat, sharing and debating their martial arts.

After listening attentively for a while, Jiang Ning felt he had gained a lot. He began to understand why so many people had come to this so-called Master's Banquet.

Normally, how could so many powerful martial artists gather to exchange and discuss their skills? It was like trying to create a vehicle without ever seeing one; achievements would be hard to come by.

Even for Masters, each with their own unique path, there were often personal confusions and doubts. They needed to interact with others of the same level, sharing and discussing their insights. As the saying goes, those involved might be lost, but outsiders could see clearly. A single word of advice from someone else could instantly break through the fog of confusion. Perhaps this was the true purpose of the Master's Banquet.

Jiang Ning quietly observed and listened for a while longer, reaching this conclusion. In his opinion, this was precisely why, even before the Master's Banquet officially began, most of the guests had already arrived.

Xiao Qiushui hadn't made an appearance yet, and it wasn't necessarily due to arrogance or overconfidence. The early exchanges before the banquet were the real essence of the event. Now was the main course, and the upcoming Master's Banquet was merely the closing ceremony.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Jiang Ning continued to listen attentively.

Soon, Zhao Yu Long also stood up and joined a group of people engaged in lively discussions. The seat next to him was now occupied only by Ye Zhengqi, while the Five Peaks Inspector, Zhong Yue, had already left his seat and was sitting next to the old beggar, deep in conversation.

Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Jiang Ning. He turned to see Zhong Ling, whom he had met the day before. She was Zhong Yue's great-great-granddaughter.

"Hello!" Zhong Ling greeted him with a bright smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

"Hello!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"My name is Zhong Ling!" Zhong Ling looked into Jiang Ning's eyes, and her face turned slightly red.

She remembered the words her great-grandfather had said the day before, and she couldn't help but secretly clench the corners of her clothes, giving herself encouragement.

Zhong Ling, believe in yourself! You can do it!!

"My name is Jiang Ning!" Jiang Ning smiled faintly.

For some reason, he felt a very comfortable aura from this girl. Could this be the special constitution that Ye Fu Shi had mentioned? The thought crossed his mind.

"Jiang Ning, your talent is truly amazing! It's almost blinding to my eyes!" Zhong Ling looked up at Jiang Ning, and her eyes quickly glistened with tears.

At this moment, Jiang Ning became intrigued.

"Zhong Ling, can you directly see everyone's cultivation talent?" he asked.

"Basically, yes!" Zhong Ling nodded and explained, "But I need to be closer and observe carefully, expending a certain amount of spiritual energy, to discern it."

Jiang Ning's eyes widened in surprise at her words. The information he gathered from Zhong Ling seemed to contradict what he had seen with his Heavenly Eye. He couldn't help but take a closer look at Zhong Ling's forehead. Apart from her fair skin, there was nothing unusual about her.

"In terms of talent, Zhong Ling, can you see even higher existences?"

"No!" Zhong Ling shook her head, her face turning red. "Jiang Ning's cultivation talent is the most exaggerated I've ever seen! Below Jiang Ning, the only other person I've seen is like the rising sun at dawn."

"That person is also very powerful, rumored to be on the Hidden Dragon List's Sky Ranking."

Jiang Ning understood.

"Zhong Ling, what exactly is your talent?" he asked, voicing his curiosity.

Ever since he had learned about Zhong Ling's special constitution from Ye Zhengqi the day before, he had been curious. He had never heard of such a special constitution before.

Now that Zhong Ling had taken the initiative to approach him, he seized the opportunity to ask about his doubts.

"It's a very special talent!" Zhong Ling's face turned even redder as she spoke. "My great-grandfather told me that if someone with a special constitution like mine bears a child with a person of high cultivation talent, there's a high probability that the child will inherit both my constitution and exceptional cultivation talent."

"The higher the cultivation talent, the greater the chances of inheriting the parents' abilities."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning was taken aback.

"Oh..."

His mouth slightly agape, he suddenly understood Zhong Ling's intention in sitting next to him.

Is he coming to vaccinate me? He couldn't help but look towards the direction of Zhong Yue.

Instantly, he noticed that Zhong Yue was also looking in his direction.

Zhong Yue smiled at Jiang Ning's gaze.

Jiang Ning: "..."

He understood completely.

It was clearly that Five Peaks Inspector, Zhong Yue, who had sent his great-great-granddaughter over, leaving him speechless.

He turned to look at Zhong Ling.

"Zhong Ling, do you have someone you like?"

Upon hearing these words, Zhong Ling shook her head, "No!"

"That's it!" Jiang Ning said, "Don't listen to the nonsense of your great-grandfather. Having a child is something you should do with the person you love, with the person you choose to spend your life with."

"Think about it, you're only sixteen, and you have decades ahead of you. It's a journey of several decades."

"You've lived several times your current age."

"This is one of the most important things in life."

"When you have a choice, don't make decisions lightly, especially since you're a girl."

Zhong Ling looked up at Jiang Ning as she listened to his words.

"I can feel that Jiang Ning brother is sincerely considering me."

Jiang Ning said, "I don't want you, such a pure person, to choose the wrong path in life! I also sense that you're very kind!"

After saying this, Jiang Ning instinctively reached out his hand.

His hand was halfway extended when he paused in mid-air and then retracted it.

He realized that his action was inappropriate.

Seeing this, Zhong Ling smiled, her eyes like crescent moons.

She reached out and grabbed Jiang Ning's hand, then placed it on her head.

"You're a good person, and I sense no ill intent towards me!"

Feeling the warmth of Zhong Ling's hair, Jiang Ning smiled and ruffled her hair.

"You're a very pure and innocent girl."

"If you have any troubles in the future, you can come find me in Dongling City!"

Zhong Ling nodded heavily.

"Okay!"

Her eyes narrowed.

In the quietness...

Jiang Ning suddenly realized that he couldn't sense Zhong Ling's breath, even though she was less than three feet away from him.

At this moment, Zhong Ling seemed to completely disappear from his sight.

She had merged into the surrounding environment.

A glint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

What a mysterious constitution!

He thought to himself.

He also recalled the conversation he had just had with Zhong Ling.

Having a child with someone with an exceptional Cultivation Talent increases the likelihood of inheriting the talents of both parents, and the higher the Cultivation Talent, the higher the probability of inheritance.

In his mind, he also thought of Lin Qingshan.

Lin Qingshan, the Princess Consort of Qi.

The Prince of Qi married her, but due to his long-term illness, he had never touched her.

According to the information previously revealed by Zhao Yu Long,

The Princess Consort of Qi married Lin Qingshan also because of the old prince's intention.

Lin Qingshan was also the target of the old prince.

Recalling the words Zhao Yu Long had shared and his understanding of Lin Qingshan, numerous thoughts emerged in Jiang Ning's mind.

Just then, a commotion arose at the banquet.

"It's Palace Master Xiao!"

"Palace Master Xiao has arrived!"

"Palace Master Xiao is indeed an unparalleled genius! So young, yet already a Heavenly Human Grandmaster!"

"Yes! I believe that in a few decades, our Dongling County will undoubtedly gain another Second-Rank Divine Realm Grandmaster."

"That's for sure! After all, Palace Master Xiao is Dongling County's top talent in the past decade! Upon reaching the Third Grade, she became a Heavenly Human Grandmaster, and the probability of her achieving the Second-Rank Divine Realm in the future is at least eighty percent."

"..."

Hearing the voices of the crowd at the banquet,

Jiang Ning also looked towards the entrance of the banquet.

He saw Xiao Qiushui, dressed in white palace attire, with cloud patterns embroidered using silver-white silk threads.

Behind Xiao Qiushui, Xiao Emei followed, holding a bright silver longsword and wearing a blue dress.

At this moment, Xiao Emei noticed Jiang Ning's gaze.

She immediately looked over.

Her eyes were filled with overwhelming emotions.

Xiao Qiushui's words to her earlier left her mind in turmoil.

There's a problem!!

As Jiang Ning saw Xiao Emei's gaze, his eyes narrowed.

The next moment,

His attention was once again drawn to the commotion behind Xiao Qiushui.

He saw Li Sishang, dressed in a Taoist robe, walking slowly from the air.

Each step he took seemed as if he was stepping on solid ground.

The most eye-catching were the two young men and women following Li Sishang, both with extraordinary appearances and elegant auras, resembling celestial beings.

"It's Li Sishang!"

"Li Sishang from Duxian Gate!"

"What an exaggerated control over the power of heaven and earth! Has he taken another step forward?"

"You guessed it right, brother! It's said that Li Sishang has taken the most crucial step and has now joined the ranks of the Second-Rank Divine Realm Grandmasters!"

"Divine Realm Grandmaster!!!"

The crowd couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment.

A Second-Rank Divine Realm Grandmaster was an extraordinary existence, not just in Dongling County, but even in Guangning Prefecture among the thirty-six prefectures of the Nine Provinces.

In the world, those who have reached the pinnacle of martial arts rarely make their moves.

Divine Realm Grandmasters are the absolute top tier.

"Two Divine Realms, no wonder it's DuXian Gate!" someone exclaimed in awe.

"Indeed! The foundation of DuXian Gate is truly formidable!"

". ."

As the crowd marveled, Li Sishang, followed by his two disciples, slowly approached the entrance of the banquet.

"Palace Master Xiao, I hope I'm not too late!" Li Sishang smiled.

Looking at Li Sishang, Xiao Qiushui's expression became somewhat complex.

Just now, she had a conversation with Li Sishang.

To put it bluntly, Li Sishang intended to push her forward, to challenge the imperial court of Daxia and the tiger whiskers of the Inspection Office.

This was partly because DuXian Gate had produced two top-notch masters in the Divine Realm in the small Guangning Prefecture.

It was also because Xiao Qiushui was a suitable candidate.

As the Grand Inspector of Dongling County, Jiang Ning naturally had a conflicting relationship with her.

After considering Li Sishang's intention, she agreed after a moment's thought.

This aligned with her own intentions.

Moreover, she couldn't directly oppose the suggestion of Li Sishang from DuXian Gate.

"It's perfect timing that you've arrived, Li Men Zhu!" Xiao Qiushui said.

"As long as I didn't miss the timing!" Li Sishang smiled faintly.

"Let's go in together, Li Men Zhu! It's time to start the banquet!" Xiao Qiushui invited.

"I shall obey!" Li Sishang replied.

As Li Sishang and Xiao Qiushui entered the banquet together, the atmosphere instantly became much quieter.

"Everyone, don't be restrained. The Grandmaster's Banquet is the perfect place for us to exchange insights and experiences in martial arts. Without these gatherings, we Grandmasters are like dragons, rarely seen and even harder to gather together."

Li Sishang said this with a smile as he took his seat.

"Well said, Li Men Zhu!" someone stood up first, holding a wine cup.

Then, scanning the crowd, he continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's raise our cups to Li Men Zhu and Palace Master Xiao! We congratulate them on their progress in the martial path."

Seeing the crowd standing and toasting, Li Sishang said, "You're too kind! Although I've entered the Divine Realm, I've merely taken the first step!"

"The path of martial arts is like climbing a thousand-foot peak. Whether you're fast or slow doesn't matter; reaching the summit is the true victory."

"I believe that someone here will eventually surpass me and go further on the path of martial arts."

"Here, I also wish everyone prosperity in their martial journey!"

As his words fell, Li Sishang raised his wine cup.

"Let's drink together!"

"Together!" someone raised their cup high.

Seeing this, Ye Zhengqi remained calm, showing no reaction.

Zhong Yue, Jiang Ning, Zhao Yu Long, and the others did the same.

As official representatives, they couldn't possibly cater to Li Sishang at this moment.

"Old Zhong, what's your take on this?" Ye Zhengqi asked, holding a small wine cup in his hand.

"Li Sishang has shown a bit of his prowess. I think DuXian Gate may no longer choose to remain low-key now that he's entered the Second-Rank Divine Realm," Zhong Yue said calmly.

Their conversation wasn't loud, but they didn't try to hide it either.

For a powerful figure like Li Sishang, it was easy to capture the information of their conversation in a noisy environment.

As he put down his wine cup, he glanced at Ye Zhengqi and Zhong Yue.

Then, he slowly sat down.

At this moment, Xiao Qiushui's face turned slightly cold, her eyes frosty.

"Palace Master Xiao, this cup is for you. I wish you'll soon reach the pinnacle of martial arts!" Li Sishang stood up, holding his wine cup, and toasted Xiao Qiushui from a distance.

Seeing this, Xiao Qiushui's expression softened.

"You're too kind, Li Men Zhu!" Xiao Qiushui said calmly.

Then, seeing Li Sishang drink it in one go, she also drank the wine in her cup in one gulp.

"I'd also like to toast Palace Master Xiao. Thank you for your hospitality these past few days, allowing this old beggar to eat and sleep well!" The beggar with the unkempt appearance stood up and laughed.

"I'd like to toast Palace Master Xiao."

"I, Xiao Teng, would like to toast Palace Master Xiao."

". ."

As the banquet began, the attendees also raised their wine cups to toast Palace Master Xiao.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end