In a secluded courtyard somewhere on Hundred Refinement Mountain, a heavy medicinal aroma filled the air. An old man with white hair, wearing a green robe with a pill furnace embroidered on the chest, stepped out of the main room.
Zheng Yunshu followed anxiously. Behind the screen, Zheng Bingzhong lay with a weak breath.
Closing the door, before Zheng Yunshu could speak, the old man sighed, "Ah, Xiao Shu, Bingzhong’s condition, I am afraid this old man is powerless."
"Master Liu, is there really no way?"
Zheng Yunshu’s expression was anxious.
"Alas, a skillful woman cannot cook without rice, and even a famous doctor is troubled with no medicine."
The old man gave a bitter smile, "Bingzhong’s foundation is damaged, his primordial qi greatly injured, and most critically, his divine soul is unstable. Only spiritual medicine can cure this, and it has to be rare spirit grass like the Soul Condensing Grass. If it were ordinary spirit grass, with the resources of our Hundred Refining Sect, we could obtain it. But this Soul Condensing Grass is rarely seen in the world."
Zheng Yunshu gritted her teeth, "Master Liu, do you know where there is Soul Condensing Grass? No matter how difficult and dangerous, I will retrieve it."
"You girl, if it were easy to obtain, would I as an elder not help you? You should accompany your brother well in these last days. He does not want to see you in danger either."
Elder Liu shook his head, not saying where the Soul Condensing Grass could be found, and hurriedly walked away with a wave of his hand.
Zheng Yunshu wanted to ask more, but a weak call came from the room, "Shu Shu, come in."
She had to hurry back in.
The old man outside saw that Zheng Yunshu did not catch up, and murmured, "Soul Condensing Grass, found only in forbidden areas. It’s not a place for a young girl yet to reach Core Formation, not to mention even if she had, Nascent Soul cultivators dare not enter such places lightly."
He shook his head and sighed, "Better to pair up with someone and lead a stable life as an Array Master."
Inside the room, Zheng Bingzhong’s eyes were lifeless, his face pale, and his status deteriorating.
Zheng Yunshu hurriedly went in, seeing her brother trying to get up, she quickly said, "Big brother, you’ve just woken up, don’t move."
Zheng Bingzhong paused in getting up, turned his head to Zheng Yunshu, and a sparkle appeared in his eyes, "Shu Shu, don’t think about the Soul Condensing Grass anymore, such things are beyond the reach of cultivators like us. Let me go in peace."
"I listen to big brother."
Zheng Yunshu’s eyes welled up.
"Don’t cry, you are now the first Array Master in the family. You must maintain your demeanor."
Zheng Bingzhong smiled, "Ah, I wasn’t able to wait for you to reach Core Formation. In the future, you might find it very difficult."
"I’m not afraid, I just fear losing you." Zheng Yunshu said with reddened eyes.
Zheng Bingzhong forced a smile, "You girl, why do you rely on me so much? How can you make the Zheng family prosper in the future? I think it’s better you find someone to marry."
"I won’t marry that big guy Xie Xianlong!" Zheng Yunshu immediately shook her head.
"If you don’t want to marry, then don’t. Eventually, you’ll need to find a companion, be it a Dao companion or a friend, or even a subordinate, as it must be. Otherwise, you can’t support the Zheng family alone."
Zheng Bingzhong scolded, "Before I fell unconscious, that person named Wang Sheng was quite good, talented and extraordinary. In the future, he should have a big chance of becoming an Array King. Though his background is a bit unclear, he doesn’t seem to be from the Xie family. You should have more contact with him and try to bring him to your side."
"Ah, I just caused him trouble."
Zheng Yunshu muttered, "I thought he intentionally caused you to fall into a coma."
Zheng Bingzhong was startled, "You didn’t harm him, did you?"
"No, I questioned him a few things, and when I found the reasons inadequate, I was too embarrassed to hit him."
Zheng Yunshu said bashfully.
"You silly girl, how could you be ."
Zheng Bingzhong laughed helplessly, "It’s my fault for making you always immersed in practicing arrays, lacking in worldly experience. Now you’re still a blank slate."
"I can learn, I’ll go apologize to him right away."
Zheng Yunshu said seriously.
"Go ahead, no need to stay by my side, interact more with people, recognize who is true and who is false, so you won’t be sold out in the future."
Zheng Bingzhong nodded.
"I won’t be sold out, I’m not stupid."
Zheng Yunshu murmured and turned to find Shen Wang.
She arrived at the Outer Pavilion, and upon hearing that Shen Wang had already left, could only sigh and leave.
By this time, Shen Wang had returned home and was setting up the Eight-direction Spirit Gathering Array.
He arranged the array near his residence. When the Nine-Bar Array Flag was set up and the array activated, the air twisted slightly, and nearby spiritual qi began to gather.
The concentration of spiritual qi within the array started to slowly increase. In the future, whether for cultivation or array operation, this gathered spiritual qi could be utilized.
"Master, what kind of array is this? Suddenly it feels much more comfortable."
Beside him, Liu Shan, watching curiously.
"It’s an array that increases the concentration of spiritual qi."
Shen Wang explained, the first operation of the Spirit Gathering Array caused a noticeable commotion that alerted the people in the courtyard, and Lan Kui came out.
She had been pregnant for some time, though her belly did not look large. Upon seeing Shen Wang, she quickly called, "Husband, husband, you’re finally back, Sister Paper Kite’s stomach is hurting a bit, she might be going into labor."
Shen Wang was startled and hurried over to the room.
Paper Kite’s pregnancy period had exceeded that of an ordinary woman. Shen Wang had checked; the child was developing slowly, which he attributed to a spiritual blood talent, requiring more gestation time.
Based on his observations before leaving, the child had not yet fully developed and it should not be time for birth.
In the room, Paper Kite’s face was pale, eyebrows furrowed in pain.
Paper Kite called out weakly.
"Don’t speak, let me check."
Shen Wang took Paper Kite’s wrist, sensing the pulse, and found it weak. The other pulse, that of the child, was not good either.
"What’s happening? Even if it was time for birth, it shouldn’t be ."
Shen Wang hurriedly released Wood Attribute Spiritual Essence filled with vitality. As the Spiritual Essence entered the body, Paper Kite’s face improved somewhat.
Guided by the Spiritual Essence, Shen Wang took the opportunity to examine Paper Kite’s physical condition. He found that the Spiritual Essence rapidly dissipated near the fetus.
It turned out the little one was absorbing it.
At the same time, he sensed a rather powerful life force, a strong heartbeat, coming from the child inside the belly.
Shen Wang frowned, maintaining the Spiritual Essence infusion, Paper Kite’s complexion gradually turned rosy, the pain vanished.
However, he discovered the child was beginning to exude a domineering force, which was making Paper Kite’s body uncomfortable.
Shen Wang identified it, this force was very much like Profound Thunder Zhenren’s, likely awakening with a similar Thunder Spirit Blood.
"Husband, I feel much better now." Paper Kite took a breath, sweat covering her forehead.
"It’s because the child demands more now, making it hard for your body to bear."
Shen Wang explained the reason, placing a hand on Paper Kite’s belly, feeling the vigorous life force within, "And this child is in a critical stage of development, nurturing its own spirit blood."
"Then our baby must be extraordinarily talented. I’ve heard those show such promising talent during the gestation period."
Paper Kite was overjoyed, "I feel its power is fierce, it should be Thunder Spirit Blood, which means it’s a boy."
Shen Wang nodded, "It’s a boy, but... it means much more strain on your body."