Volume Five: First Signs of Greatness Chapter One: Preparations Before the Battle

The journey back was uneventful, lacking the ambush encountered when returning from the Red Rock Plateau. This brought a sense of relief to Li Chengzhu and Yuan Mu, who had been scouting ahead and behind with nerves stretched to the limit. They surmised that the title of "Immortal Emissary" carried such weight that the mastermind behind the scenes dared not risk an incident that would inevitably draw the scrutiny of the Heavenly Court.

Li Chengzhu, who had been flying at the rear of the group, clenched his fists at the memory of that previous assassination attempt. His progress in cultivation felt agonizingly slow; even with his peerless talent, it had taken him four years to reach the late stage of Spirit Division. Although this far exceeded any known record in the cultivation world, he still found it insufficient. At this rate, he had no idea when he would ever ascend to become an Immortal. Yet, the boss worked diligently on his cultivation every single night.

Xiao Ying was nearly five months pregnant. Her rounded belly was impossible to conceal, even with the loose, custom-made clothing she wore; whenever the wind caught her robes, the oval shape of her stomach was unmistakable. This unique state added a touch of mature charm to her already seductive beauty, and her deep, expressive eyes seemed to shimmer with a new, rippling depth. To accommodate her, the group slowed their pace, stopping frequently to rest. Gu Linglong, ever attentive, kept her protective spiritual energy shielding Xiao Ying, walking with her arm linked to hers to ensure her safety.

Upon returning to Rainbow City, they did not receive the same enthusiastic welcome as before, which left Qiu Feng—who had been leading the way in anticipation of cheers—feeling incredibly dejected. His proud, rooster-like hairstyle drooped, and the group simply wandered back into the City Lord's Mansion as if it were a routine day. Xiao Ying’s pregnancy did, however, attract the attention of many female cultivators, who surrounded her with endless chatter until the boss finally chased away the "annoying little birds" with a fierce glare.

Uncle Cai remained as loyal as ever. Upon their return, he immediately busied himself with settling everyone in and reporting the mining progress of the Purple Jade veins to Gu Linglong. Neither Gu Linglong nor Li Chengzhu had much interest in such matters, and after Uncle Cai talked himself hoarse to no avail, he realized his efforts were wasted and fell silent.

Once everyone had dispersed to their respective quarters to rest, the three of them were finally alone. Making an excuse to send Uncle Cai away, Li Chengzhu took out the secret scroll given to him by his father-in-law and immersed his mind within it. With Xiao Ying’s pregnancy reaching the five-month mark, he knew that if they did not take action, the child might be born with incomplete Five Elements—lacking limbs or organs—just as his father-in-law had warned. Though the old man’s words sounded alarmist, Li Chengzhu believed it was better to be safe than sorry.

After studying the scroll for a long time, he finally grasped the required method. The formation itself was not difficult to set up; the real challenge was that Xiao Ying would have to remain inside, perfectly motionless, for several months. Glancing at her fiery personality, he suspected this would be a difficult task for her.

Noticing the change in his expression, Gu Linglong asked, "Chenzhu, what’s wrong?"

Li Chengzhu sighed, handed the scroll to Gu Linglong, and looked at Xiao Ying solemnly. He pulled her onto his lap and said, "Little one, once this formation is set up, you must stay inside it at all times to absorb the spiritual energy. Do you think you can handle it?"

Xiao Ying nodded readily, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "As long as you stay with me, I can."

Li Chengzhu curled his lip. Since he began his path of cultivation, he had never recorded a meditation session lasting more than three days. Being stuck in a formation for months would be torture. Seeing his reaction, Xiao Ying immediately pouted. Gu Linglong nudged her husband and said to Xiao Ying with a smile, "Don't worry, Chenzhu will certainly stay with you, won't you, Chenzhu?" Her final words were a threat delivered through gritted teeth.

Li Chengzhu gave a bitter laugh. Very well; for the sake of his wife and child, a little sacrifice was acceptable. He raised an eyebrow and added, "Linglong, you should come in too. The spiritual energy inside will be abundant and perfect for cultivation."

Gu Linglong blushed, knowing exactly what her husband was thinking, but she bowed her head and gave a slight nod.

Li Chengzhu pinched Xiao Ying’s soft cheek and said sternly, "Little one, answer me one question, and be honest."

Xiao Ying tried to suppress her laughter and nodded vigorously.

"Has your Happy Union Sect ever had cases where children born through this secret method were born with incomplete Five Elements?"

As he asked, he felt Xiao Ying’s body tremble on his lap. Gu Linglong also looked at her with a questioning gaze. Xiao Ying’s relaxed expression vanished, replaced by a heavy look. After a long silence, she nodded heavily. "Yes. It has happened. That is why I have always been worried and dared not tell you, so..." She trailed off, sounding flustered and frightened.

Li Chengzhu reached out and patted her back gently. "Don't worry. From now on, you can tell me anything. I am the man of this house; if I can't help you solve the problems you can't handle yourself, how can I be the head of the family?"

Though his words were firm, they were filled with infinite tenderness. Gu Linglong felt a pang of bittersweet emotion, unsure whether to feel happy or jealous.

"Was that person a relative of yours?" Li Chengzhu asked, shifting the subject.

"How did you know?" Xiao Ying widened her beautiful eyes in shock, then looked relieved. "Oh, did Father tell you?"

Li Chengzhu shook his head slowly. "I guessed."

Xiao Ying sighed, her brows furrowed as if recalling something painful. "It was my sister."

"You have a sister?" Li Chengzhu asked, stunned.

"Yes," Xiao Ying replied.

"Was your sister also conceived using the secret method?" Gu Linglong asked.

"Yes," Xiao Ying nodded again. "It seems my mother and another woman both fell in love with my father at the same time. My mother used the 'Lustful Immortal Powder' on him and then used the secret method to conceive..." At this point, Xiao Ying glanced uneasily at Gu Linglong. Seeing that Gu Linglong looked indifferent, she relaxed, but then noticed her husband looking at her with a half-smile. She blushed and began playfully punching his shoulder.

*What a family,* Li Chengzhu thought with a sigh. His mother-in-law was apparently just like Xiao Ying, whose behavior was clearly hereditary. Using aphrodisiacs to get what you want and then using secret arts to seal the deal—it really was true that like father, like son, or in this case, like mother, like daughter. He was truly in awe of the women of the Happy Union Sect.

"Was your sister born with incomplete Five Elements?" Gu Linglong asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Yes. At that time, the Happy Union Sect couldn't come up with fifty pieces of high-grade Heavenly Mystery Spirit Stones, so they had to use lower-grade ones as substitutes. It failed, and my sister was born incomplete."

"Your sister must have hated your parents to death," the boss said with a touch of schadenfreude. Fifty high-grade stones were not easy to come by; without real power, it was nothing more than a pipe dream. Even after all these years, the sect only possessed thirty. If he hadn't happened to bet heavily on Qiu Feng, he would have had to beg Commander Ye or Qiao Yanluo.

"If the child in my belly is born incomplete, they will surely hate us too," Xiao Ying pouted, glaring at him.

"What does that have to do with me?" the boss said innocently.

"Enough," Gu Linglong said, maintaining her composure as the head wife. "Xiao Ying, what exactly were the symptoms of your sister's condition?"

Xiao Ying punched Li Chengzhu again, looking at him irritably. "My sister never grew tall, and her physical constitution was extremely poor."

"Never grew tall?" The boss was stunned. "How tall?"

Xiao Ying gestured with her hand. Li Chengzhu estimated she was only a little over a meter tall. *My goodness, a petite, childlike appearance with a mature figure,* he thought, his imagination running wild.

Gu Linglong sighed, feeling a bit awkward. "A natural calamity, unavoidable. Let's just do our best to prepare for the child."

"Yes," Xiao Ying agreed.

Following this, Li Chengzhu and Gu Linglong began their preparations, even drafting the immortal Yuan Mu into service. Since the three of them would be staying in the formation for months, they had to ensure no one would disturb them. Combining their powers, Gu Linglong and Yuan Mu constructed a heavily fortified defensive array inside the mansion.

As two experts at the late Immortal stage, their defensive array was unparalleled in Rainbow City. Furthermore, Li Chengzhu suggested adding several insidious traps, including a portion of the "Lustful Immortal Powder," ensuring that anyone who dared to intrude would first have to contend with the effects of the aphrodisiac. Since the powder could break down even an immortal's psychological defenses, he felt they were safe.

Before entering the formation, Li Chengzhu asked Yuan Mu to keep watch within the mansion. Qiu Feng, the fiftieth Immortal Emissary, volunteered to guard them as well upon hearing of their plan. Li Chengzhu accepted with a few polite words; after all, Qiu Feng was strong, and there was no harm in having extra insurance.

With these layers of protection in place, Li Chengzhu finally took Xiao Ying and Gu Linglong into the formation, ready to welcome the arrival of his first child.