144: Chapter 144 The bold words spoken back then are gradually becoming a reality.

Hun Feng leaned back in his study chair, placed the last battle report in his hand on the desk, and tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.

Outside the window, the lights in the East Courtyard flickered on one by one. From under the veranda came the laughter of Yao Yao and Hun Muxiao—the little girl was showing off her newly learned whip techniques; judging by the noise, she had probably snapped a few more branches off the dark-leaf osmanthus.

He closed his eyes and slowly sank his mid-stage Emperor Realm Soul perception into his dantian.

The blood-colored flames of the Heaven-Slaying Flame burned quietly in his dantian, the origins of the nine Heavenly Flames having long since merged into one, no longer distinguishable from each other.

Deep within the core of those blood-colored flames, six extremely faint and thin strands of multicolored light drifted slowly like six swimming fish—these were the fragments of the Emperor's Origin that he had absorbed from the bloodlines of his six wives over the years.

The purple of the Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python, the gold of the Ancient Clan's God-Grade Bloodline, the red of the Hun Clan's blood-attribute Dou Qi, the gray of the Calamity Poison Body, the cyan of the Flower Sect inheritance, and the multicolored hue of the Demon Phoenix Bloodline.

The six colors intertwined into an extremely faint rainbow light, becoming increasingly solid and harmonious under the nourishment of the Heaven-Slaying Flame.

He could clearly feel that these origin fragments had completely merged into his bloodline and soul, no longer foreign objects absorbed from the outside world, but had truly become a part of his own body.

His bloodline power was nearing perfection, and he could condense complete Emperor Qi at any moment.

Only the final step remained—cultivation.

Emperor Qi required a sufficiently powerful physical body and soul to carry it, and his current mid-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng cultivation was not yet enough to support the complete condensation of Emperor Qi.

He had to advance further on his current foundation and break through to the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng.

By then, the Emperor Qi would form on its own, and the condensation of the Emperor Rank would be a natural outcome.

He opened his eyes, and the laughter from outside the window drifted into his ears.

Yao Yao was holding her waist—she had just finished her confinement period not long ago, her figure had fully recovered, and she was still as fiery and charming as ever—pointing at Hun Muxiao and laughing, scolding her for snapping the flower seedlings, saying that Aunt Xiao Yi Xian would be heartbroken for ages.

Xiao Yi Xian leaned against the soft couch and said indifferently that she was already used to it, and that they could just plant another one tomorrow.

Cao Ying held her daughter and added fuel to the fire from the side, while Medusa held a teacup, watching the lively scene in the courtyard with a faint smile on her lips.

In Gu Xun'er's arms, Hun Muxian was babbling as she learned to talk, while Yun Yun sat by the stone table sewing small clothes for the children, her moon-white dress fluttering gently in the night breeze.

Seven daughters were running around the courtyard chasing fireflies, with Hun Muxiao in the lead, clutching her precious bone whip.

This scene was peaceful and warm, a picture he wouldn't have dared to imagine even in his dreams in his previous life.

He stood up, pushed open the door, walked to the veranda, and sat down beside Medusa.

Seeing him come out, his wives naturally gathered around—Yao Yao sat on his left, Xiao Yi Xian remained leaning on the soft couch, Yun Yun placed the half-sewn small clothes on her lap, and Cao Ying leaned against a veranda pillar while holding her daughter.

Gu Xun'er also put down the book in her hand, walked over with Hun Muxian in her arms, and sat down on a stone stool.

Medusa turned her head to look at him and asked why he had suddenly come out.

Hun Feng leaned against the veranda pillar, his gaze sweeping over the faces of his six wives, and he suddenly laughed.

He said that he felt his bloodline power was nearing perfection, and he could condense complete Emperor Qi at any moment; only his cultivation was lacking—if he advanced one more step to the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng, the Emperor Qi would form on its own.

As for the words he had said to his father-in-law at the Ancient Emperor Hall, Father-in-law Gu Yuan probably thought he was just making empty promises.

Now, that "cake" was almost baked.

Yao Yao was the first to react, a complex emotion flashing through her peach-blossom eyes—pride, sentimentality, and a trace of faint bewilderment.

She remembered how, back in the Soul Realm, he was just a brash man who only knew how to shout about killing; now, he was already a Nine-Star Dou Sheng, only a step away from the Emperor Realm.

She tilted her head to look at him, half-jokingly asking if he had made up that theory about the Emperor's path just to trick his wives.

Hun Feng replied with a straight face that the theory was real, and the wives were real, too—neither hindered the other.

Medusa put down her teacup and looked at him, a faint smile surging in her purple eyes.

She remembered the first time she saw him at the Nine Serene Yellow Springs, when he had looked down at her and said, "Following Xiao Yan has no future." At that time, she had only dismissed it as the arrogance of a lecher.

Now, looking back, every word he had said back then was being fulfilled one by one.

Gu Xun'er held her daughter and remained silent for a long time.

She remembered how, back at the Ancient Emperor Hall, her father had asked if she was willing to marry Hun Feng, and she had said she was not.

Later, she had chosen to stay and chosen to believe in him.

Now, watching him walk step by step to this point on the Emperor's path, she suddenly felt that this was the most correct decision she had ever made in her life.

She raised her eyes to look at Hun Feng and said softly that when her father had asked him back then on what grounds he thought he could become an Emperor, he had said that he was not alone on the Emperor's path.

Now, standing behind him were six wives, seven daughters, the entire Hun Clan, and the Ancient Clan—he was not walking this path alone.

Xiao Yi Xian did not say anything long-winded, only softly saying that she knew he would definitely be able to do it.

Yun Yun held the newly sewn small clothes, a faint smile appearing on her dignified face.

She said that in the nearly forty years she had lived, she had seen countless geniuses, but no one had ever been able to turn their bluffs into reality like him.

Cao Ying laughed and added that his greatest specialty was turning his bluffs into reality.

Hun Feng leaned against the veranda pillar and looked at everyone in the courtyard—his six wives each had their own temperament, yet they had all found their own place in this courtyard.

Seven daughters were chasing fireflies under the veranda, with Hun Muxiao in the lead, looking every bit like a big sister.

He suddenly felt that whether for them or for himself, he had to take this final step.

He straightened up from the veranda pillar, his tone calm but determined, and told them to leave a lamp for him in the study, as he needed to push himself a little harder during this time.

Once he broke through to the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng and condensed the Emperor Qi, it would be time to charge towards the Emperor Realm.

Yao Yao asked him what he wanted to do after reaching the Emperor Realm; he thought for a moment and said he would first have a good sleep, then take them to see the Great Thousand World.

Yao Yao asked again what they would do in the Great Thousand World, and he said he would see if he could pick up a few more wives.

The moment the words left his lips, six killing intents locked onto him; he didn't change his expression as he added, "Just kidding."

Yao Yao snorted and said that was more like it, Xiao Yi Xian rarely laughed out loud, Yun Yun covered her mouth with her sleeve with her shoulders shaking, and Medusa picked up her teacup to hide the faint smile at the corner of her lips.

The fireflies in the courtyard flickered in the night, as if lighting the way in advance for that coming day.