20: Chapter 20: Early Settlement of Rewards

[Detected stable Fetal Breath prototype.]

When this line of text appeared, Li Qingfeng almost stopped breathing.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on Su Qingyue's hand, then immediately loosened it, fearing that his strength might startle her.

Su Qingyue looked up at him, her face slightly pale, but her moist eyes were shining brightly.

She was wearing a light cyan soft dress today, her waist slender, long hair draped over her shoulders, and her cheeks flushed from nervousness, looking both gentle and endearing.

"Qingfeng..." she asked softly, "Is it real?"

Li Qingfeng suppressed the excitement in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Don't rush yet, I'll check again."

He raised his hand and pressed it against her back, slowly circulating the Azure Wood Rejuvenation Art.

The pale cyan Spiritual Qi flowed through her Meridians for a cycle; it didn't rush or clash, but merely gently protected her blood and Qi.

Su Qingyue was very cooperative, sitting on the edge of the couch without moving, her hands gathered in front of her lower abdomen, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Li Qingfeng's Vitality Perception sank into her body, quickly capturing that wisp of newborn aura.

It was very faint.

That strand of Life Qi was hidden below the Dantian, like a newly sprouted bud; it was so weak that one had to be careful even touching it, yet it truly existed.

Li Qingfeng's heart burned.

It was real.

His and Su Qingyue's first child had arrived.

The System panel lit up again.

[Confirmation: Dao Companion Su Qingyue has conceived an offspring.]

[Fetal Breath quality initial assessment: Spirit Grade High.]

[Source of influence: Maternal Water-Wood Dual Spiritual Roots, Host Wood-Water Affinity Spiritual Root, Elementary pregnancy buff, Spirit Field nourishing environment.]

[Deduction: The offspring has a high probability of inheriting Wood-Water affinity type Spiritual Roots, and a small probability of manifesting Spiritual Plant Affinity talent.]

[Hint: Fetal Breath is newly formed; it is necessary to stabilize the mother's emotions, reduce drastic fluctuations in Spiritual Qi, and maintain a gentle Spiritual Qi environment.]

After reading this, Li Qingfeng felt incredibly satisfied.

Spirit Grade High!

This was only the initial assessment.

Su Qingyue's Aptitude was not bad, and he had now firmly established himself at Qi Refining Stage 7. Coupled with the System's buffs and the nourishing environment of the experimental Spirit Field, this child's starting point was already far higher than that of ordinary Cultivators.

But he didn't shout it out on the spot.

The better the news, the more steady one must be.

The Zhao Family was watching the Li Family, and the Qingyun Sect was also conducting evaluations; there were too many eyes outside.

Now that the Fetal Breath had just formed, if word got out, Su Qingyue would become a weak point that others would most want to exploit.

Seeing that he hadn't spoken for a long while, Su Qingyue gently tugged at his sleeve, "Don't just stare, tell me, how is it?"

Li Qingfeng sat beside her, held her slender hand, and spoke in a very slow tone.

"It's true."

Su Qingyue's body stiffened.

The next instant, her eyes turned red.

She looked down at her lower abdomen, her palm resting gently upon it, her movements so careful that Li Qingfeng's heart softened.

"It's really true..."

Her voice was very soft, filled with both joy and panic.

Li Qingfeng pulled her into his embrace, comforting her, "It is true. But it's still early, so we cannot make it public. You are not allowed to force yourself to set up Formations these next few days, nor should you stand in the Spirit Field for long. I will keep an eye on the experimental Spirit Field."

Su Qingyue leaned against his chest and said softly, "But the Qingyun Branch meeting is coming soon, and you still need to prepare the Spirit Field data."

"Data is important, but the child is more important, and you are even more important."

Li Qingfeng said it very decisively.

Su Qingyue's cheeks flushed slightly; she looked up at him, her eyes so soft they could melt a person.

"Then shall we keep it a secret for now?"

"Yes," Li Qingfeng nodded, "Just tell the Grand Elder that you need to nourish your body. Before the Fetal Breath stabilizes, we won't tell anyone else."

A System notification popped up immediately after.

[Host has made a prudent protective choice.]

[Reward settled early.]

[One: Cultivation level increased to the middle stage of Qi Refining Stage 7.]

[Two: Pregnancy buff upgraded to Intermediate.]

[Three: Obtained low-grade Family Luck reward: Fetal Protection Spirit Spring Well blueprint.]

[Description: The Fetal Protection Spirit Spring Well can gather gentle Water-Wood Spiritual Qi, stabilize the inner residence's Spiritual Qi, nourish the mother's Meridians, and reduce the risk of Fetal Breath fluctuations. Long-term use can slightly improve the offspring's Innate Aptitude.]

[Note: The blueprint must be deployed in combination with the Spirit Field nourishing Formation, and the external manifestation can be disguised as a common nourishing Spirit Spring Formation.]

Boom.

A warm and thick Spiritual Qi spread out in Li Qingfeng's Dantian.

This improvement wasn't violent, but it was solid.

The bottleneck from the early stage to the middle stage of Qi Refining Stage 7 was pushed open bit by bit by the System reward, and his Meridians were steadily filled with Wood-Water Spiritual Qi.

Li Qingfeng quickly restrained his aura, not letting any disturbance leak out.

Su Qingyue noticed the change in his Spiritual Qi and asked in surprise, "You've broken through again?"

Li Qingfeng laughed in a low voice, "The child is promising; they've started helping their father before even being born."

Su Qingyue's face turned even redder at his words, and she coquettishly chided, "Who talks about their child like that?"

She chided him with her words, but her hand remained pressed against her lower abdomen, her eyes full of tenderness.

Looking at her like this, Li Qingfeng suddenly felt extremely at ease.

In the past, he wanted to become stronger to avoid being controlled by others.

Now, he wanted to become stronger so that this woman and child could stay safely behind him.

That night, Li Qingfeng went to see the Grand Elder.

He didn't mention the pregnancy, but simply cupped his hands and said, "Elder, Qingyue has been unwell lately and needs to rest quietly. I would like to request a batch of nourishing Spirit Medicine and also adjust the Spiritual Qi of the New Courtyard to be more stable."

The Grand Elder looked at him twice without asking further questions.

"You have just rendered meritorious service to the Family and are preparing for the Qingyun Branch meeting; the Family can afford these resources."

He turned to instruct the deacon, "Take one portion of nourishing Spirit Medicine, and send two reliable female attendants to the New Courtyard to help, but do not disturb Su Qingyue's rest."

Li Qingfeng felt a warmth in his heart and bowed earnestly, "Many thanks, Elder."

The Grand Elder said slowly, "Qingfeng, the Li Family values you, and we also value Qingyue. As long as you two focus on your work, the Family will not treat you unfairly."

These words were not flowery, but they were sincere.

Li Qingfeng understood that the protection the Family was giving him now was something he had fought for step by step. As long as he continued to let the Li Family see his value, this layer of protection would only grow thicker.

After returning to the New Courtyard, Su Qingyue had already looked through the Fetal Protection Spirit Spring Well blueprint.

She sat under the lamp, her light cyan skirt clinging to her long legs, her waist slender and captivating. As she lowered her head to carefully study the rune patterns, a few strands of hair fell beside her face, looking both gentle and alluring.

"This approach is very clever," she said softly, "It doesn't force the Spiritual Qi, but just lets the Water-Wood Qi slowly settle down; it's suitable for internal courtyard recuperation."

Li Qingfeng laughed, "Then we shall say it's a supplementary improvement to the Spirit Field nourishing Formation."

Su Qingyue looked up at him, "You've become increasingly smooth at deceiving people."

"This is called protecting one's own trump card."

The two looked at each other and both laughed.

Throughout the rest of the night, they didn't make too much commotion, only digging out a shallow well foundation in the corner of the New Courtyard.

Li Qingfeng carved the main Formation runes, while Su Qingyue was only responsible for guiding the flow of Water Qi. If she got slightly tired, Li Qingfeng would immediately help her back to the edge of the couch to sit down.

By the time dawn was breaking, the Spirit Spring Formation was complete.

A faint mist of water rose from the mouth of the well, and the Spiritual Qi in the courtyard became much gentler, feeling smooth when breathed into the lungs.

Su Qingyue leaned in Li Qingfeng's arms and said softly, "Like this, he will be more comfortable, right?"

Li Qingfeng looked down at her lower abdomen, his tone steady, "He will."

Outside the New Courtyard, in the shadows of a corner wall, a scout in gray clothes watched the flow of Water-Wood Spiritual Qi from afar, his expression changing.

"There really is a new Formation in Li Qingfeng's courtyard..."

He dared not approach and turned to retreat.

Three days later, the Qingyun Branch meeting was approaching.

The Grand Elder personally came to the New Courtyard, his gaze sweeping over Li Qingfeng, and said in a deep voice, "If you are ready, come with me."

Li Qingfeng nodded.

Before leaving, the Grand Elder lowered his voice.

"The Zhao Family has been too quiet these few days; I fear they will not let us pass the evaluation smoothly."