70: Let Qingrou bear my child

An hour later.

Behind the boulder, vaguely visible in the weeds, were two embracing figures.

Cao Nie sat with his back against the boulder, holding the disheveled Cao Qingrou in his arms.

Her hairpin was long gone, and her dark hair was scattered across Cao Nie's arms.

Her delicate face was flushed, and her eyes seemed to ripple with spring water.

Cao Nie gently stroked her hair, inhaling the faint fragrance that wafted to his nose, a hint of intoxication flashing in his eyes.

In his previous life.

After their wild night in the woodshed.

That feeling made him linger and yearn for more.

Now, he had finally gotten his wish.

"[Detected Cao Qingrou with a comprehensive rating of ninety-six. Host, please make the following choice:]"

"[Choice One: Regret is normal, imperfection is life. Let her go. Reward: A green hat.]"

"[Choice Two: Don't let any beauty escape. Suppress her on the spot. Reward: Origin of the Undying Divine Phoenix Body.]"

"[Choice Three: A fleeting緣分, a one-night stand, then go your separate ways. Reward: Scumbag Title.]"

"System, you're late. The Cao Family Head has already finished the deed."

"[This System, though late, has arrived. Host, please make your choice.]"

"Choose Two."

"[Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the Origin of the Undying Divine Phoenix Body.]"

Cao Nie's eyes slightly narrowed, his thoughts returning from the options before him.

He toyed with Cao Qingrou's earlobe with his fingertips, saying in a deep voice, "The three-year agreement? You came out of seclusion for this?"

Cao Qingrou's cheeks were flushed, and she looked up at him, her voice soft: "When the engagement was broken back then, I helped him resolve his family's crisis and even gave him a hundredfold compensation. I had already done my utmost."

"I didn't expect him to be so ungrateful, insisting on a three-year agreement."

"He even said, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't bully a young man for being poor.'"

"At that time, he was only at the third layer of the Star Dust Realm, and I was at the third layer of the Penetrating Void Realm, a difference of five major realms."

"Now I am at the ninth layer of the Penetrating Void Realm, and he... perhaps he is still stagnant in the Star Dust Realm."

"If he loses this three-year agreement, I can legitimately annul this engagement. If he wins—" Her tone shifted, becoming sharp and incisive: "He won't have that chance."

Crossing five major realms in three years—Cao Qingrou had consulted ancient texts, and even those figures who dominated an era were not so monstrous.

As for a mere Su Yan, she didn't believe he could possess such terrifying cultivation speed.

Cao Nie frowned in thought.

Such a familiar plot.

He seemed to have heard it before.

A moment later, a sharp glint flashed in Cao Nie's eyes.

"Qing Rou, promise me, don't underestimate him. Others might not reach the Penetrating Void Realm in three years, but he... he probably can," Cao Nie said seriously.

Cao Qingrou's eyes shifted.

It was the first time she had seen Cao Nie look so serious.

"Don't worry, I'll be serious."

Cao Nie thought for a moment, then got up to tidy his clothes: "Come with me to the Spiritual Jade Tower."

"Spiritual Jade Tower?" A hint of confusion flashed in Cao Qingrou's brows.

After she came out of seclusion, she went straight to the Listening Rain Pavilion.

She knew nothing about the current situation of the Cao Family.

"You'll know when we get there," Cao Nie said, keeping her in suspense.

Cao Qingrou had just tried to get up when her legs went weak, and she nearly fell to the ground.

Cao Nie was quick, immediately supporting her.

"Are you alright?"

He felt a little guilty; he hadn't paid attention earlier and had been completely unreserved.

He only realized it midway.

She was still an innocent maiden.

Since things had already happened, he couldn't just stop.

And so, this was the result.

"It's all your fault, you little rascal," Cao Qingrou playfully scolded.

It was her first time, and Cao Nie's speed had blurred into afterimages.

It had made her heart pound at the time.

Cao Nie raised his hand to heal her.

In a short while, Cao Qingrou tried moving.

Finding that walking was not a big problem, she got up and began to tidy her disheveled dress.

Soon after.

The two arrived inside the Spiritual Jade Tower.

The Spiritual Jade Tower was divided into nine layers.

The ninth layer belonged exclusively to Cao Nie and his wives and concubines.

"There are three supreme-grade spiritual veins beneath the Spiritual Jade Tower. The spiritual energy here is the most concentrated, and time flows ten times faster than outside. Half a month outside is enough for you to cultivate for five months here."

Cao Nie explained proactively.

At the same time, he took out the Origin of the Undying Divine Phoenix Body.

"This is for you."

"Oh, and this too."

Cao Nie then took out the Barrier Breaking Pill.

This was a system reward he had received, and it was the last one left.

Third Elder Cao Feng could now also refine Barrier Breaking Pills, but they were slightly inferior to those produced by the system.

As for the last Creation Pills, it had been given to Butler Cao Hui a few months ago.

With the Origin of the Undying Divine Phoenix Body, the Creation Pills would be useless to Cao Qingrou.

As for his children, who possessed ninety percent of the Divine Demon bloodline, they did not need a physical origin.

Their talent was like that of Cao Jian and the others, divine-grade talent, second only to him.

Cao Qingrou stared blankly at the two items in Cao Nie's hand.

One second she was shocked by the time flow of the Spiritual Jade Tower.

The next second she heard even more shocking words.

She didn't react for a moment.

She asked somewhat foolishly, "This... the Origin of the Body... is for me?"

Cao Nie dotingly stroked her head, his tone firm: "You are the Cao Family Head's woman. If not for you, then for whom?"

Cao Qingrou showed hesitation: "Why don't you give it to Hong Ling? After all, she followed you first."

As soon as she spoke, she immediately reacted: "Family Head! You're the Family Head! Where's Family Head Cao Kun?"

Cao Nie didn't explain. He took her jade hand and placed the two treasures in her palm.

"Hong Ling doesn't need it. As for what happened these past three years, I will explain it clearly to you once you come out of seclusion."

Cao Qingrou looked thoughtful.

She nodded in response.

"Okay."

With that, she sat down cross-legged, her pair of snow-white jade legs exposed to the air, slightly revealing themselves.

Noticing Cao Nie's ill-intentioned gaze.

She didn't pay attention. They had already become intimate; why would she care about such things now?

She then began to merge with the Origin of the Undying Divine Phoenix Body.

Cao Nie sat cross-legged not far opposite her.

On one hand, he protected her, and on the other, he could cultivate as well.

In a flash.

Five months quietly slipped away.

During this period, anomalies occurred in the sky of the Azure Vast Dao Domain, as if a phoenix was crying out.

Hong Ling in the Listening Rain Pavilion felt something, and the Undying Divine Phoenix bloodline in her body boiled, giving her an urge to break through her cultivation.

She glanced in the direction of the Spiritual Jade Tower, then ignored it and focused on her cultivation.

Cao Nie woke up and personally concealed this phenomenon.

After successful integration, Cao Qingrou's cultivation broke through from the ninth layer of the Penetrating Void Realm to the third layer of the Po Wang Realm.

After taking the Barrier Breaking Pill, she broke through two more minor realms, reaching the fifth layer of the Po Wang Realm.

Compared to five months ago, Cao Qingrou had broken through five minor realms.

The stone in Cao Nie's heart finally settled.

Thus, Qing Rou was bound to win this time.

Cao Nie had cultivated for five months, breaking through to the early stage of the third layer of the Asking Dao Realm.

A small realm's improvement, it was quite good.

Cao Qingrou's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes, a phoenix phantom flashing in her gaze before disappearing.

Upon waking, she immediately threw herself into Cao Nie's arms.

"Little rascal, thank you."

Cao Nie wrapped his arm around her slender waist and said in a deep voice, "Call me husband from now on, understand?"

Cao Qingrou nodded and pecked him lightly on the cheek: "Okay, husband."

Cao Nie began to explain to her what had happened over the years.

Cao Qingrou's beautiful eyes blinked, listening carefully.

"Qing Rou, promise me, after you defeat Su Yan, you don't need to break off his engagement," Cao Nie specifically instructed after finishing his explanation.

Cao Qingrou was about to ask why.

Suddenly, she remembered the day before she was to go to Tantan City to break off the engagement three years ago.

Cao Nie had told her: "I have a soft spot for other people's fiancées. This engagement cannot be broken."

She looked at Cao Nie, appearing as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.

Cao Nie's eyes darkened: "Is there a problem?"

Cao Qingrou's slender jade fingers twisted the corner of her clothes, and a single word trembled from her crimson lips: "Okay."

With that, she buried her head deeper, and a faint blush slowly spread across her snow-white neck.