You Have Children Already?!

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the sunlight was warm and gentle.

Once the apprenticeship ceremony was performed, no one could rise without being lifted up by the master, You Su continued to bow and perform the ceremony.

He Shutong moved gracefully and arrived in front of You Su. She stretched out her jade-like hand and gently lifted You Su up.

You Su felt a fragrant breeze waft towards him, refreshing his mind and body. He slowly raised his head, and although his Mistress's face was blurry in his vision, he could still feel a natural beauty emanating from her.

He Shutong smiled slightly. She was almost the same height as You Su, and her gentle gaze lingered on You Su's face. She had never paid attention to the boy's appearance before, but now she was surprised to find that the boy had grown up to be so handsome and elegant, and just looking at him made her happy.

"No need for the witnesses of our ancestors, I am the Lotus Birth Sword Ancestor. From this day forward, You Su is my disciple, the Lotus Sword Venerable. From now on, just like your senior sister, you only need to offer me a simple greeting."

Upon hearing the words "Senior Sister," Wangshu Fairy's eyes flashed with blue light. She looked expectantly at the resolute young man, then secretly observed her master's expression. With her innate purity, she could sense that her master, who had always been State of Mind and composed, was now experiencing the same wave of joy as she was.

Moreover, it seems that Master's inner turmoil is even greater than mine... So Master is happier than I am?

"Yes, Master."

You Su finally straightened up. The fact that his Mistress had become his master was so sudden that when You Su uttered those two words, he still felt a little awkward.

When He Shutong heard that the title was still used, her smile froze slightly. The strange feeling in her heart reminded her of You Su's original master, Guan Chujun.

She wanted to make up for her neglect of You Su and repay him for helping her overcome her inner turmoil, so she wanted to take You Su as her disciple and use her status as his master to better care for You Su. To this end, she even went so far as to tell the first lie of her life: she lied that Guan Chujun said that You Su could find another famous teacher after he completed his apprenticeship.

But actually, You Su didn't even need to search; this renowned teacher had already set his sights on someone else's disciple, especially when that person wasn't with his own disciple...

Thinking of this, she felt a pang of guilt, realizing that her actions were truly inappropriate. He Shutong remained silent for a long while, secretly marveling at how complicated people become once they develop emotions. However, this complexity also made her feel that she was slowly becoming an emotionally healthy person.

She made her decision, raised her sleeve, and extended a finger. Her jade-like hand was flawless and white, yet her fingertip carried a warm cherry-pink hue. She gently touched You Su's brow and softly said:

"Outside Lotus Peak, they call me Master; on Lotus Peak, they call me Mistress."

You Su felt the warm, smooth sensation emanating from his Yintang acupoint, his expression faltered slightly, a sense of joy welling up within him. Though his ceremony of becoming a disciple was performed with utmost sincerity, deep down he still felt that his Mistress was indeed his Mistress, and his master should be the one who had wandered far and wide and had not yet returned.

His Mistress's words undoubtedly dispelled his last concern. They were telling him that Mistress as his master was only to make it easier for him to stay in the Xuanxiao Sect for cultivation, and that she was still his master's Mistress.

"Yes, thank you very much, Mistress," You Su said sincerely.

Upon hearing the familiar words "Mistress," He Shutong's previously complicated and strange emotions instantly Qingming Festival, leaving only the joy of successfully accepting a disciple.

She realized the changes in herself, which reminded her of the blind child who stood outside her door, persistently calling her "Mistress's Wife" in his childish voice. She thought to herself that she still preferred to hear him call her "Mistress".

The title "Master" sounds too cold; "Mistress" sounds much more intimate and warm.

What made her feel fortunate was that she could tell that You Su clearly preferred to call her "Mistress" rather than "Master".

Very nice.

"No need to thank me, I am your master..."

He Shutong's eyes were clear and bright. She withdrew her finger from You Su's brow, and her body stiffened, a hint of pallor appearing on her fair skin. She knew that this had created another huge crack in her spiritual center, but she didn't regret her decision at all. Her smile remained unchanged as she continued:

"She's also your teacher's Mistress."

At the same time, You Su also sensed something amiss. He shuddered, feeling as if he had fallen into a pool, through which he could see profound and obscure flowers of the Great Dao blooming on the surface.

The incredibly profound sensation left You Su dizzy; his consciousness grew increasingly hazy, his eyelids heavier and heavier, until finally he collapsed into a plump, warm embrace and fell into a deep sleep...

The far east of the Central Yuan Continent, Yongning City, Yongning Port.

Under the tranquil moonlight, the shimmering Divine Radiance Stone was reflected on the boundless, dark sea, obscuring the surging undercurrents within.

A specially crafted giant ship, its entire hull covered in Divine Radiance Stone, was moored on the shore, making it look like a deep-sea behemoth emerging from the water. This ship was named the Divine Ark, a massive ark jointly built by the Great God using vast amounts of resources, intended for distant voyages across the five continents.

In the highest room of the Divine Ark, where passengers could rest, two sisters were finally reunited after a long separation. However, there was no warmth in the room as they talked about their reunion. Instead, there was a long silence. The old woman standing silently with her head down was also affected by the tense atmosphere and dared not speak.

Ji Xueruo's facial features and figure are exactly the same as Ji Lingruo's, but their temperaments are completely different. Ji Lingruo looks like an innocent and carefree girl, while Ji Xueruo, as the youngest Empress in the history of the snake clan, has a dignified and noble temperament, like a flower on a high mountain.

Unlike Ji Lingruo's preferred blue dress, Ji Xueruo wore a low-key yet luxurious embroidered black dress. Even though they were the same age, Ji Xueruo's hairstyle differed from her younger sister's slightly cute double buns; instead, she sported a more elegant high bun resembling a phoenix.

Ji Xueruo sat upright on the wooden chair, scrutinizing her younger sister, who stood there defiantly, as if examining a criminal. Finally, she couldn't help but speak out coldly:

"Traitor."

Ji Lingruo, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, retorted angrily, "Who are you calling a traitor?"

Ji Xueruo met Ji Lingruo's gaze without flinching, her eyes icy. "Whoever forgets their mother's vengeance is a traitor!"

"When have I ever forgotten my mother's revenge? I want revenge more than anyone else! Including you! But you stole my Demon Core and deprived me of my right to revenge!"

Ji Lingruo she spoke. Although she had imagined that this reunion with her sister wouldn't be a tender and affectionate scene, she never expected that her sister would label her a "traitor" without even asking what happened. Thinking of this, tears welled up in her eyes.

"You don't want me to forget the grudge, yet you won't let me take revenge. What right do you have to judge me?"

"I..."

Ji Xueruo was speechless. She had stolen her sister's Demon Core, a debt she would forever owe her.

For demons, without their Demon Core, they are destined to have no path to immortality and will remain stuck at the Channel Opening stage for their entire lives.

At the age of nine, Ji Xueruo, who did not have Demon Core Channel Opening, had already reached the peak of the Meridian Opening stage, which was an absolutely astonishing cultivation speed. On the other hand, Ji Lingruo, who had Demon Core, had disordered meridians and was only at the initial stage of the Channel Opening stage. The difference in their talents was obvious. The elders of the snake clan decided to secretly graft the younger sister's Demon Core onto the older sister, as only in this way could the Demon Core be used to its fullest potential.

Although she didn't truly want to seize her younger sister's Demon Core, she simply felt her sister was innocent and wanted to keep her away from these heavy burdens. The arduous and lengthy tasks of revenge, becoming the Snake Clan Empress, and leading the Snake Clan to revive—that was the elder sister's job. Her younger sister only needed to be the carefree Second Young Lady of the Snake Clan, and she would ensure her sister lived a happy and fulfilling life.

But whatever her motives, they cannot erase the fact that she agreed to the elders' decision and stole her sister's Demon Core.

Ji Lingruo took a deep breath, forcing back her tears, and said again:

"Ji Xueruo... I didn't expect that three years have passed and you still haven't changed. Whenever this matter is mentioned, you become like a mute. On one hand, you agree to take my Demon Core, but on the other hand, you are uneasy and dare not accept it openly. Do you have any of the spirit of the Snake Clan Empress?"

Ji Xueruo, feeling utterly defeated.

For the three years since Ji Lingruo ran away from home, she had been tormented by guilt, constantly missing her younger sister. She had sent many demons to the Central Yuan Continent to search for Ji Lingruo, but all to no avail. She could only hope that her sister would return soon, or shed her skin so that the Serpent Ancestor could find her whereabouts. After the Serpent Ancestor sensed that her sister had shed her skin, Ji Xueruo put down everything she was doing and resolutely followed the location indicated by the Serpent Ancestor to find Ji Lingruo herself.

Along the way, she had imagined reuniting with her sister, sincerely apologizing to her, and reconciling with her sister. However, the slight, strange sensations that kept coming from various parts of her body along the way made her panic. The wave-like pleasure she felt after reaching the shore only fueled her anger. Her worries and apologies for her sister's years of being alone in a foreign land were overwhelmed by her rage.

My foolish sister, why do you choose to repeat our mother's tragedy, even though it happened before? Have you forgotten the hatred for our mother, forgotten the ugliness of human nature?

Resentment and regret filled Ji Xueruo's heart, and when she reunited with her sister after a long separation, the first thing she called out was not the "sister" she had been longing for, but the word "traitor".

"The matter of the Demon Core is entirely separate from your peace treaty with the human race!"

Ji Xueruo's dearest younger sister had also been violated by humans; how could she not be filled with resentment? The more she spoke, the more agitated she became.

"How could you be so foolish! Have you forgotten what happened to your mother?! The humans are approaching you; they must have ulterior motives!"

This time, it was Ji Lingruo who was speechless. She knew that she and her sister Spiritual Sense Connection, and that the fact that she had lost her virginity could not be hidden from her sister. She originally wanted to explain to her sister properly, but instead, she was met with cold accusations.

She understood her sister's anger. After all, they were products of the tragedy of humans and demons. If one day she found out that her sister had also been violated by human cultivators, she would probably question her sister in the same way.

That's why she wanted her older sister to understand how good her senior brother was, and to know that there are good people in the world, and that her relationship with You Su would not be a tragedy.

"Sister, I don't even have Demon Core. In the Central Yuan Continent, I'm just a helpless, useless person in the Channel Opening Realm. What could he possibly want from me?"

Ji Xueruo, having heard her sister call her "sister" for the first time in a long time, finally calmed down a bit. Looking at her sister, who was even more beautiful and charming after shedding her skin, she lamented her sister's lack of Dao Contention:

"He might be after your beauty! He might be after your body!"

Unexpectedly, Ji Lingruo burst out laughing as soon as she finished speaking, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere between the sisters. Ji Xueruo was also confused, but still maintained her composure and asked:

"Why are you laughing?"

"I laugh at you for spouting nonsense without asking the facts. He's blind, he can't even see me, what beauty does he want from me? And what body does he want from me for no reason?"

"A blind man?" Ji Xueruo's mouth gaped open, her beautiful eyes widening even more as she exclaimed angrily, "You mean... the other person is not only a man, but also blind?!"

Whether one is a human or Demon Cultivator, who doesn't know that blind people face numerous difficulties and have little chance of success on the path of cultivation?

"I think you're the blind one! Even if you don't have Demon Core, you don't need to debase yourself like this! How could such a hopeless piece of trash be worthy of you!"

Upon hearing this, even Granny Liu, who had been keeping her head down and silent, raised her eyelids slightly, her expression strange.

Judging from her later investigation in Chuyun City, it seems that her young mistress was not good enough for that young man...

The old woman secretly thought to herself that Ji Xueruo was usually calm and resourceful, with a maturity far beyond her years. She never expected that the young Empress, swayed by her protective instincts towards her sister, would become so blind that she didn't even notice how much her sister had changed.

Granny Liu sighed softly. Xue Ruo had been intelligent and sensible since childhood, and at such a young age she had shouldered a deep hatred and heavy responsibilities. Now, seeing her young and promising Snake Emperor showing a bit of cuteness that was typical of his age, she couldn't bear to remind him. Instead, she felt that Xue Ruo was more real and more human.

"Pfft, haha!"

Ji Lingruo laughed even more radiantly, making no attempt to hide her laughter; even covering her face with her hands couldn't conceal her dazzling smile.

Seeing Ji Xueruo Ji Lingruo's face turned even more ashen. She was single-mindedly focused on revenge and had no romantic feelings, but in order to improve herself, she had read extensively and naturally had read relevant books. She knew that her silly younger sister must be the kind of "love-struck" woman described in the books. The books also said that such women were the most incurable; no matter how despicable their lover was, he was the best in their hearts, and they couldn't bear to hear anyone say a bad word about him.

Ji Xueruo shook her head inwardly, feeling deeply helpless. Her younger sister's love-struck mind was truly inherited from their stubborn and pitiful mother. Fortunately, she considered herself very clear-headed; she couldn't stand any man, human or demon. In this cruel world of cultivation, only personal strength mattered! She was the future Snake Clan Empress, destined to lead the Snake Clan back to the Divine Mountain. How could she possibly be so infatuated with a man?

I, Ji Xueruo, am absolutely not a love-struck fool! Not only that, I will also make my sister, who is being controlled by love, face reality!

"I don't think I'm the one who's blind, it's you, sister."

Ji Lingruo's smile finally softened. She nimbly leaped in front of Ji Xueruo, and as if showing off, lightly twirled once, her green dress blooming like a lotus flower. She smiled gently:

"Sister, haven't you noticed yet? I have a new Demon Core!"

?!

Ji Xueruo stood up abruptly with a "snap," her beautiful eyes fixed on Ji Lingruo's lower abdomen. She looked around her younger sister in disbelief, again and again. At seventeen years old, she was already at the peak of the Spirit Platform Middle Stage Realm, so it wouldn't have been difficult for her to see through Ji Lingruo's cultivation level. However, she discovered that Ji Lingruo was already at the Spirit Platform Initial Stage Realm! Moreover, there was a vibrant, azure Demon Core inside her abdomen!

Unlike human cultivators who judge the quality of their spiritual platforms by their height, Demon Race judge them by the color of their Demon Core. The darker the color of the Demon Core, the higher its grade, and the greater the potential it can bring to its master. The Demon Core inside Ji Lingruo's body is a deep, almost tangible cyan color, making it an absolute top-grade Demon Core!

Ji Xueruo could no longer contain her excitement. She bent down and pressed her face against her younger sister's lower abdomen, as if to confirm the existence of the Demon Core more closely. She was both astonished and delighted, and said incredulously:

"W-How did you get this?"

Over the years, she had been searching for a way to make amends for the debt she owed to her younger sister for taking her Demon Core, but to no avail. She often regretted her actions after her sister ran away from home, but the Demon Core had become an integral part of her and was difficult to sever.

Ji Xueruo planned that after finding her sister, she would do whatever her sister wanted—even if forcibly removing the Demon Core would render her completely useless—without any regret.

But who could have imagined that my sister would have such a miraculous encounter, obtaining Demon Core of an even higher grade than the one inside her! This was undoubtedly the most surprising result, allowing my sister to embark on the path of immortality again, even going further than before, and also freeing her from having to forcibly extract the core, thus enabling her to continue her cultivation and allow the snake clan, which had already returned to the right track, to continue under her leadership.

Ji Lingruo smiled sweetly, looking at her sister's expression, feeling that she was just like a little husband eagerly awaiting his wife's arrival. A thought flashed through her mind; since the matter of the Grand Duke Jupiter shouldn't be discussed carelessly, and she wanted to improve You Su's impression on her sister, she said:

"Rather than saying that my senior brother had ulterior motives towards me, it would be more accurate to say that I had ulterior motives towards my senior brother. This Demon Core was a gift from him."

Upon hearing this, Ji Xueruo shocked that she immediately stood up straight, Granny Liu, who was unaware of the inside story, also widened her old eyes.

It should be understood that grafting Demon Core cores is a taboo in the demon realm; otherwise, it would inevitably lead to a situation where demons themselves are in danger, and geniuses who possess top-grade Demon Core would never have a chance to rise to prominence.

Furthermore, it's extremely difficult to graft Demon Core onto a demon that isn't of the same lineage, unless it's cultivated using some extremely special Secret Method; otherwise, it's just a useless core in your hand.

Given the constant conflict between humans and demons, it's not surprising that humans might secretly collect Demon Core. But how could it be such a coincidence that the Ji Lingruo was perfectly suited to her snake clan identity? And of such high quality at that?

Could this Demon Core... be the Demon Core of my mother that was tricked out of me back then?!

"Where did this Demon Core come from?" Ji Xueruo forced herself to calm down and asked seriously.

"Where else could it be..." Ji Lingruo, "It's that..."

"Which one?" Ji Xueruo asked, still confused.

"You... you knew... we practiced dual cultivation..."

It was for the purpose of dual cultivation... and was given by the male cultivator to the female cultivator...

Knowledge of the principles of yin and yang in men and women resurfaced. Ji Xueruo's already cold expression turned even more ashen upon hearing this, her eyes seeming to spit fire, yet her voice was icy and chilling:

"This Demon Core... could it be your child?!"