5: Qingyun Sect? The servants' quarters! And...she's pregnant?

Fleeing for three consecutive days, passing through miasma-filled misty forests, wading through bone-chilling streams, and climbing craggy, steep cliffs.

When the magnificent complex of buildings, layered and looming in the morning mist like a celestial beast perched upon the rolling mountain range, appeared at the end of their vision, even with Luo Zheng's resilient will, he felt a wave of weakness, as if all his strength had been drained.

Qingyun Sect!

One of the top Sects of the Human Race!

As long as they could join its ranks, even as Outer Sect Disciples, those side-branch lackeys of the Luo family would never dare to pursue them here!

“We're here! We've finally arrived!” Luo Zheng's voice carried the raspiness of a survivor, but more so, an irrepressible excitement.

He looked back at Jiang Linfeng and Luo Yan following behind him.

Jiang Linfeng still looked full of energy, carrying a small bundle on his back while supporting Luo Yan with one hand, being meticulously thoughtful.

Luo Yan leaned close to him; though exhausted from their flight, her small face had a healthy flush. Much of the frailty in her expression had faded, and her eyes had become clearer and more spirited, clearly showing a greatly increased recovery rate after her Physique optimization.

Luo Zheng’s gaze lingered on his sister for a moment, then quickly swept over Jiang Linfeng. His eyes flickered with an extremely complex light, which eventually settled into a deep sense of relief.

No matter how many mysteries surrounded this Brother-in-law, at least he was truly good to Yaner, and... he seemed to possess some kind of wicked "natural disaster protection Aura"? Over these past few days of flight, let alone pursuers, not even a bird had dared to fly over their heads!

“Let's go! To the mountain gate!” Luo Zheng took a deep breath, suppressing his awe for his Brother-in-law's unfathomable "wickedness," and called for the two to quicken their pace.

The mountain gate of the Qingyun Sect was extremely magnificent. White jade pillars dozens of zhang high supported a massive plaque, inscribed with four powerful, gold-leafed characters: “Soaring to the Blue Clouds.”

The plaza in front of the mountain gate was crowded with young men and women from all over the Tianyuan Continent, carrying dreams of seeking immortality.

The air was thick with tension, expectation, and a faint ripple of Spiritual Qi.

With his extraordinary will and First Level Innate Realm cultivation, Luo Zheng successfully passed the preliminary selection for Outer Sect Disciples. He received a pale green jade plaque engraved with the words “Qingyun,” symbolizing his official status as a Qingyun Sect Outer Sect Disciple.

The tight strings of his heart finally relaxed for the most part.

It was Luo Yan's turn.

The process of testing bone age, skeletal spirituality, and cultivation Foundation seemed simple, but when Luo Yan's slender palm pressed onto the crystal ball for testing Spiritual Roots—

Buzz!

The crystal ball, which had only faintly glowed with a watery blue luster, suddenly erupted with a soft but exceptionally pure ice-blue light!

Although the halo only lasted for a moment before quickly dimming, that level of spiritual activity had already caught the attention of a deacon Elder responsible for the testing nearby.

“Eh?” That Elder, surnamed Liu, an Outer Sect deacon, stroked his graying beard, a flash of surprise in his eyes. “Water Spirit Body? No, that's not right. This spiritual power contains a hint of icy chill. Although the affinity isn't top-tier, it is exceptionally pure and restrained...”

His gaze swept over Luo Yan’s beautiful, moving face, which bore a nervous flush, and he nodded. “The Foundation is acceptable, and the Spiritual Root has potential for improvement. Accepted! Outer Sect Disciple! Go report to the ‘Cold Plum Courtyard’!”

Luo Yan was instantly overjoyed! Clutching her pale green jade plaque, she ran back to Jiang Linfeng's side and excitedly grabbed his arm: “Husband! I passed! Outer Sect Disciple!”

“I knew our Yaner was the best!”

Jiang Linfeng smiled sincerely and rubbed her head. In his heart, however, he was moved: the nourishment of the Source Spirit Body combined with the System’s Physique optimization was indeed subtly improving Luo Yan's Aptitude.

Finally, it was Jiang Linfeng's turn.

When the Menial Worker manager in charge of testing saw the "Luo family servant" background on the identification documents handed to him, and then saw his exposed cultivation Aura of Quasi-Innate Realm Great Perfection, along with that overly handsome "pretty boy" face that clearly hadn't suffered... the manager, who had his nose in the air and a mean expression, immediately knit his brows into a deep frown.

He was responsible for screening Utility Disciples, specifically taking in those with poor Aptitude and bottom-tier cultivation.

“Quasi-Innate Realm Great Perfection?” Steward Zhang sneered, his smile indescribably contemptuous. “You're not young anymore, and this is all the cultivation you have? Even a declining minor clan like the Luo family couldn't raise a Trash like you? Are you trying to use connections to get a free meal at the Qingyun Sect?”

His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it was enough for the surrounding boys and girls waiting in line—soon to be Menial Workers or Outer Sect Disciples—to hear clearly. Immediately, many looks of disdain or curiosity focused on Jiang Linfeng.

Luo Zheng and Luo Yan’s expressions changed simultaneously.

Luo Yan puffing out her cheeks in anger, wanted to step forward to argue, but was gently pulled back by Jiang Linfeng.

Luo Zheng's eyes also turned sharp, and his hand moved to his sword hilt! Insulted right after entering the Sect?

Jiang Linfeng himself remained calm and composed, even with a faint, imperceptible smile on his lips.

He had expected this. To pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger, being looked down upon at the start is the way to go! Besides, the Utility Section is great! Low profile! Convenient for "working"!

“To the manager,” Jiang Linfeng replied with a sincere face, “this humble one has dull Aptitude but possesses some strength. I am willing to serve the Sect, chopping wood and carrying water, without any complaints!”

Seeing his submissive and non-resistant "cowardly" appearance, Steward Zhang became even more contemptuous. He casually grabbed a black, rough wooden plaque engraved with the word "Utility" and threw it at him: “At least you have some self-awareness! Go report to the ‘Firewood Courtyard’! Remember, in the Utility Section, you must follow the rules of the Utility Section! Be quick with your hands and feet! If you dare to be lazy, the whip will attend to you!” He deliberately elongated the word "attend," making it full of threat.

“Thank you, Steward!” Jiang Linfeng took the wooden plaque, bowing and scraping, showing no temper at all.

Beside him, Luo Zheng watched his Brother-in-law's "cowardly" act, his facial muscles twitching violently, his gaze becoming even more complex.

He felt that his understanding of this Brother-in-law was reaching a new low every day!

You say he’s not strong? He rubbed against some tree bark and rubbed a Pig Demon to death, rubbed a bear paw and crippled an Iron-Backed Gray Bear! You say he’s strong?

Facing a Menial Worker manager who was at most at the third or fourth level of the Innate Realm, he was so smoothly submissive... what kind of monster was he exactly?!

With the assignments finished, the three temporarily parted ways. Luo Yan was led by a Senior Sister to the "Cold Plum Courtyard," which had elegant scenery and Spiritual Qi slightly denser than other parts of the Outer Sect.

Luo Zheng was led by another deacon to the "Green Bamboo Residence," where Outer Sect Disciples lived together.

As for Jiang Linfeng, he was led by a middle-aged man in the same dusty gray Menial Worker's attire, with a numb expression, toward a remote valley halfway up the mountain. The air there was filled with the smell of smoke, wood, and mixed herbs—the Qingyun Sect Utility Section, "Firewood Courtyard."

Walking along the way, the environment of the Firewood Courtyard was even worse than Jiang Linfeng had imagined.

Low stone shacks, rows of sheds piled high with firewood, several large stoves for boiling water shrouded in steam, and a pungent medicinal residue dumping ground. The environment was noisy, the Spiritual Qi was pitifully thin, and the air always smelled of dry heat and sour sweat.

The Menial Worker leading Jiang Linfeng was named Old Wang, a veteran of the Firewood Courtyard.

He led Jiang Linfeng into a large communal bunkhouse smelling of sweat and mildew, pointing to a bare, hard wooden bed in the corner.

“You’ll sleep here from now on. Wake up at the start of the Mao hour every day, finish chopping a hundred loads of dry wood. In the morning, you must boil ten stoves of spiritual spring water to be sent to various courtyards. In the afternoon, go to the medicinal residue field to clear residue for three hours. If you don't finish your quota, Steward Zhang’s whip won't be merciful.”

Old Wang said expressionlessly, dropping a set of rough, gray-black Menial Worker's clothes identical to his own. “Hurry up and change so you can get to work.” With that, he left.

There were a few Menial Workers resting in the room. They curiously sized up Jiang Linfeng, the new "pretty boy," with eyes that were indifferent, numb, and held a hint of subtle contempt.

In a place like this, strength and background were everything; a Trash with no cultivation was at the very bottom.

Jiang Linfeng didn't care about those gazes at all. He briskly changed into the Menial Worker's clothes, which looked like they could belong to a beggar Sect Elder.

The clothes were rough and smelled of sweat, but the smile on his face didn't change. He even looked a bit... excited?

The Utility Section is great! Remote enough! Low profile enough! Perfect for "making a fortune in silence" and doing more... cough, construction!

Having settled into his lodgings, Jiang Linfeng prepared to go out in high spirits to complete his great wood-chopping career.

Just as he picked up that broken axe in the corner, its edge chipped in several places and still stuck with years-old wood chips—

[Ding! Important notification!]

[Detected that life information has been successfully transmitted!]

[Destined companion Luo Yan has successfully conceived! Pregnancy status: Stable Early Stage!]

[Absorbing the host's dissipated Source Spirit Body spiritual power and environmental Spiritual Qi (faint), nourishing...]

[Detected that the special Physique Origin (Source Spirit Body) provided by the host has combined with Luo Yan's own Ice Wood Spirit Root. During the pregnancy, it has been initially permeated by the natural Spiritual Qi of Yun Mountain. Fetal potential is being corrected...]

[Final potential determination: Grade B High Grade (Solid Foundation, increased probability of Ice Wood Spirit Root, possesses faint natural affinity)!]

[Congratulations to the host! First successful conception! Received generous rewards!]

[Rewards issued: 1. Host's cultivation insight increased (Bottleneck leading to the Zhaoshen Realm loosened by 30%)! 2. Physique Optimization Liquid · Companion Version ×2 (Greatly improves companion's Physique, adapted for pregnancy)! 3. Basic Alchemy (Introductory Chapter)! 4. Random Heaven Rank medicinal herb seed ×1 (Profound Ice Vermilion Fruit)! 5. Offspring Bloodline Sensing function activated (Can faintly perceive fetal status and location)!]

A series of notification tones played in Jiang Linfeng's mind like celestial music!

Success!

His hand gripping the broken axe suddenly tightened, and his eyes instantly burst with a light of pleasant surprise!

Although the process had been full of twists and turns, the final goal had been achieved! Luo Yan was pregnant!

And the fetal potential was Grade B High Grade! He even unlocked Bloodline sensing!

Not to mention the loosening of the Bottleneck to the Zhaoshen Realm! And the Heaven Rank medicinal herb seed!

Awesome!

Jiang Linfeng almost couldn't hold back from laughing out loud! He forcefully suppressed the urge for the corners of his mouth to curl up wildly, thinking to himself: “Yaner, Yaner! Can you hear me? You're pregnant with our child!”

[Ding! Companion Luo Yan is in the Early Stage of pregnancy; her mental fluctuations are calm. Offspring Bloodline Sensing is weakly linking... clear thoughts cannot be transmitted. It is recommended that the host communicate in person.]

[Prompt: Fetus is stable in the Early Stage, needs more pure Spiritual Qi for nourishment. Suggest partner Luo Yan stay long-term in an area with relatively dense Spiritual Qi (e.g., Cold Plum Courtyard of Qingyun Sect).]

"Cold Plum Courtyard, right? Understood!" Jiang Linfeng felt much more at ease. Although the Utility Department was a desolate place, Luo Yan being in the Cold Plum Courtyard was at least safer than outside, and the Spiritual Qi was slightly stronger than that of ordinary outer Sects.

At the thought of Luo Yan carrying his first child in this world, an indescribable and wondrous feeling welled up in his heart.

It was the throb of Bloodline continuation, an infinite longing for the future, and a heavy sense of responsibility.

I must increase my strength as soon as possible! Not only to protect Yaner, but also to create the most stable and powerful environment for my child!

He weighed the broken axe in his hand, a meaningful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

Utility Department? Chopping wood? Excellent! This is exactly the place to polish my Foundation and develop in a low-profile manner!

Just then, a commotion and noisy footsteps came from outside, interspersed with several shouts.

"Hurry up! Hurry up! The firewood at 'Pine Listening Residence' was already running low yesterday! Deliver it quickly!"

"Old Wang! What are you dawdling for! If you delay Elder Situ's spiritual tea, I'll have your skin!"

Old Wang's somewhat flustered response came: "Yes, yes, yes! Master Zhang! Moving it now! Xiao Wu! Xiao Li! Move it! The newcomer! Called... Jiang something-feng! You don't stay idle either! Come here quickly! Take these twenty loads of high-quality Qingtan Fragrant Wood firewood to 'Pine Listening Residence'! Elder Situ is waiting! Remember, take the shortcut through the small woods, don't take the long way and waste time!"

Elder Situ? Pine Listening Residence?

Jiang Linfeng raised an eyebrow slightly. A Utility Disciple delivering firewood directly to an Elder? And specifically told to take the shortcut through the small woods? This sounds... like it has the flavor of a 'Hongmen Banquet'.

Could it be that his low-profile development path hasn't even started, and he's already being forced into a classic 'face-slapping' opening?

However, he wasn't flustered at all, and was even a bit eager to try.

Delivering wood is good! Just right to see how deep the waters of this Qingyun Sect are, and incidentally... familiarize myself with the application of 'clever force' in different scenarios?

Under the pitying, schadenfreude, or numb gazes of the surrounding Menial Workers, Jiang Linfeng threw down the broken axe, put on an honest smile, and walked to the pile of firewood emitting a faint sandalwood fragrance.

Twenty loads? A Menial Worker can only carry two loads at a time; does he have to make ten trips?

"What are you standing there for! Tie it tight with the rope! Load it up and go!" Steward Zhang appeared at the door at some point, hands behind his back, tapping a whip lightly against his palm, looking impatient.

"Alright! Master Zhang, just watch!" Jiang Linfeng nimbly tied the twenty loads of Qingtan wood firewood together with a few straw ropes, gave it a light lift, and steadily hoisted an entire small mountain of wood onto his back! His movements were so fast they left only an afterimage!

The entire dormitory room instantly fell into a dead silence!

All the Menial Workers, including the harsh Steward Zhang at the door, almost had their eyeballs pop out of their sockets collectively!

He... damn it... used straw ropes... to tie twenty loads of wood together... and carried them?!!!

That's over a thousand pounds of solid sandalwood!!!

The rope in Old Wang's hand fell to the ground. Xiao Li's mouth hung wide open.

Xiao Wu didn't even feel it when the water ladle in his hand hit his foot with a clatter.

Steward Zhang's hand tapping the whip froze in mid-air, his expression looking as if he had seen a pig flying in the sky!

Jiang Linfeng acted as if he didn't feel the elephant-crushing weight on his back at all. He shifted it, looking 'relaxed,' and turned to Steward Zhang with a somewhat 'naive' smile as if seeking credit:

"Master Zhang, is this okay? It saves me from running back and forth ten times. I'll take the shortcut and guarantee it'll be delivered to Pine Listening Residence within an hour!"

Steward Zhang: "..." He looked at the 'mountain of wood' on Jiang Linfeng's back, then at the other's 'praise me for being clever' expression, only feeling a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head!

This new Menial Worker... this strength... isn't it a bit ridiculously large?!

Could it be... could it be that the rumors from that night deep in the Cloud Mist Mountains... about him killing a Pig Demon by rubbing against tree bark and rubbing an Iron-backed Bear to death... damn it... were true?!

Steward Zhang's hand holding the whip began to tremble slightly.

"Master Zhang?" Jiang Linfeng called out 'puzzled' again, and intentionally took a light step forward, stepping on a loose stone slab.

Crack!

The stone slab was instantly crushed to pieces by his 'light step'! Dust filled the air!

Steward Zhang shuddered violently, and the whip almost slipped from his hand!

He watched Jiang Linfeng's figure carrying the mountain of wood towards the small woods, then looked down at the whip in his hand, his eyes filled with unprecedented confusion and... deep fear.

This... this firewood... can it even be used anymore?

Sending it to the Elder... will this mountain of wood crush the Pine Listening Residence?!

Deep in the small woods.

Jiang Linfeng walked light-footedly through the woods carrying the mountain of wood as if he were carrying a hollow feather sculpture.

The Source Spirit Body made him exceptionally sensitive to the flow of Spiritual Qi, allowing him to easily avoid malicious gazes or low-level traps.

Most of his thoughts were immersed in the novel experience of Bloodline sensing and the realization of the faintly loosening Bottleneck. At the same time, a clear parenting plan formed in his mind:

Step one: Stabilize Yaner's status, ensuring she can focus on nurturing the fetus in the Cold Plum Courtyard where the Spiritual Qi is relatively good (delivering wood and medicine).

Step two: Develop in a low-profile (?) way at the Utility Department, digest Pill Refining Arts, and try to cultivate Profound Ice Vermilion Fruit (Heaven Rank material!).

Step three: Use the nourishment of the Source Spirit Body and cultivation insights to break through to the Zhaoshen Realm in one fell swoop!

Step four: Before the child is born, turn the entire Qingyun Sect into my own backyard (crossed out)... ensure absolute safety!

"Yaner... our child..." With a gentle smile on his lips, Jiang Linfeng thought to himself, "Wait for Daddy, Daddy will be powerful very soon!"

He was immersed in a beautiful blueprint for the future—

Buzz!

An extremely pure and incredibly eager wave of life, carrying a hint of natural ice-coldness and budding wood vitality, crossed space and lightly touched his Soul through that weak but resilient Bloodline link.

It was like a silent, instinctive call from deep within the womb nurturing life.

Jiang Linfeng's footsteps suddenly stopped! The mountain of wood on his back swayed slightly!

The smile on his face instantly froze, and then, an unprecedented and indescribable sense of happiness and responsibility flooded over him like a warm tide!

That feeling... surpassed all System prompts, and even surpassed the exhilaration he felt when breaking through to the Tenth Level Great Perfection of Xiantian Realm!

Is this... the feeling of being a father?

Meanwhile.

Deep in the Cloud Sea Hall at the highest point of the Qingyun Sect.

An old man with white hair and beard, wearing an elegant cloud-patterned Daoist robe, sitting cross-legged amidst the misty Spiritual Qi with his eyes closed, seemed to sense something. He slowly opened his eyes, which seemed to contain stars, and looked towards the direction of the Utility Department, a slight look of surprise appearing on his calm face.

"Hmm? A newly formed spiritual source being born, actually causing a slight disturbance in the mountain's original qi? Ice and wood complementing each other... what a good seedling.

Only this location... why would it be in that desolate Utility Department?"

Just as Jiang Linfeng was immersed in the throb of his Bloodline, his mouth unconsciously curling into a fatherly smile—

"Hey! You Menial Worker! I'm talking to you! The one carrying the wood!"

An extremely arrogant voice with a thick playboy air rang out rudely from the depths of the small woods, forcibly pulling Jiang Linfeng back to reality from his warmth.

Jiang Linfeng looked towards the source of the sound.

He saw three figures appearing on the path ahead, blocking his way.

The leader was a pampered Young Master with a powdered face and expensive clothes, but with unstable footsteps and obviously low cultivation.

He was waving a folding fan in one hand and had his other hand on his hip, followed by two burly lackeys with bulging temples and Auras clearly at the Innate Realm.

One of the lackeys was holding a whip that flickered with faint electric light, sizing up Jiang Linfeng and his mountain of wood with a fake smile.

"Are you a Menial Worker from the Firewood Courtyard? New, aren't you?" The Young Master pointed his folding fan at the wood on Jiang Linfeng's back with a look of disgust and charity. "Just right! My 'Taxue' spiritual hound just got tired from running on the mountain. This wood looks thick enough; it should be quite comfortable to lie on. You, deliver this wood to 'Phoenix Nesting Pavilion' for me; my beloved dog needs it for sleep!"

He raised his chin slightly and said in a commanding tone: "As for the wood for Pine Listening Residence? Hmph, Old Man Situ drinks tea every day; skipping it once won't kill him! What are you dawdling for? Why haven't you unloaded the wood yet?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other lackey immediately stepped forward, reaching out to push the wood on Jiang Linfeng's back!

"How bold! Didn't you hear Young Master Qian's orders?! Hurry up and..."

Slap!

Before he could finish, and before the lackey's hand could touch the wood, he 'extremely coincidentally' tripped over a protruding old tree root!

"Aah!" With a cry of surprise, the lackey fell face-first into the mud! He even happened to fall into a pool of muddy water that hadn't dried since yesterday's rain!

"Useless! You can't even walk straight!" Young Master Qian cursed, but his gaze became even more unkind as he stared at Jiang Linfeng. "You lowly wretch! I gave you face and you didn't take it!"

[Ding! Passive: Misfortune Aura Lv1 in effect! Target 'Lackey A' triggered a small-scale accident!]

[Prompt: Current environment meets the conditions for conflict escalation! Host's emotional fluctuations are normal. Do you want to guide a higher-level 'coincidence'?]

Jiang Linfeng: "..."

He looked at the three standard 'face-slapping' kit in front of him, then sensed the incredibly dependent and pure life Aura coming from the other end of the Bloodline... Deliver wood? Sure!

Want to snatch my son's 'delivery room' (mountain of wood)?

Jiang Linfeng slowly raised his head. The 'honest' smile on his face didn't change at all, but his eyes were like a deep cold pool, calm and unruffled.

He lightly shifted the 'mountain of wood' on his back, which was enough to crush these three ten times over, and spoke in a flat tone without any fluctuation:

"I'm sorry, Young Master Qian. This wood of mine is very heavy."

"I'm afraid that dog of yours..."

"...won't be able to handle it."