10: Chapter 10 My son Xiao Yan has the bearing of an emperor.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for upgrading your Spiritual Root to: Mortal-Level High Grade!"

"Reward: Ten years of Alchemy experience, Complete Collection of First-Tier Pill Formulas!"

"Holy shit! Ten years of Alchemy experience? First-tier Pill Formulas?"

Xiao Ye's eyes widened like copper bells, and his grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Awesome, System! From now on, I can earn Spirit Stones through Alchemy! I'll be popping Medicinal Pills like candy!"

But for now—I should finish the great task of sowing seeds first. I can't put the cart before the horse.

—

For the following period, Xiao Ye lived a heavenly, routine life.

By day, he researched Alchemy at home. By night, he strategized his ball-handling and executed Breakthroughs, practicing the "Yin-Yang Invincible Emperor Art" on Bai Susu—the name of this Cultivation Technique sounded truly domineering.

Lately, his cultivation hadn't progressed much, but his "ball skills" were getting better and better. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call himself the Allen Iverson of Green Mountain!

Every day, Susu used "facial cleanser" to wash his face and scrub his back, occasionally giving him a milk bath. He was treated better than an emperor.

Xiao Ye lay in this den of tenderness, humming comfortably like an old cat sunning itself, almost ready to roll over and show his belly.

Time also proved how badass the Yin-Yang Invincible Emperor Art was.

His Dual Cultivation with Bai Susu had incredible results—one night of Dual Cultivation was worth three days of bitter solo practice!

This efficiency was like having a cheat code, even more of a cheat than a cheat.

The only miserable one was Bai Susu. As a Mortal, she was put through the wringer every night. It became normal for her to lean against the wall while walking the next day, her legs trembling uncontrollably.

The days passed one by one.

—

Ten months passed, neither too long nor too short.

Zhang Waner was about to give birth.

That day, the entire Xiao Family was frantically busy. Maidservants and older women rushed in and out, carrying basin after basin of hot water into the room.

Inside, the midwife shouted at the top of her lungs, "Push!"

Xiao Ye stood at the door, pacing back and forth nervously, his palms drenched in sweat.

Zhang Waner's shrill screams came from inside, each one louder than the last, making his heart clench in anxiety.

It won't be a difficult labor, will it?

After all, Zhang Waner was a commoner. In this day and age, giving birth was like crossing the gates of hell; one wrong turn could cost both mother and child their lives.

Fortunately, he had recently refined a type of Medicinal Pill—the Qi and Blood Pill. As the name suggested, it was specifically for replenishing the bodies of those with depleted blood and Qi, a hundred times more effective than chicken soup.

Although this was the only one he knew how to make for now—others either lacked Materials or were too difficult to refine—something was better than nothing. Even a mosquito's leg is still meat.

"Wah—"

A loud infant's cry rang out from the room, a voice so powerful it could be heard two miles away.

The baby was born!

The midwife pushed open the door, her face beaming with a smile that layered like a blooming chrysanthemum. "Master Xiao, congratulations! It's a boy!"

"Reward her!" Xiao Ye waved his hand grandly, his voice cracking with excitement.

Li Fu stepped forward nimbly and stuffed a handful of silver into the midwife's hand.

The midwife was so happy she couldn't close her mouth, thanking him repeatedly, looking as if she wanted to kowtow eight times to Xiao Ye.

Just then—

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The System's notification sounds exploded in his head like a machine gun, crackling incessantly.

[Congratulations to the host for branching out and producing your first offspring! Reward: Lifespan +10 years! 100 Low-Grade Spirit Stones! 1 Low Grade Spiritual Artifact—chrysanthemum spear!]

[Detected that this child possesses a Fire-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a child with a Heavenly Spiritual Root! Reward: "Taihuang Flame Emperor Art"!]

The string of System notifications left Xiao Ye completely stunned on the spot.

He froze there, his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time, completely motionless.

Holy shit!

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!

The rewards for having a child are actually this much? It's way more than taking a concubine! Taking a concubine only gave a Spiritual Root upgrade, but having a child directly gives lifespan, Spirit Stones, a Spiritual Artifact, and a Cultivation Technique! This value for money is just ridiculous!

And—his son actually has a Fire-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root?!

Xiao Ye looked down at his own Mortal-Level High Grade Spiritual Root, then looked up at his newborn son in the delivery room, suddenly feeling that the heavens had finally opened their eyes—no, they had opened a sunroof.

Me, with a Mortal Spiritual Root, actually fathered a son with a Heavenly Spiritual Root?

Is this the legendary genetic mutation? Or is smoke finally rising from the Xiao Family's ancestral graves?

I really am too powerful!

And that Spiritual Artifact—the chrysanthemum spear. Though the name is a bit weird, like a joke, it's still a Spiritual Artifact! I just don't know if this spear is for stabbing people or stabbing... forget it, I won't think about it.

And the "Taihuang Flame Emperor Art." Just hearing the name, it's clearly not simple. A Cultivation Technique that dares to be called the "Flame Emperor Art," could it be some roadside junk? No, it must be top-tier stuff.

Xiao Ye took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the delivery room.

Zhang Waner lay on the bed, her face pale and drenched in sweat as if she'd been pulled out of water, but her spirits were alright.

The Health-Nurturing Pills Xiao Ye had refined came in handy; after taking a few, her blood and Qi stabilized.

"Waner," Xiao Ye sat by the bedside and took her hand, his tone unusually tender. "You've worked hard."

Zhang Waner gave a weak, faint smile. She looked at the son in the swaddling clothes beside her. "Master, please give our son a name."

Xiao Ye looked at that wrinkled little face, which looked like a little old man's, and a flash of inspiration struck him.

Fire-attribute Heavenly Spiritual Root.

The System rewarded him with the "Taihuang Flame Emperor Art."

This child is destined to walk a path of burning—burning whoever he meets, burning until he has no rival under heaven.

"Let's call him—Xiao Yan!"

Xiao Ye decided firmly, his voice resonating with authority.

My son Xiao Yan has the potential of a Great Emperor!

Zhang Waner repeated it twice and nodded. "Xiao Yan... a good name."

She looked at her son's wrinkled little face and suddenly felt that the name really did seem to have a powerful Aura.

Outside the window, the sun was setting, and the sunset clouds burned red across half the sky.

It was like some kind of omen.

If someone who understood celestial phenomena saw this, they would know—

This was the sign of a calamitous star being born, an omen of chaos descending upon the world!

Of course, Xiao Ye didn't know any of this.