In the hall deep within the Heaven and Earth Palace!
Today, it was enveloped in an atmosphere utterly unlike its usual stern, forbidding majesty—one of tension and eager anticipation.
Beneath the corridor outside, Lin Feng, who ordinarily would not bat an eye even if a mountain collapsed before him, was now just like any ordinary man about to become a father for the first time!
He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his steps alternately quick and slow.
His gaze remained fixed on the tightly shut, carved wooden door, protected by soundproofing and defensive barriers.
Faint moans and suppressed cries of pain drifted intermittently through the crack in the door. Each one made Lin Feng pause, his brows knitting tightly.
Beside him, Mother Lin was even more restless. The Tranquility Sandalwood Prayer Beads she had nurtured for centuries creaked in her grip as she repeatedly murmured prayers for blessings.
Dressed in purple, Lin Man leaned against a corridor pillar with her arms folded. She seemed calmer than her elder brother, but her slightly pursed lips and the glances she kept casting toward the door betrayed her concern.
Outside the hall, Lin Yu, Zhao Chengzhe, Ding Yun, and the other central figures also waited quietly. Though no one spoke, the anticipation filling the air was palpable.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
At last!
"Waaah..."
A clear, powerful infant's cry suddenly pierced all their waiting and anxiety, like the first ray of dawn!
The cry brimmed with vigorous life, even stirring the exotic flowers and herbs in the Spirit Garden outside the hall to sway without a breeze and release still richer spiritual energy filled with vitality.
"The baby's here! The baby's here!" Mother Lin was the first to spring to her feet in excitement, tears instantly welling