“Yes.” Yi Xiao nodded, her eyes carrying a look of anticipation. “Regardless, according to what you said, one will definitely have children once that mystic art is cast.”
“Yes, definitely. It was specifically described in the mystic art. It can’t be wrong.” Qin Yun nodded.
“It looks like our child will be born in the West Sea Dragon Palace.” Yi Xiao laughed.
Qin Yun looked around. There were several buildings just hundreds of feet beyond the Dragon Pool.
“Your Majesty.” Qin Yun looked at the distant West Sea Dragon King who had accompanied them and asked, “No one is currently staying in these residences, right?”
West Sea Dragon King walked over and smiled as he looked at the buildings. He said with a nod, “They are empty. Whenever we have newborn dragons, they are placed in the Dragon Pool for a hundred days. During this period, adult dragons will stay here to take care of the newborn dragons.”
Qin Yun nodded. “Xiaoxiao, just by staying here, you should be able to absorb the Dragon Pool’s energy. There’s no need for you to be constantly inside the Dragon Pool.”
“That is true.” Yi Xiao nodded gently.
…
The couple chatted for a long while until it was finally time to part.
“Your Majesty, can I really only come next month?” asked Qin Yun.
“Sword Immortal Qin, this is sacred ground to my Dragon race,” said West Sea Dragon King with a nod. “There are many places of such importance, like the Dragon Pool, Dragon Woods, and Dragon Tomb. It is rare for most adult dragons to enter these places even a few times in their lives. It was only because permission was given by Patriarch and Elder Ao Qiong, as well as the important matter of Yi Xiao having a blood awakening, that we made an exception, permitting you to enter once a month. Each visit can be at most two hours, and every entry requires a dragon Elder to accompany you.”
“Alright.” Qin Yun nodded.
“Besides, Yi Xiao can still communicate with you,” said West Sea Dragon King with a smile. “Sword Immortal Qin, there’s no hurry. Even if Yi Xiao were to awaken in one go to the third Firmament True Dragon realm, it would only take ten years.”
Ten years was not a very long time to a Connate Golden Core cultivator with a five-hundred-year lifespan.
It was even shorter for the Dragon race, who had even longer lifespans.
Mortal dragons had very long lifespans. As for True Dragon realm Elders, their lifespans were even more ridiculous.
“Alright.” Qin Yun nodded.
“Xiaoxiao, I’ll be leaving now,” said Qin Yun. “If there’s anything you need, send me a message.”
“Alright.” Yi Xiao nodded. “Remember to visit me every month.”
“Definitely.” Qin Yun nodded with a smile.
Following that, West Sea Dragon King personally walked Qin Yun out.
The forbidden ground was also guarded by dragons.
“In the future, Sword Immortal Qin will be coming here once every month.” Dragon King instructed the two guards.
“Yes,” answered the two dragons immediately. They watched as Dragon King and Qin Yun left.
“A human like him is actually allowed to enter our West Sea Dragon Palace’s forbidden ground once a month?” The two guards could not help but grumble.
“That’s right. Even us from the Dragon race require the Dragon King’s and Elder Ao Qiong’s permission for entry.”
“Furthermore, His Majesty is so polite with him? Isn’t he just a mortal human?”
The two discussed how they found things somewhat unfair.
A gray-robed dragon Elder walked out.
“Shut up,” rebuked the gray-robed Elder.
“Elder.” The two guards were shocked.
“Sword Immortal Qin’s strength is in no way inferior to Elder Ao Qiong’s. Most importantly, he has cultivated for less than fifty years. Think about what realm he could reach in the remaining years of his five-hundred-year lifespan?” The gray-robed Elder scoffed. The two guards were shuddering in fear. Was the mortal sword immortal that terrifying?
“So remember, never slight him,” said the gray-robed Elder.
******
Although the couple had to be temporarily separated, they did not mind it too much.
Cultivators would typically enter seclusion for months, even years.
Now, they could still meet every month and communicate at any time. There was nothing to be worried about. Furthermore, Yi Xiao would reach the True Dragon realm after her bloodline awakening. Qin Yun felt happy for his wife. It meant that she could have eternal life! Eternal life was the aim of countless cultivators. As a core disciple of the Divine Firmament Chapter, Yi Xiao had excellent talent and had reached the Connate Golden Core realm at a young age.
But by simply cultivating, according to her cultivation speed, the chances of her condensing an Essence Soul were just too low.
Now, with her bloodline awakening, she could enter straight into the True Dragon realm. There was even a sliver of chance of her awakening to become a Skydragon!
“Xiaoxiao has stepped onto the path of immortality. I shouldn’t slack off either. I must create an Essence Soul Dharmic formulation for the sword immortal lineage.” Qin Yun began focusing on cultivation during the days that followed.
His wife would have an eternal life once she stepped into the True Dragon realm.
As for him, he would be reduced to dust after five hundred years?
Qin Yun naturally found it unacceptable. He wanted to proceed down the path of cultivation with his wife. Furthermore, he wanted to visit the two worlds he had been to during his dream of a hundred years. Most of all, he looked forward to meeting his son Meng Huan one day.
“There’s no hurry in condensing an Essence Soul.”
“The higher one’s realm is, the higher the chances of creating a Dharmic formulation are.”
A beard lathered is half shaved.
“I still have a long life ahead of me. I’ll focus on cultivating for the next three hundred years. The higher my realm, the better. Furthermore, I’ll begin making preparations during these three hundred years. I’ll seek out various Essence Soul Dharmic formulation from various factions. Once I have fully prepared, I can attempt to create my Essence Soul Dharmic formulation in three hundred years.” Qin Yun drew up his plans.
…
In the following days, Qin Yun either studied the stone wall palm arts or the Green Leaf Flying Sword. The Green Leaf Flying Sword was a transcendent-grade flying sword that Qin Yun bought from Ancestral Master Zhang. From it, he could sense Sword Immortal Green Leaf’s Sword Dao! Of course, he had another purpose for it. It could be left in Qin Manor as a guardian flying sword.
With Qin Yun’s strength, he could still command the flying sword to attack enemies within fifteen thousand kilometers!
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Qin Yun sat cross-legged by the side of the mirror lake.
Two flying swords were flying above the mirror lake like twittering birds that were pursuing each other. One was like the hazy rain and the other was a stream of light that resembled a green leaf.
“Sword Immortal Green Leaf’s realm should have been similar to mine,” marveled Qin Yun. “His Sword Dao was also truly unique.”
“Legend has it that Sword Immortal Green Leaf enjoyed alcohol. He was a sword immortal that indulged in alcohol, making his Sword Dao even more unrestrained and adherent to his intent.”
“As for my Sword Dao, it has formed a Heaven and Earth of its own. It pursues perfection and seeks to contain everything.”
The two of them pursued different things.
Sword Immortal Green Leaf pursued that instantaneous moment of unbridlement! Therefore, his Sword Dao was unique and independent. It gave off the vibe of being an unconventional gambit, like a sword that moved with a side stroke.
However, Qin Yun pursued perfection. His Sword Dao formed a Heaven and Earth that contained everything. Everything of Heaven, Earth, Man was contained! He pursued the pinnacle of Sword Dao.
“Truly amazing,” mumbled Qin Yun. “This level of whimsy is something my Sword Dao lacks.”
An idea flashed in Qin Yun’s head.
“Yes, a world in a grain of sand.”
“If a world can become a piece of sand, my Sword Dao that forms a Heaven and Earth can also transform into an unrestrained beam for an instant.”
Qin Yun’s eyes lit up.
Sword Immortal Green Leaf’s complete lack of restraint gave Qin Yun many ideas.
He began contemplating and inferring…
…
Qin Yun was awed by certain aspects of Sword Immortal Green Leaf but also felt that there were flaws in other areas. Sword Immortal Green Leaf paid too much attention to being unrestrained. He was too unconventional! The Dao could be split into two opposing sides—Yin and Yang. If one veered too much to one side, their Dao would naturally become unconventional. However, there was a saying: ‘Extreme Yin gives birth to Yang, extreme Yang gives birth to Yin.’ Even if one took an unconventional path, it was still possible to reach ultimate perfection by going down an extreme path.
Unfortunately, Sword Immortal Green Leaf only lived for five hundred years. He did not manage to take his Dao to the highest extreme!
Qin Yun was impressed by him and drew upon his most dazzling aspects. However, it did not mean that he would take Sword Immortal Green Leaf’s path.
******
Time passed very quickly while he immersed himself in cultivation.
“Oh?” Qin Yun, who was sitting by the side of the mirror lake, sensed something. He immediately took out his Inspect Heavenly Token and Yi Xiao’s phantom appeared.
Yi Xiao was eating a fruit as she looked at Qin Yun with a faint smile. “My dear Sword Immortal Qin, have you forgotten something?”
“Ah!”
Qin Yun was taken aback. With a quick count, he realized that it was now the second month since Yi Xiao entered the West Sea Dragon Palace. He immediately said, “I forgot. I was too focused on cultivation and forgot to head to the West Sea to visit you.”
“You agreed to visit me every month,” tsked Yi Xiao. “To think you already forgot when it’s only the second month. Furthermore, you don’t message me unless I message you first. The last time we communicated was half a month ago!”
“I was too immersed in cultivation! I have been sitting by the mirror lake’s bank for half a month.” Qin Yun tried his best to explain. Due to the inspiration he received from the Green Leaf Flying Sword, he was crazily immersed in all sorts of ideas and theories. It was also obvious that no one in Qin Manor would think to disturb him.
“My wife, my dear wife. It was my fault,” said Qin Yun with an obsequious smile.
“Hmph!” Yi Xiao scoffed twice before she couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She beamed like a blooming flower. “My dear husband, I have joyous news for you.”
“Joyous news?” Qin Yun’s eyes lit up as he immediately had an idea. His heart could not help but race. “Are you…”
Yi Xiao nodded immediately. “I’m pregnant!”
“You are pregnant?” Qin Yun felt his blood boil as his scalp tingled. He was somewhat in a daze as he could not help but mumble, “I’m going to be a dad? I’m going to be a dad?”