545: Chapter 546 Auspicious Clouds Envelop the Forbidden City, the Birth of a Prodigy is Celebrated by All Nations

Inside the Forbidden City, outside Kunning Palace.

Lu Chen stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth on the Danbi platform paved with white marble. He wore a bright yellow Imperial Dragon Robe, the nine golden dragons embroidered upon it seeming to come alive, moving with his steps and faintly exuding a pressure that could change the very heavens and earth.

Even though he was now a powerhouse just a step away from the Mahayana Stage, and could change the world or reshape the stars with a wave of his hand, at this moment, he was merely an anxious husband waiting outside a delivery room, a father about to welcome a new life.

"Taichu, how are the vital signs inside?"

Lu Chen asked in his mind for the thirty-sixth time.

"Master, Her Majesty the Empress's vital signs are stable; her heart rate and blood pressure are within the optimal range. The fetus is in the perfect position, and the life energy index is... soaring exponentially."

Taichu No. 1's voice remained calm, but the word "soaring" caused Lu Chen's heart to skip a beat.

"Soaring?" Lu Chen frowned slightly. "In what way?"

"It has exceeded the energy threshold of the Foundation Establishment Stage of existing cultivators in Great Ming... it is approaching the Golden Core Stage... Warning! The energy field is triggering local spatial resonance; an atmospheric anomaly is about to occur."

Before the voice had even finished speaking.

It was originally a gloomy winter afternoon, with lead-gray clouds hanging low, as if it might snow at any moment.

However, in that very instant.

"Ang—!!!"

A vast, ancient, and supremely noble dragon roar erupted over the entire capital without warning!

This sound did not travel through the air; instead, it boomed directly within the depths of everyone's Soul, carrying an urge that made people want to prostrate themselves in worship.

Immediately following that, in the eastern horizon, the originally dark clouds were suddenly scattered by a vast and peerless purple Qi!

That purple Qi was grand and majestic, stretching for thirty thousand miles like a purple heavenly river pouring in from the shores of the East Sea, instantly enveloping the sky above the Forbidden City.

Purple Qi coming from the East!

This was the omen of a Saint descending into the world!

But that wasn't enough.

Within that sky full of purple Qi, clouds churned and golden light suddenly appeared.

Countless commoners, officials, soldiers, and even the foreign envoys shivering in the Huitong Hall looked up in absolute horror, witnessing a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

In the sea of purple Qi and clouds, a massive phantom a thousand zhang tall slowly condensed into shape.

Antlers of a deer, head of a dragon, eyes of a lion, back of a tiger, waist of a bear, scales of a snake, hooves of a horse, and tail of an ox!

This was not a true Dragon, but the legendary benevolent beast—the Qilin!

This Qilin phantom, condensed from pure Luck and the Laws of Heaven and Earth, was covered in burning purple-gold flames. Treading on auspicious clouds, it perched majestically directly above Kunning Palace.

It lowered its noble head, its eyes—which seemed to contain the sun and moon—gazing tenderly at the palace below, letting out joyful low cries.

"An auspicious omen! This is a monumental auspicious omen!"

Outside the Forbidden City, Grand Secretary Yang Xiao trembled with excitement. Ignoring the cold ground, he knelt directly and performed the three prostrations and nine kowtows toward the palace.

"The Qilin descends from heaven, and purple Qi comes from the east! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Great Ming!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

In an instant, the entire capital and its million citizens knelt as one, their cheers like a mountain tsunami that scattered the cold clouds across the sky.

Meanwhile, inside the Huitong Hall.

Envoys from England, France, and the Holy Roman Empire were huddled together, their faces ashen with fear, shaking like sieves.

"My God! What is that? Is it Satan's mount?" Through a crack in the window, the English envoy Jackson watched the sky-blotting Qilin phantom, his teeth chattering.

"No... that is a Divine Beast of the East..." A Venetian merchant nearby, who knew a bit about Eastern legends, was already kneeling on the ground making the sign of the cross. "Is this the foundation of Great Ming? To summon such a monster just by having a child?"

"Terrifying... this country is favored by gods and demons..." The French envoy closed his eyes in despair. "How could we ever defeat such an Empire? Even if our God himself came, he would probably have to offer a cigarette to this Emperor, wouldn't he?"

Their so-called "civilization" and the chivalry they took pride in were as laughable as monkeys who hadn't yet learned to play with fire in the face of this magnificent heavenly might.

Inside Kunning Palace.

Ma Xiuying was drenched in sweat. Although she was supported by Spring of Life and Spirit Pills, reducing the pain of childbirth to a minimum, the vast Innate energy surging through her body still caused her waves of distending pain.

"Your Majesty, push! I see the head! I see the head!" the midwife shouted in pleasant surprise. "Oh my, this little prince has light coming from his head!"

"Wah—!!!"

With a loud cry, the sound echoed through the palace.

The Qilin phantom perched in the sky suddenly turned into a streak of light and dove down, piercing through layers of palace halls to merge into the body of the newborn infant.

"Boom!"

A visible purple-gold ripple spread out in all directions with Kunning Palace as the center.

Wherever the ripple passed, withered trees met spring and a hundred flowers bloomed.

In the Imperial Garden, the plum blossoms that had already withered instantly bloomed with the most vibrant colors; in the ponds, the sleeping koi leapt out of the water as if paying homage to their new master.

The entire Forbidden City transformed from harsh winter to warm spring in an instant!

"It's a birth! It's a birth!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Felicitations, Your Majesty! It's a healthy baby boy! It's a Qilin Son!"

The midwife ran out stumbling, holding an infant wrapped in a bright yellow swaddling cloth, her face beaming with joy.

Lu Chen took a deep breath. The hand that had once crushed stars and slain fire demons was now actually trembling slightly.

He stepped forward quickly and took the tiny life from the midwife's hands.

It felt heavy in his arms—not just the weight, but the throbbing connection of shared blood.

Lu Chen looked down.

The infant in his arms was not wrinkled and blood-stained like ordinary newborns.

On the contrary, the child's skin was translucent like jade, emitting a faint glow. A pair of large, dark eyes were wide open, curiously observing Lu Chen.

In those eyes, there was no trace of newborn ignorance; instead, they held an indescribable cleverness and... majesty?

"Good boy..."

Looking at the faint purple Qilin mark on the child's forehead, Lu Chen couldn't help but grin, smiling like a child who had received the most precious toy in the world.

"My son is indeed extraordinary!"

"Taichu, is the scan finished?" Lu Chen asked in his mind.

"Scan complete." Taichu's voice seemed to carry a hint of wonder. "Congratulations, Master. The Prince's genetic perfection is... 100%."

Listening to Taichu's report, the smile in Lu Chen's eyes grew even deeper.

"Pass down my decree!"

"Today, I have been blessed with a son; grant a general amnesty to the world!"

"The whole country is tax-exempt for one year! Let the entire world celebrate!"

"Long live Your Majesty! May the Prince live for a thousand years!"

The cheers shook the clouds once more.