Heaven-Defying Reward!

"What's going on? Why is it so hot?"

The midwife responsible for the delivery had barely entered the room when the scorching wave of heat rushing toward her forced her back several steps. She cried out in terror, "This... this temperature is impossible to get near!"

Zhang Chen strode into the room, waved his hand, and cast a gentle Spiritual Power barrier around the midwife. In a deep voice, he said, "Don't panic! This is an abnormal phenomenon caused by the fetus's special constitution."

"You just focus on delivering the child. I'll suppress the Spiritual Energy riot!"

The temperature inside the delivery room continued climbing steadily. If Zhang Chen had not promptly set up a barrier, the curtains in the room would probably have burst into flames.

Lin Qingxue's condition was extremely unusual.

She possessed the Extreme Yin Ice Spirit Body, and icy energy circulated through her body year-round.

But at that moment, the fetus in her womb was like a little sun about to erupt.

It radiated the fierce power of the most rigid and blazing yang.

Ice and fire—two forces as diametrically opposed as could be—collided wildly inside her body.

The torment of alternating heat and cold was far more unbearable than the simple agony of giving birth to Dragon-Phoenix Twins.

"Ra... Husband... hot... so hot..."

Lin Qingxue's consciousness was somewhat blurred, and her skin had taken on a bizarre appearance.

At one moment, it was covered in frost; the next, it turned red like heated iron.

She bit her lip hard, and blood seeped out.

Yet she did not dare cry out loudly, afraid that she would lose that last breath of strength.

Watching this, Zhang Chen felt as though his heart were being torn apart.

Without the slightest hesitation, he vaulted onto the bed and sat cross-legged behind his wife. He pressed both hands against the center of her back, and the Heavenly Dao Foundation Platform within him rumbled into motion.

"Settle down for me!"

Purple-gold Spiritual Power flowed like a docile river.

It poured continuously into Lin Qingxue's meridians.

This power was incomparably overbearing, forcibly inserting itself into the battlefield between ice and fire.

It was like an immortal lord.

With one hand, it pressed down on the agitated ice Spiritual Energy; with the other, it soothed the raging fire element.

Between the two, it built a sturdy bridge.

Under Zhang Chen's powerful suppression, the conflict within Lin Qingxue finally eased.

"Huff..."

She exhaled a long breath—the fire poison that had been forced out.

"Qingxue, hold on! The child is about to come out!"

Zhang Chen's voice rang beside her ear.

With Zhang Chen backing them up, the midwives finally dared to approach.

"Young Madam, push! I can see the head! It's a... heavens, why is this child's hair red?"

Following the midwife's startled cry,

Boom—!

A crimson pillar of light shot into the sky from the delivery room, piercing straight through the roof.

"Waaah..."

The next moment, an exceptionally loud cry, like the call of a phoenix, rang out.

With that cry, the surrounding temperature instantly returned to normal.

Zhang Chen felt a buzzing in his mind. The system notification arrived right on time.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, on the birth of a son!]

[After inspection, this child has the Profound Yang Blazing Fire Body, low-grade Heaven-tier aptitude, an innate affinity for fire, and command over all flames!]

[Triggering the "More Children, More Blessings" reward settlement...]

[Congratulations, host! You have received: a second-tier superior skill inheritance card · Artifact Refining (includes the Diagram of the Hundredfold-Refined Divine Mechanism)!]

[Congratulations, host! You have received: a growth-type superior-grade magic treasure embryo · Heaven-Shaking Seal!]

[Congratulations, host! You have received: secret art · Spirit-Shaking Art (a divine sense attack method)!]

[Congratulations, host! You have received: 5 family member cultivation upgrade cards!]

[Congratulations, host! You have received: 1 superior-grade aptitude enhancement pill!]

Zhang Chen had not yet had time to examine the rewards closely.

The warm bundle in his arms drew his attention.

The midwife had already cleaned the child and wrapped him carefully in the finest Spirit Silk Brocade Blanket. Trembling, she handed him over. "Congratulations, Young Master, it's a big, healthy boy! This child... this child is truly brimming with righteousness!"

Zhang Chen took the child.

The little fellow was exceptionally sturdy. Even at birth, he was already a full size larger than an ordinary one-month-old baby.

His sparse newborn hair was a faint reddish crimson.

There was also a natural flame-shaped birthmark between his brows, faintly glowing.

He did not cry. Instead, he opened a pair of bright, inky eyes and curiously examined the father holding him.

His little hands groped about wildly, and he actually grabbed a strand of Zhang Chen's drooping hair.

His strength was astonishing.

"Good boy, you've got quite a grip."

Zhang Chen was delighted. He extended a finger and teased his son's cheek.

Who would have thought that the little fellow would open his mouth and blow out a tiny smoke ring?

"..."

Zhang Chen froze for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.

"Since you were born with fire and have a temperament as fierce as the sun, then I'll call you... Zhang Daoyan."

He turned to look at Lin Qingxue lying on the bed.

Although exhausted, her face was glowing with a blissful smile.

"Daoyan... that's a good name."

Lin Qingxue said weakly, "It's just that with that temper, I'm afraid he won't be easy to discipline in the future."

"What is there to fear?"

Zhang Chen raised the child high with a bold, heroic air. "He's a son of the Zhang Family. Even if he has to poke a hole in the heavens, his father will cover for him!"

After settling his wife and child, Zhang Chen did not rest immediately.

He handed the child to the wet nurse and walked alone into the study.

At that moment, candlelight flickered inside the study.

Zhang Chen sat in the grand armchair, sinking his mind into the System Space.

Looking at the several cards radiating golden light—especially the [Artifact Refining Inheritance Card] and [God Shaking Technique]—his heart burned with anticipation.

Less than two months remained before the Life and Death Arena Competition with the Wang Family.