168: Chapter 168 The Man is Back

"Holy crap! Four more?!"

Xu Changsheng's exclamation, which completely lacked the dignity of a Great Emperor, was like a clap of thunder that instantly spread throughout the entire Xu Family Imperial Palace.

The surrounding elders, who had originally looked solemn and prepared to welcome the Young Master's return, nearly lost their footing upon hearing those words.

"F-four... four?"

The First Elder's hands trembled as he stroked his beard, a brilliance never seen before erupting in his old eyes.

"The Heavens bless the Xu Family! The Heavens are truly blessing the Xu Family!"

In an instant, the entire upper echelon of the Xu Family was in an uproar.

One must understand that for an Ancient Imperial Clan that had been passed down for countless eons, their greatest worry wasn't resources or cultivation techniques, but offspring! The stronger the bloodline, the more difficult it was to conceive a child.

For generations, the Xu Family had only a single heir. By Xu Chen's generation, he was the sole descendant, and Xu Changsheng had worried himself until his hair turned white.

As it turned out, things couldn't be better.

Xu Chen had gone out once and it was as if he had raided the nest of the Goddess of Childbearing. Not only did he bring back two top-tier wives, but he also came with four bonus kids!

How was this just the Young Master coming home? This was clearly the sounding of the horn for the Xu Family's revival!

"Hahaha! Good son! You've really made your old man proud!"

Xu Changsheng laughed heartily as he soared into the Nine Heavens, completely ignoring Xu Chen, who was still standing on the deck trying to strike a cool pose. With a flash, he arrived in front of Liu Hanyan and Xiao Yu.

"These must be my daughters-in-law, right? Oh my, this appearance, this figure, and the little rascals in your bellies... perfect! Simply perfect!"

Where was Xu Changsheng's majesty as a Great Emperor now? He looked exactly like an old man drooling over his grandchildren.

"Greetings... Father."

Liu Hanyan and Xiao Yu were a bit flustered by this sudden enthusiasm, but they still blushed and gave a polite salute.

"No need for such formalities! We're all one family, why be so polite!"

Ji Wushuang also walked over. Although she wasn't as undignified as Xu Changsheng, her beautiful eyes were also sparkling with light. She took the two women's hands, looked them up and down, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Not bad, Chener's taste this time is indeed excellent."

"You must be exhausted from the journey, right? Come, follow Mother back. I've prepared some spiritual meals to nourish the pregnancies."

Saying that, Ji Wushuang directly ignored her son standing nearby and pulled her two new daughters-in-law toward the Imperial Palace.

Xu Chen, left to the side: "..."

He knew it.

In this family, as long as there were grandchildren, he, the son, was as disposable as a free gift with a phone top-up.

"Ahem, Dad, Mom."

Xu Chen coughed dryly twice, trying to assert his presence.

"Did you guys forget something? I still have serious business here."

Hearing this, Ji Wushuang, who was about to take her daughters-in-law to chat about family matters, paused. The smile on her face faded slightly. She turned her head to look at Xu Chen, her eyes becoming somewhat complex and solemn.

"Are you talking about... that girl Liuli?"

Xu Chen nodded, his playful grin vanishing, replaced by a look of solemnity.

"I've refined the pill."

"What is Liuli's current situation?"

At the mention of Jiang Liuli, the originally festive atmosphere instantly became somewhat oppressive.

Xu Changsheng sighed and walked over to pat Xu Chen's shoulder.

"The situation isn't good."

"Over the past half-month, the rate at which the vitality in her body is fading has accelerated. Although the Hongmeng Origin you left behind is keeping her hanging on, and your mother and I take turns infusing spiritual power, it's still just a drop in the bucket."

"Especially those two children... they have Chaos Bloodlines, which are far too overbearing. They are unconsciously draining the mother's origin to grow."

Xu Changsheng shook his head, his tone heavy.

"If you had returned even three days later, I'm afraid..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but Xu Chen already understood.

Three days.

That was the final deadline.

Xu Chen's heart sank abruptly, a suffocating sense of urgency instantly flooding his mind.

"I understand."

He took a deep breath, his gaze turning toward the depths of the Imperial Palace to the "Yangxin Hall," which was shrouded in multiple layers of formations.

"Dad, Mom, I'll leave Hanyan and Xiao Yu in your care."

"I'm going to save Liuli now."

After saying that, he didn't even have time to explain further to the two women. His body blurred, transforming into a golden streak of light that instantly charged toward that great hall.

"Husband..."

Liu Hanyan and Xiao Yu watched Xu Chen's anxious departing figure, their hearts also tightening.

Although they hadn't met Jiang Liuli yet, they had heard Xu Chen mention her countless times along the way and knew she was someone extremely important to him.

"Don't worry. Now that Chener is back, there will definitely be a way."

Ji Wushuang gently patted the backs of the two women's hands, comforting them softly.

"Come, let's not cause trouble here. Let's go see the other sisters first."

...

Yangxin Hall.

This was the place with the densest spiritual energy in the Xu Family. Eighty-one Spirit Gathering Formations were arranged around it, and there were even several Imperial Weapons suppressing the formation cores, all just to lock in a sliver of vitality for the person inside the hall.

The moment Xu Chen stepped through the hall doors, a thick scent of medicinal herbs greeted him.

In the center of the hall, on a bed made of Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade.

A frail figure was lying there quietly.

Jiang Liuli.

The once peerless and incomparably wise Jiang Family Divine Maiden was now as pale as a sheet of paper. Her originally beautiful face had thinned considerably, and her breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible, as if a single gust of wind could blow it out.

But even so, her hands were still tightly shielding her high, rounded abdomen.

It was an instinct.

A maternal instinct that drove her to protect her children even if it meant her own death.

"Liuli..."

Xu Chen walked to the bedside. Seeing this scene, his eyes instantly turned red.

He reached out with a trembling hand and grasped that small hand, which was so cold it lacked any warmth.

She seemed to sense a familiar aura.

Jiang Liuli's tightly closed eyes and eyelashes trembled slightly, and then she struggled to open them a crack.

When she saw the figure she had been longing for day and night appearing before her, an astonishing light instantly erupted in her originally vacant pupils.

"Hus... husband..."

Her voice was hoarse and weak, yet it carried endless attachment and surprise.

"You... you're back..."

"It's me, I'm back."

Xu Chen held her hand tightly, pressing his face against her palm, his voice somewhat choked.

"I'm sorry, I came back late."

"I've let you suffer."

"It wasn't hard..."

Jiang Liuli struggled to curl the corners of her mouth, revealing a heartbreaking smile. She wanted to reach up and touch Xu Chen's face, only to find she didn't even have the strength to lift her hand.

"Husband... am I... not going to make it..."

"Don't be afraid, the children... the children are still fine... you must save the children..."

Even at this moment, she wasn't thinking of herself, but of the children in her belly.

"Silly girl, what nonsense are you saying!"

Xu Chen abruptly raised his head, a golden light blazing in his eyes—it was a look of incomparable conviction.

"With me here, even king yama wouldn't dare take you!"

"The children will be saved, and you will live!"

"My, Xu Chen's, wife and children—not a single one can be missing!"

Having said that, he no longer hesitated and directly took out the jade box covered in sealing talismans from the system space.

Snap!

The seal was undone.

The Nine Revolutions Replenishing Heaven Pill, radiating nine-colored divine light, slowly floated up.

In an instant, the entire Yangxin Hall was filled with vitality so dense it was palpable. Under the nourishment of the pill's fragrance, the potted spiritual plants that were about to wither suddenly sprouted new branches and bloomed into brilliant flowers.

"Is this... the Nine Revolutions Replenishing Heaven Pill?"

Looking at the pill, Jiang Liuli's depleted body actually surged with a sliver of longing.

"Open your mouth."

Xu Chen gently brought the pill to her lips.

"Eat it, and everything will be alright."

Jiang Liuli obediently opened her small mouth, allowing the pill to transform into a warm current that slid down her throat.

Boom—!!!

As the medicinal power entered her body, a majestic and vast wave of life energy instantly exploded within her.