550: Chapter 550 System Prompt

Aunt Xu choked back a sob, raising her hand to gently stroke her still-flat abdomen once more. Her fingertips trembled slightly, moving with extreme care as if afraid of disturbing the tiny life within.

There, a small life connected to Situ Jun's Bloodline was quietly hidden—a gift she had never dared to dream of in this lifetime.

"Husband..."

Her eyes were misty with tears as she slowly looked up at him. Her gaze was filled with uncontrollable fear and a sense of inferiority, her voice thick with weeping.

"I am of humble birth and at such an age... If I carry your child and word gets out... will it cause people to gossip? Will it tarnish your reputation?"

Situ Jun lowered his head and tenderly kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, his expression stern and serious.

"How could my own flesh and blood be called a 'tarnish'? You are someone I care for, and the child in your womb is my, Situ Jun's, Bloodline. Whoever dares to utter a single word or whisper the slightest criticism is an enemy of Situ Jun and an enemy of the entire Beijiang City."

"From now on, the child in your womb will be the most precious Bloodline in Beijiang. No one in the manor, nor in the entire Beijiang City, will dare to show the slightest neglect, and no one shall cause you the least bit of grievance."

He had originally planned to leave Beijiang City and this continent shortly, as the opening of the Ascension Realm was imminent.

Yet he never expected that in these final days of companionship, another Bloodline bond would appear—a connection he could not easily let go of.

At this moment, he felt a touch of tender warmth added to the heavy burden on his shoulders.

Looking at the value, doting, and certainty in his eyes, all of Aunt Xu's anxiety, inferiority, and fear vanished like snow meeting the warm sun.

She leaned gently into his embrace, one hand tightly encircling his waist while the other carefully protected her abdomen. The tear tracks on her face gradually dried, and a smile of extreme tenderness slowly bloomed.

"Husband, do not worry. I will take good care of myself and our child, and give birth to them safely."

"Thank you, Aunt Xu."

Situ Jun tightly held her hand that was protecting her abdomen. A deep sense of heartache and pity flashed in his eyes, and his tone carried an unmistakable regret.

"It's just that... the Ascension Realm is about to open, and time is short. I'm afraid I won't be able to wait until our child is born safely to see them enter this world with my own eyes."

The room fell silent for a moment. Only the sunlight remained warm, spilling through the window lattice onto the two of them, as an aura of stability mixed with a hint of melancholy filled the air.

Leaning in Situ Jun's arms and feeling his steady heartbeat, Aunt Xu felt a sense of clarity and peace.

In the past, her love for Situ Jun was full of admiration, a resolute following, and a total entrustment of her being.

Now, this love was bolstered by the bond of shared blood, growing deeper into her very bones, something she could never again let go of.

Situ Jun lowered his head, first placing a tender kiss on her forehead with a heart full of pity, then gently leaning down to kiss her still-flat abdomen. His movements were devout and gentle, as if making a tender farewell and promise to the unborn child.

Ever since her pregnancy was confirmed, Aunt Xu's entire demeanor had softened significantly. The cautiousness ingrained in her bones due to her humble background and past experiences gradually faded, replaced by a soft maternal glow in her eyes.

And Situ Jun's affection for her had completely transformed from simple protective pity into a cherished concern that was etched into his very blood and soul...

In the East Courtyard study.

Situ Jun sat alone behind the desk, his brow furrowed deeply. His fingertips lightly tapped the tabletop, his expression carrying a faint, undetectable sense of confusion and unease.

A major event like Aunt Xu's pregnancy should have been directly reported by the System after three days, even if he had hidden the notification settings. Yet, Aunt Xu had been pregnant for so long, and the System had never directly delivered the news to him from start to finish. This was truly too abnormal.

After leaving Aunt Xu's room, the doubt in his heart refused to dissipate. He immediately went to the study, focused his mind, and carefully examined the System within his consciousness.

Since he had hidden the System's information notifications earlier, he rarely checked it actively, only occasionally paying attention when taking in a new Dao Companion.

Now, he calmed his mind to scroll through the dense System logs in his head. After searching for a long while, he finally found the reason for the delayed prompts as lines of System text clearly appeared:

[Ding! This continent is about to connect with a higher-level plane. As the world's Luck shifts, the Heavenly Fortune System will completely cease to function at that time.]

[Ding! The System has detected that the Host's Cultivation far exceeds the continent's carrying capacity. You are about to be rejected by this continent, and the Host's novice protection period will dissipate. All basic functions of the Luck System will be converted into the Host's own Cultivation Divine Abilities. All System benefits will be fully integrated into the Host's Divine Soul, transforming into the Host's top-tier Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Array Formation, Beast Taming, and various other Cultivation skills. This will take effect immediately upon leaving the continent.]

[Ding! The Host's own Cultivation, Cultivation Technique, Physique, and Lifebound Treasure will not be affected, and your full strength will be retained.]

[Ding! The System reminds the Host that before the Heavenly Fortune System disappears, the Host may use all remaining heavenly luck value.]

[Ding! The System informs the Host that the loyalty of all personnel who have consumed a servitude pill will not change; they will remain loyal to the Host for life. All Dao Companions recorded by the System with a favorability of 80 or higher will remain faithful and true to the Host.]

[Ding! The System reminds the Host once again to use the heavenly luck value as soon as possible to avoid wasting the gifts of this continent.]

[...]

Looking at these clear prompts, Situ Jun first felt a flash of melancholy—after all, the System had accompanied him for a long time—but this was soon followed by a sense of reassurance.

Ultimately, the System was a product of the virtual world from his past life, manifested by the Luck of this world as a gift from the Heavenly Dao.

Now that the System's support was fading completely, he actually felt more at ease. This proved that the world he was in was real and not an illusion, and everything he possessed was something he had fought for himself.

His consciousness brushed over the fading System interface in his mind one last time. Situ Jun sighed softly, the doubt and unease in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a clear resolve.

The disappearance of the System was not a loss for him, but rather a form of liberation.

Those skills that relied on the gifts of Luck had all been transformed into imprints on his own Divine Soul. From now on, he was no longer a Host bound by a System, but a true Cultivator who held the universe and his own destiny in his hands.

He raised his hand to stroke the jade tablet on the desk, which was engraved with the topographical map of Beijiang's mountains and rivers. His fingertips brushed over passes and cities, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

This land he had guarded for several years, the people he had protected, and the loved ones in the manor had all become the ties he was most reluctant to leave behind.

As the day the Ascension Realm would open drew nearer, the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth had already begun to stir quietly. Occasionally, Nascent Soul Cultivators who had broken their Seals would streak across the Beijiang border. Everything served as a reminder that his time remaining in Beijiang was short.

He became busier than ever. During the day, he presided over the City Lord's Manor, handling Beijiang's military and civil affairs. He arranged the border defenses, city security, and grain reserves one by one, ensuring that even after he left, Beijiang would remain stable and safe.

At night, he would occasionally stay by Aunt Xu's side, personally regulating her body by slowly channeling his pure and gentle spiritual energy into her to nourish the weak little life in her womb. He also sought out rare Spirit Medicine for pregnancy, brewing it himself and never leaving her side.

However, he spent more time improving the Cultivation Aptitude of his Dao Companions whose Cultivation was low or whose Spiritual Roots had not reached High Grade, such as Cherry, Mei Shuang, Lan Yanliu, Qiu Lan, Hong Mei, Jiang Qingwan, and Jiang Yumei.

These women were either former maids or concubines from ordinary families with no Foundation in Cultivation. It was only after following him and being gifted by the Dragon-Phoenix Grand Derivation True Scripture that they entered the path of Cultivation. Their Cultivation and Foundations were quite poor, so with his departure imminent, he had to exert some effort to help them progress further.

Since learning of her pregnancy and hearing Situ Jun's honest words about the Ascension Realm, Aunt Xu felt the bitterness of parting, but no longer felt any fear.

She still managed the manor's affairs but no longer did everything personally, instead offering gentle instructions. She spent the rest of her time sitting in the courtyard, soaking in the warm sun and gently stroking her abdomen. Occasionally, she would visit the East Courtyard and West Courtyard to play with the three little ones in their swaddling clothes. The tenderness in her eyes could warm the entire courtyard.

Situ Qingyin remained quiet; when the wet nurse held her near Aunt Xu, she would always open her watery eyes and stare fixedly at her, her small mouth opening and closing slightly. Situ Xingyu was as lively as ever, her small arms always waving toward Aunt Xu while making babbling sounds. Only Situ Pingan continued to just eat and sleep; only when Aunt Xu gently touched his little cheek would he smack his lips and roll over to continue his deep, adorable slumber.