149: Chapter 149 Willow Goddess Preparing for Pregnancy

In the days that followed, life in the Undying Mountain quietly underwent a change.

Nannan was pregnant.

This news enveloped the entire Undying Mountain in a subtle joy.

Upon hearing this, the Ancient Kirin Emperor was stunned for a long moment, then laughed heartily and said "Good" three times.

The ancient tea tree of enlightenment also seemed to sense something; the Dao rhythm it shed was even richer than usual, and the entire courtyard was filled with an aura of peace.

But the biggest change was in Chu Tianjiao's daily routine.

He still traveled back and forth between the two women every day, but the balance had clearly tipped.

He no longer needed to accompany Nannan day and night as he had before.

After all, she was already pregnant, and in the days to come, she only needed to rest peacefully and wait for that little life to slowly grow.

Chu Tianjiao would visit her every day, chat with her, talk to her about the Dao, and occasionally place his hand on her lower abdomen to feel those faint, rhythmic thumps.

But he spent more of his time with the Willow Deity.

The Willow Deity had not yet conceived.

This was something that surprised Chu Tianjiao. He had assumed that with the Willow Deity's cultivation as an Immortal King Titan, and her deep foundation in the Dao of Life, she should have been easier to conceive than Nannan.

But the reality was exactly the opposite.

Three months had passed, and there was still no movement in the Willow Deity's belly.

The Willow Deity herself was not in a hurry.

"It is not so easy for an Immortal King to have a child,"

she said softly that night, leaning in Chu Tianjiao's arms.

"Especially with our level of cultivation. As a Peak Immortal King and an Immortal King Titan, our Origins are too powerful. To conceive a brand-new life requires the right time, place, and people, countless attempts, and a wait of long, long years."

She paused and looked up at Chu Tianjiao.

"Are you in a hurry?"

Chu Tianjiao shook his head.

"No."

He said softly.

"There is still plenty of time."

The Willow Deity smiled and buried her face back in his chest.

"That is good."

She whispered.

"We will take our time."

From that day on, the two of them worked even harder.

Saying "worked hard" might not be quite accurate—it was a natural way of being together. During the day, they discussed the Dao and shared their insights on cultivation. The Willow Deity had lived for endless years, and her understanding of the Dao of Life was far beyond Chu Tianjiao's; every word she spoke could bring him new realizations.

At night, they would return to their room.

The Willow Deity was different from Nannan. Nannan was passionate, eager to pour all her eighty thousand years of longing into every union. The Willow Deity was gentle, composed, and carried a calmness that came after experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

But beneath that calmness lay equally fiery emotions.

She wanted a child.

She wanted a child that belonged to her and Chu Tianjiao.

Not for "just in case," not to "leave behind a Bloodline," but simply—because she wanted one.

She wanted a little life flowing with his and her blood.

She wanted a little one who would call her "Mother."

She wanted an existence that would give her something to look forward to in the long years ahead.

So she was not hurried, nor was she restless.

She simply stayed with him day after day, enjoying this rare warmth.

Besides working on having a child with the Willow Deity, Chu Tianjiao had one more thing to do.

Taking care of Nannan.

Although she was already an Immortal King, and her body was stronger than anyone else's, pregnancy was still a major event. Chu Tianjiao would set aside time every day to accompany her, tell her about prenatal knowledge, teach her how to nourish her body, and how to let that little life grow healthily.

Nannan listened very attentively.

She sat on the bed, leaning in his arms, listening to him explain the principles of the Dao regarding the conception of life. Sometimes, while listening, she would fall asleep with a faint smile on her face.

Chu Tianjiao would not wake her, but just hold her gently, letting her sleep peacefully.

Sometimes, she would suddenly wake up and grab his hand.

"Teacher."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think our child will be a boy or a girl?"

Chu Tianjiao thought for a moment.

"I don't know. Do you want a boy or a girl?"

Nannan tilted her head and thought about it.

"A girl, I think."

She said softly.

"A girl who looks like Teacher would surely be very pretty."

Chu Tianjiao smiled.

"A boy who looks like you would also be good-looking."

Nannan blushed and buried her face in his chest.

"Teacher is so good at saying sweet things..."

Chu Tianjiao smiled and patted her head.

The two of them talked like this, and time passed bit by bit.

Besides working with the Willow Deity and accompanying Nannan during her pregnancy, Chu Tianjiao had one more thing to do.

Keep an eye on Ye Fan.

That youth had already left the Lingxu Cave-Heaven.

Three months ago, Ye Fan had reached the Dao Palace Realm. With his Aptitude and Heart-Nature, the small pond of the Lingxu Cave-Heaven could no longer contain him. He needed a broader world, more tempering, and to hone his Dao through life-and-death battles.

So, he left.

Chu Tianjiao stood beneath the ancient tea tree of enlightenment, watching the youth's figure through the Void.

Ye Fan was dressed in simple cloth clothes, carrying an old, tattered bundle, walking alone on the land of the Eastern Wasteland. Beside him floated a small flag the size of a palm.

That flag was a miniature version of the human emperor banner.

It had been sent by the void mirror.

Ye Fan did not know the Origin of the flag, only that it was very magical. Every time he encountered danger, the flag would automatically grow larger, scattering golden light rain to help him resolve the crisis. He had tried to make the flag speak, but it never made a sound, only silently following him and protecting him.

Ye Fan liked this flag very much.

He gave it a name, calling it "Xiao Jin."

When Chu Tianjiao saw this name, he almost laughed out loud.

Xiao Jin.

The dignified human emperor banner, called Xiao Jin by him.

The flag seemed quite speechless as well; every time Ye Fan called it "Xiao Jin," it would tremble slightly as if in protest.

But it never left.

Because it knew who this youth was.

Chu Tianjiao looked at Ye Fan's back, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

In that smile, there was gratification, expectation, and a hint of indescribable tenderness.

"Go."

He said softly.

"Go and carve out your own world."

Ye Fan's first stop was the Ji Family.

There were two reasons for choosing the Ji Family.

The first reason was Ji Ziyue.

He had never forgotten that eccentric young girl. Back at the Tomb of the Azure Emperor, she had been restrained by him and stomped her feet in anger. Later, when she left, she had turned back and shouted at him: "Ye Fan, I have remembered you! Next time we meet, it won't be so easy for you to run away!"

Ye Fan had always remembered those words.

It wasn't because he liked her—though she was indeed quite cute—but because he wanted to know how that girl was doing now.

The second reason was the mirror.

During his year in the Lingxu Cave-Heaven, by reading ancient books and inquiring for information, Ye Fan had gained quite a bit of understanding about the major factions of the Eastern Wasteland.

The Ji Family was one of the oldest clans in the Eastern Wasteland.

Its ancestor was the Void Emperor.

That Great Emperor's imperial weapon of the extreme dao was a mirror.

The void mirror.

When Ye Fan saw this information, a thought surged in his heart—could the mirror that sent him Source Stones, Storage Pouches, and the flag be the void mirror?

But he also felt it was unlikely.

The void mirror was an imperial weapon of the extreme dao, an existence that suppressed an entire era. How could a weapon of that level help a small Cultivator like him time and again?

Moreover, he had seen the void mirror with his own eyes outside the Tomb of the Azure Emperor.

At that time, Ji Haoyue had summoned the void mirror to clash with Yan Ruyu's chaotic azure lotus. That imperial might, that sense of oppression, remained vivid in his memory to this day. That mirror felt completely different from the one in his hand that silently sent him things.

One was domineering and sharp, the other gentle and silent.

Could they really be the same thing?

Ye Fan was unsure.

So he had to go to the Ji Family and see.

If he could enter the Ji Family, perhaps he might find some clues.