Chapter 1255: Chapter 1253: The Son of Shi Xiaole (Part 2)
The Supreme Witch Soul was not a soul but a peculiar type of energy. This energy could cause a soul’s quality to undergo a transformation, resulting in a significant enhancement.
Over the years, the Witch Queen had been collecting various energies from heaven and earth. Since her soul’s origin was the same as Xi Xianglei’s, she transferred that energy into Xi Xianglei, using her as a container.
Xi Xianglei possessed the once-in-ten-thousand-years Nine Profound Yin Body, and Shi Xiaole was flawless with his Pure Yang Body. The child produced by their union was innately endowed with supreme talent.
The Witch Queen’s plan was to infuse all the absorbed energy into this infant, turning it into a peerless pride of heaven that would overshadow all generations!
Given her relationship with Xi Xianglei, she would naturally be close to this infant, making it not difficult to cultivate the child as the successor of the Witch God Palace.
But despite all her calculations, the Witch Queen could never have predicted that the baby’s talent would be so terrifying. It was not satisfied with just absorbing the energy she had painstakingly collected from heaven and earth but also desired to devour the life force of both her and Xi Xianglei.
This was not done by conscious intent, but merely an instinctual need of the infant for energy. Without absorbing enough, it could end up a stillborn.
"Witch Queen..."
Within the dark and mysterious grand palace, several women with black patterns on their faces were covered in cold sweat, with chills rising from the tops of their heads.
On the bed, a woman in black barely had any sign of life left. It felt as if there was a black hole in the void, voraciously devouring the Witch Queen’s life source.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Three masked women suddenly flew out from the depths of the palace and, without thinking, infused streams of energy into the Witch Queen’s body.
"Greetings, Great Witch Servant!"
"Please, Great Witch Servant, save the Witch Queen!"
The group of women knelt to the ground, their foreheads striking the floor forcefully.
In the Witch God Palace, the Witch Queen was revered, but there were those who could keep her in check—these were the Great Witch Servants. Only the Witch Queen’s Senior Sisters could become Great Witch Servants, and they needed the approval and acknowledgment of the previous Great Witch Servant.
Since they didn’t need to bother with the trifles of the Witch God Palace, the martial prowess of the Great Witch Servants of each generation was extremely strong. Surpassing the Witch Queen was not impossible.
The strength of these three women was clearly at the level of the Forbidden Martial Emperor, much stronger than most of the fifty monarchs.
"Junior Sister is still refining the Supreme Witch Soul; she’s risking her own life!"
The woman on the left said through gritted teeth.
The Supreme Witch Soul was a feat not even the first Witch Queen had accomplished. It required not only the collection of countless energies but also the nurturing of an infant with unparalleled talent.
The problem was, no matter how extraordinary the infant, they often could not withstand the outpouring of energy from heaven and earth. Their soul would be stretched to the point of bursting, consequently affecting the mother.
In history, there were many cases of Witch Queens reaching the final step, only to die and vanish from their path.
"No, it’s not that the energy is too strong; it’s that the demands of the infant are too great. The energy is actually insufficient; it’s absorbing the life force of Junior Sister!"
The woman in the middle explored the Witch Queen’s body for a moment and suddenly her face turned pale with shock.
"What did you say?"
The other two women were also astonished, and after sensing for a moment, they were stunned.
Who exactly was the father of this child? If he could be born successfully, his talent was destined to shock the world, overshadowing the ancient and modern eras.
Not to mention, he had also absorbed the energy collected by generations of Witch Queens from heaven and earth, which would make his inherent abilities even more outstanding.
"It’s no good; this infant’s talent is too immense. I’m afraid even after drying up Junior Sister’s life force, it will still not be enough. The final outcome will be the death of both mother and child!"
The middle woman took a deep breath.
Heaven has its own way.
A person can change everything except for their soul.
And the Supreme Witch Soul was essentially about enhancing the quality of the soul. It lifted a person from their roots, a feat far more terrifying than the ten Exotic Fruits, not even in the same class.
In a certain sense, even the opportunities found in the land of Fate and East Victory could not be compared to it.
As a result, the corresponding requirements for successful refinement were also subject to the obscure constraints of the heavenly way, with a success rate of one in a billion.
If they had not activated the refinement technique, their Witch God Palace would have produced an individual capable of changing history. Now, both the unparalleled individual and the Witch Queen faced death!
"Transfer the life source to this child!"
The middle woman made a decision and struck the Witch Queen’s chest with her palm.
The other two women were only slightly startled but did not hesitate, following suit.
In an instant, three powerful streams of life force, like being drawn by a ferocious vortex, irresistibly surged into a certain spot in the void.
In just a moment, the three women turned deathly pale; their martial strength receded like a tidal wave, and even their life force began to rapidly decline, shocking the group of Witch God Palace maidservants kneeling behind them, each of their souls trembling.
"It’s not enough, even with all of us, it’s still not enough."
The woman on the right forced a bittersweet smile.
They were shocked by the baby’s strength and lamented the fate of the Witch God Palace. They had come so close to making history, to lifting the Witch God Palace to unparalleled glory.
But this one step had exhausted all their power, and they were unable to take another.
After today, the Witch God Palace would likely fall from grace.
Heaven and hell, the difference is but a moment!
...
Divine Sword Villa.
Within Xi Xianglei’s boudoir.
"Once the cultivation of the Supreme Witch Soul begins, it cannot be stopped."
Xi Xianglei spoke so weakly that her words were barely intelligible, like the faint buzz of flies.
She thought of the Witch Queen, that woman who had painstakingly devoted herself to this cause, at the cost of the Witch God Palace’s accumulations over countless generations. Did she regret it?
"He’s absorbing your life force, so as long as we let him absorb enough life force, he can be born smoothly, and you won’t have to die, right?"
Shi Xiaole looked at the woman on the bed.
Xi Xianglei’s lips twitched slightly.
So what if he does? This is life force, connected to lifespan, talent, and even strength. Once it’s damaged, it’s irreversible. Who would be willing to part with it?
To be honest, Shi Xiaole actually hadn’t sought revenge after his life force was taken last time, and though Xi Xianglei didn’t say it, she felt very moved in her heart.
"I’m asking you all, please leave. I... don’t want anyone to witness my death throes,"
Xi Xianglei said with a smile.
A warm, large hand was placed on her shoulder, followed by a vibrant and boundless life force from the hand’s owner flowing into Xi Xianglei.
"You!"
Xi Xianglei had always been strong, even facing death with a smile, but at this moment, a hot tear finally couldn’t help sliding down her cheek.
"Xiaole!"
Behind her was the shrill scream of her Aunt Su Yanru.
Shi Xiaole sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Xi Xianglei, "Don’t forget, I am this child’s father. I won’t let him die, nor will I let you die."
For a long time, Xi Xianglei’s views, much like those of the head of Illusion Orchid Tower, believed Shi Xiaole to be heartless, cold inside, looking at the world with a detached stance, showing his warmth and kindness only occasionally.
But at this moment, the long-held prejudices finally crumbled under the man’s resolute action.
Shi Xiaole’s life force was too powerful. If described as a torrent, then the life force of the three Great Witch Servants would barely be a stream of water.
And the closeness was entirely different; vaguely, it seemed as if the infant emitted an innocent cry, responding to the energy that felt especially familiar to him.
The three Great Witch Servants, who had been drained, sensed this activity and their eyes suddenly sparkled with vitality.
A quarter of an hour.
Two quarters of an hour.
By the third quarter-hour, even Shi Xiaole couldn’t hold on any longer. His body had become much thinner, his eyes lifeless. Even though the medium of the blood sun could restore life force, complete depletion could still severely damage the foundation.
As for the three Great Witch Servants, they had already been shaken off by Shi Xiaole’s distant force, to keep from being reduced to mummies.
"Don’t!"
Xi Xianglei cried, desperately wanting to push Shi Xiaole away.
But it was at this moment.
The energy inside her swelled to its limit, and the infant finally stopped absorbing life force, then burst into loud, wailing cries.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Above Nine Heavens Mountain in the sky, which was clear and cloudless just a moment before, suddenly became obscured by dark clouds. Thick bolts of lightning, like the wrath of the heavens, caught everyone by surprise, wildly striking Nine Heavens Mountain without any warning.
Clang, clang, clang...
Even the formidable Nine Profound Great Array almost split apart under this divine might, its surface showing web-like cracks. A mere trace of lightning that infiltrated it shattered many mountain peaks, piling up the stones, exploding rivers, and burning them in the air.
One could imagine, without the Nine Profound Great Array, the entire Nine Heavens Mountain range, along with all the people within, would have been obliterated. There would have been no second outcome!
"What has happened?"
Countless people looked up at the sky with puzzled faces.
"Has a great personage arrived, thus the heaven’s punishment descending?"
An old man, cloaked in tattered robes like a beggar, clasped his hands performing Plum Blossom Divination, his body trembling. He was Tian Jizi, one of the four Protectors of the Divine Sect.
Half a month ago, Mu Qianji, bringing along the people of the Divine Sect, officially joined Nine Heavens Mountain and became the head of the Divine Sword Villa on the southeast peak. Naturally, the four Protectors accompanied him.
"Are these words true, who exactly is this great personality that is so frightening?"
Han Yanfa spat out the wine in his mouth, somewhat panicked.
Although Tian Jizi’s character was not reliable, he had never been wrong about such matters. Witch Granny and Murong San also exchanged glances, awaiting Tian Jizi’s answer.
Tian Jizi, however, was looking towards a distant, fog-enshrouded mountain peak, where Divine Sword Villa was located.
"He is born, he is born, a young master. Congratulations to the great villa head, congratulations... Miss Xi."
The midwife took a deep breath, her legs went weak, and she hurriedly wrapped the newborn in swaddling clothes that had been prepared in advance, intending to scold the little troublemaker.
Unexpectedly, although the baby had just been born, his eyes were incredibly beautiful, and even his crying face was extremely adorable, making it difficult for her to rebuke him.
"Thank you,"
Xi Xianglei whispered.
"Of course,"
Shi Xiaole smiled.
Their gazes met, and something wonderful shifted between them.
Behind them, Su Yanru and Xia Yunxi did not want to interrupt, so they competed to hold the infant, their maternal love overflowing immediately, their eyes shimmering with affection.
The people outside the room, upon hearing of the birth of a baby boy, also felt a great relief, offering their most sincere blessings.
This news was bound to spread before long, and soon enough, everyone up and down Nine Heavens Mountain knew the great villa head had an heir. Although it was quite sudden, they were sincerely overjoyed.
Moreover, whether by coincidence or not, some said that the young master was born just as the thunder dispersed, sure to be a heaven-sent prodigy.
Everyone was full of anticipation, their confidence in the future of Nine Heavens Mountain growing even stronger.
