"Xiao Qian's in labor? All right, I'll head back immediately. No matter what happens, don't panic. I'll be there soon."
Yi Tianxing's face turned grave upon hearing the news.
Among all the women he cared for, the one he had worried most about during pregnancy was undoubtedly Nie Xiaoqian. She was from the Ghost Clan, an inherently yin-aligned and sinister race. He was human. Their union had produced a child, and no one knew what kind of result such a pairing would yield. Humans and ghosts were worlds apart, a division at the core of life and species. The fetus in Nie Xiaoqian's womb carried an indelible ghostly aura.
Yi Tianxing had long been aware of this.
Yet he didn't dare attempt to remove it. That ghostly aura emanated from the child's very life source. Forcibly purging it might cause irreparable harm to the baby. It was a matter that demanded extreme caution.
Now, with the moment of childbirth arriving, anxiety still gnawed at his heart. Would something unforeseen occur during delivery?
Having received the message, he no longer intended to remain where he was.
He quickly summoned Jia Xu, Zhuge Liang, and the others, explaining the situation.
"I won't go with you this time," Gongsun Da Niang said after a moment's thought. "In a few days, I'll prepare a gift and visit Xuanhuang City then." Since it was a birth, Yi Tianxing's return was appropriate, but her presence would be a bit excessive. Better to wait a few days.
"Very well, stay here then."
Yi Tianxing nodded. "It's best to wrap up the Heavenly Eagle Island campaign as swiftly as possible. If the foreign tribes retreat into the wilderness and don't hinder the Immortal City project, there's no need to pursue them too harshly. Once the cities are built, the rest are minor details."
There were still a few dangerous zones on Heavenly Eagle Island yet to be conquered, but those were few in number and would be dealt with soon. The real challenge lay in governing the conquered lands.
"Rest assured," Zhuge Liang said, "With nearly a billion human citizens acquired from the Skyhawk Court, we'll have enough people to populate the Immortal Cities. Moreover, more towns continue to pledge loyalty to Great Yi. Even if we need to resettle some onto more sparsely populated islands, it's manageable. The only thing is, they're still ordinary people. It will take time for them to catch up to the original cities of Great Yi."
Conquering territory was only the beginning. Governance meant enabling the people to cultivate, to become self-reliant, strong enough to hunt fierce beasts, and face foreign warriors without fear. Over time, they would suppress or eradicate the wild tribes. This was a slow but inevitable transformation — the evolution from mortal to transcendent.
That's why Great Yi was so meticulous in appointing capable officials and governors to manage each Immortal City.
"Very well, I leave this to all of you."
Yi Tianxing smiled. "Rainbow Bridge!"
He looked to the sky. A seven-colored rainbow descended, enveloping him completely. In the blink of an eye, he entered the Rainbow Bridge and sped toward Xuanhuang City.
The spectacle was magnificent — a colossal rainbow spanning heaven and earth.
Now that Heavenly Eagle Island had been fully integrated into Great Yi's territory, the Rainbow Bridge could easily reach it — though the energy cost was high. Still, for Xuanhuang City, this was trivial. After all, it had the Well of Eternity, not just an ordinary energy core.
Swoosh!
Moments later, a rainbow light flashed across the sky. Yi Tianxing reappeared in Xuanhuang City, landing inside the imperial palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The palace maids and eunuchs immediately bowed.
"Rise," Yi Tianxing said with a wave. He had no time for formalities. With a thought, he appeared outside a grand palace.
This was Qiannu Palace, Nie Xiaoqian's residence.
The palace was lively and full of people.
Cai Yan and the other women had all gathered there, many of them also visibly pregnant. Their own due dates weren't far off. Beside them were Yi Xianhuang and Yi Xianling.
"Husband!!"
The women called out joyfully upon seeing him.
"Anning greets Father!"
Little Anning now looked like a four or five-year-old child, with bright eyes and twin pigtails — utterly adorable. Upon seeing Yi Tianxing, she beamed with joy.
As for their second daughter, Yi Xianling, she could already walk steadily. In a soft baby voice, she cried, "Xianling greets Father — hug hug!!"
She ran toward him, arms outstretched.
"Haha, good, good. Anning, Xianling — my good girls. Come, let Father hold you."
Warmth welled up in Yi Tianxing's heart. He scooped them both up, one in each arm, and kissed their cheeks.
"How's it going inside?" he asked Cai Yan.
"She's still in labor," Cai Yan replied. "It's only just begun. The midwives are all experienced, and with Xiao Qian's cultivation and physique, there shouldn't be any problems. I expect good news soon."
Yi Tianxing nodded. "Good. But don't let your guard down. Xiao Qian's constitution is very different from yours. Ghosts are naturally attuned to yin energy, and there's too much chance for complications. I hadn't intended for her to become pregnant, but she insisted. She wanted a child."
He looked toward the palace, anxiety still flickering in his heart.
From within Qiannu Palace, the sounds of labor could be heard.
Though he was the emperor of Great Yi and her husband, he had no right to deny her the experience of motherhood. So, in the end, he hadn't stopped her.
"Let them be safe. Let them both be safe. Please, no accidents. No mishaps. Whether she gives birth to a human or ghost, it is still my child."
Yi Tianxing paced back and forth, murmuring under his breath. Even someone of his composure couldn't help but show his worry. His emotional turmoil was visible for all to see.
This kind of anxious waiting — no matter how many times one experienced it — never got easier.
Suddenly —
Ahhh!!
A piercing cry of pain echoed from within Qiannu Palace.
And then — without warning — a strange cloud gathered over the palace. The clouds flickered between black and white, ever-shifting, formless, impermanent. From them radiated a sense of universal impermanence.
In an instant, a black-and-white light streaked down from the heavens and plunged into Qiannu Palace.
Waaaah!!
At the same moment, a baby's cry rang out — but this cry carried a chilling quality, like a ghost's wail, enough to shake one's soul. All around, ghostly wails echoed through the void, as though a terrifying being had just been born.
"With such an omen, it seems Xiao Qian's child is no ordinary person," Cai Yan said with a smile.
She made a deliberate declaration. These words ensured that no one in Great Yi would dare use this strange phenomenon to cast blame on Nie Xiaoqian or the newborn.
"Indeed. The greater the omen, the greater the potential. It also increases the chance of a unique physique," Snake Ji said calmly.
After all, Nie Xiaoqian was a ghost. If her child caused ghostly cries at birth, so be it — it was completely normal.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Consort Qian has safely delivered a princess!"
A midwife emerged from the inner room, beaming with joy. The birth of a royal princess was a great occasion for the entire dynasty.
"Your Majesty, the princess seems... a bit special. Please come see for yourself," another midwife said quickly, her face uneasy.
Without a word, Yi Tianxing stepped inside.
Nie Xiaoqian lay pale on the bed, looking even more fragile and lovely. Her eyes, however, were filled with concern as she gazed at the infant — who was floating in the air.
"Husband, look at our child — what's happening to her?"
She was visibly distressed.
Looking closely — the baby's body was bizarrely shifting between solid and ethereal. One moment, she was physical and white-skinned. The next, she turned shadowy and black, as if she might vanish into the void at any second. The transformations were erratic, eerie, and unceasing.
"This must be a case of awakening a unique physique. When solid, she's human. When intangible, she's ghost," said Yao Yue calmly.
Whoosh!
This back-and-forth between states happened nine times before it finally ceased. The baby stabilized — fully corporeal, with no more phasing into shadow.
"Body of Impermanence!!"
Words appeared in the Wordless Heavenly Tome within Yi Tianxing's mind.
Body of Impermanence: One of the supreme physiques in all the heavens. Its emergence heralds unparalleled fortune. At its peak, the bearer can exist in a state of formlessness, impervious to all restrictions or barriers. Movement between dimensions and formations becomes effortless. Able to shift between gathering and dispersal, illusion and form. When perfected, it allows one to comprehend the Dao of Impermanence.
Clearly, this was an extremely powerful physique.